Will Wrinkle-Smoother Restylane Be Approved as Lip Enhancer?

An advisory panel to the Food and Drug Administration will vote today (April 27) on whether to recommend the injectable filler Restylane for use as a lip enhancer. But future FDA approval may not make a difference in how the dermal filler is used in clinical practice, doctors say.

If the advisory panel votes to recommend Restylane for use in the lips, that information will then go to the FDA, which will then vote for final approval, said FDA spokeswoman Karen Riley.

Restylane works by adding volume to facial tissue with injections of hyaluronic acid, which is produced by bacteria. The results last for about six months, according to the FDA.

The filler was approved by the FDA in 2003 to smooth deep wrinkles like the nasolabial fold -- the line that forms between the side of the nose and the corner of the mouth -- but it's often used for off-label purposes, like to enhance, define and plump up the lips, said Dr. Farhad Rafizadeh, a plastic surgeon who has a private practice in Morristown, N.J.

However, FDA approval for Restylane to be used in the lips likely wouldn't make a difference in his own practice, said Rafizadeh, who already uses it for that purpose with his patients.

"It doesn’t make it any safer or any more dangerous," Rafizadeh told MyHealthNewsDaily. "It is what it is."

Injectable dermal fillers like Restylane are extremely popular in the United States, with more than 1.2 million people getting hyaluronic acid injections in 2010, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

To finish reading this article, please visit My Health News Daily at: http://www.myhealthnewsdaily.com/restylane-lip-enhancer-fda-panel-1439/
Article by: Amanda Chan, MyHealthNewsDaily Staff Writer

How to do skin self-exams

Get to know your moles.

Early detection of skin cancers — particularly melanomas — is crucial to treatment. You can help protect yourself with regular at-home body inspections, says Dr. Melissa Schwarzschild of Richmond Dermatology & Laser Specialists in Richmond, Va. "You can be proactive and alleviate anxiety," she says.

Do regular inspections. Check all of your moles about every six months, especially if you have lots of them or have a personal or family history of skin cancer. See a dermatologist once a year for a routine full-body check.

Get to know your moles. Know their location, size and color.
Look for new or changing moles. It's normal to develop new moles into your early 20s, but not beyond. Pay attention to any new growths or moles that have changed in size, color or shape.

Take pictures. If you have lots of moles, keeping up with potential changes is difficult. One good idea: take photographs every six to 12 months; save and date the images on a computer and review as needed. You may find a "scary" mole has always been there — or that it is in fact new.

Beware of pink or black. Normal moles and other benign skin growths typically are varying shades of tan to brown. Melanomas may be black or less commonly pink, while other skin cancers tend to be pink and are often scaly. See your dermatologist if you notice a pink or black lesion.

Check "hidden" spots. Don't overlook the soles of your feet or your genital area; ask a partner or friend to check your back and have your hairdresser inspect your scalp. Skin cancers can appear even in areas where the sun doesn't shine.

By Karen Morgan
Source: The Seattle Times, Health - http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/health/2014846990_howto25.html

Men embrace plastic surgery? No way!

By COLIN STEWART

 

Photo courtesy of ASPS

Plastic surgeons noticed an uptick in the number of men getting plastic surgery last year, and they’re crowing about it.

The underlying message to men is that they ought to head to a plastic surgeon’s office, since so many other men are already going there.

For example, in its report on its latest survey of cosmetic procedures, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons quotes plastic surgeon Dr. Stephen Baker of Washington, D.C., as saying that “the typical male cosmetic surgery patient that I see is an average guy who wants to look as good as he feels. Most of my patients are ‘men’s men,’ the kind of guy you might not think would have plastic surgery.”

The ASPS report is true as far as it goes. Men underwent 2 percent more cosmetic plastic surgery procedures in 2010 than the previous year.

Problem is, the long-term trend is far different. Compared to 10 years earlier, men went under the plastic surgeon’s knife 48 percent less often last year.

Men have always been less likely than women to visit a plastic surgeon or a dermatologist.

That was true in 2000, when men accounted for 21 percent of plastic surgeries and 12 percent of minimally invasive procedures such as skin care and injections.

It’s even more so now. In 2010, men had 13 percent of plastic surgeries and 8 percent of minimally invasive procedures, according to the ASPS survery.

Women rely much more heavily on Botox, fillers and high-tech skin care than they used to. As a result, minimally invasive treatments rose 109 percent for women from 2000 to 2010, while women’s surgeries dropped 10 percent.

To read this entire article, please visit the OC Register's website at http://www.ocregister.com/articles/plastic-293565-surgery-surgeons.html

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