My Beauty Space : Product Reviews, Tips and Experiences

I just read and watched a video about a new nonsurgical technique that plastic surgeons are using that is supposed to spot reduce fatty areas on the body, like love handles and excess fat on the thighs, belly, and other spots that are common for problems to emerge for women and men.  The video I watched was featured as a news spot about a woman who had the treatments done to help spot reduce her “muffin top”, which is the sides of the belly the overflow from your pants, creating that dreaded muffin top effect that is now such a buzzword.

It’s really an interesting procedure because it doesn’t look like it would really do much of anything.  When they showed the woman getting the lipolaser treatment done to her midsection, she was fully clothed, and a laser that took the shape of windmills on her dress in her abdominal area kind of rotated up and down and back and forth, over her clothes. 

It was a red laser light, and it’s supposedly a cool laser technique that is newly being used for spot fat reduction after it was discovered that a laser can not only help melt fat internally (smart lipo), but it can also help the body melt (destroy) fat cells when utilized from the outside, and nonsurgically, and then the body’s own lymphatic system is supposed to rid the body of the destroyed fat cells. 

While I admit that such a simple procedure looks intriguing for those that want to spot reduce fat on their body, it is pricey, and it does require about five sessions, which usually run anywhere from 3,000 to 4,000 dollars total.  Also, it does not work for everyone, so there is a chance that either it may not work for you or that you may not get the results you want to get.  They did studies to see if this had any effect on the cholesterol levels of those who had the treatments, since it does release fat cells from the body, and so far it looks like it may in fact help cholesterol in some way as well, but those results are not yet totally conclusive.  At any rate, it had me intrigued! 

It’s called lipolaser, and you can read about it online if you just google lipolaser.  The company, Meridian, who manufactures this laser has some good information on the web about it. 

That’s right, the American obsession with appearance apparently has affected those beyond the grave as well as those here and still very much alive on earth.  It’s no secret that Americans are increasingly obsessed with their appearance, obsessing over their facial features, staving off wrinkles and sun damage, pulling this and that up or down, getting their boobs bigger, getting tummy tucks and liposuction.  Basicaly, you name it these days, and you can get it done in a surgeon’s office somewhere.  Call it the age of vanity, or some may just say the age of perfection.

While I don’t agree with obsessive or excessive plastic surgery or cosmetic procedures, I believe that they do have their place for many in modern society who use them wisely, and don’t get too carried away with changing their features so that they become a shadow of their former selves.  After all, one of the greatest things about humanity is that we all have a uniqueness that makes each and every one of of special, and some of that should be honored, since we don’t all want to look like cookie cutter versions of eachother.

Some people are opting to undergo cosmetic procedures so that they can look better in their sendoff to the afterlife, or whatever it is they happen to believe in after we die and pass off of this earth.  Most likely the reasons are often that they want to look at their personal best for a wake, or that they simply want to look their best when they pass away, and take comfort in knowing  that post mortem they will get the treatment they want. 

Do I understand it?  No, not really, but as with everything else, it’s a personal choice, and who are we to judge what others deem suitable in their lives?  Naturally you can understant how this practice may raise some eyebrows though!  No pun intended

This was definitely an interesting story, and certainly conjures up some funny pictures in one’s mind.  Heck, you almost feel sorry for the guy until you hear he’s been involved in cocaine trafficking and is involved in a mafia crime family, which means he’s full of shadiness.  An Italian man was arrested immediately after he had woken up from his anesthesia following his liposuction surgery recently in Italy.  It doesn’t really specify why they didn’t nab the guy before his cosmetic surgery, but it may have been because they had just gotten the necessary warrants for his arrest.

So, although he woke up with a significant portion of his body fat gone, he has to probably go to jail for a very long time, not sure what kind of trade off that is.  The man was a part of a larger syndicate called the ‘ndragheta mafia family, and had been trafficking drugs which they obviously had plenty of evidence for, enough to arrest him right after his liposuction.  At least he looks good for his soon to be prison friends I suppose!

With the ever worsening economy and consumer sentiment in the “save” mode, it’s no wonder that areas where discretionary spending rule the mindset of getting something or getting something done, are suffering right now.  Cosmetic surgery certainly doesn’t fall in the category of a necessity, so it makes sense that these elective and often very pricey procedures are being ignored or put off for now as people worry about whether their jobs may be in jeopardy over the next year or so.

Layoffs are expected to start coming in waves for many companies as the US enters what many are saying is a prolonged and deep economic recession.  Recessions typically mean that citizens stop spending money on things, especially things that are not a vital necessity to sustain their life and comfort.  Cosmetic surgeries that typically cost thousands of dollars, such as nose jobs, breast enhancement augmentations and liposuction surgeries are being opted out, but there has actually been an increase in the less expensive alternatives.

By less expensive alternatives, I mean botox or injectable fillers such as restylane and juvederm in lieu of procedures like facelifts, mini facelifts and other highly expensive facial treatments such as thermage and other procedures that cost thousands as opposed to hundreds of dollars.

Things have gotten so dire that groups of plastic surgeons whose business is suffering have gotten together in town hall style meetings to try to come together and solve this crisis with creative marketing and brain storming.  A lot of people will see the prices of cosmetic surgery procedures go down, and lots of specials run in their areas, while some who live in more affluent areas where people can almost always afford the more expensive surgeries may not see any decrease at all in prices.  It all depends on demographics really. 

If you’ve been thinking about getting a procedure done, now may be the time to get a reduced price on one of them, but of course you should only think about it if you already have the money saved, since the economic future right
now is so uncertain. 

While the situation with this economy is probably the most dire most of us will see in our lifetimes, we will come back from this, but it is going to take a lot of time.  While we will come back from it, this economy leaves many people seeking reasonable alternatives to expensive cosmetic procedures. 

This economy does mean for many of us that we need to make cutbacks on things that are not a necessity or things that could be put off without too much hassle of inconvenience.  One of the items that falls in the “not a necessity” category is, you guessed it, one of the burgeoning markets over the past ten years, plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures. 

According to most plastic surgeons, the past month or two have brought dramatic decreases in their business, especially when it comes to the more expensive procedures that range in the thousands of dollars category, such as breast augmentations and liposuction, both of which are costly because of the anesthesia and actual complicated surgery that is involved. 

Conversely, other specialists that mostly do less expensive procedures such as facial fillers, Botox, and other more temporary, but less invasive procedures that do not involve surgery and thousands of dollars, may have actually seen a slight boost in their sales.  In other words, lots of patients who may have otherwise been planning to get a facelift, mini facelift, or some other anti wrinkle facial procedure requiring surgery may have opted instead for the less expensive, less invasive procedure to save money for the time being.

The quest for other alternatives that may be less expensive to these common and very popular surgeries has led many women to look for alternatives to breast implants, face lifts, tummy tucks, liposuction and the like.  However, even those areas of opportunity or women and men have seen dips with the faltering economy. 

They’re finding that there are some great nonsurgical ways to look and feel fantastic and to improve their bodies as well as their self esteem, which is a great thing since surgery isn’t for everybody and doesn’t necessarily always accomplish what they patient wants.

Facelifts may be the way to go for some, but often times they do not have the desired outcome and look unnatural.  I’ve seen a few women in the public eye who have gotten them and looked good, like Madonna and maybe Janice Dickinson would fit in that category, but for the most part facelifts just make the person look like they got a facelift. 

There’s no need for that any more with the abundance of cosmetic dermal fillers like juvederm and restylane, not to mention a bevy of at home products that can be used to blast away wrinkles and the fine lines and spots that go with aging. Such products for anti aging and wrinkles I’m referring to are the at home soft light lasers, microdermabrasion systems, chemical peels that are available in the same strength as a dermatologist office (just use caution), and other home treatments that provide a world of difference when it comes to looking younger. 

There are also ways to enhance the breasts without surgery, such as natural breast enhancement products, vacuum devices that stimulate growth, and a variety of creams and lotions, heck, even hypnosis for breast enhancement, that have worked for women seeking to enhance this part of their body. 

When it comes to cellulite, areas where spot reduction is needed, and body contouring, there are a ton of body wraps that can be used at home, cellulite treatments that work with massage to contour fatty areas, and even special shorts one can wear that reduce specific areas of the body through compression.

So you see, if you are one of the people who has put off that plastic surgery or that “dream procedure” you’ve been hoping for all these years, take heart that you can improve your appearance without surgery, and for a lot less money.  

Hmm, very interesting.  There’s a new phenomena cropping up lately which is termed “medical tourism”, and it is due to the fact that foreigners can go to far off places and obtain plastic surgery procedures as well as other medical procedures for a fraction of the cost that they can get it for here in the US. 

The US actually has some of the highest medical costs in the world believe it or not, and that does not exclude the booming cosmetic surgery industry.  However, you think it’s booming over here, wait til you get a load of the amount of women who spend a lot of money on plastic surgery in efforts to look beautiful in the soouthern parts of America, like Brazil, Columbia and Argentina.

In fact, South America has some of the most highly trained and skilled cosmetic surgeons due to the popularity of the elective surgeries there, and also due to the fact that they perform some of the most high tech, new wave surgeries and techniques in the world.  This and the low prices definitely add to the appeal of travelling abroad to obtain plastic surgery and cosmetic improvements.

Not only is the surgery cheaper, but the fact that the exchange rate is usually attractive makes it all that much more appealing.  Plus you may even get a little mini vacation out of the deal if you decide to stay a little while.  Popular cosmetic surgeries in south America include breast enhancements, liposuction and other cellulite treatments, and face lifts, including nose jobs and other facial reconstructive surgeries, as well as the non-surgical botox and restylane injections. 

The travel industry is booming with these “medical tourism” tourists, and there are even agencies that will help travellers coordinate the surgeries as well as their stay in the foreign country.  It is said that the cosmetic surgery industry is so popular in the southern part of America that even the poor save up for years just to get themselves breast implants and other procedures, many times in hopes of elevating themselves or catching themselves rich boyfriends, so it’s actually kind of sad why it’s so popular….

With the outrageous onward and upward trend of cosmetic surgery and the beauty and aesthetics industry as a whole, it’s a wonder men didn’t get in on the plastic surgery and cosmetic improvement action sooner. 

With the increasing acceptability of men who groom themselves just as meticulously as a women, and who also keep a regimented skin care routine, more men are getting cosmetic improvements performed as they age or if they just aren’t happy with a certain feature about themselves (hey, they’re just like us!)

The most popular cosmetic surgeries and procedures currently for men?  There are three actually.  Sharing a nice success with these virtually untapped markets for men seeking self improvement and to look as young and as good as they feel. 

These popular cosmetic procedures for men include the following (in order of popularity) :

1.)  Botox injections

2.)  Microdermabrasion

3.)  Laser hair removal for the removal of allover “manly” body hair.

You hear more and more today also about men getting facelifts to turn back the cruel hands of time.  Some celebrity men I can think of who’ve been speculated on as having this most dramatic of surgeries are Axl Rose of Guns n Roses, Michael Douglas (he’s gotta keep up with that gorgeous young wife of his!), Mickey Rourke, and Sylvester Stallone. 

In my humble opinion, these men all looked way better and way hotter without the fake-o look of a face lift, which tends to make the skin look pulled and “plastic”, but whatever makes them happy, I guess.

I recently got a flyer in the mail from a plastic surgeon’s office that I had once called for a possible enermologie consultation (which I didn’t end up going to), well actually I got three of the same flyers from them, so they must have their mailing list messed up. 

One of their new things for this coming up for this new year is the offer of a new soft tissue filler from the manufacterers of Botox called Juvederm. 

Only selected plastic surgeons have been selected to use this product so far apparently.  Juvederm is an injected tissue filler that is made of hyaluronic acid and is formulated to be a smoother, less painful process than other soft tissue fillers, with an easier subdermal delivery. 

The  exceptional thing about the Juvederm filler is that it is formulated to last six months or even more, while many other wrinkle and fine line fillers are simply absorbed by the body and “go away” after just a few months. 

The product is still supposedly in initial trials though, as the flier says, and only selected people are able to administer the product until the trials are over.  Does this mean it’s been deemed 100% safe?  Well it must be FDA approved I would think to be used in public offerings, but I’m still questioning why the flier said “trials”..  Hmm….

That’s right, the ever popular Botox ™ cosmetic injections for fine lines, wrinkles and forehead and crows feet freezing, is now available in prominent malls around the US to women who are shopping and want to get a little “work” done at the same time. 

Upscale spas that specialize in pampering body treatments, other things like microdermabrasion and haircuts or massages, and anti aging skincare are now offering the immensely popular injectable solution as a part of their standard program, and women seem to be eating it up in these upscaled malls around the US so far.

These types of spas which offer “medical” grade cosmetic services like Botox injections have been dubbed “medical spas” since they are allowed and acredited to perform these types of semi-invasive procedures in a spa environment.

Just a word of caution, if you go into a spa such as this, make sure you see that the person administering the Botox is a licensed practitioner of either dermatology or plastic surgery, since this will be a safe assurance that you are getting a procedure done by a licensed professional, not a person who has just been trained to perform it but never accredited, if that makes any sense. 

Laser skin resurfacing is not for the faint of heart, or for the impatient for that matter.  Laser skin resurfacing is a fairly serious cosmetic procedure that can be done to your face, which produces very dramatic results - in fact I think better than a face lift, which often leave the face looking pulled and fake. 

If you look at before and after pictures of laser skin resurfacing, you will see what I mean.  It brings back the youthful vibrance of the skin, and literally peels off fine lines and even fairly deep wrinkles.  It’s truly amazing.  But it’s a 2-3 month recovery period, and it costs a fair sum of money to get this procedure done to your face.

The average cost of laser skin resurfacing here in the US runs about $3,000, which doesn’t seem to bad when you compare it to a facelift which costs thousands more and also has a long recovery period. 

What Laser Skin Resurfacing Is, and What It Does to Your Skin

This procedure uses high tech, precision cosmetic lasers to penetrate the skin to whatever depth is deemed necessary by the physician, and it actually refines the skin and takes away a few skin cells at a time, exposing new, fresh skin, but in the process makes your skin red and raw, requiring cover up makeup for several weeks due to inevitable discoloration of the skin.

The lasers are guided by the trained professional at predetermined levels of depth, and remove layer by layer of damaged skin in small pulses.  An antibiotic is usually applied to the skin to prevent infection, since new skin is exposed to the elements and bacteria. 

Local anasthetic is usually used if just areas of the face are being treated, but an injectable anasthetic may be used if the whole face is being treated, as this can cause too much pain to be awake.  As I said, laser resurfacing is an extreme procedure, but the rewards are pretty impressive if you’re willing to deal with a long recovery period.