A permalip implant is a cosmetic procedure that involves inserting a smooth, solid, silicone implant into the lips. This enhances the size and shape of your lips with long-lasting results.

According to Dr. Alexander Z. Rivkin, MD, of Westside Aesthetics, a permalip implant can be removed or resized with relative ease.

The ideal candidate is someone who’s looking for a long-term solution to achieving bigger lips. This may improve self-esteem and quality of life.

A permalip implant is not for everyone, though. A 2014 studyTrusted Source found that those with “razor-thin” lips may not have enough tissue to fit even the smallest implant.

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Bethenny Frankel of The Real Housewives of New York City called out some of her Instagram followers after the authenticity of her youth was called into question. The star made it a point to promote a natural, makeup-free, and filter-free appearance in order to set an example for her children. However, that’s where the drama began.

Previous housewife and star Bethenny has been included in discussions about celebrities who undergo plastic surgery to maintain their youthful appearances. But the 49-year-old Bethenny maintains that she has never been under the knife. Earlier this year, fans noted some apparent changes in her face — from her jawline to her overall facial shape change. Dr. Alexander Rivkin, an aesthetics specialist added to the conversation by saying, “Her face has a more feminine, oval shape, whereas before it was more square and masculine.” These speculations haven’t seemed to bother Bethenny all that much.

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Cosmetic surgeon Alexander Rivkin, MD, who works with celebrities in Los Angeles, points to clear skin, rosy cheeks, and brightness around the eyes as the most obvious facial indicators of health. “I think health was assumed before the coronavirus, but that’s not assumed now. Projecting good health is going to be more at the forefront of our minds,” Dr. Rivkin says. “There’s going to be a desire to look in the mirror and not see a reflection of someone who looks weak or unhealthy,” he says.

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The America’s Got Talent judge was mocked on social media last year for his oversize, blinding white chompers. The dental disaster may not have been his only miscalculation. “His eyebrows are lower and heavier, probably because of overdosing Botox,” notes plastic surgeon Dr. Alexander Rivkin, who doesn’t treat Simon.

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What to know: “Hawaii Five-0” actress Michelle Borth shared in a new interview with People that she has a history of self-harm and suicidal ideation. Borth said she worked through her mental health issues thanks to treatment, but she struggled with the scars that reminded her of her past.

It really does have an effect on you. You get a look. I always felt that it was a look of someone feeling bad for me, of someone feeling sorry for me. Or sometimes nasty looks of someone judging me. — Michelle Borth

Eventually, Borth showed Dr. Alexander Rivkin her scars. A cosmetic doctor who specializes in non-surgical treatments, Rivkin experimented with injections. By filling in the areas around her raised scars, he was able to make them almost disappear. Rivkin said he can use steroid injections to flatten the look of raised scars and lasers to reduce the redness of scars with his treatment.

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Borth first began seeing Dr. Alexander Rivkin, one of the leading experts on non-surgical aesthetic procedures, when she was dealing with acne in her 20s, but it took over a decade until she felt ready to bring up her scars.

By that time, the actress had “come through the storm,” sought treatment and accepted her mental illness as a disease. But because of the scars she carried on her wrist, she was forced to “relive the trauma over and over again” — both at work, in the conversations she had to have before going on camera, and in her professional life.

“It really does have an effect on you,” she says. “You get a look. I always felt that it was a look of someone feeling bad for me, of someone feeling sorry for me. Or sometimes nasty looks of someone judging me.”

Finally, after trying “anything you can think of” to lessen the appearance of the scars, several years ago Borth showed them to Rivkin and asked him if there was anything he could do to help.

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Rocking her signature winged eyeliner and high pony, Ariana also showed off a distractingly puffy pout. “Her lips look good but a little large for her face,” L.A.-based cosmetic surgeon Dr. Alexander Rivkin, a pioneer of the 5-minute rhinoplasty, tells Star. Surmising that the singer’s had filler, the doctor, who hasn’t treated Ariana, explains, “You can tell she’s had lip augmentation because her upper lip is a bit bigger than her lower lip.”

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Before the global health crisis, Alexander Rivkin, MD, the pioneering facial cosmetic surgeon behind the “Non-Surgical Rhinoplasty” approach, was offering his patients the latest in non-invasive, non-ablative cosmetic treatments. As assistant clinical professor at the David Geffen UCLA School of Medicine, he would typically divide his time between patient care, FDA clinical research trials, educating other physicians, media appearances, and lecturing at scientific conferences throughout the world.

Rivkin has maintained the Westside Medical Aesthetics practice in Los Angeles for the past 17 years and agrees with Rahban, wholeheartedly, that finding people to work at the practice can be a difficult task, so he has remained flexible and accommodating to the needs of his employees and their family necessities–for example, like his assistant manager who started working remotely after giving birth to her first child.

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Dr. Alexander Rivkin, the founder of Westside Aesthetics, who specializes in non-surgical procedures, has decided to close his office until further notice and do consultations via Skype or FaceTime. “We are not making house calls because that really goes against the whole point of social distancing and shelter in place,” he says, noting that a house call potentially exposes the provider or the patient to the virus.

“The U.S. still has extremely limited testing for COVID-19 and we have yet to see the kind of organized, effective government measures that are curtailing the epidemic in China,” he says. “The federal response to this threat has been abysmal. As the leading global superpower, we should have implemented universal testing weeks ago and we should currently be running coronavirus isolation field hospitals.”

Rivkin believes the U.S. should have ramped up ventilator production two weeks ago, along with implementing a shelter-in-place policy. “Instead, we are on the same infection curve as Italy and headed for an overwhelmed medical system. Social distancing is our only hope right now to buy time as we race to develop a treatment and a vaccine.”

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If you’ve had your finger on the pulse of all things rejuvenation, then you’ve gotten wind of ThermiVa by now.

ThermiVa is a new non-surgical feminine rejuvenation treatment for women who want to reverse the effects of childbirth and aging.  (more…)

What’s Wrong With Kim’s Face? An Expert Weighs in

She has her rocking body back after giving birth to baby daughter North West in June, which was evident for all to see as she donned a white outfit to celebrate her 33rd birthday in Las Vegas Friday night.

But even though she was literally spilling out of her top, her ample chest wasn’t enough to distract us from her face — especially the line running from her mouth to her nose.

So what exactly has Kimmy gone and done to herself?

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Voluma Earns FDA Approval, Top Doctor Explains Benefits of New Filler

Just in time for the holidays, a new facial filler has been approved by the FDA that promises superior results for the same cost as existing filler Radiesse, and less money (and more predictable results) than Sculptra, a very expensive facial filler that takes a few months to see if it “takes” with the person’s skin.

A brand new type of injectable called Voluma was tested extensively by Dr. Alexander Rivkin, one of the top Cosmetic Surgeons in Los Angeles (www.westsideaesthetics.com) – who was chosen to study Voluma as one of a handful of doctors by the manufacturer, Allergan (makers of Botox).

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Voluma Poised to Take Over Injectable Fillers, FDA Approval Imminent

Everyone loves a brilliant new tweak to keep from having plastic surgery.

Fillers, the realm of FDA approved brands of injectable materials like Evolence, Juvederm, Belotero, Radiesse, Restylane®, Artefill, Sculptra and the passé Collagen based dermal fills, are what we know about now.

A brand new type of injectable called Voluma is about to receive FDA approval, and from what we hear from across the pond, where Voluma is in use, the smoother moleculed dermal filler is going to be a huge hit here.

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Happy Face = Happy Life… How your ‘look’ affects your demeanor and the long-term effects

Remember when you were a child and your mother would warn you to not make ugly faces because your face might stay that way?

Recent studies published in the National Library Of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health now say that if you have  sad, depressed looking faces, that will translate to your emotional state thereby making you psychologically sad and depressed.

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A 10-Minute Solution to Erasing Tired Eyes

Heavy bags under the eyes are an issue many women face but there is a treatment that promises to eliminate the problem in just 10 minutes.

By injecting filler into the eye bags, cosmetic surgeons say they are able to quickly fix that troublesome area under the eyes, known as a tear trough, with an in-office procedure that does not require anesthesia.

“Ten minutes later [post-filler], they [patients] come out and they don’t have dark circles under their eyes,” said. Dr. Alexander Rivkin, a Los Angeles based-facial cosmetic surgeon. “It lasts for two, three, four years.”

“It really is the fountain of youth for the eyes,” Dr. Rivkin said.

“Good Morning America” followed four women – Taryn Piana, Iya Ritchie, Esther Lira and Melissa Beretich — each seeking that “fountain of youth,” who decided to try the tear trough treatment themselves.

“What I’m hoping to come out with is to be able to go back to what I was doing four to five years ago and not wear makeup,” Beretich, 40, said prior to her procedure with New York City-based plastic surgeon, Dr. Steven Pearlman.

Ten minutes later, Beretich said she “absolutely” saw a difference in her eyes and felt no pain at all.

“What this treatment is doing is camouflaging the bags,” Pearlman said of the $600 to $1,000 treatment.

“For people who only have mild [eye] bags, it’s a way to stave off the need for surgery by filling in that hollow,” he said. “It’s not reducing the bag but you’re making it less visible.”

Esther Lira, one of Rivkin’s patients who tried the treatment, said she was never able to cover her bags with makeup that looked natural.

After her treatment, Lira, 42, like Beretich, said she could “see a difference.”

Iya Ritchie, 40, and Taryn Piana, 27, both of whom worked with Rivkin, were also pleased with the results of their trough treatment.

“It’s awesome,” Piana said.

Surgeons say the side effects of the treatment like puffy eyes and possible bruising will fade away within one week.

Original Article

Dr. Alexander Rivkin

New ten-minute procedure promises to erase under-eye bags for up to FOUR YEARS – but would you risk blindness to remove those dark circles?

A bit of concealer used to do the trick, but now there is a more permanent solution to heavy under eye bags

Promising to soften dark circles in just ten minutes, cosmetic surgeons are injecting filler into the eye bags for the new treatment that lasts two to four years.

Dr Alexander Rivkin, a Los Angeles based-facial cosmetic surgeon, said of the in-office procedure which does not require anesthesia: ‘It really is the fountain of youth for the eyes.’

The dermatologist-offered procedure called tear-trough fillers, where hyaluronic acid such as Restylane or Juvéderm is injected to make the eyes appear better rested, costs from $600 to $1,000.

However injecting the eye area is not without risks. Surgeons say the side effects of tear-trough treatment range from puffy eyes to possible bruising, which usually subsides within one week.

But if the filler blocks a retinal artery, it can cause blindness.

Dr Julie K. Karen, a New York dermatologist, told the New York Times: ‘I think about this every time I do it.’

Four women who tried the treatment seemed genuinely surprised at the results.

Melissa Beretich told Good Morning America: ‘What I’m hoping to come out with is to be able to go back to what I was doing four to five years ago, and not wear makeup.

After her ten-minute procedure with New York City-based plastic surgeon, Dr Steven Pearlman, Ms Beretich said she ‘absolutely’ saw a difference in her eyes and felt no pain at all.

Dr Pearlman explained: ‘What this treatment is doing is camouflaging the bags. For people who only have mild [eye] bags, it’s a way to stave off the need for surgery by filling in that hollow.

‘It’s not reducing the bag but you’re making it less visible.’

Meanwhile Esther Lira, one of Dr Rivkin’s patients who tried the treatment, said trying to cover her bags with makeup that looked always unnatural.

But after her treatment, the 42-year-old said she could ‘see a difference.’

Twenty-seven-year-old Taryn Piana, 27, was also pleased with the results of her treatment, describing it as ‘awesome.’

Original Article

Dr. Alexander Rivkin

There is no such thing as Botox resistance, says leading cosmetic surgeon

A newreport coming from Britain claims that women who regularly get Botox may becoming immune to the injections.

The report was based on findings by German researchers, published in the Journal of Neural Transmission, which found that one in 200 Botox users developed antibodies, making the treatment less effective over time.

Patients who needed larger doses – including those prescribed it for medical reasons to treat spasms or sweating – were more likely to stop responding, the research found.

Other scientists, writing in the British Medical Journal’s online forum Open, revealed that repeated injections “can trigger an immune response… which might lead to non-responsiveness to treatment”.

However, Dr. Alexander Rivkin, a Los Angeles Cosmetic Surgeon,who on Monday featured in a Good Morning America story about injectables, tells The Plastic Princess that’s absolutely not true:

He said: “I have injected more than 10,000 patients with Botox over the last 10 years and have never seen a single case of Botox resistance. For the vast majority of cosmetic patients, you actually need less Botox as time goes on because the muscles being injected weaken and atrophy somewhat with repeated Botox treatments. If a Botox treatment is less effective than the last time there are a variety of reasons – there was an error in the preparation of the bottle, there was an error in Botox injection placement, there is an increase in the patient’s stress level, causing them to be using their frown muscles more, etc. actual antibody resistance can happen, but is extremely rare.”

Original Article

Dr. Alexander Rivkin

A 10-Minute Solution to Erasing Tired Eyes

Heavy bags under the eyes are an issue many women face, but there is a treatment that promises to eliminate the problem in just 10 minutes.

By injecting filler into the eye bags, cosmetic surgeons say they are able to quickly fix that troublesome area under the eyes — known as a tear trough — with an in-office procedure that does not require anesthesia.

“Ten minutes later [post-filler], they [patients] come out and they don’t have dark circles under their eyes,” said Dr. Alexander Rivkin, a Los Angeles based-facial cosmetic surgeon. “It lasts for two, three, four years.”

“It really is the fountain of youth for the eyes,” Dr. Rivkin said.

ABC’s Good Morning America followed four women — Taryn Piana, Iya Ritchie, Esther Lira and Melissa Beretich — each seeking that “fountain of youth,” who decided to try the tear trough treatment themselves.

“What I’m hoping to come out with is to be able to go back to what I was doing four to five years ago and not wear makeup,” Beretich, 40, said prior to her procedure with New York City-based plastic surgeon, Dr. Steven Pearlman.

Ten minutes later, Beretich said she “absolutely” saw a difference in her eyes and felt no pain at all.

“What this treatment is doing is camouflaging the bags,” Pearlman said of the $600 to $1,000 treatment.

“For people who only have mild [eye] bags, it’s a way to stave off the need for surgery by filling in that hollow,” he said. “It’s not reducing the bag but you’re making it less visible.”

Lira, one of Rivkin’s patients who tried the treatment, said she was never able to cover her bags with makeup that looked natural. After her treatment, Lira, 42, like Beretich, said she could “see a difference.”

Ritchie, 40, and Piana, 27, both of whom worked with Rivkin, were also pleased with the results of their trough treatment. “It’s awesome,” Piana said.

Surgeons say the side effects of the treatment — like puffy eyes and possible bruising — will fade away within one week.

Original Article

Dr. Alexander Rivkin

August 1, 2011

Plastic Surgery 2.0: What’s promising in non-surgical face and body fixes

There’s an arsenal of new non-surgical fixes, procedures and treatments that can help someone regain some lost contours and refine skin texture, with minimal downtime and less expense than traditional plastic surgery.

Dr. Alexander Rivkin is a Yale-trained cosmetic surgeon based in Los Angeles. His practice is focused exclusively on non surgical aesthetic treatments and he regularly trains other doctors on injectables and other skin rejuvenating methods.

Dr. Rivkin is also Monsters and Critics go-to expert for all questions pertaining to facial plastic surgery and has commented on major news stories involving celebrity face-work as well as sharing his expert opinion on various procedures.

At his offices inside Westside Aesthetics, Dr. Rivkin and his staff employ a variety of the latest nonsurgical cosmetic procedures.

Monsters and Critics asked Dr. Rivkin about some of the latest procedures available.

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July 22, 2011

How To Get Rid Of Spider and Varicose Veins?

With summer in full swing and temperatures topping out in the triple digits, many women are still hiding their legs due to unsightly veins. Although not dangerous, spider veins and their larger counterparts, varicose veins may cause embarrassment and shame in women, leading them to cover their legs even in the full heat of summer. A common occurrence, nearly 25% of all women suffer from unsightly veins but there are several treatment options, ranging from natural to professional.

Recently seen on The Doctors, the main reason why women develop spider and varicose veins is due to pressure. Extra weight from weight gain and pregnancy can place undue stress on the smaller valves in the veinous system, causing the capillaries right under the skin to burst. Your job could also be a culprit: if you are on your feet all day or if you sit at a desk for long periods of time, your risk for spider veins increases. Prevention includes plenty of exercise, including swimming and walking but if you already have them, you have many choices on how to get rid of them.

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May 16, 2011

Plastic Surgeon slams Pageant Mom: 8-year-old getting Botox story ‘repugnant’

By April MacIntyre

The mother, Kerry Campbell of San Francisco, CA., is now being investigated by the State of California. Photo courtesy of ABC News

Monsters and Critics’ spoke to Dr. Alexander Rivkin today about the mother injecting her 8 year-old daughter with Botox to make her competitive in the pageant world.

The mother, Kerry Campbell of San Francisco, CA.,  is now being investigated by the State of California.

Plastic Surgeon Dr. Alexander Rivkin slams what the mother is doing to her daughter.

“The most disturbing part of the story is when she says that all the other pageant mothers do it!” says Dr. Rivkin.

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May 16, 2011

Bristol Palin’s new look? Dr. Alexander Rivkin shares opinion on the procedure

By April MacIntyre

Dr. Rivkin weighs in on what might have transpired in a year for the daughter of ex Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin, who kicked up her heels on the last season of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.”

According to California board certified plastic surgeon Dr. Alexander Rivkin, something may be different with Bristol Palin’s face.

Dr. Rivkin weighs in on what might have transpired in a year for the daughter of ex Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin, who kicked up her heels on the last season of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.”

Dr. Rivkin tells Monsters and Critics, “Weight loss in certain folks can really change the shape of the face, usually for the better. As the fullness around the the jawline, under the chin and in the upper neck area disappears, the person’s face gains definition and the shape goes from round to oval. In her case it seems that this jawline definition effect was enhanced by some augmentation of her chin. Whether this was via an implant or filler injection is hard to tell. The augmentation is relatively subtle and natural looking. It also looks like she had some augmentation of her lower lip, most likely with a hyaluronic acid filler product like Juvederm. I have to say the overall effect looks very good.”

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December 30, 2010

Changing the Asian Nose | Rhinoplasty without Surgery

Do you like the shape of your nose? Or do you think that it’s too flat, too round or too wide? Feng shui experts claim to predict fortunes based on a person’s nose shape. Some believe that nose shapes are linked to people’s characters. As the nose is the central focus of a person’s face, many people want their noses to be more attractive. People can choose to opt out of going under the knife by exploring non-surgical procedures.

Dr. Alexander Rivkin in California has created the 15 Minute Nose Job, also known as the Non-Surgical Nose Job, for people who want to improve the

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December 16, 2010

Lifechangers: Shannon Tweed on Hyperhidrosis

Shannon Tweed is the longtime partner of Kiss star Gene Simmons, and she talked to “Extra” about suffering from hyperhidrosis, and what she did to get help for her condition.
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December 10, 2010

Injection Rhinoplasty Gaining Popularity in Asian Community

Christine, before and after her injectable rhinoplasty procedure. Photos Courtesy of Dr. Alexander Rivkin

When we first covered the topic of ethnic rhinoplasty, the tale of Los Angeles high school senior and Persian princess Dornaz Maraghehchi, who received a nose job as a gift for the Persian New Year, stirred much controversy.

Now an increase in the number of Asian patients seeking nose reshaping is bringing the hot topic back into the spotlight.

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November 29, 2010

‘Bridalplasty’ a brilliant move on E!’s part, sign of the times (Hot On Google!)

This Sunday on E! the new reality series “Bridalplasty” will take some soon-to-be-married and already married (but never had a real wedding) posse of ladies and offer them, by way of challenges, a step-ladder of minor invasive to full-on surgery fixes for the flab and folds that bedevil them.

This may have shocked ten years ago, but in this day of 18 year-olds getting preventive Botox to freeze their faces to prevent any lining, and men filling and tightening their faces with Juvaderm and thermage treatments, the good, bad and ugly of plastic surgery is all the rage in the Western world.

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November 23, 2010

Dr. Alexander Rivkin appears on “The Doctors” to discuss the treatment of a sweaty scalp with Botox

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November 16, 2010

Faux Finishing: Can you look like you’ve had a facelift without going under the knife?

Click to view entire article

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November 2, 2010

Get a New Face on Your Lunch Break

Swing Low No More

Your cheeks and lower jaw are sagging like a turkey’s wattle, but a surgical jowl lift — with its associated pain and swelling — is not an attractive option, either. During a non-surgical jowl lift (about $800), a Radiesse (calcium hydroxylapatite) filler is injected into the space in front of the jowl, restoring the jaw’s youthful contour, explains Dr. Alexander Rivkin, founder of Westside Aesthetics, a non-surgical cosmetic practice located in Los Angeles.

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October 26, 2010

Changing Faces: Non-Surgical Nose Job and Ethnic Rhinoplasty

The nose job is still one of the most popular of all cosmetic surgeries. According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) 152,434 rhinoplasty procedures were performed in 2008, and was the most popular cosmetic procedure for teens in 2009. Rhinoplasty has changed over the years however as many ethnic patients pursue this surgery looking for a different outcome than traditional nose jobs, and new methods of non-surgical rhinoplasty become available.
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August 25, 2010

Fired
Housewife Danielle: Is It Botox Or Brow Lift??

People are always talking about the 48-year-old, controversial New
Jersey housewife, especially her eyebrows, and to what she has
admitted to—4 boob jobs.

Let’s
take a closer look….Has Danielle Staub over-dosed on the Botox,
or are her very high eyebrows, the result of a brow lift?

Who
knows for sure.

A brow lift is a plastic
surgery procedure designed to correct sagging in the forehead
skin, upper eyelids, and eyebrows. It is a common cosmetic
surgery done under local anesthesia with minimal discomfort.

August 10, 2010

When Stress Takes a Toll on Your Teeth

By Camille Sweeney

With economic pressures affecting millions of
Americans, dentists may have noticed a drop in patients opting for a
brighter smile, but they are seeing another phenomenon: a rise in the
number of teeth grinders.

July 21, 2010

Is 18-year Old Charice Getting Botoxed for Television
Appearance?

18-year-old Filipino singer Charice first became known to
America when she appeared on Ellen, after becoming a YouTube
sensation. Since then she has also appeared on Oprah and is preparing to
make an appearance on the hit television series Glee at the
end of the month. In addition to practicing her singing, Charice is also
reportedly undergoing Botox as well as Thermage.

At 18, Charice already looks younger than her age and does not
have a need for the Botox and Thermage anti aging procedures she is
reported to have gotten.

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Changing Faces: The News In Noses (ELLE May 2010)

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July 7, 2010

Dr. Alexander Rivkin appears on KNBC’s 5PM News in a segment showcasing his treatment of TMJ with Botox!

Rivkin-KNBC-News-7-7-10

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