Recent posts by Kelly Cook

• Average Cost of Plastic Surgery Procedures: The Numbers Game 

  • By Kelly Cook

  

  The American plastic surgery industry is a multi-million dollar business, but how much do individual procedures cost patients? Even though this is one of the first questions people ask themselves when considering cosmetic surgery, it can be hard to answer with so many contradictory “facts.” While, in fairness, prices can vary by geographical location and plastic surgeon among other factors, I thought I would round up the national averages for the top five surgical and nonsurgical procedures in 2014, as reported by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. 

• The Forbes Facelift: It’s a Company Man’s World 

  • By Kelly Cook

  

  Women may spend more time and money on beauty, but don’t be fooled… many men are as invested in their appearance, and as the stigma against that investment is slowly lifting, a greater number of them turn to cosmetic procedures. Between 1997 and 2013, there was a 273% increase of men getting plastic surgery. They’re a booming part of the industry, which got me wondering, what are men having done? 

• Cosmetic Surgery by the Numbers: Global Edition 

  • By Kelly Cook

  

  When it comes down to it, there isn’t really a set standard of beauty throughout the world. Some countries idealize porcelain white skin, while others promote tanning. Preferences can even vary from one city to its immediate neighboring city! But no matter where you’re from, there’s no denying that there is a motivation to be beautiful – whatever that means to you – and more than ever before, people are hoping to achieve their best looking selves through the latest aesthetic procedures. 

• Killing Two Fat Birds with One Stone 

  • By Kelly Cook

  

  The reason I feel like I need to lose weight is not necessarily because I am unhappy with the amount of fat I have in total, but rather with the overall shape of my body. By that I mean, if all my fat was strategically placed - say on my chest and the top of my buttocks, my weight would actually be fairly ideal! It’s why when I heard about fat grafting, I was particularly intrigued. Fat grafting is the removal of fat from one part of the body to augment another. 

• Non-Surgical Fat Reduction: The Cool Down 

  • By Kelly Cook

  

  By now, we’re all aware of how liposuction works, and while some sing its praises, not everyone loves – or can even stomach – the idea of surgery. It entails potential risk, not to mention downtime that can keep you from working or even leaving your bed (actually, that second part doesn’t sound so bad…). As time goes on, though, technology continues to offer more and more alternatives to surgery, and one of the latest is CoolSculpting. 

• Prenup Plastic Surgery: Would You Say “I Do?” 

  • By Kelly Cook

  

  If you’re thinking of getting something done, when better than before the biggest day of your life, as well as the most important photo shoot of your life? All eyes will be on you, which is something you should enjoy, not feel anxious about. And it's not just for that day… imagine that photo that will forever be sitting on your mantel. After you have kids and age as gracefully as possible, you will always look at that photo and revel in the one moment you felt the most beautiful. 

• Botulinum Toxin (AKA: BOTOX®, Dysport® or Xeomin®) – When too much of a good thing becomes a reality 

  • By Kelly Cook

  

  We’re all familiar with the concept of “too much of a good thing” but the pearl behind that wisdom hits especially hard when it happens to your face. Two years ago I began to develop the dreaded “11” between my brows. They were slight, but I am all for spending on prevention rather than investing in restoration, so I opted for Botox along with Juvederm injections. My doctor is very conservative and methodical, so instead of doing it all at once, he did the Botox and then waited 2 weeks to inject the Juvederm. 

• Smart Beauty: Where do you draw the line? 

  • By Kelly Cook

  

  As with everything else in life, being smart is about knowing what we can change and when we have to allow nature to take its course. Obviously, where you draw the line is something we have to decide for ourselves. And this poses a very interesting dilemma when it comes to cosmetic procedures. Where do you draw the line?