After the protests in June, and celebrations involving Memorial Day and July 4th weekends, we’re seeing an inevitable surge associated with mass gatherings. This leads to a continuing shelter-in-place, reducing travel plans and working from home for the foreseeable future. These mass gatherings and changes in consumer behavior are leading to a surge in both coronavirus and cosmetic surgery. What’s the connection?

Coronavirus and Cosmetic Surgery are surging

This phenomenon of increasing cosmetic surgery along with an increase in the coronavirus was recently highlighted in this article.

Since March, consumers are home, on ZOOM, seeing their reflection more than ever before. Naturally, some will see things they want to address. Like Botox or fillers for wrinkles.

They’re also realizing this is the best time to get that Mommy Makeover or other procedures they’ve been considering. With trips cancelled, that frees up more disposable income. And with the ability to work from home after a procedure, it’s easy to avoid questions from coworkers about why you were “out” or what you had done. If you just had a Brazilian Butt Lift, you won’t have to explain why you’re sitting on a pillow!

This increase in cosmetic surgery isn’t isolated. Across elective surgery websites, including BuildMyBod.com, where consumers can check pricing on outpatient services, traffic is up 73.4%! So while not everyone is getting cosmetic surgery or other elective procedures, they’re certainly considering it.

Think of a sales funnel. More consumers are entering the top of the funnel and checking pricing. As more folks enter the funnel, more will progress through the funnel, ask questions, schedule consults and then book surgery.

Safeguards with coronavirus and cosmetic surgery are surging

With the increasing surge in both coronavirus and cosmetic surgery, new safeguards are necessary. For plastic surgeons that perform cosmetic surgery at hospitals, their ability to operate is being curbed. As discussed here, cosmetic surgery is slow to start for several reasons at hospitals. Most significantly, the need for hospitals to make up lost revenue with better paying elective cases like orthopedic procedures.

But for outpatient surgery centers or office-based operating rooms, surgeons are performing a great deal of cosmetic surgery. To keep those patients safe, patients are undergoing COVID testing in the community prior to surgery. And in some offices, like ours, we perform an antibody test the morning of surgery.

While the coronavirus is a serious ongoing pandemic, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the end is not in sight. Therefore, we must mitigate the risks and move forward with our lives as safely as possible. That includes accommodating patients that want non-essential procedures such as cosmetic surgery. And based on web traffic and bookings, they’re clearly on board.

Click here for the original blog post written by Dr. Kaplan for BuildMyBod.

The post Why coronavirus and cosmetic surgery are surging first appeared on Plastic Surgeon San Francisco | Pacific Heights Plastic Surgery.

J Lo get plastic surgery? Nope!

As you can see in this Instagram post, I stated unequivocally that J Lo looks as amazing as she does through hard work, diet and exercise. And as you’ll see in the comments on that post, many people vehemently disagreed with me. Some went so far as to suggest that I wasn’t a good enough surgeon if I couldn’t make someone look like that! Or that I didn’t have enough confidence in myself to provide someone with a result as natural as J Lo’s body! They’re missing the point.

For those naysayers out there, tell me what plastic surgery you think J Lo had? Her arms are tone and buff. Did she get bicep implants? No, she worked out!

You think she had breast implants? Oh really?! J Lo got breast implants so she could have B cup, small, shapely, appropriate-for-her-body breasts? And she got them 35 years ago before anyone took a photo of her? I mean, her breasts have looked the same at least as far back as her Grammy dress from 2000!

A tummy tuck? Yes, her abdomen looks amazing after kids. So she had a tummy tuck to tighten her rectus diastasis without any evidence of a tummy scar or incision around her belly button? With her exposing her abdomen on the reg, it’s not possible to hide scars like that, that well.

This is my point. Whatever plastic surgery people think she had, there’s no physical evidence of that, other than she looks great. Honestly, I believe people want her to have had plastic surgery more than they think she actually had plastic surgery. Because if she had plastic surgery, then they could say she has money and was able to afford plastic surgery. Whereas if she has that body through hard work, diet and exercise, then we all collectively have no excuse!

Video: J Lo did NOT get plastic surgery

Finally, to reiterate, I’m not saying plastic surgery can’t make someone look amazing. Of course it can. I have patients to prove it. But in J Lo’s case, there’s no evidence of a tummy tuck scar to suggest she got that body from anything other than hard work, diet and exercise.

Click here for the original blog post written by Dr. Kaplan for BuildMyBod.

The post Did J Lo get plastic surgery? I say no! [video] first appeared on Plastic Surgeon San Francisco | Pacific Heights Plastic Surgery.

Types of Mommy Makeover

In our practice, a Mommy Makeover can include a breast procedure (a lift, an augmentation or both), a tummy tuck, but also some other procedures. With pregnancy, the labia minora can stretch and cause discomfort during sex. Or possibly the labia can appear too bulky in underwear or bikini bottoms. For this reason, there are Mommy Makeover procedures that also include a labiaplasty.

With weight gain and loss during pregnancy and afterwards, the buttocks can become deflated like the breasts. That’s why we offer a Brazilian Butt Lift with some Mommy Makeover procedures. The benefit of performing these procedures in combination is that it leads to one recovery instead of multiple recoveries.

Mommy Makeover

As stated above, this procedure includes a breast lift, aug or both along with a tummy tuck. To help the patient understand all of their options when it comes to the breast procedure, we’ve divided every Mommy Makeover into type 1, 2 and 3.

Type 1 refers to a breast lift only. This is necessary when the patient has pendulous, droopy breasts after breast feeding. But they have enough breast tissue so that an implant isn’t necessary. Type 2 refers to a breast augmentation alone. This is necessary when a patient has deflated breasts and needs more volume, as with an implant. And type 3 is a combination of the two – when a patient has droopy and deflated breasts. A lift will improve the shape of the breast and an implant will restore volume.

As you’ll see below, type 1, 2 and 3 can be applied to all three kinds of Mommy Makeover that we offer in our practice.

Mommy Makeover Plus

This is a breast procedure (type 1, 2 or 3), a tummy tuck and a labiaplasty.

Mommy Makeover Deluxe

This includes type 1, 2 or 3 breast procedure as above, a tummy tuck and then a Brazilian Butt Lift to restore volume and lift to the buttocks. A Brazilian Butt Lift is the liposuction of all available fat from the torso with subsequent injection into the buttocks. Check out the video below for more details!

Video describing the 3 types of a Mommy Makeover

Check pricing for a Mommy Makeover from Dr. Kaplan by clicking here.

Click here for the original blog post written by Dr. Kaplan for BuildMyBod.

The post 3 types of a Mommy Makeover [video] first appeared on Plastic Surgeon San Francisco | Pacific Heights Plastic Surgery.

We’ve all seen the questions online or on social media when it comes to who is or is not a BBL candidate. Do I have enough fat for a BBL (Brazilian Butt Lift)? Do I need to gain weight? We finally have the answer! As long as you’re healthy and your doctor agrees, even a thin patient can be a BBL candidate. Just check out our 5’4″, 105 pound patient!

Who’s a BBL candidate?

Aside from being healthy, patients considering a BBL should have reasonable expectations. If they are morbidly obese, a patient should consider medical or surgical weight loss first. At the other end of the spectrum, a very thin patient can still be a candidate.

The abdomen and flanks (love handles) are the typical go-to location for fat harvesting during liposuction. But this presents a unique challenge in a thin patient. And not because they don’t have enough fat. If a patient is thin, they’re at an increase risk of contour deformities from the liposuction cannula. That’s why it’s important to use a smaller liposuction cannula during fat harvest (3 or 4mm). But where else can fat be found?

Surprisingly, there is more fat that most realize in the inner thighs and back. The inner thighs offer up some of the best, most golden brown fat there is! Due to the large dimensions of the back, even a thin layer of fat can add up. Significant liposuction to the  back and waist is critical to achieving great results. While some fat will reabsorb over time, the buttocks can still appear larger because of aggressive liposuction around the waist.

To check pricing on a BBL from a doctor near you, click here.

Click here for the original blog post written by Dr. Kaplan for BuildMyBod.

The post Even a 5’4″ woman that weighs 105 pounds is a BBL candidate! first appeared on Plastic Surgeon San Francisco | Pacific Heights Plastic Surgery.

She started a Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) revolution. And in a seemingly effortless way, she continues to stay relevant and up the game she created. In this years’ Met Gala in New York, Kim K arrived in a dress that set the bar again. But how did she create that butt to waist ratio?!

How to create a butt to waist ratio like Kim K?

First, I think it helps that Kim K naturally has a big butt. I don’t believe she had a BBL and maybe not even liposuction. Her butt is genetic. Her mom and sisters all have a healthy derriere. However, if you don’t naturally have the full buttocks you’ve always wanted, there are options.

You could get a Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL). That’s when your plastic surgeon takes fat via liposuction from your abdomen, flanks, back, thighs or anywhere fat is available. The fat is then injected into the buttocks to provide more fullness, projection and fill in the “hip dips.” The waist is narrowed at the same time as the BBL due to liposuction of the waist.

If you don’t have enough fat, options include butt implants or fillers like Sculptra. Butt implants have a high risk of infection so beware. And Sculptra filler? You can hear my opinion on its limitations in this video here.

So you’ve got a big butt now, how do you get the waist so narrow for that Kim K butt to waist ratio?! I believe in her case, she’s continuing to use a waist trainer. I say “continuing” because we know she has used one in the past. A waist trainer works. But only in the short term. The corset like waist trainer can narrow the waist if worn for a several weeks prior to your big event. And it’s possible or even probable that in addition to the waist trainer, she’s wearing a body corset under her Met Gala dress.

Last theory. Aside from waist training, maybe she’s not wearing a corset at all. But instead, she’s wearing a lower body suit that has padding in the hip area (like padding in football pants) to make her butt and hips appear wider and therefore make her waist look narrower by comparison!

At the end of the day, a butt to waist ratio like hers requires either genetics, surgery, tight garments, commitment and discipline. It’s not as easy as it looks!

Trying to decide what you want to do now? You can start by checking pricing on procedures, including a BBL, from a doctor near you, here.

Click here for the original blog post written by Dr. Kaplan for BuildMyBod.

The post How did Kim K get that butt-to-waist ratio just in time for the Met Gala?! first appeared on Plastic Surgeon San Francisco | Pacific Heights Plastic Surgery.

The other day I was in a Lyft going somewhere awesome I’m sure! The driver asked what I did and I explained that I’m a plastic surgeon. Their first comment was, “do people get plastic surgery in San Francisco?” This was her thought process: she simply thinks of San Francisco as a city of residents less concerned about appearances. Maybe even a little hippy-ish. Not an unreasonable conclusion. But here’s the reality.

Do people get plastic surgery in San Francisco?

People most certainly get plastic surgery in San Francisco. In fact, you can divide up the Bay Area based on the procedures of interest. When someone checks pricing on our website, they have to provide their contact info first to get automated instant pricing information. Their contact info includes their city, state and ZIP code.

So we know exactly what procedure they’re considering and where they’re from. See a screenshot of an email “wishlist” below.

Because we get hundreds of wishlists every month, we know which procedures are most requested based on the region of the Bay Area. Read that last sentence again. We get hundreds of pricing requests every month, most from the Bay Area. That already shows there’s an intense interest in plastic surgery in and around San Francisco.

When we look at the various regions and procedures, here’s what we learn. Most requests for Brazilian Butt Lifts (BBL) come from the East Bay (Oakland) and the surrounding areas. The example above demonstrates this predilection for BBL’s in the East Bay.

Most requests for Breast Augmentation come from the city itself and the Peninsula (San Jose, Cupertino, South San Francisco, Pacifica, etc).

Most patients considering a facelift are also here in the city of San Francisco.

The difference between San Francisco and Los Angeles

Most people believe Los Angeles is the epicenter of plastic surgery. And that may be true to an extent. But one big difference between the two cities is not the per capita popularity of plastic surgery. The big difference is that you hear about it more in Los Angeles.

While residents of the Bay Area are very much interested in plastic surgery and are getting plastic surgery, they don’t talk about it as much. Los Angelenos on the other hand, are more than happy to let you know about their breast augmentation or lip injections.

It’s simply each city’s respective openness. San Franciscans get plastic surgery but don’t talk about it or at least try to remain inconspicuous about their enhancements. Folks from Los Angeles wear their procedure proudly like a badge of courage. There’s nothing wrong with either approach. Ultimately, it’s about society’s acceptance of plastic surgery that makes it seem as though people from San Francisco don’t get plastic surgery…but they do!

To check pricing from Dr. Kaplan, click here.

Click here for the original blog post written by Dr. Kaplan for BuildMyBod.

The post Do people get plastic surgery in San Francisco? first appeared on Plastic Surgeon San Francisco | Pacific Heights Plastic Surgery.

So what’s the third option? A Brazilian butt lift, without fat injections, that results in a back lift and auto augmentation at the same time. Here’s how.

Brazilian Butt Lift with skin excision

As seen in the video below, this technique is perfect for massive weight loss patients. These patients have lost most of their fat so it’s not available for liposuction and injection back into the buttocks. But they do have excess skin with subcutaneous fat which leaves them with a deflated buttock appearance.

The skin in the lower back can be removed while maintaining the underlying fat. That lower back fat is shifted into the buttocks below while removing the excess back skin. This results in an auto augmentation of the buttocks and a back lift. Confused? Watch the video and it’ll all make sense.

Video of a Brazilian Butt Lift with simultaneous back lift

To check pricing from Dr. Kaplan, click here.

Click here for the original blog post written by Dr. Kaplan for BuildMyBod.

The post Brazilian Butt Lift with Back Lift [Video] first appeared on Plastic Surgeon San Francisco | Pacific Heights Plastic Surgery.

Getting started

There are many ways to harvest fat via liposuction and ways to reinject into the buttocks. But the technique demonstrated below is my favorite. First, it’s a closed system. The fat is never exposed to air. While I don’t have any research to back up my assertion, it makes sense that any floating dust or bacteria in the air can’t reach the fat if the fat is never exposed to the air. Thus leading to lower infection rates.

I also like how the system measures everything. From the graduated canister that measures fat output to the machine that regulates and measures fat input. This is important because you want to avoid removing more than 5 liters of fat at a time. That could potentially lead to a severe form of dehydration called hypovolemic shock when too much fat is removed.

And you of course want to measure how much fat is going into the buttocks to ensure symmetry. The machine that infuses the fat also has a regulator. What this means is that if there’s too much pressure propagating through the tubing back towards the machine, that suggests there’s enough fat in the area. This can also potentially reduce the risk of accidentally injecting fat into blood vessels in the pelvis. This can lead to another complication called fat embolism.

To see this technique for yourself, check out the video below.

Video of what you need for a BBL

If you’d like to check pricing on this procedure from a doctor near you, click here. Dr. Kaplan has no financial interest in any of the products shown in the video.

Click here for the original blog post written by Dr. Kaplan for BuildMyBod.

The post A primer on the Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) for surgeons [video] first appeared on Plastic Surgeon San Francisco | Pacific Heights Plastic Surgery.

Gain weight before my BBL? Good idea or bad?

Unless you’re underweight, there’s probably never a good time for a doctor to recommend that you gain weight. Obviously if the patient is malnourished or recovering from an illness, eating more for sustenance to fight infection and improve wound healing, is a good idea.

But eating more typically means you’re eating foods high in cholesterol and fat. That alone, for someone who is at their ideal body weight or exceeding it, is not very responsible. To do so simply to increase your fat stores for an impending Brazilian Butt Lift is questionable to say the least. I’m not saying you can’t do it but how much fat are you really going to generate?

First, gaining weight might work against you. Many doctors who perform surgery won’t electively operate on someone with a body mass index (BMI) above 30kg/m2 since that’s considered moderately obese. So you may be under their “cutoff” but then go over the line by gaining weight to get a bigger booty…which you’re not a candidate for now!

Secondly, you would have to gain a lot of weight for it to translate into another 200-300cc of fat to improve your BBL results. And of course, third, it’s just not a healthy thing to do.

Don’t fret. If you’re really determined to have a BBL, you probably have enough fat to begin with. Keep in mind that your doctor can take fat from the arms, upper back, bra chub, lower back, abdomen, flanks, inner and outer thighs. Among all of those areas, chances are even a thin person has enough fat.

The moral of the story: don’t gain weight for the express purpose of having more fat for your BBL. To check pricing on a BBL from Dr. Kaplan, click here.

Click here for the original blog post written by Dr. Jonathan Kaplan for BuildMyBod.

The post Should I gain weight before my BBL? first appeared on Plastic Surgeon San Francisco | Pacific Heights Plastic Surgery.