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Beauty - A Simple Concept That Is Truly In The Eye Of The Beholder

Beauty And What This Plastic Surgeon Thinks About It

Beauty has become a shape . It is a changing shape.  That shape is mainly formed and controlled by some device which affects part of the body's natural outline.  What is considered beautiful in the eyes of one race may be thought horrific by another.  Beauty then is in the eye of the beholder, and for centuries beauty has been a changing shape.   Beauty is defined in many different ways.   Beauty can be transient.  Is beauty something superficial?  Is beauty something more?

What constitutes beauty? How important is someone's appearance or the way they look? We all have our own ideas of what constitutes beauty or what looks good. Again, beauty standards differ from one individual to another as well as from one society to another.

For someone with a congenital or acquired deformity, looking more "normal" is a wonderful gift. For someone self-conscious about a facial feature, redefining that feature is rejuvenating. For the many shades of change between those two extremes, feeling beautiful about one's appearance gives comfort and confidence.  Two different people may have the same feature. - one may conisder it beauty, the other a disfigurement.

Why beauty remains a mystery is simple to see.  No two people can define beauty in the same manner.  Even among plastic surgeons, who are generally considered to be experts at judging beauty and physical appearance, there is constant debate.  What is the goal of plastic surgery?  Is it to make someone beautiful?  To give them beauty?  No. Whether its changing a portion of the body to make it look normal or improving a "normal" facet of the body to make it look even more aesthetically pleasing, the goal of the plastic surgeon is to help the patient feel good about him or herself.  They ideally strive to make a person feel beautiful on the inside and the outside.  But like everything else, there are always right and wrong reasons. People must realize there are no quick fixes.  A plastic surgeon cannot give someone beauty.  Beauty is something a person gives themselves!  Beauty is not a feature.  Beauty is a reflection in the mirror.  Beauty not just a physical characteristic but also a frame of mind.  And plastic surgeons do not operate on the mind.

Realistic Beauty

What is realistic beauty?  Is beauty ever realistic? When you decide to have a cosmetic procedure , it is very important to realize what can and cannot be done.  By educating yourself on the particular procedure you are considering, you will have a better idea of its limitations and will have more realistic expectations. Procedures should be delayed until the patient has sufficient emotional and physical maturity to make an informed decision about any type of surgery.

To think that by coming in for surgery you'll walk out a model is unrealistic.  By being realistic in your expectations there will not be any disappointment.  If you are hoping for a miracle, it won't happen.  It is far better to ask exactly what you can expect then to assume how it will turn out. However, from my experience most patients are quite happy and excited with their results.  They will come back after having procedures done and tell me how much more confident they feel and more self-assured.

Human beings have always been intrigued and fascinated by beauty and have gone to great extremes to either be beautiful or to attain beauty. However, beauty can be dangerous. Many modern cultures seem obsessed with beauty. Beauty is certainly controversial. Cosmetic surgery procedures are definitely becoming more socially acceptable worldwide. How beauty and cosmetic surgery are viewed together is critical to understanding what realistic beauty is on a personal level.

Beauty & Plastic Surgery

Beauty and plastic surgery are synonymous to some people. In the Western world, the outlines of the human bod y have been controlled by what society thinks is beautiful and what beauty means to them.  But now many consumers have their body's faults corrected by cosmetic surgery with breast implants or liposuction for fat reduction. 

The "plastic" in plastic surgery does not refer to the petroleum-based material used in containers, toys and numerous other consumer products. It comes from the Greek, plastikos, which means "to mold or to shape." In fact, we can trace the origins of plastic surgery back to around 700 B.C. -- the age of the Assyrian kings. During their time, a prominent nose was considered a symbol of power and authority and nose augmentation, rather than reduction, was the preferred surgery to obtain beauty. Before guns were used in battle, the mighty sword cut off many a nose (and other body parts) so some of the earliest plastic surgery procedures were used to reconstruct body parts -- such as noses and limbs -- lost in battles or duels.

Plastic surgery, as we know it today, has its roots in World Wars I and II, when battlefield surgeons developed techniques to reconstruct wounded soldiers' injured limbs. This was done for beauty - the beauty of looking normal.  To a reconstruction patient, beauty simply means restoring normal shape and function. Plastic surgeons in the first half of the 20th century also refined procedures to restore faces and bodies disfigured by accidents, diseases, and birth and developmental abnormalities.

Some plastic surgeons began to use these same methods for those unhappy with their appearance for other reasons. In the beginning, these surgeons who performed "beauty surgery" were seen as suspect and even disreputable. Even today, some people associate cosmetic surgery's current popularity with socioeconomic factors, such as the growth of disposable income and the desire to remain viable in a job market growing younger by holding on to one's beauty for longer than nature intended. Others believe it is our inherent right to hold on to our beauty for as long as we can.  Whatever the reason, plastic surgery is on our minds today more than ever.  Beauty and plastic surgery are mixed in a way never imaginable.  Beauty will continue to define what plastic surgery procedures remain popular.  For some, plastic surgery can be a way for some people to attain beauty.  For others, plastic surgery can be a way to maintain their beauty.  In a way, beauty and plastic surgery are linked forever.  However, the manner and direction in which they are linked is up to each individual person.

Remember: Beauty is ALWAYS in the Eye of the Beholder

Important things to know about Beauty & Skin Care

B eautiful skin is healthy skin. Beauty means skin is firm and smooth, with even tone and glowing color. It is free from medical problems and it is normal in function and tolerance. We are born with healthy skin, but time, the sun, and environmental assaults take their toll. What can you do to maintain youthful skin?

Skin care is one of the easiest, safest, quickest and cheapest alternatives available to help your skin maintain as well as recapture its beauty and vitality.

Truly beautiful skin, well into your mature years, is a product of skin care health and self-pampering.

It may seem unimportant to contemplate doing anything about your beauty & complexion before reaching your  thirties. However, it is in our twenties that the effects of aging begin to be visible to our complexion and beauty. It is never too early to start skin care.  Another commonly missed fact is that 80% of all sun damage occurs in the first 18 years of life! So the benefits of sun block in a skin care regimen become readily apparent.  Skin beauty needs to be protected in order to be maintained.

As we mature, biochemical changes occur in elastin and collagen, the connective tissues that give skin its firmness and elasticity. As skin becomes less elastic, it also becomes drier, and the fat padding begins to disappear. This affects the beauty of skin and the skin sags and look less supple.  Collagen is the fibrous protein that makes up more than 33% of your body and approximately 75% of your skin. Perhaps best known as the connective tissue between bone and muscle, collagen is the brick and mortar that ties your cells together. Similar to a wire-mesh screen, cells fill the holes of the screen, but they wouldn't have any structure without collagen. It is this pliant molecular scaffolding that supports your skin and connects it to your skeleton. As we age, however, this scaffolding changes significantly, as is evidenced by facial lines, wrinkles, and other signs of aging - skin beauty is affected.  Skin care can help.

In addition to photoaging (sun damage), aging skin experiences a thinning of the fatty tissue that lies just beneath the skin surface which makes it less tolerant to physical trauma. Our skin is also at the mercy of many forces as we age: sun, harsh weather and our own bad habits.   Of course, g enetics also play a large part in all of this, which is why these changes occur at different times in different people. Again, skin care can help.

Ultimately wrinkles will appear. Wrinkles come in all stages, sizes and depths.  Typically one day, after glancing in the mirror,  you  suddenly notice  those crows feet creeping in around the corners of your immaculately decorated eyelids, or you notice that your lip potions have sadly waded into the spider like crevices above the lips. It is usually at that time when decisions are made to go out and get a miracle cream or maybe even a facial. Don't forget, skin care can help recapture skin beauty.

Your skin deserves self-pampering and a skin care advantage.  By self-pampering, we do not mean a day at the spa (even though that feels pretty nice). We mean making choices every single day that reflect your commitment to yourself and to your body. Taking proper care of your body means the right nourishment, keeping it in great shape and having a positive attitude.  Healthy skin is a goal worth striving for but so is a healthy you. Only then can skin beauty be truly rediscovered.

Skin care is important but this concept should really be looked at as "Skin Health" rather than "skin care".   Keep reading because we are just getting started...

The most popular physician-strength beauty skin care solutions.

  • Skin care is the first line of protection from aging and sun damage that affect skin beauty.
  • Skin care minimizes sun-damage that affects skin beauty.
  • Skin care maintains a youthful appearance which affects skin beauty.
  • Retards the aging process.
  • You are never too young to start thinking about skin care.
  • Skin care recaptures the vitality of youthful skin which affects skin beauty.
  • You are never too old to start a skin care regimen.
  • You can always bring back some elements of your skin's past
  • Healthy skin helps you to.
  • Look beautiful.
  • Feel beautiful.
  • Improve self-confidence.

This type of beauty skin care is typically only available in Doctors offices, specifically one's that specialize in beauty skin care such as plastic surgeons and dermatologists.
Considerable training and expertise required for people to grasp complexities of physician-strength beauty skin care products and their interactions. Each skin care beauty specialist has usually undergone rigorous training. Beauty skin care is a multi-billion dollar industry and many cosmeceutical companies are misleading consumers about beauty skin care. Educating the consumer as to why physician-strength beauty skin care is different than over-the-counter beauty skin care products is the key. The main difference between physician-strength beauty skin care products and other products is that the former are tested in medical clinical trials. This beauty skin care product testing is much different than the typical product safety and efficacy trials. As medical strength science advances and incorporates anti-aging into its beauty culture, physician strength beauty skin care products are on the verge of incredible breakthroughs.

What Beauty Skin Care products can do for you!

Beauty skin care can improve skin clarity, even skin tone, uniform skin color and improve texture. In many cases, beauty skin care eliminates the need for cosmetic foundation. Even as preventative medicine, some beauty skin care treatments may help reduce pre-cancerous lesions.
Beauty skin care can erase brown uneven colors and reduce wrinkles by stimulating collagen and elastin - like no non-Rx topical cream or lotions can. This beauty skin care thus makes skin look and act younger and healthier.
Beauty skin care can utilize the most effective prescription treatments for hyperpigmentation and the effects of photodamage.
Beauty skin care can stimulate, correct and restore the skin to a noticeably healthier condition.
Beauty Skin Care Products help activate new skin cell growth. Skin care also aids in improving skin smoothness, texture, clarity, moisture and reduces the appearance of fine lines.
Beauty skin care can correct surface discoloration, blemishes and stimulate cell renewal to bring back the glow and softness of healthy, younger-looking skin. Beauty skin care also optimizes skin health.

University of California human development scholars recently published a report on optimal aging stating that members of the World War II and Baby Boom generations are physiologically 10 to 15 years younger than their parents were at the same age. The researchers credit this remarkable new youthfulness to medical advances made over the past 50 years as well as good nutrition, exercise, spirituality, and the avoidance of toxic habits such as excessive smoking and drinking (USA Today Magazine 2003).

One area that has shown enormous progress in the field of plastic surgery and anti-aging medicine is beauty skin care. More specifically, the development of what has become known as physician-strength beauty skin care products or skin care with nutrients that positively impact your skin. Exposure to sunlight, changes in the underlying skin structure, and the steady tug of gravity can, of course, give the skin an aged, mottled, puffy, dark, "tired" look, regardless of how conscientious you are about your health.

The newest physician-strength beauty skin care products (like neaclear) can make a dramatic difference, giving skin a firmer, more radiant look. A great beauty skin care product should be infused with ingredients that penetrate the epidermis to do more to help correct the skin challenges imposed by sun exposure and time. Laboratory studies highlight the ability of advanced skin care beauty technology to deliver a greater amount of these special ingredients to the skin, allowing for maximum penetration.

Some outstanding beauty skin care products are now available. On the cutting edge of high-tech skin care, neaclear is considered one of the finest physician-strength beauty skin care products currently available in the personal care and health & beauty industry. neaclear's bioactive ingredients have been clinically verified to enhance cellular turnover by increasing oxygen consumption which helps improve cellular renewal. Many physicians strongly support the view that injecting skin care with oxygen and Vitamins C & E can be used for the prevention of skin photo-damage. Just as importantly, studies verify that supporting the transdermal collagen matrix is key because it encourages firmer, more elastic and more youthful-looking skin.

The Future of Beauty & Skin Care

The Latest Beauty Skin Care Ingredients

What are the special beauty skin care ingredients that are contributing to the youthful appearance seen everywhere you turn?

Along with cutting-edge ingredients, many beauty skin-smoothing components have been studied in clinical settings for decades and have stood the test of time. Now every woman has access to a wide range of wonderful skin care beauty advances.

Two Skin Care Beauty Factors

Beautiful, radiant skin is dependent on two essential factors. First, we must enhance the skin's antioxidant reserve in order to ward off toxins, which can make skin look dull and dry. A special blend of antioxidants can help to nourish the skin around the eyes, lips, and forehead to give it a healthy, youthful-looking glow. Second, it is critical to strengthen the actual structural matrix of the cells to promote the luxurious look of moisture-rich, smooth and radiant skin.

Step 1: Beauty Skin Care Needs To Provide Skin Defense Against Oxidative Stress

It is essential to keep the surface of your skin free of lipid peroxides, which cause oxidative stress and make the skin appear dull, lined, and old. Liquid Oxygen deserves top billing for its ability to improve the healing of skin damage. Liquid Oxygen also helps to prevent deep furrows and lines and helps maintain a silkier, smoother, skin glow. Liquid Oxygen allows your skin to take in some much needed deep breaths.

Another major player is the role of antioxidants specifically Vitamins C & E. However, Vitamins C & E while effective individually, work together synergistically in a much more effective manner. Vitamins C & E even promote oxygen, which is a catalyst for superoxide dismutase, prompting it to go to work scavenging free radicals while also inhibiting further injury from lipid peroxidation. Oxygen is a key mechanism to stimulate direct influences on wound healing - including the growth of new skin cells (Goodson 1976). Rejuvenation of skin cells can bring the appearance of diminished fine lines and wrinkles.

One of the major culprits behind leathery, wrinkled, moisture-sapped skin is overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Some of the sun's harmful rays are powerful enough to even penetrate window glass and can be reflected from snow, sand, concrete, and water. The end result is burning of your skin and sun damage on a cellular level.
A common question is can previous damage from the sun be repaired? Vitamin E (tocopherol) is one of nature's greatest beauty gifts. This antioxidant provides protection from the sun by warding off UVB rays, according to a 1996 report published in Acta Dermato-Venerologica (West 2000). Multiple studies have shown that tocopherol was protective against UV damage and was capable of repairing the top layer of skin cells caused by irradiation. There are numerous skin care beauty and anti-aging products that take advatage of the useful properties of Vitamin E.

Step 2: Beauty Skin Care Needs To Strengthen and Hydrate Cells

With a marked reduction in hydration, elastin and collagen (as occurs with aging and sun damage), skin may look dry, creased,and lined. Extensively studied in the anti-aging & beauty literature, Liquid Oxygen is a vital compound that can boost blood circulation to help skin cells receive nourishment and remain healthy. As some physicians have stated, "Adding liquid oxygen to beauty skin care was a stroke of genius." This is especially necessary for moisture-deprived skin around the eyes, between the brows and around the lips. A skin care beauty product that causes a noticeable increase in skin hydration means a younger-looking, more vibrant skin. The hydrating effect of Liquid Oxygen is noticeable within 10 to 21 days and lasts as long as the skin care product is applied.

In a beauty-driven society, it's hard not to notice wrinkles. However, skin care beauty advances have made it possible to fight back! Drink plenty of water, eat a well-balanced diet and arm yourself with a beauty skin care regimen that contains the richest blend of legendary, cutting-edge ingredients that can help you cheat time.

While most of us have heard that eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables is a helpful way to fend off a host of ailments by providing the body with essential antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, the American Dietetic Association (ADA) says that 80% of us don�t meet the basic guidelines for consuming fruits and vegetables set by the U.S. Food Guide Pyramid (ADA 2003). In other words, most of us are not getting enough of the vital nutrients our bodies require.

Keeping the skin in proper working order requires a balanced diet rich in vitamins like C, A, and E as well as those in the B-complex group. Each of these vitamins helps maintain skin function in a different way:

  • Vitamin C helps the body create collagen.
  • Vitamin A is required by skin cells for maintenance and repair.
  • Vitamin E improves circulation, aids in repairing tissue and reduces scarring in some wounds.
  • Vitamin B3 is particularly helpful in the formation of healthy new skin cells.
  • Niacin improves blood flow to the skin's surface.

The antioxidant vitamins (C, A and E) may also assist in scavenging mutant cells known as free radicals. (Free radicals are created either as a by-product of the immune system's battle against infection or by environmental toxins.) Minerals like chromium and zinc are also necessary. Chromium aids in reducing infections to the skin, while zinc helps heal tissue and prevent scarring.

SKIN CARE BEAUTY IS GREAT BUT DON'T FORGET THE IMPORTANCE OF STRESS MANAGEMENT

You could be adhering fanatically to a good exercise and nutrition regimen, but if you don't reduce your stress or use stress-reduction techniques, you're headed for high blood pressure and, ultimately, disaster. Research shows that hot-tempered men are far more likely to have heart disease and heart attacks than their more serene peers (Reuters Health 2002). Anger releases catecholamines, which are compounds that constrict blood vessels, increase heart rate and boost blood pressure. Become aware of "anger traps" - people, situations, and conversations that can trigger anger. If you can't avoid them, remain calm and breathe deeply. Repeat often. And yes, it is true that our emotions show on our faces (and not just in the form of furrowed brows and frown lines). When we are under stress, our bodies react with varying hormonal fluctuations, release of toxins, constriction of blood vessels and depletion of hydration. Stress lowers our resistance to infection and interrupts normal sleep patterns. Guess what? These reactions directly affect the skin's ability to perform at an optimal level.

SKIN CARE BEAUTY IS GREAT BUT DON'T FORGET TO GET YOUR BEAUTY SLEEP

A 2001 National Sleep Foundation poll found that only 37% of adults are getting the recommended eight hours of sleep nightly (Davis 2002). With today's crazy schedules and soaring stress levels, getting the necessary amount of deep sleep crucial to keeping us energetic and alert can be difficult despite our best intentions. Proper rest and relaxation also help your skin (as well as the rest of your body) to operate at peak performance. How much rest is enough? Individuals vary. Some find that eight hours a night is not enough. Others thrive on five hours or less. It's important to find the amount of sleep that is best for you and make time for it. Not only will you feel better... you'll look better, too!

SKIN CARE BEAUTY IS GREAT BUT EXERCISE IS ALSO GREAT FOR YOUR SKIN

Lack of physical activity contributes to 300,000 deaths each year due to heart disease, stroke, diabetes and other conditions (CNN 2002). A 30-minute walk every day is all it takes to significantly improve your health. You'll do your heart an even bigger favor by walking two extra miles a day. When you exercise, you increase your oxygen intake, improve your circulation, lower your blood pressure, promote more restful sleep, induce perspiration (and the excretion of toxins) as well as release endorphins (a group of naturally-occurring proteins that help lift spirits as well as zap pain). It has been shown that people who exercise live longer and more often describe their lives as happier and less stressful than those who are sedentary.

SKIN CARE BEAUTY IS GREAT BUT DON'T FORGET TO HYDRATE YOURSELF EVERYDAY WITH H20!

New research reports that people who drink at least five glasses of water a day are less likely to die from a heart attack than people who drink two or fewer glasses a day (McCook 2002). Researchers believe the water is absorbed by the blood, which decreases blood "thickness." This reduces the risk of developing a blood clot that can lead to a heart attack. Besides, when you drink water, it helps to take away the appetite for fattening holiday foods. Skin is the largest organ of the body, it gets thirsty! It has 2 layers. The outer layer (epidermis) is water-proof while the inner layer (dermis) has oil (sebaceous) glands, sweat glands, nerves, blood vessels & hair follicles. Drinking water does keep you hydrated, which helps your skin look and feel better. Get in the standard 6 to 8 eight-ounce glasses throughout the day -- more if you're a heavy exerciser.

SKIN CARE BEAUTY IS GREAT BUT DON'T APPLY BACTERIA TO YOUR FACE!

Did you know that bacteria are already present in makeup even before you buy it? And, according to the Food and Drug Administration, each time you use a product's applicator or makeup brush with unclean hands, you are adding more bacteria to both the product and your face! Even if you're rigorous about cleansing your hands and your makeup utensils before use, cosmetics that have been sitting around for a while still lose their ability over time to kill bacteria (Cohen 2002).
To protect your skin from bacteria, experts recommend that you keep track of how long you've been using a product. "The risk of infection can be reduced if you change skin care products every three to four months. How do you know it's time to toss out a skin care product? Any noticeable change in texture, color, or smell is a clear indication that it's time to replace the cosmetic.
And while you are updating your skin care products, why not upgrade them? With scientific breakthroughs occurring regularly, be sure that the product you are using to moisturize your face contains superb hydrating agents and the latest cutting-edge antioxidants that protect against cell destructors (including sun exposure).

SKIN CARE BEAUTY IS GREAT BUT REMEMBER THAT SMOKING IS REALLY BAD FOR YOUR SKIN

Smoking and secondary smoke affect our skin in potentially a very devastating way. Any exposure to smoke either directly or indirectly can result in poor wound healing, delayed wound healing, skin loss necessitating skin grafting, increased risk in wound infection and loss of skin and deeper tissues, all resulting from decreased blood supply to those areas. The diminished blood flow to skin wound edges can cause the breakdown of skin and scabbing. Also, there are well-known increased risks with anesthesia such as increased chance of developing pneumonia.
Again, remember that slow wound healing (months instead of weeks), skin loss resulting in scabbing and prolonged need for dressing changes, and infection usually involving the need for antibiotics (but sometimes another surgery to drain the infection) all are complications that can occur at a much higher risk if you smoke or are exposed to smoke (Instead of less than 5%, it can be as high as 60% ).
Please be honest with your skin care doctor so that they can take good care of you and help prevent problems. Plastic surgery procedures are totally elective operations so there is no reason to take any unnecessary risks. If your doctor tells you smoking is not a problem, I would think twice about your choice of doctor.

SKIN CARE BEAUTY IS GREAT BUT ALWAYS USE SUNBLOCK!

It is important to mention sun block. All types of skin need to be treated. There is a tendency for people with darker skin to mistakenly believe that they are protected from the harmful rays of the sun. While it might be true that they get less skin cancer, there is still a significant percentage that do. With more sun damage and exposure, the risk multiplies. Of course, their increased pigmentation does not offer any protection for the accelerated aging effect the sun has on their skin. Always include sun block in your skin care regimen! Don't forget about sun protection for your lips and eyes. Wearing sunglasses helps protect your eyes. Both of these areas should not be forgotten.

To make the point, check out the two pictures below:

The left picture is a 58 year old American Indian female who spent practically all of her time outdoors. The right picture is a 72 year old Tibetian monk who spent practically all of his time indoors away from the sun. I believe the pictures say it all!

Again, sun block is an essential and integral part of an effective skin care regimen.

SKIN CARE BEAUTY IS GREAT BUT VISIT YOUR SKIN CARE DOCTOR OR SPECIALIST IF YOU WANT EXPERT SKIN CARE ADVICE

Visiting your skin care beauty specialist or skin care doctor can benefit you in the long run. They could help you decide what is best for your skin care needs. Dr. Speron has a tremendous amount of experience with skin care beauty and skin health in Chicago. It is one of the most common concerns addressed at his office. He is able to offer all types of options to his skin care patients:

Critical-Questions

By Dr. SAM SPERON

When I first published The 7 Critical Questions to Ask Before Letting Any Surgeon Touch You, I had no idea that it would be so popularly received. Since its publication, this brief guide has helped thousands like you to more safely navigate the world of cosmetic surgery. The 7 Questions have been updated and a bonus section, Applying the 7 Questions, has just been added. Be my guest to read, learn and share.