For those of you who think that breast implants are only for cosmetic enhancement, think again. They have recently been an instrumental part of a crime investigation.

Former swimsuit model Jasmine Fiore was brutally murdered two weekends ago in Southern California. When her body was found chopped to pieces in a bloody suitcase at the bottom of a dumpster, police could not identify the body. She had been mutilated so badly that there were no discernable fingerprints or dental records.

Investigators had to dig deep on this one. The only way they were able to identify Fiore's body was by the serial number on her breast implants.

Ever since the incident, there has been a nationwide manhunt for Ryan Alexander Jenkins, a reality TV star on the VH1 show "Megan Wants a Millionaire." The show featured a series of wealthy men vying to win the heart of a materialistic blonde girl. VH1 canceled the show after the incident.

Jenkins, who was briefly married to Fiore, is the only suspect in the murder. Police believe he has fled to his native country of Canada.

My heart goes out to the family and friends of Jasmine Fiore. This seems like a truly brutal way to be murdered. Fortunately, her breast implants could be used to identify her body. At least her loved ones will not spend the next few decades wondering if she is still alive. As tragic as this incident may be, at least they will have some closure.

If you are interested in breast augmentation in the Orange County, California area, please contact the Los Angeles plastic surgery office of Bray Plastic Surgery today to schedule your initial consultation.

I'm choosing to write about this story because it covers two subjects I rarely get to comment on: laser hair removal and transgender killers. Clearly, one is more interesting than the other, but since I need some plastic surgery content for this blog post, I suppose I must talk about laser hair removal as well.

Michelle Kosilek, formerly Robert Kosilek, is serving a life sentence in a male prison for the murder of his wife. He has been in prison almost 20 years now. Earlier this decade, he requested a sex-change operation; however, the federal judge hearing the case has not yet ruled whether or not he would agree to let the Massachusetts taxpayers foot the bill for a convicted murderer to get snipped.

As a result, Robert/Michelle has been patiently enduring his gender identity crisis in prison while our legal system decides if he can finally unleash his inner woman. Recently, Kosilek has made another request on our legal system -- he would like laser hair removal.

In 2002, a U.S. District Judge ruled that Kosilek would be entitled to certain treatments due to his gender identity disorder. It is uncertain whether the same judge will decide that laser hair removal qualifies as an entitled treatment. He has yet to order taxpayer-funded gender surgery.

Massachusetts prison officials have voiced their opposition to Kosilek's sex change operation, claiming that it may pose a security risk at the prison. You think? I'll bet the other rapists and murderers have most likely not seen a woman in years. To them, a transgender who has recently undergone a sex change would be the equivalent of a super model to the outside world. "Bubba, throw away your fifi. We got ourselves a real transsexual."

I wonder what would happen to Kosilek if he were to actually be granted the sex change operation. Would he get transferred to a woman's prison? If so, would he be the alpha inmate? (I could think of a more colorful term to describe him/her, but it is not appropriate for this blog -- you'll just have to use your imagination on this one.)

If Kosilek were kept in the male prison, mayhem would most likely ensue. I would imagine he/she would need his/her own cell, for fear that dirty deeds would be committed in the dark of night. Would the prison have to provide Kosilek with his/her own bathroom and shower? Is there even a "ladies room" in a male prison? How much would this operation cost taxpayers so that Kosilek would be safe in a male prison?

There is another way to look at this. He did murder his wife. You could consider any abuse he would take as a full-fledged woman in a male prison to be a healthy dose of karma. Personally, it wouldn't bother me if he became some inmate's whipping girl.

Most likely, he will remain a transgender until he dies in prison, unless he can foot the bill for the surgery himself. But for now, he is anxiously awaiting a decision on whether he can get laser hair removal treatment to zap his bikini line.

If you live in the Fairfield County, Connecticut area, are not an incarcerated felon, and would like to learn more about laser hair removal, please contact experienced Connecticut plastic surgeon Dr. Rick Rosen today to schedule your initial consultation.

...At least, according to commonly held business practices in the United States. Apparently, things work a little differently in China.

In American culture, the customer is generally placed on a pedestal, especially in service industry jobs (yes, believe it or not, plastic surgery is considered part of the service industry):

• Restaurant workers will jump through hoops to take good care of patrons in the hopes of receiving good tips
  
• Store owners will accept returns from dissatisfied customers, exchange merchandise, and even offer full refunds in the hopes of receiving future business
  
• Plastic surgeons will go to great lengths to ensure that patients receive their desired results; they may even offer extensive revision surgery to ensure that angry patients do not bring a maelstrom on their practice which may potentially jeopardize future business
  

Personally, I do not subscribe to the philosophy that "the customer is always right." I have worked many service industry jobs during my life, and in my experience the customer is often dead wrong and outright rude about it. However, I also understand the complications associated with pointing out to a revolting customer that he is completely out of line. Doing this may often cost you your job. So I have been forced to deal with these difficult situations the way everyone else in the industry has -- grin and bear it.

However, I do subscribe to the philosophy that it is important to treat the customer with the highest levels of respect, and I do everything in my power to try and ensure that the customer's experience is positive and memorable. After all, the goal is to earn repeat business from your customers and get new business from customer recommendations.

It seems that a plastic surgery facility in China has never been informed of this philosophy, or perhaps they just don't care. Either way, they don't seem to be too interested in patient satisfaction.

A woman went to this particular Chinese plastic surgery practice for breast augmentation three years ago. They botched her procedure, and one breast came out larger than the other. The plastic surgeon refunded her money, but did nothing to rectify the inequities in her breasts. As a result, this poor woman has been walking around with lopsided, asymmetrical breasts for the past three years.

She has come to the plastic surgery facility many times, arguing with them in hopes of receiving additional money that she could use to get her botched breast implants fixed by a more reputable surgeon. Each time, she has been turned aside empty handed.

On her most recent trip to the plastic surgeon's office, she caught the staff just as they were closing up for the day. The staff locked her in the office and went home. The poor woman sat in the plastic surgery office for four hours before calling the police for help. When they arrived, they broke a window to get her out of the office.

I have never heard of anything this absurd in my life. Who locks someone in their office and goes home? Not only is it completely unprofessional, it is just plain stupid. The staff took a serious gamble by leaving her in there, alone and angry, with expensive surgical equipment. They dodged a bullet here.

I'm shocked that the woman sat there patiently for four hours before calling the police. If someone had done that to me, I would have trashed the office. I would start with the most expensive equipment and machinery I could find and work my way down. It would look like a tornado hit that office when I was through. And then I would have broken the window myself to escape. But before leaving, I would find a big sharpie and draw a huge hand with a middle finger extended on their wall. Just to send a message.

It's not as if they could report me to the police. What are you going to say: "We held this person hostage in our office overnight and he trashed it in an attempt to escape?" That wouldn't exactly fly with the police. They gave this woman a free shot to exact her revenge on them after three years of being mistreated, and she blew it. Instead, she just took it on the chin. Silly woman.

I suppose that there is a moral to this story as well. When you attend an initial consultation with a potential plastic surgeon, pay attention to how you are treated by the doctor and his staff. Are they polite? Do they answer all your questions? Are they attentive to your needs?

If you get any negative vibes during this initial interaction, run for your life. You don't want to find out that the staff locks you in their office after refusing to make good on your botched surgery. If the surgeon and staff are nice to you at your consultation, chances are they will not pull these types of shenanigans.

If you live in the New York City area and are looking for unparalleled levels of customer service from your plastic surgeon, please contact experienced New York plastic surgeon Dr. George Lefkovits today to schedule your initial consultation at Park Plaza Plastic Surgery. Dr. Lefkovits has never locked an angry patient in his office, nor does he intend to do so in the future.

With our nation still reeling from the effects of the current recession, many people are taking drastic measures to achieve the body of their dreams. For those who can't afford the high price tag of many plastic surgery procedures, black market operations have become an increasingly popular option. Unfortunately, black market plastic surgery comes with a serious risk of life-altering injuries and even death.

Recently, a Brazilian couple was arrested outside of Boston after performing a fatal black market liposuction procedure on a woman. Fabiola DePaula, a 24-year-old Brazilian immigrant living near Boston, died from complications related to her liposuction, which was performed on a massage table in the blood-stained basement of a local condominium. Her death raises the important question: how common are black market plastic surgery procedures across the country?

Luiz Carlos Ribeiro and his wife, Ana Maria Miranda Ribeiro, pleaded not guilty to charges of unauthorized practice of medicine in relation to the death of DePaula. The Ribeiros are Brazilian nationals, and while they may possess a license to practice medicine in Brazil, they are not licensed in Massachusetts. After autopsy results are released, they may face charges of manslaughter or murder as well.

At least two other women have come forward claiming that the Ribeiros performed plastic surgery on them in that blood-stained condo. One of these women is currently in the hospital recovering from an infection sustained during her procedure. Since the Ribeiros ran a cash-only business and did not keep records, it is uncertain how many other women came to them for discounted plastic surgery.

For the past 2-3 years, the Ribeiros have been coming to Massachusetts from Brazil on 30-day work visas in order to perform black market plastic surgery in this condominium basement. They charged $1,800-$3,000 per procedure, which is considerably cheaper than what these procedures would cost from a licensed, board-certified plastic surgeon operating at an accredited hospital or out-patient medical facility.

The Ribeiros got their business from word-of mouth referrals, and the majority of their patients were local Brazilian immigrants. Neighbors living in the condo told investigators that they have known about the black market operation for a long time.

Unfortunately, this is not an isolated example of an unscrupulous person practicing medicine without a license or the proper staff and facilities. There are many similar black market plastic surgery operations across the country offering people cosmetic makeovers for severely discounted prices. The irresponsible behavior of these individuals has placed many lives in danger.

Having your plastic surgery performed by a black market operation is not like going to your local flea market to find a bargain deal on knock-off designer clothes. In the latter case, your life will go on as usual if you find that the imitation falls apart after a few wearings. If you opt for knock-off plastic surgery and the quality mirrors the discounted price, it may cost you your life.

Plastic surgery is not cheap. That is a reality of life. If you can't afford your desired procedure, you will have to either look for creative financing options or just live with your appearance as is. Some people would love to drive a Mercedes, but they can only afford a Hyundai. They drive the Hyundai.

The risk of severe complications associated with plastic surgery is too high to jeopardize your life and health by going to a black market surgeon. If you are going to get plastic surgery, it is crucial that you use a licensed, board-certified plastic surgeon who operates out of an accredited hospital or out-patient medical center. Otherwise, you might become another tragic story like Fabiola DePaula.

If you live in the New England area and are interested in plastic surgery, please contact the Providence, Rhode Island plastic surgery office of Coastal Plastic Surgery Center today to schedule your initial consultation with Dr. Leon Goldstein.

Women all throughout Saudi Arabia are undergoing changes to their appearance, but you'd never know it. Due to their religious customs and national culture, these cosmetic alterations are buried underneath heavy robes and long veils. Nevertheless, the incidence of plastic surgery in Saudi Arabia is rising rapidly, even if the results are being hidden from the public by traditional religious garb.

It appears that the global information age has infiltrated just about every corner of the world, and the Middle East is no exception. Over the past decade, several Western norms have begun to take root in Saudi Arabia. One of these is a greater acceptance of plastic surgery -- at least by the Saudi women.

Studies indicate that the most popular procedures for women are liposuction, breast augmentation, and rhinoplasty. Men are most commonly seeking hair implants and nose jobs.

However, Saudi Arabian culture remains dominated by Islamic tradition. In recent years, this rise in the popularity of plastic surgery has created some tension among the community, creating a rift between those who desire to join the secular world and those who wish to retain a traditional religious society.

For the first time, Islamic clerics have been forced to grapple with the acceptability of plastic surgery in Saudi Arabian culture. What is sanctioned by Allah? What is forbidden? Three years ago, Muslim clergymen met with plastic surgeons to determine whether plastic surgery procedures were in violation of the Islamic tenet prohibiting us from tampering with God's intended creation. At this meeting, a consensus (albeit a rather arbitrary one) was reached between the secular and the religious.

The following procedures have been sanctioned by the Islamic clergy:

• Breast augmentation for unusually small breasts
  
• Cosmetically altering features that cause a person grief
  
• Reversing damage sustained in an accident
  

The following procedures have been forbidden:

• Undergoing an unsafe procedure
  
• Changing the shape of a "perfect feature" just to resemble a singer or actress
  

I'm not exactly sure how these guidelines were arrived at. They seem about as arbitrary as the beliefs of pro-lifers who claim that abortion is acceptable in cases of rape and incest but not for any other reason. If it is acceptable in some circumstances, shouldn't it be acceptable in all circumstances? If it is a moral issue, then it should never be allowed. If it is not, then it should always be allowed. It seems to me that the same should hold true with plastic surgery.

Most likely, this consensus resulted from a realization on the part of Islamic clergy that plastic surgery was not going to go away in their culture, no matter how forcefully they tried to condemn the practice. At some point, you must get with the times and accept what people are no longer asking your permission to do. Otherwise, you will undermine your authority in other situations.

Interestingly, it seems that fundamentally, Islamic tenets would lean towards a rejection of plastic surgery. This is in sharp contrast with Judeo-Christian tenets, which lend more of a religious approval to plastic surgery. Regardless, in an age where physical appearance trumps religious faith in many corners of the world, it is inevitable that such a view would eventually begin to permeate Islamic countries that have been exposed to Western cultures.

I do find it curious that Muslim women who still hold onto traditional attire such as heavy robes and long veils would feel compelled to opt for plastic surgery. After all, these women are spending a great deal of money to keep the results of their procedure hidden from public view. Why go through such major surgery if you cannot show off the results?

One Saudi woman in her late 20s offered an explanation for this phenomenon. According to this woman, who wished to remain anonymous, many Saudi women are already wearing designer clothes and sport trendy haircuts underneath their robes. This behavior has set the tone for a greater acceptance of plastic surgery.

These Western styles and cosmetic makeovers are intended to be displayed to peers at women's gatherings, to husbands in the privacy of their own homes, and when traveling abroad. According to our anonymous Saudi woman, private gatherings and trips abroad occur frequently enough to justify the expenditure.

While it appears that plastic surgery may become more firmly entrenched in Saudi culture over the next decade, a tension still exists between the modern and the traditional. This tension is manifest by the fact that there is a broad spectrum when it comes to what the nation's plastic surgeons are willing to perform. Depending on your desired procedure and your reasons for seeking surgery, you may need to consult a plastic surgeon with a more liberal disposition in order to find someone willing to perform your surgery.

Of course, if you are unable to find a Saudi doctor to perform your procedure, you can always come to the United States, where plastic surgeons do not accept or decline potential patients based on religious doctrine. If you live in Saudi Arabia and want to take a plastic surgery vacation, please contact the Los Angeles plastic surgery office of Bray Plastic Surgery today to schedule your initial consultation. You can visit Disney Land while you recover from your procedure.

Are you unattractive, unemployed, down in the dumps? Do you suffer from low self-confidence from your homely appearance and poor job prospects? Do you feel that your aged and haggard exterior is hindering your job search? If you can honestly answer yes to all these questions AND you live in New England, then help may be on the way.

A controversial competition is being held right now for Massachusetts and Rhode Island residents, and the winner will receive free BOTOX injections and hair transplants to kick his or her job hunt into overdrive.

This competition is only open to a select class of people. In order to enter, you must meet the following criteria:

• Live in Massachusetts or Rhode Island
  
• Feel (and I also assume look) unattractive, old, or worn out
  
• Suffer from a lack of self-confidence as a result of your appearance
  
• Be unemployed
  

Individuals who wish to enter the contest must submit photos and personal statements to a website. In your application, you must persuasively explain in 100 words or less why you are more deserving of these free plastic surgery procedures than all of the other lowly, pathetic, aesthetically challenged applicants in the pool.

A panel of judges will sift through the applications in order to narrow the contestant field down to 20 finalists. After that, the winner will be decided by the general public in an American Idol-style competition.

I'm not sure what they mean by "American Idol-style." Will the 20 finalists have to sing and dance? Will they have to dress up like their favorite celebrity? Will they have to demonstrate some type of talent or skill of any kind? Or will they just put themselves at the mercy of those New England residents with nothing better to do than voyeuristically pray on the misery and misfortune of others? Will this be an "I'm uglier and more pathetic than you" competition, or will the winner need to demonstrate some traditional form of merit?

And, I suppose most importantly, will there be a member of the judging panel who will act as the default Simon Cowell, mercilessly shredding all of the finalists of every morsel of dignity that currently remains part of their fragile and damaged psyche? Since this is American Idol for the unemployed, unattractive, and unhappy, should we just call it American Bum?

The winner will receive free hair restoration surgery and free BOTOX or facial filler treatment. The runner-up also gets free BOTOX or facial filler treatment, but instead of hair plugs, will get six months of free low level laser light therapy. It seems like two lucky losers will boost their job prospects from this rather twisted competition.

The highly controversial competition is being sponsored by Leonard Hair Transplant Associates as part of their 20^th anniversary celebration. They claim that self-confidence is a major factor in landing that ever-so-elusive job offer, and that by enhancing your appearance through these minor, non-invasive plastic surgery procedures, you will boost your confidence to a level that will help you once again become competitive in your job hunt.

Fortunately, I am not the only person outraged by the twistedness of this contest. In fact, many people have criticized Leonard Hair Transplants for putting on this rather unconventional competition, claiming that offering plastic surgery as a contest prize violates traditional doctor/patient relationships. I can think of a variety of other reasons why this farcical, outrageous competition should make your skin crawl, but I will not get into them here.

I will, however, raise one very important question. What kind of message is this contest sending to our down-in-the-dumps job seekers? Are we really trying to make people believe that if they were just a bit more attractive, they would land the job of their dreams?

I have always believed in the merit system. If you are the most qualified person for the job, you will most likely land it. Of course, it would be naive of me to think that jobs are always earned based on ability. I do realize that in the job hunt, it is often who you know rather than what you know that will determine whether or not you are hired.

However, in a time when unemployment is rampant, it would seem more responsible to encourage our unemployed masses to attempt to boost their skills in order to become more employable. If you have ability, you will eventually get hired, even if it does take some time.

To sell someone on a BOTOX pipe dream is cruel. I don't care how pretty your face is, if you don't have the skills, you're still not getting the job -- unless, of course, you have a connection high up in the company. But in that case, you really don't need BOTOX and hair plugs, do you?

If you live in the Providence, Rhode Island area and are unemployed, you most likely can't afford to pay for your BOTOX treatments, so you had better get cranking on your contest application. The entry deadline is only two days away (August 1). But if you are gainfully employed and aren't counting on your BOTOX treatment to land you the job of your dreams, please contact the Providence plastic surgeons at Coastal Plastic Surgery Center today to schedule your initial consultation w/Dr. Goldstein.

It is not uncommon for identical twins to have a special bond. Often, these siblings share a connectedness that far exceeds what other siblings could ever comprehend. For some, this bond can create an intense rivalry and a desire on the part of each twin to achieve his or her own identity. For others, their identity is forever intertwined with that of their twin.

At times, twins may take this comingling of identities a bit far. Recently, a pair of twins in England has crossed a line that no twins, or any siblings for that matter, should ever cross.

Jo and Kerry Burton have spent almost $100,000 on plastic surgery procedures in an attempt to maintain their identical appearance. Each time they go for surgery, they go together, having the same procedure performed by the same doctor at the same time.

It all started when they were 21. Jo decided she wanted a nose job, so Kerry came along and got one too. Since that watershed moment in their lives, the twins have been plastic surgery junkies, and what gets done to one must always be done to the other.

The Burton twins are now 34. Since their first rhinoplasty 13 years ago, they have gotten an eye lift, breast augmentation, a second nose job, and regular BOTOX injections. They even opted for the same breast size with their implants -- 34DD. In order to tell the two apart, their plastic surgeon would write their initials on their bellies before administering anesthesia.

According to Kerry, "We would hate to look different, so we had to have the cosmetic surgery together. We both had chicken pox together as children and we had the same hobbies, such as Brownies and dancing -- and so our identical cosmetic surgery followed from that."

My sister and I had chicken pox at the same time, but we don't get BOTOX or nose jobs together. I think my friends would have an intervention if we were to do that.

I wonder how they decide on their procedures. If they don't agree on a particular procedure, is there a bargaining that will take place? I could just see the conversation:

Kerry: Do you suppose we could get bigger boobies this year?

Jo: I don't know. I kind of like mine the way they are.

Kerry: Come on, it'll be fun.

Jo: How big?

Kerry: DDs.

Jo: That's gigantic! I don't want to walk around with knockers that big. I'll need a whole new wardrobe.

Kerry: But I really want them. Please?

Jo: Only if you promise we'll get liposuction next year. My thighs are a bit jiggly when I walk on the beach.

Kerry: But I don't really want liposuction.

Jo: How bad do you want those DDs?

Kerry: Ok. But I get to choose what we do the next year.

I suppose it must be great to be their plastic surgeon. He always gets double the work and double the fee. Not too shabby. But I have to question the ethics of a plastic surgeon who will continuously perform these procedures on a set of twins so that they could continue to look identical. At some point, enough is enough. What these girls need is not another lift, tuck, or injection. They need some therapy, and maybe an independent identity.

According to the twins, there may very well be more hers and hers surgery to come. Any bets on when the plastic surgery tab will break the $200,000 mark? Early 40s? Mid 50s? Will they get a plaque or a gold watch if they spend more than $500,000 between the two of them?

If you live in the New York City area and want to look a little more like your twin, please contact the New York plastic surgery office of CosMedica to schedule a consultation with Dr. Bellin.