If you thought the use of Botox™ was a strictly female pastime, you’d be surprised to discover that it was men who accounted for more than 220 000 Botox™ shots last year in the US alone. Botox™ is now the most popular non-surgical procedure amongst men.

The reasons that men seek out Botox™ treatments are two-fold: the first is to increase social confidence, especially within the singles scene. Often, men who are approaching their 30s and 40s and have remained single, find that they require a confidence boost of the injected kind. Secondly, Botox™ is seen as a career investment. For men who want to look more relaxed and perhaps less intimidating during professional negotiations, Botox™ is a valuable tool in achieving this goal. If facial lines and wrinkles are deep, they can cause a person to look angry, and for men who have chosen careers in industries such as sales, where first impressions are highly valued, a more ‘approachable’ appearance is preferable.

Botox™ is a purified protein toxin produced by the Clostridium botulinum bacterium and for the purpose of beautifying and creating a more youthful appearance, it is used in extremely small quantities. Approved for both therapeutic and cosmetic use, Botox™ remains in the target muscle when applied and does not spread throughout the body. It penetrates the muscle that creates the wrinkle and then blocks the nerve impulse from reaching that specific area, and so the muscle relaxes and the wrinkle over the muscle is smoothed away.

When it comes to men, the application of Botox™ is different to women. For example, injecting too much Botox™ above the brow area can give the eyebrows an arched and immobile appearance. This can either make one look permanently startled or slightly feminine and should be avoided when applied to men. Men also generally require larger doses of Botox™, even as high as 50% more, because of their heavier and more active musculature.

Botox™ continues to prevent the re-emergence of facial lines and wrinkles for four to eight months, and so the professional man hardly has to sacrifice his demanding work schedule to maintain his youthful appearance. With extended treatment, results can last as long as eight months. In terms of safety, Botox™ has been approved for use on children as young as three years old to treat cerebral palsy symptoms. It is also commonly used to reduce sweating by up to 90% for a period of up to nine months and is thus a favourite among celebrities for red carpet events.

In the realm of non-invasive facial rejuvenation for socially active, professional men, Botox™ has proven both the most popular and the most effective. Provided a well trained physician is administering it, the recipient’s natural appearance is not compromised, though his youthful complexion is restored – essential for the masculine, yet aesthetically sensitive man of today.

What you should think about before you have a tummy tuck

In order to have a tummy tuck procedure, you should be at your ideal weight. Before you consider this option you should take a look at your lifestyle. Although many people think that a tummy tuck is a kind of weight loss surgery it is important to realise that the ideal candidate for this type of surgery should already be in relatively good shape prior to the surgery.

Why have a tummy tuck?

Having children is a wonderful experience but it can often have a negative effect on a woman’s figure. For many women, the abdomen fails to return to its normal size after pregnancy or excess weight gain. Many women end up suffering from low self-confidence because despite a healthy diet and plenty of exercise, they struggle to shed that extra weight in the tummy area. It’s in cases like this that a tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty, can provide a long lasting solution. A tummy tuck can drastically tighten the abdominal muscles, as well as sagging, excess skin and accumulated fatty tissue. Not only will the abdomen be firmer and flatter, but the waist will be smaller as well. The amount of improvement depends on the extent of the operation but most people report that they have a much better body image after surgery.

Tummy tucks are becoming one of the most popular reconstructive surgery procedures for women in South Africa. Reconstructive and cosmetic surgery has come a long way over the years with modern techniques and technological development, ensuring that people end up spending a lot less time in the hospital. Having cosmetic surgery is a major decision and the results can have an enormous impact on a person’s life. Today’s highly qualified surgeons use the latest state-ofthe-art facilities to ensure the best results but it is also up to the patient to maintain a healthy lifestyle before and after the surgery in order to see optimal results.

How is the surgery performed?

The Internationally recognised Netcare Rosebank Hospital is a private hospital, offering the latest highest standards in private healthcare. Situated in the heart of Johannesburg, it is a well-established hospital, with world-class, state-of-the-art equipment, and a dedicated team of highly qualified and experienced staff members. The whole team is willing and able to assist patients before and after surgery with any aspect of their treatment, or any other aspect related to their well-being and care. There are several different techniques but the most common procedure is performed under general anaesthesia. The operation usually takes anything from about two to five hours. Most commonly, a horizontal lower abdominal incision is used which can easily be covered underneath a bikini line. A second incision is sometimes performed around the belly button. The abdomen is flattened by removing excess skin and tightening the muscles of the abdominal wall.

Q

What does the FDA approval of silicone breast implants entail?

A

Silicone gel-filled implants are medical devices. The FDA (US food and drug administration) evaluates these devices and must be satisfied that they are safe for use in the long term. Extensive research is needed in order to satisfy the committee’s requirements that the product is of high quality, safety and efficacy.

Q

What does this approval mean for women wanting breast implants?

A

There has been controversy in recent years over safety of silicone used in breast implants. The FDA’s approval means that there is no evidence to suggest the silicone used in implants is toxic to humans and that women with silicone breast implants are no more likely to develop cancer, immunologic diseases or neurological problems, than the rest of the population. It also means that there was no evidence to suggest that women with implants had a higher risk of breast cancer.

Linda Jones and Carole Ballinger had been near neighbours and great friends for so many years, they were almost like family. And so it seemed to make perfect sense that their children would fall in love, marry and make it official.

Although the marriage of Carole’s son to Linda’s daughter was one of the most joyful experiences of both their lives, as it is for every mother who watches her child walk down the isle, the event was, for the brand new mothers-in-law, a journey that brought them more than just fond memories and extended family. Carole and Linda felt a sense of ambivalence, about being the focus of so much attention: with weddings, come wedding photos and Linda and Carole were less than impressed with the images of themselves they saw peering back at them.

This was the boost they needed. “After seeing the photos, Linda and I both commented on how old our faces looked,”recalls Carole. She had spoken to her family and friends about facial rejuvenation surgery for two years already and “I was beginning to get desperate. The hollows in my cheeks looked terrible and I was looking really haggard.”

It was at this point that these two friends decided to investigate the option of facelift surgery, a journey they would experience together and through which they would support each other. “Both our husbands thought we were mad! They both said we looked okay,” says Carole. But both Women had decided that “okay” wasn’t quite enough. “We were determined to go through with it.”

Before moving forward with plans for surgery, Carole and Linda investigated every aspect of the procedure, met with their surgeon beforehand so that he could explain the process in detail and also met with people who had already had facial rejuvenation surgery to see the results and hear about their experiences. When the day finally arrived and they entered the hospital, they saw that “there were actually eight of us who were having face lifts, so it was comforting that we were not on our own.”

Both surgeries went extremely well and all that was left was some quiet and tranquil time for recovery. The next day, together with the other recovering patients, Linda and Carole spent their time recuperating in the garden of their hotel. “We all looked like something from a horror movie, all bloody and bruised and bandaged but still feeling good!” Day after day, Carole would look in the mirror in wonder and feel as if an entirely different person was staring back at her – a far better one – as part of her surgery involved plumping up the sagging in her face. “I now had a round face instead of a long one.”