In our culture lack of enough sleep has become somewhat of a source of bragging. According to a recent news story a recent study proved that adequate sleep is necessary to maintain good health long-term. According to the article up to 70 million Americans are believed to suffer from chronic issues with sleep, from insomnia to sleep apnea. Disrupted sleep has been associated with high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, depression, memory impairment and a weakened immune system. The World Health Organization has categorized night shift work as a probable trigger, because too much light at night may hamper a hormone involved both with sleep and suppressing tumor cells. Appearance can also be affected by lack of sleep. The more obvious signs include bags beneath the eyes and less than glowing skin. Dr. Kim consults with patients who are concerned about facial rejuvenation yet had not considered the effects of lack of sleep have had on contributing to some of premature aging. For loose and lax skin on the eyelids and bags beneath the eyes Dr. Kim may recommend it blepharoplasty. For the upper lids it will help the eyes to appear more alert and awake. For the bags beneath the eyes Dr. Kim may recommend tightening the skin and repositioning the fat that sometimes shifts as patient’s age. This causes a hollowed out appearance beneath the eyes. For some patients Dr. Kim may combine a brow lift for the best aesthetic appearance. In order to maintain the results long-term patients must adjust their sleeping patterns and allow for adequate sleep on a daily basis.

A new ABC news story seems to infer that housework is the new exercise. According to the news story fitness expert Christine Lusita of Zen Pen Fitness puts a new twist on something most of us abhor: cleaning the house. It’s a great opportunity to do functional movements that we do in our everyday life, and we can apply it towards exercise as well, said Lusita. Strategically using your entire body to rub and scrub things to spic and span also increases your metabolism. We can burn tons of calories. For an hour of softball, I burned 96 calories, yet, I spent an hour of window cleaning, and I burned 144 calories. So it’s definitely not a waste to clean, said Lusita. According to the news story, if you scrub, sweep and mop your own floor, you could burn up to 450 calories. Calories burned depends on how much you weigh and, of course, the amount of effort and energy used. These numbers are based on someone cleaning for 30 min., weighing in at 130 pounds. Mopping alone burns about 146 calories, and it’s an effective way to tone muscles also. Sweep away 167 calories or vacuum for about 140. Any way that we can get exercise and burn calories is welcomed as most of us struggle to maintain a healthy weight. One important point patients who are considering cosmetic surgery procedures like breast augmentation and abdominoplasty sometimes don’t know, is how vigorous housework can be. Dr. Kim explains to patients who schedule cosmetic surgery procedures that recovery can be delayed if patients exert too much energy exercising too soon, or engage in heavy duty housework before Dr. Kim has released them to do so.

Many women suffer from depression temporarily after giving birth. According to recent ABC news story the first clinic of its kind is opening specifically to treat serious postpartum depression. According to the news story the nation’s first stand-alone perinatal psychiatry center at University of North Carolina Hospital, specially trained nurses, therapists and lactation consultants offer a range of intensive sessions to assist moms with coping and relaxation. The main purpose is for each mother and child to bond during treatment just as they would at home. To assist the mother, and help the mom interact with the baby, they also want to help the mother obtain the confidence that she can handle the stress, and anxiety using coping skills in this new role, reported Dr. Samantha Meltzer-Brody from the University of North Carolina. According to a study of 869 women admitted to inpatient postpartum units in France between 2001 and 2007, two-thirds had marked improvement at the time of their discharge. Postpartum depression can be serious and medical treatment is advised. Depression is not always the issue. Some women consult with Dr. Kim after childbirth because they are dissatisfied with the changes in their body contour following childbirth. Most complain of a sagging component to the breast as well as loss of volume. Many are also discouraged about the loose and lax skin on the abdomen. Typically Dr. Kim will recommend an abdominoplasty combined with a breast augmentation with breast implants. In most cases these procedures can be performed together. It is important that patients secure proper aftercare within the home so that they are able to have the best stress free recovery possible.

It seems strange but for petite women determining the right amount of food to eat and calculating the best diet can be difficult. According to a recent news story a new diet called The Petite Advantage Diet by author Jim Karas has some dining tips for petite women including eating 40 fewer calories a day than taller women. It probably does not sound like much but it adds as much as 4 pounds a year. Forest Park Medical Center registered dietitian Katie Pearson said the logic is basically based on numbers and simple math –the smaller the person the less fuel required. Shorter people, yes, they probably have to work a little bit harder than taller people because it can kind of catch up with them quicker than taller people,” Pearson said. “There is less space to put it. The petite diet also calls for women to eat in the beginning of the day with breakfast comprising 40% of the day’s calories. Petite patients who are considering breast augmentation and body contouring procedures like liposuction should also be conscious of their height and proportional weight. Dr. Kim helps patients decide about breast implant sizes taking into consideration their height and body frame. Smaller women with smaller rib cages can be overpowered rather easily if the breast implants are too large. For liposuction, especially liposuction of the outer thighs or abdomen petite patients should always consider their overall body contour and liposuction should complement the contour not detract from it. Dr. Kim uses surgical expertise as well as his innate artistic talent to achieve the best results for his patients.

Resting is not a luxury it is a necessity. According to recent NBC Today news story last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention proclaimed lack of sleep as a public health epidemic. And an American Psychological Association survey showed a significant gap between the level of stress people stated that they experience and what they believed was a healthy level. But another survey discovered that when women are tired, 80 percent are at minimum somewhat likely to push right on through. We live in a culture in which people accept lagging energy as a fact of life, confirms integrative medicine specialist Frank Lipman, M.D., author of Revive: Stop Feeling Spent and Start Living Again.It’s a mindset that starts early. We’re now primed to be fatigued from the get-go, says anesthesiologist Bradley Carpentier, M.D., who has studied causes of exhaustion. We not only feel the effects of exhaustion they also show in our appearance. For women, reenergizing can be a critical strategy for maintaining both mental and physical health. Many patients seek consultation with Dr. Kim because they have decided to re-energize their overall appearance. For some patients, that means pursuing a more proportionate figure with breast augmentation, liposuction, or abdominoplasty. For other patients this could mean addressing areas of the face that have begun to show the signs of aging. Dr. Kim may recommend noninvasive cosmetic procedures like Botox or surgical procedures including facelift, brow lift, and blepharoplasty. Reducing stress and caring for our health including our appearance is one of the best ways to ensure a fulfilling and satisfied life.

As the nation prepares to celebrate Mother’s Day on Sunday many mothers wait in anticipation for gifts from those who would help her celebrate the special day. Few would argue that most mothers have paid a tremendous price doing what it takes to be the best mother they can. This year Dr. Kim has a number of patients who are being celebrated with the gift of a mommy makeover. This procedure is typically a breast augmentation combined with an abdominoplasty or tummy tuck. Because every patient is different, there are many variations included in a mommy makeover. For some patients the breast augmentation may include a breast lift and a small implant. For other patients a breast reduction is a better option because of the amount of existing breast tissue. For better contour of the waist Dr. Kim will typically recommend an abdominoplasty when there is an extreme amount of loose and lax skin. For some patients, liposuction may be a better option if skin is tight. These procedures are performed together and for most patients the recovery is only 7 to 10 days. Of course, this will vary based on the extent of surgery being performed. For most patients the result Dr. Kim is able to achieve is not only better than they had prior to pregnancy, but in many cases better than they could have achieved through diet and exercise alone. A mommy makeover is the perfect gift for moms who want to maintain their most youthful and beautiful appearance.

The US has waited nearly a decade for a new prescription diet pill to come to market with FDA approval. According to a recent Fox news report advisers to government health regulators made the recommendation for the approval of sales of the prescription weight-loss drug lorcaserin despite concerns over cardiac risks. A panel of expert advisers to the Food and Drug Administration voted 18-4 to facilitate the recommendation for approval of lorcaserin, developed by Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc. They concluded that the overall benefits outweigh the potential risks when used long term in overweight and obese people. One panel member did not vote at all. Lorcaserin is one of three experimental weight-loss drugs whose scientist and creators have been attempting for a second time to obtain approval, after the FDA denied them all in 2010 or early 2011. Patients should be aware that as these and other prescription diet pills become available on the market weight loss can cause body contour changes even for patients who have had breast augmentation. Breast augmentation patients who have lost a significant amount of weight after surgery may find a noticeable decrease in breast their breast size. They may also notice a degree of sagging to the breast that was not present prior to their weight loss. Dr. Kim consults with patients who are concerned about the changes in their breast augmentation following significant weight loss. In some cases, he may recommend a breast lift, and possibly an exchange of the breast implants. In other situations he may recommend a breast lift alone. Patients should consult with Dr. Kim if they have changes in their breast augmentation and would like to know which options are available to improve the shape and contour after significant weight loss.

Having a cesarean birth is not very uncommon in the United States anymore. According to a recent ABC news story Nearly 1 in 3 babies in the U.S. is born via C-section. In the 1950s and 1960s, having a C-section was very uncommon. Surgeons usually performed them only when a mother or baby’s life was in eminent danger. There are some situations in which performing a C-section is to be preferred, but that’s major surgery. In most cases, the safest way, for mother and baby, is to deliver vaginally, said Dr. Marvin Lipman. If a woman’s first birth is a C-section, there comes about a 90 percent chance any births that will follow will also be C-sections. That doesn’t have to happen. Many women who’ve had a C-section, especially with a low-transverse incision, are able to have a vaginal birth after a C-section. That’s known as a VBAC, Lipman said. Dr. Kim consults with many mothers who have had cesarean births. They often complain of the inability to flatten their stomach regardless of how many situps and muscle tightening exercises they commit to on a daily basis. Dr. Kim will typically recommend an abdominoplasty combined with liposuction to help these patients achieve the flat stomach that they desire. Dr. Kim will often tighten the abdominal muscle which is usually cut during cesarean birth. By tightening this muscle patients are able to enjoy an abdomen that is typically flatter than it was prior to the birth of their child.

In a struggling global economic climate it is understandable how people will search for better pricing. When it comes to plastic surgery including breast augmentation this is not always the best choice. According to a recent ABC local news story one woman found that her choice to have breast augmentation outside of the United States could have possibly cost her life. According to the news story Teresita Morales’ had a breast implant that ruptured and leaked into her chest wall. This created excruciating de pain for the 43 year old, who feared cancer. Morales had a real reason to be scared. In 2003, she went to her native Venezuela to get breast augmentation surgery. She and her sister both had the procedure performed. The surgeon gave her Poly Implant Prothese, also known as PIP silicone implants. That French company is now bankrupt. PIP silicone devices were never sold in the U.S. Years later, patients who got them overseas like Morales found that the implants were filled with non-medical grade silicone among other ingredients. According to the story morale is had her implants removed and much of the unknown substance had leaked into her lymph nodes. It is important for patients to understand that the United States has many protective guidelines for breast augmentation that are not required in other countries. The FDA approved silicone breast implants offered by Dr. Kim have extensive warranties provided to patients. The skill and expertise of the plastic surgeon is difficult to verify when patients travel for surgery outside of the United States and if there is a complication follow-up care is virtually impossible without adding unplanned days to the patient’s stay.

Mixing up your exercise routine allows you to benefit from a new energy and often get better results. According to a recent ABC news story there is a new trend in working out using yoga. According to the news story the latest trend in fitness is centered on throwing a tantrum. Tantrum yoga was created to have you breathe, dance and scream your way to better health.It’s part yoga. It’s part semantic therapy, it’s park ancestral healing and it’s loads of fun, said Frank Marino of Newport Beach .It’s created and taught by seasoned instructor Hemalayaa, who desired more os and create a toned and aesthetically pleasing appearance. Dr. Kim is usually able to achieve better results than patients could achieve on their own through diet and exercise.ut of traditional practice. I need more. I need to dance, I need to shake, I need to scream, so it just felt perfectly right, she said. The class includes the right technique for yoga breathing, stretching and meditation, but there’s also dance and vocal techniques to facilitate joy and good health. And as you might imagine – it’s therapeutic for days filled with life’s challenges. It’s release that Hemalayaa thinks we all need. Dr. Kim helps patients understand that even with proper exercise and diet patients can still have areas of their body they would like to improve. Some patients especially those who are over the age of 40 find that they have small areas of fat that are localized and very difficult to get rid of. These areas include the abdomen, outer thighs, and upper back. As an artist and experienced plastic surgeon Dr. Kim is able to sculpt these areas and acheive better results than diet and exercise alone.