Liam Palmer says his dream is to serve in the British Army. But the military won’t accept the 21-year old with gaping holes in his earlobes from ear piercings, followed by stretching the skin with plugs. “I don’t regret it. [Wearing ear plugs] was just a part of who I was,” Palmer says about his…

  Basal cell carcinoma: The most common form of skin cancer. Occurs in the epidermis. These growths are often round and pearly or darkly pigmented. Cancer: The uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the body. Cancerous cells are also called malignant cells. Epidermis: The uppermost portion of skin. Excision: A simple surgical process to cut…

  ABSTRACT Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic suppurative disease of skin with high recurrence. OBJECTIVE To determine factors affecting complications and recurrence of HS in patients who underwent surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS We operated on 15 patients with HS at 36 sites between 1999 and 2009. The affected areas were classified as groin, axilla,…

Women who choose to replace existing breast implants with autologous tissue are reporting significant improvements in their overall satisfaction with the breast reconstruction process and results, according to a new study that will be presented at Plastic Surgery The Meeting, the annual scientific meeting of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), Oct. 10-14, in…

  Information Plus Patient Preferences Can Help in Sorting Through Reconstruction Options, According to Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Decision Analysis Helps Sort Through Breast Reconstruction Options Decision analysis is defined as ” an exhaustive, iterative process that involves identifying alternatives, obtaining information about the uncertainty of outcomes, and clarifying preferences and values.” Routinely used in…

  More men are opting for cosmetic procedures to rejuvenate their looks and stay competitive in the dating and job markets. Pennsylvania apple and pear farmer Ralph Spencer, 70, is one of an estimated million men in America who had some type of aesthetic surgery in 2013. In the United States, close to 10 percent…

  Abstract Recent regional and insurance database studies indicate that diagnoses of hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) are rare, with fewer than 200,000 affected patients in the United States. These findings are at odds with the generally accepted prevalence of approximately 1%. To estimate the number of patients diagnosed with HS, including patients enrolled in public health…

  Although the perception of women who undergo breast enlargement is often mixed, the recipients of the procedure often report a boost in self-esteem and positive feelings about their sexuality. A new study suggests health-care practitioners should be cognizant that the elective procedure has positive psychological benefits. Although plastic surgery should not be seen as…

  Plastic surgeons have become a key element of successful, long-term weight control for patients who undergo laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB), according to a recent study. These findings, which were be presented at Plastic Surgery The Meeting, the annual scientific meeting of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), Oct. 10-14, in Chicago, show that…

  Facial exercises don’t give the same results as plastic surgery, although informational websites argue compellingly to the contrary. Facial exercises are unarguably a no-cost alternative to expensive cosmetic procedures, and they take only a few minutes of dedicated time. However, medical experts at the American Academy of Dermatology say the blink-squint-grimace repetitions you practice…