One of the most puzzling statistics known is why women who have been mercilessly beaten by a husband or boyfriend, change their minds in almost half the cases.

Many refuse to testify against their abusers to help send the creeps to jail. Experts say it’s because the women have low-self esteem and see no future for themselves.

Some plastic surgeons, including Michael A. Persky, M.D., F.A.C.S., are stepping in to donate to many of these women a new, brighter future if they will only do one thing first – leave the abuser. And stay away from him.



Says Kathy Griffin, spokesperson for Face to Face, an organization started by the American Association of Facial and Plastic Reconstructive Surgeons (AAFPRS): “..when abused women look in the mirror and no longer see any traces of their abuse, it’s an important step in moving on to a much happier and healthier life.”

You have to admit: who would not be intimidated during a job interview if you had a bashed in nose, broken teeth or other facial scars?

Operating hand-in-glove with the National Council for Domestic Violence, a surgical program known as Face to Face offers certain victims of battering free consultations and plastic surgery.

According to the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, most battering victims have injuries to their face, neck and head.





Face to Face has about 300 plastic surgeons.

But before any battering victim can have facial surgery, she must show she has been out of the abusive relationship for at least a year.

I, and many others now only use Restylane to fill lower eyelid hollowness because of experience with too much swelling under the eyes caused with Juvederm; in one of my patients, and in many patients injected elsewhere.

The safety of the injection of Restylane in this area is related to the experience and skill of the injecting physician. It is a very delicate and unforgiving area so choose your injecting physician most carefully. Give yourself at least 4 to 5 days before any major event in case there is some bruising. Avoid aspirin and anti-inflammatory medications for 10 days before having your injections.

When performed properly, the results are excellent. It is effective for both patients who have in the past had lower lid blepharoplasty, as well as those who have not had any eye lid surgery.

Good luck and be well.

We can all learn a little bit more about leading a better life from this article written by Adam Baker, live on location from New Zealand. Enjoy!

14 months ago, my wife and I were destined for conformity. Courtney had just graduated college, and I was starting to see some early success in small business and real estate. We had just celebrated our first wedding anniversary and were looking forward to the birth of our first child. We had began looking for potential homes, complete with a wrap-around porch and a white picket fence. Soon we'd be just 1.5 kids, a minivan, and a over-sized mortgage away from true bliss.

I'm fairly sure the physical process of childbirth is God's way of smacking us all across the face. Welcoming a sweaty bundle of joy into the world is nothing short of a miracle. For us, this event and the months that followed completely shattered even the most fundamental expectations for our lives. We took a long hard look at our path and realized it wasn't one that we had willingly signed up for-- at least not yet.

We realized that time was only going to be our friend for so long, and conformity was no longer desirable. Instead we cooked up the following plan:

Over the next twelve months, we'd aggressively eliminate our consumer debt, sell all of our possessions, and spend at least two years abroad.

How's it working out? Pretty well, so far. We were able to take control of our financial life, sell all but two backpacks worth of crap, and recently wander through Australia and New Zealand looking for life. We knew we could use this adventure to help teach Milligan. However, neither of us realized the extent of what backpacking with our now 14-month-old daughter would end up teaching us:

1) Every Event In Life Is An Opportunity To Learn

Everyone knows that a young child's mind is like a sponge. But you really don't realize how quickly they are able to absorb, grow, and learn until you get to experience it first hand. The funny thing is you can actually see Milligan learning. If you watch closely, you literally see her mind putting the pieces together. I'd like to think that flying across the world, staying in hostels, riding buses, and strolling down beaches are all helping foster this sort of learning. Upon closer observation, though, I've noticed just these sort of things having the same effect on me.

2) Life Is More Fulfilling When You're Constantly Testing Your Limits

Kids naturally test limits. It's how they establish boundaries. In fact, usually this continues until somewhere between age 18-25. Milligan could care less about conforming to other people's expectations right now. She takes great pleasure in pushing the envelope. I can often feel her little eyes, checking to see if I'm watching her, right before she commits to the action she knows could land her in hot water.

For me it's more important that she realizes that she's not supposed to do something, than if she actually does it or not. Ironically, the whole process of selling our possessions and moving overseas felt eerily similar for us.

3) The Ability To Adapt Trumps All The Planning In The World

We planned for our trip for over a year. We researched where we'd like to go, the visa and job opportunities, and how we'd get there. We budgeted, paid down debt, and saved thousands. The end result? We ended up staying in our "destination" a grand total of 3 days before drastically changing plans. Don't get me wrong, all the planning still saved us time, stress, and money. But it wasn't nearly as valuable as the ability to adapt our situation.

Milligan doesn't plan, she just lives. Over 24 hours in the air? No problem. Staying over a week in a 10x10 hostel room? Sure thing. We haven't been able to find anything Milligan hasn't been able to easily adapt to yet. Honestly, it's inspiring.

4) Modeling Others Is The Most Efficient Way To Learn A New Skill

I'm continually amazed at how quickly Milligan can learn something just by observing. I've derived great joy from watching her first attempt to put a sock on her foot, stick Q-tips in her ears, brush her teeth, or even throw away trash. Now that she's a little older, it's almost a daily occurrence that she's tackling a new concept simply by watching us. I've had a lot of success with modeling in my adult life as well, and watching Milli is a constant reminder of the power of this process.

5) Don't Be Afraid To Express Your Emotions

When Milli is happy, you can't help but laugh with her. She'll bounce around, smiling and giggling. She can't skip yet, but I think it will soon be one of her favorite methods of getting around. On the other hand, when she's angry or annoyed, she's not afraid to clearly let you know. The same goes for feeling tired, excited, hungry, or sick. She's not worried about what society will think of her or how she is supposed to act. At what point does it become acceptable for us to numb down all of our emotions? It feels much better to draw inspiration from Milligan.

6) Patience Is A Sign Of Strength, Not Weakness

I can admit it. I used to think patience was a sign of weakness. If you wanted to get a specific result, you needed to take immediate and massive action. You should take the bull by the horns, go out and kill it, drag it home, and eat it. I quickly learned that having a baby is a crash course in patience, whether you signed up for it or not.

This course rocked my world. No matter how proactive you are, there are going to be times where your child crosses the point of no return. They are going to scream for attention, no matter where you are in the world. You can fight, struggle, and stress all you want, but it's not going to help. What will help? An over-sized portion of love and patience. The rest is out of your control.

7) Imagination Is More Valuable Than All The Possessions In The World (and more valuable than Knowledge according to Albert Einstein)

Before we sold everything, Milligan had a wide-variety of books, toys, whistles, lights, and other distractions. Not to mention her own bedroom, lots of different outfits, and plenty of room to get into trouble. Since the trip, she now has just one book, one stuffed animal, and one special blanket.

What's filled in the gaps? Whatever we have on hand-- including cardboard boxes, kitchen spatulas, remote controls, and other exciting toys. Her brilliant imagination has turned out to be more valuable than anything money could buy. Once again, without realizing it Courtney and I have gone through the exact same process and realization with our own "toys."

What The Future Holds:

In the end, embarking on this journey has radically changed our lives. It would have been extremely easy for us to settle. We could have maintained a comfortable lifestyle surrounded with certainty. Instead, we chose to actively resist. We chose to blaze our own path in life, wherever it may lead us.

The most remarkable thing is that we assumed Milligan would be some sort of obstacle we'd have to overcome, but instead, she's been an amazing source of empowerment throughout the trip.

I'm not sure what the next couple of years have in store for us. But I am looking forward to learning even more life lessons from the most effective teacher I've ever had, my 1-year-old daughter.

Don't bat your long, thick eye lashes, but The Associated Press today reported on Forbes.com that the Food and Drug Administration has warned Allergan Inc. that the Web site for its eyelash thickener Latisse is misleading because it avoids or downplays risks associated with the product.

In a letter dated Sept. 10 and posted to the FDA Web site Wednesday, the agency said the Latisse site either doesn't mention potential side effects including bacterial eye infection, allergic reactions, excess hair growth outside the intended treatment area, and permanent changes in iris and eyelid pigmentation, or presents them in small text that is much less prominent than statements about the product's effectiveness.

The drug is approved to make eyelashes thicker, fuller and darker. The FDA approved it for that use in December. Latisse, or bimatoprost, was already on the market as a treatment for glaucoma.

In some cases, pages on the Web site leaves out information that is included in Latisse packaging.

"These promotional materials are misleading because they omit and minimize risks associated with Latisse," the agency wrote. Allergan ( AGN - news - people ) was asked to immediately stop distributing the misleading material and send a written response to the FDA by Sept. 24.

In the letter, the Irvine, Calif.-based company is supposed to state whether it will comply with the FDA request, list all Latisse promotional materials, identify those that violate FDA rules, and explain its plan to stop using those materials.

Latisse is very popular and effective at increasing eyelash length, thickness, and darkness. All patients in our practice are given instructions on how to use Latisse, as well as the rare possible adverse events related to the product.

Car Air conditioning-- MUST READ (See Snopes Below)

Good to know.....
Please do not turn on A/C immediately as soon as you enter the car. Open the windows after you enter your car, and then turn ON the air-conditioning after a couple of minutes.

Here's why: According to a research, the car dashboard, sofa and air freshener emit Benzene, a Cancer causing toxin (carcinogen - take time to observe the smell of heated plastic in your car). In addition to causing cancer, Benzene poisons your bones, causes anemia and reduces white blood cells. Prolonged exposure will cause Leukemia, increasing the risk of cancer. May also cause miscarriage.

Acceptable Benzene level indoors is 50 mg per sq. ft.. A car parked indoors with windows closed will contain 400-800 mg of Benzene. If parked outdoors under the sun at a temperature above 60 degrees F, the Benzene level goes up to 2000-4000 mg, 40 times the acceptable level... People who get into the car, keeping windows closed will inevitably inhale, in quick succession, excessive amounts of the toxin. Benzene is a toxin that affects your kidney and liver. What's worse, it is extremely difficult for your body to expel this toxic stuff. So friends, please open the windows and door of your car - give time for interior to air out - dispel the deadly stuff before you enter.

Thought: 'When someone shares something of value with you and you benefit from it, you have a moral obligation to share it with others.'

University of Michigan
Department of Internal Medicine
Division of Hematology/Oncology

Snopes: - Mixture - http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/benzene.asp

Every time that I think that "now I have seen everything that could be disturbing in plastic surgery!”-Wham! Along comes something else.

Tonight I watched my first episode of Oxygen Channel's ADDICTED TO BEAUTY. I need not say anymore as the show speaks for itself, but if you are a youngish 40 year old woman who wants to look younger without the following surgery that was performed on the episode "Facelift, Neck lift, Four Lid Blepharoplasty, Fat Injections to the upper lids, tear troughs, lips, nasolabial folds, and temples", under hours of general anesthesia in an operating room, then please consider having Fraxel repair laser treatment instead.

The woman on the show was a perfect candidate for non-surgical Fraxel repair laser treatment which achieves the minimal tightening of lax skin of the neck and face that she requested, as well as improvement of the eye lids, increased fullness of the mid-face, and additionally improvement of skin color, texture, and tone. The natural rejuvenated repair result is without the scars and trauma of surgery at a fraction of the cost.

Be well.

Mitch McCabe's HBO film documentary, "Youth Knows No Pain" explores the obsession with anti – aging procedures and the pursuit of eternal youth. Mitch McCabe is the daughter of late Michigan plastic surgeon W. Peter McCabe, M.D. She has long been intrigued by the extreme measures that people take to maintain the appearance of youth.

Ms. McCabe spent two years traveling the country to visit doctors, experts and anti-aging enthusiasts, interviewing hundreds of men and women ranging in age from 18 to 93. As a facial plastic surgeon, watching "Youth Knows No Pain" was "painful". It certainly does not paint a pretty picture of the plastic surgery profession, with internet solicited Botox parties organized by a cheesy NYC anesthesiologist who corrals clients looking to save a buck to a "dental" office for "expert" (read "week-end instruction Botox injection course" graduate). After all, he "has student loan bills to pay back"; to world famous dermatologist Fredrick Brandt, M.D. proclaiming himself "The Baron and King of Botox" while admitting to his self injections that appear to be anything but natural looking.

In striking in contrast to this buffoonery and loss of professionalism is the old time professional values portrayed by the film-maker's father. Dr. McCabe was an orthopedic surgeon in a Viet Nam MASH unit, dealing with life and death 24/7 for years. The photos of a solider getting a tracheotomy, another being repaired after losing both legs and most of his pelvis, amputated fingers, shattered shrapnel legs, and Dr. McCabe's reconstruction of pediatric cleft palates, bring the viewer back to reality, back to the reasons that most of us went into medicine.

Mitch explains that after the war her father pursued a career in plastic surgery because he was tired of dealing with life and death situations on a daily basis (something that he could not control), and wanted to do something that made people happy, now (within his control). It is evident from the footage of Dr. McCabe that he was a most loved physician and surgeon who possessed the old fashion values of Trust, Love, and Understanding.

The documentary underlines the importance of finding those character values when choosing a cosmetic physician. By the end of her travels, Mitch McCabe found that physician in Rebecca Fitzgerald M.D., the physician who injected her face with fillers. Unfortunately, Ms. McCabe and the medical profession lost a great man and physician too soon, while there seems to be an increasing abundance of those in the anti-aging field who lack class as well as Trust, Love, and Understanding.

Be well and choose your cosmetic physician carefully.

We shall never forget
We shall keep this day,
We shall keep the events and the tears
In our minds, our memory and our hearts
and take them with us as we carry on.

Please fly your American flags proudly, hug the ones you love, and tell them that you love them.

UBS Aesthetics and Plastic Surgery Practice report that Sephyl is a new dermal filler from UBS Aesthetics (Bethlehem, Pa) that allows the natural promotion of cell regeneration and aids in the removal of wrinkles. The FDA-approved product is in limited use around the United States and early reports from physicians claim that the results are as good as a face lift.

Rather than using other dermal fillers, this technology uses the patients own blood to help fill in and build up wrinkles. The patented system enables the preparation of an activated Platelet-rich Fibrin Matrix (PRFM). A small volume of the patient’s blood is collected and the platelets and fibrin are concentrated during a simple centrifuge process. The resulting product -- in a liquid, gel, or membrane structure -- can be applied to a treatment area of the body to stimulate natural, new tissue growth, according to the company. The resulting product is injected into the treatment area below the surface of the skin.

The technology used to create Selphyl is not new. It's been around for years for other purposes, such as helping heal sports injuries. It is approved for use on glabella lines, nasolabial folds, acne scars, and postop scars. Cost is estimated at $1,100 for four cubic centimeters (4 "cc's" or the equivalent of 4 syringes of Restylane).

The October 2009 issue of Consumer Reports Magazine reports that "test results varied, but each anti-wrinkle skin product tested reduced wrinkle length or depth for at least some people and did nothing for others. A moisturizer with no antiwrinkle claims that was used as a control reduced wrinkles about as well as several high-rated creams did", the magazine says.

Even among the best-performing products, wrinkle reduction around the eyes was generally pretty subtle. After six weeks of daily use, none came close to eliminating wrinkles. Consumer Reports also claims that price meant nothing in its tests. For example, the priciest cream tested, Perricone MD, $95, was no better than cheaper drugstore brands.

Results varied. Each product reduced wrinkle length or depth for at least some people and did nothing for others. A moisturizer with no antiwrinkle claims that we used as a control reduced wrinkles about as well as several high-rated creams did. Changes were minor. Even among the best-performing products, wrinkle reduction around the eyes was generally pretty subtle. After six weeks of daily use, none came close to eliminating wrinkles.

Price predicts nothing. The priciest cream tested, Perricone MD, $95, was no better than cheaper drugstore brands. Pass me the Cetaphil lotion please.

15 questions for patients to ask before going to a doctor, which can help you identify an ill-prepared doctor or a cosmetic procedure that’s not right for you:

1. How long have you been performing the treatment I am interested in?

2. Do you have hospital privileges to perform the treatment I desire?

3. How often do you perform the treatment I am interested in?

4. How many treatments are needed?

5. If considering a new product or device: How long has it been used?

6. Can I see before and after photos?

7. Can I speak with individuals who have had this treatment done?

8. What are the possible complications?

9. Have you see any complications?

10. If you have seen complications how were they treated?

11. Will you perform the treatment or will it be delegated to someone else?

12. How available are you after the treatment?

13. Are you affiliated with any academic institutions?

14. Are you board certified?

15. What does it mean to be board certified?