Rock stars have always had an impact on how we dress and trends in general from Michael Jackson's multi-zippered 'Beat it Jacket' to Madonna's 'Lucky Star' rubber bracelets and street urchin look. Nowadays, women are not content simply to have their favorite crooner's clothes, they want their bodies. And nowhere is this more evident, than in Los Angeles, the vanity capity of the world. Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, and Janet Jackson have set off a mad dash to plastic surgeons's office by those in search of the au courant belly button, derriere, and abdomen respectively. Fans no longer are content to purchase the same clothes are their rock idols, they want to buy their body parts!

Dr. Nikolas Chugay is a Southern California plastic surgeon who has witnessed the rock star body part phenomenon first hand. His patients have the doctor to thank for skillfully replicating famous areas of the body for ordinary folks. Dr. Chugay performs his surgical magic via surgical procedures such as buttock implants, umbilicoplasty, and 'ab-etching.

Janet Jackson Abs- Ab-etching is a revolutionary process that delicately removes any excess subcutaneous adipose form (read fat) in between the abdominal muscles. This can't be done on just anyone who wants a 'quick fix' to remedy a couch potato physique. It's imperative that fat levels are already low,' says Dr. Chugay. He adds, 'a candidate for ab-etching is someone with already low fat levels. If one has excess fat, the fat will still act as cover for the underlying muscle. The procedure is intended as a final option to obtain midsection 'clarity' (i.e a six pack). Instead of merely suctioning excess fat, Dr. Chugay literally sculpts the abdomen so that the stomach is not only flat, but defined, as well. Dr. Chugay likes to think of it as a reward for being in shape. Prior to the ab-etching procedure, Dr. Chugay takes a felt tip pen and marks the areas to 'be etched.' The pre-operative lines make it easier for Dr. Chugay to discern the areas to be suctioned while the patient is in the prone position. In many instances of ab-etching a local anesthetic is sufficient (as is the case if only the love handles are being removed). If a patient is having both sides as well as the front done, then general anesthesia is usually a preferable choice.

The incisions made for ab-etching are literally the size of dots. Dr. Chugay then takes a tubular instrument called a cannula and inserts it through these tiny incisions and strategically vacuums out the excess fat. The doctor explains that, 'it is common for surgeons to use the largest cannula possible in order to extract the most fat in the least amount of time.' Dr. Chugay prefers to use the smallest, thinnest cannula possible. Although this means more operative time for the surgeon, the end results are smoother and more precise. Ab-etching is done using the tumescent technique, which softens the fat and makes it easier to remove. An additional benefit is that the tumescent fluid prevents excess bleeding by clamping down the blood vessels. According to Dr.Chugay, 'a full abdominal etching procedure can be completed in approximately two hours with each incision requiring only a single stitch. When healing time is complete, it's watch out Janet Jackson!

The J. Lo Booty-Jennifer Lopez has brought back the booty in a big way and the trend shows no signs of diminishing. For those whose derrierers could use a little more umph, there is now 'buttock enhancement. 'A true candidate is someone who has very realistic expectations and has a certain degree of flatness and soft tissue deficiency. Due to age or weight loss, a patient may have lost essential fat in the buttock region and may want a fuller, rounder look which is in better proportion to their hips and waist,' says Dr. Chugay. He uses a new, recently FDA approved softer solid implant. This implant affords a more natural look and feel than its predecessor that should eliminate much of the negative feedback of earlier models. Dr. Chugay places each of the implants beneath the gluteus maximus to give more of an elevated appearance. 'By placing them under the muscle, the implant is less palpable and the final result will have a more natural projection. In addition, there is no outer shell that can become weakened with pressure, so the implants are quite durable.' Even in a thong bikini, no scars will be apparent because the incisions are extremely well concealed where the two cheeks meet. Implants are not ideal for everyone. 'If a patient has minor flatness in the buttock area, yet is full in other areas with a square hip, it may be more beneficial to liposuction the waist and hips and then transfer fat into the buttocks to balance out the contours.' Thanks to this procedure J. Lo wont be the only one shaking her booty!

The Britney Belly Button-For those who covet Britney Spear's belly button, they can have it! That's good news for surgeons like Chugay, who now sees navel-driven patients on a semi-regular basis for a mere $2,500.00 a pop. 'Patients seeking tummy tucks often have their bellybuttons reshaped as an adjunct of the surgery, but now, with the popularity of belly rings and barely-clad fashions, more and more patients are coming to me specifically to change the appearance of their bellybutton.' Your bellybutton is your very first scar. It's scar tissue left over from where the umbilical cord joined you to your mother's placenta when you were in her womb. Similar to fingerprints, no two bellybuttons are exactly alike. The abdominal wall is made up of various layers, including skin, muscle and fat. They are all fused together at your bellybutton. You have subcutaneous fat that plumps up the skin all over your body. But the fat cannot lift the skin at the bellybutton, because the skin at that location is fused to your abdominal wall. That's why the bellybutton is concave. In the 'outie', there is a protuberant mass of subcutaneous scar tissue between the bottom of the bellybutton and the muscle wall of the abdomen. This scar turns the concave 'innie' into a convex 'outie'. Chugay says that genetics, weight loss and gain, pregnancy and umbilical hernias can all cause excessive pouting or hooding to the navel. The umbilicoplasty procedure is quick, taking only 30 to 90 minutes to do, and is performed under local or twilight anesthesia. Much of the muscle work can be done with an endoscope to minimize scars, and any scars that do remain are usually hidden in the umbilical depression. Chugay adds, 'If muscle repair is included, then a patient may experience some discomfort during the recovery. However patients can return to their daily routines the very next day.'