I’ll read this article, but first, let me take a selfie.

If there is a single totem for the current state of digital dependence and online presence, it would be the self-portrait—dubbed the “selfie.” From the Oscars all the way to your timeline, and every space in between, it has done more than clog our newsfeeds: it’s become a brain-changer. Here’s the skinny on how trends like Selfie Sunday could be impacting your body and your brain.

The Short Story

Social media has influenced many aspects of our lives, and quickly gave rise to the selfie—encouraging people of all ages to stray from vacation pictures to a more intimate view of the individual. Often, selfies have sexual undertones: offering the internet audience a glimpse into the personal life of someone in their pajamas, laying on their bed or at the beach, posing. They’re designed to leave a positive impression or elicit some affirmation to the selfie-taker’s physical appearance. While social media focuses on the appearance of your life, the selfie was all about taking control of who sees your life and how they perceive it.

Naturally, this can lead to a few problems.

Psychology Today featured an article on the very same subject, emphasizing how the age of the self-portrait has encouraged narcissism today.  Citing a study from the UK, the magazine said that excessive photo sharing could be damaging to real-world relationships. Especially with the types of photos in mind, the photo-sharer may seem less likable in person due to their online habits.

In addition to altering how our friends perceive us on- and off-line, our online pictures may also heighten self-esteem issues with the pressure to constantly be camera-ready and to have the perception of a good, exciting life. Because self-image is a very important part of how we carry ourselves as individuals, the negative impact selfies and online images may have can be devastating. However, it doesn’t all have to be that way. While selfies have heightened, and in some cases, distorted, our self-awareness, it has also changed how we view photographs.

Dr. Pamela Rutledge, director of Media Psychology Research Center, explains that there is a vast difference in how we view ourselves in the mirror versus a photograph: a mirror will also give you movement, life, and color that a photograph cannot capture. “For some, this presents a more attractive—and therefore satisfactory—image as the movement and life tend to overcome flaws that might be more noticeable to an individual were the person to see him or herself in a photo,” said Rutledge.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly Selfies

Much like anything else in life, selfies aren’t wholly terrible. While it has been proven that technology—social media and selfies included—have helped to rewire how our brain works, it isn’t necessarily a bad thing. With a heightened sense of awareness, we are more likely to take better care of our bodies—and that includes fully discussing with your doctor the reason for your plastic surgery. Is it to look and feel better with the body you have—or are you trying to compete with Ellen’s selfie game?

For more information about altering your body, or any questions you may have, contact your doctor. You can schedule a consultation with us here to discuss your options. We look forward to hearing from you!

Let’s be honest: there’s a stigma surrounding plastic surgery, and it’s a negative one at that. With thousands of photos of bad plastic surgery jobs, or malformed celebrities fresh from the office, it can be a little hard to find the benefits under all of the bad press. If going under the knife is what scares you, it’s time to put your fears to rest. 

Non-Surgical Options

Just because cosmetic surgery is most closely associated with intense procedures with long recovery times doesn’t mean that’s all there is. Minor procedures don’t have to mean minor results—Botox and clinical peels, while non-surgical can have amazing results on your body’s appearance.

Even First Lady Michelle Obama has expressed interest in pursuing non-surgical cosmetic procedures; why shouldn’t you? Although you may be familiar with some forms of cosmetic procedures, we’ve compiled a list of the ones we offer and what you can expect:

• Botox: While this is a non-surgical procedure that has also suffered some bad press, it is still one of the best procedures to relax facial muscles to reduce the appearance of wrinkles. The injections are typically placed around the eyes, mouth, and forehead and the results last up to a year.
• Fraxel Dual laser resurfacing, like Botox, helps to relax wrinkles, but it can also target acne and hyperpigmentation in facial tissue. The laser operates on two wavelengths, which allows it to treat a wide variety of skin problems.
• Exilis Elite is a skin-tightening procedure for patients of all ages who may be slightly overweight to improve the problem areas that dieting and exercise couldn’t cure alone. It uses radio frequencies and thermal heating to attack and shrink fat cells.
• Dermal fillers are used around a patient’s mouth and nose to smooth and fill-in deep wrinkles. It may also be used to create fuller lips. Typically, these injections are good for about a year.
• Chemical peels are customized specifically for your skin type and needs to soften and smooth surface texture as well as decreasing the frequency of breakouts. Based upon your individual needs, the results could vary.

If you want to improve your body without the stress of undergoing a major surgical procedure, all hope is not lost. Non-surgical cosmetic procedures have amazing results when performed by a licensed professional, so be sure to do your research on the doctor you choose. For questions regarding which procedure may be right for you and your needs, or to schedule an appointment, give us a call! We’d be happy to help!

If one of your New Year’s resolutions was to better yourself, have you seen many changes? From dieting and exercise to a few simple procedures, altering your body image takes a lot of work but is almost always a common resolution to have. But what about your mind—have you been neglecting it in favor of your physique?

Readers are Leaders

There are a myriad of activities to help give you a mental makeover: memory games, flashcards, brain-training websites and dozens more. But there’s an old-fashioned technique that can help you with fine details, memory, and vocabulary (just to name a few). Reading—whether you love it or hate it—has more benefits to it than negatives, and it only takes a few minutes of your time each day.

Reading the back of the shampoo bottle, of course, doesn’t count; and while fiction novels are a popular choice, non-fiction books are what your brain is craving. Aside from learning about historical events and modern culture, you can also develop yourself as a professional by learning from others. It’s certainly important to sample a few from each category: history, politics, religion, philosophy, psychology… Once you’re in the non-fiction section, however, choosing your first book can be hard. To make things easier on you, we shared one of our favorites: Man’s Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl.

Summary

Given rave reviews by The New York Times, Carl Rogers, and Harold Kushner, this deeply personal account of Frankl allows you to experience the trials and tribulations of Nazi Germany first-hand. Frankl documented his experiences as an Auschwitz concentration camp inmate, and paired it with his psychotherapeutic method as a psychiatrist. At the time of Frankl’s death in 1997, it had sold more than 10 million copies worldwide. Although this first-hand account of the Holocaust may seem like nothing more than an interesting read, it certainly has value for both your professional and personal life. Throughout Frankl’s analysis of himself and his mental processes as he experienced one of the ugliest times in history, it also encourages professionals to help others find meaning in their work. Whether you’re at a desk job from 9 to 5 or working the night shift driving the interstate, it’s important to find meaning in whatever it is that you do.

Here’s an excerpt from the book itself to demonstrate what we mean:

“What was really needed was a fundamental change in our attitude toward life. We had to learn ourselves and, furthermore, we had to teach the despairing men, that it did not really matter what we expected from life, but rather what life expected from us. We needed to stop asking about the meaning of life, and instead think of ourselves as those who were being questioned by life – daily and hourly. Our question must consist, not in talk and meditation, but in right action and in right conduct. Life ultimately means taking the responsibility to find the right answer to its problems and to fulfill the tasks which it constantly sets for each individual.”

For us here, we have an incredible passion for helping others feel their best in their own skin. From minor procedures like Botox to intensive reconstructive surgery, we want you to feel your best by looking your best, which allows you to bring passion and confidence into your own professional world.

Have you read Frankl’s work, or have we persuaded you to? We’d love to hear your thoughts on the book and your own efforts on mental makeovers!

When someone experiences hair loss, he or she might suffer from decreased self esteem. A hair transplant can potentially help increase self confidence. You should keep in mind that a hair transplant will not create new hair. Both men and women experience hair loss. It’s generally associated with age and genetics, although that’s not the case in all hair loss. What happens when you get hair transplants? Before your transplant, your doctor will assess how much hair loss you’ve had, how much hair is available for the transplant and the quality of that hair, how much hair you will potentially lose in the future, the color contrast of the transplanted hair and the body wave of your hair. You and your doctor will discuss what pattern would work best for your hair transplant. You should discuss with your doctor what your expectations should be for the transplant. Also, it’s important to understand how much the procedure will cost and whether you can anticipate wanting additional hair transplants. The technique each doctor uses will vary from practice to practice. Some doctors use what’s known as follicular unit grafts. During a follicular unit graft procedure, you will most likely be awake for your hair transplant. The doctor will use an anesthetic to numb the area where he or she is working. To start the transplant, your doctor will take a strip of hair from the back of your head. This area of your head generally has healthy hair that hasn’t been affected by dihydrotestosterone, a hormone that can cause hair to deteriorate. This means that hair transplanted from this area shouldn’t be affected by the hormone that likely caused you to lose hair in the first place. The doctor will stitch the back of your head where the donor site is back together to ensure the best healing. Next, the doctor will place the strip of hair under a microscope and divide it into hair grafts. These grafts are made up of one to three follicle units. The doctor will create small puncture sites where the hair grafts will be placed. The goal is for the grafts to be placed in a pattern that will mimic your natural hairline. The transplanted hair will likely fall out, but the follicles that were transplanted will stay. You should see results in a few months. About a year after your transplant, you should see significant results. On average, hair transplant recipients receive about 1,500 grafts, which factors out to between 3,500 and 4,000 follicles. The surgery will take about four hours. Does it hurt? During the procedure, you should only feel slight, if any, pain. Pain will vary from patient to patient and depending on which hair transplant procedure you choose. After the procedure, the area where the hair was taken will probably be sore for a few days. What are the risk factors? With any surgery, there’s a risk of bleeding and infection. Patients who undergo a hair transplant also run the risk of scarring and unnatural looking hair growth. Your risk of side effects is lowered if you are not a smoker and are in good health. You might experience oozing from the graft sites, but that should disappear within a few days. What’s the recovery time? Your recovery time will depend on how many grafts you receive and how much hair loss you had to begin with. If you had significant hair loss, your hair transplant might be less conspicuous than someone who has more hair to hide the redness from the transplant. The sutures that were placed in the hair transplant site will likely be taken out within 10 days of your surgery. What’s the follow-up? Whether you need another hair transplant is up to you. Some people might want to have another. This decision will depend on your hair loss, the amount of hair you have to transplant and how much you would like to spend on the procedure.

For over 330,000 women and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), 2012 was the year of the silicone breast implant. Since the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) lifted the moratorium on the silicone implant in 2006 its popularity has skyrocketed: women everywhere have opted in for reshaping their bodies, with most undergoing the procedure in their 20s. But as that decade comes to a close and a new one starts a lot of women are worried: how will breast implants affect breastfeeding my baby? The Myth It’s long been an urban legend muttered by mothers everywhere: breast implants prevent you from properly breastfeeding your baby. They lead to sagging, they can be harmful, and there are even rumors about how they can cause other health problems following pregnancy. But is there really any truth to it? According to ASPS, they’re all false: breastfeeding following breast augmentation surgery is entirely possible and quickly becoming a common occurrence. While getting breast implants may affect your body in other ways, it doesn’t appear to have much of an impact upon breastfeeding: whether you’re successful or not at producing milk is largely up to your body, regardless of surgery. BFAR, an organization dedicated to breastfeeding after surgery, explains that the woman’s body pre-surgery determines how successful she will be at breastfeeding. Following surgery, milk production may slow momentarily due to the healing process. For example, naturally small breasts may have trouble producing a full milk supply due to a lack of glandular tissue. Breast type can also impact milk production negatively. Tubular-shaped, widely spaced, undeveloped, and asymmetrical breasts all have a higher risk of reduced breastfeeding capacity. Another popular concern women have is how breastfeeding after a breast implant surgery may affect the appearance of their breast. Specifically, sagging appears to be a large concern. However, expecting moms everywhere can rest easy: breastfeeding doesn’t result in implant sagging, according to an ASPS study. Alternatively, the study found the number of pregnancies had a greater influence on breast appearance than breastfeeding did. The Truth So, if it doesn’t halt milk production or cause your breasts to sag in spite of implants, what does breast augmentation and breastfeeding do? Breast implants have several potential complications, including scar tissue, minor breast pain, and changes in nipple and breast sensitivity. In rare cases, the implant may need to be removed. Breastfeeding, on the other hand, appears to have nothing but benefits for your body. Not only does it help reduce stress and the potential of developing post-partum depression, breastfeeding also impacts your risk of certain types of cancer and does nothing but strengthen your baby. If you’ve been among the millions of new mommies worried about how your breast implants will affect your ability to breastfeed, you can rest easy: numerous studies have thus far found few negative results. If you’re concerned about your ability to breastfeed, please contact your doctor; but for any questions regarding your implants or your breast type, we’d be happy to help!  

For over 330,000 women and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), 2012 was the year of the silicone breast implant. Since the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) lifted the moratorium on the silicone implant in 2006 its popularity has skyrocketed: women everywhere have opted in for reshaping their bodies, with most undergoing the procedure in their 20s. But as that decade comes to a close and a new one starts a lot of women are worried: how will breast implants affect breastfeeding my baby? The Myth It’s long been an urban legend muttered by mothers everywhere: breast implants prevent you from properly breastfeeding your baby. They lead to sagging, they can be harmful, and there are even rumors about how they can cause other health problems following pregnancy. But is there really any truth to it? According to ASPS, they’re all false: breastfeeding following breast augmentation surgery is entirely possible and quickly becoming a common occurrence. While getting breast implants may affect your body in other ways, it doesn’t appear to have much of an impact upon breastfeeding: whether you’re successful or not at producing milk is largely up to your body, regardless of surgery. BFAR, an organization dedicated to breastfeeding after surgery, explains that the woman’s body pre-surgery determines how successful she will be at breastfeeding. Following surgery, milk production may slow momentarily due to the healing process. For example, naturally small breasts may have trouble producing a full milk supply due to a lack of glandular tissue. Breast type can also impact milk production negatively. Tubular-shaped, widely spaced, undeveloped, and asymmetrical breasts all have a higher risk of reduced breastfeeding capacity. Another popular concern women have is how breastfeeding after a breast implant surgery may affect the appearance of their breast. Specifically, sagging appears to be a large concern. However, expecting moms everywhere can rest easy: breastfeeding doesn’t result in implant sagging, according to an ASPS study. Alternatively, the study found the number of pregnancies had a greater influence on breast appearance than breastfeeding did. The Truth So, if it doesn’t halt milk production or cause your breasts to sag in spite of implants, what does breast augmentation and breastfeeding do? Breast implants have several potential complications, including scar tissue, minor breast pain, and changes in nipple and breast sensitivity. In rare cases, the implant may need to be removed. Breastfeeding, on the other hand, appears to have nothing but benefits for your body. Not only does it help reduce stress and the potential of developing post-partum depression, breastfeeding also impacts your risk of certain types of cancer and does nothing but strengthen your baby. If you’ve been among the millions of new mommies worried about how your breast implants will affect your ability to breastfeed, you can rest easy: numerous studies have thus far found few negative results. If you’re concerned about your ability to breastfeed, please contact your doctor; but for any questions regarding your implants or your breast type, we’d be happy to help!