Archive for August, 2006:
A lawsuit has been filed by the mother of a 43 year old California woman whom the defense says was ultimately killed by a pedicure. The woman, Jessica Mears, did suffer from the autoimmune disease Lupus, where the body cannot adequately heal itself and the immune system is constantly suppressed.
After she went to a California salon to get a pedicure in 2004, and bathed her legs in a bath that the defense claims was contaminated with bacteria, the woman developed a large lesion on her lower leg which would not heal. Jessica then had a bacterial infection which ultimately led to her death.
The decision in this case will probably come down to determining whether the salon, called Top Hair and Nail Salon in Mountainview CA, had substantial neglect of duty to customers since the bath contamination is supposedly what began the bacterial infection which ultimately led to Ms. Mear’s untimely death.
It is likely that the final autopsy report will have a large say in what the woman’s death was directly linked to – in other words, if the simple pedicure ultimately led to her demise or if she may have died from other causes.
I received this question from a woman who is about to get the somewhat expensive hair treatment thermal reconditioning done. She wondered what the appropriate tip would be for this service. Here is her question and my response.
Keep in mind, salon service tipping is largely personally discretionary, but there is a standard in place, and depending on where you go and how good of a job they do on your hair or whatever other service they give, you can use your discretion to go higher or lower.
Readers Question :
I’m going to get my hair themally
straightened, and I am clueless about what
the tip should be … can you give me some ideas?
My Answer : I usually make it a rule to tip at least 20% for any salon service. For a long, drawn out process like this, some people may choose to go up to 30%, but 20% is acceptable.
Hope this helps.
I can’t believe that more than 90% of women, it is estimated, are not satsified with the shape, size or contour of their breasts – their natural, God given breasts, that is. We all know that more and more women are choosing to get plastic surgery to meet with the beauty ideal today, which focuses on leggy, busty women.
We definitely view women with nice breasts differently in this society, don’t we? And that’s exactly why these natural breast enhancement products are a booming market today. Devices such as the BRAVA natural breast vacuum, which gradually enlarges breasts over time from a suction type of action which is constantly administered through a worn bra-like device day and night.
Not only that, but natural breast enhancement products and herbal supplements for breast enlargement are also gaining more attention and notoriety, as women seem to be sharing their successes and failures with these products increasinly in online communities and other public forums.
The answer is, you really have to figure it out for yourself. You may try the same product your friend did with drastically different results. It’s a crap shoot, but if you hit the target, you might be a satisfied customer.
Sorry to sound so wishy washy on this one, but it’s a tough subject to give advice on, since these types of products are notorious for working very differently on different body types and metabolisms.
I came across a somewhat alarming side effect of many acne medications, such as Accutane and other prescribed acne medicines that are used for severe acne usually, such as retinoids.
I guess that if you have a hair removal treatment, like waxing or sugaring or any of the other plethora of hair removal treaments (I’m not sure about laser hair removal – but I don’t think it would be recommended to have this serious procedure while on acne medication either), but this does apply for anything where hair is being forcefully removed from you face or other areas of your body.
Apparently, if you’re on an acne medicine like accutane, it can make your skin actually come off right along with the hair, so most technicians and salons – at least the good ones should definitely prescreen you for treatments such as this to prevent any skin from coming off of your face during the hair removal procedure.
If you tell them that you’re on an acne medication, and they act like it’s still ok, don’t get it done there, because they probably don’t know what they’re talking about!
I think I’ve found my newest favorite self tanner for my face. These babies must have just recently become available, because I don’t remember seeing them before my weekend trip to Wal-Mart. I purchased the six individually wrapped self tanning wipes by L’Oreal, along with a free decently size bottle of their regular self tanning cream.
The self tanning cream is the non-tinted version – it’s in a solid plastic bottle rather than the tube that the tinted bronzing and self tanning creme comes in. This cream works pretty well too, but I have to admit I think I still like the tinted version a wee bit better due to the simple fact that I can see the areas I already covered a little better.
The self tanning wipes for the face are a pretty generous size, so you can actually get your neck and behind your ears with them as well if you want. I like them because they are non pore clogging (noncomedogenic), and do not leave a greasy sheen on my face like the creams I’ve been accustomed to using on my face as of late.
The leave a good bit of color – you just have to be mindful, as always to cover every square inch evenly so you don’t end up with blotches or streaks. The color came out as a nice, warm tan and it wasn’t too dark or overpowering for my face, so it looked natural. The color I bought mine in was light-medium.
Have you heard of the other cellulite process that supposedly helps dramatically reduce the cellulite on your abdomen, buttocks and thighs? It’s called endermologie, and it’s a professionally administered procedure that takes about 20 twice a week sessions before you see full potential results.
Then after that, it is supposed to take about one session a month to keep the results up. I’ve been considering getting this procedure done, since it is relatively affordable, considering the other nasty alternative – liposuction, which I’m way to much of a chicken to ever consider.
Plus, I’m not looking to completely get rid of fat, I’m just looking to reshape, tone and firm my thighs and butt with the increasing appearance of cellulite that dimples my thighs, and in increasing areas with wider stretch – unfortunately. The cost is usually a total of about $1500 – $2000 for the initial 20 treatments, and then about $1200 for yearly maintenance.
The first 20 procedures are ideally carried out within a 10 week period, with 2 sessions per week. I’ve looked for people who do the endermologie cellulite treatment in my area (I’m in the Akron/Greater Cleveland area of Ohio), and I’ve only found one specialist so far within a 50 mile radius, so it must not be a widely offered treatment option. The pictures I’ve seen online look pretty darn good, so I’m hoping this is not just another waste of money in my quest to get rid of cellulite.
They say that endermologie can actually reduce your circumference by a few inches in many cases as well, and the before and after endermologie pictures I’ve seen online seem to back that up.
There are some that say endermologie is a waste of money and the other, more costly and perhaps more painful process called messotherapy, is a better option, but I’m just too much of a chicken to get that one done.
See my related story on messotherapy for an explanation of what THAT crazy process is. More to come on endermologie. I’m really thinking I might try it! Also, see my previous article on endermologie, posted yesterday for more detailed info on how it works and why I’m thinking of getting it done.
Well, unfortunately I’ve never tried one of these supposedly “transdermal” cellulite treatment patches, but there are an increasing number of them now on the market as viable and effective solutions to that ugly, orange peely stuff that just seems to get more and more abundant on our thighs, abdomen and butt as we age.These types of patch products claim to subdermally (below the skin) deliver toning and tightening ingredients so that the cellulite may be dispersed and broken up more easily. But do they really have any effect at all? The thing I’m not so sure about with diet patches or any other type of patch is whether the ingredients are “really” delivered to your blood stream, or if it’s just a gimmick?
Apparently though, this type of technology does work with some medical grade products, so why couldn’t it work for an OTC, nonprescription cosmetic product too? Take for example the nicotine patch. It’s been used for years to deter smokers from smoking, and no one ever refuted its effectiveness.
I would greatly appreciate anyone’s comments who have used a cellulite treatment patch. I’d love to know more about if it works or not.
Cellulite is big business. Just look at the ever-expanding line of cellulite creams, gels, masks, and even supplements being offered by various cosmetics companies.
While cellulite creams and other topically applied cellulite treatments certainly do help to diminish the appearance of cellulite, women are still looking for that dramatic difference. Endermologie may be one of the most effective options available today – for a price, of course.
What is Endermologie?
Endermologie is a professional series of cellulite treatments that is administered by a practitioner who is licensed (in most states) to perform the relatively low tech, non invasive procedure on paying clients.
There are currently not an abundance of beauty spas and cosmetic surgery offices that offer the procedure, at least where I live, but if you search hard enough you should be able to find a provider in a metropolitan area within driving distance.
Endermologie is a process where a technician uses a patented endermologie machine, which performs a vacuum-like suction to the affected areas, namely the thighs, buttocks and sometimes the abdomen.
The machine gently kneads and alternately pinches the skin in these areas which purportedly helps to stimulate the circulation, as well as stimulate something called lymphatic drainage. Lymphatic drainage is where the lymph system is relieved of toxins that build up, based on a theory that cellulite is caused by poor circulation and toxin build up.
The patient wears a panty-hose like apparatus on their legs and other affected areas as a protection measure to minimize direct contact between the skin and the endermologie device. The recommended course of treatments to obtain the best results initially is 20-25 sessions. Each endermologie treatment session usually lasts about 45 minutes to one hour. After the initial treatments are administered twice per week, it is recommended that monthly treatments be purchased to maintain any results.
What to Expect from Endermologie
Results from the endermologie cellulite treatment process can be pretty impressive, depending on a few variables. Many before and after pictures of patients who received endermologie treatments showed a distinct, marked improvement in firmness and texture. Some endermologie clients pictures even show a reduction in actual circumference and inches in the thighs and butt area. While it is true that some patients may show an actual loss of inches, this does not occur for all endermologie clients, but it certainly is a nice bonus when it happens!
The cost for endermologie treatments is usually about $50-$75 per session depending on where you live and the caliber of the treatment facility. Total cost for the initial 20-25 treatments is usually anywhere from $1,500-$2,000, and the ensuing yearly maintenance can range from $500-$1,000.
It’s definitely not the cheapest treatment available for cellulite, but if your results are excellent, it certainly may be well worth it to you. Be sure to ask any office you are considering giving your business to for before and after pictures of some of their clients. You results are definitely going to be better if you choose an experienced technician.
In a departure from the usual “classic beauty” makeup and cosmetics giant Estee Lauder chose a rather unconventional beauty for their newest spokesperson, after gorgeous Elizabeth Hurley’s contract was up.
They chose Gwyneth Paltrow, who, true enough has dated some of the hottest men in Hollywood, but still is not (at least in my book), a truly classic beauty. She’s pretty, but I think it’s more Gwyneth’s polished style that drew Estee Lauder to her as their newest face.
In the past, Elizabeth Hurley and Paulina Porizkova, the exotic looking Polish model served as spokesmodels for years. Paltrow can currently be seen in their Estee Lauder scent “Pleasures” ads in magazine, as well as in department stores. Gwyneth has also done some other print ads as well as TV spots for the Cosmetics company.
We hear about these horror stories all the time. Women, mostly younger, more naive women, being lured into getting cosmetic procedures illegally by unlicensed people who claim to be experts, for a drastically cut rate price.
Well, this is one of those unfortunate stories. A 24 year old woman recently died after she received a liposuction procedure in the basement of husband and wife “team” Luis and Ana Ribeiro.
The woman was rushed ot a hospital shortly after receiving the liposuction procedure in the couple’s basement of their home, and was pronounced dead on arrival. The couple are now in jail, pending large bonds and upon investigation it was (of course) found that neither had licenses to practice medicine or cosmetic surgery in the state of Massachusetts, where the operation took place and killed the woman.
The man obtained the illegal drugs in order to perform the surgery on the woman, and is now charged with ilegally practicing medicine and illegally obtaining drugs, he also may be charged with manslaughter if a jury finds him guilty.
This is alarming, because we hear incidents like this happening all the time now, where unlicensed individuals prey on women who want a cosmetic procedure done cheaply, and end up seriously harming or killing the “patient” when things go wrong.
I’ve heard of it happening with Botox as well where illegal or fake botox is used and patients suffer disfigurement or even death. It’s also happened with other procedures -mostly breast implants and liposuction.
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