Heart disease kills more women than all cancers combined. Find out why red is the color of the day today and help make a difference in the fight against heart disease.

Guests at the Richard David Kann Melanoma Foundation luncheon at the Breakers in Palm Beach received Dr. Copeland products in their gift bags. The goal of the Richard David Kann Foundation is  to educate the community about the prevention and early detection of skin cancer, especially melanoma. Melanoma risk can be reduced by daily application of  sunblock – even on hands, feet, arms and other areas that are exposed to UV rays that we often don’t consider.

Dr. Copeland will join her co members  on the Go Red For Women Committee  at the NASDAQ closing today  to celebrate the official start of American Heart Month and the upcoming National Wear Red Day this  Friday,  February 3rd.  The Go Red for Women campaign encourages awareness of the issue of women and heart disease to help save more lives from the #1 killer of women – heart disease.  Wear red this Friday to show support and spread the word.

The New York Times reports today on the risk patients take when they undergo cosmetic procedures performed by doctors who are not board-certified plastic surgeons.  With declining insurance reimbursements, more doctors, regardless of specialty, are expanding their practices to include lucrative cosmetic procedures paid for out of pocket by patients, and it’s common to find opthamologists offering liposuction or gynecologists performing breast augmentation.

As highlighted in the New York Times article, the results of these procedures can leave patients with unnecessary scarring and may require revision surgery – which is not only traumatic for the patient but can be a financial burden. In my book Change Your Looks, Change Your Life Quick Fixes and Cosmetic Solutions for Looking Younger, Feeling Healthier, and Living Better, I give you information to help you choose the  right doctor. You should expect your physician to be more than just aware of, but fluent in, recent and dramatic advances. And most important, your doctor should have the proper certification and experience necessary to perform the procedures.

A new study shows that the risk of developing skin cancer from sun exposure in the afternoon is much greater than from sun exposure in the morning. What makes the difference? Research at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine  recently showed that it’s  not all about the exposure, but actually the cellular repair mechanism for UV damage to our DNA, which is at its peak efficiency early in the day. UV radiation causes our DNA damage, which in turn can cause mutagenic and carcinogenic effects.

Whether it’s morning or afternoon, summer or winter, applying a sunscreen with a minimum of SPF 30 is vital to have healthy skin. It doesn’t matter what your skin tone is – if you don’t want the effects of aging or illness, you need to guard yourself from the sun’s harmful rays. Apply a sunscreen moisturizer, like my Daily Moisturizer with SPF-30, every morning of every day. The moisturizer  with the anti oxidant clear zinc oxide not only protects your skin from damaging UVA and UVB rays, but also helps your skin repair sun damage.  It hydrates  your skin so it is supple and healthy.  And don’t forget about protecting your lips from the harsh ultraviolet rays. Use a product like my Lip Protector with SPF-15 to prevent sun damage and antioxidants to help smooth your lips

I applaud the new Federal  transplant guidelines  that will  now include face and hand transplant organs.

This decision would be a major step toward increasing access to radical transplants, especially for wounded troops returning home. More than 1,000 US troops have lost an arm or a leg in Afghanistan and Iraq, and approximately 200 troops may be eligible for face transplants. A dozen hospitals in the United States already perform face or hand transplants, and now more are preparing to offer these procedures. The first U.S. face transplant was performed at the Cleveland Clinic in 2008, and four have been done at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

The new rules would regulate transplants of feet, ankles, legs, fingers, windpipes, voice boxes, and even the uterus or penis. Today, waiting lists for these body parts are informal and local, but the proposed rules would include these transplants into the nationwide matching system run by the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). The rules are likely to take effect later this year or early in 2013.

As recently reported by RealSelf.com, internet searches for information on buttocks augmentations were up 39 percent in 2011. According to the social media site, buttocks enhancements, especially the Brazilian butt lift, which transfers a patient’s own fat cells to enhance the shape and size of the buttocks, was the top searched cosmetic procedure over the last year. RealSelf also reported the top five desired cosmetic procedures, which may indicate trends to watch in 2012: eyelid surgery, lip augmentation, liposuction alternatives, and wrinkle freezers.

The goal of buttock augmentation is to provide a more pleasing shape and contour to the backside by augmenting curves, correcting an imbalance or increasing size and prominence of the buttocks. I often use a technique of fat grafting to provide a natural, sculpted buttock shape. Buttock implants, inserted through small incisions, can also be used to create a more prominent buttock. Today, resculpting the body is easier than ever before. Excess skin can be removed, and the remaining skin can be repositioned and tightened. The result of these lifts is improved contour and a perkier look. It is now possible to do these procedures as an outpatient, under twilight anesthesia. Click here to see more before and after photos of buttock augmentations that I have performed.

I am 42 years old and notice recently that under my eyes my skin is thinning and I am getting darker circles. What is the best procedure to even the skin out and get rid of my black circles? I have heard Juvederm is best? Or fat transfer? Or is there a procedure that is best for this?

First, try topical treatments and a good skin care regimen to treat the area under your eyes. Using  twice daily Rewind Eye Cream, with pentapeptides for maximum wrinkle reduction and anti-oxidants to stimulate collagen as well as pigment reducers can really help reduce dark circles of puffiness around the eyes.

Traveling can be brutal on your skin – the change in climate, the harsh effects of flying, cold, wind and sun can wreak havoc on your skin. The recycled air in airplanes dehydrates your skin, so don’t forget to drink plenty of water. Apply my Day Serum and Daily Moisturizer to give your skin additional hydration. After arriving at your destination, use a gentle exfoliator to remove dry, dead cells and finish with a Night Serum to give your skin the boost it needs while you are sleeping.

We all want to travel light and that is why I developed an attractive zippered travel case for all your travel skin care needs. The travel kits are regulation, Airline approved sizes so there is no problem getting them through security and on board with you during your flight. Perfect for travel or for keeping on hand wherever you may go this year– a tropical getaway, country house, or camping trip. Our travel kit has the basics for glowing skin while you are away from home: Daily Cleanser, Daily Toner, and AHA Face Cream, Daily Moisturizer with SPF-30.

Have you ever wondered how you would look with a different nose, chin, or breasts? Now you can stop guessing! PRNewswire recently reported that a Plastic Surgery Simulator App is now available for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad users. The application helps people to envision how they might look if they undergo a cosmetic surgery procedure by allowing users to stretch, shrink, or move different parts of their body on photos, then view before and after pictures of themselves. With this new app, users can distort their photo to see how they would look with a differently shaped nose, breasts, chin, buttocks, and so on. The application quality plastic surgery simulations for a number of procedures, in an easy-to-use interface.

When it comes to cosmetic surgery, every person has different hopes, expectations, and fears – so every patient requires a personal consultation. It is important for both the patient and the surgeon to have a clear understanding of the patient’s needs and expectations. When you schedule a consultation , I will begin by talking to you about your goals—why you’re considering a procedure and what kind of options you have, as well as what sort of outcome you should expect. I use state-of-the-art digital imaging to help you visualize how you might be able to change your looks. If additional discussion would be helpful to you, I encourage you to have a second consultation, which may include family members or significant others. While there is no “crystal ball” when it comes to showing plastic surgery outcomes, computer imaging can approximate the enhancements you would like done. And although you won’t come out looking exactly as you do onscreen, the resulting image makes the results concrete and exciting, and helps with decision making. (From my best-selling book Change Your Looks, Change Your Life, Quick Fixes and Cosmetic Surgery Solutions for Looking Younger, Feeling Healthier, and Living Better.)