Improvements in the perception of facial attractiveness following surgical aesthetic treatment; study based on online before and after photos.

BACKGROUND: Aesthetic surgery procedures such as lip augmentation, eyelid correction, face-lifting, or Botox treatment for lines and wrinkles are an important part of cosmetic surgery. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to estimate improvement in appearance following plastic surgery using modern collective intelligence methods of validation. METHODS: A total of 108 photographs showing 54 patients prior to and following cosmetic surgery were downloaded from Internet web presentations of several unnamed plastic surgeons. The same number of photographs depicted each of the four investigated areas of treatment-26 lip enhancement, 26 blepharoplasty, 26 face-lift, 26 botulinum toxin injection. Attractiveness of depicted individuals was assessed by 167 observers. Each photograph was judged separately. RESULTS: Blepharoplasty produced the most remarkable improvement in attractiveness amounting to 32.79 (SD ± 26.35). Improvement following Botox treatment stood at 30.29 (SD ± 24.55), whereas face-lifting produces improvement of 28.70 (SD ± 22.76). Improvement following lip augmentation was estimated at 12.70 (SD ± 29.8). Highest Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was obtained for face-lift and Botox (0.24 and 0.22, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Blepharoplasty, face-lifting, and Botox deliver a significant improvement in facial attractiveness. Additionally, face-lifting and Botox are distinguished by a high level of reproducibility. Our results indicate that lip augmentation is a treatment with a statistically significant, but less marked improvement in attractiveness.

Impact of face proportions on face attractiveness.

BACKGROUND: Proportions of face components appear to play a role in facial attractiveness. AIMS: The aim of the study was to establish the best proportions of face components in relation to whole face shape for facial attractiveness. METHODS: Only one face component (eye, nose, or lips) of a model in a series of photographs was altered using a computer program. Alterations consisted of size reduction or augmentation by 5% or 10%. Each photograph depicted a particular face component altered to either 90%, 95%, 100%, 105%, or 110% of its original size. Collages of photographs were shown to 167 individuals (male and female) for a fixed period of 7 seconds. Their task was to indicate the most attractive photograph of a model in a presented collage. RESULTS: In total, 48.1% of individuals preferred enhanced eyes both in males and females. We found that the preferred mean eye size in women was statistically significantly higher than that in men. In total, 64.8% of respondents preferred reduced nose proportions in women (27.5% found a reduction to 90% of the original size more attractive while 37.3% preferred a reduction to 95%). It was demonstrated that the preferred mean nose size was statistically significantly lower in females in comparison with males. Respondents expressed a greater preference for nose reduction in women in comparison with men. 38.4% of respondents (in regard to both male and female mouth) preferred reduced mouth. 40.7% of respondents preferred reduced mouth in the female model. CONCLUSIONS: Our work delivers statistically significant evidence that facial attractiveness increases together with the enlargement of the uncovered eye surface as well as the reduction in nose and lip size. Data were obtained using modern collective intelligence methods of validation. Written consent was obtained from all study participants.

Hyaluronic acid abrogates ethanol-dependent inhibition of collagen biosynthesis in cultured human fibroblasts.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of ethanol on collagen biosynthesis in cultured human skin fibroblasts, and the role of hyaluronic acid (HA) in this process. Regarding the mechanism of ethanol action on human skin fibroblasts we investigated: expression of ß1 integrin and insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-IR), signaling pathway protein expression: mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), protein kinase B (Akt), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) transcription factor, cytotoxicity assay and apoptosis, metalloproteinase activity, as well as the influence of HA on these processes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Collagen biosynthesis, activity of prolidase, DNA biosynthesis, and cytotoxicity were measured in confluent human skin fibroblast cultures that have been treated with 25, 50, and 100 mM ethanol and with ethanol and 500 µg/mL HA. Western blot analysis and zymography were performed to evaluate expression of collagen type I, ß1 integrin receptor, IGF-IR, NF-κB protein, phospho-Akt protein, kinase MAPK, caspase 9 activity, and matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-9 and MMP-2). RESULTS: Ethanol in a dose-dependent manner lead to the impairment of collagen biosynthesis in fibroblast cultures through decreasing prolidase activity and expression of ß1 integrin and IGF-IR. This was accompanied by an increased cytotoxicity, apoptosis and lowered expression of the signaling pathway proteins induced by ß1 integrin and IGF-IR, that is, MAPK (ERK1/2) kinases. The lowered amount of synthesized collagen and prolidase activity disturbance may also be due to the activation of NF-κB transcription factor, which inhibits collagen gene expression. It suggests that the decrease in fibroblast collagen production may be caused by the disturbance in its biosynthesis but not degradation. The application of HA has a protective effect on disturbances caused by the examined substances. It seems that regulatory mechanism of ethanol-induced collagen aberration take place at the level of collagen biosynthesis, since no effect of ethanol and HA was found on process of collagen degradation by MMP-2 and MMP-9. CONCLUSION: This study provides evidence that ethanol impairs collagen metabolism in human skin fibroblasts, leading to a significant decrease in the amount of produced protein. This mechanism probably is due to downregulation of prolidase activity, expression of ß1 integrin and IGF-IR receptors, and the signaling pathway proteins induced by these receptors.

A comparative study of internal laser-assisted and conventional liposuction: a look at the influence of drugs and major surgery on laboratory postoperative values.

BACKGROUND: Liposuction is a type of aesthetic surgery that has been performed on humans for decades. There is not much literature addressing the subject matter of pre- and post-surgery blood parameters, although this information is rather interesting. Documentation on patients who received laser-assisted liposuction treatment is particularly scarce. Until now, there has been no literature showing values of platelets, lymphocytes, and neutrophils after liposuction. PURPOSE: The aim of the work is to analyze and interpret values of platelets, lymphocytes and neutrophils in patient blood before and after liposuction, a surgery in which an extraordinarily large amount of potent drugs are used. Moreover, the aim is to compare values changes in patients of conventional and laser-assisted liposuction. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We evaluated standard blood samples in patients prior to and after liposuction. This paper covers the number of platelets, lymphocytes, and neutrophils. A total of 54 patients were examined. Moreover, we compared the change in postoperative values in laser-assisted liposuction patients with the change of values in conventional liposuction patients. A paired two-sided Student's t-test was used for statistical evaluation. P < 0.005 was acknowledged to be statistically significant. RESULTS: Values of platelets were raised both in conventional and in laser-assisted liposuction patients, but this difference was statistically non-significant and levels of platelets were still normal and within the range of blood levels in healthy patients. Values of neutrophils rose by up to 79.49% ± 7.74% standard deviation (SD) and values of lymphocytes dropped by up to 12.68% ± 5.61% SD. The before/after variances of conventional tumescent local anesthesia liposuction and variations in laser-assisted liposuction were similar for all measured parameters; they also showed no statistically significant differences between before and after surgery. The mean value of total operation time without laser-assistance was 3 hours 42 minutes (± 57 minutes SD, range 2 hours 50 minutes to 5 hours 10 minutes). Surgeries with laser-assistance were on average 16 minutes shorter with a mean duration of 3 hours 26 minutes (± 45 minutes SD, range 2 hours 40 minutes to 4 hours 10 minutes). The difference was not statistically significant (P < 0.06). The mean value of aspirate volume for liposuctions performed without laser support was 2,618 mL (± 633.7 SD, range 700 mL to 3,500 mL). Mean aspirate volume for liposuctions with laser assistance was increased by up to 61 mL (2,677 mL ± 499.5 SD, range 1,800 mL to 3,500 mL). The difference was not statistically significant (P < 0.71). CONCLUSION: We conclude that conventional liposuction and laser-assisted liposuction have a similar influence on platelets, lymphocytes, and neutrophils in patients. Moreover, laser-assisted liposuction seems to be less time consuming than conventional liposuction.