QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS OF INTEREST

We hope you find our "News and Notes" interesting and informative. As a physician, it's my mandate to myself to keep growing and to keep learning. I am also committed to keeping our patients and our prospective patients as informed as possible. The information in this article may appear "random," but it's not really. It has been culled from questions asked of us regularly and we hope you find it informative.

1. Is liquid silicone is FDA-approved for cosmetic treatment of wrinkles and acne scars?
   
   In 1991, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued guidelines prohibiting the marketing of injectable silicone for any cosmetic purpose. The FDA has since approved monitored clinical studies investigating its cosmetic use, but these studies will require long-term follow-up to evaluate safety and efficacy. The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) recommends that patients seeking improvement of facial scars and wrinkles discuss alternative treatments with an ASAPS-member plastic surgeon.

2. How do unmarried people compare to married people in considering cosmetic surgery people?
   
   According to a 2001 survey of 1000 American households, sponsored by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), 23 percent of unmarried Americans would consider cosmetic surgery, compared to 27 percent of married Americans. Interestingly, 77 percent of the survey respondents, both men and women, said they would not be embarrassed if people outside their immediate family and close friends knew they were having cosmetic surgery.

3. Can a breast implant be inserted through an incision in the armpit?
   
   Although less frequently performed than some other techniques, an incision in the armpit may be used to insert a saline-filled breast implant. This method is called the transaxillary approach. Other more common approaches are through an incision underneath the breast (just above the crease) or through an incision around the lower edge of the areola (the pigmented area surrounding the nipple).

4. How long following a deep chemical peel or laser resurfacing procedure will it take for the redness to and skin color return to normal?
   
   After about two weeks patients should be able to apply makeup to help conceal the redness. It is likely to take several months before all pink color disappears. There are different types of chemical peel solutions and laser treatments, some of which require less time for healing. Certain light peels and non-ablative lasers may produce only a slight pink color, requiring little or no downtime. With these options, a series of treatments often is necessary to achieve the desired improvements. Even with multiple treatments, final results are likely to be less dramatic than with deeper resurfacing methods, and not all patients are good candidates.

5. In rhinoplasty, can skin may be removed from the base of the nostrils to reduce their size?
   
   Yes, one way to narrow nostrils is to reduce them by removing small wedges of skin at the base. Incisions are hidden in the natural crease where the nostril joins the cheek. Whatever incisions are used to reshape the nose, they ultimately will be very inconspicuous.