Divorce, Antidepressants, Or Weight Gain/Loss Can Add Years To Your Face

Remember that old saying, that if you want to see what a woman will look like as she ages, look at her mother? A recent identical twins study suggests that may no longer be the case. Although genetic makeup certainly plays its part, environmental factors can add years to your perceived age.

In the study, performed at University Hospitals Case Medical Center by Dr. Bahaman Guyuron and colleagues, 186 pairs of twins were given very detailed questionnaires to complete. When the questionnaires were gathered, the twins’ photos were also taken. Without sending the questionnaires along, the photos were given to an independent panel to see if the panel members would decide that each pair of siblings were twins, or if they believed that one sibling was older or younger than the other and, if so, approximately how many years’ difference was between them.

Divorce Apparently Ages Us:

Among the twin sets in which one was divorced, the divorced twin appeared older to the panel members (remember, the panel members had no inkling that these were twins, just that they were siblings). According to Dr. Guyuron, "the presence of stress could be one of the common denominators in those twins who appeared older." Panel members also judged those taking antidepressant medications as “significantly older.” This may be due to the relaxation of facial muscles in those taking antidepressants.

Weight was a definite factor—in both directions!

Among twins aged 40 and younger, the panel members believed that the thinner twin was younger. However, for those sets of twins above the age of 40, the chubbier sibling was perceived to be younger, and often by several years.

"This research is important for two reasons," Dr. Guyuron said. "First, we have discovered a number of new factors that contribute to aging and second, our findings put science behind the idea that volume replacement rejuvenates the face."

I heartily agree. Volume replacement with fillers or fat transfer is definitely the way to look younger. Youthful faces have volume; it’s not just the absence of wrinkles. One would think that identical twins over the age of 40 would have the identical wrinkle pattern, right? Therefore, the primary difference that led panel members to view the heavier twin as younger would be based solely on a heavier facial appearance, ie, a fuller face.

Are you surprised by these findings?

To your health and beauty,

Dr. Joe Danyo

Does My Butt Look Big in This?

A recent survey reports that 85% of women worry about the shape and size of their rear, leading to the old question before going out for the night: “does my butt look big in this?”

The UK cosmetic surgery practice, The Hospital Group, surveyed women to understand why the Brits are experiencing a huge increase in procedures such as buttock lifts and body sculpting to create a better bum. Even lipo is up 64% since last year. Certainly, the growing popularity of bottoms like Beyonce’s and Kim Kardashian’s are part of the reason. The study also discovered that clothes shopping caused 55% of women to feel self-conscious and 62% were concerned about how to dress for the holidays to either show off or minimize their derrieres.

The study also revealed that there are 4 distinct bottom shapes!

• The tomato shape is “bigger, plumper, rounder and squishier,” and is possessed by about 45% of women.
• The potato shape is wide, long and frumpy and, unfortunately, 35% of British women have it.
• The pear bum is narrower at the top and twice the size at the fullest part of the bottom.
• The perfect derriere is called the nectarine, which looks like two bowling balls pushed together. One wonders why they don’t call that one a strike…

Buttock lifts and buttock implants are increasingly popular in the US as well, with approximately 5,000 buttock augmentations performed each year. Buttock augmentation and lifts increased by 37.3% and 24.6%, respectively, from 2008 to 2009. 

While some buttock augmentations are performed with implants, I find fat grafting to be a much better alternative. Not only does fat grafting eliminate the problems with implants (of which there are many), it uses liposuction to obtain the fat for grafting into the buttocks. Nice to think you can take fat away from a place on your body where you don’t want it and put it into having a rounder rump, don’t you think?

To your health & beauty,

Joe Danyo, MD

How Lasers Work to Improve Skin

Laser technology for cosmetic usage has been around for the past 40 years, but has come into its own in the past five years, offering men and women a variety of treatments including hair removal, body sculpting and skin resurfacing. Occasionally, a patient will ask me how the laser actually works. Truth is, until recently, nobody has known the exact underlying processes that occur with lasers! Is it the laser light that motivates the collagen to rebuild or is it the heat that the laser delivers?

A researcher by the name of Susanne Dams, with Philips Research Eindhoven, conducted her own studies on lasers to find the answers.

Dams treated cell cultures and human skin with heat shocks of 45 and 60 degrees Centigrade, without using a laser light. (This is equivalent to 113 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit, so 113-140 is hot but not boiling hot.) Her results show that the heat shocks increased the production of collagen. When laser light was added, the only measureable difference was the ability of the laser to pinpoint the exact location of heat delivery. This is an important part of the treatment, inasmuch as heating smaller areas of skin is safer than heating larger areas of skin. In fact, her study also showed that heating the skin to 113 degrees Fahrenheit for 8-10 seconds was the optimal amount of heat to increase collagen. Above that temperature there is no added benefit and, in fact, causes skin cell damage.

Collagen is a skin protein that gives skin elasticity and firmness, the “bounce back” that young skin enjoys. Beginning in the mid-20’s, our collagen production begins to decrease, leading to wrinkles and sagging skin.

Three ways to increase your collagen levels

Studies show that there are 3 primary collagen-builders for those of us in the over-30 crowd:

·      Laser Skin Treatments.

o   Although the CO2 laser is considered the Gold Standard for skin resurfacing, the after-effects force patients to hide from the world for 2-3 weeks as their faces crust over and peel. Not a pretty site and most people don’t have 2-3 weeks to spend for recovery. Fraxel treatments and even chemical peels can obtain similar results, with little to no downtime. Instead of one big treatment, chemical peels and fractionated laser treatments are divided into 4-6 treatments, giving essentially the same results without the recovery time.

·      Retinoids.

o   Retin-A is the only topical skin treatment that is proven to increase collagen. No matter what they tell you on TV, this is a fact. For those in need of this, I can prescribe Retin-A.

·      Hyaluronic Acid Fillers:

o   Fillers made with hyaluronic acid, such as Juvederm, Restylane and Perlane, have been shown to increase collagen. This explains why, over time, you may need less filler each time you come in for a filler treatment. It’s not because you retain the filler from the last treatment, but because your own collagen is rebuilding.

Some things that damage collagen, by the way, are sun exposure and tobacco usage. Avoid the sun and tobacco and you'll go a very long way toward keeping your looks as you age.

To your health & beauty,

Joe Danyo, MD

Avoiding Post-Lipo Weight Gain During the Holidays

Liposuction is the 4^th most popular cosmetic surgery procedure in the US. Almost 200,000 procedures were performed last year. Do you wonder how many people kept the weight off?

According to a study published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official publication of the ASPS (American Society of Plastic Surgeons), those patients who did not adhere to a good diet following liposuction were 3 times more likely to gain weight. Those who didn’t exercise were 4 times more likely to gain weight.

The study surveyed over 200 patients. The good news is that 25% lost weight and 32% maintained their weight. That means that more than half of liposuction patients either lose or maintain their weight following a liposuction procedure. Unfortunately, 43% of liposuction patients in the survey gained weight after liposuction, with the greatest weight gain occurring approximately six months after their procedure.

Liposuction is not a quick fix for weight loss. It’s a commitment to resolving stubborn areas of fat that plague you and don’t disappear even with diligent workouts and avoidance of junk food. All of us are genetically programmed to store fat in specific areas. Perhaps it’s your thighs or around your waist. Some people are prone to fat in the buttocks. Liposuction is a method to eliminate fat cells in these problem areas. Unfortunately, if you don’t make a commitment to maintaining your results, you’ll gain weight.

With the holidays coming up, I thought you might like some tips for maintaining your weight (whether or not you’ve had lipo) when the treats are up front and center over the next eight weeks:

·       Drink the recommended 8 glasses of water daily.

§  Keeping yourself well hydrated not only keeps you feeling full, it also helps with mood and concentration.

§  Drink two full glasses of water, iced tea or low-cal beverage before a festive meal. You’ll still enjoy yourself, but will feel full sooner.

·       Watch the alcohol.

§  Beer, wine and mixed drinks contain empty calories. Drinking also lowers your inhibitions, leaving you vulnerable to overeating.

·       Enjoy in moderation.

§  Having said the above, sticking to one glass of wine, one bottle of beer or one cocktail allows you the enjoyment without risking too many empty calories

§  The same goes with treats. One or two cookies, one slice of pie, one day of falling off the commitment to eat well doesn’t have to lead to a week of overeating.

o   Eat Before You Leave

§  Enjoy a ½ turkey sandwich on whole grain bread or pita with sprouts, lettuce and tomatoes before leaving for the restaurant, party or family dinner. It will keep you from feeling starved by the time the meal is served.

o   Be on the Lookout

§  Focus on seafood, chicken, veggies and cheeses at parties and avoid the deep-fried canapés and other rich foods or limit yourself to one of the high fat offerings. You’ll feel better about yourself and the weight will stay off!

Holidays mean food, fun, and family, but they don’t have to mean weight gain. Having a positive mental attitude and a commitment to maintaining your new shape will get you to January feeling and looking wonderful!

What tips would you like to share to manage your weight during the holidays?

To your health and beauty, 

Dr. Joe Danyo