Dysport has decided to up the ante and has offered the following challenge to anyone seeking a botox-like treatment to decrease unwanted lines and wrinkles. The offer is valid through the end of April, so don’t hesitate if you want to take advantage of this limit time deal.

Here’s the deal. Dysport will give you a $75 rebate for your first Dysport treatment and then you have 14 days to decide whether you “love it” (in which case you’ll get another $75 towards your second Dysport treatment scheduled at least 3 months after your first one) or you “leave it” (in that case you’ll get a $75 rebate the next time you use Botox or another type A botulinum toxin product). Either way, you’ll save $150, which seems like a great deal. In our Beverly Hills practice an area of Botox or Dysport is $300, so the $75 rebate is effectively a 25% discount from that price in which case you’re only paying $225 per area.

I have no financial interest in Dysport or Botox and use both in my Beverly Hills office to soften lines and wrinkles. I also think you need to read the offer for yourself before having any treatments.

Dr Francis Palmer
Beverly Hills Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery
“What’s Your Number..the palmer code.”

With Botox injections, the needle penetrates the skin and tissues to the level of the muscle causing the unwanted line or wrinkle. The toxin is then administered through the needle and syringe directly to the targeted muscle. The toxin relaxes the muscle and the line and wrinkle is diminished. Simple and easy to understand.

Now, when a cream or lotion is placed on the surface of the skin things get far more complicated.

1. How much of the toxin and how rapidly is it absorbed by the skin

2. How deeply is the toxin absorbed by the tissues…remember the toxin needs to get to the muscle in order to make it and the resulting line or wrinkle relax. If the toxin is stuck in the dermis of the skin or in the deeper fatty tissue above the muscle, how can it affect and relax the muscle?

3. If the toxin does reach the fatty tissues or the muscle (getting through the tough exterior tissue of the muscle called the fascia) will it be taken away by the various blood vessels within the fat and or the muscle. For the botulinum toxin to be effective it must come into contact with the neuromuscular junctions within the muscle in some amount for some period of time.

I am unsure that all these criteria are being met but I await the opportunity to try Revance for myself as I have been using Botox injections in my Beverly Hills plastic and cosmetic surgery practice for 20 years. I love the idea of rubbing a cream and making the lines and wrinkles go away but I as of yet remain a skeptic. I will keep you informed as I learn more.

Dr Francis Palmer
Beverly Hills Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery
“What’s Your Number..the palmer code.”

Below is a picture of how aging effects the face. Arrows are used to show the direction of facial tissue sag.

Aging face and Neck

The Palmer Celebrity Face Lift uses much smaller incisions, than traditional Face Lifts, that are contoured around the front and inside of the ear. Unlike traditional Face Lifts or Mid Face Lifts, no incisions are placed inside the hairline, in front or in back of the head, thereby eliminating the risk of hair loss or unsightly scars inside the hair.

The Palmer Celebrity Face Lift does elevate, trim and lift the SMAS muscle layer along with trimming excess skin which may not be done with a thread lift or suture lift procedure. The Palmer Celebrity Lift goes a step farther still by shaping the cheek area into a more naturally, youthful appearance by adjusting facial fat and using fillers like Perlane and Radiesse. Cheek Implants can also be used when a permanent augmentation is desired.

In the picture below, arrows on the face represent the direction of lift.

Arrows show direction of tightening

The result is a naturally more youthful and attractive face….the antithesis of the old “wind swept”, “over pulled” faces where the tissues are just pulled and distorted. The Palmer Celebrity Face Lift is evolved and in my opinion represents the Face Lift of the future…right now, today. I’m sure that the top Celebrities know the best plastic surgeons are the ones who’s techniques evolve and continue to provide the very best with the least amount of scarring, swelling, bruising and recovery time. Watch Dr Francis Palmer present his ground breaking Palmer Celebrity Lift on ABC’s hit TV show “The View”.

Dr Francis Palmer
Beverly Hills Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery
“What’s Your Number..the palmer code.”

The Wall Street Journal had a story about Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery today….Breast Augmentation with Breast Implants is now the most popular plastic surgery procedure or at least it was in 2009. This is from data collected by one of the three organizations of surgeons who perform plastic and/or cosmetic surgery procedures like Breast Enhancement/Augmentation , Face Lifts and the like.

Liposuction was dethroned as the most popular, most commonly performed, plastic surgery procedure and was actually down about 17% from the previous year. The article also noted, which we have discussed here numerous times in the past, the increasing trend towards less invasive procedures. This was my motivation behind creating our minimum incision Face Lift the “Palmer Celebrity Face Lift” which was featured on ABC’s hit TV show “The View”. Botox and fillers like Restylane, Radiesse and Perlane remained popular.

Rhinoplasty was mentioned only in passing but according to my calculations, of published data from all three surgical groups who perform plastic and cosmetic surgery, remains the top or one of the top plastic surgery procedures performed year after year.

It is true that Breast Augmentation is popular and Silicone Breast Implants have gained popularity since the FDA lifted their restrictions some time back. I have seen two sets of patients that are interested in Breast Augmentation with Breast Implants. The first group are young women who have small breasts and would like the size and or shape improved. Silicone Breast Implants are available for women 22 years of age or older. Younger women would need to use Saline Breast Implants.

The second group of women interested in Breast Augmentation are those who have had children, or are older and wish to regain a more aesthetic breast size and shape using Breast Implants. These women may also need some form of Breast Lift along with the Breast Implants. I believe that all Breast Implants should be placed below the muscle which offers an additional layer of tissue above the Breast Implant.

Dr Francis Palmer
Beverly Hills Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery
“What’s Your Number..the palmer code.”

The day after the Academy Awards with all the gorgeous and handsome celebrities on the red carpet it’s natural for our thoughts to turn towards our own self improvement through plastic and cosmetic surgery treatments and surgical procedures.

If you are looking to make yourself more attractive, be sure that you understand what facial features are the most important from an aesthetic point of view. According to my new book that defines and identifies beauty, there are three top facial features in a beautiful or handsome face. The Cheeks, Eye Area and the Lips.

Of these three features, the Cheeks are the most aesthetically important and should be considered in all cases of facial rejuvenation, where the goal is to look naturally youthful, as well as younger faces where the goal is a more beautiful face. This should be the main focus of any plastic and cosmetic surgery procedures, treatments or surgery. From Botox, Restylane, Perlane, Radiesse, Cheek Implants, Face Lifts, Eyelid Surgery or Lip Enhancement/Augmentation.

Face Lift techniques that overlook shaping the cheeks to a naturally, youthful shape miss the mark, in my opinion, as they leave the face over-pulled, windswept or otherwise unnatural in appearance. I have found in over 20 years of performing Face Lifts, that tightening and removing just the right amount from the face combined with shaping of the cheeks either with fillers like Perlane and Radiesse or with Cheek Implants gives the face a youthful, natural beauty that is otherwise not achievable. This was my inspiration for creating our “Palmer Celebrity Face Lift”.

Dr Francis Palmer
Beverly Hills Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery
“What’s Your Number..the palmer code.”

The Celebrity Face Lift is often combined with a reduction of the fatty tissue within the nasolabial fold (NLF) the accumulation of which occurs with facial aging. Further facial refinements are accomplished by improving the cheek’s volume and shape. Male cheeks are made to be more angular, while women’s cheeks are converted to a softer, more rounded shape in the front of the face. The shape of the chin and jawline may also be addressed. Facial shaping can be accomplished using Fillers like Radiesse or Perlane and/or with Cheek and/or Chin Implants. The Lips can be made fuller using Restylane, Juvederm or my favorite lip implant (Alloderm Sheets). Botox can be used to soften lines of the forehead, Crow’s Feet or around the mouth for the finishing touches.

The result is a face that appears youthful, more attractive and the opposite of the dreaded over pulled, wind swept appearance.

Dr Francis Palmer
Beverly Hills Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery
“What’s Your Number..the palmer code.”

did she nip and tuck?

Photo Credits: Simmons, Countess/Getty Full article:

The photo in the black dress reportedly from 2004 compared to the one where she’s in the red dress shows an increased bust from the admitted Breast Augmentation and Breast Implants. Her face looks about the same but seems aged a bit, which of course is normal after children and 6 years time. The only question I have is the right side of her face appears to have less jowling (seen in 2004) than 6 years later…hmmm. This may indicate some type of facelift procedure, but only she knows for certain.

What’s her “Face Number”? In 2004 photo, her Palmer Code Face Number is 97 and in the 2010 photo it’s a 90 out of 100 possible points…her “Number” went down 7 points since 2004 no matter what she’s done.
Dr Francis Palmer
Beverly Hills Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery
“What’s Your Number..the palmer code.”

Dr Francis Palmer
Beverly Hills Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery
“What’s Your Number..the palmer code.”

Copycat Plastic Surgery

photo credit: Pizzello/AP, ITN News via YouTube
There’s an article about a lady in China that broke up with her boyfriend…ok, so far that’s a sad story.

But now this lady has decided that she’ll have plastic surgery to look like Jessica Alba in order to win him back…now, that’s a bit odd and in fact against all advice by experienced plastic and cosmetic surgeons, myself included, that tell such prospective patients this may be the wrong reason to change your appearance with plastic surgery. While plastic and cosmetic surgery can make you more attractive which often comes with an increased self confidence, it’s unlikely to keep your love, your spouse or drastically alter your life.

Turns out there’s a plastic surgery clinic, in China, that’s offering to do the surgery for free so the surgeon(s) can show off their skills…now that’s just plain crazy in my opinion. Encouraging someone to have elective plastic surgery in an attempt to look like someone else…so they can win back the love of a lost boyfriend is, in my opinion, wrong ethically, morally and professionally. I say shame on them and I’d encourage the lady to seek emotional counseling and not the scalpel. Either way, her boyfriend is most likely not coming back.

Dr Francis Palmer
Beverly Hills Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery
“What’s Your Number..the palmer code.”