The Cosmetic Surgery Blog

A common misconception, and one perpetuated by many industries, is that "beautiful" and "sexy" are synonyms. An even more common confusion is between the "sensual" and the "sexual." When considering cosmetic surgery procedures, however, it is important to make the distinction between these terms. If you want to look beautiful, you don't necessarily want to look sexy. And if you want to look sensual, it doesn't necessarily mean emphasizing your sexuality.

Maxfield Parrish is an ideal artist for making the distinction between the two concepts. His figures are beautiful without being sexy, sensual without being sexual. Although Vettriano's paintings often portray a narrative with sex as its obvious end and goal, filled with figures characterized by lust, Parrish's figures are free of lust, although they are not free of desire. The figure in Ecstasy, for example, is full of passion as she holds back her hair in the wind and raises her young face to the sky. Although Parrish is sometimes referred to as a neo-classical painter or illustrator, this is based on his use of classical (really Romantic) backdrops for his figures. The proportions of his figures are more slender than the classical norm, with thinner arms, legs, and torsos consistent with his themes of timeless youth.

More than sexual desire, his paintings with multiple figures usually evoke feelings of friendship, and the desire is not for fiery consumption, but for airy continuation. In Contentment, for example, these young friends are where they wish to be. The rosy complexion of their smooth, youthful skin reflects the soft light of morning, and their figures are positioned languidly in poses they might maintain for hours.

In The Lute Players, you can see the eagerness with which the women attend to one another's conversation as they pause from play. Note the well-proportioned profile of the woman on her stomach, the well-shaped nose, feminine but not weak. Or the definition of the chin of the woman on the left. Their faces have much more curvature than their bodies. The casual bunching of their garments conceals their figures, obviating the need for intense body contouring or liposuction, although these figures are unlikely to need it, of course.

Maxfield Parrish gives us a world without sex, but one that is as laden with desire and with sensuality as any ever painted.

Labels: anti-aging, art, beauty, satisfaction

In recent years, people have been seeking out non-surgical cosmetic procedure options. People are looking for shorter recovery periods than from a facelift, brow lift, or other facial plastic surgery. The most popular non-invasive procedure, of course, is Botox injections, which last year accounted for a third of all cosmetic procedures performed in the United States. However, the most rapidly-growing non-surgical cosmetic procedure last year was hyaluronic acid injections, such as Restylane, which grew by a striking 59%.

People like the effectiveness of the treatment, reporting a high level of satisfaction overall, but lament the short lifespan of the results, which tend to last only six months, on average. Unlike Botox, which reconditions the muscles so that application frequency can be reduced over time, hyaluronic acid compounds must be injected regularly to maintain their effect, which is inconvenient and expensive over time.

However, just last year the FDA approved what promises to be a new "permanent" injectable filler. Its brand name is ArteFill, and its composition is unique. It consists of 80% Bovine collagen (with some lidocaine) and 20 % polymethylmethacrylate microspheres. Whereas the collagen is absorbed by the body like most injectable fillers, the microspheres cannot be absorbed and remain in place as a permanent matrix for indigenous tissue. Ideally, this means that, once injected, the results will last and last and last.

How long will they last? Well, nobody really knows because the product has not been in use for long enough to gauge its persistence, but the indications are that the results may be the longest-lasting of any injectable filler. If you're interested in learning more about ArteFill, hyaluronic acid fillers, or any other nonsurgical cosmetic procedures, consult the website of the Ariana Cosmetic Surgery & Laser Center, one of the pioneers in using this brand-new product, located in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Labels: anti-aging, injectable fillers

Bram Stoker, who supplies the titular quote, would be 160 years old today if he were, like his most famous protagonist, blessed (or cursed) with immortality. Bram Stoker's most famous novel, Dracula, has endured probably beyond anyone's estimation of its popularity, and has inspired more film adaptations than any other single novel. Even more than its direct adaptations, however, Stoker's novel influenced the way vampires were perceived. What makes Stoker's Dracula so popular? Is it the thrilling sexuality, both in Dracula himself and in the captive vampiresses that attempt to seduce Jonathan Harker? Is it the fear of foreigners that held so much fear for Victorian audiences? Or is it the nature of blood, that has so many deeply-conditioned responses? It's hard to say, but it seems based on the themes he revisits in his later novel Lair of the White Worm, that what is most important to Stoker himself is both the corruptive power of the vampire and its eternal youth.

While it is still not possible to achieve eternal youth, there are many cosmetic surgery practices that can help you look younger, whether you are in your 30s, 40s, 50s, or 60s.

If you are interested in having a bit of the vampire mystique, there's no need to drink the blood of virgins (although if that's your thing . . .), contact the Cosmetic Surgery Directory to get in touch with a cosmetic surgeon in your area.

Labels: anti-aging, vampire