Botox Injections Learn More And Make A Informed Decision

Over time, our looks fade, it’s a part of the natural aging process. Sometimes we don’t notice aging. Sometimes we notice all of a sudden. Many people consider plastic surgery but decide that going under the knife a little too drastic.

If you are feeling a little worse for wear, Botox is a great option to rejuvenate your looks without spending a fortune of undergoing invasive surgery. Botox provides a compromise that reverses the signs of aging process without a large output of expense, time or risk.

Botox is nothing new, it’s a naturally occurring protein and has been used to treat muscle spasms since the 1960′s.

The discovery of Botox as a treatment for aging was quite by accident, patients being treated for face spasms noticed a major improvement in the appearance of their wrinkles.

Botox injections work to decrease the signs of aging by weakening, or paralyzing, selected muscles in your face. This allows the skin around them to flatten out, diminishing wrinkles. Only in severe cases does Botox stop you from being able to make particular facial expressions. If Botox brings to mind images of celebrities with that plastic doll look, know that these are very severe cases. It takes a lot of Botox to reach this stage. Most people who use Botox don’t really look that different from the rest of us, just a little more younger, fresher and rejuvenated.

In most countries, Botox must be prescribed by a qualified medical doctor and administered by a trained professional. When performed by a qualified medical professional, Botox injections are completely safe. While Botox is a toxin, the miniscule amounts required are safe. Finding the right practitioner to administer Botox is integral. There are several shady operators out there, so make sure the one you chose is legitimate. Ask for referrals from friends or do your own research before hand. Botox Sydney is quite common, there are plenty of practitioners in the city area.

About three days after your Botox injections you’ll start to notice the difference. At fourteen days the process peaks. Don’t worry if your face seems a little too tight or pulled. A few days later the results will subside to how they looked at about ten days after the injections. Botox lasts for between three and six months, the results varying between the individual. You do need to go back for follow up appointments. In Sydney Botox practitioners are many, so you cab find one that is convenient for you so follow up appointments are easy.

Some people experience swelling or bruising from the injection and a small amount of people report feeling nauseous or light headed. These side effects are temporary and only experienced by a small number of people.

Some people love the results of Botox so much, they stick with it for life. A thirteen year study of two identical twins, one who had Botox injections over the course of the study and the other who did not, showed that not only does Botox reduce the appearance of existing wrinkles, it also stops new ones from appearing.

Tumescent Liposuction Surgery

What is Liposuction?
Liposuction, performed under general anesthesia, is a medical procedure that involves the use of vacuum tubes to remove fat from localized areas. The most commonly performed cosmetic procedure in the U.S., liposuction functions not as a weight-loss method but a way to remove stubborn pockets of fat that are resistant to the effects of lifestyle changes (diet and exercise) alone. The most commonly treated areas are the abdomen, thighs, buttocks, back, hips, upper arms and chin. Liposuction can also be used to assist in breast reduction surgery.

Who Should Consider Liposuction?

The best candidate for liposuction is an individual who is close to his or her ideal weight, is physically active and engages in healthy-eating patterns, and whose skin shows good tone and elasticity. Skin tone is important because, once the underlying layer of fat is removed, the skin will need to adjust to the new contours of the treated area. If the skin is lacking elasticity, a sagging effect will be observed following the procedure.

It is important that you”ve reached a stable body weight prior to undergoing liposuction. Otherwise you may find, with weight gain, that excess fat appears in other areas of the body. Because the surgery is performed under anesthesia, you must be in good general health with a strong immune system and good blood flow. Individuals with diabetes are not good candidates for liposuction.

What Are the Benefits?

The cosmetic benefits of liposuction are obvious?you will lose fat in the treated areas and will consequently be slimmer with more desirable body contours. Because liposuction offers a permanent result (the fat cells that are removed from the body are gone for good), you can expect to maintain your new shape as long as you continue to engage in a healthy, active lifestyle.

For individuals who”ve experienced recent childbirth or significant weight loss, liposuction can offer some extra “help” in common trouble spots like the abdomen, thighs and buttocks. In some people, diet and exercise alone are not sufficient to eliminate stubborn fat pockets in these areas. Liposuction can remove those exercise-resistant fat deposits once and for all.

Fat loss also offers significant psychological benefits. Overweight individuals are more likely to suffer from poor body image, low self-esteem and depression. By improving the appearance of these individuals, liposuction can offer an improvement in self-esteem and body image, and the resulting emotional and psychological benefits can be significant.

Some controversy surrounds the potential health benefits (or lack thereof) of losing fat via liposuction versus losing it “the old fashioned way.” Cosmetic surgeons, largely, would have you believe that any fat loss is healthy fat loss and that a reduction in excess fat leads to a reduction in the health risks posed by being overweight. Studies, however, indicate that liposuction may not offer the same health benefits as losing weight through diet and exercise.

What Are the Risks?

Because liposuction is performed under general anesthesia, there are certain risks involved. As with any surgery, you may react adversely to the anesthesia which could become a life-threatening situation. Other risks associated with liposuction include possible infection at the treated area, uneven fat removal (a “lopsided” appearance), the collection of fluid or blood beneath the surface of the skin, dimpled or sagging skin (particularly when too much fat is removed at once from a single location) and, rarely, blood clots or excessive fluid loss resulting in shock. You will want to discuss these risks and how they may relate to you in detail with your doctor before deciding whether to undergo liposuction.

After your procedure, you can expect to experience swelling in the treated area for an extended period of time?sometimes lasting as long as several months. Bruising is likely to occur as well. These areas will be tender for some time. Most bruising can be expected to disappear within a month following your surgery. You will need to wear special pressure dressing for several weeks after your surgery to help minimize swelling and bruising and to help your skin adjust to the new shape of the treated area.

Bottom Line

Most medical professionals agree that liposuction isn”t the best solution for fat loss that could otherwise be achieved through diet and exercise. If you”ve worked hard, however, to achieve an otherwise fit and healthy body, liposuction can be a good option for removing those fat deposits that just never seem to budge. Provided you are willing to accept the risk that inevitably accompanies surgery performed under general anesthesia, there is a good chance that you will get long-lasting results.

The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.

Breast Augmentation|Breast Implants

Breast augmentation is one in all the foremost common cosmetic surgical procedures on these days”s cosmetic surgery market. There”s nothing like a “boob job” to form a lady feel better concerning her physique! Even though this surgical operation has been around for a very long time, there are still tall tales and untruths spinning round the operation. What”s true and what”s false?

Breast augmentation is one in all the foremost common cosmetic surgical procedures on these days”s cosmetic surgery market. There”s nothing like a “boob job” to form a lady feel better concerning her physique! Even though this surgical operation has been around for a very long time, there are still tall tales and untruths spinning round the operation. What”s true and what”s false?

Breast augmentation is dangerous. This statement is false. While there are some complications concerned in every medical procedure, this one is relatively safe. A number of the more common risks embody the formulation of scar tissue, the implant rupturing, a dangerous reaction to the anesthesia, or an infection occurring at the site.

All of those complications may be safely remedied with the help of the cosmetic surgeon.
Breast implants rupture easily. This is often additionally false. Very few implants rupture and those who do can be safely replaced.

Silicone breast implants have been come into being the market due to safety concerns. This can be partially true and partially false. Many years ago, silicone breast implants were aloof from the market therefore that the FDA may perform studies so as to ensure their safety.

The FDA stands for Food and Drug Administration. This is often a governmental agency that monitors food, medicines and medical devices for public safety. They are currently backed available after being deemed safe.

There are age restrictions for breast augmentation. This is often true. So as to obtain an augmentation, a lady should be eighteen years old or older to own saline implants and should be twenty-2 years of age or older to own silicone implants. If the devices are to be used during a reconstructive method, there are no age restrictions.

Boob jobs look and feel fake. This can be usually false, particularly when the procedure has been performed by a reputable plastic surgeon and close attention has been paid to getting a harmonious result. Saline implants end up with a result that feels a small amount more durable than natural breasts, however silicone is kind of soft and tissue-like. The “fakeness” comes when an individual tries to attain too large a size for his or her body kind and bone structure.

Men typically speak their wives or girlfriends into these procedures. This is false and a reasonably common misconception. The majority of women who bear breast augmentation procedures do it to feel better about them. The very fact that men fancy the tip result is just a perk.
So as to induce the facts for every person”s individual situation, it”s wise to form an arrangement for an initial consultation with a reputable cosmetic surgeon.

If you would like to increase your breast size naturally without the use of  invasive surgery click on the book below to  get your free special report from Lucille Sorella Breast Enlargement Expert. Discover natural breast enlargement secrets that will safely and easily transform your figure forever! Introducing proven, step-by-step techniques you can use to increase your breast size WITHOUT phony pills or false promises!

 

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Thinking Tummy Tuck? What You Can Expect With This Procedure

Tummy tucks are a common cosmetic procedure used to flatten and firm the abdomen. A tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty, can also repair weakened or separated abdominal muscles. Patients whom have had a child or multiple children or have lost large amounts of weight are often left with saggy, empty skin that will not tighten no matter what exercises are tried or creams are applied.

To be a good candidate for this procedure, you should be physically healthy and at a stable weight. You should quit smoking permanently and have realistic expectations about plastic surgery outcome. If you are bothered by the feeling that your stomach is too large and you are willing to go through with a permanent body alteration, you should set up a consultation with a plastic surgeon.

A tummy tuck can not take away stretch marks, though many of the scars below the belly button may be removed when the operation is performed. The procedure will flatten the abdomen significantly. Much of the excess fat and skin will be removed, leaving you with a much more attractive, youthful stomach.

An abdominoplasty is moderately to severely painful, requiring two to six weeks of healing time. Most patients can return to work after one to two weeks. During recovery, your doctor may give you a few tips to help you heal faster. Walk around every hour and be sure to flex your feet to keep dangerous blood clots from forming. At first, this may seem like torture, but soon, you will realize walking helps to ease the pain. Flex your hips gently as often as possible in order to keep your sutures from becoming too tight. Any activities that cause discomfort, such as bending, lifting or twisting should be curtailed.

There are safety precautions that should also be taken. Many doctors recommend not lifting anything over fifteen pounds for at least two weeks. Showers should not be taken until the drains have been removed. Baths are strictly prohibited for the first two weeks post-op.

The biggest factor when deciding whether or not to get a tummy tuck is pain. It will be sever enough that you will require help doing almost everything for at least a week. You may not be able to stand upright fully for up to two weeks. But once those two weeks have passed, you will stand straight with pride and a beautiful body contour. Most patients who have had a tummy tuck will tell you that the pain is well worth it.

Breast Augmentation Lift Shoud You Have One?

Cosmetic surgery is rapidly becoming more popular for the average woman, particularly breast lifts. After a certain point in your life, you”ll find that your breasts begin to move southward and a few years later, most women are interested in doing something about that. Breast lifts aren’t for everyone, but they can be a good way to boost how you feel about yourself.

What Exactly Is a Breast Lift?

A breast lift is a relatively simple cosmetic procedure that removes the extra tissue and fat to lift breasts back into their natural position. However, it is a surgical procedure, so you will need to be healthy and without any underlying conditions in order to consider this procedure.

Who Has Breast Lifts

Women with larger breasts tend to have problems with drooping, particularly after the age of 30, but this isn”t an exclusive club.After having children and breastfeeding, most mothers experience some drastic changes in their breasts. Even fairly young women can experience this problem and while a good bra can certainly help give the impression of youthful perkiness, it”s not a permanent solution and doesn”t help when you are standing naked in front of the mirror.

That being said, it really does depend on your own self image. Some women are content with the changes in their bodies that come with age and the joy of bearing children. They accept that this is simply nature”s course. However, others feel that they would be happier with this small change to their outward appearance and are willing to do something about it.

Why You Might Consider a Breast Lift

If you are over the age of 30 and have noticed that your breasts are definitely starting to sag, it may be time to consider some help. Using a good supportive bra will aid in keeping the breast tissue from breaking down to some extent, but this solution won”t work forever and when the inevitable happens, you may find that you are willing to take more extreme measures to get that youthful look back.

For many women, their bodies are connected to their self esteem and sense of self worth. So, when things start to deteriorate, it can be a good time to consider looking into breast lifts. It can really help you feel better about yourself and improve your self esteem as you get older and find that your breasts, one of the most noticeable areas of the body, begin to sag.

Making the Decision

For some women, the decision to have a breast lift is a big one, while others will find that they decide quite easily. It is a good idea to research the benefits and possible risks before you make your decision and educate yourself on what to expect. Talking to other women who have had breast lifts can give you a good idea of what will happen before, during and after the procedure.

Breast Reduction Plastic Surgery What You Should Know

Many women seem to think that having excessively large breasts is a desirable characteristic, those that do often find themselves suffering from pain in their necks and backs, shoulders that slouch, bad posture, painful indentations from bra straps and the inability to participate in various activities.

Enter the world of the breast reduction plastic surgeon. Breast reduction surgery, also called reduction mammaplasty, while most often classified as an elective cosmetic surgery, is often performed for a variety of very necessary, practical medical reasons.

What is reduction mammaplasty?

Breast reduction surgery is a serious medical procedure for the removal of excessive fat tissue in the breasts. Excess skin and glandular tissues are removed as well. This procedure is performed in order to accomplish the re-proportioning of the breast”s size to fit with the rest of the body. Additionally, it relieves the pain, discomfort and mental anguish associated with having overly large breasts.

Who are the best candidates for breast reduction surgeries?

Breast reduction plastic surgeons recommend reduction mammaplasty surgeries for women who are over 20 years of age and suffer from any of the following circumstances:
Consistent pains in the shoulders, neck and back regions of the body;
Inappropriate posture resulting from forward slouching due to the weight of their breasts;
Unsightly skin rashes underneath of the breasts due to a lack of circulating air;
The inability to participate in various social or professional activities;
Psychological anguish brought on by low self esteem and the fear of judgment from others;
Difficulty in finding clothing that fits properly;
Painful indentations in the skin from bra straps that are pulled too tightly;
And of course, the basic desire to reduce the size of their breasts because they think it will make them look and feel better;

Enhanced surgical techniques working in conjunction with modern advancements in technology are creating an ever-increasing demand for the services of the breast reduction plastic surgeon. Current statistics from The American Association of Plastic Surgeons show that well over 100,000 women in the United States elect to have reduction mammaplasty surgeries performed annually.

What will your initial consultation with a breast reduction plastic surgeon be like?

When you consult with your surgeon for the first time, he or she should discuss the following with you:
A description of the breast reduction mammaplasty procedure;
What the expected results of the procedure will be including your new projected breast size and appearance;
Any factors that may be considerations concerning the surgery including how old you are, how your breasts are currently formed, the condition that your skin is in and how your nipples and areolas are currently positioned;
Any anesthesia that will be used for the breast reduction surgery;
What the procedure will cost and whether it is covered or not by your insurance policy. Breast reductions cost between $5000 and $10,000;

The surgeon will also take measurements of your breasts and give you an examination. Most likely, photos will also be taken in order to possibly procure cost coverage from your insurance provider and to use as a method of comparison after the surgery is performed and you have healed. Also, your insurance company may require you to have your breasts reduced to a certain predetermined size if they are to cover the costs.

What are the benefits associated with breast reduction surgeries?
Alleviation of chronic pain in the neck, back and shoulders;
Improved posture and spinal health;
Enhanced ability to participate in familial and professional activities;
Increased self esteem and enjoyment of life;
Increased physical attractiveness;
More restful sleep;
And so much more…

Are there any risks associated with reduction mammaplasty surgeries?

All surgical procedures have risks associated with them. Breast reduction surgeries are no different. You may suffer from any of the following:
Profuse bleeding;
Infections;
Incompatibility with the anesthesia used;
Decreased or lost sensitivity to the nipples and/or areolas;
The inability to deliver blood to the nipples which may cause you to be required to have them removed;
Unanticipated scarring;
The loss of your ability to breast feed;
Asymmetrical breast shapes and sizes that could lead to the necessity for further surgeries;

Employing a breast reduction plastic surgeon to modify the shape and size of your breasts can be a highly beneficial decision. Be aware of the risks involved and realize that reduction mammaplasty is a major surgical procedure. Never rush into the process and be sure to ask all of the questions that are on your mind before committing.

Plastic Surgery Truths About Neck Lift Procedures

If you hear a faint “gobble-gobble” noise every time you look in the mirror, your ego may be telling you something. It might be saying: “Time you invested in a spot of old platysmaplasty!” In laymen’s terms, platymaplasty is a neck lift operation, a cosmetic procedure that tightens the skin of the neck and confines a turkey neck to history.

Let’s face it: unless you have God-like genes or indulge in two hours of excruciating neck-lifting exercises daily, most of us have necks that begin to sag, droop and look generally less pleasing the older we get. Some people believe that women with turkey necks and relatively young faces have had facial plastic surgery ? the sad fact is that our necks age at a much faster rate than the rest of us. And yes, men get turkey necks as well ? although with the invention of the tie they can hide it easier than women can.

All About Having a Platysmaplasty
If the gobbling is getting louder every day, it may be time to consider surgery. While a platysmaplasty may sound gruesome, there’s a reason ? it is! A two-three hour operation in which the neck skin is tightened and excess flesh surgically excised away, this procedure is done under general anesthesia, for the most part, and involves at least one night in hospital.

Your surgeon will make tiny cuts to your hairline, beginning in back of and in front of the ears, and will then tighten or shorten the muscles to make them appear more taut. He or she may also involve a bit of the old liposuction to make the jaw appear more chiseled. Some people opt for a combined neck and face lift together to result in a more youthful appearance overall, while others choose a brow or eye lift as well.

Whatever you choose, the recovery period is not short, and you may experience some swelling, bruising and other unpleasant side effects for the first few weeks, during which time most people refrain from going to work. In fact, it can take up to six months for a full recovery to take place.

However, the vast majority of people who opt for a neck lift operation are happy with the result, although of course they vary according to the patient’s age, skin elasticity etc. It rarely has serious complications, although any surgery involving general anesthesia carried its own risks. To minimize the risks overall, shop around for a reputation, and use one certified by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, or its equivalent.

Taking It on the Chin
One option to a traditional neck lift is a relatively new procedure called, simply, the (chin) sling. Made entirely from Gore-Tex plastic, it is inserted under the skin from earlobe to earlobe. The beauty part is that it is a permanent insertion, and that the surgeon can tighten it, when necessary, to make the neck appear tighter as well, in a procedure that takes only about 20 minutes. So top-ups are relatively easy…

An article in the facial Archives of Plastic Surgery gave the thumbs-up to the sling, saying that 90 percent of patients who had it inserted into their neck for at least three years were happy with it. Of those who weren’t, two suffered infections and two needed fluid to be drained from the area. The vast majority also said that they would recommend having the procedure to a friend. No matter slack-jawed days, then!

Alternatives to Surgery
If you want to get rid of your turkey neck without going under the knife, try these alternatives…
The homeopathic “Natural Sculpting System” advertises itself as a natural alternative to liposuction, and promises to get rid of turkey necks in just a few treatments. A specially concocted gel and lotion are applied to a specially made cloth, then wrapped around the specific area. Voila ? no more gobble gobble ? or so the manufacturers claim…
Although most plastic surgeons would say that having a turkey neck is usually down to genetics, some people swear that specific exercises can keep that old piece of poultry at bay. Try “guerning” regularly in the mirror, gargling with mouthwash for one minute or more at least twice daily, and/or do exercises that make your neck completely taut, then keep the position for up to ten minutes at a time.
If you have lots of wrinkles on your neck, you can consider Botox injections, which will relax muscles and make the wrinkles appear less noticeable.
Invest in lotions and potions to smear on your neck that stimulate the production of collagen.
Thermage. This med-spa technique involves heating deep layers of the skin where collagen is located, to stimulate its production and therefore improve skin elasticity. Skin looks tightened and pores appear smaller ? what’s not to like?
Smartlipo. This is used to reduce the appearance of a double chin and make the neck look sleeker. Both the neck and jowl are given a new, more contoured look as fat is melted and collagen tightened using a thin laser-fibre tool. Sometimes it is done in conjunction with Thermage for a two-pronged attack on the old bird.

If you decide that plastic surgery is your only option, remember that it rarely works miracles, and that you shouldn’t expect to go under the knife looking like Winston Churchill and wake up looking like Pamela Anderson. Realistic expectations are necessary when it comes to undertaking any form of cosmetic procedure, so discuss the procedure well in advance with your surgeon and understand in detail what you are having done.

Different Types of Skin Cancer Skin Reconstruction After Cancer

Cancers of the skin are the most common types of cancer that afflict people. A shocking one in five people in the United States will have a skin cancer diagnosis, and for Caucasians, the chances are a sobering one in three people will face skin cancer.

Fortunately, most of these brushes with cancer are limited to the early removal of cancerous cells from skin tissue before the disease has a chance to spread.

Mortality is low for people who develop skin cancer, but sometimes the skin and tissue removal can cause disfigurement. In such a situation, a skin cancer patient will be referred to a plastic surgeon for reconstruction. Sometimes, a dermatologist will consult with a plastic surgeon from the beginning as a skin cancer removal is planned in order create an outcome that is healthy and aesthetically acceptable.

The cause of the overwhelming amount of skin cancers is exposure to the sun. Protecting yourself and your children from sunburns is crucial to maintaining the health of your skin. Preventing children from getting sunburns is particularly important because a bad blistering burn in childhood can lead to skin cancer years later. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, your chance of developing a cancer of the skin doubles if you have had five or more sunburns.

Three primary categories of skin cancer exist. Each one affects a different type of cell within the tissues of the skin.

Basal Cell Carcinoma

Basal Cell Carcinoma is by far the most common type of skin cancer. This type of skin cancer occurs so frequently, that many cancer registries forego collecting the case data because it would be overwhelming and it is not a particularly deadly form of skin disease. Still, the medical community estimates that about one million new cases of basal cell carcinoma are diagnosed in the United States every year.

This disease is characterized by cancer cells and tumor growth within the basal cells in the deepest layer of the epidermis. If detected and removed early, basal cell carcinoma poses little threat to patients, who generally recover easily although they will continue to have their skin monitored for new problems.

Severe disease and even death can result if basal cell carcinoma is undetected or untreated. Although it does not tend to spread to the rest of the body, it is possible if left uncontrolled.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma

The second most common type of skin cancer is squamous cell carcinoma, which is detected in roughly 250,000 people in the United States every year. When this cancer develops, it is the squamous cells within the upper layer of the skin that is afflicted with cancer. Like basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma has a high treatment success rate when diagnosed early.

Melanoma

Melanoma is the bad word of skin cancer. It is the most malignant form of skin cancer with the ability to spread aggressively through the body and even cause death. Melanoma strikes the melanocyte cells that produce the pigment melanin in the skin. Fortunately, it is not as widespread as the other two types of skin cancer. Of the estimated 60,000 cases of melanoma in the United States every year, many of them are treated successfully by removal of the diseased cells. However, early detection is critical with melanoma before it has a chance to reach the lymphatic system and spread throughout the body.

Along with damage from the sun, using a tanning bed has also been linked to skin cancer, even melanoma.

Skin Reconstruction After Cancer

Tremendous progress has been made in the plastic surgeon community to develop surgical techniques to help people who have been disfigured by diseases like skin cancer. When skin cancer removal entails more than a small patch of skin or the skin cancer is on the face or other visible area, a plastic surgeon will repair the skin to produce a functional and more pleasing appearance.

A Beverly Hills plastic surgeon can reduce the magnitude of scars from the cancer removal or even rebuild the skin with skin tissue taken from other areas of the body. When skin cancer is present in a sensitive, visible, or cosmetically important location, it is advisable to include a plastic surgeon in your treatment so it can be planned to produce the most cosmetically appropriate and functional results. Read more

Stop Aging Today What’s New In Anti-Aging

More and more researchers now agree that radical human life extension is only a matter of time. Aging is a biochemical process and humans will learn how to intervene in it and slow it down. Abolishing aging is theoretically possible. It is a goal that is not quite within reach yet, but it will be one day.

The question is, will it arrive in time? Or will you perish on the threshold of the era of much longer and healthier human life?

Human life expectancy is much longer today than it was in the past. A thousand years ago it was 25 years. Now it is over 75 years in Britain. This progress has been due mainly to a reduction in premature deaths, such as by infectious diseases, rather than to any slowing down of the aging process itself. Being able to cure specific diseases is wonderful, but it doesn’t get to the root of the problem. Aging breaks down your health and vitality, and eventually you get so weak that no amount of health care and medicine can prop you up. If it’s not stroke today, then it’s cancer tomorrow.

Just as you have begun to acquire a modicum of wisdom and experience, old age sets in to sap your energy and degrade your intellect. And then death swoops in to deliver the final insult. Now, there is real hope of ending this; that the last chapter of every human story need not play out this way.

In the last few years scientists have begun to catch glimpses of the biochemical processes underlying aging. Researchers are currently developing tools that will give us unprecedented control over basic biological processes on the cellular and genetic levels. These tools point to the realistic hope of greatly extended and much healthier human life spans.

Scientists have already extended life span in other species: in mice by over 30%. By changing just two genes, scientists have enabled nematode worms to live up to six times their normal life span.

Preventing aging in humans is complicated. Human ingenuity will have to solve some hard puzzles. Yet several promising research avenues are currently being pursued.

Stem cells. Human stem cells ? cells which can be made to grow into any other type of cell ? can now be cultivated. Even in adults there are some cells that can be made to grow into almost any kind of cell. This opens enormous possibilities for regenerative medicine. New nerve cells can be grown and used to treat Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, or aging related dementia. Failing organs such as hearts and kidneys may be replaced by organs grown outside the body from the patient’s own stem cells.

Telomerase. Individual cells can be “immortalized” by replenishing their telomeres (small DNA caps that sit at the end of the chromosomes). This removes the limit to how many times a cell can be made to divide, and therefore, how long it will live.

Gene therapy. Somatic gene therapy will insert beneficial genes in the cells of adults, not only curing many hereditary diseases but also potentially offsetting the changes that occur with aging.

Nanomedicine. When mature molecular nanotechnology is developed, maybe 20 years from now, it will be possible to manufacture and program small molecular machines that can enter individual cells and repair damage to DNA and other structures. Nanomedicine will eventually give us much greater control over the biochemical processes in our bodies.
Many people, including especially the group of futurists and technologists known as “transhumanists”, are now asking how extended life spans will affect society. For the individual, the traditional “linear life” paradigm, in which people migrate through education, then work, then leisure/retirement, may be replaced by a “cyclic life” paradigm, in which education, work and leisure are interspersed repeatedly through the life span. It will be normal for 50-year olds to go back to school and for 70-year-olds to start new careers. Consider the positive effects on society of a host of people with the wisdom of 150 years of life, and the vitality to bring that wisdom into action.

Having lots of 150-year olds around will no doubt change society quite a lot. But consider that even if we could stop aging today, it would still take seventy years before there were a considerable number of 150-year olds. In seventy years many other things will have changed. The whole technology basis will be totally different and unimaginably more advanced than today. One can’t look at life-extension in isolation from these other developments that will take place.

It is true that overpopulation must be avoided. However, in technologically advanced societies, couples tend to have fewer children ? below the replacement rate. By spreading the benefits of technology, education, and women’s rights to countries that are currently poor, fertility rates will decline there too. It seems clear already that prosperous and well-educated people choose to have smaller families and to have children later in life.

If it really became necessary to control population growth, it is more feasible and ethical to do this by limiting the rate of new births than by forcing people who are already alive to die. It would not be selfish of us to hang on to life and reduce the number of new births. No one accuses a couple of being immoral if they decide to only have one child.

Finally ? and perhaps before too long ? our successors will learn to use the infinite resources in the universe outside our planet. In the meantime, a whole host of new technologies are already providing means to let us “walk more lightly upon the earth”: More efficient and less ecologically damaging manufacturing, energy and transportation technologies make it possible for humanity to live in greater harmony with nature.

Life-extension will not place a burden on health care, because it will increase people’s health span, not just add some extra years in a care home in a state of dementia. When 80-year olds have the same physique and mental agility as people in their forties, they will be among the most economically productive members of society.

With a longer life expectancy, people will also have a personal stake in the future. This will lead to more responsible and sustainable policies.

I sometimes hear people say, “Wouldn’t it be boring to live forever?” But would it be more exciting to be dead? Indefinite life spans ? just like the lives we have now ? will be as boring or as exciting as we make them.

Transhumanists hold that at least some key parts of human nature are mutable. Much of what we now accept as inescapable is not an eternally given. On an evolutionary time scale, we haven’t been around for that long. Over the next few decades, we will develop technological tools that will enable those who so wish to change at least some of the fundamental attributes of their human nature. We transhumanists want to live longer and healthier lives and increase our intellectual, emotional and physical capacities. Humanity looks to me like a magnificent beginning but not the final word.

It’s irrelevant whether you’re an optimist or a pessimist. The only way to find what the world will be like fifty years hence is to be there and see for oneself. If we manage to avoid wiping ourselves out through accident or abuse of some military technology, then people may look back at the present and pity us for being so limited and subjected to so much suffering and ill health.

To stay alive is a basic human drive. It is a precondition for all other activities. Life-extension is the natural progression of medicine from curing diseases and the effects of aging to preventing them altogether. It follows the dictum laid down by many religions: that human life is sacred and should be cherished and preserved.

Let’s not be in the last generation to die of old age! We can improve our odds by demanding adequate funding for anti-aging research (which is currently pitifully underfunded). On an individual level, we may adopt a healthier life style and keep our fingers crossed. Some foresightful persons may consider a cryonics contract as a last resort. The concept of cryonics is optimistic, but it is not irrational. If your body is frozen in liquid nitrogen after you are declared legally dead, it can be preserved indefinitely without further tissue degradation. At some point in the future, medical science may progress to the point where it becomes possible to reverse the freezing damage and the original cause of death. Too many times in the past have people declared something technologically absolutely impossible ? only to see it done a few years later. Indeed, many leading experts on nanotechnology anticipate that it will make it possible reanimate cryonics patients. Of course there is no guarantee. But being cryogenically suspended is the second worst thing that can happen to you!

Like it or not, “anti-aging” now has a number of quite different common meanings and connotations. Each is championed by a particular group or loose coalition of interests, but advocates for these groups have a way of diving into the fray without defining their terms. This makes reading about anti-aging techniques, technologies, medicine, products, and debates very confusing for the newcomer.

For the scientific community, anti-aging research refers exclusively to slowing, preventing, or reversing the aging process. There is, as of 2007, no medical technology that allows this to be done – although the jury is still out on calorie restriction in humans. Nor is there any currently available method (short of waiting for people to die) to accurately measure the effects of an alleged anti-aging therapy.

In the medical and more reputable business community, anti-aging medicine means early detection, prevention, and reversal of age-related diseases. This is quite different from tackling the aging process itself, and a wide array of strategies and therapies are currently available. Calorie restriction, for example, is a demonstrated way to lower risk for a wide range of age-related degenerative conditions.

The wider business community – including a great many fraudulent and frivolous ventures – views “anti-aging” as a valuable brand and a demonstrated way to increase sales. At the worse end of the scale, this leads to snake oil salesmen, “anti-aging” cremes that may or may not make your skin look younger, and infomercials that tout the “anti-aging” benefits of exercise machines. Broadly, and very charitably, we can look at these varied definitions of anti-aging as meaning “to look and feel younger in some way” – which has no bearing on how long you live or how healthy you actually are.

The confusion of most interest is between the first two definitions. Many interventions lengthen life span for individuals by preventing or curing specific age-related diseases that would otherwise prove fatal. For example, ask yourself whether preventing heart disease or diabetes is anti-aging medicine. This would have no effect on the aging process, but it would help many people to live longer, healthier lives. Is this anti-aging research? Scientists say no, some medical and business groups say yes.

Scientists are appalled at what is going on in the anti-aging marketplace. The more reputable businesses in that marketplace are appalled by the hucksters and adventurous branding. Anti-aging is both a valuable brand and important science that all these groups are attempting to control or profit from – in many cases their aims are at odds with one another.

The war over the meaning of “anti-aging” is being fought over money and the perception of legitimacy. It is this perception of legitimacy that determines funding for scientific research and revenues for businesses. Scientists feel, quite rightly, that the noise and nonsense coming from the anti-aging marketplace is damaging the prospects for serious, scientific anti-aging research. If everyone knows that anti-aging means high-priced cream from Revlon marketed to the gullible and brand-aware, no scientist is going to get funding for a serious proposal in aging research that uses the word “anti-aging.” Worse than that, people start to assume that real efforts to reverse aging must be impossible – and large scale science requires public support and understanding.

Businesses in the “anti-aging” marketplace make money from the aura of legitimacy whether or not their products perform as advertised, and so a lot of effort is expended to create and maintain this perception of legitimacy. Those businesspeople with working, accurately marketed products carry out their own fight against opportunists, frauds and “marketeers” – businesses that are damaging the market and diluting the brand. Ironically, this is much the same argument used against the more legitimate businesses by scientists.

A common objection to the way in which some anti-aging businesses establish legitimacy is that they cherry pick supportive studies in areas in which the facts are still unsure and scientists are still working towards a conclusion. A few positive studies are not enough to settle any question or recommend any course of action in the complex world of medicine.

The vast amount of money spent on products that claim to turn back the clock demonstrates that people want real anti-aging medicines. The trouble is that these real anti-aging therapies simply don’t exist. Or do they? It all depends on how you define “anti-aging.”

The concept of “optimizing natural longevity” in useful when trying to draw a distinct line between what you can do now to lead a longer, healthier life, and what will be possible in the future. We can presume that there exists, for each person, some maximum life span – an “optimized natural longevity” – that can reach using modern medicine and appropriate lifestyle and diet choices. You can adopt calorie restriction, exercise, keep up a good relationship with a physician, and spend an appropriate amount on supplements and healthcare. Each of these items will help you to optimize your natural longevity – enable you to live a few years longer and in better health than you would otherwise have done. Does this make them anti-aging, preventative medicine, good maintenance, or merely not damaging yourself quite so much?

If an improved supplement comes onto the market that adds a few years of life for some people through a poorly understood biochemical mechanism, is that “anti-aging?” How about improvements in general healthcare for the elderly that have the same effect? Or a way to cure heart disease? All of these things are clearly going to extend healthy life span by some modest amount for at least some people – but they are not affecting the aging process. We could spend a lot of time arguing one way or another (and proposing further, more ambiguous examples).

Here is a final thought to mull over: if we possessed medical technologies that could extend the healthy human life span to 150 years (or more) – such as those proposed by biomedical gerontologist Aubrey de Grey in his Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence – it’s a fair bet that no-one would be arguing about the semantics of anti-aging research and medicine. In large part, these battles over meaning and legitimacy stem from the absence of anti-aging medicine that can greatly extend healthy life span. A year here and a year there are better than nothing, but far more effective medical technologies are possible.

This is why a focus on medical research and funding is vital to healthy life extension. We are simply not there yet. If a tenth of the effort spent on redefining anti-aging, selling junk, or trying to optimize natural longevity was spent on the medicine of the future – like regenerative medicine, repairing mitochondria, gene therapies or nanomedicine – just imagine where we could be by now! The medicine (and lifestyle choices like calorie restriction) that we have access to in the here and now are largely ineffective in the grand scheme of what is possible. Science can do far, far better in the long run, but getting there is going to take work, activism and support. What are you waiting for?

Breast Implants Before and After | Breast Implants Pictures

Also known as augmentation mammaplasty, breast implants involves using implants to fulfill your desire for fuller breasts or to restore breast volume lost after weight reduction or pregnancy.

Photos courtesy of Dr. William Hedden, a board certified plastic surgeon

Photos courtesy of Dr. Michael J. Lee, a board certified plastic surgeon

Photos courtesy of Dr. Brian S. Glatt, a board certified plastic surgeon

Photos courtesy of Dr. Scott Mosser,

Photos courtesy of Dr. Kent Hasen, a board certified plastic surgeon

Photos courtesy of Dr. Steven Ip, a board certified plastic surgeon

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