When you’re in the process of researching who to pick as your surgeon and where to go for breast augmentation, it can quickly become overwhelming. Where do you begin? You’ll probably look at tons of before and after photos, reviews, videos and ask around for personal recommendations before you make a decision.
Another important and unavoidable factor is cost of the procedure. Many people who consider breast augmentation consider the price tag. The costs can vary greatly—the average cost in Toronto is $8,675. Have you ever wondered why that is? There are many factors that contribute to the cost of the procedure.
More women are reducing their breast implant size or removing them altogether. See which 5 celebrities went under the knife to remove their breast implants.
Are you finally taking the plunge and getting breast implants? You probably have a ton of questions about the procedure. Plastic
surgeons are asked certain questions quite often in consultation with patients.
That’s why we wanted to share a guideline on how breast implants are placed and
some common questions patients tend to ask about breast augmentation.
Unsurprisingly, breast augmentation remains one of the top
performed procedures in North America. It’s in high demand, but certain trends
in breast enhancement have changed. One interesting trend to note is that big
breast implants are no longer as popular today. Think back to the 90s when
busty and voluptuous celebrities like Pamela Anderson had large breast
implants. That was the trend that many women liked and wanted for themselves.
Lately, plastic surgeons have noticed that women are now
asking for smaller breast implants that suit their bodies more naturally. Women
who want to remove their breast implants are downsizing too. Before, a lot of
women requested to increase their breast size to a D or DD. The current trend
is moving up to a B or C.
How do you get
natural looking results for breast augmentation?
It depends where the breast implants are placed. If they are
placed underneath the pectoral muscle, the results will look more natural
compared to placing the implants over the muscle. However, this is dependent on
different factors: how your breasts look, if your breasts are droopy and how
much natural breast tissue you have.
Fat grafting to the breasts is also another way to achieve a
natural look and modest increase in breast size. Your plastic surgeon will
extract fat from an area of your body—like your tummy or thighs—purify it and
inject into the breasts. Since you’re using your own fat to enhance your
breasts, the results won’t last as long as breast implants would. That’s because
over time, some of the fat cells that have been injected into the breast won’t survive.
This woman had a mommy makeover which involved breast augmentation at SpaMedica.
Where are incisions
made when getting breast implants?
The 3 most common incisions include:
1. Axilary: Incision made in the armpit. Saline implants are
the only implants that can be inserted through this incision.
2. Inframammary: The incision is made above the crease under
the breast.
3. Periareolar: Inicision through the border of the areola.
How much does breast
augmentation cost?
Prices will vary from plastic surgeons in Ontario. The range
is anywhere from $6,000-$10,000 for breast augmentation.
What is capsular
contracture?
Like with any surgery, there are always risks or
complications involved. One of the complications of breast augmentation is
capsular contracture. This is when there’s abnormal scarring around the
implants. The membrane around the implants tighten, which then cause the
breasts to feel firm or hard. Another sign of capsular contracture is when the
implants start looking more round and ride higher on your chest.
If you think you might have capsular contracture, you need
to see your plastic surgeon to discuss how you can correct the problem.
These are just some of the frequent questions that breast
augmentation patients ask their surgeons. Don’t hesitate to contact us or leave
a comment below for more information about this procedure.
How would you feel if your mom or grandma said they were
going to get breast augmentation or a facelift?
Would you be shocked, disturbed or supportive? Whether you like it or
not, the older generations like the Baby Boomers are having plastic surgery to
maintain or revamp their appearance. They’ve thought about it long and hard,
they have disposable income and they’re sure about their decisions.
While a lot of media attention has been on teenagers and
plastic surgery lately, we can’t overlook that older generations make up a
large chunk of those who get plastic surgery. In 2014, people between the ages
of 51-64 made up 24% of the total surgical procedures performed in the U.S. That’s 433,517
procedures performed on this age group. People who were age 65 and up accounted
for 7.9% of total surgical procedures. That’s 138,612 procedures.
Why Baby Boomers Want
Plastic Surgery In The First Place
Dr. Mulholland, a Toronto plastic surgeon, says that Baby Boomers (those who were born in 1946-1964) are an interesting generation.
“Their mothers and grandmothers were the descendants of a religious work ethic.
They were more accepting of life and aging. It was a matter of what God had
dealt them in life,” he says. The Baby Boomers are totally different from their
mothers in terms of attitudes. He says these women want a certain quality of
life and will achieve it on their own if they have to.
Dr. Mulholland sees many female clients in their 40s at
SpaMedica. “They’re far less likely to be manipulated by the media—and the
media’s idea of beauty—than women who are a generation younger,” he says. They’re
not coming in for treatments because they want to look like a certain
celebrity. It stems from their dissatisfaction of their looks compared to the
rest of their lives. Simply put, they want the whole package. They have an
active life, family and fulfilling career; they want their appearance to
reflect how they feel inside.
Dr. Mulholland appeared on Global news to talk about women in their 60s getting breast augmentation.
Which Plastic Surgery
Procedures Are These Women Having?
Some of the most popular procedures amongst this group are
breast augmentation and liposuction. After having children, a lot of women deal
with stubborn fat or a loss of volume in their breasts. For these reasons, they
seek procedures that can enhance their bodies. For non-surgical procedures, the
Pan G lift is another common treatment that’s performed. The Pan G Lift
provides similar results that a facelift would give without surgery.
After seeing so many career-oriented women at SpaMedica, Dr.
Mulholland knows the main reason why these women are making appointments. It’s
not about trying to look good for their partner. “They want it for themselves.
They want to look the way they feel.”
Plenty of folks tend to get judgmental about people who get
plastic surgery. Even though the cosmetic surgery industry is a billion dollar
industry in North America, it’s still a topic that divides many. Those who
are opposed to the concept of it see it as unnecessary or something that vain
or insecure people would do. That’s just the very tip of generalizations. We
all know we could go on and on about what some people say about plastic
surgery.
It’s not all negative though. A lot people
choose to keep the fact they had some work done to themselves, but there are other who are vocal about their own plastic surgery procedures. Take a look at Iggy Azalea. She’s been rather candid about her breast augmentation. In March, she told Vogue she got breast implants and it was
something she thought about her entire life. “I love them so much I had to talk
about them,” she then told E! Online.
In certain countries, the people are open about plastic surgery and embrace it. In fact, getting plastic surgery is seen as a status symbol or just
a completely normal thing to do. These are the countries where the attitude towards cosmetic enhancements is more accepting.
Brazil
Source: imagesgonerogue.com. Gisele Bundchen is a famous Brazilian fashion model
Brazil is often regarded as the country with insanely
beautiful women—and it’s true. It’s also a country with a very liberal attitude
towards plastic surgery. Even though Brazil makes up 3% of the world’s population, the country accounted for 13% of plastic surgeries performed in the world
in 2013.
Joao Carlos Sampaio Goés, a well known surgeon, says
Brazilian people have a very open mentality compared to Europeans. They have a
much greater ease in seeking plastic surgery. “It is a tropical country, where
people enjoy exposing their bodies. This helps stimulate people to have
surgery,” he said in this Guardian
article.
Korea
Source: http://img.news.sina.com. An ad displaying before and after photos of jaw surgery in a metro station in Seoul, Korea.
Korea is the world capital of plastic surgery. It’s been
dubbed this title since they have the most cosmetically enhanced people in the world.
In fact, 1 in 5 women in Seoul have had at least one cosmetic procedure. When
strolling around the city, it’s not uncommon to see ads and billboards of before
and after photos of people who’ve had plastic surgery. With some of the best
plastic surgeons in the world in Korea, both Koreans and foreigners from
around the world are seeking treatments in Korea at high rates.
In this article, Kwon Seung-taik—a plastic surgeon in Korea—shares insight on the Korean mentality on beauty. He says Koreans believe beauty is
something that can be attained through hard work, just like anything else. “Koreans
see plastic surgery, and becoming prettier, as a challenge,” he says. He
believes Koreans don’t see beauty as something to be envied, it’s something they
can attain themselves if they truly want. With many Korean households with disposable incomes and districts that are
fluttered with endless plastic surgery clinics, there’s simply a lot of choice
and opportunity for plastic surgery.
The different perspectives and mentality on beauty and
plastic surgery is fascinating. Here in Canada and the U.S, the media is fixated on speculating whether or not a celebrity's done plastic surgery—and
they’re often met with backlash. That’s not to say that that doesn’t happen in
other countries, but it seems like in Korea and Brazil, getting plastic surgery is simply a part of life.
What do you think about the open attitude that Korea and
Brazil have about plastic surgery?
With several varieties of sizes, shapes and textures of breast implants, I
wouldn’t blame anyone for feeling puzzled when choosing which breast implants
would look best on their body. When choosing breast implants, you should ask
yourself a few questions and think about a few factors. You have to think about
what suits your body type and what results you want to see. So, here’s a quick
guide on what implants you can choose from when you’re in the decision-making process.
What are silicone and
saline breast implants?
Silicone Breast Implants
Silicone implants are pre-filled with silicone gel. The gel feels similar to
natural breast tissue and human fat. Most women feel that silicone breast implants
look and feel more like natural breast tissue. While rippling in silicone
implants is less common, there’s still a risk that it can happen. Thin women
with very little breast tissue benefit from silicone breast implants as they
look and feel more natural on their body types. Women who are 22 years old and
above can have silicone breast implants.
Breasts continue to develop until a woman reaches her late teens
or 20s so that’s why there’s an age requirement for this procedure.
Saline Breast Implants
Saline implants are filled with sterile salt water. The implants are empty
until they’re about to implanted. They’re filled with the fluid once they’re in
place. This allows your plastic surgeon to adjust the volume of the implants to
suit your body just right. The scar is slightly smaller than what you would get
from silicone breast implants.
If the implant shell were to leak, the saline implant collapses,
and the saline will be absorbed and the body naturally expels it. Women who are
18 and older can get saline breast implants and they’re available to women of
all ages for breast reconstruction.
Source: SpaMedica. Illustrations of a round gel implant vs. tear drop gel implant.
What are gummy bear and round breast
implants?
Gummy Bear Breast Implants (aka
Teardrop Cohesive Gel breast implants)
These implants are called gummy bear breast implants because they maintain
their shape even if the implant shell breaks. The silicone gel inside the
implant is thicker and more cohesive than regular silicone gel implants.
Because of their firmness, these implants are believed to be less likely to
break.
Gummy bear implants are shapely, like a teardrop shape. There’s
more projection at the bottom and the implant tapers towards the top. Since the
silicone is firmer than traditional silicone, the implants can be felt more
easily compared to round-shaped implants in thin women. Another thing to
consider about shaped implants is that if they were to rotate, the breast may
look lopsided because of the shape.
Round Breast Implants
Round shaped breast implants are used the most in breast augmentation. Women
tend to choose this shape because it gives breasts plenty of cleavage, lift and
fullness. Since the shape is round, there’s no risk of the breasts looking
irregular if the implants were to shift and move around. While some women
prefer the volume and shape these implants provide, others want a more natural
looking breast implant shape such as the teardrop shape.
Remember to see a plastic surgeon who has Vectra 3D imaging
available at their practice. This technology allows patients to see what breast
size and shape looks best on them before the actual procedure. This complimentary
service is usually offered during your consultation before surgery. This takes majority
of the guessing work out of how your new breasts will look.
Dr. Mulholland makes many media appearances throughout the
year to talk about the latest trends and news on cosmetic plastic surgery. He recently
was live on air with Newstalk 1010 with Barb DiGiulio to answer callers’ questions
regarding plastic surgery.
The segment was nearly an hour long and was jammed with interesting
information—they talked about if a person can be too young for plastic surgery,
advice on how to pick the right surgeon, and provided answers to questions
about different surgical and non-surgical procedures. Dr. Mulholland also
shared that when he first opened SpaMedica in 1996, he only saw two men for
treatments that whole year. Now men make up 20% of the clientele. “Men are
extremely vein and we just don’t about it,” he says.
Below are just a few tidbits of what Dr. Mulholland, the host
and callers discussed that night. You can also listen to the full show here.
Kelly, the first caller of the night, mentioned she had been
researching on how to reduce the bags under her eyes. She says she’s aged
prematurely because of many difficult life events that have happened over the
years. Her main concern was how long recovery time would be after blepharoplasty.
Dr. Mulholland of SpaMedica in Toronto
Dr. Mulholland: Non-surgical options like soft tissue
fillers and some laser treatments can help reduce the appearance of eye bags.
Get these treatments done on a Friday afternoon and you can return back to work
on Monday looking much more rested.
For more permanent results, consider having a lower lid
blepharoplasty. It removes the fat pads under the eyes and tightens the skin
around it. Bruising will occur, so having 7 days off from work to
recover would be suggested.
Would I be okay to do
bending or lifting at work after surgery?
Dr. Mulholland: In the first 3-4 days, there are
some delicate blood vessels that are sealed. If you bend over and strain, it
raises the blood pressure around your eyes which could cause some bleeding.
Generally, as long as you’re not a world-class bodybuilding who deadlifts 180
pounds, you can carry office space boxes within a few days.
Source: SpaMedica. This patient had lower lid blepharoplasty to remove the fat pads under her eyes.
How much would lower
lid blepharoplasty cost?
Dr. Mulholland: There’s a range in the city and in
the country. In general, two lids—whether it’s two upper lids or two lower lids—is
going to start at about $2,500.00 and might go as high as $6,000.00 depending
on how aged that lower lid is and the practice in the city.
Let’s say you do the upper and lower lid combination, it’s
called a quad bleph or four lid blepharoplasty. That’s usually in the $4,000.00
to $8,000.00 range depending on the practice in the city.
Another caller asked about scarring after surgery as a person
of colour.
Are there usually any
scars that are seen after any kind of plastic surgery for people of colour?
Dr. Mulholland: Dark skin individuals are prone to
pigmentation disorder like brown discolouration and scars that are usually much
darker than their surrounding skin. Whether it’s breast augmentation, a
facelift, liposuction or a tummy tuck, things need to be hidden extremely well
when you have darker skin that you know is not going to heal favourably.
Caucasian skin is often prone to scars that are red and
raised. Attention to placement is one of the tricks of plastic surgery school. One
of the first steps to plastic surgery is deciding with your plastic surgeon what
procedure, approach and incision is going to work best for you.
Thinking
about surgery seriously? Dr. Mulholland shared advice on how to start research.
What is the process somebody goes
through if they want to do a consultation with you?
Dr. Mulholland: The first step is to start your research online.
Make some searches on Google on who you should see and then
pick three practices. Look on websites like RealSelf or Yelp and see what
people are saying about these physicians and practices.
Go on websites like The College of Physicians and Surgeons of
Ontario and make sure there’s no complaints and the physician’s in good
standing.
Interview the doctors as much as you can since you’re going
to have a history and physical. You want to ask certain questions:
How long you been in practice?
How many of these procedures have you
done?
What complications have
happened?
If a complication happens to
me, how is it managed?
Make sure there are good before and after photos. Make sure you can talk to patients. At the
end of the day, you just got to feel right.
You should have a good sense that this is the right physician and team
for you.
Kylie Jenner
has made headlines for months because of her notably larger lips. She’s
recently admitted that she had lip injections to plump them up (after repeatedly
denying it). The host asked Dr. Mulholland what he thought about teenagers and
plastic surgery.
We’re seeing a lot of stuff happening
with teenagers, how young is too young?
Dr. Mulholland: Every plastic surgeon would have a
different answer to that, but as a father of six children, it’s tough enough to
be a teenager and come to terms with your sense of self without complicating it
with cosmetic surgery and without succumbing to peer pressure and paradigms of
beauty.
It can be quite unhealthy so I’m a big believer that you
should be a voting adult and that you should be at least 19 before considering
plastic surgery. You should have carefully thought these things out and it
shouldn't be a spontaneous decision.
Now, having said that, there are always exceptions to the rule. If you’re a young woman and you have a
pathological condition like Poland Syndrome (where you don’t form a breast on one
side and you do on the other) It’s really a hereditary congenital abnormality,
so that might be a situation of circumstance where you might consider it.
Or maybe you’ve had trauma and you broke your nose or you
were born with an extremely large bump and it is way outside the spectrum of
what would be considered normal variant, you might consider those extreme
circumstances. But I think as a rule, it’s a bad idea to mix teenagers and
cosmetic surgery.
It’s no brainer to say that we like big boobs and that goes
for men, women and everyone in between. Big butts may be the trend lately, but
a pair of voluptuous boobs is still unquestionably attractive in the eyes of
people around the world, and more specifically in North America. Men just tend
to look (or stare) at large breasts. Have you ever wondered exactly why that is though? There’s got to be
some scientific reasons as to why men find big boobs so attractive, right?
The average breast
size has gotten bigger over the years
Over the last 30 years, the average bra size for women grew
from 34B to 34DD. The
reasons? A bigger chunk of the population have larger waistlines than before—more
than 60% of American women are obese or overweight now. The
lingerie company who conducted this bra study also noted that women are now
more aware of their bodies and are wearing bras that fit them properly. We also can’t forget that since breast augmentation is always one of the top procedures performed year after year,
that also plays a huge factor in larger breast sizes.
Big breasts indicate
a woman’s health and fertility
One reason why big breasts are considered attractive is because
they’re indicators of a woman’s health and fertility. This study revealed that
a woman’s breast size and waist-to-hip ratio signified her ability to bear and
nurture children in the eyes of men. The study’s researchers wanted to find out
if women who had big breasts and a narrow waist did in fact have higher chances
of reproduction—and their research and results did prove this hypothesis.
How financially well off a man is correlates to what breast size he likes in women.
Financial status of
men indicates their preference for breast size
Alright, now we know western men are biologically inclined
to be attracted to busty women. Apparently a man’s financial status reveals what breast size he prefers too. In a Psychology Today study, psychologists wanted to see if there was a
link between a man’s socioeconomic status and his preference in breast size. Men
of different socioeconomic backgrounds were asked to pick what breast size they
thought were attractive after watching animated female figures of different
breast sizes.
Results
Poorer men preferred large breasts
Financially well-off men preferred small breasts
Not everyone goes
crazy over big breasts
Everyone prefers different traits and quirks that they find attractive. Some people are into small boobs. Some people like big, bubbly butts. All of
that is perfectly fine. Even if there’s a chosen preference, most of the time
men can’t help but look at a woman’s big breasts. While they’re not always
staring at them, they will definitely notice. Don’t get mad at your boyfriend
or husband if you happen to catch up sneaking a peak at big boobs. Now you know
there are science-backed reasons as to why men can’t help but look. At least most of the times.
Source: SpaMedica. This mommy makeover received breast augmentation and energy-assisted liposuction.
Even after having children, plenty of women are healthier
than they’ve ever been. They have healthy eating habits and work out a few
times a week. Just take a look at celebrities—they’re known to give birth and
hop right back into their evening gowns and bikinis almost immediately.
Exercise and a good diet don’t bring back certain things
though and a lot of women can attest to that. After giving birth and
breastfeeding, a woman’s breasts tend lose volume and shape. Dr. Mulholland, a
Toronto plastic surgeon, says breast augmentation is a very popular procedure
for women. Many of his breast augmentation patients are women in their 30s who
have children. Breast augmentation is the second most performed procedure after
liposuction.
Amanda, a woman in her 20s, feels self-conscious of her body
after giving birth to her daughter three years ago. She says she was so used to
always having a fit body without ever having to workout often. After giving
birth, she started feeling insecure about her body. “I didn’t feel as sexy or
desirable anymore,” she says.
Amanda exercised regularly for a few years. Even though she’s
in good shape, she still feels bothered by some problem areas—her abdomen and
love handles. She also says her breasts have lost some volume. To address these
concerns, Dr. Mulholland recommends liposuction and breast augmentation. This
combination of surgeries performed at once is also known as a mommy makeover.
Source: SpaMedica. This mommy makeover received liposuction to her tummy and hips.
Dr. Mulholland performs two types of mommy makeovers; a
mommy mini and mommy major. Amanda had the mommy mini, which was an operation
that took an hour and 15 minutes to complete. Mommy majors are ideal for women
who had or plan to have two to three kids. Usually, mommy majors include breast
surgery, tummy tucks and liposuction.
Mommy makeovers without tummy tucks performed require about
1-2 weeks of recovery time. If a tummy tuck is needed, then women should expect
to have 2-3 weeks of recovery.
Now that a few months have passed after her procedure,
Amanda says she’s ecstatic with her appearance. She says those around her have
noticed a major change in her personality and sense of humour. Though her looks
changed, she says the biggest difference was in her personality and how she
presented herself.
You probably know a friend or a family member who had breast augmentation. It’s a super common procedure, after all—it was the second most
performed procedure after liposuction last year. If you’ve been considering it for
yourself, you’re most likely overwhelmed with the endless floods of information
on the procedure.
While friends and family may mean well with their advice and
opinions, it’s more reassuring to have expert advice of a plastic surgeon when
it comes to breast implants. Dr. Mulholland, a Toronto plastic surgeon, answers
3 common breast augmentation questions below.
Q: How many minutes on a daily basis
should I be spend massaging my breasts after breast augmentation? Should I continue
doing this for months, years or forever?
A: There’s a great deal of surgeon
variability and the lack of consensus when it comes to the value of breast
massage following breast augmentation surgery.
Some surgeons feel quite strongly that breast massage will help soften
breast tissues around the breast more quickly, allowing the breast implant to
drop into the pocket more quickly and minimize the risk of capsular contracture
hardening. Other physicians feel the
breast implant will adapt to shape and breast massage will have little
influence on that shape nor on the degree of softness or capsular contracture
formation.
In general it’s been my experience that most patients find
breast massage to relieve early swelling in the breast tissue and allow the
breast implant and breast to more rapidly adopt a more natural position and
shape. Massaging your breasts on a daily
basis while performing a home breast self examination for breast cancer is a
harmless and logical step. Breast
massage can be like touching your toes and straightening your knee and
elongating fibrous tissue. Elongating
this tissue may minimize the risk of some degree of capsular contracture, but
will not probably prevent strong capsule formations if they’re destined to
occur.
Always seek the advice of your operative surgeon as their
specific technique may or may not lend itself to a breast massage, but do not
forget that they have home breast self examination for the detection of breast
cancer.
Source: YouTube. Dr. Mulholland discusses Vectra 3D and breast augmentation in this video.
Q: How long do I have to wait until I can have a revision? I was told
425cc was the largest I could go, but I'd like them significantly larger. Is it
possible to go larger and what size cc would get the results I'm looking for? Aside
from size, the lack of cleavage is really irritating me, I want them to look “WOW!”
I can barely force them together right now.
A: Eight weeks is still very early
following breast surgery and there’s still too much swelling and edema to
consider re-operation. Most plastic
surgeons will advise that you allow your breast implants time to settle and
stretch out the soft tissue and have time to truly appreciate the breast
enhancement size and breast waist tip ratio prior to entertaining any revision
or enhancement augmentation procedure.
The ability to go bigger than your current 425 cc implants
will depend upon your soft tissue elasticity and chest wall
characteristics. In general you can
increase in size, but large breast implants come with a whole host of other
potential complications over time, such as loss of support, droopiness or
ptosis of the breast implants as they will stretch out your soft tissue.
If you do decide to increase your size of your breast implant
most surgeons would recommend you wait between 6 and 12 months prior to
entertaining such a procedure.
Q: I am 33 years old with 3 children (including
eight-month old twins) and I will be having the mommy makeover. I am between
5'1" and 5'2" and weigh 125 lbs. I was 115lbs pre-pregnancy. I am
currently a size 32B. I wanted to know how many cc's would be good for me?
A: Your question is a common one and is excellent. Your frame seems quite slight at 5’1” or 5’2”
inches and 125 pounds. In general, it is
more important to match the breast contour shape and width to the shoulder
waist hip ratio to achieve natural proportions. If the breast implants that are selected are
too big, it will lead to a very heavy artificial look to the breast, which may
lead to some dissatisfaction.
I have found over the past 20 years of performing cosmetic aesthetic
plastic surgery that the use of the Vectra 3D, a 3D imaging system, allows
patients to pick different sizes and shapes of implants and very accurately
assess the simulated post-operative result.
This “try before you buy” option has rendered the uncertainty that many
patients have almost obsolete as patients can actually see their figure, shape
and form before they go out and create it.
I would recommend seeking out the office of a plastic surgeon
in the Toronto Area that uses the Vectra 3D so you can again validate the
contour shape and form that you think would work best for you. If you have more questions, feel free to book an appointment online.
Ever wondered who visits SpaMedica and what kind of treatments they get? What's the average age of SpaMedica clients? What was life like for Dr. Mulholland before he became a doctor? All these questions are answered below!
1. SpaMedica has been in operation in Yorkville, Toronto
since 1997.
2. About 70% of Dr. Mulholland’s patients are women
3. Most of these women are between ages 35-55
4. Dr. Mulholland says these women are not privileged
housewives. They’re usually very outgoing or hardworking professionals.
5. 90% of Dr. Mulholland’s breast augmentation patients are
over 35. They usually have a few kids and want to recapture their breast shape.
Source: SpaMedica. Before and after photo of a facelift patient.
6. Women over age 35 tend to seek non-surgical procedures
like Botox Injectable, FotoFacials, Restylane, laser hair removal and leg vein
treatments. The top 5 surgical procedures are brow and eyelid surgery,
facelifts, breast augmentation, liposuction and tummy tucks.
7. Male clients want to look more youthful. They come in for
facial changes such as jowl removal, facelifts, eyelid lifts and rhinoplasty. They
seek liposuction to remove unwanted fat too.
8. Dr. Mulholland never operates on teenagers. “Generally
the closer women are to age 20—before they’ve had some life experience—the less
confident they are about body image. It’s hard to figure out who you are then,
let alone confuse it with surgery,” he says.
Source: SpaMedica. Before and after photo of a Botox Injectable patient.
9. At SpaMedica, the average Botox Injectable patient is age
40.
10. Injections of Voluma fillers have become almost 25% of
Dr. Mulholland’s job.
11. When it comes to older women, Dr. Mulholland says any
insecurity is usually related to professional advancement. “Ageism is rampant
in the workplace,” he says.
12. These patients usually want to increase their breasts to
a small to mid-sized C cup.
13. According to Dr. Mulholland, Canadian women are at least
a cup size smaller than U.S women.
14. Women under 30 usually see him to change their breasts,
nose or get rid of unwanted fat.
Source: SpaMedica. Dr. Mulholland played professional hockey with Rogle BK in the Swedish first division. After his year in Sweden, he signed a professional contract with the Calgary Flames.
15. Before becoming a plastic surgeon, Dr. Mulholland was a
professional hockey player.
16. Dr. Mulholland studied and completed his core general
surgery and plastic surgery training at the University of Toronto.
17. Dr. Mulholland travels around the world several weekends
of the year to teach physicians different non-surgical and surgical treatments.
18. He invented the Pan G Lift, a non-surgical treatment that
provides results similar to facelifts.
19. He and his team have over 30 years of experience in hairtransplantation and have successfully placed millions of grafts.
20. The original FotoFacial procedure was co-developed by Dr.
Patrick Bitter, Jr. and Dr. Mulholland. This popular procedure is one of the
most commonly performed cosmetic procedures in North America.
FotoFacial
treatments use radiofrequency, intense pulsed light and infrared energy.
They’re pulsed gently on the skin to target facial spider veins, fine lines,
blemishes and brown spots on the face, neck, chest and hands.
We’ve all seen people who look like they’ve had a bit too cosmetic
surgery done, and it doesn’t take an expert to spot it. Whether it’s on TV or
in the real world, some people walk around with faces that look like caricatures
or bodies that look obviously unnatural. Cosmetic surgery addicts exist—taking
a look at celebrities, I can name a few names off the bat. Example: Heidi Montag,
who seems to be best known for having 10 procedures in one day which included breast
augmentation, liposuction, rhinoplasty, and a brow lift all in the same day.
Lots of people may laugh or gawk at cosmetic surgery addicts,
but the thing is, it’s a serious addiction that could be detrimental.
What is cosmetic
surgery addiction?
Cosmetic surgery addiction is classified as a behavioural
addiction. When someone has a behavioural addiction (it could be to video
games, shopping or gambling), it means they are compelled to repeat a specific behaviour
regardless of physical, mental, social or financial consequences. Behavioural
addictions start out with a person associating the behaviour with pleasure, but
then once it becomes more frequent, the behaviour becomes a major part of the person’s
life. While indulging in the behaviour provides the person with relief, it’s also
used as a way to deal with stress or other underlying issues.
A cosmetic surgery addict can be willing to shell out
thousands of dollars and alienate themselves from loved ones to get the
procedures they want.
Source: Zimbio.com. Heidi Montag underwent 10 cosmetic procedures in one day. Some procedures include breast augmentation, brow lift and liposuction
Body image and psychological issues can also influence
someone’s choices for multiple cosmetic procedures. David B. Sarwer and Alisson
L. Infield discussed in their book Breast
Augmentation that several studies from around the world show between 7-15%
of cosmetic surgery and dermatology patients have some form of body dysmorphic
disorder. Those with BDD are preoccupied with small or imagined defects in
their appearance. This preoccupation can wreak havoc in their work and social lives.
Cosmetic surgery
addicts will seek multiple procedures at whatever cost
There is nothing to stop a person from seeking consecutive
cosmetic procedures. Even if someone has had liposuction two times before,
there are no real regulations or laws in Canada to prevent them from having a third
or fourth procedure. That’s where the role of plastic surgeon is important—they
may be the ones doing all the magic work, but they should be spending a lot of
time talking to and evaluating their patients during consultation. This is the
point where they understand if the patient is seeking surgery with realistic
expectations and the right mindset.
Dr. Mulholland, a Toronto plastic surgeon, says he turns
down over half of the people who approach him for surgery. He says he spends a
lot of time during interviews to find out the person’s motivations for surgery
and their expectations. “Cosmetic surgery should be used to enhance your life,
not compensate for a failed relationship or other set-backs,” says Dr.
Mulholland.
It all goes back to the ethics of a plastic surgeon. They can
refuse to perform surgery on patients who they find unsuitable. If the patient
wants breast augmentation because she thinks it will help her win back an
ex-lover, that reason won’t fly with an ethical doctor who has the patient's well-being in mind during consultation. But
the sad thing is, there are surgeons who will do what the patient wants—regardless
of their mental state and motivations.
