As the New Year is in the midst of its first full week, a controversy is brewing in nearby Orange County. According to the Orange County register the new ownership of LA sports club in Irvine has placed photos that many of the members feel are too racy, too suggestive, and too sexy. Equinox, the new owners have locations in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, and other major cities, and they claim the same photos are in those locations and accepted by their members without complaint. Member Amy Kajiya said, I find the campaign extremely offensive but I’ll adjust, but I have three kids – ages 5, 3 ½ and 2 – and how do I explain that picture? One of the reasons I chose that club was the kids club. It appears from the article that the main complaints were based on scantily clad women and what was perceived as overtly sexual poses. Dr. Kim understands the sensitivity of controversial photos that show the human body. In plastic surgery we are sometimes in situations where the decision to have plastic surgery is confused with sexuality. Procedures including breast augmentation, breast lift, and breast reduction are often associated with sexuality when for many patients the decision is rarely about sex appeal. Most women who decide to have breast surgery do so to feel better about themselves and how they look in their clothes. Of course the benefit of looking better naked is important as well. Most women after having breast augmentation are extremely thrilled with the results and recommend their friends and family to Dr. Kim regularly.

Interestingly the media is able to keep us interested by showing us beautiful uncommon images. What is different and beautiful will always draw the eye. Some critics are adamantly opposed to what they refer to as exploitation using very thin models with beautiful chiseled faces. With technology, it is often a result of Photoshop and airbrush techniques. The Orange County Register recently picked up on a video that has gone viral that spoofs the beauty industry and the high standards of commercials. Here is the video: Fotoshop by Adobé . While the video is funny, and makes a point of the extreme marketing it takes to sell a beauty product or service. Consumers should understand that marketing is exactly that; marketing. It is designed to change your mind or entice you to purchase something. As much as critics would like to believe that regular looking “people with “average looks” can sell beauty, the reality is that’s never been the case. It has been tried with companies that wanted to be socially responsible using what they called real life people but the campaigns were usually short-lived. So, more often than not consumers want to look at something they perceive as beautiful in order to be enticed to purchase it. Plastic surgery sometimes comes under fire for images of beautiful women and men used in some marketing. For Dr. Kim the stereotype is unfair because he believes that people should look their absolute best, not like someone else. Dr. Kim values the patient physician relationship and does not force ideas or recommendations on patients. Patients who are considering breast augmentation or body contouring procedures are not misled to believe that they will achieve a shape contour that is not possible for their body shape. Patients are not encouraged to look like models or celebrities. Although Beverly Hills is Dr. Kim’s location, in no way does he pressure patients to seek procedures based on celebrity or model perceptions. This is one of the many reasons Dr. Kim enjoys a robust referral practice.

We should be happy when celebrities who have good plastic surgery results actually admit to the procedure. The newly crowned Miss California not only admits to her plastic surgery procedure but was actually featured in her plastic surgeons video. The encouraging portion of the story is not the fact that she applauds plastic surgery, but more the fact that the rhinoplasty procedure that she had performed made a substantial difference in her life and appearance. Dr. Kim routinely sees rhinoplasty patients like UCI student Natalie Ann Pack, who snagged the Miss California title, who are truly suffering from medical symptoms because of an injury to their nose. These patients seek out Dr. Kim as an a ASPS plastic surgeon because while correcting the results of the injury are extremely important, equally as important is the appearance once the surgery has been completed. Dr. Kim explains that he is experienced and qualified to treat many of the problems that can occur after a nasal injury. This training and experience is also combined with cosmetic plastic surgery which helps patients achieve the most aesthetically pleasing result. For patients who are concerned with their profile as part of their rhinoplasty procedure Dr. Kim helps patients to understand that their profile consist of not just the side angle but also the contour of the entire face. In some cases Dr. Kim may recommend a chin augmentation to balance the rhinoplasty result. The writer of The Orange County Register blog post that featured the story about Miss California, speculated that Natalie Ann Pack may have had some chin surgery or other facial surgery combined with her admitted rhinoplasty. Her surgeon’s response: her chin was not altered”. Either way, this Miss California pageant winner could go a long way in helping patients understand that there is nothing to be ashamed of when considering plastic surgery.

New Year’s resolutions overwhelmingly include the goal to lose weight. For some people especially obese people this can seem like a lofty goal especially after several failures. The Los Angeles Times recently reported about a gym in Chicago that is specifically devoted to people who need to lose more than 50 pounds. According to the article the gym is often perceived to cater mostly to fit, educated and middle- to upper-class clients. Increasingly, gyms are focusing on specific populations, such as women, young athletes and aging baby boomers. Largely ignored is the seemingly obvious niche of sedentary and overweight adults. Research shows that many workout deterrents — including exercising with the opposite sex, using complicated equipment and boredom — apply to overweight and normal-weight people alike. The idea of a gym specifically for obese people is not exactly new, and at $300 a month it is rather pricey. Dr. Kim prides himself in having an office that is professional and accepting of all patients. Located in Beverly Hills it can be rather intimidating for patients who think that they may not look the part to be a patient in Beverly Hills. Dr. Kim works hard for patients to understand their comfort is of his utmost concern. Patients can feel comfortable throughout the entire experience from the consultation through their postsurgical treatment. Although obese patients are not candidates for cosmetic surgery procedures, once they have lost the weight and maintain a stable weight they are often candidates for and abdominoplasty or facelift. These patients will tell you that in Dr. Kim’s office they were treated like every other patient with dignity and respect. Dr. Kim has enjoyed the benefits of a robust practice because of his experience, artistic skill, and equally as important, commitment to patient safety and results.

When aspirin became famous as a preventative measure for a heart attack the news was practically viral. Many consumers felt that they should routinely take aspirin even though a doctor had not recommended that they do so. According to the New York Times new research shows that aspirin is not for everyone, and that in some patients this so-called wonder drug is doing more harm than good. “I stop a lot more aspirin than I start,” said Dr. Alison Bailey, director of the cardiac rehabilitation program at the Gill Heart Institute at the University of Kentucky. “People don’t even consider aspirin a medicine, or consider that you can have side effects from it. That’s the most challenging part of aspirin therapy.” “We have been able to show quite convincingly that in people without a previous heart attack or stroke, regular use of aspirin may be more harmful than it is beneficial,” said Dr. Sreenivasa Seshasai of the Cardiovascular Sciences Research Center at St. George’s, University of London. Over the years, Dr. Kim has encountered patients who have decided to start aspirin therapy on their own and had little knowledge as to the bleeding risk caused by aspirin. Some patients have taken it every day long enough to actually forget that the baby aspirin is considered a drug. Sometimes they forget that all medications should be reported to Dr. Kim before having any cosmetic surgery procedure. Patients should be aware that having Botox injections or filler injections after regular use of aspirin can greatly increase bleeding, swelling and bruising. This is also true for surgical procedures and can cause very serious problems for most procedures including facelift, blepharoplasty, and breast reduction. Aspirin should be discontinued for a minimum of three weeks prior to any cosmetic surgery procedure. Dr. Kim is committed to providing the safest cosmetic surgery procedures with the best possible results.

Breast augmentation has been performed in abundance over the past few years. According to the ASPS in all, there were 296,203 breast augmentations performed in 2010, which is a 2% rise compared to 2009. So, we could call it somewhat of a club. This is the club the media is speculating as to whether or not Cameron Diaz has joined. According to a recent Orange County register article Cameron Diaz was spotted in Hawaii sporting a much more voluptuous top than ever before. Interestingly enough it appears as though the general consensus is that she did not go too big and that her breast augmentation looks very nice. Dr. Kim puts fears to rest for many prospective patients who are considering breast augmentation and fear they will be too big for their body frame. Dr. Kim assures his patients that he uses both skill and expertise to help patients choose the appropriate implant size as well as type. Dr. Kim offers both saline and silicone implants and performs a thorough examination on every prospective patient to help determine which breast implants are best for the patient. Patients are also educated concerning breast health which includes following the recommendations of the American Cancer Society for early detection of breast cancer. This is a standard recommendation for all women and breast implants does not change the recommendation. Dr. Kim is committed to not just obtaining great results for patients but also helping patients maintain their best health.

It is hard to believe that a trend would begin that involved gluing feathers to a woman’s bikini line and below. According to a recent online post for the women’s website Bliss this trend has popped up in a salon: The Completely Bare salon, owned by former Housewives of New York City star, Cindy Barshop. They have just announced two new spa treatments where real animal parts are glued to the bikini area. The Foxy Bikini sells for $225 and includes actual fox fur applied to and below the bikini line. And if you’re looking for a bit more color down there, you can opt for the Carnivale Bikini which uses neon-colored feathers and runs a mere $195. It is unclear why anyone would remove their own hair to put on animal hair or feathers. The writer of the blog post was certainly not in favor of the practice. If a woman is remotely considering investing in this type of look at flat abdomen is a must. Dr. Kim uses his expert training and innate skills to help women achieve a flat abdomen. Dr. Kim uses liposuction to concentrate on the upper abdomen, lower abdomen, love handles, and lower back. By concentrating on all of these areas Dr. Kim can make a substantial difference on the waistline. Some women have contouring concerns with their lower abs and typically are discouraged with the contour and shape ,even if they have never had children. Dr. Kim offers them encouragement by letting them know that he can use skill to carefully sculpt that specific area with liposuction and achieve a dramatic result that could not be achieved with diet and exercise alone.

A bipolar diagnosis is nothing to be ashamed of. Today’s medicine and technology helps patients to live very productive lives after such diagnoses. According to recent industry article, the most effective long-standing bipolar medication in a recent study proved to contribute to both weight gain as well as thyroid disease. According to the article a new medical review finds that lithium, a common treatment for bipolar disorder, can lead to weight gain and causes high rates of abnormalities in the thyroid and parathyroid glands. But the researchers found few signs of a link to skin problems or hair loss, and a suspected connection to birth defects hasn’t been proven, according to the report published in the Jan. 20 online edition of The Lancet. As patients become knowledgeable about possible side effects it helps them to make better decisions concerning their lifestyle choices. Dr. Kim explains to patients who have had breast augmentation or body contouring procedures like abdominoplasty and liposuction that weight gain can affect their overall long-term results. Patients should be conscious of excessive weight gain especially in the breast and abdominal areas. Patients with breast augmentation could gain as much as a cup size of breast tissue or more with excessive weight gain. This could not only make the breast larger but also cause a component of sagging. Abdominal weight gain could also cause sagging skin as well as negatively affect body contour. Dr. Kim explains that patients may ultimately begin taking medications with side effects that include weight gain to be sure and share their concerns with their prescribing physician and their motivations for maintaining a stable weight. The prescribing physician will then help the patient make the correct choices. Honest and open communication is always the best way to lead to the best medical recommendation for patients.

The media finally caught on to something we’ve known for a few years. Men have now joined the ranks of women who realize that a wrinkled brow not only add years to the appearance, but also adds the appearance of negative emotions. According to a recent industry article , according to statistics by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, more than 300,000 men tested out Botox last year. Most experts agree that men tend to have Botox treatments for different reasons than women. For most men it is about being competitive in the workplace. In a soft economy the competitive edge is necessary as so many men are competing for the same position. Many men who use Botox say that they do so to soften what look like an angry look because of the frown lines on their forehead. Dr. Kim advises his male patients to be conscious of the fact that in some cases the male brow may be lower than it should be for the best aesthetic appearance. While Botox will slightly improve this a brow lift may be the best recommendation. Most men who have a brow lift are able to return to their regular duties in less than 7 to 10 days. As men continue to understand that appearance is not about vanity and that image is as important as the other preparations we make in life is predicted that Botox is only the beginning of what will be a manly pursuit of youthfulness. Does your man use Botox? Should he use Botox? Are you okay with it?

There’s been a great deal of information on the Internet and in the news concerning food allergies and the dangers that they can cause. According to a recent Washington Post news article many of the reactions people have to food are not truly food allergies. According to the article “Research shows that as many as 20 percent of people claim to have food allergies when the number is actually around 3 to 4 percent,” says Hugh Sampson, director of the Jaffe Food Allergy Institute at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York. He concedes that the number of people with milder reactions — nonallergic symptoms that flare up when they eat certain foods — is higher, but he thinks the problem is still generally overestimated. The main reason he feels that people report food allergies in higher amounts is because they do not take into account that food reactions tend to change over time. Also, many people diagnose their own food allergies and the information is widely subjective. However there are real and life-threatening food allergies that appear to be on the rise. A 2010 report comparing surveys of U.S. households in 1997, 2002 and 2008 found a steady increase in allergies to peanuts and tree nuts in children. The reasons for the trend aren’t clear. The key is to get a professional medical diagnosis to determine if there is intolerance to a certain food or an actual allergic reaction. Dr. Kim requires this information to be included in the initial medical intake form provided to every patient. Food allergies and digestive problems should be reported by patients to Dr Kim even though they are having an elective cosmetic surgery procedure. After abdominal plastic surgery including abdominoplasty and abdominal liposuction digestive issues can cause increased pain and discomfort unnecessarily. Dr. Kim and his staff are committed to helping patients have a comfortable patient recovery experience. This is made possible by sharing any information that may impact patient health and safety.