High school. Those words conjure up strong memories in all of us. For some, it was marked by roaring good times, wild parties, and a hectic social life. For others, it was a time of awkwardness, social isolation, and low self-confidence. Still others may remember the intense pressure -- to fit in with the right social clique, to earn good grades, to excel in athletics, or to be successful in the high school dating scene.

Regardless of your experience, you undoubtedly have a strong emotional reaction when thinking about your high school days. For all of us, it was a time of self discovery, a transitional period where we attempted to shed the person we were and create the person we wanted to become.

For many people, high school reunions are an opportunity to revisit those emotional moments of adolescence and take stock of who we have become. Some people attend to reconnect and catch up with old friends. Others come to show off the person they have become -- somewhat of a self-validation for their years of tortured adolescence. Regardless, high school reunions provide us with a way to revisit our past and take stock of our present in one fell swoop.

There is a sizeable group of people who feel intense pressure to impress their former high school peers at these reunions. Despite going years without seeing or thinking about their high school friends and acquaintances, many people view these reunions as some of the most stressful and important social events they will ever attend. In her book "A Room Full of Mirrors," Keiko Ikeda examines this phenomenon in great depth.

In order to make the strongest impression possible at their high school reunion, many people turn to their local cosmetic surgeon for a little assistance. Cosmetic surgery practices across the country have documented large boosts in business from people looking for breast augmentation, tummy tucks, liposuction, and face lifts to help them look their best at their high school reunion.

I'm not quite sure why so many people feel the need to impress a group of individuals who have been essentially irrelevant in their lives for anywhere from 10 to 20 years. For one night, these people come together again, only to go their separate ways until the next reunion rolls around in another 10 years. And most likely, you will not think about these people again until you go to your cosmetic surgeon for a touch-up procedure before your next reunion.

Surely there are more important people to impress -- your family, your current friends that are actually involved in your daily life, your co-workers, other members of your community. However, when memories of high school come flooding back, many people seem to seek validation for what may have been the most awkward time of their lives.

In a sense, cosmetic surgeons across the country are providing these people with an invaluable service by enabling them to feel better about themselves in front of a group of people who could really care less. However, the more appropriate person to help us through this undeniably trying moment of our adulthood is probably a psychologist.

If you live in the Denver, Colorado area and need a quick fix to look your best for your upcoming high school reunion, please contact the Broadway Center for Plastic Surgery today to schedule a consultation with Dr. David Broadway.

A 24-year-old woman in China was recently scorned by her lover for undergoing cosmetic surgery. As a result of her facial procedures, the woman no longer resembled her mother. When her boyfriend saw a picture of her parents, he became appalled by this fact, causing him to break up with her on the spot.

The woman, who most likely opted for facial cosmetic surgery to feel better about herself, was devastated by the events that unfolded with her boyfriend. Her already fragile psyche began unraveling, sending her into a downward spiral of desperation and despair.

Fearing future rejection by other men who may not approve of her cosmetic surgery makeover, the woman took drastic action. She forced her 60-year-old mother to undergo several cosmetic surgery procedures so that they would look like they were actually related.

It is quite common for women to turn to a cosmetic surgeon in an attempt to look more like their favorite celebrities. Many women opt for BOTOX in order to have Angelina Jolie's lips, breast augmentation to achieve Scarlet Johansson's perfect cleavage, or a rhinoplasty to get Jessica Alba's nose.

However, it is unheard of for a woman to be forced to undergo plastic surgery to look like someone who has already had their appearance cosmetically altered. Can you imagine someone going to a doctor and saying, "I want Michael Jackson's pasty, artificial-looking, overdone face." Preposterous!

But in the town of Wuhan, China, a similarly absurd request was made of local cosmetic surgeons. By opting for cosmetic surgery that altered the features provided by her genetic code, this woman waived her right to desire a familial resemblance with her mother. If she wanted to look like her mother, she should have kept the hand dealt to her at birth. To force her mother to undergo serious elective surgery that she did not want is unconscionable.

It appears that her mother was satisfied with her natural appearance, because she put up a fight with her daughter over this extreme request. After considerable bullying on the part of her daughter, the mother was forced to take drastic action of her own. She had her daughter committed to a psychiatric ward for mental health treatment. Hopefully, the proper regimen of therapy and medication will help her daughter cope with the trauma of being rejected over her plastic surgery.

Ideal candidates for cosmetic surgery desire their procedure to feel better about themselves. They are not bullied into altering their appearance for the gratification of others. If you live in the New York City area and are interested in cosmetic surgery, please contact Park Plaza Plastic Surgery today to schedule an appointment with Dr. George Lefkovits.

Just when you thought Reality TV couldn't sink any lower, the FX channel sets a new bar for trashy programming. This month, the network has premiered a new reality show throughout Great Britain called "Pimp Up My Wife."

The show will take 10 wives whose husbands are unhappy with their appearance and give them a complete aesthetic makeover. These women will undergo hair and style makeovers and receive numerous cosmetic surgery procedures including tummy tucks, breast augmentation, liposuction, and facial procedures. The network is promoting their new show as a way for 10 couples to improve their sex lives and potentially save a failing marriage.

One husband on the show has openly admitted that for over two years, he has been embarrassed to be seen in public with his wife. He is hoping that the show will "stop the rot and bring back the woman I fell in love with."

If you believe that "Pimp Up My Wife" will rekindle the flames of your marriage and bring back passion that has been long dead, think again. How can a man who publicly discusses his loathing of his wife's appearance expect to keep her around once she finds that everywhere she goes, men are finding her more attractive than ever? My guess is that at least 50% of the couples on this show will be divorced within a year, and it will be the wife that leaves the husband.

Cosmetic surgery can be an excellent way for a woman to boost her self-esteem and enhance a region of her body that she is unhappy with. However, the decision to get cosmetic surgery should stem from the woman's desire to feel better about herself, not because her husband is repulsed by her. If this is your situation, you are most likely married to the wrong man.

If you live in the Northern Virginia or Washington, D.C. area and have realistic expectations for the results of your cosmetic surgery, please contact the Virginia Center for Plastic Surgery today to schedule a consultation with Dr. Desman.

For centuries, religious scholars have debated the question of what happens after we die. Most major religions contain some notion of an afterlife, where those who are good and virtuous will reside in heaven with God (at least this is the common interpretation in Western religions).

But how will we be when we reach heaven? Will we resemble ourselves, and if so, in what form? If you die at 89, will you resemble the aged person who occupied your body in your final years, or will you look more like the virile person you were in the days of your youth? Will you even maintain the form of your body, or are you simply the spiritual incarnation of your soul?

While we can never definitively answer these questions with any degree of certainty, several orthodox Jewish and Christian scholars have been hotly debating this topic in recent years. Many of these scholars argue that a person's resurrection to heaven after death should be viewed as a physical transformation -- literally, a reversal of death. This may be a difficult idea to swallow among secular circles, but among the orthodox, a belief in this physical resurrection is looked upon as a miracle from God.

Several of the Christian scholars have quoted St. Augustine as evidence that this notion is true. According to St. Augustine, in heaven, "Our bodies will be the very same ones we had in life, but buff and beautiful." In other words, you will be a more perfect version of yourself. If you were fat in life, you will become slim and attractive. If you had aesthetically unpleasing features in life, they will wither away and be replaced by the beauty that marks you on the inside.

In a sense, these orthodox scholars are making the argument that when we die, God will transform us into the beautiful people we have always wanted to be, giving us a "heavenly makeover." Interpreted loosely, you can claim that God approves of cosmetic makeovers, since that is what He will ultimately do for you when you die.

Why wait until you are dead to be your most beautiful self when you can go to your local cosmetic surgeon and achieve the perfect face and body today? As long as God approves of cosmetic surgery, you may as well too.

Cosmetic surgery -- it's "God-approved." See for yourself what a facelift, breast augmentation, tummy tuck, or liposuction can do for your appearance.

If you are considering cosmetic surgery in the New York City area, please contact Park Plaza Plastic Surgery today to schedule an appointment with Dr. George Lefkovits.

According to prognosticators at Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), in 2015 there will be more than 55 million cosmetic surgical procedures performed. This is more than quadruple the number of procedures performed in 2005. The recent study claims that consumer awareness, savvy marketing and advertising directed at consumers, and technological advances in non-surgical procedures will be the reasons for the growth.

The authors of the study analyzed annual ASPS statistics from 1992 to 2005, as well as predicted the volume of cosmetic surgery procedures using economic and non-economic variables. Growth rate analyses models also helped the authors form their opinions that 2015 may be a bumper year.

Non-surgical procedures will lead most of the growth over the next decade, according to the study. Between 1992 and 2005, surgical procedures' compounded growth was 7.5%. However, non-surgical procedures grew at a compound rate of 27.9%. They believe that by 2015, only three percent of all procedures will be surgical. The remaining 97% will be non-surgical.

This is, of course, great news for the cosmetic surgery industry. They have expressed some worry over the economic slowdown, but most cosmetic surgeons believe the industry will "weather the storm" just as it has previous economic declines.

If you would like to learn more about surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures, please contact an experienced cosmetic surgeon in your area.

After the high-profile death of musician Kanye West's mother, Donda West, as a result of underlying health problems following cosmetic surgery, a number of new laws are on the docket in California. The reasoning is that with these rules, patients will be safer and further protected from dangers involved with their cosmetic surgery. Because many cosmetic surgeries are done in a clinical rather than a hospital setting, many believe that cosmetic surgeons do not face the same rigorous reviews that other surgeons must face yearly. And there is concern that attempts to further cosmetic surgery clinic surveillance is failing, especially in the wake of the fast growth of this industry. Also, budget cuts in California forced the Medical Board to disband its team that uncovered unlicensed doctors about five years ago.

Regulatory bills in California put forth include:

• Requiring outpatient surgery centers to be inspected at least one time every three years
  
• Mandating that patients undergo a physical exam before being allowed to get cosmetic surgery
  
• Banning ads or photos that create expectations that are not realistic
  

Other places have also tightened laws in the field of cosmetic surgery. These include certifying doctors as plastic surgeons by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in British Columbia if they want to practice cosmetic surgery. Florida tightened oversight of "non-hospital surgeries" after the deaths of at least twelve people in 1998. Florida still reports problems with patients who are too sick being operated on by doctors. This, of course, was prior to the very public death of a graduating high school student who died as a result of an allergic reaction to the anesthesia given during her breast augmentation.

If you are interested in finding out if you are a good candidate for cosmetic surgery, please contact an experienced cosmetic surgeon in your area.

It's been said before, and it will be said again: Good looks go far. This idea appeared many years ago when cosmetic surgery wasn't so widespread due to its cost and that not many people were getting it. However, it's been a subconscious belief forever, and has been studied by anthropologists, sociologists, scientists from a bevy of fields, as well as politicians. The well-coiffed and beautiful get further in life.

Now, according to a U.S. News & World Report article, more people may be thinking about the nip and the tuck to get ahead in their careers. The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) states in their research that last year, two-thirds of their members reported men and women who thought they might get ahead in their careers with cosmetic surgery. Has the workforce become that competitive? Apparently. It is reported that men in finance are more likely to want cosmetic surgery to look younger. A marine headed to law school took out $25,000 so he can look good that first day of his first year. (Because law is all about perception, anyway, we guess.) Employees are supposedly more likely to work harder if they find their boss good-looking, and supervisors are more "credible and persuasive" if they are attractive.

Gordon Patzer, who wrote the book Looks: Why They Matter More Than You Ever Imagined states that improving your appearance, is "a good investment for the workplace." However, he states that having a higher education might make you more attractive than others in some people's eyes, and that we can't simply forget eating well, dressing well, and working out. Certainly these are important things to remember. Yet, cosmetic surgery also makes the list of things to consider. Patzer claims he doesn't really care for the results of his research, but doesn't believe our perceptions of beauty will change any time soon. And, like education and clothes, cosmetic surgery will become a common "tool" to advance your career.

While some may shake their heads and claim that it's a shame people think they need cosmetic surgery, like rhinoplasty, blepharoplasty, hair transplants, or even breast augmentation to get ahead, how many of them spent twice as much time worrying about what they looked like at their job interview, as well as sizing up their potential co-workers? Dress is one thing, but as hairless apes that are a little more advanced than other creatures, we tend to try to separate ourselves from a biologic imperative: the good looking are the ones we are attracted to, and the ones we wished we looked like. Still, does that mean we deserve a raise?

If you are interested in advancing your career through cosmetic surgery, please contact an experienced cosmetic surgeon in your area.

First they came for the tattooing. Then they came for the body-piercing. Now, Queensland, Australia's authorities are pressing for a ban on giving teens' access to cosmetic surgery. While the bans on tattoos and body-piercing have been around for a while, there is no law against letting teens get cosmetic surgery. Included in this ban are breast enhancement, tummy tuck and Botox injections.

Premier Anna Bligh believes that there are some good reasons, both medically and psychologically, why young girls seek out these procedures, but worries about kids looking to them for pure, unadulterated vanity. Getting corrective surgery is one thing, but there is apparently no good reason why any Young Turk should be able to alter their appearance through cosmetic enhancement.

Freedom of Choice

While it isn't much of a stretch to say that many young women believe their appearance is of the utmost importance, and having access to cosmetic surgery gives them a wider range of options of ways to stand out, authorities believe these girls are too immature to make this kind of a decision. Getting breast enhancing surgery to impress the boys is a bad idea when you're 15. The thing is, most cosmetic surgeons would agree with this.

While the law in the States lets some people as young as 14 get cosmetic surgery, this is done for corrective reasons. It's the kids going off to college where the line is blurred between corrective and elective surgery. This is the time when society often allows these burgeoning adults more freedom to make their own decisions. Yet, impressing the boys when you're 18 or 19 is much different than impressing them when you're still asking your parents for a ride to the mall.

Vanity plays a role in any teenager's life, both male and female. In our hyper-sexualized, 24/7 media cycle, looks seem to be de rigueur on how to get ahead or get what you want. And kids want it all without the wait. No matter how often they're told by their parents to wait a few years to see if they still want something, the children are going to see this as an assault on their personal life. Sometimes the child might wait and change their mind. However, there are some parents who both get sick of the whining and the anger, and simply give in. "You want a boob job? Let me just grab my checkbook."

Maybe the question should really be who are the parents who want their children to get a tummy tuck at such a young age? Is it just up to the kids? Or is it up to the government to make these decisions for both child and parent?

If you are interested in cosmetic surgery, please contact an experienced cosmetic surgeon in your area.

You may have heard the recent stories about Pricilla Presley and others who went to a cosmetic surgeon they thought would give them legitimate procedures, only to have him pump them full of what can only be described as Argentine motor oil. Some of it was actually high-grade silicone, but the rest was a product used for lubricating car parts in Argentina. That doctor, Daniel Serrano, who has since been dubbed "Dr. Jiffy Lube," was imprisoned when this was uncovered. While the media went ballistic over it a couple weeks ago, this actually occurred "years ago," according to Presley's agent.

Trouble in the Philippines

While the Presley story is bad, especially since she's not the only one Serrano got to, what was going on in Iloilo City, Philippines is almost worse. The Philippines has been reported to be one of the world's fastest growing places to get cheap cosmetic surgery. In fact, it's been said that cosmetic surgery is one of the Philippines "growing industries." As a result, illegal cosmetic surgery practice is booming there, too.

In Iloilo City, one of the cities where this multi-billion dollar industry is going on, a charlatan of the Nth degree has been practicing cosmetic surgery without even having a medical degree for years. What's a bit more theatrical than this is that he wears a surgical mask at all times, so no one can identify him. He goes by the names Eugene De Rossa, Dr. De Rosa, or Dr. Eugene Dela Rossi. What's interesting, and a little disturbing, is that many of his patients knew he wasn't a legitimate doctor. To add to his legend, he is rumored to have practiced in other cities around the Philippines. He seems to be a sort of Keyser Soze character.

Botched Nose Jobs

Dr. De Rossa/Rosa/Dela Rossi is reported to have botched nose jobs and practiced inside hotel rooms. The hotels comped him for years, allegedly because he was treating the "high society" of Iloilo City. This all ended when the hotels grew tired of cleaning out trash cans full of bloodied gauze and cotton balls.

One patient from Ilongga went to the "doctor" to have the bags beneath her eyes done, and was convinced by a friend to get a nose job as well. For the first three days, she says was fine. However, the tenth day saw her nose begin to swell and become infected. A Japanese cosmetic surgeon who she turned to said it looked like she had been injected with a glue gun instead of silicone.

After-Effects

The Iloilo Medical Society is warning the public about the "doctor" and is reminding people that only those with cosmetic surgical training should be performing these procedures.

The rise of cheap surgery in many countries has brought in many people looking for procedures that may be out of their price range in the States or Europe. However, is this cheap price tag worth the risks? Some of these doctors may be cut from the same cloth "Dr. Rossi" is, and do not have their patient's welfare in mind when they are performing in dingy basements, hotel rooms, or other back alley butchers. Think about this tale before you decide to go overseas for your cosmetic surgery.

If you are interested in any cosmetic surgical procedure, please contact an experienced cosmetic surgeon in your area.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) released statistics showing the geographical location of what types of cosmetic surgery are being performed where in the U.S. It shows some interesting trends from the different regions, as well as seems to imply that those who get cosmetic surgery generally get the same kind if they are in the same location. For example, you're more likely to have a tummy tuck in California because those around you are getting the same procedure. Maybe it's follow-the-herd mentality, or maybe it's something else – like the weather, or diet.

While some of the groupings of states might seem a little strange, here are the findings (50 states, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico):

• New England – Highest rates of male breast reduction surgery (30%); lower body lift (30%); nose reshaping (29%); lip augmentation (29%); calf augmentation (27%); upper arm lift (27%); thigh lift (26%). Experts say the results here may have to do with the variation in climates in the Northeast.
  
• East North Central (Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana) and West North Central (North and South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Iowa) – Highest rates of buttock lift (30%) and dermabrasion (29%). While doctors in this area believe these findings skewed, if we go with what the ASPS claims, 990 people had buttock lifts in these states.
  
• 
  East South Central (Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee) and West South Central (Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas) – Highest rates of hair transplantation (48%) and cheek implants (39%) – Perhaps because so many cosmetic surgeons specializing in these particular procedures live in these states is the reason why nearly half the hair transplants took place here.
  
• South Atlantic (Delaware, D.C., Florida, Georgia, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, North and South Carolina, Puerto Rico) – Highest rates of buttock implants (25%) – As with the doctors in East North Central and West North Central states, it is believed that these statistics are skewed.
  
• Mountain (Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming) and Pacific (California, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, Alaska) – Highest rates of breast augmentation (37%); forehead lifts (36%); chin augmentation (35%); eyelid surgery (34%); liposuction (31%); facelift (31%); tummy tuck (30%); pectoral implants (30%); breast lift (30%); ear surgery (29%); breast implant removals (24%) – Probably due to weather and the Hollywood influence, this area has the widest range of procedures performed. It might be interesting to see how things might change here if California was in a category by itself.
  

There are many types of procedures listed here, and if you live in any one of these states, and are interested in any of them, please contact an experienced cosmetic surgeon in your area. They might be better at explaining why so many people are getting the same procedure in your city or county.

A recent survey of 20,000 cosmetic surgeons in 84 countries conducted by the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS) has found that a majority of people interested in cosmetic surgery really want to look like Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. As if there was any doubt about this. Having actually heard people say they wish they looked like these two, it must be true, right? Regardless, a number of other celebrities have body parts the general public - men and women - wish they had. Without further adieu, here are some, but not all, of the findings.

Women

The survey found that women are most interested in lips, buttocks, nose, and abdomen. But we've added a few more findings.

• Breasts - The most popular breasts are those of Pamela Anderson, followed by Gisele Bundchen, Brittney Spears, and Xuxa (a Brazilian pop singer). However, many women also told their cosmetic surgeons that they did not want to look like Pamela Anderson, Dolly Parton, or Victoria Beckham, a.k.a. Posh Spice. Can you blame them?
  
• Lips - Angelina Jolie was the overwhelming favorite for this category. Coming in just behind her is Julia Roberts.
  
• Buttocks - Jennifer Lopez leads the pack here. Maybe the fact she insured her buttocks for quite a bit of money had something to do with this ("If they're insured for that much, they must be good, right?"). Other choices are Juliana Paes (Brazilian), Halle Berry and Sandra Bullock.
  
• Nose - Nicole Kidman wins by a nose (yes, we went there). Following her are Julia Roberts, Jennifer Aniston, Xuxa, old school beauty icon Grace Kelly, and Princess Mary of Denmark.
  
• Abdomen - Gisele Bundchen, Shakira, Demi Moore, the early days of Brittney Spears, and Mexico's Thalia.
  
• Eyes - Again, Angelina Jolie is first, but Catherine Zeta-Jones, Demi Moore, Michele Pfeiffer and Salma Hayek are near the top. Sophia Lauren, Elizabeth Taylor, Catherine Deveuve and Greta Garbo show that that movie lighting really brings out the eyes eternal sparkle.
  
• Cheeks - Sophia Loren, Michele Pfieffer, Nicole Kidman, Angelina Jolie, and Marilyn Monroe have the best cheeks.
  
• Legs - A tie. Not just a tie - a three-way tie - here between Tina Turner, Sharon Stone, and Cameron Diaz.
  

Men

Not to be outshone by the women, men are mostly interested in the abdomen, nose, and eyes. This is followed by chest, chin, and buttocks.

• Abdomen - Brad Pitt, followed by Matthew McConaughey, then Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and David Beckham.
  
• Nose - Brad Pitt and his friend George Clooney are at the top here. It was noted that many patients were worried that they might wind up looking like Michael Jackson after a nose job. Seriously.
  
• Eyes - George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Ben Affleck have the eyes the guys admire.
  
• Chest - Arnold S. and Paulo Zulu from Brazil.
  
• Buttocks - Again, Brad Pitt. Mel Gibson, Ricky Martin and Paulo Zulu come in behind Pitt here.
  
• Cheeks - George Clooney and Brad Pitt tie. Tom Cruise and Paulo Zulu were also mentioned as having some of the best cheeks.
  

So, what does this prove? Probably nothing, really. But people have a hard time describing what they don't like about themselves. It's easier to say they want cheeks like that person has, or a nose like this person. Why not point toward the celebrities who are in front of us on an almost daily basis and use them as a template? Sure, this probably isn't what they thought about when they became the center of media attention, but let them embrace it. Let them see that they are leaders, not only in acting (for what it's worth), but in fashion and cosmetic surgery. Maybe they'll look back on their lives and realize they did a good thing beyond entertaining us.

If you are interested in any cosmetic procedure that will possibly get you closer to looking like one of the celebrities mentioned here, please contact an experienced cosmetic surgeon in your area.

By now we all know that cosmetic surgery is gaining in popularity, and we all know that some movie stars have gone through with it. And, we know that one of these is not mutually exclusive from the other. Now, get ready for some new ideas of how to use cosmetic surgery.

• Apparently there's a waiting list in New York to help women stay on their feet all night in their stilettos. With laser work to take care of the wrinkles, and the injectable filler Sculptra to add padding, your feet will gain some of the respect they probably deserve.
  
• Sculptra is also being used on the knees to avoid sagging. Melanie Griffith and Nicole Kidman have been put on notice by the gossip magazines that their knees need work.
  
• What about sweaty palms? Botox will take care of that, too. No longer will you have to wipe your hands on your pants before shaking hands with your future in-laws.
  
• Using something called "weekend lipo," also known as "micro-lipo," calves that merge into the ankles - called "cankles" - may soon be a thing of the past. This kind of liposuction reportedly leaves less bruising and gives a less bumpy effect than traditional liposuction.
  
• Brittney Spears is considering "boob Botox" to help take care of her cleavage, post-baby. This can probably fall under the Mommy Makeover section of procedures.
  
• Ear lobe work is gaining in popularity, too. Rejuvenating lobes with fillers like Restylane can undo all the sagging from years of wearing heavy, dangling earrings.
  

While we're already aware that some people will take cosmetic surgery to extremes, and some of these examples definitely fit that mold, the point is that procedures once only used one way have found several new uses. Sculptra for feet, Botox for armpits and palms, "weekend lipo," the list goes on. These new uses might seem different, but they certainly give the average person some thoughts on what his or her options are when they want to change anything on their body.

Back to "Real" Life

Because some of these procedures seem outlandish, and only what stars might want, we only hear about it once in a while. Yet, there are those who legitimately want things like Sculptra, liposuction, or Botox, who don't really care what the stars are doing. After extended illnesses have taken their toll, getting rid of those hollow eyes with Sculptra is an option. Breast augmentation and a tummy tuck after having a baby are others.

Regardless of what cosmetic surgery procedure you are interested in, the cosmetic surgeons are going to know your options and give you a recommendation. It's best to talk to them before you decide you are in dire need of stiletto surgery. Please contact an experienced cosmetic surgeon if you have questions about any of these procedures.

After the death of Donda West, hip-hop star Kanye West's mother, fingers pointed toward her cosmetic surgery procedures. In November, 2007, Ms. West had an abdominoplasty and breast reduction surgery. She dies shortly after due to complications related to her surgery.

Due to Kanye West's popularity, the death of his mother took on the appearance of a media frenzy. It also brought to light cosmetic surgeons and their practices. However, her autopsy shows that she likely died of heart disease, which added to the risk factor for elective cosmetic surgery. Her death is still ruled inconclusive by the coroner.

The Donda West Law

Donda West's family didn't stop looking into the cosmetic surgery angle after her funeral. Her niece, Yolanda Anderson, contacted Assemblywoman Wilmer Amina Carter (D-Rialto) to see what could be done. As a result of this contact, the two women have crafted a bill that will require cosmetic surgery patients to receive medical clearance from a licensed physician before their surgery.

Donda West reportedly did not listen to medical advice given to her by one cosmetic surgeon before she found another in the Beverly Hills area who was willing to perform the surgery on her. West's pre-existing medical condition gave one cosmetic surgeon pause, but another was willing to either ignore, or not look into, this condition.

The Reason

Assemblywoman Carter believes that this legislation is important because so many more young people are considering cosmetic surgery. She wants to make sure that people are aware of the risks. This bill will go before a committee in March.

The reason this law is even being considered is due to the fact that not every person who goes into a cosmetic surgeon's office will necessarily let them know of pre-existing conditions, family history, and more. However, there is also a small proportion of cosmetic surgeons who either do not check their prospective patient's history close enough, or simply decide to perform the procedure anyway. Thus, we read about Donda West's death.

While a vast majority of cosmetic surgeons will discuss your prior health and inherent risks associated with procedures, you should think about this yourself. Weigh the risks, research the procedure, and consider your health before consulting a plastic surgeon. Even though more people are getting cosmetic surgery, and most of these people are healthy, the fact that deaths still occur due to complications cannot be overlooked.

However, if you are considering cosmetic surgery, please contact an experienced cosmetic surgeon who will discuss your health and the risks involved.