Despite their hype, most wrinkle creams do not have a significant effect on actually reducing wrinkles. The creams are typically just good skin moisturizers with an added “special” ingredient that makes for a good story but doesn’t actually do anything. (The exceptions are ones with effective levels of retinoids).

What really removes wrinkles

Of course plastic surgery really removes wrinkles. But it’s expensive and involves one or more surgical procedures. Personally, this Beauty Brain doesn’t like the idea of surgery for fixing the things time is doing to my skin. I’ve seen too many celebrity face lifts that have looked too weird (If you’re interested in seeing celebrities who’ve had cosmetic surgery, check out our favorite blog on the subject.) But if wrinkle creams are bogus and surgery’s not an option, at least there’s Botox. Right? Maybe not!

Is Botox Benign?

Now, scientists have found evidence that Botox may not be as safe as believed. According to this Italian study, the toxin used in Botox treatments was shown to migrate into the brains of treated rats. They say there were no observable negative effects, but it does seem a little scary. Could you exposing your brain to a known toxin while smoothing out your skin? Of course, scientists and the media who report on these types of things tend to exaggerate to make things sound more sensational. Botox treatments have been around since the early 1980’s and they were approved by the FDA in 2002. There has been no indication that treatments are turning people into brain damaged zombies.

However, science is always changing and when there is evidence of a problem, it is wise to be cautious. More research will be needed so I remain skeptical of the problem. But if you’re thinking about getting Botox this is just one more thing to add to your consideration. Do you really want to risk nerve and brain damage to get rid of wrinkles?

Some people might.

What do YOU think? Have you, or anyone else you know, had Botox injections?

–Mid Brain

Here’s a story from Tokyo Mango that was curious. Supposedly, if you drink this F-Cup tea you can naturally grow bigger boobs. It’s based on plant extracts from sunflower and pueraria mirifica. They have a cookie version too in case you would rather eat those. Does it work?

From tea cup to bra cup

The science. Pueraria mirifica is a phytoestrogen-rich herb traditionally used in Thailand folk medicine. It has been evaluated by various reproductive health researchers. While no one has claimed it can increase breast size, this study shows it can have prevent some breast tumors (in rats anyway). Sunflower oil has also been investigated for an effect on breast tumor inhibition. So, both extracts have been shown to have some effect. Does this translate to bigger breast? Possibly, but the connection is weak.

The Beauty Brains bottom line

However, if you don’t want to shell out the thousands of dollars it costs for implants, drinking enhanced tea seems like a harmless enough experiment. Who knows, you may actually see a difference. Of course it could just be psychosomatic but does that really matter?

Claire’s question: My sister Grace told me she’s considering a plastic surgery procedure to improve her posterior. What can you tell me about the Brazilian Butt Lift?

The Right Brain butts in:
Claire, normally we try to focus on cosmetic products but it’s hard to resist an email that combines the terms “Brazilian” and “Butt” in the same question. So, we checked with our favorite cosmetic surgeon, Dr. Tony Youn, for the 411 on butt lifting.

What is a Brazilian Butt Lift?

As the name implies, it’s a procedure to shape and firm your derrière. We wonder why it’s named after this particular country. Was it first performed by doctors in Brazil? Do Brazilian women have genetically superior asses? Or is the process some how related to Brazil nuts? We can only speculate…

Whatever the derivation of its name, a BBL is designed to give you “youthful, prominent, perky buttocks.” How does it work? Fat grafting! That means the surgeon uses liposuction to remove fat from your lower back, stomach and thighs. The fat is purified and then re-injected into different areas of your buttocks at various depths. It may take hundreds of tiny injections to fill the upper quadrant of your buttocks but when done correctly it does make your butt look better. But a poor injection job can be painful and produce fat shapeless buttocks.

Are there any problems with this perky pooper procedure?

Aside from the aforementioned shapeless buttocks, other side effects include irregular asymmetric skin, numbness, bruising and swelling. On occasion, the incisions may ooze significant fluid. And since the doctor may need to overfill your buttocks to allow for some fat re-absorption back into your body, your butt may temporarily look puffy or swollen. The good news is that unlike silicone butt implants, there is no risk of allergic reaction since the fat injections are your own natural substance.

To avoid some of these issues Dr Youn says: “My favorite way to enhance the buttocks, however, is to liposuction the hips and thighs around it. This essentially makes everything around it smaller, and can indirectly make the bottom look bigger and rounder compared to the rest of the body. It doesn’t take as much time, has few complications, and allows the patient to sit down immediately.”

How many bucks will it cost to lift my butt?

According to what we found on other sites (these are not Dr. Youn’s prices), the average cost of a Brazilian Butt Lift is about $15,000. That includes the physician’s fee, anesthesia, hospital costs, post operative nursing care, and all post operative office visits.

So tell your sister that for the price of a new car, she can have the rear end of her dreams.

Curious about to see how much better your behind be? Click here to see some before and after butt lift pictures.

Oh now come on, this just doesn’t sound right. I saw this article about a new technology for lunch hour boob jobs and was simultaneously intrigued, disturbed, and skeptical. One hour for bigger breasts? Really?

According to the article a company called Cytori Therapeutics says they have a stem-cell based technology that can actually super-charge your fat cells and fill in breast volume. The way it works is this. First, fat is taken from the patient’s butt or stomach via liposuction. Then stem cells from the fat are isolated and put into a small cartridge. This is then injected into the breasts. The whole procedure takes a little over an hour. Then during the next 6 months the stem cells grow and somehow make the breasts get larger. Clinical trials are reportedly under way and the process has already been approved in Germany. This sounds very similar to a breast technology we discussed last year.

Brains are skeptical

The thing that gets my skeptical senses going is that this wasn’t published in any of the typical science wires that the Beauty Brains frequent. The story cites Chemistry and Industry magazine as their source. This is a less-scientific source than journals like Science or Nature or The New England Journal of Medicine where you might expect a big story like this to break. Chemistry and Industry Magazine tends to hype technologies without solid science to back it up.

So, I looked into Cytori Therapeutics. They’re based in California (of course, the world capital of boob jobs) and they call the technology the Celution System. Med Gadget did a report on the Celution technology last year and said it had not yet been proven to work. But this report from the BBC indicates a 19 person trial conducted in Japan showed it basically worked with no major side effects. That’s a small number but encouraging. More testing is needed.

The Beauty Brains bottom line:

Interesting and it may actually work. It won’t be available for another couple years but can you imagine, new breasts in under an hour with no cutting? How many in the Beauty Brains community would sign up for that?

Want more Beauty Brains brilliance?  Get your copy of the Beauty Brains book here.

Deb A. asks: Do you have much knowledge on a therapy for skin tightening known as Mesotherapy? Apparently they have been doing it for many years in France and recently brought it to the US. It is a series of injections with a drug “cocktail” containing homeopathic and chemicals (including hyaluronic acid) to stimulate skin tightening and collagen production.

The Left Brain trims the fat:

According to The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (via Science Daily), Mesotherapy has not been established as safe and effective. I quote:

According to an ASPS Device & Technique Assessment (DATA) Committee report published in the April 15 (2005) issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery¦ patients should be wary of mesotherapy until the safety and effectiveness of the procedure are confirmed.

The following line caught my attention:

There is no information on what happens to fatty acids once they leave the targeted area or how the various ingredients affect the body’s organs and other tissues. There is simply too much we do not know about mesotherapy to say it is unquestionably safe for patients.

More recently (August 2006) the American Academy of Dermatologists had this to say Mesotherapy:

Dr. Donofrio notes that a precise definition of the term is lacking “ from her perspective it may be considered a subcutaneous injection technique of any medication, in any locale of the body, with the goal of removing fat (cellulite) or having an anti-aging effect…There is very sparse medical literature on the efficacy of mesotherapy.

The article goes on to site examples of mesotherapy injections with different materials gave different kinds of results. At best it sounds like the process is inconsistent, at worse it sounds dangerous.

The conclusion of the article really sums up what I think:

What can we advise our patients who inquire about the potential benefits of mesotherapy? Perhaps sometime in the future, a brilliant innovator will have the developed the proper cocktail that, when injected into the subcutaneous tissue, will cause lipolysis, in a risk-free manner. That day has not arrived. In 2006, regarding mesotherapy, only two words prevail: caveat emptor.

The Beauty Brains bottom line:

Perhaps new information has come to light in the last year, but I didn’t find it. So, considering the lack of solid medical data on this process, I’d be very careful.  There really isn’t enough evidence to say that it’s worth doing.  In your email you said you’ve already had one treatment. Would you please write back and tell us how that works out for you?

Andrea asks: I would like to have a larger bust, but I really don’t want implants. I have heard of the Brava Breast Enhancement system, which seems to be endorsed by a lot of plastic surgeons, and some scientific studies. Do you have any inside info or insight?

The Left Brain responds:

If we keep getting questions about bras and breast enhancement I’ll have to add a special Boob category on the sidebar!

For those of you in the Beauty Brains community who are not familiar with the Brava system, it supposedly works by gently pulling on your breasts which keeps them under tension for hours at a time. This sustained tension causes the cells to grow new tissue that makes your breasts appear larger and fuller.

How does BRAVA work

According to the the BRAVA website, the System consists of two semi-rigid domes, with specially engineered silicone gel rims, and a sophisticated minicomputer, called a SmartBox, that creates and regulates the tension within the domes.

Semi-rigid domes? Engineered silicone rims? Sophisticated minicomputer? Is this a breast enhancer or some kind of Terminator Robot from the Future?

But I digress. The real question is: does it really work? Since our forte is cosmetic chemistry, not breast enhancement, we asked our friend Dr. Rob Oliver over at Plastic Surgery 101 to give his expert opinion. Based on his experience, Dr. Rob says that Brava doesn’t work well, it’s uncomfortable, and must be worn for weeks before you see results “ if you see any at all. He’s aware of very few people who use or endorse it.

The Beauty Brains bottom line:

That’s good enough for me - I’ll take the opinion of a doctor and scientist over the hype from the company selling the product any day. Dr. Rob said he’d try to post more details on his blog, so keep your eye on Plastic Surgery 101. In the meantime, if any of the Beauty Brains community has used this device I’d be curious to hear your experience. If you haven’t used it, I suggest you save your money.

Strappy Bra Top, Garter Belt Skirtini Skirt, G-string Panty Set
From: Flirty Lingerie

Big Evie Is Feeling Droopy:  Aside from surgical procedures, what’s the best way to lift eyelids that are just beginning to sag? I notice that my eyelids perk up after a nap, but I can’t sleep all of the time!

The Right Brain Lifts Her Spirits:
A saggy or droopy eyelid is also called ptosis or blepharoptosis. For most people this condition is just annoying but when the it’s severe, the lowered lid can actually interfere with your vision. There are 5 primary types of ptosis, each with it’s own cause:

1. Congenital ptosis

This affects infants and occurs when the levator muscle (the muscle that lifts the eyelid) doesn’t develop properly. Surgery may be required to prevent permanent loss of vision later in the child’s life.

2. Muscle diseases

This condition is like myasthenia gravis, progressive external ophthalmoplegia, or oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy, can cause ptosis too. These conditions are much more serious and ptosis os more of a side effect than the actual problem. Seek medical help if you think you have any muscular disorder.

3. Nerve problems

These can cause ptosis because the eye muscles are controlled by nerves. Any condition that damages the nerves, like a stroke, brain tumor, brain aneurysm can result in ptosis.

4. Local eye problems

Special conditions like eye infections, tumors inside the eye socket, or even a blow to the eye, can cause ptosis as well.

5. Aponeurotic ptosis

Also called senile or age-related ptosis, aponeurotic ptosis is the most common type. The combination of gravity and aging results in a stretches the tendon-like tissue that helps the levator muscle hold the eyelid open. Hard contact lenses, history of eye infections, of trauma to the eye can increase chances of this type of ptosis.

The Beauty Brains bottom line:

Because gravity and old age are such powerful forces, The Beauty Brains think the most likely cause of your problem is the Age-Related type (We hate to call it the Senile Type!) But if your problem is severe, or if you’re having any other symptoms, you shouldn’t hesitate to see a doctor. Unfortunately, short of having eye surgery there’s really no effective treatment for droopy eyelids. Some film forming cosmetics may give you temporary respite by providing a slight tightening of the eyelid skin, but there’s no topical product that can truly reverse this condition.

Suzie M Wants To Know: This is a little bit embarrassing, but I’d like to know how to tell when someone has had a boob job. My friends think they can spot fake ones a mile away, but I’m not so sure. Are there any technical tip offs that we should know about?

The Right Boob, uh, I mean Brain, Replies:
We’re cosmetic scientists, not cosmetic surgeons, but we did some research and we think we can help on this one. A lot of this information is common sense, but we’ve tried to look at this as scientifically as possible.

First let’s point out that factors such as body type, original breast size and shape, and type and placement of the implant are important in the resulting appearance. And of course, don’t underestimate the skill and experience of the surgeon. Having said that, there are a few key things to look for when deciding if someone’s breasts are Real or Real Expensive.

In the interest of good taste, we’ll limit this discussion to observations you can make on a woman who’s fully clothed and not talk about how you can tell from touching them or from things you could see on a naked breast, like scars.

1) Size

While size alone can’t tell you if breasts have been augmented or not, it certainly is an important factor. Pay attention to whether or not a woman’s breasts look disproportionate to her body. If they look too big and you want to know if they’re fake, consider the rest of the visual cues listed below.

2) Shape

Is the shape too perfect? If so, they might be fake since the majority of natural breasts aren’t perfect orbs. Furthermore, real breasts are not exactly identical, so if they look like perfect twins they might be artificial. Also look for too much roundness as opposed to a more relaxed pear-like shape. Natural breasts have a natural sliding curve line from top to bottom. They slope down gradually. Implants tend to have a much higher arc as you look from top to bottom. Firm appearance is another cue; augmented breasts can look more like solid muscle.

3) Placement

Vertical placement: Look at where the breast are positioned on her chest. Breasts are naturally found at about armpit height. Frequently, implants are placed too high on the chest. This is particularly noticeable if she’s not wearing a bra. Horizontal placement: look at the spacing between the breasts. If they’re more than a fist’s width apart, they might be fake. If the surgeon didn’t properly scrape the pectoral tendons, the implants may not be spaced close enough together.

4) Movement

Real breasts are mostly fat, which gives them a jiggle quality; implants don’t move that way. Look at the way her breasts shift (or don’t shift) when she she reaches back or stretches. If they maintain the same dimensions, instead of flattening out, then they’re probably fake. Observe how they follow her body movements, particularly when she’s moving and swinging her arms. Watch how they behave as she bends over, you should see them fall if they’re real. If you’re looking at someone at who’s laying down at the beach or the pool or whatever, see if her breasts naturally fall to the side or if they unnaturally stick up.

5) Other Visual Cues

Depending on what she`s wearing, you might be able to see some additional visual cues like the shape and location of her nipples. A bad boob job may put them too high, too low, or not pointing in the same direction. You might also be able to catch a glimpse of stretch marks that could be a byproduct of the surgery. (Of course, stretch marks can also occur naturally from weight gain and loss.)

Take the Quiz

Think you’ve got it now? Then take this online quiz on Augmentation Mammoplasty. You get to guess if 30 different pairs of breasts are natural or augmented. Good luck!

There was a fascinating New Scientist article about a possible connection between cosmetic surgery and suicide. According to researchers women who get breast implants are 2 to 3 times more likely to commit suicide than woman who don’t. This same connection was found in 5 independent studies suggesting there may actually be something to it. There was even a suggestion that this value may be higher because women who have breast implants were also more likely to get into fatal car accidents. These would typically be reported as accidents when they could possibly be suicides.

So it leads to the question, why would there be a connection? The following were proposed as possible reasons.

1. Undiagnosed psychological problems

This was said to be the most likely cause. Women who elect to get cosmetic surgery like this are more likely to have some kind of psychological disorder. This includes a condition called body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) in which a person obsesses about barely noticeable or non-existent flaws in their appearance.

2. Drugs & Alcohol

Women who get breast implants are also more likely to partake in drugs & alcohol. It could be that these are the real culprit and the breast implants are just coincidence.

3. Implant leaks

While the scientists say this is highly unlikely it hasn’t been ruled out. It is possible that the chemicals in breast implants are leaking out, affecting the brain, and triggering suicide.

Amazingly, 291,000 American women had breast implants last year. This side of the Beauty Brains has to wonder, Is it really worth it?

Thankfully, there are push-up bras and other non-surgical options to make them look bigger. On the other hand, people should just accept each other for how they are. But be sure to keep using make-up and other cosmetics. You wouldn’t want the Beauty Brains to be out of a job right?

You’ve probably heard about the problems with saline or silicone implants (rupturing, leaking, interfering with mammograms). And then there is the issue of them not looking natural. Well, researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago have been investigating the problem and have reportedly come up with a solution. Dr. Jeremy Mao and his team of researchers have discovered that they can create superior implants by using cells from a patient`s own body.

The way it works is they remove a few bone marrow stem cells from your body. Then they grow these cells in a bio-scaffolding (which is just a fancy Petri dish). The scaffolding can be molded to any size or shape and over time the cells multiply and grow to that shape. When the implant is ready (after a few weeks) it is put in the body and will work just like natural breast tissue.

Of course the research is in its early stages and more long term studies will have to be completed. But the researchers are close. Someday, really natural new breasts made from your own cells will be a reality.