The makeover myth : the real story behind cosmetic surgery, injectables, lasers, gimmicks, and hype, and what you need to know to stay safe

The Makeover Myth provides you with information and tools to help you get past the glitz, learn about cosmetic medical care realities, and find a capable physician who has your best interests at heart. Dr. Snodgrass draws on her years of clinical experience to address issues such as: the misinformation portrayed in reality shows like Extreme Makeover and The Swan; the risks and complications that your doctor may not tell you and that you certainly won't hear about on the reality shows; the truth about the proliferation of physicians performing cosmetic surgery and related procedures who were not trained in plastic surgery residencies; the most common procedures, medical and non–prescription products and other hot topics in cosmetic medicine; and what really matters when you choose your provider and place of service. 1. Cosmetic medicine at the millennium The new cultural paradigm The business of cosmetic medicine today What is it? The vendors The customers The procedures 2. Altering the body Public alterations : cosmetic medicine as entertainment Private alterations : the quest for beauty, youth, sex, and transformation The body in the eye of society The body in the eyes of those around us The body in the mind's eye : body image and transformation Body fashions A history of body enhancements 3. You can be pretty, too : a century of selling beauty and cosmetic medical care The beauty doctors Potions and patent medicines Physicians just say "no" to ads The birth of the specialty of plastic surgery Plastic surgeons take on cosmetic surgery Cosmetic surgery after World War II Opening the floodgates Marketing beauty : getting the word out Sex and youth sell Marketing cosmetic medicine Commercialism in medicine Targeting the cosmetic medical consumer Industry Providers One-stop shopping and vendor networks Medical tourism. 4. Rags to reality television : cosmetic medicine as a pop-cultural phenomenon Media and cosmetic medicine Magazines and newspapers The Internet Radio and television Cosmetic surgery on television Anatomy of a cosmetic surgery reality show Reality television plastic surgery and real plastic surgeons 5. Ethics and cosmetic medicine : medical care off the rails Physician-patient relationship Follow the money : honesty, science, and financial conflicts of interest Physicians and patients in the media spotlight Patients on television : a different standard of care? The value of bribery Providers dictate, but producers rule More is better Leaving out the "care" in medical care The public interest : the impact of entertainment Medicine on viewers Do people respect their doctors anymore? Ethics and professional organizations The price of patient autonomy. 6. First things first : what you can do to stay safe The Florida story Responsibilities patients must accept The five elements of the safety equation Full disclosure Research the provider Research the facility Learn about the products Learn about procedures and their risks International cosmetic surgery 7. Beyond the hype : finding a good doctor How to get started Getting information Closing in on the targets The value of skepticism Taking your time Finding a good cosmetic provider Scope of practice Credentials Labels Licensure Medical specialty training and continuing education Board certification Society memberships Hospital privileges Experience References The consultation Whose agenda is it anyway? Consultation fee History and physical Discussion Decision making Financial obligations Coverage of complications treatment Informed consent Facility, staff, and anesthesia Record keeping. 8. The cosmetic medical care product line : what works and what doesn't and how physicians choose Specific procedures Body contouring Cellulite treatments Liposuction Tummy tuck Trunk and extremity lifts Buttock, thigh, calf, biceps, triceps, and pectoral implants Mesotherapy Breast surgery Breast augmentation Breast lift Breast reduction Ear surgery Facial rejuvenation/reshaping Eyelid surgery Face lift Forehead lift Injectables and implants Injectables Facial implants Lip enhancement Jaw and chin surgery Nose reshaping Skin rejuvenation/resurfacing Chemical peels Dermabrasion and microdermabrasion Laser resurfacing and photorejuvenation Radio wave treatments Nitrogen plasma Other skin and hair procedures Hair transplantation Laser hair removal Skin pigment correction Scar revision Stretch marks treatment Micropigmentation Destruction of skin blood vessels Vascular lasers Sclerotherapy Drug delivery systems A few more words about lasers in cosmetic medicine Dental cosmetic Skin care and products Cosmetic medical grab bag The "we just don't know" category The "we don't know AND it could be dangerous" category The "too good to be true" category. 9. What they don't always tell you : cosmetic medical care risks, complications, outcomes, satisfaction rates, and the dissatisfied patient Risk factors Complications Early wound complications Systemic complications Late complications Psychological complications Outcomes Goals versus outcomes Physical results, less may be better Patient satisfaction The dissatisfied patient 10. Equal opportunity : cosmetic interventions for men Male rhinoplasty Male facelift, eyelid lift, and brow lift Hair transplantation Body contouring for men : liposuction and implants Male breast reduction Outcomes for men 11. No color barrier : cosmetic medicine for non-Caucasians 12. All in the family : cosmetic interventions for the very young, teens, and the very old Children Teens Statistics Psychological considerations Eating disorders Marketing to teens Specific cosmetic procedures for children and teens Decision making for the parents of teens Elderly, over seventy-five 13. prevention : the top ten ways to avoid needing cosmetic medical care Final thoughts. Title from PDF title page (viewed on June 2, 2009).