Yes, You Can be Too Young for Plastic Surgery

7-year-old Poppy with her mother Sarah Burge, aka "The Human Barbie"

The holiday season should have been a joyful time filled with toys, good food, and quality time spent with family.

While it's possible that 7-year-old Poppy Burge had all of these things this year, there's something very disturbing about what she requested: plastic surgery.

This year, her mother (the self-proclaimed "Human Barbie"), Sarah Burge, put a voucher for liposuction in her stocking.

While this may sound bad, last year Poppy's mum gave her a voucher for breast implants...as a birthday gift!

Sadly, Poppy couldn't have been happier about her future plastic surgeries.

She told Closer Magazine, “I wanted a new computer, a holiday, and a voucher for surgery. When I got it all, it was a dream come true. All my friends were jealous. I can’t wait to be like Mummy with big boobs. They’re pretty.”

And while there are a million things wrong with this story, Ms. Burge is scarily unapologetic about her questionable parenting choices.

She said, "“Some people think it's controversial and I get angry when strangers say I'm a bad mother because I don't think there's any harm in giving her this gift. Poppy is a normal kid who is good at sports and loves playing outside. Girls don’t want Snow White and Cinderella anymore. They want to be WAGs [ a term for wives and girlfriends of famous footballers] and famous like Cheryl Cole and Lady Gaga. I’m just supporting her and making her dreams come true.”

The Burge family is just one example of just how distorted our society's perception of beauty is. What happened to encouraging little girls to become doctors, astronauts and world leaders?

It's true that looks can only get a person so far; more importantly, being funny and smart (on top of caring for your appearance) will earn a girl a whole lot more respect in the long run.

To learn more, read the full article: Plastic Surgery...for a 7-Year-Old?

Is Plastic Surgery at the Top of Your Holiday Wish List?

Image Courtesy of: ©2009 David C. Pearson, M.D.

Christmastime is quickly approaching, which means last minute shopping and gift wrapping are in full force.

But this year, some of the most asked-for gifts of the season can't be wrapped or put into a shiny box.

For many people, plastic surgery is what they want for Christmas, and plastic surgeons are busier than ever because of it.

So how much will dermal fillers or a mommy makeover for your loved one set you back?

Newport Beach-based plastic surgeon Dr. Tenley Lawton explained to ABC News, “For a simple injectable, it could be as low as a few hundred dollars. If were talking about a full mommy makeover, which could include a tummy tuck and a breast lift or a breast augmentation, it could be anywhere between $7,000 and $15,000.”

That's quite expensive when compared to, say, a Snuggie, but these gifts are sure to be a hit among the ones who requested them.

Cynthia Hovely received Botox and Juvederm injections from her boyfriend this year, and said, when compared to last year's gift, it's a major upgrade.

She told ABC, “Last year he gave me a bottle of perfume. This is a hundred times better. I think it’s romantic.”

To learn more, read the full article: All I Want for Christmas is...Plastic Surgery?

Quit Smoking, Or Face Some Serious Post-Surgery Risks

It's common knowledge that smoking kills, but did you know that it can also make your nipples fall off?

Yes, you read correctly. Smoking can cause you to lose your nipples and other precious body parts due to plastic surgery complications.

Although most good plastic surgeons properly inform patients about quitting smoking before surgery, many have a hard time doing so, and then surgeons have to face a scary situation in the operating room.

Dr. Anthony Youn recalls his experience in a recent CNN story. In the article, he recalled one breast lift patient, whose nipples actually started to turn purple during her operation.

Dr. Youn wrote, “Purple is the precursor to black. Black is the precursor to falling off. To save the patient – and her nipples – we turned to the only treatment available. We went medieval. We used leeches.”

Luckily he saved the patient, but that hasn't deterred other patients from lighting up before surgery. 

Today Dr. Youn takes a different approach to warning patients, i.e. scare tactics. He wrote, “I’ve changed my policy. In addition to the Surgeon General’s Warning that appears on cigarette packages, I now offer the Plastic Surgeon’s Warning to all my patients who smoke: If you are having a breast lift or reduction and you smoke, your nipples could turn black and fall off. If you are having a tummy tuck and you smoke, you may get an infection resulting in a big gross open wound that will take three months to heal. If you are having a facelift and you smoke, the skin of your cheek could turn black and slough off, leaving exposed fat. Imagine yourself looking like “Two-Face” from “Batman: The Dark Knight.” And do you really want me to reach for the jar of leeches?”

To learn more about plastic surgery risks and smoking, read the full article: Smokers Beware of Bizarre Plastic Surgery Risks

Plastic Surgery in Malaysia: Much More than a Great Deal

Malaysia has been a popular place for vacationers for many years now. Some tourists come for business, some for leisure, and some come for medical care, which is an industry known as medical tourism.

Medical tourism in Malaysia is a billion dollar business, with their superior medical facilities and health care standards attracting thousands of patients each year.

One of the most popular medical specialties within the booming industry is plastic surgery in Malaysia.

Plastic surgeons in Malaysia are highly skilled, and well known around the world as some of the best in the business. Their expertise combined with warm Malaysian hospitality is the perfect marriage that has created such a huge success for plastic surgery in Malaysia.

The benefits go beyond great service, as plastic surgery in Malaysia costs at least 50 percent less than Europe and the United States...

To learn more, read the full article: Plastic Surgery in Malaysia - An All-Inclusive Medical Vacation

Plastic Surgery in Thailand and So Much More

For many years, Thailand has been known around the world as a top destination for low-price plastic surgery.

Plastic surgeons in Thailand are some of the most educated, innovative cosmetic experts in the world, performing a wide variety of advanced procedures to perfect the face, breasts and body.

Along with facelift surgery, eyelid surgery and body contouring procedures, plastic surgeons in Thailand are also pioneers in sexual reassignment surgery (SRS), which has helped thousands of transgender patients make the physical transformation into their true gender.

While Thailand has gained much notoriety for plastic surgery, did you know it's also world famous for other areas of health care? More than a million patients travel to Thailand for life-saving cardiology, weight loss, orthopedic, cancer, and organ transplant procedures...

To learn more, read the full article: Health Tourism Goes Far Beyond Plastic Surgery in Thailand

Tickle Lipo and PowerX: Meet Two New Amazing Liposuction Tools

Each year, liposuction is one of the most performed plastic surgery procedures.

This surgery allows patients to sculpt and smooth their physique way beyond what working out can accomplish.

There are two new liposuction products on the market that have made the procedure better than ever; for both patients and plastic surgeons.

Tickle Lipo was introduced in 2010, and uses low-frequency vibrations to provide amazing results and minimized recovery time.

PowerX just came out on the market this month, and this new lipo tool is silent. It uses a rotating cannula for very precise sculpting and contouring for all areas of the body. This procedure is also shorter than normal, which means it will cost less for the patient.

Both of these new procedures also allow patients the option to choose an oral sedative, which greatly reduces recovery time, pain and swelling.

To learn more, read the full article: New Liposuction Techniques Benefit Patients and Plastic Surgeons

Plastic Surgery in Mexico: Well Worth the Trip

Mexico is known for it's gorgeous beaches and delicious cuisine, but it's also an up-and-coming health care destination that's been grabbing a lot of attention as of late.

Plastic surgery in Mexico is one of the top reasons patients cross the border.

Besides it's close proximity to the United States, plastic surgery in Mexico does have its benefits; patients just have to do their research beforehand to ensure a good experience.

Plastic surgery in Mexico is much more affordable than other locations. When compared to the United States, a $15,000 tummy tuck only costs $4,000 in Mexico.

If low prices aren't enough reason to make the trip abroad, Mexico's health care system standards are among the highest in the world, complete with JCI accredited hospitals and board-certified plastic surgeons.

To learn more, read the full article: Plastic Surgery in Mexico - An Option Worth Considering