A study by doctors at Eastern Virginia Medical School and Ear, Nose, & Throat Center of Fredericksburg has discovered that Botox can help people suffering from nagging chronic coughs, specifically when their condition has not positively responded to other more standard types of treatment. Botox may help to quiet coughs (but not eliminate them all together).

The study explored 438 individuals with laryngeal spasm and chronic cough. Four of the group diagnosed with chronic cough, three of whom were women, were treated with Botox injections targeting the thyroarytenoid muscles. The thyroarytenoid muscle is part of the vocal folds/chords, and the doctors targeted this because of the belief that Botox would help interrupt abnormal nerve feedback of the cough reflex.

Results show that following treatment, a significant relief of cough was reported. Several injections were administered.

The doctors believe that further research and followup are required to confirm results, since the study group was so small. There was also no comparison with alternative therapies.

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The Ribbon Lift is a newer, advanced form of the traditional thread lift, or at least based on the same premise. A “ribbon” is placed in the face through an incision in the area of the sideburns. Space is made under the skin from the sideburns down to the jowls, where the ribbon is positioned. Tiny spikes adhere to the jowls, and it is these spikes that, when the ribbon is gently pulled up, lift the jowls and eliminate or minimize their appearance (one of the things that a facelift can do)

Although the ribbon may be felt through the skin shortly after surgery, it is virtually invisible and dissolves in a few months. The “lift” resulting from the treatment can last for a few years, making it a viable solution to rejuvenate facial contours.

There are rumors going around that pop star Madonna may have had a Ribbon Lift to keep her jowls in check. We’ll probably never know, though, since she doesn’t seem too keen on telling the world her beauty secrets.

Currently, the most common way to ease the discomfort associated with the injectable fillers procedure is applying a topical anesthetic before the injection. This helps to numb the area to reduce sensitivity, thereby making the injection process a little less painful.

However, physicians in the States are attempting to pioneer the process of making it even less painful by combining 2% lidocaine (the typical anesthesia used to alleviate pain) with injectable filler products, including those based on hyaluronic acid. By doing so, pain is minimized immediately, discomfort is lessened and the recovery time is shorter.

This may not be so groundbreaking, however, since some physicians have been adding lidocaine to a product prior to injection for a couple of years now. Products, such as specially marked lines of Radiesse and Restylane, also have lidocaine in differing amounts.

That’s right. Titanium is the metal of choice for a unique supportive structure for breast implants designed by German cosmetic physician, Dr. Ziya Saylan.

To achieve the firmness and perkiness that his patients desire, Dr. Saylan developed a supportive structure out of titanium to hold up regular silicone breast implants within the body, achieving that much desired more youthful contour. This unique supportive structure, described as acting much like “baskets”, has already been used on some of his patients. However, it is not available in Canada as further research must be conducted to ensure its safety.

Titanium is actually a great material to create implants for human use, as it is incredibly strong and bio-friendly. For years now, several types of implants have been manufactured from titanium, such as those to promote tooth regeneration, replace hip joints, and reclaim lost hearing.

You’re considering getting a nose job or some lipo done on your thighs, but the only results you can imagine are in your head. You don’t have the artistry, technical know-how to alter your nose on the computer, or the time to visit a clinic to access their software. So what do you do?

Get bodyplastika for the iPhone! This new app allows you to alter parts of your face (nose, cheeks, chin, jawline) and your body (neck, love handles, thighs, upper arms, etc.) to mimic the possible results that jawline contouring, liposuction, rhinoplasty or facial implants can achieve. Incredibly easy to use, just upload your photo and alter what you find undesirable.

Then, just save the altered image so that you can come back to it later, show your friends for their opinion, or present it to your cosmetic physician so that they can understand what you want.

Since their discovery in 1958, lasers have revolutionized the field of medicine. An acronym for Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation, the laser is widely used as a tool for invasive and noninvasive procedures.

From a nonsurgical method of rejuvenating the skin to liposuction and beyond, lasers are used for a variety of purposes in cosmetic surgery. They have the remarkable ability of targeting the specific problem without adversely  affecting surrounding tissue and is commonly used instead of a scalpel to make clean incisions that do not bleed excessively.