Surveyed surgeons said Botox, nose and eyelid modifications among most common requests

THURSDAY, Feb. 9 (HealthDay News) — A growing number of Americans are getting advice and information about facial plastic surgery from social networking sites rather than friends,  a new survey indicates.

About 42 percent of patients in 2011 got information from social media such as Facebook and Twitter, a substantial increase from 29 percent of patients in 2010. The number of patients who sought information from friends fell from 63 percent in 2010 to 48 percent last year.

The findings are from the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery’s (AAFPRS) annual poll of member surgeons.

“We are encouraged by the possibilities that Facebook, Twitter and other social channels offer for prospective patients, but urge all patients to exercise caution in researching facial plastic procedures to ensure information is from a reliable source,” academy president Dr. Tom Wang said in an academy news release.

“There’s a great deal of misinformation out there, and the best way to circumvent that is to consult an AAFPRS physician who is qualified, experienced and trained in performing facial plastic procedures,” he added.

The survey also found that Botox and hyaluronic acid injections were the most common nonsurgical procedures in 2011, while rhinoplasty (nose modification), blepharoplasty (eyelid modification), ablative skin resurfacings and facelifts were the most common types of surgical procedures.

Among the other findings from the new survey:

• 70 percent of patients requested procedures by describing the area of concern rather than asking for a specific product or procedure by name.
• Nonsurgical procedures were more common than surgical procedures.
• 63 percent of procedures were cosmetic rather than reconstructive.
• For the third year in a row, women had more surgical and nonsurgical procedures than men, with the exception of hair transplants.
• Among different ethnic/racial groups, the most common cosmetic procedures were rhinoplasty for blacks and Hispanics, blepharoplasty or rhinoplasty for Asian Americans, and rhinoplasty and facelift for whites.
• Only 14 percent of surgeons said they saw an increase in requests for “celebrity procedures,” such as wanting Angelina Jolie’s lips.

Physicians and patients could benefit from hair professionals being trained to help in the early detection of skin cancer on the scalp, neck and face, a study says.

Nearly 60% of 203 hair professionals surveyed at 17 salons in the Houston area said they already had recommended at least once that a customer see a health professional for an abnormal mole, said a report in the October Archives of Dermatology (archderm.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/147/10/1159/).

In addition, 37% looked at more than half of their customers’ scalps for suspicious lesions during the previous month, 29% checked more than half of their customers’ necks, and 30% looked at more than half of their customers’ faces.

Scalp and neck melanomas represent 6% of all melanomas, and they account for 10% of melanoma deaths in the United States.

Hair professionals could help with earlier detection of these cancers, said Alan C. Geller, MPH, RN, a study author and senior lecturer at Harvard School of Public Health.

“The scalp is a perfect example of a place for many late-term melanomas because patients aren’t looking at their head,” Geller said. “I am encouraged by how many [hair professionals] are already looking [for lesions]. Going forward, we don’t have to start from scratch.”

The study said hair professionals are a logical choice to serve as an early detector of skin cancer. They have a “natural view of the scalp, neck and face; spend an extended period with each customer; and often act as a source of advice and information on health-related issues.” They also can reach groups, including men and the poor, who have worse skin cancer outcomes and are less likely to see physicians for regular screening.

Training hair professionals will be key, Geller said. Researchers are evaluating the impact of a 20-minute education session that addresses skin cancer and the role that hair professionals can play in its early detection and prevention. Pamphlets and customer information cards also are being used to facilitate discussions.

Andrew F. Alexis, MD, MPH, said he has had many female patients come into his office after hair stylists told them to see a dermatologist.

“Most of the cases referred to me via hairdressers are alopecias, benign moles or growths and common inflammatory skin disorders that can affect the scalp. While I have not yet had any skin cancers diagnosed in this way, this is always a possibility,” said Dr. Alexis, director of the Skin of Color Center at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital in New York City.

He believes educational materials about melanoma and features of skin cancers of the scalp would be useful for hair stylists and could help with early detection. “I would strongly support any efforts to educate hairdressers in this way,” he said.

Many hair professionals are eager to learn more about screening clients for suspicious lesions, the study showed. Among survey participants, nearly half were “very” or “extremely” interested in participating in a skin cancer education program. Nearly 70% were “somewhat” or “very likely” to give customers a skin cancer information pamphlet during an appointment.

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Whiting, Ind. — Nearly one-fourth of U.S. adults
say they would get plastic surgery if cost were not an issue.

That’s one of the results of a recent Harris Interactive
online poll conducted Jan. 5 to Jan. 9 among 2,541 respondents ages 18 and
older. Harris conducted the survey on behalf of CouponCabin.com, a Whiting-based
online coupon website.

PRNewswire reports that overall, 23 percent of adult respondents
said they would have a cosmetic procedure done if cost were not a consideration.
That response broke down to 28 percent among women and 18 percent among men.

Fifteen percent of respondents said they would consider getting
plastic surgery regardless of cost.

The survey also revealed that 9 percent of women ages 18 to 44
said they have used a coupon or a daily deal to help pay for a cosmetic
procedure, and that 22 percent of adults who haven’t used a coupon or daily deal
to help pay for a procedure said they would consider it. That response was
broken down among women and men at 31 and 23 percent, respectively.

Five percent of the respondents said they have used a coupon or
daily deal for other medical procedures, such as teeth cleaning or a doctor’s
visit. Of those who have used a coupon for a medical procedure, 34 percent said
they did so to help bridge gaps in medical insurance coverage.

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San Francisco — A new study suggests that abobotulinumtoxinA
(Dysport, Medicis) may be more effective in treating orbital rhytids — crow’s
feet — than onabotulinumtoxinA (Botox, Allergan).

In a split-face, double-blind study, researchers at the Maas Clinic in San
Francisco found that although both medications showed statistically significant
changes at day two following injection, by day four improvement in those
receiving abobotulinumtoxinA had reached significance — and that trend was
maintained through day six.

The study involved 90 patients with moderate-to-severe lateral
orbital rhytids who had not had a botulinum toxin treatment in the previous six
months or undergone other plastic surgery interventions. Patients with a history
of adverse reactions to botulinum toxin or of degenerative neuromuscular
disorders were excluded.

Treatment involved injecting onabotulinumtoxinA (10 U) in one side of the
face and abobotulinumtoxinA (30 U) in the other. Patients were seen and
evaluated on days two, four and six after treatment. Prior to treatment and at
each follow-up, standard five-view photographs were taken for each patient at
rest and during maximal contraction. Both patient and an independent
investigator evaluated the crow’s feet at rest and maximal contraction before
treatment and at each visit.

“Both abobotulinumtoxinA and onabotulinumtoxinA achieved statistically
significant onset of action on day two,” the authors wrote in the study
abstract. “AbobotulinumtoxinA had a trend toward greater improvement than
onabotulinumtoxinA at day two and statistically significant greater improvement
at days four and six, when looking at maximal contraction.”

MedPage Today reports that in an email, a spokesperson for Botox-maker
Allergan said the study was funded by Dysport-maker Medicis, though the authors
reported no financial disclosures in the abstract that appears in Archives of Facial Plastic
Surgery. In an email to Cosmetic Surgery Times, Medicis
spokesperson Kara Stancell writes, “These findings resulted from an independent,
physician-initiated study that was funded by a grant from Medicis, but not
designed or conducted by Medicis. The study investigators are well-regarded, and
the study speaks for itself.”

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