To correct facial lines and wrinkles, some people on the east coast are spending their money on acupuncture, the ancient Chinese therapy believed to help alleviate a variety of physical ailments and emotional imbalances.
In this youtube video of an ABC News segment, Dr. Bruce Genter, a surgeon well known in Philadelphia is critical of acupuncture as a wrinkle treatment, citing the lack of scientific evidence for that purpose.
But when people claim that it works, are they seeing real results? If so, is it a cost effective treatment method?
Julia Engstrom, who is featured in the video, says she has undergone Botox treatment and laser treatment in the past. She believes facial acupuncture has improved her skin texture and reduced her wrinkles. Nearing the end of 10 treatments, she says her improvements are a result of improved sleep and relaxation after acupuncture. “I’ve noticed that my skin is a lot smoother, [there’s] a lot less red pigment in there and the wrinkling seems to be a lot less,” Engstrom said.
Acupuncture, a process of strategic needle placement on the body, is said to bring improved health and well-being. In an article for Prevention magazine, licensed acupuncturist and Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner Phyllis Olson asserts that acupuncture can indeed lessen the appearance of wrinkles. She attributes this to a core premise of acupuncture – that health is reliant upon the healthy flow of chi (energy) in the body, which can be disrupted for a myriad of reasons. Acupuncture treatments are believed to break up energy blockages that prevent optimal blood flow to certain places in the body, improving circulation.
Acupuncturist Beata Maslanka acknowledges that acupuncture doesn’t yield visible results that compare to Botox or other facial fillers, but claims that beauty actually comes from within; when internal imbalances are resolved, people look better overall. Olson agrees, noting that the treatments foster relaxation of facial muscles, thereby reducing wrinkles. “Aside from the light, momentary stings, acupuncture is really quite relaxing,” she adds.
The results Engstrom points to are hard to discern from the video, but one can wonder about the salutary effects of relaxation and optimism. Of course, people also have a tendency to see (and believe) what they want to see.
If acupuncture does produce any wrinkle-relaxing effects, how long can one expect them to last? NYC dermatologic surgeon Barney Kenet, MD tells Prevention: “If acupuncture relaxes the muscles, it might reduce wrinkling temporarily. As for the increased blood flow, at most it will probably give you a temporary rosy complexion–something you don’t want if you have an inflammatory condition such as acne or rosacea,” he warns. “Otherwise, cosmetic acupuncture is relatively harmless.”
Maybe it is harmless if you ignore the cost of acupuncture. The average price is about $60 to $100 per session, with 10 sessions recommended by Olson, followed by monthly maintenance procedures.
In contrast, the average Botox treatment in the US costs $472 and a single treatment will last 3-6 months. By comparison, this makes acupuncture wrinkle treatments appear costly as well as unproven. Dr. Genter, whose Philadelphia Botox patients are offer proof of visible wrinkle reduction, says: ”If it increases your well-being that’s great, I just don’t know that it can make your face look younger.”
Surgeons at UPMC are seeking approval for a “face transplant” operation that restores a normal appearance to a patient who has experienced severe facial trauma. You may remember the near-total face transplant performed by surgeons at the Cleveland Clinic in 2008. The operation required 22 hours and a large, multi-skilled team of physicians.
Now according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, doctors and plastic surgeons at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center are seeking approval to perform a similar operation.
The surgeons evidently have experience with hand transplants — procedures that require advanced techniques to reconnect tissues, veins and blood vessels. A face transplant however, would have different cosmetic goals and could require donation of organs that are difficult to procure.
Reading about abdominoplasty online, you might get the impression that only women benefit from the procedure. In fact, men who have experienced dramatic changes in body weight are often excellent candidates.
Unfortunately, some of those men may feel hesitant about investigating the tummy tuck and talking to cosmetic surgeons. One man who documented his experience online said he perceived a “stigma or shame associated with male tummy tucks,” saying he was “initially embarrassed” when he first made inquiries about the operation.
A good surgeon will have experience and advice to share about abdominoplasty for a male patient. On RealSelf.com, a man asks about the procedure:
I’m dealing with loose skin after a 50 lb weight loss in my teens. I’ve totally transformed and I’m very athletic with well-defined abs, but [skin] laxity mostly below the navel and around the lower back. The problem areas are very localized and I hide it under the belt line, and even under form fitting swimwear, with no one suspecting I was obese. But I feel “unfinished.” The front skin is very thin and hangs, the back is mostly smooth. Is there a tummy tuck technique that would excise the abdominal skin and provide modest tightening in the lower back?
Dr. Chris Hess, a plastic surgeon practicing near Washington DC, answers “even though we (men) tend to have better skin tone than women, we can still end up with excess skin due to skin memory. It sounds like you could undergo a mild excision of the excess tissue – less than a mini tummy tuck.”
However, in cases where the male patient has experienced a greater weight reduction, the full tummy tuck may be recommended. Dr. Angelo Cuzalina, an Oklahoma cosmetic surgeon writes “Do not hesitate to use a full abdominoplasty for a male patient with extreme skin laxity. Men tend to heal better than women after abdominoplasty.”
This comprehensive approach may be optimal in many cases to provide the results men expect. In Cosmetic Surgery Times, Dr. Alan Matarasso, scientific editor of Aesthetic Surgery Journal, says “you really need to treat [men] circumferentially, all the way around, because if you ask most men what bothers them, it’s the ‘love handles,’ and that goes all the way around to the back.”
Clearly, many plastic and cosmetic surgeons can offer specific advice for men considering abdominoplasty. If you think you might benefit from the procedure, don’t hesitate to ask a qualified surgeon for more details.
Last Wednesday, bloggers at Daily Beauty commented on a new study about the role of lycopene in skin health. Apparently, new research conducted in Berlin suggests a correlation between smoother skin and lycopene, the carotenoid found in tomatoes.
But aside from just lycopene, what is the relation between diet and healthy skin and how important is it?
Nutritionists say the relationship is very important. Every day, our bodies naturally exhibit evidence of our lifestyles as a cell-level battle is raging within each of us — a battle between the natural process of aging and the natural systems that help us resist that very process. Many other nutrients play a critical role in maintaining healthy skin.
Protein is essential for skin repair.
Thiamine is a B vitamin that helps skin cells function normally
Vitamin C helps the body naturally manufacture collagen
Zinc assists epidermal cell growth
Nutrients help us maintain resistance to the processes commonly associated with aging, and those nutrients reside in the foods we eat. So if you’re trying to look as young as you feel, good nutrition is the obvious starting point.
Dr. Zein Obagi, founder of ZO Skin Health, is suing his former company, Obagi Medical Products, for anti-competitive practices.
The complaint alleges that Obagi Medical interfered with the distribution of the new ZO line of anti-aging products when it contacted an e-commerce distributor and informed them of a non-compete agreement.
Obagi Medical denies the allegations and says it will vigorously defend the suit.
As the demand for anti-aging skin care products has increased over the last decade, so has the competition within that market. Between 2006 and 2008, U.S. sales alone rose 13% to 1.6 billion dollars, and the trend shows no sign of weakening as baby-boomers take advantage of advances in skin care science to address the effects of aging on their appearance.
As a person gets older, the process of skin-cell-rejuvenation is slowed. Topical aesthetic and therapeutic skin health systems designed by Obagi Medical are specifically designed to address all of these effects, and their growing popularity should only lead to more competition in the marketplace.
The latest news about cosmetic surgery appears to be following a “do-it-on-a-budget” trend, which is understandable given the economic landscape. However, safety should always be number one priority – another lesson in the news that seems to repeat itself.
Patients are learning to prioritize their treatments, while surgeons are offering financing and even money back guarantees, says the LA Times.
Minimally invasive procedures are way up, not only because they’re priced lower, but because some of them are just plain effective. Who’s getting these cosmetic procedures on a budget?
People in North Texas are doing scary things to save money on cosmetics. Some are buying generic injectables and administering them at home with instruction via youtube. DIY Plastic Surgery? No thanks.
The American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery is about to launch New You, a quarterly publication for patients and consumers interested in health, fitness and cosmetic medicine.
The mag is said to include visually stunning images and cutting-edge information about proven cosmetic procedures, brought to you by the best physicians in the business.
In each issue of New You, you can expect to find tips and features like these:
How the latest techniques in cosmetic surgery can provide a more youthful appearance
How to avoid negative results and stay safe
How to choose a trustworthy physician
Real patient stories, before & after photos, and interviews with top cosmetic surgeons
Where to find New You Magazine
The primary distribution of New You will be in the waiting rooms of 2500 practicing cosmetic surgeons, so you’ll likely be able to read in Dr. Edds’ office in Owensboro. An additional 50,000 copies will be distributed to newsstands and other medical professionals.
Newyoumag.com will complement the resources of the magazine, and should launch this month as well.
Does the start of the New Year have you thinking about ways to improve your appearance? If time has etched lines, wrinkles and grooves into your face, finding a solution may be near the top of your self-improvement wish list.
Have you considered BOTOX?
By now, you probably know that BOTOX is a highly diluted form of the botulinum toxin used to correct certain facial lines and wrinkles. FDA-approved in 2002, BOTOX injections may be the single most popular non-surgical procedure to reduce or eliminate facial lines, wrinkles and grooves.
Have wrinkles appeared out of nowhere?
Crow’s feet, lines and even deep grooves appear on our faces over the years, the result of our natural expressiveness, lifestyle habits, and the tendency to move our facial muscles in habitual ways. For instance, you may squint a lot (when you’re concentrating, when you’re worried, when the sun is bright, or when you are trying to focus your vision.) As the years go by, this repetitive motion begins to carve lines in your face and can eventually result in a permanent expression of worry or intense concentration.
Reports over the weekend say the Senate has dropped the elective cosmetic tax from the healthcare reform bill, but strangely, they decided to trade one controversial tax for another; a 10% tax on indoor tanning is now being considered as another method of financing healthcare reform.
Of course just as representatives from the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery and other groups spoke out against the elective cosmetic tax, people from the Indoor Tanning Association (a colorful group I’m sure) are publicly opposing the tax. Their executive director says the tanning industry and the many small businesses that make it up, have been “thrown under the bus.”
Some are calling it a great idea, citing the health risks of tanning and its widespread appeal among young people. What’s your opinion? Is tanning such a risk that we should implement taxes to discourage it? What if small business owners are forced to close shop?
In response to the death of Argentine beauty queen Solange Magnano, CNN has compiled a list of useful guidelines that cosmetic surgery patients can use to protect their safety.
1. Investigate the procedure of interest.
Though your cosmetic surgeon should be a trustworthy, knowledgeable authority, you still need to seek out more than one resource for information. Research will help you protect yourself and help you decide if cosmetic surgery is truly in line with your personal values.
2. Ask your surgeon about board certification.
Find out what board has certified your surgeon and what standards must be met to receive that certification.
3. Inquire about the safety of the facility.
If the surgery is done in an outpatient clinic, ask about accreditation of the facility. As Oklahoma cosmetic surgeon Dr. Angelo Cuzalina recommends, go “to a clinic that’s been accredited by a group such as the Joint Commission or the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care.”
women benefit from the procedure. In fact, men who have experienced dramatic changes in body weight are often excellent candidates.
of lycopene in skin health. Apparently, new research conducted in Berlin suggests a correlation between smoother skin and lycopene, the carotenoid found in tomatoes.
on-a-budget” trend, which is understandable given the economic landscape. However, safety should always be number one priority – another lesson in the news that seems to repeat itself.
quarterly publication for patients and consumers interested in health, fitness and cosmetic medicine.
time has etched lines, wrinkles and grooves into your face, finding a solution may be near the top of your self-improvement wish list.
healthcare reform bill, but strangely, they decided to trade one controversial tax for another; a 10% tax on indoor tanning is now being considered as another method of financing healthcare reform.
