The Cosmetic Surgery Blog

Although you may desire something like a chemical peel, even a light one, you need to be aware that what's in your genes matters. Though you may have blonde hair and blue eyes, if there's a bit of Native American, Latin, Mediterranean, Asian or African American somewhere in the last few generations, you may find yourself scouring the internet wondering what post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (HIP) means when you are diagnosed with it.

PIH causes skin darkening or discoloration, which shows up as spots or patches on your body. This is the result of too much melanin, and is in response, or a reaction to, inflammation or an injury to the skin. It is most likely to occur with those whose skin is dark due to their ancestry, but all skin types are susceptible. And, though these spots fade after time, it can be embarrassing for a time. You may also find that you need another chemical called hydroquinone to counteract PIH that you wound up with as a result of having chemicals applied to your skin in the first place.

Chemical peels are a popular way of reducing things like fine wrinkles and acne scars. However, just because you have these things, doesn't necessarily mean that they're right for you. The same goes for dermabrasion. Again, those with darker skin types are at a higher risk of PIH than are those with lighter skin. It seems somehow unfair that ethnicity should play into something like cosmetic facial procedures, but we have our ancestors and luck to thank for this. However, there are some things that your cosmetic surgeon can recommend for those who may be at a higher risk of PIH, and this includes those who might consider their skin fair, but have someone with dark skinned ethnicity in their recent family tree.

When discussing the possibility of face peels or dermabrasion, your cosmetic surgeon may discuss lasers with you. Nonablative, diode, and Q-switched lasers may all be mentioned depending on what you would like to have done. Another aspect of this is that those with darker skin may have to have multiple treatments because the lasers will be on a low setting, or a light chemical peel may be the only option to avoid damaging your skin.

If you are interested in non-surgical face enhancements, such as chemical peels, facial fillers, or dermabrasion, please contact an experienced cosmetic surgeon in your area. Be willing to discuss your ancestry to find out if you are at a higher risk of PIH.

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.
  
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  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.