DanniJo: Get your grubby fingers on some beautiful jewelry

Where: 423 W. 14th St., #3R (buzzer #8)
When: Tuesday, February 1st, 5:30pm~7:30pm  

Shoshanna: A little birdie told us that all merch will be $75 or less. 

Where: 231 W. 39th St. (bet. 7th & 8th Ave.), Suite 422
When: Wednesday, February 2nd, 10am~6:30pm

Get your hands on some of my favorite feminine pieces! 

Where: 376 Bleecker St. (between Perry & Charles St.)

Starts: Thursday, January 27th, 10am~8pm
Friday, January 28th, 10am~8pm
Saturday, January 29th, 11am~8pm
Sunday, January 30th, 11am~8pm

The past weekend, German porn star and reality show participant Carolin Berger died due to complications after her six breast augmentation. Cora had her five previous surgeries in Poland at a clinic that refused to see her again for a sixth time. According to Wayne, NJ Double Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon Dr. Parham Ganchi, “Cora may have been turned down by reputable places and as a result, ended up going to a less than ideal surgeon/surgery center where they didn't have the highest standards of safety.”

According to Dr. Ganchi, plastic surgery, like all surgeries, carries risks. Below, he describes some of the concerns one should consider before going under the knife:

1. What are the risks of undergoing multiple breast augmentations (both aesthetic and physical risks)

Having multiple breast augmentations for a healthy woman is not risky.  What can have a negative effect is what they are having done each time.  For example, if a woman has implants that rupture and she has to have them replaced multiple times, there is very little risk to her health and very little aesthetic risk. 

However, if she is going to a bigger size each time, while there is still not much risk to her health, she is compromising her tissues by stretching them.  The degree of compromise depends on the size of her implants.  Very large implants can cause all kinds of problems with tissues even if the person has only had one or two procedures.  The skin is stretched thin.  This can result in rippling, drooping, bad scarring, loss of sensation of the skin and nipple and possibly even in extrusion of the implant (implant coming through the skin).  The skin can become so thin that doing surgery can become risky – the skin's blood supply can become compromised resulting in skin loss and severe scarring and infection. 

Most women who are having multiple breast augmentation procedures are doing so because they want to go bigger and bigger.  This is why we associate multiple procedures with bad outcomes.  However, it is not the number of procedures that is the problem.  It is the very large implants that are the problem. 

2. It is often advised to “shop around” for a plastic surgeon you feel comfortable with. What should you do if one surgeon turns you down but another is willing to perform the procedure? Could this be a sign you are dealing with someone with lower safety standards?

It depends who is turning the patient down.  This requires going back to the basics.  If your surgeon is a board-certified plastic surgeon, member of ASPS and ASAPS and has trained at top programs and tells you not to do a procedure, then I would seriously consider avoiding that procedure.  On the other hand, if someone who is less qualified, who may not be trained fully tells the patient not to do a procedure, I would get a second opinion from the highly qualified plastic surgeon. 

Sometimes, less qualified surgeons will tell the patient something shouldn't be done because the surgeon doesn't know how to do it or is not comfortable doing it.  Something else that has been in the news recently is the story of surgeons who are NOT qualified or certified to do various procedures who chose to get around the regulations and laws by doing procedures in their offices.  The regulations limit surgeons from doing procedures they are not qualified to do IF they do the procedures using anesthesia (in their office or hospital).  In order to get around this, they tell the patient that anesthesia is risky and it is better to do the procedures without anesthesia using just numbing medicine.  They try to convince the patients that using local anesthesia is better and faster and has less recovery time.  The real reason they do this is so they can do the procedure in their office without anesthesia and bypass the regulations that limit what they can do.  This is not better for the patient – these physicians do have lower safety standards and are doing this to bypass the regulations that are supposed to protect patients.

About Dr. Parham Ganchi

Parham A. Ganchi, PhD, MD, FACS grew up in New Jersey where he attended Millburn High School.  He graduated from Princeton University magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa.  He received a scholarship to Duke University Medical School where he not only earned his MD degree, but also a PhD in molecular biology.

After 7 years at Duke, Dr. Ganchi traveled to Harvard University. He completed a full five-year general surgery residency at Harvard’s renowned Brigham and Women’s Hospital where he served as chief resident and received the chief resident teaching award. He continued at Harvard, spending three additional years as a member of the inaugural class of the prestigious Harvard Plastic Surgery program, where he served as chief resident for two consecutive years.

Over a period of 19 years, Dr. Ganchi has attended some of the nation’s top institutions. He is double board-certified by the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Plastic Surgery.

For Valentine’s Day this year, treat yourself to a romantic retreat in the comfort of your own home with eco-friendly indulgences! Begin with a long, sensual soak in the bath and follow with a stress-relieving lotion massage. Then, top it off with some tender love and care. Made with wholesome ingredients and housed in recyclable packaging, these luxurious offerings are as kind to the earth as they are to your body.

Unwind this Valentine’s Day with the following products:

Pratima Love Oil ($24.00); www.pratimaskincare.com

This unique, nurturing body oil is sweet and spicy “just like love itself,” explains Dr. Raichur. Pure organic essences of Cinnamon, Clove and Cardamom combine to create the warm, nurturing feeling of being cared for, while nourishing Sweet Almond Oil works with Lavender, Rose and Vanilla to hydrate, soothe and deeply soften the skin. Massage all over the body when you want to feel nourished and loved. Can be used in the bath – add a few drops under running water.

Thymes Offerings Love Candle ($26.00); www.thymes.com

It’s a scent evocative of a heartfelt emotion. Each time the recipient lights The Offerings Love Candle by Thymes, her home is filled with feelings of warmth. With a blend of heady tuberose, dewy jasmine, golden apricot nectar and exotic Hinoki wood, The Offerings Love Candle envelops the room with a rich, comforting aroma that burns cleanly for up to sixty hours. Housed in an opaque cream glass with subtle white starburst designs, The Offerings Love Candle makes the perfect adornment for your dresser or bedside table. And, as a unique expression of Valentine’s Day love, the inner packaging of The Offerings Love Candle can be personalized with your own inspired inscription. Simply handwrite your loving message on the inside flap of the candle’s box.

Thymes Kimono Rose Cologne Rollerball ($20.00); www.thymes.com

Roll on the unabashedly feminine, sheer floral fragrance of Thymes Kimono Rose. Carry it with you for fast fragrance touch-ups that express your softer side, anywhere, anytime.

Fragrance: A sheer, sensuous floral with sweet clementine, voluptuous cassis, satiny rose, peony and jasmine petals, finished with a kiss of vanilla

*Smartypanties received these products as consideration for a review.

Getting  ready for Valentine's Day always takes a little bit of prep work if you know what I mean. Finding the perfect outfit, picking the perfect present, finding the perfect shade of lipstick, and then shaving your legs and getting a wax! Who has time these days for all of this when they're working a full time job, freelance writing and producing a daily blog….oh right, not me! Well, your prep work just got less painful! Ever wanted to reduce the ouch factor of your waxing appointment? Well, problem solved!

BareEase consists of a prep kit featuring a Lidocaine-based cream (the most widely used ansthetic, at the maximum concentration allowed over the counter) and other soothing ingredients like aloe and jojoba. Combined with the latex panty (ooh la la!), the cream and the panty can be worn under clothing. Then you remove it just prior to waxing or laser hair removal and the numbing properties will last for 15-20 minutes after cream is removed. 

The BareEase and Cream kit is available in 2 sizes, S/M and M/L for $24.99 and is available online at  www.bareease.com and select spas nationwide. 

Zooey Deschanel at the Sundance premiere of her new flick "My Idiot brother" on Saturday, January 22 (a holiday for me since it's my sister's birthday) in her H&M heels! Did I mention they're only $79.95!!

When asked to describe her “après-ski” attire, Zooey Deschanel is thrilled to share her love for H&M! Check out the adorable video here when Zooey realizes her shoes are H&M.

These attention-worthy shoes are both comfortable and chic. Available in stores in February, mark your calendars to get a hold of this perfect shoe.

With nearly two decades of experience helping clients and fans achieve optimal physical fitness, good health and spiritual wellbeing, David Kirsch is the wellness guru behind some of the world’s most coveted bodies. Now for the first time, the fitness master is sharing his expertise at a Master Class at Space NK, divulging tips and tricks to slim down, stay energized, and get gorgeous from the inside out. The event promises to reveal how to:

Join David at Space NK on Greene Street to learn everything you ever wanted to know about smart workouts, mind-body conditioning, eating right, and tailoring your lifestyle toward total wellness. Attendees will also have the chance to win a one-hour private training session with one of David’s top trainers at his Madison Square Club. The $50 admission price is redeemable toward David Kirsch products at the event.

WHO:    David Kirsch

WHAT:  Master Class

WHEN:  Wednesday, January 26^th, 6pm-7pm (doors open at 5:30pm)

WHERE: Space NK

99 Greene Street between Prince Street and Spring Street

WEAR:  This will be a no-sweat session—no workout attire required

RSVP:   212.941.4200