Additional Advances in Absolutely Essential Cosmetic Surgery

 VAIN BRAIN

   I told you recently about a young man who flew from France to Turkey to get a beard transplant, (see, "Beards Again".) Now you will learn about another one who flew from England to France to get the colour of his eyes changed. Most people simply buy coloured contact lenses if they want their eyes to match their outfit, but this chap wanted a more permanent solution so his eyes would match those of his puppy’s. As the saying goes, “You can’t make this stuff up,” and it is said a lot these days. The story from, perhaps a more trusted source:

"Changing Your Eye Color With Surgery Is Risky: They Did It Anyway, Advances in Cosmetic Surgery Let People Permanently Change Their Eye Color, and They Pay Thousands For a New Hue. Doctors Disagree On Whether It's Safe," Jiselle, Lee, The Washington Post, Dec. 30, 2024.

"Two days before he booked a March trip to Nice, France, to meet with an ophthalmologist, he adopted a puppy, Baby Bear.

The cryptocurrency investor thought matching Baby Bear’s eyes would make them “like father, like son.”

If this appeals to you, here is what is involved:

   "There are three common ways to permanently change eye color: iris implants, keratopigmentation and laser depigmentation. All three surgeries alter the appearance of the colored part of the eye known as the iris. Keratopigmentation uses a laser to create a tunnel in the cornea to fill with colored ink, blocking the iris. Laser depigmentation uses a laser to reveal a lighter pigment that lies naturally under the iris’s darker surface layer. An incision is required to insert an iris implant, a thin silicone sheet, between the sclera and cornea to block the iris."

Apparently the procedure is done elsewhere and is not uncommon, but I did find this demographic nugget surprising since it shows that not only young white guys make bad decisions.

   "At Alexander Movshovich’s Kerato New York eye center, at least 90 percent of clients have naturally dark-brown eyes. Of the more than 900 people he’s operated on, about 60 percent were Hispanic or Black, according to data he shared with The Washington Post in August.

What About A Tattoo? - For The Eye!

   I do confess to not paying too much attention to my appearance since my bad experience with the folks at the "Hair Club For Men", so I am generally unaware of the latest styles and cosmetic options. But, I have learned that if you are not happy with the three procedures above, there is another option that involves getting your eye tattooed. Since I have already covered tattoos in MM I will move on, but you can look at the entry for "Scleral Tattooing" in Wikipedia. 

   I should add that I am not recommending that you get your eye tattooed since you are sure to regret such a decision, even more than you do the one that led you to put that big picture on your calf. It is also the case that the American Academy of Ophthalmology does not approve of eye colour-changing procedures. 

The Bonus:
  You may recall seeing an eyeball earlier on MM and you will find it here: "University of the Unusual (3) - The Guinea Worm..."  If the words "guinea worm" seem familiar, that is because the late President Carter just died and The Carter Center worked to see that such worms were eradicated.

Speaking of Injections

   We face many complications and challenges during the current pandemic, but we should not overlook the very real concerns of those who need cosmetic surgery. Many of them had to attend holiday celebrations wearing their real lips, which were very noticeable under the mistletoe. Even those working alone at home had the wrinkles not covered by sweatpants, exposed on ZOOM. 

  Although you think you probably know all there is to know about COVID and Omicron, you may not be aware of the fact that, if you are in urgent need of forehead filler, you should wait a bit if you are also reluctantly giving some thought to getting a vaccine. It surely is a stressful time, particularly for wealthy Republican matrons. 

  You have good reasons, I’m sure, for not believing me, and you are tired of reading about this whole pandemic mess, so I will direct you directly to the sources. The first reference comes from a Republican one, so I am sure it has some substance and in it medical authorities are cited. 

“Botox Shot or Covid Boost? The Combo Causes Some Seasonal Wrinkles:

Doctors Advise Patients Seeking Cosmetic Treatments Not to Get a Vaccine Shot Two Weeks Before or After Their Procedure to Avoid the Risk of Swelling,” Alina Dizik, Wall Street Journal, Dec. 27, 2021. I think it is worth providing the first couple of sentences and then I will skip to the medical concerns:

Amanda Madison wanted to look fresh in time for her 50th birthday this winter. The Covid-19 vaccine booster threw a wrinkle into her plan.

She had time to add more volume to her lips and cheeks before her birthday bash, but needed to wait two weeks before and a further two weeks after getting her Covid booster shot before adding additional treatments to achieve "a fresh new start" for the New Year.

Spas and dermatology practices dealing with the holiday injections rush have an unexpected challenge this year: helping patients navigate Covid-19 boosters…

Many dermatologists advise clients to put time between vaccinations and injections of fillers -- gel-like substances used to plump up skin. In rare cases, mRNA vaccines have been linked to an inflammatory reaction to hyaluronic acid-based dermal fillers, the most common kind, according to case reports and research published in the Archives of Dermatological Research earlier this year. That can complicate holiday-season treatments, especially as Omicron increases the need for boosters.

People should wait two to three weeks between fillers and the Covid-19 vaccine to avoid a risk of swelling in areas where facial fillers were injected, says Gregory Greco, president-elect of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. He encourages patients not to put off the vaccine due to fillers. "We don't want people to delay boosters for fillers," he says.

 I was somewhat surprised that those interviewed apparently did not mind using their real names and that they are relatively young. I have since learned that there is a “Botox Boom”, partially propelled by youthful clients. Once again, directly to the source:

“Botox Sales Erupt With Younger Patients: Botox Sales Have Never Been Higher,” Bob Herman, AXIOS, Dec.28, 2021

The big picture: The pandemic drastically reduced the number of people getting cosmetic skin treatments. But the rollout of the COVID vaccines and a larger, younger crowd willing to try Botox injections have led to swelling demand in dermatology offices and medical spas.

By the numbers: U.S. sales of Botox — just the cosmetic version that is used to smooth out face wrinkles and not the version that is used to treat conditions like migraines and neck spasms — surpassed $1 billion in the first nine months of 2021, compared with $600 million in the first nine months of 2020.

Canadian Content

   Those of you who insist on more Canadian material, or those of you here who want your surgery done on home soil, should know that one of the sources in the WSJ is in our nation’s capital: 

The chances of unwanted side effects as a result of facial fillers and the vaccine are extremely small, says physician Alain Michon. He has seen two patients experience this type of swelling in his Ottawa-based aesthetic practice and published research in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology earlier this year. He estimates that less than 1% of patients experience vaccine-associated posttreatment swelling in areas where they have had injections.

The Bonus:

This is not directly related, although it does involve injections. I find puzzling, the Republican/conservative vaccine views which, I think, generally are not in favour of government mandates - or the government at all. On the other hand Republican Rick Perry, a former Governor of Texas (of all places), once mandated a vaccine for girls going into grade six, for a sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer (by the way, the vaccine, Gardasil, works.) Opposition was met, partially because some felt that it might encourage sexual promiscuity. That may be true and it was probably particularly worrisome for those parents who had gotten plastic surgery for their daughters, because they wanted them to do well in beauty pageants and look better under the Friday night lights.

Post Script: Rick Perry still looks rather well. Meg Ryan, not so much.