The exponential increase in the number of women parolees and probationers in the last decade has made women the most rapidly growing group of offenders in the United States. The purpose of this descriptive, qualitative study is to understand the unique gendered experiences of homeless female ex-offenders, in the context of healthcare needs, types of health services sought, and gaps in order to help them achieve a smooth transition post prison release. Focus group qualitative methodology was utilized to engage 14 female ex-offenders enrolled in a residential drug treatment program in Southern California. The findings suggested that for homeless female ex-offenders, there are a myriad of healthcare challenges, knowledge deficits, and barriers to moving forward in life, which necessitates strategies to prevent relapse. These findings support the development of gender-sensitive programs for preventing or reducing drug and alcohol use, recidivism, and sexually transmitted infections among this hard-to-reach population.

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The clinical study and follow-up of 106 consecutive patients requesting cosmetic surgery for facial evidences of aging revealed a favorable subjective response in nearly all who underwent surgery. This favorable response included more positive attitudes toward themselves and the relief of depressive symptoms. All the patients showed striking similarities in social attitudes and motivations for surgery. Those below the age of 40 who requested surgery demonstrated greater past and present problems in personal adjustment, and such patients deserve careful preoperative psychiatric evaluation. The "face-lift" operation not only provides a definite realistic improvement in appearance but also meets the personality needs of these patients in their endeavor to re-establish previous adjustment patterns.IVloDEHN plastic surgery techniques, such as cervicomeloplasty (face-lift operation) and/or blepharoplasty (eyelid repair) offer realistic changes toward a more youthful appearance. Each year more people consult plastic surgeons for these procedures. Since a number of psychiatrists and surgeons 1 " 3 have reported that surgical arrest of this physical effect of aging is psychologically beneficial, several questions deserve further clarification. Who are the patients that are motivated to seek such proce-

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