Smart Beauty Guide Blog

• How Common Are Stress-Related Skin Issues? 

  • By Aly Walansky

  

  We’re all under a great deal of stress. Whether it’s difficult relationships or work situations, sometimes that stress takes a toll on our bodies. 

  We know stress can impact everything from our health to our weight to our hair, but it can also have a significantly negative impact on our skin. “Needless to say patients in my practice complain of stress,” says Ulysses H. Scarpidis, MD of Scarpidis Aesthetics in New York City. “This stress can affect patients both mentally and physically.”  

• Plastic Surgery and the Social Media Effect 

  • By Nancy Weinberg Simon

  

  I was once on the cover of a national magazine. It was in the early days of Photoshop and the magazine I was working for at the time didn't like the way the celebrity looked in her cover images so the creative director took a photo of me, put the celebrity's head on my body and voila, problem solved. Except it created a whole slew of new problems. 

• Sometimes Plastic Surgery Isn’t The Answer 

  • By Anthony P. Terrasse MD, FACS

  

  It is human nature to strive for perfection, be it in our careers, education, and even when it comes to our appearance. However, there are times the desire to achieve so-called ‘perfection’ when it comes to our outward appearance crosses into unhealthy territory - one where an individual is preoccupied with self-perceived defects or flaws which are either unnoticeable by others or are viewed by others as variations of what can only be considered normal. This may be part and parcel to a disorder referred to as Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) or Body Dysmorphia. 

• Social Media and Botox: How the Anti-Wrinkle Injection Became Popular Among the 20-Something Set  

  • By Neil Tanna MD, MBA, FACS

  

  Botulinum toxin is the most popular nonsurgical cosmetic procedure and with good reason. It works by minimizing muscle activity and provides temporary paralysis to the muscles it is injected into. It does so by interfering with the underlying muscles’ ability to contract, which allows for existing wrinkles to smooth out. And even though results from the anti-wrinkle injection treatments only last three to four months, it is still the go-to injectable treatment and gold standard for smoothing out facial wrinkles. Botulinum toxin comes in three brands, (Botox, Dysport, and Xeomin). 

• Minimizing Scarring, Swelling, and Redness After Plastic Surgery 

  • By Bryce Gruber

  

  Visiting the plastic surgeon’s office is becoming a more routine and normal thing. There is no longer a stigma associated with some nips, tucks, or injections. However a few minor details are still getting in the way of some patients heading in for look-better, feel-better procedures. Aside from affordability, many potential patients cite concerns over post-procedure redness, swelling, and scarring. But is it really a necessary concern — one that is big enough to stop a person from a potentially confidence-boosting procedure? 

• The Hairy Truth About Female Hair Loss 

  

  By: Genevieve Miller 

  While all of us lose an average of 50 to 100 hairs a day, sometimes we lose far more - to the point where it becomes painfully noticeable. To make matters worse, there is a veritable laundry list of factors that might be the cause; everything from certain over-the-counter drugs to stress to hormones to vitamin deficiencies and certain diseases and conditions. Some are easily reversed while others are not, which is why additional intervention may be necessary.  

• The Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Procedure I Would Perform For My Own Kids 

  • By Michael Law MD

  

  Being a parent, it is my responsibility to teach my kids to be confident, and that confidence isn’t entirely based on one’s outward appearance. I am personally not a proponent of aesthetic plastic surgery for minors, but as a father of boys, I feel very empathetic towards boys and young men with gynecomastia. The treatment, (breast reduction surgery), is the only aesthetic surgical procedure that I will perform on children. 

• Male and Female Rhinoplasty: Is There a Difference? 

  • By Nancy Weinberg Simon

  

  Over the years I've known quite a few people who have undergone rhinoplasty for varied reasons. People are often looking for facial harmony and to enhance the proportions of their nose, not to mention it can also help with impaired breathing. A good looking man I know got a nose job when he was in his mid- to late-20s with a somewhat prominent, strong nose. 

• Why Fat is ‘Liquid Gold’ and the Next Frontier in Beauty 

  • By Bryce Gruber

  

  Millions of people have had liposuction, and it’s safe to say that the majority of the fat sucked through countless cannulas has been tossed out as medical waste, but with every industry in the world starting to take recycling and more eco-friendly approaches, it’s no surprise that even our fat is now being recycled. If you’re thinking ‘OMG, that’s gross!’ don’t worry— it’s not about shifting your love handles to your best friend. 

• What if Your Under-Eye Bags Are Something Else? 

  • By Jenny Isenman

  

  I’m constantly being asked to write about under-eye bags - well, specifically how to get rid of them. What I’ve come to discover is that there is a lot of misinformation out there about potential remedies. There are “miracle creams” and such, offered at every price-point, claiming de-puffing capabilities that I have personally come to discover are just lies – because the truth of the matter is genetics often play a role – especially when it comes to bags and the causes and fixes for them. Bottom line is that we all hate them.