Collagen accounts for 25% of the total amount of proteins in the body, the most plentiful of all bodily proteins. It is fibrous and holds together and supports other body tissues. Collagen is present in skin, tendons, cartilage, bone, and teeth. It is sold as a dietary supplement to help with joint mobility. Along with elastin, collagen gives body tissues their form and strength and flexibility. These two substances work together in lungs, tendons, bones, and blood vessels. Another protein in the skin, keratin, works with collagen and elastin to give skin resilience. As we get older, collagen degrades and leads to wrinkles. Therefore, to fight visible effects of aging, collagen is very helpful. Unfortunately, collagen is too large a molecule to be absorbed through the skin. Some anti-aging science is aimed at stimulating production of collagen in skin cells. Collagen degradation is worse in sun damaged skin. Loss of collagen makes people look older and tired. There are several injectible collagen products that can replace some of the collagen lost through aging and sun exposure. Zyderm and Zyplast are injectible collagen products made from highly purified cow collagen. They are used to produce better lip definition, and to fill out fine lines and acne scars. The effects last three to six months. Before using either of these, clients have to have a skin test to determine if there is an allergic response to Zyderm or Zyplast. Cosmoderm and Cosmoplast are made from purified human collagen. They do not require an allergy skin test before treatment. Results last two or three months. Evolence is one of the newer dermal fillers. It is derived from pig collagen and is injected into the underlying skin layers to correct medium to deep facial wrinkles. There is some evidence that Evolence causes less temporary bruising and swelling than other dermal fillers. It also appears to last longer than other fillers — up to 12 months in some cases.

Leonard Dawson is a freelance article writer who writes for Cosmetic Surgery Guru about current issues, technology and news within the cosmetic surgery market.

Los Angeles, CA August 16, 2004– When R. L.’s wedding day rolled around last May 7th, her nose, which she had hated for so long, had been at last fully repaired so she could stare into the many cameras present on the big day with confidence, if not a huge measure of sass.

“With my old nose, I knew I would hate every wedding picture taken that day,” R.L. told CosmeticSurgery.com. (She asked her full name be withheld.)

R.L., now 30, suffered a botched rhinoplasty (nose job) when she was 16, followed by another surgery years later to try and repair the damage. But it did not work.

She did some research and started looking for a surgeon who specializes in cosmetic surgery revisions.

“My nose was an absolute atrocity,” says R.L., who works in marketing in New York City and just married a graphic artist. She shopped physicians for the pre-wedding revision surgery by reading doctors’ websites for information about their training and background and then ventured out for face-to-face interviews of three. One in particular impressed her with price, training, patient testimonials and a warm beside manner.

“I knew I had to get it right this time,” R.L. says. “When I went in for surgery, my nose was twisted, and the left side was collapsed so badly, I could not breathe through it. In the past, when a picture was taken, I made sure the photographer was far off or that only my good side was pictured. Once my nose was finally straightened, I couldn’t believe I had been walking around so long, looking that badly.”

R.L. is not the only bride looking for a surgeon to perform a nip, a tuck or more before taking that walk down the aisle. Cosmetic surgeons and others report seeing many more wedding party members seeking procedures before the nuptials.

“Cosmetic surgery procedures for brides-to-be, mothers of the brides and others in the wedding are up 300% over this time last year,” says Cho Phillips, executive director of Lovegevity.com, a Northern California website devoted to engagement, marriage and other family issues. “First-time brides tend to have liposuction and breast augmentation in preparation for their big day.”

Yet another wedding consultant says pre-nuptial cosmetic surgery is so common, most couples should think about carving out a budget for facial makeovers.

Arlene Howard, 64, a Beverly Hills public relations practitioner, had the striking good looks of a model in her early 20s. Now, she has an October 10th wedding date at the Bel Air Hotel in Beverly Hills. So for a segment of tv’s “Dr. 90210,” Arlene underwent a facial peel that took 25 years off the calendar โ€” after a two-month recovery time — and made her, in the words of her husband-to-be, “a trophy bride.”

“I wanted my outward appearance to catch up with my self-image,” Arlene says. “It will now be the wedding I’ve always wanted.” Compliments have been so encouraging, Arlene says she will also have a tummy tuck before the wedding.

Says Robert Freund, M.D., a Manhattan plastic surgeon, “As the field of cosmetic and plastic surgery receives more attention in the media, cosmetic surgical procedures become more widely accepted. Plus, the medical technology is getting better and that allows plastic surgeons to offer more sophisticated rejuvenations, with quicker healing time and less post-operative bruising.”

It was another uncomely schnoze that drove Tara, J. a 29-year-old magazine writer in New York State, to see about repairing the damage caused by a surfboard that broke her nose years ago. Her rhinoplasty was done in February to prepare for an October (2003) wedding.

“I think everybody noticed my new nose at the wedding,” she says.

“Because all eyes will be on the bride at the wedding, the perfect time to start a new skincare routine is at the engagement,” says Keith LaFerriere, M.D., president of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) which reports the two most popular procedures for brides-to-be and their mothers are Botox and chemical peels.

“If a bride goes in for Botox or chemical peels, she should have it done weeks in advance because swelling and redness can occur,” says Dr. LaFerriere who is also a clinical associate professor at the University of Missouri, Columbia.

According to Leo McCafferty, M.D. a Pittsburgh plastic surgeon and immediate past chair of the public education committee of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, (ASAPS) the mother of the bride is more likely to get a pre-wedding nip or tuck.

“Most often, the mothers of brides and grooms are seeking facelifts or eyelifts, sometimes, up to a year before the wedding,” Dr. McCafferty says.

That was what drove Mary Anne R. of Brooklyn, New York, to see a plastic surgeon before her daughter’s wedding in May 2004. Except, in her case, Mary Anne wanted less to be more attractive.

“I’ve always been very large chested and learned I was a candidate for breast reduction after reading about typical symptoms such women have,” says Mary Anne. “For instance, I was having pain in my shoulders and down into my arms from my bras which, in some respects, were almost like wearing harnesses. I really wanted to go to the wedding in a strapless dress, but that was impossible before the surgery. I would have popped right out!”

Mary Anne underwent a breast reduction in November 2003, and says she had completely healed and “looked great” by the wedding date in March, 2004.

“At the ceremony, I received many compliments in my strapless dress and everybody told me how wonderful I looked,” she says. “Plus, my husband is my biggest fan of my new look.”

Jennie H., of Union Town, Pennsylvania, actually didn’t think too much about cosmetic surgery until a close friend at her health club pointed out how tired she looked.

“I took a look in the mirror, and said, ‘My god! She’s right! I don’t look good.” Although it was only six weeks before the wedding, Winnie had upper and lower blepharoplasty (eye lids and eye bags) performed on May 7th, 2004, and was healed in time for her daughter’s July 26th wedding.

“At the wedding, virtually everybody noticed and complimented me on how young I looked,” Jennie says.

Michael C. Bruck, M.D., director of plastic surgery at New York’s Juva Skin & Laser Center in New York City finds the most common pre-wedding cosmetic surgery mistake is waiting too long to see the surgeon about major procedures on the face, eyes and abdomen.

“The other busy time for special occasion requests is before high school and college reunions,” Dr. Bruck says. “For some reason, those people come in much farther in advance of the event. Maybe they want to look extra good for old flames.”

About one quarter of patients, who visit doctors for pre-wedding consultations โ€” but did not go ahead with the procedure โ€” come back after the wedding for the operation, he says.

“Once a patient starts thinking about a particular cosmetic procedure, it seems to stick in her mind,” says Dr. Bruck who reports using a lot of Restylane, a filler that gets rid of blemishes, acne scars and some minor lines and wrinkles.

However, all is not lost if you do find yourself short on time. For instance, David J. Goldberg, M.D., dermatologist and director of The Skin Laser & Surgery Specialists of New York & New Jersey, says some wedding ceremony patients come to him a scant week before the ceremony.

“For younger brides, physicians can offer smoother skin through laser dermatology and some filler agents to fill out lips,” Dr. Goldberg says. “Hylaform is good because it produces quick results and is a natural substance, so no skin or allergy tests are required. Those tests take time.”

Blushing brides find microdermabrasion helps makeup go on smoother. There is usually no bruising because the needles used to inject some fillers are as thin as one human hair.

A current trend is giving cosmetic surgery as a gift. So, six months before opening her other gifts, Sheryl H., a 30-year-old medical transcriptionist in Springfield, Missouri, opened an envelope containing a gift for six dermabrasion treatments. “I had little dark areas of complexion on my face but dermabrasion made my skin lighter, smoother and fresher,” she says. “The treatments make your face feel wind burned but your skin glows more afterwards.”

Mothers of brides in a hurry often ask for fast relief of crow’s feet, wrinkles and worry lines. Dr. Goldberg says Hylaform usually fills that bill, too.

But whatever procedure is used, girls โ€” and their moms โ€” just wanna look good.

For more information, visit http://www.cosmeticsurgery.com

Every one wants to be perfectly beautiful and to attain it people discover to change all those flaws. Cosmetic surgery is one sure way to have a perfect beauty but one must be open to the outcomes and dangers of the surgery. One has to find a good surgeon that would perform the operations to avoid complications. Hematoma is one, it occurs when blood collects under the skin, looking at first like a huge black and blue mark. Nerve injuries are rare but they can occur in the forehead or cheek, making the face flaccid and without expression on one side. The patient can vomit and risk congesting the lungs, or fluctuating blood pressure can result in sustained bleeding. Many people suffer from depression after surgery, partly because of the long-term after-effects of the anesthetics and painkillers they take.

Implanting a highly purified form of soluble collagen just beneath the skin promises to change all that known as collagen implants, the new system came originally from search done at Stanford University, where scientist developed a new way of processing bovine collagen into an odorless, whitish substance with the consistency of soft paste. Silicone is another substance, which can be injected into fine lines to smooth them out.

The modern high-technology version of skin peels involves the use of chemicals such as salicylic acid, resorcin and -best-known- phenol and tricholoroacetic acid (TCA). They are designed to eliminate fine lines on the face and they work best on fair complexioned, thin- skinned people with fine wrinkles. TCA can be use to give only a light peel, taking off the outermost part of the epidermis. This is particularly helpful for removing uneven pigmentation when it is use in very light concentration, but it does little to alter the look of long-term wrinkles.

Similar to a peel, dermabrasion can go beyond it in that it affects not only fine wrinkles but also deeper acne scars and sunspots. It can be use to treat frown lines, smile lines, vertical wrinkles, naso-labial lines and fine lines around the mouth. Dermabrasion is often use after a chemical peel on areas of the face that need further treatment.

Port wine stains, strawberry birth marks and other disfiguring blemishes caused by abnormal concentrations of capillaries beneath the skin surface used to be a matter for concealment alone. The argon laser- a finely focused hot beam of light able to burn tissue at incredible speed and with exceptional precision can treat many of these disfiguration easily, painlessly and in the doctor’s office. The helium-neon laser is use cosmetically to improve the look of aging skin. It is not as dangerous as hot laser and tends to be use on specific points on the face many of which correspond to acupuncture points. This non-surgical lift consists of beaming these points with the laser light then directing it along facial lines on the forehead, around the eyes, facial lines and mouth.

The skin is composed of many layers including the epidermis and the dermis, and is made up of nerves, blood vessels, lymphatic vessels, glands and hair follicles.

The outermost layer of the skin, the epidermis, provides protection from external and environmental factors, such as UV rays, fluctuating temperatures, and even trauma. The epidermis is constantly going through cellular turnover; however, this process begins to slow at the age of 30.

The dermis, primarily the connective tissue containing capillaries and lymphatic vessels, provides the body with nutrients, and cleanses the body by carrying clear fluids throughout the body. Within these connective tissues are the cells called fibroblasts that produce collagen and elastin. Collagen and elastin make the skin soft and supple, allowing for the epidermis to show a youthful appearance. This too begins to slow as our skin ages.

To help remedy this, there are a few options that are available and one of the most effective is through the use of dermabrasion.

How Can Dermabrasion Help?
Dermabrasion helps to refinish the top layers of the skin using a method of controlled surgical scraping. Dermabrasion is most often used to improve your facial skin, and provide you with a smoother more refined look. It can be used to reduce scarring caused by an accident or previous surgery. Or it can help reduce the fine lines around your eyes or mouth. It can also be used effectively in treating scarring caused by deep acne.

You can choose dermabrasion for small areas on your face, or you can use it as a complete facial. Dermabrasion is also often combined with other procedures, such as a facelift or chemical peel, and can provide you with long lasting results.

In addition to changing the way you look after refining your skin, many report dermabrasion also gives them an added self confidence boost. If youve been worrying about those fine lines appearing around your mouth, dermabrasion may be the answer youve been looking for. Dermabrasion will not remove every scar and flaw, but can provide you with dramatic results. Discuss your expectations with your surgeon, and ask questions to determine if this is the right procedure for you. People of all ages can feel the benefits of dermabrasion surgery, but your age may play a factor in your ultimate results. Check with your doctor for more information.

Dermabrasion is a form of cosmetic surgery, and should be considered carefully. Dermabrasion involved the most visible part of your body – your face – so spend the extra time looking for a qualified and highly trained cosmetic surgeon. The great news is this type of surgery can be performed fairly quickly, and can take anywhere from a few minutes to a couple of hours, depending upon how much skin is being treated. It is not uncommon to have the procedure performed more than once, or in stages.

After the initial swelling from surgery, your face will begin to heal within the first few days. Two weeks after the surgery, you can return to work as normal, but you will need to be careful not to bump or injure your face. When it has completely healed, you will notice a brand new you with better conditioned, smoother looking skin./pbr
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