It’s true, cosmetic surgery can become an addiction.

Alicia Douvall is a British glamour model who’s recently become famous for revealing her addiction to cosmetic surgery. Douvall, a 29 year old mother of one, has spent more than $1.5million(CA) on over 100 cosmetic surgical procedures. She was still a teen when she had her first procedure.

Douvall admits to having 15 breast augmentation surgeries, cosmetic blepharoplasty, cosmetic rhinoplasty and more than one facelift. Because doctors in her home country of Britain have refused to perform anymore surgical cosmetic procedures on her, she’s sought doctors in the States for further “work”, and lied to them about her medical history.

Her addiction is related to body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), a psychological disorder that is believed to have developed as a result of past traumatic experiences. Douvall is also taking medication to treat depression and insomnia. She was treated for BDD at Malibu’s Passages Addiction Centre (you may have seen her path to recovery on the reality show Rehab).

People suffering from BDD tend to have unrealistic expectations related to the outcome of cosmetic surgery procedures. Regardless of how well they’ve turned out, results are generally never satisfactory. For this reason, it’s not just the physical health of a potential patient that is examined prior to surgery – it’s also the mental state. Cosmetic surgery is designed for people who are in relatively good physical and mental health.

The Medical Council in New Zealand has banned cosmetic physicians and clinics from using before and after photos of their patients in advertising. The ban was put in place based on the Council’s belief that pictures of patients before and after they undergo cosmetic surgery do not convey enough information and, more importantly, may glamourise or mislead consumers, encouraging individuals to have unrealistic expectations.

Plastic surgeons, on the other hand, argue that they play an important role in educating consumers. The photos are used to show what can be achieved from treatment. However, under the ban, they are only allowed to be displayed in the consultative process. Needless to say, plastic surgeons aren’t happy with the ban and appealing the decision.

In Ontario, before and after photos have not been banned in advertising and are readily available. If you’d like to view some photos of our patients, visit our Cosmetic Surgery Before and After Gallery. There are hundreds of photos available to view some of the most popular procedures at Toronto Cosmetic Clinic: breast enlargement, liposuction, tummy tuck and Botox!

UltraShape, a method of nonsurgical fat reduction and body contouring procedure, was featured in the March edition of Oprah Winfrey’s O Magazine. The article, dedicated to advancements in cosmetic surgery, talked about how UltraShape was able to get rid of fat virtually painlessly, without surgery and an intensive recovery period.

But that’s not the news. The news is that the Israel-based manufacturer saw their shares jump up 19.5% when the article was published, then another 63.3% last Monday. However, the following day, shares fell 12.5% then 18.6% on Wednesday. Witness the power of Oprah!

Although UltraShape has been available for well over a year in Canada and is also available in 56 other countries around the world, it is still not available in the US for the time being. The company that manufactures the device is seeking approval from the FDA.

Up to a quarter of breast cancer patients can develop arm lymphedema, swelling from fluid that could not be drained properly due to blockage of the lymphatic system. Lymphedema can make the arm swell immensely, becoming more than twice the circumference of its original size. Because it can make the arm heavy, it can also severely limit movement.

However, a small study led by Dr. Laronga, an American doctor, has found that liposuction can help relieve lymphedema by removing the number fat cells in the area affected. By reducing their number, the swelling is reduced since the number of fat cells left behind hold less fluid. As a result, this treatment “controls” rather than eliminates lymphedema.

If the study can prove that the benefits of liposuction as a treatment for lymphedema improve the patients’ lives long term, then Dr. Laronga will expand the study. This first study includes only 6 patients.

Plastic surgeons in the Netherlands have found that wrinkles around the mouths (perioral) of women may be deeper and more prominent than those in men due to differences in skin structure.

A few differences that the plastic surgeons found between the perioral skin make up of men versus women include the following:

• Women’s skin has fewer sweat and sebaceous glands. The filling of the skin may be affected as a result.
• There are less blood vessels in female perioral skin, which means that the area is less vascularized. This could increase the speed at which wrinkles develop.
• Muscular fibres surrounding the mouth’s opening are attached closer to the dermis, causing traction to move inward. This creates the deeper set wrinkles that women generally experience.

The study provides proof for what many of us women have always known – when it comes to wrinkles, ladies get the raw end of the deal. Our wrinkles develop earlier, are more prominent and as a result, are more difficult to treat. At least there are several treatments available that can help, like Botox, laser skin resurfacing, and injectable fillers.

The findings were presented in the November/December issue of Aesthetic Surgery Journal (ASJ) by the University Medical Centre’s Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Hand Surgery. Researchers hope that this will help determine more effective treatments for female perioral wrinkles.

A British teenager is already hooked on Botox, with blessings from her mother, the Daily Mail UK reports. Hannah Burge, 16, had her first Botox injections a year ago, explaining, “I had a couple of lines on my forehead and around my mouth, which I was unhappy about. Appearance is important to me and I don’t want to look haggard and ugly by the time I’m 25.”

Now, honestly, we think 16 years old is a little too young for someone to do Botox. But apparently, thousands of teens in the US (according to stats from the ASPS) don’t think so, getting injections done to treat wrinkles on the face and delaying their onset. “Teen Toxing” is what they call it, and the 16 year old daughter of the one and only Real Life Barbie, Sarah Burge does it, too. Sarah Burge has spent a fortune on cosmetic surgery, and she totally supports her daughter’s quest for eternal youth (no surprise there!) Licensed to administer Botox, Sarah even does the injections herself.

Her daughter, Hannah, had her first Botox injection at 15 in Spain, and she plans on continuing to receive injections to not look “haggard and ugly by the time I’m 25,” (Those were her exact words, according to news reports.) Hannah hopes to venture into the world of injectable fillers next, getting lip augmentation to plump up her upper lip.

Sure, it may work for her to get rid of those pesky wrinkles on the forehead, but really, “Teen Toxing”? Are wrinkles that bad at such an age?