by Lorelei Marfil

Looking for your next interesting read? Dr. Robert M. Tornambe, M.D. wrote The Beauty Quotient Formula when he realized he turned away nearly 20% of patients eager to receive cosmetic surgery.  As a conservative surgeon, his main reason for his refusal to operate was simply the patient’s lack of realistic expectations, or because they wanted surgery for all the wrong reasons. “A very common scenario would be a young lady requesting breast augmentation because her boyfriend likes big breasts and was going to pay for the operation, or the woman requesting a facelift because she found out that her husband was cheating on him with a younger woman,” said Dr. Tornambe. “After many years in this business, I realized that no matter how good my surgical technique or magnificent result would be, these people will never be happy because plastic surgery is NOT always the answer.  It always irked me that I could not offer them an alternative, and I was certain that they would easily find someone else to do their surgery, integrity notwithstanding.”

Tornambe believes that young women considering plastic surgery should stop, think, be cautious, and consider all options. Many television shows trivialize cosmetic surgery. Surgery is serious business and is not always the answer to your problems. Before considering surgery, Tornambe prefers that you ask yourself this question: “Is there another way to reach my goal without a scalpel?” My advice to patients who come to me for liposuction is the following: “Work out and diet as hard as you can first, and if that doesn’t work come back and we can talk about surgery,” says Tornambe.  “I emphasize this important fact to my patients who come to me for breast augmentation.  “You are signing up for at least two operations, the first one, which is obvious and at least one more, as breast implants are not permanent and require replacement every 10 years at best!”

He also suggests selecting a plastic surgeon who is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. These surgeons have the best training and must pass rigid and rigorous guidelines to become board certified.  To locate a board certified plastic surgeon, visit the ASPS website,www.plasticsurgery.org.

Dr. Robert Tornambe

The Beauty Quotient Formula isn’t your typical a beauty book, it is a beauty/confidence book. “The modern American woman is held to unfair standards with role models that are unrealistic to emulate,”  Dr. Tornambe explains. “The book was designed to allow the reader to identify those beautiful traits that she already possesses and learn to accentuate them.  Accentuate the positives, and then tackle possible liabilities, without plastic surgery, if possible. I also try to teach women how to be confident, because a confident woman is a beautiful woman.”

Dr. Tornambe shares his favorite tip from the book:

Skin is the largest organ in the body, and taking care of it is key, especially for younger women. Start a nighttime regimen and be sure to exfoliate and moisturize.

Exfoliate with the product of your choice. This is an important step that many women skip because they don’t understand why it’s needed. The reason is simple: the very outer layer of your skin consists of dead skin cells. Dirt and debris will also accumulate on the surface, especially if you live in a city or spend a lot of time in traffic. If not sloughed off, this combination of dead skin cells and daily crud can clog pores and leave your complexion looking dull and sluggish.

If you’ve ever had a pedicure, you know what I mean. You don’t think twice about getting the dead skin sloughed off your feet, and you know how much softer your skin is afterward. Well, skin is skin, whether on your feet or your face! And simple, gentle washing is not enough to get rid of the dead skin cells on your face.

The Beauty Quotient, $24.95; at barnesandnoble.com.

Visit thebeautyquotient.com.

Robert Tornambe, M.D.

Madison Plastic Surgery, P.C. Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery

46 East 82nd Street, New York, N.Y. 10028

Tel: 212.628.7600

Fax: 212.628.5799

Website: madisonps.com

Email: bobby@madisonps.com

Lorelei Marfil is an editor and style maven based in New York City and is the creative force behind InsideMyCloset.

Tags: Beauty, plastic surgery

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