The aim of plastic surgery is twofold. To correct physical defects and elevate the self-esteem of a chosen patient, effectively changing lives and solving years of mental and physical issues any given patient may have. It is important, however, that patients looking to have plastic surgery have realistic expectations regarding the results of the procedures they choose to undertake. For instance, patients who have rhinoplasty or breast implants should realise these invasive surgeries need months to heal and develop into their desired shape. There are millions of stories of happy patients who have undertaken their dream surgeries and blossomed into their desired self-images. It is these stories that prove the benefits of cosmetic surgery a million times over. Facelifts are one of the most expensive and invasive cosmetic procedures any woman (or man) can endure. A female patient from the USA, aged 44, speaks about how much the facelift had changed her life for the better. She was concerned about her sagging neck for 22 years, becoming camera shy and hiding out from her friends and family. After consulting with her friend, an anaesthesiologist, and learning about the best surgeon in California, she decided to take the plunge and booked herself in for a full facelift, chin implant and TCA peel to remove the bags under her eyes. Her doctor suggested these procedures as their combined effects would create a young, fresh look. The surgery went well and after only three and a half weeks, she was ready to face her friends and family. Everyone commented on how well rested she looked and her procedure fashioned her face into a natural look, as one of her biggest fears going in was having a ‘pinned-back’ appearance. Her story was a happy one. Our next story is about Laura. Laura had inherited her father’s ‘generous’ nose, as she put it. A nose job was on her mind since she started using the internet and researching different nose job procedures. She did not enjoy having a bump on her nose and especially so as a woman. After months of discussing the procedure with her husband, she finally booked herself in for the procedure she had been waiting for her entire life. There are countless plastic surgeons on the internet and it was a difficult decision picking a great one for her specific procedure. She narrowed her choices down to only surgeons certified with “The American Board of Plastic Surgery”. She eventually selected a fantastic surgeon, who specialised in the ear, nose and throat surgeries. Laura’s consultation went very well. Her doctor got straight to the point and recommended a straightforward rhinoplasty with no correction of the nasal passages. Laura’s surgery was booked for April and she describes the wait for it as ‘an agonising pleasure’. On the day of the surgery Laura was very nervous as she was to be put under local anaesthetic, meaning she would be partially awake. Her surgery went very well and she described it as a floating experience. It was only an hour long, yet she woke up with a terrible headache. After some pain medication, Laura was whisked away for recovery back home. She described her appearance as ‘gross’ and bruised, yet noticed that her bump was gone and knew that it all went well. A year later, after many post-operative visits, Laura finally has the dream nose she wished for her whole life. It took this full year for her nose’s swelling to subside and for the true results to take shape. This was her dream surgery and all her wishes had finally come true These are only a snippet of the myriad of stories related to successful cosmetic surgery operations. Research and careful planning is needed before any surgery, so do your homework and set your expectations realistically. Your surgery can and will change your life. Lana has been considering liposuction and came across some interesting and affordable cosmetic surgery websites which may assist in their decision.

The aim of plastic surgery is twofold. To correct physical defects and elevate the self-esteem of a chosen patient, effectively changing lives and solving years of mental and physical issues any given patient may have. It is important, however, that patients looking to have plastic surgery have realistic expectations regarding the results of the procedures they choose to undertake. For instance, patients who have rhinoplasty or breast implants should realise these invasive surgeries need months to heal and develop into their desired shape. There are millions of stories of happy patients who have undertaken their dream surgeries and blossomed into their desired self-images. It is these stories that prove the benefits of cosmetic surgery a million times over. Facelifts are one of the most expensive and invasive cosmetic procedures any woman (or man) can endure. A female patient from the USA, aged 44, speaks about how much the facelift had changed her life for the better. She was concerned about her sagging neck for 22 years, becoming camera shy and hiding out from her friends and family. After consulting with her friend, an anaesthesiologist, and learning about the best surgeon in California, she decided to take the plunge and booked herself in for a full facelift, chin implant and TCA peel to remove the bags under her eyes. Her doctor suggested these procedures as their combined effects would create a young, fresh look. The surgery went well and after only three and a half weeks, she was ready to face her friends and family. Everyone commented on how well rested she looked and her procedure fashioned her face into a natural look, as one of her biggest fears going in was having a ‘pinned-back’ appearance. Her story was a happy one. Our next story is about Laura. Laura had inherited her father’s ‘generous’ nose, as she put it. A nose job was on her mind since she started using the internet and researching different nose job procedures. She did not enjoy having a bump on her nose and especially so as a woman. After months of discussing the procedure with her husband, she finally booked herself in for the procedure she had been waiting for her entire life. There are countless plastic surgeons on the internet and it was a difficult decision picking a great one for her specific procedure. She narrowed her choices down to only surgeons certified with “The American Board of Plastic Surgery”. She eventually selected a fantastic surgeon, who specialised in the ear, nose and throat surgeries. Laura’s consultation went very well. Her doctor got straight to the point and recommended a straightforward rhinoplasty with no correction of the nasal passages. Laura’s surgery was booked for April and she describes the wait for it as ‘an agonising pleasure’. On the day of the surgery Laura was very nervous as she was to be put under local anaesthetic, meaning she would be partially awake. Her surgery went very well and she described it as a floating experience. It was only an hour long, yet she woke up with a terrible headache. After some pain medication, Laura was whisked away for recovery back home. She described her appearance as ‘gross’ and bruised, yet noticed that her bump was gone and knew that it all went well. A year later, after many post-operative visits, Laura finally has the dream nose she wished for her whole life. It took this full year for her nose’s swelling to subside and for the true results to take shape. This was her dream surgery and all her wishes had finally come true These are only a snippet of the myriad of stories related to successful cosmetic surgery operations. Research and careful planning is needed before any surgery, so do your homework and set your expectations realistically. Your surgery can and will change your life. Lana has been considering liposuction and came across some interesting and affordable cosmetic surgery websites which may assist in their decision.

Hot Tub Spain - Are you ready
by John Lewis

Hot Tubs in Mijas Spain - Are you ready to Take the plunge and purchase a Hot Tub Jacuzzi style Spa in Mijas on the Costa del Sol in Spain !

Now here is the interesting and undoubtedly perhaps the most exciting part…shopping, comparing, choosing and finally selecting.

You may have many questions to ask just fire away.

Here are just some pointers to make sure that you don’t buy a dog fish spa or a weng wang woo spa !!!!

First off is the shell of the Hot Tub made of a branded American Acrylic such as Lucite or Quarite.

If not, why not, as these two are acknowledged as making some of the best acrylic for Hot Tub Jacuzzi Spas in the world.

If the shell is made out of these materials it is your very own assurance that your choice of a Hot Tub will give you many years of beauty, pleasure, and satisfaction.

Always try the lipstick test on the shell and see if it just wipes off as it should? If it does not, then that gives you the clue that, the surface is slightly porous and as such will hold germs and bacteria.

If you can feel under the edge of the Acrylic you should do so and try and see if you can feel its strength or possible weakness, if it feels damp to touch or perhaps crumbly it gives you a clue that the shell is not properly cured. I personally would not buy a tub if the shell felt like that and I have seen many in Spain (those from China) that fit that description.

It always pays to probe that little bit beneath the surface and just do not simply listen to the patter of some zombie like sales man or woman just repeating a script.

Second off try and buy a spa with Balboa Controls a company from Balboa in California one of the worlds leading manufacturers and well known for reliability and accessibility of spares even after 20 or more years.

Third off only consider to buy a Hot Tub which is made by a leading American or Western manufacturer preferably with decades of years of experience and therefore they will have had the time and experience to be able to design and construct models where the components naturally blend and work well together.

Leading internationalmanufacturers those with many decades of well honed experience will have been able to adopt adapt and improve on their technically advanced systems in order to be able to allow maximum and efficient performance from the pumps, heaters and blowers to give you the very best aqua flow to provide an excellent Hydro Massage.

Water Jets are placed scientifically in order to best deliver the flow of water to your body’s pressure points, while still allowing you to control the intensity of the flow and pressure as required.

Thus a good well balanced properly designed and engineered product will lead to an outstanding hydrotherapy massage. One is able to be able to adjust the masage so that one is able enjoy a vigorous or alternatively perhaps a soothing massage ‘ with the ability to be able to adjust and modify your massage experience to suit your mood.

In summary buy the best spa you can afford but make sure that you do not buy a cheap eastern import or a dog fish hot tub. Look ot for proper branded acrylic and Balboa hot tub controls and always aim for a manufacturer who has been making this type of product for many years. A very good Acid test is to see if your hot tub dealer is on first name terms with the owners and directors of the suppliers. Much more difficult if they based are in China!!!!

As with most things in life it pays to buy the highest quality that one can afford from a manufacturer who has been established for many decades as opposed to perhaps, secondhand or indeed a cheap import , remember the old adage that buying cheap usually means that you end up buying twice.

So, my best advice, is that one should only buy a product that is well built by an American or Western internationally recognized producer of Hot Tubs and then there is every chance that the product will last and last and give very many years of faultless performance.

The reason is simple in that the internationally recognized producer backs his products with a real guarantee so if it has a fault it falls back on the manufacturer not on you. As you can imagine these manufacturers have had decades of experience and they build them with the proper parts and components so it will not fail and it is for that reason and that reason alone that they are prepared to provide a long life guarantee.

Unlike normal blog postings dealing with Choices, Ethics, and Consequences - my topics as a professional motivational speaker - it seemed appropriate today to speak of my complete recovery from prostate cancer hoping that it might help others who are faced with decisions on prostate cancer treatment.

Discovering I had prostate cancer at the age of 47 was almost an accident and certainly not something that in any way I expected. I had no symptoms - none whatsoever. In layman’s terms, everything seemed to work fine. So the discovery of prostate cancer was quite accidental. It seems I had gone to my doctor simply requesting a pill (propecia - a drug to reduce hair loss). She required I have a blood test, as this drug would have an effect on my PSA. Frankly, all that was greek to me…as I didn’t know what PSA was and had never had it checked. I hated needles - had always said I was allergic to them - hence I avoided being stuck as much as I could. But on this day in November 2004 I decided to take the plunge - have my blood checked - and get the prescription.

Two days later I got a call while out of town saying that all the lab work was fine except that my PSA was a bit elevated - it was 4.58 and for someone my age that was high. My doctor referred me to a Urologist. The appointment was set.

Of course I had some concern, but after all, all the plumbing seem to work fine and I had no symptoms, so surely there was no problem. The Urologist’s exam was routine - in fact he said he thought I had nothing to worry about as he felt nothing abnormal. But, to be on the safe side he schedule a biopsy. Being fearful of needles (and a biopsy is the ultimate needle) I asked if it would hurt. His response, “Most men don’t really feel a thing.” That was a lie! Looking back, I would have asked for good drugs as that was the most painful experience I can recall.

Several days following the biopsy I received the results. Prostate Cancer! I had a Gleason score of 6 and 30% of one side of my prostate was cancerous. My heart sank as I received the news. How could I, a 47 year old healthy male, with no other medical issues have prostate cancer? And, how amazing that it was caught by a simple test that my well versed female doctor required. Looking back, her diligence saved my life.

What next?

My local doctor wanted to schedule surgery immediately. He said I had four options: (1) Radical prostotectemy (traditional surgery); (2) Radiation; (3) Hormone therapy and/or (4) Watch and wait. Again, he recommended surgery. My immediate question was how many of the surgeries that he was suggesting did he do weekly or monthly. The number was low. In the back of my mind I thought, “Hum, maybe I need someone who isn’t so surgery happy and who does this delicate removal frequently.” I was like learning to play golf - I would prefer to learn from someone who plays daily than learn from a weekend hacker. Maybe that analogy seems harsh, but after all the decision made would have lasting and profound effects.

Following the meeting with the Urologist, and after telling my family (who thought I was joking), I spent some time in research. First thing I found - based on my diagnosis - I had time to consider carefully my options. Not that nothing should be done, but I didn’t have to rush into any hasty decisions. Prostate cancer generally is slow in it’s progression. CAUTION - do not use my experience as a crutch to avoid treatment (I witnessed my father-in-law die from complications from prostate cancer), rather, seek competent medical help in making your treatment decisions.

Options Considered:

Watch and wait. Well for several months I did just that. I researched - changed my diet - considered the possibility that I could reverse what existed and even reduce the cancer. I began a regiment of daily intake of cottage cheese and flax seed oil. For a short time I actually saw a decrease in my PSA; however, that was short lived. What I did learn was that diet was important - not only for general well being - but an effective tool in promoting a cancer free body. This was valuable time in that it gave me the opportunity to consider all my options.

Radiation Therapy. Not really an option for me. While I talked with a man in his late 60’s to early 70’s who had outstanding results using focused radiation (proton therapy I think it was called), the reality is - once you opt for radiation and the tissue is destroyed, if prostate cancer returns, it cannot be surgically removed. Hence the best advice I received was, in my case, this would not be a practical option. By the way information on proton treatment can be found at http://www.protons.com/ or at http://www.llu.edu/. The people I talked with who had used this treatment were extremely pleased with the level of care they received and the overall outcome.

High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU). In my search for the right treatment, I spent much time in considering this alternative. There were three practical objectives I wished to accomplish with whatever treatment I selected: (1) Cancer elimination, (2) Minimal issues with incontinence (preferably none) and (3) minimal issues with erectile function (again, preferably none). Based on my Gleason score and prostate cancer diagnosis, it seemed that this treatment would be viable. For research information visit http://www.ushifu.com/. As part of my consideration I met with Dr. George Suarez, Medical Director for USHifu. He reviewed my medical background and was kind in taking the time to discuss with me my options using this new prostate cancer treatment. Dr. Suarez took the time to explain all my options and how, if I elected, HIFU could be effective while meeting my three objectives. My only resistance was, at the time, it was not an option yet approved by the FDA in the United States, hence I would have to seek the treatment outside the scope of my medical insurance outside of the country. While I gave this serious consideration, I ultimately decided to go another route.

Radical Prostatectomy. All of the possibilities above, brought me back to the original suggestion - SURGERY. The issue I had was what kind and who would perform it. Since I had the time to research I discovered (through the wonder of the Internet) this, then, new procedure called a robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy. Hum…seemed that needed more study. Of course, at the time, Johns Hopkins Brady Urological Institute was recognized as one of the best in the world for prostate cancer research and study. After careful consideration I contacted Johns Hopkins inquiring about this seemingly new procedure - using the daVinci Surgical System. www.urology.jhu.edu/MIS/daVinci/

The folks at Johns Hopkins could not have been more caring and helpful as I sought all my treatment options. Of course, they reviewed my file carefully and spent all the time I wanted and needed to evaluate my options. Dr. Li-Ming Su was my surgeon and my hat is off to him and his skill and patience. In the end, one thing was clear - all other options being equal - surgical removal was still the “gold standard” in the fight against prostate cancer. Likewise, it appeared that this robotic assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy would meet my three objectives.

The surgery went fine - of course I don’t remember a thing - so all I can base it on what the Doctor’s report. Initially the report indicated that the cancer was contained in the prostate and the removal should yield me “cancer free.” Of course this was to be confirmed later from lab reports. The first several days following surgery were not pleasant, but tolerable. Within three days, I boarded a plane and flew home to North Carolina - travel was not a big issue. The most discomforting thing following surgery was the catheter - which remained in for three weeks.

Outcome. Within four weeks following surgery I boarded a plane to Dallas, TX to begin a new job. My energy level was back and I had minimal incontinence isses with subsided within another three weeks. Within seven weeks of surgery incontinence was not an issue. Erecticle function returned within three months (with the aid of medication) and returned to full function (without medication) within twelve months.

Now it’s been two years since surgery and all three objective have been achieved. Life is normal. I am cancer free. My sincere thanks to all who were there for me as I sought out the treatment that was right for me. I would not have the opportunity to function as a motivational speaker today if it were not for the skill and help of the fine folks at Johns Hopkins. While printing such personal items for all to read may seem (to some) out there! I feel that, perhaps, others who find themselves diagnosed with prostate cancer may learn from my experience. If you find this helpful, but still need to talk - please visit my web site: http://www.chuckgallagher.com/ and contact me through that portal. I’ll be happy to talk with you via e-mail or phone.

Hair structure and various hairs available today

Hair extensions can dramatically improve your appearance. However, before you take the plunge and go in for hair extensions it would help to understand the quality of hair extensions and what the typical structure of hair is like.

The hair structure

The hair when observed on a microscopic level is actually composed of various layers. The outer coating is known as ‘cuticle’ and comprises many long cells which overlap with one another. They align in a unidirectional manner and is the main component that keeps the moisture in the hair intact. It also guards against the weather and other elements. In fact, shiny hair is a sign of having a healthy cuticle.

How to determine an extension’s quality?

The best way to gauge the quality of a hair extension is by assessing the cuticle. Usually, prices can also be an indicator of the overall quality. The more the price of the extension the more will be the quality and vice versa. Also, if the layers of the cuticle are intact and facing the same direction it means it is a healthy cuticle and so the price of the hair extension will also be higher. Bad quality cuticles indicate interlocking cells which can cause matted and knotted hair.

Types of hair and their structure differences

The hair used in the extension industry can originate from various countries. Each ethnic race has a different hair structure. Here we discuss some of them:

European hair:

This type is very thin and has a cross section surface that looks oval. Usually this kind of hair is preferred for all hair extension purposes.

Indian hair:

This is a very high quality hair type and is highly preferred for extension manufacturing purposes. Different hair kinds are mixed and collected for this purpose. However, very rarely is the cuticle left intact (except in very expensive extensions). Usually the cuticle is removed and coated with silicon substances. The prices of these extensions are hence much lesser.

Asian hair:

Most of the time Asian hair types come from Chinese people. It is thicker when compared to the European hair varieties and has a cross section resembling a round shape. Since the hair is originally very thick it is made lighter with an acid bath.

Remi hair:

This is one of the most expensive varieties of hair extensions and uses high grade hair with cuticle cells in a unidirectional growth (the hair we supply).

Synthetic hair:

This is a man made variety of hair which looks and feels like natural hair. Since it is made with artificial materials and the outer cuticle cells are unlike natural hair merging such hair extensions with your natural hair is very tough. Usually, the aftercare is also different for such types of extensions and the prices are also cheaper