Although Breast Augmentation with Silicone or Saline Implants is still the most popular procedure in plastic surgery, followed by Liposuction and the Tummy Tuck; the Brazilian Buttock Lift was also a big hit at our latest body contouring seminar.  Many patients like the idea of using their own body fat to augment the buttock area.  Adding volume and shape creates a more curvaceous look  and, “Yes” it can be performed with the Tummy Tuck.  As Dr. Togba explained, fat grafting has been performed in plastic surgery for more than 30 years; however, the Brazilian Buttock Lift has become popular in the United States in the last 5 years.  Patients were surprised to find out from Dr. Togba that the most important aspect of this procedure is not only adding fat to the buttock area, but also using liposuction to contour around the buttock, particularly, the lower back and waistline to give that desired inverted heart shape that many are now wanting.

Join us at our next “Mommy Makeover” seminar to find out how to regain and reclaim your shape after childbirth, lift and add fullness to breasts, and remove unwanted excess skin to contour the abdomen and waistline.

Our last seminar was filled to capacity, so don’t delay; call Melody for your R.S.V.P. (510) 763-2525.

Ever thought of saving your fat cells for future use?

I recently went to a conference in San Francisco hosted by AdiCyte, a company in Arizona that banks your fat cells (Adipose tissue) for future use.  This sounds like real advanced medicine, but in fact, they have over 20 years in cell cryopreservation.

Latent in your fat is a huge supply of stem cells that can be harvested and stored for years to come.  Stem cells are the source of the diverse cells in your body, so you can imagine the benefits.  According to AdiCyte, stem cells can be used to regenerate the heart, grow new blood vessels, bladders and tracheas for replacement of diseased or damaged organs.  For aesthetic purposes, the harvested cells can be saved to add volume to the face or augment breasts.

Of course, the younger you are when you bank your cells, the more viable they will be when you need them.  If you are 20 years old when your cells are cryopreserved, they will be 20 years old when you use them in the future.  Once the cells are cryopreserved, the aging process stops.  Sounds unbelievable!  This is truly turning back the clock.  Patients having liposuction may want to consider this option.  By banking your fat cells, in years to come you can use them for facial rejuvenation or they may even save your life.

Once a year, we hold our Cosmetic Surgery Wine & Cheese Open House.  It is our biggest event of the year.

It was a huge success.  Over 60 attendees were greeted as they got off the elevator with the cool, rhythmic, island sounds of Socca, Calypso, and Caribbean Jazz.  With a glass of red or white wine to start their evening, our friends were immediately transported to the Caribbean.  Karen, Bonnie, and I danced in the halls while we chatted with guests and the representatives for Botox, Restylane, Radiesse and Obagi.  This was definitely a relaxed vibe and a great way to end the day.

Dr. Togba discussed fat grafting to the face showing how to get the most desired, natural, rejuvenated look.  He contrasted this with how not to get the overdone, overstuffed result.

It was a delightful evening.

We want to thank our guests for bringing such wonderful energy and our representatives from Allergan, Merz, Medicis, and Obagi for supporting our event.

Join us for one of our more intimate, smaller seminars.  Please call our office to register, (510) 763-2525.

Q:  What is the average age of your patients that have facelifts?

A:  There are different facelift procedures that range from a limited incision facelift which elevates the cheeks and smoothes the jawline to the full facelift that includes tightening the muscles and skin of the neck.  Our facelift patients range from 35 - 85 years.  I recently had a conversation with our patient, Ms. P, who is 80 years old and had a facelift 3 months ago.  When I asked about her welfare, she told me her face looks great.  She notices she gets more attention when out and about.  She is now dating and more active than ever.

Congratulations, Ms. P., we are happy to play a small part in your new found joy!

At our latest “Facial Rejuvenation” seminar Dr. Togba showed photos of his first years in plastic surgery.  With his recent Sculptra injection (Sculptra is a facial volumizer), he demonstrated the benefits of bringing fullness back to his cheeks.

Our guests were excited to hear about the latest techniques in facial plastic surgery that offer the most natural, rejuvenated results.  They were amazed at the face photos from the Obagi “Reveal” camera, which showed underlying facial sun damage.

Here are some of the comments:

“Love the seminars.  No pressure sale, consistent honest information and consultation.”

“I love this office and always enjoy your seminars.  I will be looking to have a facelift soon.”

“You are the best.”

If you missed our seminar, it is not too late to get refreshed for the holidays.  Call Melody, our patient counselor, if you are interested, (510) 763-2525.

Also, take advantage of the Obagi Skin Rejuvenation kit savings.  The cost is $365.  This is a 10% savings.  Supplies are limited.

Here are 3 simple ways to determine if you need a Browlift.

1. Hooding of the lateral Brow. If the excess skin in your upper, outer eyelid hangs down into your eye area, this is a sign that a Browlift is needed.  Many women complain that if they wear eyeliner, by the end of the day they find it out of place, marking the upper lid above their crease.  For some patients, the Browlift is combined with removal of excess upper eyelid skin to open up the eyes and bring back their crease.

2. Transverse forehead furrows. One patient explained that her forehead looked like binder paper and that her creases were clearly making a permanent residence in her forehead.   Look in the mirror and see if you have creases when you are not making facial expressions.  If so, this may mean it is time for a Browlift.

3. Your true brow is below your orbital rim. This one can be tricky for those that arch their brows very high or have shaved their eyebrows.  Feel your brow and your orbital rim, if your brow naturally falls below this area, (see eye photo above), a Browlift can easily fix this.

Many people that need a Browlift do not realize how much they use their forehead muscles to lift their brows up throughout the day.  The best way to determine if you need a Browlift is to schedule a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon.  In the end, your Browlift results should look natural.  Take a look at the before and after photos below.

Have more questions?  Sign up for our next “Facial Rejuvenation” Seminar on October 4 or call our office to schedule a consultation with Dr. Joseph Togba, (510) 763-2525.

Everyone likes to look their best and it starts with the face.  A little facial rejuvenation, enhancement, or turning back the clock a few years is always beneficial.  Molly for instance (not the lady in the photo), is a 49 year old mother of 3 and a business woman.  In her younger years she had a lot of fun in the sun and now she is starting to see the effects of sun damage in her skin.  In a consultation with Dr. Togba, she also pointed out her naso-labial folds and the beginning of marionette lines, (these are the folds that start at the corner of the nose and extend to the mouth and on towards the chin).  Molly wants to turn back time so that she looks as young as she feels.  After a thorough evaluation with Dr. Togba, he explained that she has lost volume or fullness in her cheeks which causes the skin to sag.  Dr. Togba recommended a Mid-facelift performed endoscopically so that incisions are minimal and there is less down time for healing.  This procedure will gently lift the skin and tissue in her cheeks back to their proper position and thereby diminish the naso-labial folds.  He will also add volume to her cheeks by transferring her own body fat.  Molly will start using Obagi, skin rejuvenation program, to address the unevenness in her complexion caused by sun damage.  If Molly wants to look as good as she feels, her results from her procedure should take her back 10 years and the best part is; no one will know unless she tells them. 

To find out more about facial rejuvenation procedures, join Dr. Togba at our next “Facial Rejuvenation” Seminar, Oct 4.  Please call to R.S.V.P.  (888) 831-4197.

Obagi, the company that produces one of the best skin rejuvenations sytems, will arrive at 5pm with the “Reveal” camera.  This camera penetrates the top layer of skin to reveal underlying sun damage that you cannot see on the surface.  If you arrive between 5pm and 6pm, you can get your photo taken and test your skin to see the results.

Please tell us, what do you hope to get out of the seminar?

If you have questions, please facebook, tweet, or email them and we will answer them right away.  

We would love to hear from you.

To R.S.V.P. call (510) 763-2525.  Bring a friend and join us for a delightful evening.

We also added Brazilian Buttock Lift as some attendees wanted to hear more about it.

“Learned so much tonight at the Mommy Makeover Seminar” says another attendee.

Our seminars are informative and enjoyable as we provide an intimate setting to meet Dr. Togba, ask questions, and here important facts from a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon who has performed over 5000 procedures.

Our next seminar will be “Facial  Rejuvenation” on October 4.   Please call our office to register, (888) 831-4197.

You have dedicated all your time to your children and rightfully so, as your family’s health and happiness is most important.

Now you want to take a little time for self improvement, after all, you deserve it. As one patient stated after 3 children,

“I told my husband he is going to have to put me back the way he found me before having children.”

A tummy tuck, breast lift with breast augmentation later, she now has her pre-pregnancy body back and is thrilled with her outcome.

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, in the last 2 years, more “Mommy Makeover” procedures have been performed than ever before. In 2011, over 115,000 Tummy Tucks which is an increase of 85% since 2000, over 307,000 Breast Augmentations, a 45% increase since 2000, and over 90,000 Breast Lifts, a 72% increase since 2000.

Want to learn more about “Mommy Makeover” procedures, join us at our next upcoming “Mommy Makeover” seminar on July 19 presented by Dr. Joseph Togba, a board certified plastic surgeon with over 25 years of experience.