While searching for inspiration for my own blog, I came across a very comprehensive, useful, and relevant blog. It is called Plasmetic.com (as in “PLAStic” and “cosMETIC”), and is a blog:
"obsessively covering the latest procedures in beauty and aesthetics. Plasmetic.com covers the latest news in the field of plastic surgery, facial cosmetic surgery, breast implants, liposuction, tummy tuck and everything related to having the perfect body and beauty."I found this blog to be more unique because there is no recognized single author of the posts, and it covers an incredibly wide range of topics related to plastic surgery. The posts are all archived, so the viewer can read any post from previous years. They are conveniently organized into categories and sub-categories, such as “Celebrity News", “Breast Augmentation”, “Latest Trends”, “Weight Loss”, etc., with over 2086 posts. In general, they seem to post a couple to several times a month, with more frequent postings in previous years.
The authors of these posts are clearly knowledgeable in the field of plastic and cosmetic surgery, and are perhaps a group of doctors. For the most part, all of their posts follow the same format. There is a description about the procedure, treatment, news story – whatever the particular subject may be, and then a list of the highlights - essentially the advantages, and when necessary a list of the disadvantages. For many of the procedures, they will also include the general cost. The blog is only as detailed as it needs to be – it is not personal or individualized as many other blogs are, and does not necessarily have its own voice, but serves more as an informational blog. While it may not be a stimulating or funny read, this blog was not created for that purpose. It clearly lays out the information many of the viewers are looking for, as the intended audience of this site is:
“women researching on various plastic surgery procedures, plastic surgery practices to identify the latest treatments approved by the FDA, and plastic surgeons to know patient’s grievances and concerns”.This blog will certainly serve as an influence on mine, as it is a good source for information on new procedures, and a comprehensive collection of posts on any and all things plastic surgery. One of the most recent posts I found particularly interesting (and even a little funny), was about iPhone apps that make plastic surgery easier. It reviews the highlights of the “Shafer Plastic Surgery App”, “iSurgeon”, “Tanimania”, “Dr. Denenberg’s iPhone App”, and “BodyPlastika”. These applications all involve plastic surgery in some way, and it is frightening to me that they even exist. The highlights for iSurgeon, for example, include:
“a. iSurgeon has been developed by a Miami-based cosmetic surgeon Dr. Michael Salzahauer.
b. It combines a game mode that enables users to try their hand a surgery.
c. People can modify images through lip enhancements, breast augmentations and many other improvements.
d. Users can easily simulate plastic surgery by easily modifying face and body features on their phone including Rhinoplasty, Breast Augmentation, Brazilian Buttlifts and Tummy Tucks.
e. Available exclusively through the iTunes store.”
This post serves as an example of a standard post from this blogger about a current, trendy technology associated with the industry. But this blog is not solely about technology or surgical procedures. While reading through some older posts, I stumbled on this from 2008:
“A new book set to be released on Mother's Day seeks to help children through their mothers' cosmetic surgeries. Called My Beautiful Mommy, this book is authored by Florida-based plastic surgeon, Dr. Michael Salzhauer. However, there are critics who say that this book is not comprehensive and others are against such a book directed at children.”(Seriously? There is a book about this? Okay, I’ll put my personal opinions aside…for now)
In this post, the blogger still does not give any personal insights, but even continues to include the highlights about the book. This is indicative of the style of the blog – even when discussing a children’s book, it remains academic, giving only necessary information.
Unlike Plasmetic.com, my blog will be personalized. Instead of reporting straight information or facts about particular procedures, treatments, or news, I will include my own opinion and commentary. However, I would like to keep my posts full of accurate information, and be sure to include the pros and cons of the discussed surgeries, similar to the way Plasmetic.com does. I am not a doctor, and do not have the authority to give professional opinions, so I can only hope to take what I read from blogs like Plasmetic.com and provide my own comments from my own perspective.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Hello, world!
It’s a simple truth that when we look good, we feel good. Putting it quite bluntly, the pretty kids in high school are the popular ones. Everyone likes you when you’re pretty. Psychologically, people will judge an attractive person as being nicer than an unattractive person without knowing anything else about them. So, it’s not surprising that there is an entire field dedicated to making people more beautiful.
Plastic surgery has been around for centuries, and included procedures including hand surgery, burn treatments, rhinoplasties, and cleft lip reconstructions. Today, the term plastic surgery has become synonymous with cosmetic surgery – surgery done specifically to modify or improve a physical feature.
The amount of aesthetic treatments currently available is astounding. From general liposuction, to face lifts, to butt implants, the plastic surgery industry has exponentially increased over the past 25 years, with the constant technological advancements made in the field. Plastic surgery offices now include many skin treatments as well, such as laser hair removals, micro-dermabrasion, and chemical peels. Doctors can literally fix, change, and enhance anything about you. Want to look like Angelina Jolie? No problem (as long as you have the income to pay for it, of course).
My mother is a registered nurse, and after 18 years as a stay-at-home mom, re-entered the world of medicine as the nurse to our plastic surgeon friend. She gives Botox injections and fillers, and provides treatments using the “AWT” machine (acoustic wave therapy, which is supposed to eliminate unwanted cellulite), and the Zerona machine, one of the newest and most talked about technologies. Zerona is a non-invasive laser machine, which essentially melts your fat without liposuction. My father is an anesthesiologist, and so less involved in the plastic surgery world, but still does a significant amount of related cases. Just the other day he was called in for an “emergency liposuction”. Really? Emergency liposuction? I was not aware that needing to have your fat sucked out could be an emergency, but okay.
Being my parents’ daughter, I’ve gained a different perspective and insight to the cosmetic surgery practices. I have seen the “before” and “after” pictures of some AWT patients. They don’t look that different to me – they have just as much cottage cheese before spending their $500 to have a machine roll over their thighs as before. But, my opinion does not count. As long as the patient thinks there is a difference, that’s all that matters, right? As long as they feel better about themselves in some way, then it is worth it. And, if they still don’t feel beautiful enough, they will surely find another procedure to fix it. Joan Rivers, queen of plastic surgery in Hollywood, put it best: “Money can’t buy you happiness, but it can pay for the plastic surgery”.
I would like to make it clear that I am not against plastic surgery (let’s face it, I’ll probably have some procedure or treatment done in the next 10 years). Instead, I strive to provide a commentary on different aspects of the industry: the controversial treatments, celebrities and their surgeries, trends of 2010, teens and cosmetic surgeries, plastic surgery and socioeconomics, males and cosmetic surgeries, plastic surgery addictions, and the lesser known cutting edge reconstructive surgeries.
Plastic surgery has been around for centuries, and included procedures including hand surgery, burn treatments, rhinoplasties, and cleft lip reconstructions. Today, the term plastic surgery has become synonymous with cosmetic surgery – surgery done specifically to modify or improve a physical feature.
The amount of aesthetic treatments currently available is astounding. From general liposuction, to face lifts, to butt implants, the plastic surgery industry has exponentially increased over the past 25 years, with the constant technological advancements made in the field. Plastic surgery offices now include many skin treatments as well, such as laser hair removals, micro-dermabrasion, and chemical peels. Doctors can literally fix, change, and enhance anything about you. Want to look like Angelina Jolie? No problem (as long as you have the income to pay for it, of course).
My mother is a registered nurse, and after 18 years as a stay-at-home mom, re-entered the world of medicine as the nurse to our plastic surgeon friend. She gives Botox injections and fillers, and provides treatments using the “AWT” machine (acoustic wave therapy, which is supposed to eliminate unwanted cellulite), and the Zerona machine, one of the newest and most talked about technologies. Zerona is a non-invasive laser machine, which essentially melts your fat without liposuction. My father is an anesthesiologist, and so less involved in the plastic surgery world, but still does a significant amount of related cases. Just the other day he was called in for an “emergency liposuction”. Really? Emergency liposuction? I was not aware that needing to have your fat sucked out could be an emergency, but okay.
Being my parents’ daughter, I’ve gained a different perspective and insight to the cosmetic surgery practices. I have seen the “before” and “after” pictures of some AWT patients. They don’t look that different to me – they have just as much cottage cheese before spending their $500 to have a machine roll over their thighs as before. But, my opinion does not count. As long as the patient thinks there is a difference, that’s all that matters, right? As long as they feel better about themselves in some way, then it is worth it. And, if they still don’t feel beautiful enough, they will surely find another procedure to fix it. Joan Rivers, queen of plastic surgery in Hollywood, put it best: “Money can’t buy you happiness, but it can pay for the plastic surgery”.
I would like to make it clear that I am not against plastic surgery (let’s face it, I’ll probably have some procedure or treatment done in the next 10 years). Instead, I strive to provide a commentary on different aspects of the industry: the controversial treatments, celebrities and their surgeries, trends of 2010, teens and cosmetic surgeries, plastic surgery and socioeconomics, males and cosmetic surgeries, plastic surgery addictions, and the lesser known cutting edge reconstructive surgeries.
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