Vanity Tax???

I don't know if you read about this topic in the news this week, but it was a hot topic on Tuesday! As we all are well aware the nations health care system is in dire need of reform and cannot continue to support the needs of the American community. Health care costs are on the rise and doctors and patients alike are feeling the pains of the skyrocketing expense. President Obama brought this issue to the forefront of his campaign and is trying to develop a strategy to bring this deficit into prospective. One of the "ideas" presented this week was a new tax on Botox and other plastic surgery procedures. The concept is to place a 10% tax on cosmetic procedures like breast augmentation, rhinoplasty, injectables, and other aesthetic surgeries. The money generated would be put towards the $1 trillion dollar health care overhaul. Many in congress have compared this tax to the "sin tax" that is put on cigarettes and alcohol. I feel there are many, many conflicting issues with this proposal. First, and in my opinion the most obvious, is lumping plastic surgery services into the same boat with cigarette usage is absolutely ridiculous. It is well known that cigarettes not just CAN but WILL lead to many forms of cancer and possible death. The strain that cigarette users put on the health care system is also extremely large in comparison to plastic surgery patients. Speaking in general terms, everyone knows plastic surgery does not have the same end as cigarettes. To insinuate such a thing is just beyond silly.

In the past couple of years the issue of how much say into moral issues the government should or should not have has been a HOT button for most. I find it interesting that it seems the public figures who were very out spoken about how important to separate the two are now making a judgement call on the "moral" issue of the necessity of plastic surgery. I wish some of these elected officials could come and sit in Dr. Walden's office and tell the child with large ears that has been ridiculed at school all his/her life that otoplasty is not "necessary" or "needed". For some patients that extra 10% could make or break the final decision to have a much wanted and/or needed procedure. In addition, are you just going to group women who want breast augmentation and women who need breast reductions all together?? Insurance will likely pay for a breast reduction and would consider it medically necessary. It is well known that plastic surgery patients are mostly women, so this will end up being very discriminatory move toward women. I think one of the largest misconceptions about plastic surgery is that it is only the "ultra rich" that undergo these procedures. This generality couldn't be further from the truth. The plastic surgery patients of today consist of middle class women from the age of 23-65. These women work very hard and save for quite a long time to be able to have these procedures. These are the woman who will bear the weight of such a decision.

This tax was put into place in New Jersey a few years back and has been a major disappointment. Patients simply got in their cars or on a train to Manhattan to have their surgeries tax free in New York. With the ongoing popularity of having plastic surgery abroad this trend will continue to inflate and take much needed revenue away from the United States. In addition to loss of revenue, there will be a rise in plastic surgery related complications, due to the lower standards in medical care seen in some foreign countries. My hope is that this plan will be seen for what it is, just a bad idea all the way around. Remember you ALWAYS have a say in how YOUR government runs the country. If this issue moves toward a reality, call your local representatives and voice your opinion!

Dr. Walden was asked to discuss this issue with Fox News' own Neil Cavuto. Check out the video below for the entire interview!! This is one video you won't want to miss!!

Happy Friday!

Life imitating art???

Well, it seems the answer to that question is "yes" in this situation. Funny actress, Anna Faris, seems to have taken at tip from the "bunnies" and improved her image a bit. Ms. Faris is best known for her recurring roles in the Scary Movie franchise, but she was recently seen as a Playboy Bunny hottie in the movie House Bunny. I couldn't help but notice how fabulous she looked in that movie.....not to mention hilarious. I think sometimes the "comedic actresses" tend to not be considered glamorous. They are always like the funny weird best friend or the sidekick. Well, when I saw these pictures today I thought she could give most of Hollywood's beauties a run for their money! It is rumored that the actress has undergone breast augmentation. I would say by the pictures it appears pretty obvious. I think they look great on her frame. It seems she picked a great doctor that helped her choose an implant size that fits her perfectly. I know I have said in other posts how important it is to let your doctor help you pick the right size implants for your frame. :) Dr. Walden appeared on a video for Allergan's new Natrelle Implant sizing kit that I will include at the bottom of this blog. You should check it out....such a great tool when trying to decide what size implant to choose!!! Anyway, other than the breast augmentation it looks as if Ms. Faris also has had some injections done. I think maybe lip fillers and some botox. Regardless of what she has or hasn't had done I think she looks beautiful and proves that funny ladies don't always finish last in the beauty contest! :)

ps...don't forget to check out the video!! Happy Friday!!

Melissa Gilbert: From Little House on the Prairie to Hollywood

Actress, Writer and Producer, Melissa Gilbert is rumored to have had some work done. Born in 1964, making her 45 years old-this beauty still looks gorgeous-especially for her age! Most people know her from her childhood role as Laura Ingalls, Charles Ingalls' second daughter on Little House on the Prairie. Of course, as adult she has been on many sets and made a solid career in television. You may have seen her on 7th Heaven, Nip/Tuck, or Babylon 5, but she has certainly changed her look-likely due to the demands of the big screen. Melissa has also been known to date some of the best-looking guys in Hollywood-including Rob Lowe.
As I was researching Melissa Gilbert's life, I did find that rumors have circulated that she may have had Breast Augmentation, and as you can see for yourself it certainly looks like it and I wouldn't doubt it for a moment. I also found that she may be getting botox injections, which is also quite possible as it is a popular product and her face looks smooth and shiny as though she may be getting the injections. One source wrote, "She definitely could be using botox injections since this procedure is one of the most popular in Hollywood, but if she does probably she is not getting too much, which is great because it allows her face to move naturally. About her breast it is hard to say with the pictures that we found, the round and upper projected look that she has sometimes can be achieved with the use of a wonder bra, but her breast looks bigger than before, it could be because she gained some weight or that she got some breast implants, that in her case doesn't look too big but proportional to her body frame."
Whatever Melissa is doing, it keeps her looking young and fabulous and you can't deny that!

Stars Come Out For Nelson Mandela's 91st Birthday

The tribute, held Saturday night at Radio City Music Hall, celebrated the anti-apartheid icon's birthday with a diverse collection of musical collaborations that ranged from pop to disco to gospel. Rapper, Lil' Kim and Cindy Lauper performed Time after time mixed with Put your lighters up together.

Rapper Kimberly Jones, aka Lil Kim is known in the hip hop world as a great female rapper who started her career with the Notorious B.I.G. sometime around 1994. Since then she is also known to have slowly changed her appearance and is rumored to have undergone numerous cosmetic procedures. For example, when she first started her career she did not have very large breasts, however if you compare recent pictures it looks like she may have increased in bust size by undergoing breast augmentation. Although her lips always looked full it is rumored she may have had some fillers to keep her lips plump. She also may have plumped up her cheeks as they are more prominent now therefore she may have also had cheek augmentation. Her nose also looks very different from the her pictures in 1996. It looks like she may have had rhinoplasty to narrow the width of her nose in combination with tip refinement.

Leaking Breast Implants Leaked to the Press!

I recently read an interesting blog on Allure.com: A major news story at the moment in the Philippines is that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was hospitalized for problems with her breast implants, and possibly tissue complications such as a breast abscess. The story is old news that only came to light because her 80's-era implants were apparently leaking. The story got even more complicated when her spokespeople denied and then confirmed the rumors, which led others to begin questioning whether laws guaranteeing transparency in matters of the president's health should make Arroyo's boob job (and any other plastic surgeries) public knowledge.

Allure states, "Now, we get how gross it must be for any woman to have her chest discussed on the nightly news. But honestly, people, we've seen this guessing game with a zillion celebrities, and we really have to ask: when someone has a boob job, an eye tuck, or any other kind of surgery, whatever the situation that sparked that decision, isn't the whole idea to, duh, change your appearance?"

I see their point that when one enters into a plastic surgery procedure (especially a celebrity), it by definition changes your appearance, and you are likely going to end up with some 'splaining to do given the visibility of the results. On the other hand, I hope that she recovers hastily as I feel sorry for her getting tortured by the press for what truly is a private matter. The life span of breast implants is likely 10 or 15 years, and her 20 year old implants, likely silicone gel, were probably ready for a change. In America we have federal laws that prohibit health care professionals, hospitals and third parties like insurance companies from disclosing patients' private health information. These laws are known as HIPAA regulations, and while not bulletproof (especially when celebrities are involved), do really help to protect the privacy of patients.

The best reporting of the day came from an article on the topic in the Taipei Times in which the journalist made good use of the work leak: � 'Just look, if the president had a breast implant,� he said. �It�s obvious if women have had breast implants. The sexy actresses with boobs, they�re the ones who underwent breast implants. We can�t say the same thing of the president.' But as more details about her breast implants leaked to the media, Remonde changed his tune and admitted Arroyo had �something� placed in her breast in the 1980s."

No pun intended, but this brings a whole new meaning to the phrase "leaking a story" to the press! As one Senator described politics in the Philippines, �We have fake elections, we have a fake president, now we have fake boobs,� he said. �It�s fake all over.� Good luck, President Gloria!

Stephanie Pratt wins by a Nose!!!

It is never a big shocker to see any of the Pratts in US Weekly or any other tabloid magazine for that matter. Seriously, it seems like you can't even pick one up without there being some kind of silly paparazzi stunt by these three....I am speaking of none other than Spencer, Heidi, and Stephanie (who can all be seen on the hit "reality" series The Hills on MTV. Although her brother seems to bask in the limelight more often....this little story about Stephanie on page 14 in the latest installment of US Weekly magazine caught my eye. The magazine is claiming Stephanie Pratt has has undergone rhinoplasty. Nurse Sarah did a blog entry awhile back about Pratt's use of fillers for her lips, but these new pics of the reality star bring up a whole basket of "new tricks".

I briefly spoke to Dr. Walden (who has never seen Pratt or treated the star) about these new photos and she was in agreement with the assumption of the rhinoplasty. I love to bug Dr. Walden about all the celebrity plastic surgery rumors.....it is like gossiping with the expert!!! She is always first to say when procedures look "really nice".....me on the other hand....not so much..! Anyway, back to the subject!!! Dr. Walden said that it appeared Pratt had a rhinoplasty where the surgeon possibly rotated the tip, used spreader grafts to improve dorsal aesthetic lines, and possibly even an alar base resection. It still appears she gets some form of fillers for her plump lips. I also noticed how smooth and flawless her skin looked.....she might have had some type of light chemical peel or skin resurfacing treatments. Either way, we all thought she looked really great!!! Congrats Ms. Pratt!

Ex-SNL Cast Member:Cheri Oteri

The other day I was watching some old re-runs of SNL and I couldn't help but wonder where Cheri Oteri is these days. I looked up her recent work history on IMDB and saw some recent photos. I couldn't believe what I saw! Cheri Oteri looks a bit different in these photos. It appears as though she may have had a facelift and possibly even an eyelid lift. One souce said, "Her face looks like a Halloween mask that has been stretched. The pretty alert eyes she was known for are still there, but the area around them is basically unrecognizeable. It looks like she has had some sort of eye work to fix problems in that area. Her nose also looks smaller" (AwfulPlastic). Well, we think that's a little rough....she looks a lot younger these days, and the photo on the right was taken outside in the sunlight, highlighting her skin, new hair auburn hair color, and buffed skin!

Anne Heche - What's Different?

You all remember Anne Heche from "Six Days Seven Nights," right? Super cute, fit, natural. She plays Ray Drecker's ex-wife on HBO's new show Hung and I can't put my finger on it, but something appears different about her. Now, I know she has aged some since "Six Days Seven Nights" but her face appears to have changed. I'm not sure if it's Botox or surgery. What's funny is that on the show, she is married to a dermatologist who gives her Botox in their kitchen on the show!

Actress Rachel Weisz comes out swinging!!

Happy Friday Everyone! So, the talented and gorgeous actress, Rachel Weisz, can be seen in the August installment of UK's Harper's Bazaar. The photos are of course beautiful as well as the clothing they chose for the shoot. She looks like one smokin' hot mama! The article accompanying the pictorial is another story. Whether she meant to or not....it is hilarious!!! Ms. Weisz made sure to put on her fightin' jeans for this interview! There are many things discussed....how she loves England and English woman for their "down to earth and non fussy outward appearance".....and then the whammy....Botox and Acting! I thought this quote was PRICELESS....."It should be banned for actors, as steroids are for sportsmen," Weisz says of Botox. "Acting is all about expression; why would you want to iron out a frown?". Although I do agree with her to a point, in my opinion she stepped out on a thin limb with this gem..."Rachel Weisz thinks that Nicole Kidman is to acting what Barry Bonds is to baseball." Now whether you agree with her statements or not, I think it takes major GUTS to say something like that! I know there have been times when even I have seen some way OVER botoxed women in Hollywood....sometimes I even think it is becoming the norm versus the exception.

I know even on this site we have showed MANY examples of really bad botox jobs. When I came across this article I had a brief discussion with Dr. Walden about botox. She said that it is important for people to know that when botox is injected by a skilled and certified physician that it can be administered in a very conservative manner and have wonderful results! The idea is to smooth out fine lines and wrinkles and give the skin a refreshed more smooth appearance, not to look like you are "frozen" or "surprised" all the time. When done properly the patient should have full range of "motion" in their face.....smiling, frowning, happy, sad, and yes even surprised when the emotion calls for it!

So, Ms. Weisz, I am going to have to disagree with you on this one....Botox can be a girls best friend and a great tool in her secret bag of beauty tricks!!!

Vogue Covergirl Changed Her Appearance?

While researching celebrities to blog about I came across Sofia Milos. Many of you may notice her from CSI:Miami which she has been on since 2003, or from shows she's been featured in such as Friends or Curb Your Enthusiasm. I found out that before she became an actress, she was actually a model. Now back in the day, she was actually featured as a Vogue Covergirl in Europe in a cover for their Foreign Edition. Of course, Sofia certainly looks quite different than in her modeling photos and you can tell she has had something done in order to change her appearance. One source named their article on Sofia, "Would you change your face if it got you on the cover of Vogue?" (awfulplasticsurgery). This source believes that she may have gotten a chin implant and rhinoplasty, mentioning "...she shaved down her nose, which looked fine in the first place." I actually think her nose was a bit strong on her petite face in the photo on the left, and the nose job served to reduce the bridge and tip nicely. It also looks as if she made these changes after the Vogue cover.

Check it Out- Dr. Walden is in Aesthetic Practitioner News!

Dr. Walden is featured in the current issue of Aesthetic Practitioner News. A survey was completed by 100 breast augmentation patients to determine the decision-making patterns of these individuals. The results were quite interesting. Dr. Walden was quoted, "Today's breast augmentation patient is well-educated, independent, private in her thinking and decision-making, and likely to be part of the workforce." She goes on to say, "Past stereotypes of the Hooter's waitress and exotic dancer being the typical BA patient are simply inaccurate." The study revealed that nearly 75% of women seeking breast augmentation are not influenced by their spouses or partners to undergo surgery. Forty percent of the respondents said their primary influence when making the decision to undergo breast augmentation was their own desire to change their appearance. The study was an extensive retrospective survey that asked women a host of questions regarding their research and decision-making process leading towards breast augmentation surgery. It was conducted with Sarah Shrader, RN, BSN, MHA (yours truly) and Georgia Panagopoulos, PhD, Administrative Director of Research at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, NY. Click here to read the full article. I say more power to you women!!

Does Botox Cure Baldness??!

I was flipping through the channels and guess who I see on Fox and Friends? Dr. Walden! She was on Fox discussing top medical news. The segment I found most interesting was about a dermatologist who claimed that Botox helped regrow hair when he injected a patient for the treatment of migraines (an off-label use of Botox)! Wow! I am actually a big fan of Botox. I'm only 26 now and I haven't used it but I certainly see using it in the future. But using Botox to grow hair?? Hmmm. Lets see, most women use Botox on their foreheads, the glabella (aka the 11 between the eyes) and crow's feet (those pesky little lines around the eyes) and if Botox helps regenerate hair growth, imagine how many women in the world would be sporting "unibrows" and peach fuzz! But like the saying goes...Don't believe the hype.....Botox has not been shown to cure or prevent baldness in any randomized, controlled clinical trials. Botox Cosmetic (Allergan, Irvine, CA) is approved by the United States FDA for improving and relaxing frown lines in the area between the eyes an and has been used successfully in more than half a million patients since 2002. It blocks a neurotransmitter from being released at the junction between nerves, inhibiting the impulse that causes muscle contraction. It is also used for blepharospasm (twitching eyelids), strabismus, and hyperhydrosis (sweaty palms and armpits). Oh well, I guess its back to the Rogaine and a little volumizing conditioner!

Megan Fox:Transformed her looks?

Last weekend I went to see the new Transformers movie starring Shia LeBouf and Megan Fox. I couldn't help but notice Fox's plump lips and think that she must be getting some sort of soft tissue fillers. Now we can't deny it-- Megan Fox is gorgeous, but I did my research and found that rumors have been circulating around about the procedures involving her lips, nose, and breasts.

Looking at older pictures of Fox, it does appear that she used to have a slight bump on the bridge of her nose and now it is slim, suggestive of a possible nose job (rhinoplasty). One source says, " In June 2009 edition of Esquire Magazine, Megan appears absolutely fantastic... her breasts looks enhanced but it is hard to tell if it is because of some plastic surgery procedure or because of a wonder bra" (star-plastic). Now in regards to those luscious lips, on entertainmentwise , I read the following: �Her upper and lower lips appear fuller. It looks like she had Restylane or Juv�derm injections.� In any case, she is a stunner and has won the hearts of many!