Fort Lauderdale’s Dr. Wigoda knows a celebrity plastic surgery patient when he sees one. Hollywood Golden Girl Betty White is the latest in a long line of celebrities to admit going under the knife – after denying it much of her career.

The 89-year-old was quoted as recently as last year saying that plastic surgery makes people “unrecognizable” and she was glad she hadn’t done it.

However, in her new memoir “If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won’t),” the star admits to having an eyelid lift in 1976, at the age of 54. While White initially “scolded” herself for getting the procedure, she admits, “now I’m glad I did it.”

“Looking at Miss White’s before and after pictures, it’s apparent that there is a significant improvement in the eye area,” says Fort Lauderdale plastic surgeon Dr. Paul Wigoda. “Other than the eyelid lift, it doesn’t appear as if she’s had any other work done.”

Dr. Wigoda also disagrees with White’s previous stance that cosmetic surgery makes people look unnatural or unrecognizable: “Plastic surgery should enhance one’s appearance, not alter it. Miss White herself is an example of a good candidate for a procedure who did her research when selecting a plastic surgeon and enjoyed optimal – and natural-looking – results.”

Cosmetic eyelid surgery, also known as blepharoplasty, was the third most common cosmetic procedure in 2010, performed on 209,000 Americans. The surgery can be performed on the upper or lower eyelid, depending on the patient’s features and the board-certified plastic surgeon’s preferences.

To learn more about blepharoplasty, or to see before and after photos, visit Dr. Wigoda’s Fort Lauderdale plastic surgery website or the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery website to avoid becoming a botched surgery statistic.

Broward General Chief of Plastic Surgery Paul Wigoda, MD noticed Bristol Palin is looking different these days – and he’s not the only one. Media outlets from People Magazine to Business Insider are commenting on her drastic change in apperance.

Palin attributes a jaw surgery to the change: “Yes,” she admitted to Us Weekly when asked if she’d gone under the knife. “It improved the way I look, but this surgery was necessary for medical reasons…so my jaw and teeth could properly realign.”

Insisting “I don’t obsess over my face,” the 20-year-old also cops to loving her results. “I look older, more mature, and don’t have as much of a chubby little baby face!”

“It’s great that Bristol is so pleased with the results of her surgery,” says Dr. Wigoda. “Her face does look more mature overall. It appears to me that her chin was extended, giving her a more angular jaw line. This could be from a chin implant but is more likely from actual surgery on the jawbone. However, I do feel the chin is a bit too long now. It would not surprise me if she had some liposuction of her neck done at the same time. She does have some asymmetry with the left side of the face along the jawline being more concave than the right. This may be natural, since the two halves of the face are never exactly symmetric, or it could be as the result of the surgery. As long as she is happy, that’s all that really matters.”

Considering having liposuction, fillers or other cosmetic procedures in South Florida? Learn more about Dr. Wigoda’s practice, awards and certifications on his website.

Paul Wigoda, MD has been saying that elective plastic surgery procedures will return as the economy strengthens since the New Year. Here is an infographic from DocShop.com that further drives this point home.

Over $10 billion is spent on surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures each year and over $1.1 billion of that goes toward breast augmentations. Over the last ten years, the number of breast augmentations has steadily increased, until the rough economy caused procedures to dip from 2007 to 2009. In 2010, however, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, this number started to increase again, climbing over 2% to nearly 300,000 breast augmentations.

Considering getting a breast augmentation in 2011? To learn more about Fort Lauderdale plastic surgery procedures, including Dr. Wigoda’s signature painless breast implant procedure visit: http://www.drwigoda.com or http://www.painlessbreastimplants.com.

Last week, Paul Wigoda, MD gave his thoughts on The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery’s (ASAPS) 2011 plastic surgery trends. Unfortunately, one prediction came true almost immediately.

20-year-old aspiring hip hop vixen Claudia Aderotimi died shortly after receiving liquid silicone injections to plump her rear end. While the desire to resemble voluptuous celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and Nicki Minaj is very common, Aderotimi’s procedure was performed in a Philadelphia hotel room by another aspiring hip hop artist using liquid silicone.

She and a friend flew to Philadelphia from the UK and each paid more than $1,000 to receive the injections. After complaining of chest pain and shortness of break, Aderotimi was rushed to the hospital and died later that day, likely because the non-FDA approved silicone from the shots seeped into her bloodstream.

This scenario is eerily similar to the ASAPS prediction: “Consumers looking for a bargain on cosmetic procedures will unfortunately lead to an increase in horror stories about ‘discount injectables’ bought offshore, cosmetic medicine, and cosmetic surgical procedures performed by untrained practitioners.”

Dr. Wigoda strongly recommends considering only a fully trained board-certified plastic surgeon for any cosmetic procedure. Never get any form of plastic surgery done in a location without all necessary emergency equipment. Don’t put your life into the hands of just anyone; asking the right questions can – and will – save your life.

Paul Wigoda, M.D. comments on anticipated trends according to The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASPS). They’ve made a number of plastic surgery predictions for 2011, centering on increased elective procedures such as facelifts, Botox, and buttocks augmentations.

1. More facelifts as economy picks up

Dr. Wigoda agrees with this sentiment; noting that elective plastic surgery as a whole tends to happen more during better financial times.

2. Additional fillers, Botox, and Injectables

Dr. Wigoda notes that these procedures are more affordable than traditional plastic surgery, especially as more products enter the market. Also, people tend to be happy with the results and continue procedures.

3. Increase of procedures to tighten the skin post weight loss

These procedures, ranging from arm lifts to tummy tuck’s are also usually elective, not covered by insurance, says Dr. Wigoda. Therefore, as consumers’ disposable income returns, so will these surgeries.

4. Changing out breast implants

Many of Dr. Wigoda’s patients see better results with silicone implants, so he predicts that his saline patients will make the switch to painless breast implants surgery. Also, since baby boomers remain the largest age demographic in the US, they may need their implants replaced or choose to have a breast lift done.

5. More botched plastic surgery cases

“Consumers looking for a bargain on cosmetic procedures will unfortunately lead to an increase in horror stories about ‘discount injectables’ bought offshore, cosmetic medicine, and cosmetic surgical procedures performed by untrained practitioners,” predicts ASAPS. Dr. Wigoda’s advice to avoid such catastrophe? Do your homework, and ask these questions before choosing a surgeon.

6. New ways to zap fat

Consumers will increasingly seek non-invasive techniques for fat removal (freezing, zapping, lasering) as an alternative to liposuction. Dr. Wigoda does not endorse freezing or zapping fat.

7. Getting a celebrity buttocks

Dr. Wigoda acknowledges that right now, thanks to celebrities such as Kim Kardashian, Beyonce, and Jennifer Lopez, bigger is better. This can be accomplished several ways, he says, from performing liposuction on the areas around the buttocks such as the thighs, injecting fat into the buttocks, implants, or lifts.

Dr. Wigoda reflects on the E! reality show ‘Bridalplasty’, giving real-world plastic surgery insight into pre-wedding procedures! He notes that while the competitive nature of the show is purely for entertainment value, it is very common to get some sort of injectables or plastic surgery before a big event, especially a wedding.

Dying to get a little nip or tuck before your big day? Dr. Wigoda recommends scheduling a surgical procedure at least three months in advance, and allowing at least a week to recover from a non-surgical procedure

Become a Fan on Facebook or follow the conversation on Twitter to stay in touch with Dr. Wigoda!

Legendary comedian, TV personality and “Fashion Police” host Joan Rivers is known for her brash personality, strong New York dialect – and equally bold plastic surgery procedures.

In this video, Dr. Wigoda describes Rivers’ various cosmetic surgery procedures through the years, from the 1980s to present.

Joan Rivers Before and After Plastic Surgery

Dr. Wigoda’s advice to Rivers, not surprisingly, is to ease up on the plastic surgery procedures a bit: “I would definitely stop all surgical procedures on her. I think she can continue with Botox…her lips look fine, I might fill in her nasal labial folds a little bit. I definitely wouldn’t do anything to her cheeks, other than possibly take out a little of the fat.”

To learn more about Fort Lauderdale plastic surgery procedures from Botox to painless breast implants from Dr. Wigoda visit: http://www.drwigoda.com or http://www.medayspa.com

About Dr. Wigoda
Dr. Paul Wigoda is a board certified plastic surgeon and a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the Florida Medical Association, and the Broward County Medical Association. Dr. Wigoda specializes in Fort Lauderdale breast augmentation, breast reduction, breast lift, liposuction, rhinoplasty, tummy tuck, facelift, brow lift, eyelid surgery, Juvederm, Radiesse, Restylane, Botox, laser hair removal, and spider vein treatments.

Last week, the popular E! reality TV show Command PR’s CEO Jonathan Cheban received Zeltiq liposuction.

Zeltiq liposuction, according to the Wall Street Journal, freezes the fat cells inside love handles and belly pouches, causing them to self-destruct over a period of time.

So how does Dr. Paul Wigoda feel about this expensive new lipo procedure? See the video for my thoughts on Zeltiq versus traditional liposuction.



For more information on Fort Lauderdale plastic surgery or to schedule a consultation with Dr. Paul Wigoda, visit http://www.drwigoda.com. Learn about South Florida plastic surgery news, updates and specials from The Aesthetics Institute by following @drwigoda on Twitter and  on Facebook.

When the name Jackson comes up in the context of plastic surgery, the obvious connection is to the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. However, while Michael Jackson’s plastic surgery is well documented and extremely recognizable, he is not the only member of the family that has had work done.

Last week, Dr. Wigoda reviewed pictures of La Toya Jackson’s plastic surgery, Michael’s older sister, and shared his thoughts on the evolution of her multiple plastic surgeries. View the video and photos below or visit Dr. Wigoda’s plastic surgery YouTube channel for more information.

Here is a glimpse at what Dr. Wigoda suggested about La Toya Jackson’s plastic surgery:

“She has definitely had her nose done many times, probably has a chin implant, breast implants and has probably had multiple liposuctions.  In my opinion, her surgery is completely overdone and does not look natural at all.”

In the case of plastic surgery, more is definitely not better. Generally speaking, if you are interested in a nose job, one is all you should need. With breast implants you will only need one surgery if it is done right and the same applies to liposuction.

If you are considering a procedure or for more information on Fort Lauderdale plastic surgery, visit Dr. Wigoda’s plastic surgery FAQ page or follow him on Twitter @drwigoda.

She is one of the world’s most photographed women, but is her face truly a work of perfection?

While never admitting to having any sort of cosmetic surgery procedure like rhinoplasty, many celeb-watchers have always speculated that Paris Hilton’s looks are not “au naturel.”

Dr. Wigoda has reviewed some photos of young Paris Hilton compared with current photos of the heiress, and here’s what he had to say.
“When looking at Paris Hilton, its clear she has had at least one rhinoplasty. In my opinion, she went from having an attractive, normal appearing nose, to one that looks overdone. It is too narrow in the bridge area and the tip now looks like its hanging.

I would be curious to know if she can breathe well through her nose. She is a good example of two things: one, a smaller nose is not necessarily more attractive (and definitely not more functional) and two, just because you can afford to have cosmetic surgery, doesn’t mean you should have it done.

Frequently, the nasal walls can collapse when the patient breathes in, making it difficult to breathe. Patients then require a reconstructive procedure to build their nose back up so they can breathe normally again.”

For more information on cosmetic surgery in Fort Lauderdale, see Dr. Wigoda’s Rhinoplasty FAQ’s.