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The Truth About How Botox Works

Botox Patient — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:35:38 +0000

What exactly does Botox do?

One of our goals for this Guide is to give you an accurate description of how Botox works. Of course before you can decide that a Botox treatment will work for you, you have to know how the drug works.

A simple google search on the topic will give you the impression that the research is easy enough – and it actually is. Well, at least until you come across a site that says something different. Then you question which of the two possibilities is correct.

Here’s what most of the sites say: Botox blocks the release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine which is the muscle’s signal to contract. Even the pictures available online all illustrate this cause and effect scenario. The common visual interpretation depicts Botox as encircling little spheres in the nerve ending that contain the acetylcholine. By virtue of such encircling, Botox prevents the release of the neurotransmitter and the muscle does not receive its signal to contract. No muscle contractions mean reduction in wrinkles. This explanation puts forward the theory that what is affected is the function in the nerve ending.

Now, here is what the dissenting website had to say: the function of Botox is to prevent the receptors on the side of the muscle from recognizing the acetylcholine – which means that the neurotransmitter is still released but the muscle receptors cannot recognize the signal. In this explanation, the organ affected by Botox is the muscle.

To a non-scientist, the second theory actually makes sense following this logic: Botox is injected into the muscle therefore, the organ affected is the muscle.

However, when one realizes that the Botulinum Toxin, from which Botox is derived, is a neurotoxin, you realize that it can and will have an effect on the functions of neurons so it is plausible that they affect the nerve that is responsible for making the muscles move even if the drug is injected in the latter.

Ah, the confusion.

It doesn’t help that Medline Plus, a website by the US National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health, says that Botox treatments work by weakening or paralyzing certain muscles OR by blocking certain nerves. This technically gives both of the theories leg to stand on. This now leads me to 3 hypotheses: (1) both of these theories are actually correct and are not mutually exclusive in describing the effects of botox, (2) if only one of them is correct, even these government agencies are unsure which of the two is correct or (3) none of these theories is correct and there is a third explanation out there just waiting to be discovered.

On that note, let the research resume…

The Truth About How Botox Works is a post from: Botox Patient

Debunking Botox Myths

Botox Patient — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 19:27:10 +0000

We’ve started writing the Insider’s Guide To Botox and are keeping you in mind the whole time — as much as possible, we’d like to address your Botox concerns from the moment you start deliberating if you’re a good candidate for the procedure until the time you schedule your next treatment.

One of the things that we decided to do is address the myths surrounding Botox and give you the correct information.

We came across several erroneous and misleading articles and commentaries online while conducting our initial research and this propelled our efforts into separating Botox myths from facts. We also took note of common misconceptions and will distinguish which ones are true and which are not.

We figured that if we were to put ourselves in the shoes of someone searching around online for information that will help them decide if they’re going to go through with the procedure, we’d end up having to wrestle with confusing literature especially with topics relating to when you should schedule your next treatment, who are authorized to administer the drug and something as basic as how the drug works.

All this is geared towards creating the ultimate guide for the smart Botox patient.

Here are the general headlines of the Guide:

Botox Basics: Everything you need to know even before your first consult
Botox Treatment: Overcoming Botox Jitters
Botox Aftermath: Making the effects of Botox last

Debunking Botox Myths is a post from: Botox Patient

The Insiders Guide To Botox

Botox Patient — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 16:51:13 +0000

I’ve been thinking about what we’ll need to answer in the Insiders’ Guide To Botox

Here are some of my thoughts about what we’ll reveal.

The Insiders Guide To Botox will be a tell-all revelation that will put you on the inside of one of the most sought-after and talked about cosmetic treatments around. This is information that no one else will give you and your friends and family don’t know.

Find out what your Doctor doesn’t want you to know about your Botox treatments
Learn how your doctor decides how much to charge you
Discover why some women are injecting themselves with Botox at home
Know what to ask your doctor in your consultation
Understand how Botox works, and if it will work for you.
Find out why some Doctors are administering fake Botox.

This guide gives you the inside scoop on the most popular cosmetic treatment for crows feet and foreheads. Botox has been around for a long time. You may have even had it. But did you know that.

Some doctors have lost their licenses for giving their patients fake Botox.
Websites are hawking ‘do it yourself Botox treatments’, and states are shutting them down.
China is pushing fake Botox into the US market, with disastrous results.
Some doctors are ‘watering down’ their Botox to save money.
There are new competitors coming on to the market.
Doctors get kickbacks for pushing more Botox.
Botox has a bottom price.

Where to get real information about Botox.

The Insiders Guide To Botox is a post from: Botox Patient

Getting Botox For The First Time

Botox Patient — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 16:27:41 +0000

We’re about to make available a new guide for anyone looking in to the possibility of getting Botox for the first time.

Here’s the very first outline that we’re starting to work from. Of course, it’s only a rough draft but it’ll take shape soon enough.

Botox Patient: Getting Botox For The First Time. A guide to Botox for smart women.

Before: a woman thinking it over at home

What is Botox
Address the concern that Botox is a toxin
What it does
Why it has the effect that it does
Am I candidate for Botox injections
How do I select a Physician/Clinic
During: a woman on her first consult and procedure
What is the nature of the office examination
Questions that Physicians ask
Questions that a Patient must ask
How soon after the first consult can the procedure be done

The Botox Treatment

How is it administered
Where is it injected
Is it painful?
What a patient can do to minimize the pain (Take pain killers before the procedure?)
How long does the procedure last
Out patient procedure
Is it advisable to do it during lunch hour?
We could include the “what you need to know but doctors don’t tell you” part here

After: a woman who just finished her first botox treatment

What are the things a first-timer must remember
How long does the effect last (how long before next treatment)
Possible side effects
Any special advice to take care of skin that has been recently botoxed
How to address possible inflammation or tenderness on the area treated
How to make the botox last

Getting Botox For The First Time is a post from: Botox Patient

Can Botox make you happier?

Botox Patient — Sun, 02 May 2010 03:35:10 +0000

Are emotions only skin deep? Check out this new info about a positive side effect from Botox….

Botox injections administered to reduce frown lines may also delay patients’ recognition of anger and sadness around them, according to a study to be published in the journal Psychological Science. This common cosmetic treatment uses botulinum toxin type A (BTX) — known as Botox — to paralyze facial muscles that control frowning and relax the surrounding skin wrinkles. “Botox induces a kind of mild, temporary cognitive blindness to information in the world, social information about the emotions of other people,” said David Havas, lead study author and a psychologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Havas’ team evaluated 40 first-time Botox patients before, and then two weeks after, they underwent treatment. On both occasions, the participants read happy, sad or angry statements, and pushed a button to indicate their comprehension of the text. After receiving the Botox injections, it took longer for the frown-impaired participants to process the angry and sad statements. However, the time required to process happy statements did not change.

The study results support the “facial feedback hypothesis,” which states that physical expressions, such as grinning or grimacing, signal our brains to produce an emotional responses. In this case, the Botox injections prevented frowning, and so delayed the perception of negative statements.

Murad Alam, an associate professor of dermatology at Northwestern University, has also investigated the Botox-facial feedback relationship and found a link between restricted frown muscles and mood. “When we are sad, angry or frustrated, but we have Botox on board, our muscles do not contract to create furrows between our brows and deep creases on our foreheads,” Alam said. “This lack of frowning and wrinkling works backward to adjust our emotions and make us happier.” “We all know that language has the power to move us to emotional experience; just read your favorite novel, or listen to a rousing speaker,” Havas said. “This research shows how it works: Language moves emotions in part by moving the face.”

Can Botox make you happier? is a post from: Botox Patient

Headshot Photographer NYC

Botox Patient — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 14:28:04 +0000

Check out the beautiful work of this terrific headshot photographer in NYC.

She’s also put up a new blog about actor headshots in NYC that really showcases her work and lets actors who might be potential clients to read a few posts and build up a comfort level before picking up the phone and making a call. She can take photographs of the kind of images that the rest of us can only dream about and have to buy from iStock.

Make sure you also check out the ugly portrait project. I’m guessing it’s something of a real person gallery as opposed to the work that typically makes up the advertisements of plastic surgeons and dermatologists.

Headshot Photographer NYC is a post from: Botox Patient

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Botox Headlines

Botox Patient — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 22:23:05 +0000

Botox headlines are always more than a little bit of trouble to come up with… but here are some doozies.

The greatest Botox stories since history began
Will Botox really make me a millionaire
Why my dog doesn’t need Botox
3 Reasons you should never Botox whilst on the toilet
How drunk Botoxing can lead to a divorce
Is Coffee the fuel of Botox and if so, which bean?
Is the level of ADD sufferers higher on Botox
Why your business should Botox now
People who should Botox more
People who should Botox less
People who really should start Botoxing
People who should really stop Botoxing
Is the best thing about Botox that it distracts your competitor?
10 of the most stupid Botox stories ever
What defines a Tweet Guru
People you absolutely must follow on Botox
What is the carbon footprint of Botox
How Botox can help seo
Ways Botox can help get a job
Ways Botox can get you sacked
Bankers who Botox
Ultimate list of politicians who use Botox
Can you call yourself a fashionista if you have no Botox
A list of people who slagged Botox but who now are addicted
10 best put downs about Botox
10 Scientists who Botox
Why Botox will never make a profit
How to spot a Botox user
Is Botox the new dating need?
Most famous fake Botox accounts
Top ten things people most hate about Botox
Top ten things people love about Botox
10 Botox gurus and their advice
How to make Botox work for you
How to find 10,000 Botox patients
Why Botox success is not about the number of wrinkles
How patients game Botox clinics
Top ten Botox scams
Botox tips an Ebook should really teach
The evolution of Botox
Who makes money from Botox
How you can make money from Botox
8 reasons Botox will lose you money
15 ways to save money by using Botox

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Botox Without Needles

Botox Patient — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 16:20:30 +0000

New news on Botox without needles or injections.

Botox Without Needles is a post from: Botox Patient

Bad Botox

Botox Patient — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 01:07:46 +0000

A Plastic Surgery Group out of Albany, along with several of its staff, have been charged following guilty pleas that they were using non FDA approved Botox products on their patients.

The Plastic Surgery Group, LLP (TPSG), of Albany has been sentenced and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $106,686, and a fine of $200,000, in connection with TPSG’s plea of guilty to one felony count of misbranding drugs.

The company was sentenced in Federal District Court in Albany, along with Doctors William F. DeLuca Jr., Douglas M. Hargrave, Jeffrey L. Rockmore, Steven M. Lynch, and John D. Noonan, who were all sentenced to probation with community service and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $106,686 and a fine of $5,000.

TPSG’s practice administrator, Peter M. Slattery, and supervisory nurse Susan F. Knott were also sentenced and ordered to pay
restitution in the amount of $106,686, and fines in the amount of $1,000 and $500, respectively.

All the individuals were sentenced in connection with their guilty pleas to one misdemeanor count of misbranding drugs.

According to plea agreements, starting in approximately February 2004 and continuing to December 2004, defendant TPSG ceased using the FDA-approved Botox and Botox Cosmetic and began exclusively using a non-FDA approved TRI-toxin on its patients seeking treatments with Botulinum Toxin Type A for facial wrinkles.

Five physicians, whose professional corporations were partners of TPSG (the “treating physicians”), with the assistance of TPSG nurses, injected approximately 150 patients with the unapproved product.

Bad Botox is a post from: Botox Patient

Shine Teeth Whitening

Botox Patient — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 17:22:06 +0000

Shine provides professional teeth whitening services to medical clinics using exactly the same process, materials and trained technicians that serve dental clinics. We provide a new way for your medical spa, laser clinic or cosmetic surgery center to offer the most desired cosmetic treatment directly to your existing clientele… and it’s amazingly easy.

How Shine Teeth Whitening Services Work.

Shine’s teeth whitening kits are easy to use. Any member of your staff can quickly administer the materials we send you to capture precise top and bottom “bite” impressions of your clients in the specialized impression putty and trays we provide to you.

Send the impressions to our lab in the package we provide you. Within 48 hours, we’ll ship the completed custom trays back to you for your client to pick up from your office (or, if you prefer, we can mail the completed kit directly to the customer for you with gel and instructions included.)

A return visit by your customer is another chance to provide additional service and purchases such as extra whitening gel and portable whitening pens to supplement your client’s new custom whitening kit.

The possibilities are endless – and in no time, your ability to provide custom teeth whitening kits at a retail price that is up to 70% less expensive than a comparable kit from a dental office will provide extra satisfaction for your clientele, and thousands of dollars per month in additional revenue for you, with no extra staffing, equipment or training required.

How do you begin? Start with the Shine trial teeth whitening kit – a set of materials we’ll provide you at cost to allow you to sample the impression materials and send your own impressions to our lab to receive your first two custom kits, to see how our service works and experience our custom whitening kits for yourself. When you can see how simple the process is, you can order our kits in quantities of 5, 10, 50 or 100 in order to be ready to offer Shine teeth whitening kits to your customers. The greater the quantity of kits you purchase, the steeper your discount.

So what are you waiting for? Try Shine and see what this $300M industry could be doing for you.

Via Shine Teeth Whitening

Shine Teeth Whitening is a post from: Botox Patient

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Botox delivers headache relief

Botox Patient — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 08:41:02 +0000

Botox is bringing new hope for migraine sufferers….

Migraines are extremely painful and can be debilitating to those who suffer from them. There are many different treatments available, the most popular being prescription medications. Many swear by acupuncture or hypnotherapy as a relief from pain and some even undergo surgery to make the headaches stop. There is another option available – Botox.

Migraines are thought to be caused by the dilation of blood vessels in the head. When dilated, these blood vessels tug at the nearby nerve receptors causing incredible pain. Migraines tend to involve not only a headache but result in sensitivity to light and colors, nausea, dizziness and more.

Botox is an increasingly popular treatment because it can be targeted to treat the specific muscles that are overused. Botox is injected into the muscles, not the nerves, and it works by impairing the muscle’s ability to flex. The patient is able to work with the doctor, specifically identifying the areas that they believe are the origin of the migraines. The Botox may be slightly dilated and is then injected into the muscle. The physician will often massage the injection site to ensure proper dispersion of the medication. It only takes about 20 minutes for a treatment and it usually takes effect in a few days. Patients report relief for about 4 months and are generally pleased with the results.

Use of Botox for headaches is currently an off-label use of the drug and has not been approved by the FDA. When seeking a physician regarding Botox treatment for your migraines, make sure to ask not only if they’re familiar with Botox injections, but if they’re familiar with Botox for migraines specifically

Botox delivers headache relief is a post from: Botox Patient

Can Botox prevent wrinkles?

Botox Patient — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 16:51:31 +0000

Here’s a different thought – using Botox as a “preventative” treatment…

It may seem crazy to get Botox or Dysport injections in your 20’s, but in addition to their ability to temporarily reduce wrinkles, these formulations of botulinum toxin can actually prevent wrinkles before they’re etched into your face.

By stopping the repeated muscle contractions that contribute to wrinkles, Botox and Dysport can be used to help break line-forming habits such as frowning or squinting, so you can stay furrow-free for the foreseeable future. And compared to the price of surgery down the line, it may prove to be more cost-effective.

However, some doctors aren’t quick to reach for the syringe with younger patients, believing it doesn’t make much sense to use Botox or Dysport if there aren’t any visible wrinkles. Be sure to thoroughly discuss the range of wrinkle-preventing options with your dermatologist or plastic surgeon before opting for the most expensive or invasive treatment.

Can Botox prevent wrinkles? is a post from: Botox Patient

Injectables for aging earlobes

Botox Patient — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 08:24:22 +0000

Not exactly the first body part we think of when battling signs of aging, but why shouldn’t our ears get equal attention?

The earlobes can be just as symptomatic as the face or
neck in the battle to slow down aging. Years of sun exposure and gravity-exacerbating earrings can leave earlobes looking droopy, thin and even wrinkly.

While there’s no anti-aging aging cream specifically for earlobes—that we know of—your doctor can use the fillers usually used for facial lines to improve their appearance.

“If the earlobes are of a generally good size and shape but your earrings are starting to droop, a good option
is to use injectable filler such as Restylane, Juvederm, Radiesse or Sculptra to plump them up and add support,” explains Mount Sinai School of Medicine assistant professor and board-certified plastic surgeon
Matthew Schulman. “If the earring hole is slightly stretched, this will actually make the hole smaller.”

The recovery period is almost nil: results are immediate, and you can wear your earrings again immediately.

Injectables for aging earlobes is a post from: Botox Patient

“Botox in a sponge”

Botox Patient — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 08:57:33 +0000

Who said beauty has to be painful? Check out this possible alternative to painful injections…

Doctors have long been looking for a way to give patients the benefits of Botox without the needle. (You may recall, for example, the Botox cream being tested for hyperhidrosis.) The latest efforts involve Botox-soaked sponges, and the effects are surprisingly promising.

It has already been established that Botox injections can help the symptoms of rhinitis, which include a chronically runny nose, sneezing and congestion. German researchers, testing an alternative to injections, inserted sponges filled with Botox into participants’ nostrils for 30 minutes, and then had the participants keep a “nose diary” for three months.

Patients who received the Botox sponge treatment scored higher in all aspects of symptom relief than those who did not, leading researchers to believe that this could be an effective implementation.

“We’ve shown that the minimally invasive application method of BTA (botulinum toxin A) with a sponge is a safe, painless method which can lead to a long-lasting reduction of nasal hypersecretion,” said study author Rainer Laskawi.

The anatomy of the nostril is different than that of the forehead and other areas where Botox may be used for cosmetic purposes, so the potency of the sponge method is hard to predict in theaesthetic arena. However, those of us who are disinclined to opt for injections are hopeful that further research shows promise for wrinkle relaxation.

“Botox in a sponge” is a post from: Botox Patient

Botox Patient: What to get your man for Christmas

Botox Patient — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 04:04:04 +0000

For the man who has everything...

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), men accounted for 13% of all cosmetic surgical procedures performed in the United States in 2008, and 9% of the cosmetic minimally invasive procedures. And these numbers are only going to rise as “getting work done” is no longer considered taboo and men realize that in today’s competitive environment, looking their best is advantageous to their careers and life.

While plastic surgery procedures are still predominantly performed on women, here are the top five surgical and top five minimally invasive procedures that are on men’s wish lists:

Top Five Surgical Male Procedures

1. Rhinoplasty: What man hasn’t broken his nose in a childhood injury and secretly wishes they had a straight nose again?

2. Eyelid surgery: Droopy eyelids make your man look old – open his eyes up to a more youthful appearance.

3. Liposuction: Love handles are called that for a reason, but do you really love them? Does he? That stubborn fat that won’t budge regardless of diet or exercise can now be removed through a myriad of new liposuction options.

4. Breast reduction: It’s never good when your man has bigger breasts than you. Enough said.

5. Hair transplant: Women want to move their fat around to different parts of their bodies. Men want the hair of their youth – on their heads, not their backs.

Top Five Minimally Invasive Male Procedures

1. Botox: Maybe he won’t look so angry anymore.

2. Chemical peel: Years of no sunblock plus sun exposure equals leather face. A chemical peel could turn back the clock by smoothing out the skin.

3. Laser hair removal: Sweaters should come off at some point – and aren’t you tired of shaving his back because he can’t reach? Laser hair removal is a permanent option.

4. Laser skin tightening: Using a carbon dioxide laser, skin is tightened and since it penetrates the deep layers of skin, it promotes collagen growth. And what guy doesn’t like lasers?

5. Microdermabrasion: It’s like sandblasting for your face. That’s all you need to tell him.

Botox Patient: What to get your man for Christmas is a post from: Botox Patient

Creating a Better Smile with Botox

Botox Patient — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 16:38:45 +0000

A simple procedure that can give you a brand new smile that is less gummy – without surgery!

A gummy smile is normally corrected through surgical procedures called Gingivectomies and Crown Lengthening. While relatively painless, the surgeries involve a dental laser that removes the excess gum that shows up in gummy smiles. Healing time can take up to several weeks and further restorations may be necessary dependent on the appearance of the newly exposed teeth.

As seen on The Doctors, now a less painful and less expensive option is available for those wanting to change the appearance of their smiles. By injecting Botox into the muscles that elevate the upper lip, the Botox effectively blocks and relaxes those muscles thus hiding more of the gums. There is no downtime and results are seen within 24-36 hours. Botox lasts for three to six months so repeat visits will be necessary.

When seeking a physician regarding Botox treatment for your smile, make sure to ask not only if they’re familiar with Botox injections, but if they’re familiar with Botox for smiles specifically.

Creating a Better Smile with Botox is a post from: Botox Patient

Botox Patient: David Gest’s Plastic Surgery Disaster

Botox Patient — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 17:55:40 +0000

Friend of Michael Jackson joined him on his plastic surgery journey…

David Gest blames himself for having too much plastic surgery.

The 56-year-old TV star-and-concert promoter says he was encouraged by his late friend Michael Jackson to have several operations, but insists it was all his own decision.

David – whose cosmetic procedures include two facelifts and a nose realignment operation – said: “On Celebrity Come Dine With Me, I discuss the plastic surgery I had done between 1980-1981 and blame only myself for being so foolish, especially not Michael Jackson nor anyone else. I was an idiot. I look back at that time and think of myself as being so stupid, and was very appreciative of Michael’s support and being there when I went through all that.”

David appears on the Christmas special of the British dinner party TV show Celebrity Come Dine With Me.

The flamboyant star also revealed he had his cheek implants removed after having a surgery epiphany.

“It was my idea to put in a clef chin and cheek bones – not Michael’s. Sometimes when you are young you are foolish and you get carried away. I remember I was looking in the mirror in an office building when I was with Band of Gold singer Freda Payne. I was mortified and almost fainted. I had the cheekbones removed a week later. I’ve come to realize that it’s not what’s on the outside, but it’s what’s on the inside that counts.”

Botox Patient: David Gest’s Plastic Surgery Disaster is a post from: Botox Patient

Botox ready for a price surge?

Botox Patient — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:50:16 +0000

Botox maker Allergan is getting ready to break resistance, and one investor is fine-tuning a position to take profits and maximize gains.

optionMONSTER’s Heat Seeker tracking program detected the purchase of 6,000 January 65 calls for $0.80 and the sale of 3,000 January 60 calls for $3.05. Volume exceeded open interest in the higher strikes and not the lower, indicating that the investor rolled a position into the higher strike.

AGN rose 2.44 percent to $61.83 in late morning trading and reached a new 52-week high of $61.94. The stock is attempting to break an old peak from September 2008, after which point the next resistance is likely to be around $69.

Rolling the calls forward allowed the investor to recover $435,000 of premium while doubling the number of options they own on the stock. The move also increases their likely gain on a percentage basis. If AGN rallies to $69, their position will appreciate about 400 percent.

If they had stayed in the January 60 calls, they’d only make about 200 percent and run the risk of losing money if the shares reverse lower.

AGN’s sales and profit beat expectations the last time the company reported results on Oct. 29.
Overall options volume in the name is almost 13 times greater than average today, with calls outnumbering puts by 145 to 1.

Botox ready for a price surge? is a post from: Botox Patient

Botox Patient: Botox brings relief to migraine sufferers

Botox Patient — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 16:09:45 +0000

Those who suffer from chronic migraines know the intense pain and discomfort they cause. Now there is new hope in Botox.

According to Dr. Drew Ordon, Botox is an increasingly popular treatment because it can be targeted to treat the specific muscles that are overused. Botox is injected into the muscles, not the nerves, and it works by impairing the muscle’s ability to flex. The patient is able to work with the doctor, specifically identifying the areas that they believe are the origin of the migraines. The Botox may be slightly dilated and is then injected into the muscle. The physician will often massage the injection site to ensure proper dispersion of the medication.

Dr. Ordon also says that it only takes about 20 minutes for a treatment and it usually takes effect in a few days. Patients report relief for about 4 months and are generally pleased with the results.

As with any procedure, speak to your doctor about its safety and whether or not it is right for you. Also, use of Botox for headaches is currently an off-label use of the drug and has not been approved by the FDA. When seeking a physician regarding Botox treatment for your migraines, make sure to ask not only if they’re familiar with Botox injections, but if they’re familiar with Botox for migraines specifically.

Botox Patient: Botox brings relief to migraine sufferers is a post from: Botox Patient

Botox Patient: Allergan’s CEO comments on proposed new “Botax”

Botox Patient — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 18:03:14 +0000

Botox manufacturer Allergan’s CEO calls tax impact to company “pretty marginal”…

(Reuters) – Botox maker Allergan Inc (AGN.N) is actively fighting a proposed U.S. cosmetic surgery tax, but sees a marginal impact on the company, Allergan’s chief executive told Reuters on Friday.

Healthcare legislation pending in the U.S. Senate includes a 5 percent tax on elective cosmetic surgery procedures, nicknamed the “Botax” after Allergan’s popular wrinkle-fighting injection.

The impact would be “pretty marginal” for Allergan overall, CEO David Pyott said in an interview.

He said adding 5 percent to the average $440 cost of a Botox procedure would have a “very marginal” impact on demand, but could have a “larger” effect on breast implant procedures that cost upward of $5,000, he said.

Still, the company is lobbying to have the tax killed because “we really feel strongly this is bad policy,” Pyott said.

“I think it’s a dangerous precedent. It’s extremely discriminatory against women,” who make up about 90 percent of cosmetic surgery patients.

“Why not have a tax on drugs for male balding or for erectile dysfunction? Why are we picking on women?” he said.

Many patients are middle-class, working women and not just the wealthy, Pyott said. He pointed to an American Society of Plastic Surgeons survey that showed 60 percent of people planning to have cosmetic surgery lived in households with annual income below $90,000.

The tax in the Senate bill is estimated to raise roughly $5 billion over 10 years to help pay for a healthcare overhaul costing $849 billion. It is not included in health legislation that passed the House of Representatives.

Among Allergan’s products, the tax would apply to Botox, wrinkle filler Juvederm, eyelash drug Latisse and breast implants, Pyott said.

The tax would apply to cosmetic procedures that are “not necessary to ameliorate a deformity” related to “a congenital abnormality, a personal injury resulting from an accident or trauma, or disfiguring disease,” according to the bill.

Sales of Botox rose about 3 percent in the third quarter to $328 million following declines in previous quarters that the company blamed on waning use of cosmetic procedures during the economic downturn. Allergan’s breast implant sales amounted to $69 million in the third quarter.

Allergan would not pay the tax directly, but doctors would be required to collect it from patients.

The company’s lobbying efforts include a website and Facebook page to rally tax opponents. The website calls the plan “a tax on self-improvement.”

More than 10,000 people have signed an online petition opposing the tax and more than 7,500 letters have been sent to senators, Pyott said.

The tax was added recently to the Senate healthcare bill as lawmakers looked for new ways to help fund wider insurance coverage and other changes.

“We needed money to make the bill work while using a funding mechanism that would allow us to stay within the healthcare arena,” said Jim Manley, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

Botox Patient: Allergan’s CEO comments on proposed new “Botax” is a post from: Botox Patient

Botox Patient: No more needles?

Botox Patient — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 07:21:12 +0000

Clinical trials are showing some promise for needle-free wrinkle removal…

ANTI-WRINKLE GEL

Doctors are achieving some successes in testing a Botox-like gel that’s aimed at smoothing away wrinkles much as Botox injections do.

Early word from doctors who are testing the gel is that it has an effect on crow’s feet wrinkles, but is not as effective as Botox, which is made by Irvine-based Allergan.

Photos of two patients treated with the gel show some improvement, but not always a dramatic change. Doctors who measured the gel’s effect said a statistically significant number of patients experienced somewhat less intense wrinkles around their eyes — for example, a change from severe to moderate crow’s feet or from moderate to mild crow’s feet a month after the treatment.

The treatment, called RT001, is still in clinical trials, which means the prospect of approval by the Food and Drug Administration remains far in the future.

The latest tests have been aimed in part at determining the concentration of peptide molecules in the gel that would be most effective in transporting the active Botox-like botulinum ingredient through the skin.

The latest tests found that, at stronger concentrations of peptide, RT001 improved the appearance of about 80 percent of patients, compared to improvements for 50 percent of the patients treated with a placebo gel with no active ingredients. Revance Therapeutics of Mountain View, Calif., which is developing RT001, reported those results in a poster presented to the American Academy of Dermatology in August.

“The results are good, but they probably won’t be as dramatic as [Botox] injections,” dermatologist Dr. Fredric Brandt of Miami told WSVN television there.

Continue article here

Botox Patient: No more needles? is a post from: Botox Patient

Botox Patient: What REALLY killed the Beauty Queen?

Botox Patient — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:52:44 +0000

New info surfaces about former beauty queen Solange Magnano’s death….

(CNN) — When Argentine beauty queen Solange Magnano approached Dr. Guillermo Blugerman in 2004 about helping her achieve a flatter stomach, the plastic surgeon says, he obliged with liposuction. But when she returned five years later requesting silicone injections for a higher, firmer rear end, he turned her away.

“I said this was not allowed to be done in Argentina,” Blugerman said on the telephone from his Buenos Aires office.

Blugerman, the president of the Argentina Association of Medicine and Cosmetic Surgery said he believes Magnano then went in search of someone who would give her the injections she wanted.

“She found someone else to do this with this forbidden material,” he said.

The former Miss Argentina died November 29, reportedly of a pulmonary embolism, a blood clot that blocks blood supply to the lungs. Embolisms are known complications of silicone injections though they can occur — rarely — after any surgery. It’s still not clear Miss Argentina was given a silicone injection, which is not an approved procedure for “butt lifts” in Argentina or the United States.

Read more about Solange Magnano’s death

Botox Patient: What REALLY killed the Beauty Queen? is a post from: Botox Patient

Botox Patient: Looking into the crystal ball for 2010

Botox Patient — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 20:05:18 +0000

The editors of Consumer Guide to Plastic Surgery are gazing into the crystal ball once again to see what’s in store for 2010.

Even More Botox-Like Products Will Come to Market.

First there was Botox Cosmetic; then 2009 brought the Botox alternative Dysport. In 2010, expect to see a few more Botox rivals, including a topical form of the popular wrinkle relaxer and at least one more injectable. A couple of injectable Botox cousins are in development, but PurTox will likely be the next to get a nod from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The main difference in these injectables seems to be how long the results last and how quickly the products start to work on your crow’s feet.

Fat Injections to the Breast Will Be Used Cosmetically.

After being condemned by plastic surgery associations, fat injections to the breast were deemed OK for “touch-ups” after breast reconstruction in 2008. But these once controversial injections may soon play a role in cosmetic breast augmentation. Taking fat from a part of the body where there is too much (your thighs or butt, for example) and injecting it into your breasts where there is too little, may replace the need for breast implants when done in conjunction with a breast lift. Some kinks still need to be worked out, but fat injections to the breast are likely here to stay.

Surgeons Will Invent – and Perfect – Body Contouring Surgeries to Follow Massive Weight Loss.

More and more people are undergoing bariatric surgery to lose weight, only to be left with hanging fat and flab in highly visible areas. As plastic surgeons put on their thinking caps to better address these issues, expect to hear about many new procedures, including the corset trunkplasty. This new surgery targets above-the-belly-button flab, to recreate an hourglass silhouette in formerly obese women and get rid of love handles in men who have lost massive amounts of weight. This area has been ignored by many traditional body contouring procedures that target the lower abs, buttocks and/or thighs. We will hear more about corset trunkplasty and other innovative body contouring procedures in 2010.

Fat Freezing Heats Up in 2010.

Fat freezing (or cryolipolysis) may give liposuction a run for its money in the coming years. This technology works by freezing fat cells and breaking them down. Zeltiq is in clinical trials now, and results look promising. Stay tuned.

Cohesive Gel Breast Implants Receive FDA Approval.

These so-called “gummy bear implants” have been making their way down the pike for some time, and they just may get the long-awaited FDA nod in 2010. Filled with cohesive silicone gel, these leak-resistant implants – used in Europe and Brazil – are being studied in the United States. Gummy bear implants have the positive attributes of silicone gel, but the gel doesn’t migrate. This is a good thing, because if the shell should fail, the gel wouldn’t leak into surrounding tissue.

Minimally Invasive Cosmetic Procedures Experience Rebirth.

As our economy starts to show signs of life again, more people may opt for cosmetic surgery procedures, reversing the steep decline of the last two years. Don’t expect the numbers to reach their record highs anytime soon, though. There will likely be a slight increase in plastic surgery procedures – especially minimally invasive ones such as injectables that allow people to put off more invasive (and expensive) procedures like face lifts until they really need them (and can better afford them).

Botox Patient: Looking into the crystal ball for 2010 is a post from: Botox Patient

Botox Patient: Botox for excessive underarm sweating

Botox Patient — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 21:48:35 +0000

FDA approved Botox back in 2004 to treat severe and excessive underarm sweating known as primary axillary hyperhidrosis.

The hyperhidrosis procedure was at first meant for those who’s excessive sweating cannot be managed by strong topical agents (treatments that are applied to the surface of the skin) such as prescription antiperspirants. Botox for hyperhidrosis involves the injection of about 20-25 drops of Botox directly into the skin where the sweating problem occurs. Often times, in the span of 48 hours after the hyperhidrosis treatment, some people have shown remarkable results of up to an 80% decrease in excessive sweating in the sweating problem area. In the span of a week later, the sweating problem maybe resolved in a sizeable percentage of the people. Bad odor coming from excessive sweating of course also disappears as the two are like the conjoined twins of the sweating world. Cutting one sweating problem away will invariably lead to the death of the other in most cases.

The hyperhidrosis treatment has a few killer drawbacks. It is cost prohibitive as the procedure is quite a bit more then the average person can afford. Furthermore, to add to the cost, Botox for hyperhidrosis, is a temporary fix. Yes, you read that correctly. The hyperhidrosis procedure has to be repeated in 6-12 months for the maintenance of the sweating problem. There have also been heavier sweating in other areas after the treatment for excessive sweating. This sweating ‘karma effect’ has been reported often by patients of the hyperhidrosis procedure.

Another limitation of the Botox is that it can only really be applied to the armpits or underarm area as a solution for sweating. For example, with palm sweating or palmar hyperhidrosis, Botox is really too painful of a procedure to be practical. The discomfort of the process of the hyperhidrosis treatment in other areas of the body confines the procedure to the armpit area. So painful is it in other areas, most doctors will not even list it as an option for other areas of the body that excessively sweat.

Botox Patient: Botox for excessive underarm sweating is a post from: Botox Patient

Botox Patient: What’s the #1 treatment at medical spas?

Botox Patient — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 03:31:39 +0000

For many medical spas, Botox is the number one physician performed treatment.

There may soon be a better way to fight unsightly wrinkles. Researchers have discovered a novel way to increase the potency of botulinum neurotoxin treatments – commonly known as Botox - that they say could one day allow patients to receive the injections less frequently while maintaining or even enhancing its cosmetic benefits.

By allowing lower doses, the new approach could also make the treatment safer by reducing the risk of complications associated with immune system recognition that can sometimes occur with frequent injections, according to scientists at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, Calif. Smaller, more potent doses may even lead to lower prices for the popular wrinkle-remover, the researchers say. Their study is published in the March issue of the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

Although popular for removing wrinkles, Botox is also used to treat a growing number of other conditions, including migraine headaches, lazy eyes and excessive sweating. It is developed from the botulinum neurotoxin, the most lethal poison known and a potential bioterrorist weapon. In a medical setting, small doses of a purified version of the toxin block the release of a chemical (acetylcholine) that signals muscle contraction, resulting in a localized, temporary paralysis that erases wrinkles and unwanted muscle spasms.

Kim Janda, Ph.D., a chemistry professor at Scripps and head of the research study, and his associates developed a synthetic molecule that can â€˜superactivateâ€™ the neurotoxin used in Botox by binding to specific sites on the neurotoxin protein. The synthetic molecule works by increasing the activity of an enzyme that cleaves proteins that are critical for neurotransmitter release, thereby increasing the blockage of acetylcholine and enhancing the toxinâ€™s paralyzing effect. In laboratory studies, the researchers found that this â€˜superactivatorâ€™ could boost the activity of the toxin by as much as 14 times that of the untreated toxin.

The new treatment has not yet been tested in humans or animals, the researchers say. If further studies prove successful, the technique could be available to consumers in four to six years, the researchers estimate.

(Dysport has recently been approved by the FDA. It’s a competitor of Botox.)

Botox Patient: What’s the #1 treatment at medical spas? is a post from: Botox Patient

Do it yourself Botox, Restylane, & Juvederm Disasters.

Botox Patient — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 21:46:45 +0000

So while there are still a number of people posting on how much the love Laurie D’Alleva and her videos touting the benefits of do it yourself Botox, there are a growing number of people who still have a non-paralyzed thought or two that are coming forward to talk about the problems you might have pumping fillers into your face. Perhaps the do it yourself Botox crew are also attracted to Trepanation.

Here’s a story from ABC:

Some consumers are ordering prescription-only cosmetic products online and injecting themselves at home. One woman who self-injected her face with filler said it caused bags and lumps under her eyes, and a hard, infected pustule on her cheek.

For millions of Americans, the solution to crow’s feet, thin lips, and frown lines is at the end of a syringe, or in a bottle. A quick trip to a medical spa, dermatologist or plastic surgeon for a Botox injection, lip augmentation or chemical peel offers the promise of a youthful look.

But these cosmetic procedures — and the medical expertise that comes with them — don’t come cheap. For a single treatment of Botox, doctors charge about $380; for lip-plumping injections, over $500; and for a chemical peel, a whopping $700.

These high prices are enough for some consumers to take their business away from medical professionals, and go instead to the Web. They are “doing it themselves,” ordering prescription-only products online, and injecting themselves at home.

Laurie D’Alleva, of Mansfield, Texas, is a big fan of “DIY” beauty injections and treatments. She is the face of a DiscountMedSpa.com, a website stocked with what she claims are pharmaceutical-grade cosmetics, similar to Botox, Restylane, and Retin-A.

Self-injecting botulinum toxin might sound dangerous, but D’Alleva, 39, tries to put her customers at ease with informational videos, complete with tips and pointers on how, and where, to inject. “It doesn’t hurt… It’s easy,” D’Alleva claims in one video, as she stands in front of a mirror and injects her face repeatedly.

Watch the investigation on “20/20″ TONIGHT at 10 p.m. ET

Disaster isn’t what “Alex,” a paramedic, had in mind when she visited DiscountMedSpa.com a few months ago. In her 40s and dating, she just wanted to improve her look, and save some money. She asked ABC News not to disclose her identity.

After viewing “every one” of the instructional self-injection videos on D’Alleva’s site, Alex was convinced she could do it herself, since using needles was part of her job.

“Why should I pay somebody else that got a few hours of training to do something I think I can do pretty easily?” she said she thought at the time.

Alex paid $450 for a DiscountMedSpa.com products including an injectable facial filler. She says she injected the products under her eyes and alongside her mouth.

But “the next morning, I woke up horrified by what I saw,” she said. “Literally, my heart started pounding, and I thought, ‘What have I done, what am I going to do?’”

DiscountMedSpa.com isn’t the only website selling treatments normally reserved for a doctor’s office. Chemical peels are readily obtainable from dozens of Web sites, and like Alex, the people who buy them don’t always know what they are getting.

Alex said the injections caused bags and lumps under her eyes, and a hard, infected pustule on her cheek. Desperate, she turned to Dr. Jerome Potozkin for help.

“I had an ‘Oh-my-God’ moment,” Potozkin said, “when I looked at her and I saw this huge abscess on her cheek. Then she told me it was from a filler that she ordered from an Internet Web site and injected into herself.”

Although Alex’s condition was serious, it could have been worse. Potozkin told “20/20” that if she had gone just a few millimeters in the wrong direction, she could have “literally punctured an eyeball,” or hit a blood vessel — potentially causing blindness.

The product Alex ordered from DiscountMedSpa.com was labeled “Vitalift,” but there is no such product on the list of FDA-approved pharmaceuticals.

Other products for sale included injectables “Restylin” and “Artefil,” and a “chemical peel” whose description included a “mystery” ingredient.

Do it yourself Botox, Restylane, & Juvederm Disasters. is a post from: Botox Patient

Cosmetic Surgeons enlist patients to fight Botox Botax.

Botox Patient — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:32:23 +0000

Your plastic surgeon of dermatologist may be asking for your help to fight the Botox Botax shortly. Here’s what the ASDS (American Society for Dermatologic Surgery) is giving it’s members to solicit the support of Botox consumers:

The U.S. Senate health care reform bill (Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act) contains a proposed 5 percent tax on “elective cosmetic medical procedures.” While this may look like an attractive option to Senators looking for ways to pay for health care reform, we know that:

Cosmetic medical procedures taxes are an unreliable and risky revenue source, which has proved to be a failure at the state level;

A tax on cosmetic surgery discriminates against working women;

The definition of cosmetic procedures is arbitrary and almost impossible to administer; and

enforcement would necessitate review of patient medical records by tax collectors, a clear invasion of privacy.

Please enter your zip code below to be connected to an automatic email system which allows you to send a quick message to your Senator asking him/her to vote against this tax.

Cosmetic Surgeons enlist patients to fight Botox Botax. is a post from: Botox Patient

Medical Spa eBook: IPL & Laser Training Course for Estheticians

Botox Patient — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 20:43:14 +0000

Awhile back I posted an esthetician position on a local job search website. In my requirements, I had stated that only those estheticians who have been trained in the proper use of laser technology should apply. I must have received over 100 resumes with barely a few who have ever laid their hands on a laser or even observed any procedures.

I selected a few resumes who I felt had years of experience and; therefore, would know the basic concepts of how skin reacts to laser light, Fitzpatick Skin Typing Scale, etc. I was surprised at how many of them had no idea how to answer what I was asking them.

It’s obvious there are many skilled estheticians out there seeking employment, or desiring to advance their career. I would highly suggest the Advanced IPL & Laser Training Course for Estheticians & Laser Technicians.

The Advanced IPL & Laser Training Course is much more than knowing what the difference is between 532nm and 2940nm of light; or how different wavelengths affect blood, pigment and water; or even how laser light affects the stem cells of a hair shaft during the anagen growth phase. It’s about broadening your knowledge of the aesthetic field, becoming a more valuable member to a medical aesthetic team, increasing your revenue by commission and upselling with your knowledge, and benefiting your patient by being able to explain various treatment options for them (some performed by you and other treatments by the physician). Even though you may not perform every treatment in a medical spa, such as injectable procedures or laser skin resurfacing, your knowledge of those procedures is very important in the patient advocate and educational process.

Even if you have no hands on training at this point, the Advanced IPL & Laser Training Course will lay down the foundation you need to secure a position in a medical spa. If one of the candidates had any understanding of some of the principles of laser technology, I would have brought them in for a personal interview with the physician. Hands on training is the easy part, the hard part is the theory behind laser technology.

Via Medical Spa MD

Medical Spa eBook: IPL & Laser Training Course for Estheticians is a post from: Botox Patient

Blue Collar Botox

Botox Patient — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:12:26 +0000

Via Tyler Cowen, it turns out that the proposed tax on cosmetic surgeries (like Botox) might be highly regressive:

… look around. See that cosmetic surgeon down the street? The walk-in Botox clinic next door? That’s because cosmetic surgery spread from the rich and famous to the rest of us because of increasing access to credit. That’s right- the deregulation of banking that happened in the 1980s meant more and more Americans were taking out credit- either on credit cards or with medical credit companies like GE’s “CareCredit.”

What this means is that cosmetic surgery is now primarily consumed not by the rich, but by the working and lower-middle classes, sometimes even by the poor. According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), about 1/3 of cosmetic surgery is consumed by people who make less than $30,000 a year. About 70% of it is consumed by people who make less than $60,000 a year. It is mostly women (90%) and mostly white, middle-aged women (80% and between 35-55 years old).

It would be interesting to know if these trends vary depending on the procedure. I would suspect, for instance, that nose jobs and facelifts are common among the affluent and highly-educated, whereas breast implants, which still carry something of a class-based stigma, are a more heavily downscale phenomenon. And I would imagine there are interesting regional variations as well. (Perhaps some of these questions are addressed in the forthcoming book from the author of the post quoted above.)

Riffing on the data, Tyler writes that “cosmetic surgery is not just a zero-sum game but rather it leads to better matches, more matches, and more people who are happy with their looks or with the looks of their partner(s).” I would go halfway with him, and say that it’s certainly a rational response to a culture where airbrushed images of perfect beauty flood the airwaves and supermarket aisles, where male instincts about sex are increasingly influenced by the siliconed imagery of hard-core pornography, and where high divorce rates (which are especially high among the working class) ensure that large numbers of women find themselves re-entering the dating pool in middle age. Whether it’s something to be welcomed, though, is another question entirely.

Question: Should Botox, Restylane, Juvederm, liposuction and cosmetic surgery be taxed like you luxury car?

Blue Collar Botox is a post from: Botox Patient

Botox Patient: A boob job for Tiger’s mistress?

Botox Patient — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:39:41 +0000

Photos: Above, recent online photos of Rachel Uchitel. (Photos courtesy of Gala.de and TheImproper.com) Below, Rachel Uchitel yesterday in Los Angeles. (AP photo)

Plastic surgeons and celebrity watchers gave party hostess Rachel Uchitel a once-over as soon as the tabloids thrust her into the spotlight last week as the alleged mistress of golfing great Tiger Woods.

She flatly denies the allegation, but Uchitel’s photos on the Web have provided evidence for cosmetic doctors to analyze. For example, plastic surgeon and blogger Dr. John Di Saia of San Clemente and Huntington Beach wrote:

[Her photos] show her to be an attractive woman who has probably seen the inside of a plastic surgeon’s office before. She seems to have had breast implants at the least from the images we have seen.

The online Plastic Surgery Channel commented on the uncertainties surrounding Uchitel:

Her lips do suggest lip injections, (perhaps Botox) and her chest suggests breast augmentation. Uchitel would likely deny rumors of plastic surgery, just as she has denied other rumors. But, in all cases, she may be telling the truth.

skin clinic, plastic surgery, Botox

Botox Patient: A boob job for Tiger’s mistress? is a post from: Botox Patient

Men get Botox too.

Botox Patient — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 05:29:46 +0000

The next time you’re at the medical spa don’t be surprised if you see a bunch of men in the waiting room. We’re told men are showing up in increasing numbers for everything from Botox to liposuction. But it’s not necessarily about vanity.

A medical spa is a place where you picture women being pampered and pricked to smooth out wrinkles, but now men are showing up by the dozens.

Andy Osborne, a sales executive for a hotel group, attends a spa.

“I just turned 40 this year so I wanted to do something to make myself a little younger,” he said.

The trip to the medical spa is a first for Osborne.

“I felt a little strange making the call but they put me right at ease saying it was typical. They are seeing more and more men,” Osborne said.

But Dr. Bill Johnson says while women go after ideals, modeling ourselves off what we see in magazines, men book appointments for very different reasons.

“It’s a competition for the guys,” Johnson said.

“There are a lot of people who are younger, getting into hotel sales so anything I can do to make myself look a little younger, be more competitive,” Osborne said.

And with more people finding themselves out of work, the competition to find that perfect job is intense.
And it’s not just Botox. More men are giving liposuction a try.

Osborne hopes rolling back time will help bring in the sales.

by Bobby Sisk / NewsChannel 36

Botox, Botox Injections

Men get Botox too. is a post from: Botox Patient

No related posts.

What does Botox treat besides wrinkles?

Botox Patient — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 21:49:49 +0000

Before it became a popular anti-wrinkle treatment, Botox was used to treat crossed eyes and eyelid spasms.

Today, Botox is being used to help many other conditions. While Botox is commonly used for relaxing fine facial lines and wrinkles, it is becoming a popular treatment for conditions ranging from migraine headaches, bladder control and excessive sweating to multiple sclerosis and even cerebral palsy in children.

HEADACHES: Botox is injected into the affected muscles of the head and neck to help people with migraines, post-traumatic headaches and tension headaches.
NECK PAIN: It is believed that Botox blocks the transmission of nerve impulses, permitting injected muscles to relax, diminishing transmission of pain signals in people suffering from dystonia torticollis, whiplash and disc degenerative disease causing muscle spasms.
HYPERHIDROSIS: Excessive sweating, even when temperatures are cold or the person is resting. Botox stops the nerve impulse from reaching the sweat gland, effectively stopping sweat production.
DYSTONIA: A neurological disorder leading to involuntary muscle contractions that cause abnormal movements or postures.
OVERACTIVE BLADDER: Botox is injected into the bladder to curtail the organ’s excessive squeezing.
ENLARGED PROSTATE: Botox is injected through an ultrasound probe into the prostate to help prevent frequent urinating in men.
ALOPECIA: Doctors believe Botox may be effective in helping some forms of balding.
CEREBRAL PALSY: A new study shows Botox may be effective as a treatment for muscle stiffness in children with cerebral palsy.

Botox: FDA approvals.

Botox therapy initially was approved by the Federal Drug Administration in 1989 for treatment of crossed eyes and uncontrollable eye blinking associated with dystonia for patients age 12 and older. It was used for cosmetic purposes when patients with spastic eye disorder discovered the wrinkles near their eyes disappeared. By 2000, Botox was approved to treat cervical dystonia in adults to decrease the severity of abnormal head positions and neck pain. And in 2004, the drug received approval for hyperhidrosis, excessive underarm and palm sweating.

Additional Botox studies.

Since then, studies also indicate Botox successfully treats depression, bladder control problems, enlarged prostate and headaches.

Botox Patient: Posted from Medical Spa RX: Wholesale Botox

What does Botox treat besides wrinkles? is a post from: Botox Patient

Tumescent Liposuction vs. Laser Liposuction – Medical Spa MD

Botox Patient — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 21:31:06 +0000

Liposuction: Is tumescent or laser liposuction better?

Plastic Surgeons today are using various types of liposuction. I prefer tumescent liposuction with thin cannulas instead of laser lipo. This is a manual method of liposuction that I believe yields the best liposuction result because the surgeon has the most amount of control.

Traditional tumescent liposuction

Tumescent liposuction has been around well over a decade and allows the surgeon to have complete control of the amount of fat being taken out. The tumescent liposuction technique is mechanical as it involves the surgeon using a long rod called a cannula to extract the fat. The motion is a continuous back and forth rhythm to remove the fat. Since the motions are repeated over the course of 1-3 hours, your surgeon must be in good aeroebic shape to give YOU a good result! Honestly, this is one reason why some surgeons do not use this technique!

While the basic technique used in tumescent liposuction has not changed, the size of the cannulas used to extract the fat have gotten much slimmer over the years. In the past, surgeons used larger 5mm cannulas , but this sometimes resulted in lumpy or uneven results. Most surgeons now use 3mm or smaller cannulas. This will increase the length of the surgery as it does take longer to remove the fat from small cannulas, but the results are well worth the longer surgical time! The thinner 3mm cannulas produce excellent and consistent liposuction results. With thin cannulas, traditional tumescent liposuction can achieve the smoothest and most even result possible .

Laser and ultrasonic liposuction

The new technologies for liposuction technique include laser liposuction and ultrasonic liposuction. They emit high energy that liquefies and destroys tissue around the cannula. I do not think these technologies are worth the risks they pose to the patient. Both of these techniques essentially melt the fat under your skin. As they melt the fat, other tissues are damaged. I am not a fan of damaging tissue or fat cells that are not being extracted. Often times, the extracted fat could be used for fat injections to rejuvenate another area of the patient’s body. These technologies destroy that possibility. Additionally, these high energy ultrasound and laser technologies can have complications such as burning, and results can be very unpredictable as it is impossible to tell how much damaged tissue is left behind.

Best technique is tumescent liposuction with slender cannulas

In summary, the best technique available for liposuction is the traditional tumescent liposuction technique with small diameter cannulas. It has stood the test of time. Sometimes the latest is not the greatest. I perform hundreds of liposuction procedures each year and I do not remember the last time a patient asked for a touch up for lumpiness or unevenness. Thin cannulas give you the best chance to get the result right each and every time!

Ricardo L Rodriguez, MD

via Medical Spa MD: Tumescent Liposuction vs Laser Liposuction.

Via Freelance MD

Tumescent Liposuction vs. Laser Liposuction – Medical Spa MD is a post from: Botox Patient

Medical Spa Marketing: Blogging for your medspa.

Botox Patient — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 23:52:28 +0000

First, if you’re not blogging for your medical spa, laser clinic or plastic surgery practice you’re probably still using a rotary-dial telephone. Start.

Your patients are busy, and in order to gain and keep readership on your site you need to provide your existing and potential patients with information that makes their lives better, easier, and less stressful. Laser clinic or cosmetic surgery websites face the temptation of turning every post into a dry marketing appeal. It’s up to you as the physician or clinic owner to overcome that obstacle and provide your med spa patients information about your services in a quick and easily digestible way.

So the question is… How do you do that? Here are seven ways you can engage readers of your med spa or plastic surgery blog and keep them coming back.

1. Offer Real Medical Advice

You’ve got real medical experience, share it. (Yes, you do have to be careful so you don’t get sued but post a clear disclaimer and be smart about your ‘opinion’.) If you like Thermage or Fraxel, say it. The very best way to gain loyal readers is by sharing your knowledge and giving them practical information they can use to make decisions. You can give your readers an instant benefit by avoiding abstract ideas and providing specific tips, advice and tools they can use right away.

2. Talk to Your Existing Patients

You’re already ahead of the game with this one, because your existing plastic surgery or med spa patients already have a connection to you, otherwise they wouldn’t be reading your blog. Better yet, impressing them leads to greater word of mouth referral. Get to know them by keeping an eye on comments (allow comments on your blog and don’t delete them unless they’re way over the line), watching for trackbacks and listening to feedback in other forums. All of this input can be material you can use to make your posts resonate with your individual readers.

3. Share Personal Stories

Business is business and personal is personal, right? Not anymore. Today there is an increasing amount of overlap between the two, and people want to know a little more about the person behind the med spa, laser clinic or plastic surgery center, beyond a cv and medical marketing speak. So give a little of yourself to create a stronger relationship with your readers. Women (and our market is women) want to know that they can trust you. If all you ever post is your latest laser hair removal ad, you’re just not as trustworthy as a the plastic surgeon who loves his kids and has a dog.

4. Go Non-Surgical Again

Throw in an occasional post that’s not exactly med spa or plastic surgery related. If it bombs, it bombs and you know to go a different route next time. But if it is successful, you can insert some comic relief, mindless banter and maybe even a personal story as listed above to give your patients a brief change of pace. Talk about how expensive Botox is. How Thermage charges for every tip you burn. How you worry about providing the best patient care.

5. Keep It Short and Sweet

You could probably write some very long posts when you’re discussing your latest business endeavor or what it took to build out your med spa or plastic surgery practice. If that much information is necessary, split it up into a multi-part series. Use lists, subheads and images to break up heavy content whenever possible.

6. Share The Conversation With Your Patients

Ask directed and specific questions at the end of your posts to encourage reader commentary. For every few posts where you provide advice, throw in a post that asks for the answer. Involving your readers will give them an opportunity to take an active role in your blog. Ask them if they’d like a membership as part of your offering. Talk about your patient referral perks. Ask who they think provides the best patient care. Ask if they can help your med spa provide better care…

7. Give Potential Patients What They Want

Carefully read the comments provided by your existing and potential patients. They are invaluable because they allow you to tailor your posts to the information your readers are asking you to provide. Acknowledge the comments, answer the questions, and address the requests and you’re on your way to building great relationships with your readers.

8. Bonus: Protect Your Med Spa or Plastic Surgery Practice

OK I said seven ways. Here’s a bonus.

Of course I’m not a lawyer… (see how I carfully did that) but your medical opinions are your own. Keep a clearly defined page that states that the content of your site is not to be used as medical advice and shouldn’t be acted on without consulting a physician. There are any number of medical blogs that write about specific cases with this kind of disclaimer in place.

via Blogging for your medical spa.

Via Freelance MD

Medical Spa Marketing: Blogging for your medspa. is a post from: Botox Patient

Medical Spa Marketing: Be remarkable.

Botox Patient — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 23:47:10 +0000

If you want to be remarkable you have to provide an experience worth telling someone about.

Of course you looked at the image to the right. It’s an ad for a condom and meant to get your attention.

Word of mouth marketing is one of your best friends as a medical spa. Happy clients bring in their friends and family. But what are you doing to make your medspa stand out? What is it about your clinic that’s worth actually remarking about ‘before’ being asked?

Happy patients who like you are just a base line an a relatively low hurdle if you know anything at all about what you’re doing and have the right IPLs or lasers. But clinics who are really making money have often learned that moving a patient from happy or satisfied to a zealot that actively seeks out opportunites to mention them can double their revenue. (Everyone has a couple of zealots. I’m talking about a large percentage of patients.)

The image above is unexpected and different, so it attracts interest and comment.

If you want to have patients remarking about you, you have to actually be remarkable.

via medicalspamd.com

If your laser clinic or plastic surgery center is not generating ‘remarks’ from your patients, do something that does.

Via Freelance MD

Medical Spa Marketing: Be remarkable. is a post from: Botox Patient

Online Botox is not recommended | Grinza

Botox Patient — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 23:47:16 +0000

On a yearly basis, more than 9 million women look for Botox to make themselves look and feel younger. However, these treatments do not come cheap. On average, one treatment can cost $500.

In an attempt to reduce expenses, some people have been ordering Botox products through the internet. But, authorities say that this move can be more harmful than helpful.

One cited case came from an anonymous patient, who purchased industrial strength silicon from an online distributor. After administering the product herself, it resulted in adverse effects.

“If it’s injected improperly, it [Botox] can cause skin defects and problems that sometimes can be permanent,” commented Dr. Jeffry Riopelle, a cosmetic surgeon. He says that Botox shoule be sold “as prescription medication and it’s only available to physicians.”

But you would be surprised to know that injectable fillers like Restylane, Juvederm, and Botox can be easily purchased online without the necessary prescription.

“Products that aren’t pure and are not what they are supposed to be when they’re put it sometimes can cause serious infections, and in some patients as we’ve known in the past, can actually even cause death,” commented Dr. Matthew Mingrone.

The main problem is that patients do not know the dosage of the product. This has several implications for their health and safety. That’s why the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) strongly recommends against buying Botox cosmetics from online distributors.

via grinza.com

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Need a breast lift? Try an plastic surgeons internal bra?

Botox Patient — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:58:34 +0000

Breast lift plastic surgery coming to a medical spa near you.

Bras are an often uncomfortable but necessary evil for the majority of women.

But if you’ve got serious bra issues and can’t be bothered with a different strap arrangement for every occasion, plastic surgery now has the answer.

Israeli plastic surgeon Eyal Gur has invented the Cup & Up bra and there’s no straps to be worried with… on the outside at least.

In fact, the invention is an alternative to breast implants and promises perky breasts for years without any of the drawbacks of implants.

The first guinea pig has already had her internal bra fitted and surgeons say it was a huge success.

Avi Cohen, managing director of Orbix Medical, the company helping to develop the bra, told the Daily Mail: “The operation went really well and the woman, who is in her 30s, has made a good recovery.

“The bra has given her the lift she wanted. Her breasts look natural and she is happy with the result. The surgeons have done a fantastic job.”

The Cup & Up involves a kind of internal silicon bra. The ’straps’ are attached to the ribs with titanium screws, stitched to silicon ‘cups’ and then it’s all tightened into place.

As gruesome and unpleasant as that sounds, those of you in need of a lift can be in and out of hospital in a morning as the keyhole operation takes just 40 minutes.

Mr Cohen believes the internal bra will become widely available throughout Europe within the next 18 months.

“We have enough women volunteers in the trial and we will be doing our second patient just before Christmas.

“In a year’s time we will have enough evidence that it works. Then we will be able to get the green light from the European medical licensing authorities.”

Call us cautious, but we think we might wait a little longer.

via rubyroom.aol.co.uk

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Reconstructive Plastic Surgery Not Likely Among Certain Races?

Botox Patient — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:48:57 +0000

Less-acculturated Latinas with breast cancer are less likely to have reconstruction surgery after a mastectomy, say researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Amy Alderman, MD, MPH, assistant professor of plastic surgery at the U-M Medical School and lead author conducted a study to examine trends in breast reconstruction among different races, including white women, African-American women, and Latina women. The group of Latina women was further divided into women who were either highly acculturated into American society or less acculturated.

After looking at 806 women who were treated for breast cancer, researchers found 41% of white women and 41% of highly acculturated Latinas underwent reconstruction, while only 34% of African-Americans and 14% of less acculturated Latina did.

The study authors found that the lagging reconstruction rates did not correlate to lack of interest. More than half of the less-acculturated Latinas said they would have like more information about breast reconstruction.

When patients’ satisfaction with their surgery was measured, the highest satisfaction rates were among white women who were satisfied with their treatment (94%) compared with the lowest rate, 56%, among less-acculturated Latinas who did not receive reconstruction.

Furthermore, this group was also less likely to report that their surgeon explained breast reconstruction, and they were less likely to be referred to a plastic surgeon than the other racial groups. The study also showed similar trends for African-American women, although the most significant data was among the less acculturated Latinas.

“Reconstruction is important to these women, but significantly more of the less-acculturated Latinas did not know how to get it. It suggests significant unmet needs for this vulnerable group. They have a desire for reconstruction, but no one’s telling them about it,” Dr Alderman suggested.

The study authors suggest that more efforts be made to present breast reconstruction options to all patients, including those who speak only Spanish. Further research is planned to understand how language and other cultural issues affect whether women receive breast reconstruction.

via oncologynursingnews.com

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Venezuelans Borrow for Plastic Surgery

Botox Patient — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:38:45 +0000

Unfazed by a recession and rampant inflation, image-conscious Venezuelans show no signs of cutting back on the facelifts, liposuction, and breast augmentation that have become de rigueur beauty treatments.

“There is never a question of not doing it, but of how you can do it. We all want to get everything done,” said Helen Patino, a 37-year-old former model who had her first breast augmentation when she was 21 and her third about three months ago.

Venezuela’s inflation is the highest in Latin America, up more than 20 percent in the first 10 months of this year and the South American nation is in recession after a five year boom.

Hard times may even encourage cosmetic procedures as people look for ways to lift their spirits, with many dipping into savings or taking on debt to get operations, surgeons say.

“The financial crisis has spurred people to spend more on themselves … to console themselves in this crisis. I have not seen demand diminishing,” said Peter Romer, a plastic surgeon in Caracas.

For Iris Delgado, a 57-year-old dental technician, a lack of funds was not an obstacle to getting a recent eyelid tuck.

“With the economy, one has to make sacrifices, because you don’t have the money. So, you get it from credit cards, from family and you pay for it,” said Delgado, who borrowed 7,000 bolivares — about $3,250 — for the procedure, a move she saw as a hedge against inflation in plastic surgery prices.

Like Delgado, many go into debt to finance plastic surgery, according to those in the industry.

“It’s an investment that people make and they look for money everywhere,” said Romer, adding that one of his patients moved into a smaller apartment to get a makeover and another traded her car for a facelift.

Leoncio Barrios, a social psychologist at the Central University of Venezuela, said such stories are the exception. “The majority of middle and lower-income women do not have property to sell or the capacity to save,” he said.

via abcnews.go.com

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Plastic surgeons get Botox too

Botox Patient — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:28:27 +0000

I’ve always wondered if doctors are more or less apt to seek treatment for medical conditions. Well, when it comes to plastic surgery, the doctor is often the patient, a new study finds.

In a survey of 276 members of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, 62 percent said they had gone under the knife for at least one procedure. Most receive minimally invasive procedures such as laser hair removal chemical peels and Botox — no word of whether they throw Botox parties. A third had gone under a surgical procedure, with liposuction being the most common.

Women surgeons were more likely than men to have cosmetic surgery. The study about the survey — appearing in the December issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery — suggests they can be an asset to patients who are trying to decide which kind of reconstructive surgery to receive.

via weblogs.baltimoresun.com

It would be interesting to know if laser clinics and medical spas see an up-tick in treatments like Thermage, Fraxel, laser treatments or filler injections between female and male plastic surgeons. I’d certainly guess that laser hair removal and photofacials are more common among female docs running skin clinics.

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Cynosure used hair removal lasers: Medical Spa MD

Botox Patient — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 23:53:43 +0000

Buying used cosmetic lasers can be tricky.

For those of you that have had problems with Cynosure there is help, for those that do not or have not had problems you are lucky. Not all of Cynosure service department is bad, there are a few good technicians and some that are just there for a job.

Cynosure hair removal lasers are very good if maintained properly. There are few things that you must be aware of:

Flash lamp pulses on the Cynosure: Do not go over 1 million on the yag and 750,000 on the alex.
Keep track of your voltage: Do not run the laser over 820v, this could lead to pump chamber failures and blown power supplies. These will be very expensive repairs.
Inspect your hand pieces every time you use them, making sure that there are not large pits and / or burn spots inside. Keep your windows clean and change frequently. If your hand piece is getting hot during use, then you have problems with it, and the hand piece needs to be checked.

If you are thinking of having your Cynosure laser service by a third party company, just remember not everyone can work on them, even some of the manufacture’s technician have problems working on them. There are many after market parts available as well but you get what you pay for. Would you take your Mercedes to Bob’s Auto for service? I know of only a couple technician outside of Cynosure who can repair them. We make sure that you get what you would expect from the manufacture.

If you are thinking of purchasing a used Cynosure laser or other cosmetic laser, please have a technician that knows the laser look at it for you before you put any money down. Would you buy a used car from a fly by night dealer without having your mechanic look at it? I have seen and heard every nightmare you could think of, I have also seen some very good deals. I had a lady call me that purchased a laser that had blown the power supply on it 2 weeks after purchasing the laser. That same laser was about to be sold to a customer of mine that wanted me to help him find a laser. I told him that this laser in poor shape and that it would need very costly repairs. I was not surprised when the lady called me and gave me the serial number of the laser. It does not cost to get a second opinion on something that could save you in the long run.

Botox Patient: Posted from Laser Center

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Botax: New Taxes on Botox + Plastic Surgery?

Botox Patient — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 20:38:01 +0000

The medical spa and plastic surgery community is in an uproar over some proposed legislation that could make a trip to the plastic surgeon or a Botox injection at the medical spa more expensive.

People are calling it the Botax. It’s a 5 percent tax on elective procedures such as Botox, Juvederm, Restylane, laser hair removal, facelifts, breast augmentation and other nips and tucks that lawmakers are hoping will help fund the nearly $1 trillion health care plan.

The bill says the tax would not apply to cosmetic surgery to fix a deformity either from birth, accident, or disease. It would apply to procedures like face lifts, liposuction, cosmetic implants and teeth whitening.

But as Dr. Paula Hicks points out sometimes cosmetic surgeries have very medical purposes.

“Certainly breast reduction surgery is a very good surgery for a lot of women and a lot of them will get denied by the insurance company as cosmetic surgery,” said Dr. Hicks of the Ave Medical Laser Spa and Laser Clinic.

Under the proposal, Dr. Hicks says an eyelid tuck, which can help with vision, would cost an extra $100 in taxes on top of the $2,000 price tag for the procedure.

She says that could be a big hit to her business since most of her clients are not wealthy.

“Most of these procedures are not done on people that are rich and have endless amounts of money, it’s middle class working women that would be targeted with this tax and it’s really not fair.”

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons 86 percent of cosmetic surgery patients are women. Sixty percent of them have annual incomes between $30,000 and $90,000.

The tax, if approved, would raise $6 billion over 10 years.

Allergan, which sells Botox, took a civil rights angle: The tax “discriminates against women,” the company said in a statement. Some 86% of cosmetic surgery patients are working women ages 35-50, with an average annual income of $55,000 per year, according to Allergan.

“What’s next? Are we going to tax people who color their hair?” the CEO of Medicis, a drug company that sells fillers, told Dow Jones Newswires.

The American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, which is fighting the provision, says “a large portion of those being taxed would be the baby-boomer generation. And as this age group continues to age, the more interest will be generated in cosmetic procedures.”

A spokesman for the 2,500-member group said they were surprised to see the provision in the Senate bill this week, because it had already surfaced and sank in July. The tax is not in the House bill.

The tax is on elective procedures, and would not apply to any procedure to correct birth defects or issues arising from disease, accidents or trauma. The CBO says it would raise about $5 billion over the next decade.

via medicalspamd.com Follow Medical Spa MD on Twitter

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Plastic surgery advertising regulation in Britan?

Botox Patient — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 06:14:08 +0000

Cosmetic surgery can carry risks as well as benefits

Several newspapers have reported the dangers associated with cosmetic surgery, including a lack of regulation in some areas of the industry. The reports also feature warnings from Nigel Mercer, the president of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, who voiced his views as part of a series of medical articles on cosmetic surgery. Mr Mercer called for tighter regulation and testing of drugs, procedures and implants to offer more protection to patients.

The Times reported that the number of cosmetic surgical operations conducted by “audited members of the profession” has more than tripled to 34,000 since 2003, but that many additional procedures are being carried out on the black market. The newspaper says that these are “fuelled by internet promotions, magazine advertising and aggressive discounting”.

What is the basis for these news reports?

The reports were based on a special edition of the journal Clinical Risk, which featured several articles on the issues surrounding cosmetic surgery. These issues include the potential for physical and psychological harm, and the need for tighter regulation of the industry, better training programms for surgeons and measures to improve patient experience.

Nigel Mercer, president of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, wrote an accompanying editorial arguing that the availability of consumer credit and a change in public attitudes has led to an explosion in cosmetic surgery in recent years. According to Mercer, this growth, combined with increasing public expectation and media hype, has resulted in “the perfect storm in the cosmetic surgical market”.

What is cosmetic surgery?

Cosmetic surgery, sometimes called aesthetic surgery, was described by a doctor in the journal Clinical Risk as being “purely elective, a lifestyle choice undertaken to enhance physical appearance, improve self-esteem and boost confidence”. Another doctor says that it differs from all other forms of surgery in that it is a treatment for “want” rather than for “need”.

In the 2005 Regulation of Cosmetic Surgery report, published by the Department of Health, cosmetic surgeries are defined as “operations and other procedures that revise or change the appearance, color, texture, structure or position of bodily features, which most would consider otherwise to be within the broad range of ‘normal’ for that person”.

Cosmetic surgery differs from plastic surgery, which is generally surgery to repair or reconstruct tissue or skin damaged by congenital (inherited) disease, injuries or burns. The primary role of plastic surgery is to restore function, and aesthetic improvement is secondary.

How is cosmetic surgery currently regulated in the UK?

At present, there are measures and standards to help regulate the industry but some cosmetic surgeons operate outside these regulations. Some treatments and procedures are unlicensed for cosmetic use, but can be given the discretion of doctors, or “off license”, by some clinics.

Surgical practice in the UK is regulated by the General Medical Council (GMC) and practicing surgeons should be enrolled on its specialist register. However, some concessions are made for private cosmetic surgeons who have been practicing since before April 2002. By satisfying certain criteria, these doctors can practice without the need to be on the specialist register.

Invasive cosmetic surgery and laser treatments are also regulated under the Care Standards Act 2000. The Healthcare Commission inspects all registered establishments that carry out invasive procedures and laser surgery in the UK, and has the power to revoke practice licenses and to take enforcement action.

Some cosmetic surgical procedures are not covered by current regulations, such as Botox injections and injections of aesthetic fillers. Botox is not licensed for cosmetic use, but it can be prescribed “off license”, in which circumstances the doctor assumes liability for its use. Most fillers are tested in the UK as “devices” rather than as drugs. This means that they are regulated based on the standard of their production and not on whether the treatment works.

The Department of Health report concluded that the regulatory situation for cosmetic surgery was not satisfactory because of the group of doctors who can practise without being on the GMC specialist register and the lack of clarity around the definition of “fillers”. Although practitioners of cosmetic surgery must demonstrate certain competencies, these may not be the equivalent standard of NHS consultants.

What do these journal articles say about cosmetic surgery?

The authors of these articles have argued several opinions, including that:

Patient psychology should be considered by clinical staff as issues of mental health and body image may be behind the desire for cosmetic changes. These could also arise in people who feel disappointed or upset by the results of their surgery.
Surgeons should keep records detailing their patients’ expectations and provide them with guidance on whether these are realistic.
There are risks associated with any type of surgery and patients should be informed of these and their surgeon’s success rates when considering procedures.
It is important that patients are given time to consider their options. Doctors should also inform patients about alternative treatments that may be available.
Before procedures are carried out, it should be clear who will be financially liable for the correction of any complications.
There may be some merits to adopting a regulation system similar to that in France. Under this system, patients must be given information on costs, risks and the surgeon’s qualifications to perform their selected procedures.
The way that cosmetic surgery is marketed should also be regulated.

What is the problem with plastic surgery marketing?

Mercer says that cosmetic procedures are often marketed using special offers, including vouchers, two-for-one deals and surgery holidays, and that these practices contribute to an “unregulated mess”.

The articles also feature a call to ban advertising of cosmetic procedures, stating that, like tobacco, there should perhaps be a Europe-wide ban on advertising all cosmetic surgical procedures, including on internet search engines. While advertising can be powerful, says Mercer, it is often misused by the cosmetic surgery industry and misinterpreted by those it is aimed at.

Where can I find more information on reputable plastic surgeons?

The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery is a not-for-profit organization based at the Royal College of Surgeons. It was established to advance the education and practice of cosmetic surgery for public benefit. While it is not a regulatory body, it has long been involved in giving the public information on the safety of cosmetic surgery.

Its research into cosmetic surgery tourism was discussed at a recent conference and its press releases highlight a number of dangers associated with unregulated procedures, including DIY injectable treatments available over the internet.

via nhs.uk

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Laser Hair Removal for the very, very hairy.

Botox Patient — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:33:37 +0000

In real need of some laser hair removal.

Sid Schwab’s blog has a post on young man who’d undergone surgery for a pilonidal cyst and has some comments on big hairy men, but it was this image that jaw-dropped me. High school must have been hell for this guy.

I’m guessing that if you’re offering a guarantee and this guy walks in, you might as well just close your doors. You should give your poor tech a bonus at the least.

To my knowledge, we’ve never had a patient who had this amount of body hair but then again, I’m not in the laser clinic treatment rooms.

I’m wondering if anyone has any experience with the uber-hairy?

via medicalspamd.com

This post on laser hair removal for the very hairy got so many spam comments I had to close them.

Botox Patient: Posted from Laser Center

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Designer vagina?

Botox Patient — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:11:49 +0000

There is mounting concern about a vaginal plastic surgery procedure more and more Australian women are having.

Each year more than 1,200 Australian women undergo surgery on their genitalia in a procedure known as labioplasty.

Doctors and surgeons fear that some women may be having the operation unnecessarily and there are concerns about operations being done by unqualified medical professionals.

In Britain, where the procedure is equally popular, medical experts are warning of a shocking lack of information about the risks and long-term impact.

It is controversial surgery but it is booming nonetheless.

For some, labioplasty is an exercise in Hollywood-style vanity, while for others it is a transformative procedure that trims, sculpts and restores a woman’s genitalia.

But there have been no studies to prove its long-term safety and doctors are worried about its ballooning popularity.

Dr Ted Weaver from the Royal Australian College of Gynaecologists says there are concerns.

“We put out about a statement from our college a couple of years ago, highlighting concerns about this designer vagina craze because we felt that often it did prey on fears of women and women’s insecurity about their particular genital appearance,” he said.

“The surgery’s potentially damaging. It could potentially lead to further problems for a woman as a result of surgery and may not fix her insecurity.”

Dr Kourosh Tavakoli is a member of the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons and a fellow of the Australasian College of Surgeons.

He has been performing the labioplasty for seven years and is seeing a 100 per cent increase in that number year on year.

“Let’s not kid ourselves. The last survey in my practice was 80 per cent for cosmetic and I would say for psychological reasons – that’s what I see as a function,” he said.

“There are two reasons [women give for having the surgery] – I can’t get comfortable during sex and the number two reason is essentially pure physical, in terms of running or jogging and not being able to wear a leotard or cossie.”

Labioplasty can cost between $4,000 and $6,000 and is often covered by Medicare.

Safety fears

Dr Tavakoli says it is a lucrative field, but he fears some practitioners are not up to the task.

“I have seen horrendous results from them. I mean there’s three groups doing it – plastic surgeons, gynaecologists and GP surgeons in their offices, without proper lighting or sedation or anything,” he said.

“I think the last group is a concern because they can take excess tissue and cause problems.”

Research published in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology is questioning the value of the labioplasty, with concerns that many women seek the surgery without fully understanding the risks. British medical experts are also questioning the ethics of the surgery.

Dr Weaver says some women are being exploited.

“We think anybody performing these procedures certainly should be well trained, not only in the surgical technique but also have the training in the ability to try to perhaps dissuade a woman from having it done,” he said.

“[They should] also be able to counsel the woman that there is a variation in normal appearance and that she doesn’t have to confirm to a picture that she might have noticed in a girlie magazine or something equally ridiculous.”

He believes there are women in Australia who are having the procedure unnecessarily.

Dr Tavakoli says patients must be psychologically screened and they must have realistic expectations. But either way, he says the procedure is here to stay.

“I believe it’s a good operation. I stand by this operation. I’ve had enough experience to see the mental transformation that this operation can bring and it will become a mainstay operation in cosmetic surgery,” he said.

“But again it needs to be very heavily scrutinised and patient selection is imperative. In the right patient, it will have benefits and patient selection is paramount.”

via abc.net.au

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Never a wait for Botox or Photofacials.

Botox Patient — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:09:10 +0000

A study in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology says if you want to see a skin doctor about a changing mole, get ready to wait. The average wait time is 26 days. But if you want a Botox shot, it’s just eight days, two-and-half weeks shorter. Here in mid-Missouri, two dermatologists say that’s not true.

“There’s a shortage of dermatologists nationally,” dermatologist John Despain said. ”Also, patients have direct access to dermatologists for skin care.”

Dr. John Despain owns Despain Dermatology Center and Skintuition Medical Spa in Columbia, focusing on cosmetic dermatology like Botox. He says at his practice, clinical appointments always come before cosmetics.

“They are seen on a priority basis within a few days,” Despain said. ”If they’re a new patient, if there’s the ability to put them in a new patient slot, they priority over anyone calling for cosmetic concerns, of course.”

At Dr. Lindall Perry’s practice in Columbia, they treat all appointment requests the same.

“We don’t have, quote, ‘cosmetic appointments,’” he said.

Although Perry is booked through January, he says patients with skin problems can get appointments.

“We have open appointments in two weeks with our newer staff and they would take both a cosmetic patient, an acne patient, a wart patient,” Perry said.

Perry says it can be a challenge juggling business and patient care.

“I like to think I have sound business practices,” she said. ”I do schedule myself very fully. My staff would say too full. My patients would say too full. We pay attention though to the frustration of long waits.”

With a heavy focus on clinical treatments, Perry says he tries to see as many patients as possible. Often leaving the Botox appointments for after hours. He says money is a benefit of his practice, not the motivator.

“My desire everyday is to find every melanoma that’s in front of me and not to miss that,” he said.

As for Despain, he likes biopsies just as much as Botox.

“I view them as a compliment to each other,” he said. ”If I had to choose how to spend my time out of enjoyment or profitability, they’re probably equal.”

Both doctors say there’s certainly a demand in mid-Missouri for cosmetic dermatology, but most of their patients and profits stem from clinical work. In the meantime, if you want to see a dermatologist, the best idea is to plan ahead.

via komu.com

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Radiesse Filler Injections Tips

Botox Patient — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:15:11 +0000

Radiesse & Your Local Laser Clinic or Med Spa

Radiesse is a filler injection composed of very small and smooth calcium hydroxylapitite microspheres which are suspended in a water-based gel carrier. Calcium Hydroxylapitite is a biocompatible, biodegradable material identical in composition to the mineral portion of teeth and bone. Radiesse is used to fill moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds such as nasolabial folds. Radiesse is generally not used to enhance the lips or lip line.

The Radiesse gel and microspheres form a “scaffold” that stimulates natural collagen production and encourages tissue growth in and around the injection area. The body absorbs the gel carrier as collagen has begun to infiltrate the area thus replacing the gel with natural tissue. The microspheres continue to provide support while the body completes this process. Eventually, the microspheres are safely absorbed by the body. This entire reconstruction process can take anywhere up to 3 years providing additional injections are administered to maintain even results.

Radiesse injections are very similar other Hyaluronic Acid fillers.

After the injection the medical provider should provide the patient with specific post-care instructions which may include:

Avoiding rubbing, movement or massaging of the area that could cause the Radiesse to migrate.

Don’t apply makeup for the next 24 hours.

No sun and heat exposure.

Injections for Radiesse can typically last from 6 to 18 months with an average of 11 months for nasolabial folds.

Pain? Physicians use a variety of pain management techniques during treatment to ensure patient comfort. Ask your physician about which techniques are right for you.

Are there any side effects? There have been very few side effects reported in clinical trials and actual usage. However, you may experience some common injection-related reactions, such as mild irritation, edema, swelling, itching, discoloration, or tenderness at the injection site. These conditions typically resolve themselves within one to two days.

Botox, Restylane, Juvederm and other filler injections with less pain.

Botox Patient — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:05:27 +0000

Botox, Restylane and Juvederm filler injections with far less pain.

A team at UT Southwestern has been combining 2% lidocaine with Radiesse, Restylane and other hyaluronic acid fillers. Tissue is immediately numbed and immediately treated—simultaneously—giving the patient a faster and more comfortable wrinkle-filling experience.

“There is significant time savings in not having to wait for traditional dental block anesthesia to take hold,” explains UT Southwestern plastic surgery chairman Dr. Rod Rohrich, “and the procedure is more pain-free with shorter recovery time.” His team’s findings appear in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

Although the aforementioned formulas require manual mixing, manufacturers have begun offering fillers with lidocaine already built in, like Hydrelle and Prevelle.

This couldn’t come soon enough for most of the medical spas and plastic surgery offices I know. And if you’ve ever had Botox or Restylane injections you know what I mean.

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Plastic Surgery Product Placement

Botox Patient — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:33:13 +0000

Be Born Again

To promote Dr. Kim’s plastic surgery office, this life scale poster was placed at the entrance of his office and by the elevator in the main lobby of the hospital building.

via dfckr.com

A slick little promo for a plastic surgery practice.

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Medical Spa MD selects Sendside Networks as it’s exclusive member communication platform.

Botox Patient — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:31:45 +0000

Medical Spa MD today announced that it has selected Sendside Networks as it’s exclusive member communication and customer retention platform. A secure replacement to email, Sendside offers a 1:1 secure sales communication platform that offers high touch interactive messaging and real-time reporting and control for mission-critical communications in a secure environment.

“Sendside is the only solution that addresses our need to communicate easily but still allows us to protect confidential information,” said Jeff Barson, Editor of Medical Spa MD.

“Unlike any other technology, Sendside gives us the ability to send interactive tabbed messages that allow recipients to fill out forms and actually make purchases ‘inside’ the message, without being redirected to an external link from an email. This gives us the ability to actually send the entire Medical Spa MD site directly through a message while retaining control and accessing all of Sendside’s analytics and real time reporting.

For the first time we can see exactly who has read a message, downloaded and attachment, or forwarded a message to a collegue, providing us with an inside look at what a recipient is doing and offering a perfect opportunity of knowing when to send follow-up information.

The cost to create and send this type of content would be cost prohibitive using any other solution.

Best of all, it’s free for the recipient and as easy to use as web based email.”

Medical Spa MD is currently using Sendside to communicate with thousands of plastic surgeons, dermatologist, and cosmetic physician members around the world.

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ABOUT SENDSIDE NETWORKS, INC.
Utah-based Sendside® Networks, Inc. has developed Sendside—the 1 to 1 Sales Communication Platform that provides organizations a secure, interactive communications channel directly to their customers, prospective customers, clients and investors. Sendside combines secure, interactive messaging with file delivery, interactive forms, e-signatures, payments, and secure storage into a comprehensive communication and interaction platform unlike anything on the market today. Sendside currently has fifteen U.S. Patents pending including Sendside Markup Language (SML), Behavior-based Messaging (BBM), Multi-dimensional Messaging (MDM), Sendside eSign, on demand messaging, embedded payments and acknowledgement. Sendside.com

ABOUT MEDICAL SPA MD
Medical Spa MD is a community of Plastic Surgeons, Dermatologists, Aesthetic Physicians, and Medical Spa Professionals. Medspa MD has Blogs, Forums, and Classified advertising. Members include 4,000+ members worldwide and medicalspa.com recieves more than 100,000 page views each month from physicians and individulals looking for informaton about cosmetic medicine and the lates advances in non-surgical technology.

via medicalspamd.com

Botox Patient: Posted from Laser Treatment MD

Medical Spa MD selects Sendside Networks as it’s exclusive member communication platform. is a post from: Botox Patient

The Medical Aesthetic Practice Assocation (MAPA) chooses Medical Spa MD as it’s exclusive technology platform.

Botox Patient — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:29:12 +0000

Medical Spa MD has been chosen by MAPA – The Medical Aesthetic Practice Association as the exclusive technology platform for MAPA Members.

“This is a great day for MAPA”, explained Dr. Epstein. “Medical Spa MD has been a pioneer in information exchange within the cosmetic medical field for years now. His MedicalSpaMD.com Internet Website & Blog has already advance our knowledge by quantum leaps. Combining our manpower, our experience and our content with his robust internet platform will take us even further.”

The Medical Aesthetic Practice Association was formed in response to a need for information sharing in the Medical Aesthetic Practice area. The Medical Aesthetic Practice Association (MAPA) is THE Clinical and Business Information Exchange Forum for Aesthetic Medical Practices and their business and clinical staff.

Jeffrey E. Epstein, MD, MAPA’s founder and Executive Director explained the need and the purpose of MAPA, “the Medical Aesthetic Practice Association’s purpose is to promote and facilitate information exchange among Medical Aesthetic Practices. By sharing our ideas, experiences, opinions and insights, we can learn faster and benefit from each other’s successes and failures. In order to facilitate the convenient and high volume exchange of advanced business and clinical information, MAPA provides Internet Based Platforms for Medical Aesthetic Practice Owners and their Clinical Staff. MAPA also hosts live discussions in their Chat Rooms on a regular basis to promote real-time discussion about important, topical issues.”

MAPA & MSMD will soon have in excess of 2000 (two thousand) members. MAPA currently has Fifty Diamond Club Members who produce content and manage daily activities.

MAPA is planning on hosting their third clinical exchange meeting this Spring at the Cherry Hill Physician Training and Research Center. The meeting held in November 2008 was a huge success. There is no cost to attend these meetings. MAPA will also be meeting at this years ASLMS Conference in Baltimore, MD the first week in April.

* * *

ABOUT MAPA
The Medical Aesthetic Practice Association’s purpose is to promote and facilitate information exchange among Medical Aesthetic Practices. By sharing our ideas, experiences, opinions and insights, we can learn faster and benefit from each other’s successes and failures. In order to facilitate the convenient and high volume exchange of advanced business and clinical information, MAPA provides Internet Based Platforms for Medical Aesthetic Practice Owners and their Clinical Staff. MAPA hosts live discussions in their Chat Rooms on a regular basis to promote real-time discussion about important, topical issues.

ABOUT MEDICAL SPA MD
Medical Spa MD is a community of Plastic Surgeons, Dermatologists, Aesthetic Physicians, and Medical Spa Professionals. Medspa MD has Blogs, Forums, and Classified advertising. Members include 2,000+ members worldwide and medicalspa.com recieves more than 100,000 page views each month from physicians and individulals looking for informaton about cosmetic medicine and the lates advances in non-surgical technology.

via medicalspamd.com

Botox Patient: Posted from Laser Treatment MD

The Medical Aesthetic Practice Assocation (MAPA) chooses Medical Spa MD as it’s exclusive technology platform. is a post from: Botox Patient

Paula D. Young RN joins Medical Spa MD

Botox Patient — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:27:00 +0000

Medica lSpa MD is proud to announce the addition of Paula D. Young RN to it’s editorial board.

“It’s a fantastic addition to Medical Spa MDs ability to provide expert viewpoints from a diverse group of expert medical providers and business people”, says Jeff Barson, Medical Spa MDs founder and publisher. “Paulas experience will give Medical Spa MD voice for mid-level medical providers an an invaluable resource for the growing number of medical estheticians and laser techinics who are visiting Medical Spa MD to learn.”

“To really know what’s going on in the aesthetic business you must join Medical Spa MD!”, says Young. “Nowhere else can you find the information crucial to your success in this ever changing arena. From the classified ads section, to the professional community forum discussion threads, to real equipment reviews by aesthetic professionals. I especially value the articles on marketing and the community forum discussions on therapy management like melasma, fillers, laser lipolysis, and skin resurfacing. Medical Spa MD keeps me on my toes as a medical spa owner, marketer, and nurse!”

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ABOUT Paula D. Young RN

Paula is the staff nurse and co-owner of Young Medical Spa in the Lehigh Valley area of Pennsylvania along with her husband Thomas E. Young, MD. Prior to establishing Young Medical Spa, Paula previously owned a Merle Norman Cosmetics national franchise, a full-service beauty salon and spa, and a chain of tanning salons. Most recently, Paula worked for Johnson & Johnson for over 10 years and held senior management positions in the medical and sales education, and customer relationship management departments. Her associations include:

Dermatology Nurses Association
American Academy of Medical Esthetic Professionals
Association of periOperative Registered Nurses
American Nurses Association
The Aesthetic Practice Association

Paula also holds a current license with the Cosmetology Board in the State of Pennsylvania. She has written for Medical Spa Report Magazine and authored a textbook on Advanced Aesthetic Practices.

ABOUT MEDICAL SPA MD
Medical Spa MD is a community of Plastic Surgeons, Dermatologists, Aesthetic Physicians, and Medical Spa Professionals. Medspa MD has Blogs, Forums, and Classified advertising. Members include 2,000+ members worldwide and medicalspa.com recieves more than 100,000 page views each month from physicians and individulals looking for informaton about cosmetic medicine and the lates advances in non-surgical technology.

via medicalspamd.com

Botox Patient: Posted from Laser Treatment MD

Paula D. Young RN joins Medical Spa MD is a post from: Botox Patient

9 Top Tips For Medical Spa Success

Botox Patient — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:15:11 +0000

If you’re a plastic surgeon or dermatologist starting a medical spa, skin clinic, or laser center, you’ll need to have all of your ducks in a row.

Here are 9 tips to keep your medspa in the black, and your laser treatments and Botox appointments full.

1. Have sufficient funds to kee your Medical Spa open for months.
Don’t even think about opening a Medical Spa unless you have the capital needed to bring it through the startup and first year of operation. Invariably, your planning will not deal with all of the unforeseen issues that can occur in the MedSpa industry. From regulatory compliance changes and training costs, to increased marketing costs. Under-capitalization is a leading indicator of business failure. You should considering a combination of various financing strategies from leasing to working capital.

2. Talk with other doctors who have successful, operating Medical Spas
Ask them what they would do the same, and what they would do differently. We are starting to see some established Medical Spas out there, try and learn from their experiences and best practices.

3. Join associations that help new Medical Spas succeed
They are a great source of experienced MedSpa owners, who have already gone through what you will. In addition, they often have members who have specialized in the MedSpa industry, including: business planning, marketing, design, dealing with regulatory issues, insurance and finance. The International Medical Spa Association even has a mentorship program that is available for new MedSpa owners. It is invaluable to chat with someone across the country who has had the same problems you may have, especially if you know they are not a local competitor!

4. Know your strengths and weaknesses
No one is strong in all areas, you may be an expert in age management medicine, but you may be weak on the business and marketing side. That’s fine, but you are going to need to identify the areas where you are weak and compensate. Not all areas require a permanent, full-time employee, you may consider hiring a consultant who has the necessary experience.

5. Watch your medical spa’s monthly expenses
Especially during the startup phase of a MedSpa, it can be easy to see the glamour of having marble flooring, but is it really necessary? You may be better off adding another hair removal treatment room, which will generate income. Remember the old adage: “it will take twice as long and cost twice as much as you anticipated.”

6. Determine what need your Medical Spa meets.
As with any successful business, you need to meet a consumer demand. With 11,500 people joining the over 50 crowd every day, you have a great potential market. But you need to make sure you are where they can be found (i.e. medical centers, shopping centers, established communities).

7. Know your laser clinic’s monthly cash flow.
You may think financial statements are only for accountants to understand, but you need to be able to read some key financial statements. Including the cash flow statement, this lets you know where the money is coming from and where it is going. You must always know your current cash flow situation, if you cannot pay your bills, you are effectively out of business. Botox, Restylane, Juvederm, IPL, cosmetic lasers… they’re all expensive.

8. Open your medical spa because you want to.
Starting a MedSpa is going to consume two things: time and money. The profit potential of a MedSpa is huge, but if you are not doing what you really enjoy, it will show on your bottom-line! As you will probably be spending more time and money than you originally planned, you need to make sure operating a Medical Spa is what you really want to do.

9. Don’t hire family and friends
They may be able to provide you with valuable assistance during the startup phase, but they most likely will not be able to get you to that next level. This is where having an experienced MedSpa director is very important. Not only are they going to hire and train your employees, but they also will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the MedSpa. Hiring a competent MedSpa Director can allow you to run your MedSpa as a stand alone profit center; one that makes money whether you are there or not.

Botox Patient: Posted from Laser Treatment MD

9 Top Tips For Medical Spa Success is a post from: Botox Patient

How much does Botox cost your local doctor?

Botox Patient — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:55:20 +0000

What do doctors pay for Botox? Botox pricing

Prior to the slowing economy and rise of new competition (i.e. Dysport, Allergan has exercised incredible pricing power with Botox.

Based on data furnished to RealSelf, from 1998 to 2008 Allergan price increases for Botox exceeded the rate of inflation 9 out of 11 years.

Since 1997, the cost of Botox moved up $190 to $525 per vial, or 57%. If Botox prices were only adjusted with inflation, the same vial would price out at $447. The price per unit (paid by the doctor) has climbed from $3.35 to $5.25. Botox vials hold 100 units.

Here’s a table showing the historical cost of Botox to doctors (most doctors markup about 2X):

	vial cost	unit cost	% change	Inflation
1997	$335	$3.35	-	2.34%
1998	$352	$3.52	5.1%	1.55%
1999	$369	$3.69	4.8%	2.19%
2000	$370	$3.70	0.3%	3.38%
2001	$392	$3.92	5.9%	2.83%
2002	$392	$3.92	0%	1.59%
2003	$417	$4.17	6.4%	2.27%
2004	$448	$4.48	7.4%	2.68%
2005	$466	$4.66	4.0%	3.39%
2006	$485	$4.85	4.1%	3.24%
2007	$505	$5.05	4.1%	2.85%
2008	$525	$5.25	4.0%	3.85%
2009	$525	$5.25	0%

Botox Patient: Posted from Medical Spa RX: Wholesale Botox

How much does Botox cost your local doctor? is a post from: Botox Patient

Do it yourself home Botox injections? ABC News want’s to talk.

Botox Patient — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:22:19 +0000

Have you tried do-it yourself plastic surgery? In tough economic times, many try to cut costs, including in their beauty regimen. Despite the risks, some people have decided to skip the doctor — and obtain and self-administer cosmetic treatments.

If you have self-injected products like Botox, Restylane, Juvederm, silicone, and other substances, 20/20 would like to hear your story.

Please fill out the form below, including information about your experience, and a producer may be in contact with you.

You can tell ABC all about it here.

via medicalspamd.com

Amazing that anyone would give themselves Botox or Restylane injections at home.

Botox Patient: Posted from Laser Treatment MD

Do it yourself home Botox injections? ABC News want’s to talk. is a post from: Botox Patient

Medical Spa MD: The dangers of makeup.

Botox Patient — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:19:22 +0000

Normally, I barely listen to the radio when driving in my car, but today on the John Tesh Radio Show (Sunday) my ears perked up when he started to discuss the hidden “dangers” of young girls using makeup too early. Dangers in makeup? Really?

The broadcast was entitled “The Ugly Truth About Young Girls Wearing Makeup”. The line that grabbed my attention was “the sooner your daughter starts wearing makeup, the sooner it might kill her!” This was a quote coming from Stacy Malkan, a cosmetic expert who wrote the book Not Just A Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry. According to the John Tesh website, Malkan states “by the time most North American girls become teenagers, many have a daily make-up ritual that includes lipstick, mascara, eyeliner, nail polish and perfume, not to mention skin lotion, shampoo, conditioner, and hair color treatments.” She goes on to say “in fact, experts estimate that a typical young girl now walks around with at least a dozen layers of beauty products on her body! As the makeup layers add up, so does her exposure to dangerous chemicals, and that’s very bad news for a young girl’s health.”

Apparently the culprits are chronic exposure to parabens and phthalates which have been found to disrupt hormone levels during adolescent years which may result in early puberty. Malkin continues to state “one study found that HALF [sic] of all North American girls now begin to show signs of breast development by the age of 10 – which is more than two years sooner than females from our grandmother’s generation. Other studies link those unusual hormone levels to a higher depression rate among young girls, and a higher risk for breast cancer! That’s why experts recommend women of all ages find out exactly what chemicals go into their makeup.”

There is a website suggested for reference to verify the ingredients in certain beauty products and cosmetics and it is called the Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database. I was instantly intrigued and raced to my Mac when I got home to give it a try! Here’s how my products scored:

(Scale: 0-2=Low hazard; 3-6 Moderate Hazard; 7-10 High Hazard).

Cleanser: 3 (moderate hazard)
Toner: 7 (high hazard)
Moisturizer: 5 (moderate hazard)
Eye Cream: 6 (moderate hazard)
Lip Cream: 7 (high hazard)
SPF 30: 7 (high hazard)
Concealer: 4 (moderate hazard)
Foundation Primer: 5 (moderate hazard)
Foundation: 9 (high hazard)
Loose Powder: 5 (moderate hazard)
Blush: 7 (high hazard)
Bronzing Powder: 8 (high hazard)
Eyeshadow: 7 (high hazard)
Mascara: 8 (high hazard)
Lipstick 6: (moderate hazard)

My gosh, I’m a walking carcinogen!!! Like most women, I use an array of products, from medical grade like Obagi, spa grade like SkinCeuticals, high end department stores like Merle Norman, Estee’ Lauder and Laura Mercier, right down to drug store brands like Maybelline. It seems no company’s products were completely safe. And, makeup is just the beginning for young girls!

More and more young girls are taking their skin care regimens to the next level by having microdermabrasion treatments and chemical peels, with some escalating to laser and injectable therapies. Putting aside the various protocols for acneic adolescents, there has actually been a rise in the U.S. of young girls undergoing laser hair removal, photo facials, dermal filler procedures, even laser lipolysis. Where do we draw the line as clinicians? 21? 18? 16 with parental consent? I know in our medical spa we have been approached by parents inquiring as to what our policy is for treating adolescents for non-medical related conditions. The number one request is laser hair removal for ethic skin types predominately for excess facial hair. Many clinicians feel it is a low-risk procedure which can lift a child’s self-esteem. Some clinicians disagree and feel a child is much too young to be exposed to laser therapies.

I’m not a laser expert and am uncertain as to if many aesthetic equipment manufacturers have performed clinical trials on adolescents for laser procedures (other than port wine stains). I’m more apt to believe the answer to this questions will become clearer as the years go on and by remembering the first rule is to “do no harm”.

That, and to throw away your teenager’s makeup!

via medicalspamd.com

Botox Patient: Posted from Laser Treatment MD

Medical Spa MD: The dangers of makeup. is a post from: Botox Patient

Wholesale Dysport from Medical Spa RX

Botox Patient — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 01:36:20 +0000

Wholesale Dysport from Canada

Dysport is botulinum toxin type A that is manufactured by Ipsen. In the USA, Dysport has been approved under the trade name Reloxin. Reloxin and Dysport are exactly the same product and manufactured by the same company. We guarantee that all products we supply are 100% genuine and that you will be satisfied with your order.

We source Dysport from Europe where there are government implemented price regulations allowing us to bring you the best possible price for Dysport.

Through the partnership of Medical Spa Rx and Medical Spa Md we now offer you a new purchasing option so you can save even more. By selecting the option Group Buy above, your order will become a part of a group buy with other clients, getting you the absolute lowest price possible.

When you choose the group buy option, you order will not be shipped to you immediately. Instead, your order will only be shipped once there are enough orders collected to meet the minimum amount for the Group Buy. You will receive your order approximately 10 working days after this has been met.

The Group Buy option does take much longer to get your order, but it gives you the ability to make uncomparable savings. So, if you can wait longer, or order ahead of time, the Group Buy option will be perfect for you.

If you need your order urgently and can not wait that long for the Group Buy, we still offer our regular services at the most competitive prices around.

via Wholesale Dysport

The Dysport group buy allows medical spas, laser clinics and plastic surgery clinics to group their buying power and buy Dysport at a discount. it’s a much more efficient way to buy Dysport if you’re a heavy Dysport user.

Botox Patient: Posted from Medical Spa RX: Wholesale Botox

Wholesale Dysport from Medical Spa RX is a post from: Botox Patient

Wholesale Botox

Botox Patient — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 01:21:39 +0000

Wholesale Botox: Botox is botulinum toxin type A that is manufactured by Allergan. The Botox that is supplied on MedicalSpaRx.com is original Botox manufactured by Allergan in Ireland. We guarantee that all Botox that you buy wholesale through is is 100% original and will meet your expectations.

The Botox that is supplied through MedicalSpaRx.com is sourced from European countries that have government implemented price regulations, allowing us to bring you the best possible price.

Through the partnership of MedicalSpaRx.com and MedicalSpaMd.com we now offer you a new purchasing option so you can save even more. By selecting the option Group Buy above, your order will become a part of a group buy with other clients, getting you the absolute lowest price possible.

When you chose the group buy option, you order will not be shipped to you immediately. Instead, your order will only be shipped once there are enough orders collected to meet the minimum amount for the Group Buy. You will receive your order approximately 10 working days after this has been met.

If you need your order urgently and can not wait that long for the Group Buy, we still offer our regular services at the most competitive prices around.

via medicalsparx.com

If you haven’t checked out the ‘Group Botox Buy’ from Medical Spa RX, you’re not doing your medspa or laser clinic any good.

Botox Patient: Posted from Medical Spa RX: Wholesale Botox

Wholesale Botox is a post from: Botox Patient

Laser Center Marketing

Botox Patient — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21:56:53 +0000

What is medical spa & laser center click fraud costing you?

Is click fraud costing your laser center or medical spa and driving up your prices? If you’re one of the tens of thousands of cosmetic medical practices, laser clinics and med spas advertising online with Google Adwords or Yahoo, don’t be surprised to find that at least some of the money you’re paying every month is sucked out of your marketing fund by click fraud.

The practice of “click fraud” began in the early days of the Internet’s popularity with software programs that automatically surfed Web sites to increase traffic figures. This led companies to develop policing technologies touted as antidotes to the problem. (Some marketing executives estimate that up to 20 percent of fees in certain advertising categories continue to be based on nonexistent consumers in today’s search industry.)

Don’t think it’s already happening to your skin clinic, med spa or laser clinic? Here’s a recent quote from Michael Caruso, CEO of click fraud services vendor ClickFacts in an interview:

“In particularly fraud prone verticals such as finance, class action lawsuits and medical, we see click fraud rates in the 30-45 percent range. These are all categories that see high keyword pricing in the auction model. That makes them particularly tasty for click fraud artists. “If you can make more money from the dark side than the light side of search, there are plenty of people who will take advantage. Plus, it’s not even technically illegal yet.”

There are two main ways that your skin clinics and medical spas marketing budget is being drained by click fraud:

First, your medical spas and laser clinics competitors who see your ad are simply clicking on it, draining your marketing budget and costing you advertising dollars. Second, fraudsters set up ‘affiliate sites’ that run skin clinics ads where they are clicked on by bots or employees. (These sites are the most damaging since you’re paying for every click without any return at all. Click fraud around skin clinics, med spas or laser clinics can be very lucrative since dermatology or plastic surgery clinics are becoming such a competitive market and the payment per click can be as high as $4-6.)

Unfortunately, to keep your laser centers budget safe you have very few tools. (Google just gave advertisers $90 million to compensate for click fraud as the result of a class action suit but you can bet they’re not that Google’s not interested in your individual account. Especially since they’re making money from click fraud when your ads are clicked on.)

Start by limiting your laser centers exposure. If your dermatology or plastic surgery clinic is still running an Adwords or Yahoo campaign, they allow you to limit the maximum amount you spend in a day. Take advantage of this feature by limiting your maximum cost to what you can afford to spend. You can also look for the tracks of click fraud by examining the reports you might have available to you. Multiple clicks coming from the same IP address are a sure sign of fraud. (Malaysia has become such a haven for click fraud around medspas and IPL laser treatments.)

If you’re going to run ppc ads, protect your laser center, med spa or laser clinic. You can be sure that you’re the only one trying to.

Medical Spa MD is a physician community of Plastic Surgeons & Cosmetic Dermatologists with more than 4,000 physician members. Visit MedicalSpaMD.com for plastic surgeon and cosmetic dermatologist forums and provides patient and physician information on IPL & cosmetic laser medical technologies and treatments.

Botox Patient: Posted from Laser Center

Laser Center Marketing is a post from: Botox Patient

Dysport + Botox

Botox Patient — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21:51:13 +0000

Is Dysport the new Botox?

Dysport is often called the “New Botox.” However, Dypsort has actually been available in Europe for therapeutic indications since 1991 and for cosmetic applications since 2001. In April 2009, Dysport (officially known as BoNT-A/D) was approved in the United States for the “temporary improvement in the appearance of moderate to severe glabellar lines.” These are the lines between your eyebrows. However, just like Botox Cosmetic, Dysport can be used “off-lable” for treatment of crow’s feet (squinting lines around your eyes), forehead wrinkles, chemical brow lifts, platysmal bands (neck bands) and sweaty palms and armpits.

The molecule in Dysport is exactly like Botox Cosmetic but is covered by a different coating, which dissociates (dissolves) at a different rate. That is why the onset of action of Dysport is thought to be faster than Botox Cosmetic since the coating comes off faster. In Botox Cosmetic Treatment the usual onset of action is 3 to 7 days where the Dysport onset of action seems to be a few days faster. The dosing is different with Dysport, so there may be some confusion when translating Botox “units” with Dysport “units.” This is why you need to see an injector who has experience specifically in Dysport injections. Also, there is a learning curve with Dysport injections, so you may not initially achieve the same results as you are used to receiving with Botox Cosmetic.

There is also some confusion about the pricing of Dysport with many reports on the Internet and advertising claiming that it is cheaper than Botox Cosmetic. There is a discrepancy in the potency of units. A “unit” of Botox is not equivalent to a “unit” of Dysport, so unit pricing is not comparable. There is a slight savings with Dysport, but it is about 5% – nothing substantial. So, do not expect to go to your plastic surgeon, medical spa, laser center or skin clinic to achieve the same results as Botox Cosmetic for half the price. However, with competition, hopefully prices will come down. Allergan (Botox Cosmetic) is currently offering a $50 mail-in rebate for Botox Cosmetic customers and Medicis Aesthetics (Dysport) is offering a $75 mail-in rebate. With these rebates and introductory pricing, you may be able to get a better deal than your last injection.

In the end, it is great to have another minimally invasive product approved on the market which can give consistent and noticeable results with virtually no downtime and minimal risks.

via Medical Spa RX: Dysport

Botox Patient: Posted from Medical Spa RX: Wholesale Botox

Dysport + Botox is a post from: Botox Patient

Medical Assistant injection Botox.

Botox Patient — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21:44:30 +0000

I’ve seen and head about medical estheticians, medical assistants and even front desk staff administering Botox injections.

If you’re a plastic surgeon or dermatologist running a skin clinic, laser clinic or medical spa you might want make sure that your medical estheticans and medical assistants are well within the guidelines for their individual scope of practice.

It’s not legal, as this story on the prosicution of a medical assistant clearly shows.

Betty Guerra’s monthslong nightmare is over.

The 45-year-old former medical assistant learned today from her attorney that the 10 felony counts against her on allegations of “unlawful practice of medicine” will be dismissed, she said.

“I always believed things would work out the right way,” she said tearfully. “I cannot be punished for something I didn’t do.”

Guerra’s July arrest sparked controversy over what medical assistants can and cannot do. Specifically, there was confusion over whether they are able to give shots.

Guerra was accused of unlawfully administering cosmetic injections, an act commonly performed by medical assistants throughout Nevada.

The state attorney general’s office did not specifically say charges against Guerra would be dropped but indicated it won’t be pursuing the case.

“The complaint against Betty Guerra submitted to the Attorney General’s Office by the Board of Medical Examiners has been contradicted by the subsequent actions by the Board,” Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto said in a statement. “Therefore, it is fair for us to conclude that it would be difficult to prosecute this case beyond a reasonable doubt.”

Guerra’s attorney, Jason Weiner, said this evening that the attorney general’s office had sent him a copy of an unfiled motion dismissing the case earlier in the day. He would not be able to provide the Review-Journal with a copy of that motion until Wednesday, he said.

After Guerra’s arrest, physicians became concerned about what duties their medical assistants could perform.

Former medical board director Louis Ling said that upon reading a 30-year-old law, he concluded that the assistants could not give shots. With flu season coming on, he then attempted to draft emergency regulations that would allow them to give flu shots, but not Botox or other cosmetic injections.

However, that effort was shot down when a judge recently ruled that the board, in considering the regulations, had violated the open meeting law.

via medicalspamd.com

The board later reversed its position, determining that state law allows medical assistants to administer everything from flu shots to Botox. Medical assistants could give shots as long as they are under the “direct supervision” of a physician. Most health officials and doctors take that to mean the physician is on premises.

Botox Patient: Posted from Medical Spa RX: Wholesale Botox

Medical Assistant injection Botox. is a post from: Botox Patient

Botox from Canada

Botox Patient — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:25:00 +0000

Botox from Canada that is supplied through MedicalSpaRx.com is sourced from European countries that have government implemented price regulations, allowing us to bring you the best possible price.

If you need your order urgently and can not wait that long for the Group Buy, we still offer our regular services at the most competitive prices around.

Botox Patient: Posted from Laser Treatment MD

Botox from Canada is a post from: Botox Patient

Botox: Single use?

Botox Patient — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:24:36 +0000

Is your medical spa using a new vial of Botox for every patient?

If your medical spa is using a new vial of Botox for every patient, yours will be the first medical spa or cosmetic practice of any kind that I've ever know to do so.

Here's a story from the Las Vegas Review Journal that specifically points out Botox as a 'contributor' to an outbreak of hepatitis C. Of course, if you read the story you'll see that some nurses were observerd 'reusing needles' that contaminated vials of Botox. A very different cause indeed from just using the Botox on multiple patients.

And of course, there's the cost, which almost every medical spa mentioned in the story. (You'd have to get all of your Botox from Canada to afford that.)

Single-use Botox vials used on more than one patient.

That practice at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada, public health officials have repeatedly said, contributed to the hepatitis C outbreak in the Las Vegas Valley.

A phone call to inquire about the cost of a Botox party was greeted with this information: "It will be cheaper if all the partiers use the same vial."

One business that seems to be going well in Las Vegas is known for throwing Botox parties. That's an ongoing phenomenon across the country where friends get together and drink champagne while their wrinkles are needled away.

"We just couldn't handle it financially," said one medical assistant who asked to remain anonymous. "We would have gone out of business."

Medical assistants at two different spas said their owners only stopped multipatient use of single-use vials of Botox "until things quieted down" after the hepatitis outbreak was announced.

The Review-Journal had little trouble finding medical providers who said they and their companies knowingly broke state and federal regulations.

"You can't have doctors worrying about breaking the law or guidelines or whatever," Niamtu said.

A new company called Dysport is manufacturing a similar product, and the competition could force Allergan to provide smaller dosage vials to physicians who want them, he said.

Now a federal lawsuit filed in California by Las Vegas physician Ivan Goldsmith argues that sales representatives for Allergan Inc., maker of the popular anti-wrinkle drug Botox, promote multipatient use of its 50-unit or 100-unit single-use vials.

Goldsmith's lawsuit alleges that doctors can only make a profit using Botox if they reuse the single-use vials that the drug comes in.

Botox Patient: Posted from Laser Treatment MD

Botox: Single use? is a post from: Botox Patient

Allergan’s Botox profit.

Botox Patient — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:24:26 +0000

Allergan Inc (AGN.N) on Thursday said its quarterly profit rose, as sales of anti-wrinkle drug Botox rebounded from an earlier slump and helped offset lower sales of medical devices.

The company’s third-quarter earnings increased 8 percent to $179 million, or 58 cents per share, compared with $165 million, or 54 cents per share, in the year-earlier period.

Excluding special items, Allergan earned 70 cents per share. Analysts on average expected 69 cents per share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

The company’s shares were up 1.2 percent at $54.20 in early trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

Allergan said global sales rose 4.2 percent to $1.13 billion in the quarter, somewhat higher than analysts’ expectations of $1.08 billion.

Sales of Botox rose about 3 percent to $328 million, following declines in earlier quarters that the company had attributed to waning use of cosmetic procedures during the economic downturn.

For full-year 2009, Allergan forecast earnings of $2.75 to $2.77 per share, excluding special items, compared with Wall Street expectations of $2.75 per share.

The company said it expects full-year sales of $4.35 billion to $4.4 billion, compared with Wall Street forecasts of $4.32 billion. (Reporting by Ransdell Pierson, editing by Dave Zimmerman)

Botox Patient: Posted from Laser Treatment MD

Allergan’s Botox profit. is a post from: Botox Patient

Botox + Dysport

Botox Patient — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:24:14 +0000

MedicalSpaRX.com sells Dysport, Ipsen's newest introduction the the cosmetic corrections market in the USA. Dysport is starting to make an impact on doctors choices to treat your wrinkles in 2009 and going forward, with MedicalSpaRX.com offering some of the lowest pricing on a wholesale basis.

(MedicalSpaRX.com is affiliated with Medical Spa MD, the largest community of plastic surgeons, dermatologists, laser clinics, and skin clinics on the web with more than 4,000 physician members world-wide.)

Traditionally the main selling botulinum toxin product for MedicalSpaRX.com has been the ever so popular Botox that is manufactured by multinational Allergan. Until recently Botox has arguably dominated the market for wrinkle corrections performed by a medical professional, as we at MedicalSpaRX.com have noted through our sales.

Of course there has also been the option to buy and use so called "fillers" such as Restylane or Juvederm since the late '90s, all of which MedicalSpaRX.com also supplies at discounted pricing to medical professionals.

Since its approval by the FDA this year, Dysport has slowly gained popularity with sales through MedicalSpaRX.com. Contributing to Dysport taking some of our Botox sales are several advantages in price and effects.

We have noted that Dysport can begin showing effects in the patient within one day of injection, whereas patients that have been treated by Botox have regularly commented saying that effects are usually noticed within a week of treatment, or in some cases within 2 weeks according to some doctors.

There is also a small pricing advantage in Dysport's favor, with pricing being an average of 5-10% cheaper than the same treatment with Botox. Although the price on MedicalSpaRX.com is higher per vial than Botox, the amount of Dysport used per injection differs and the end result is a more cost effective product.

Although gaining popularity we at MedicalSpaRX.com are still seeing strong Botox sales, which tells us that we still have a very loyal following that prefer to use the tried and tested Botox.

We would suggest to medical professionals to at least try out Dysport through MedicalSpaRX.com, who has such great pricing it can't hurt.

About MedicalSpaRX.com

MedicalSpaRX.com is an international wholesaler of pharmaceuticals and medical products to doctors, clinics and other medical organizations at discounted pricing. Amongst the products that are sold by Medica Depot are Botox, Dysport, Restylane and Juvederm.

Botox Patient: Posted from Laser Treatment MD

Botox + Dysport is a post from: Botox Patient

Medical Spa Botox

Botox Patient — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:23:45 +0000

From Medical Spa MD: Understanding Botox & Injectables. Injectable products are an important contributing factor to your clinic’s financial success. With new products entering the market like Dysport and Evolence, and other exiting like ArteFill, it is important that your staff be knowledgeable of the products used in injectable procedures.

Although this chapter from the Advanced Medical Aesthetics Training Manual wasn’t actually requested in the training manual I wrote for the academy students, I felt it was extremely important for , especially for medical estheticians, to know the difference amongst the various treatments used to alleviate the appearance of wrinkles and folds, and the difference between dynamic and static lines.

Medical estheticians have the most “face time” with clients, examining it with magnifying lenses, treating it with exfolliants, moisturizers, galvanic current, high frequency, various acids, etc. They understand the realm of fine lines and wrinkles and know what can be alleviated with topical treatments such as facials, peels, microdermabrasion and laser resurfacing, and what cannot.

I cannot tell you how many patients call or come into our office with no knowledge of the difference between paralyzing agents such as Botox and Dysport, and dermal fillers. We take it for granted that we know the difference, but injectable products can be very confusing to the lay person. Because the aesthetician works with the client’s skin, they should be well versed in the differences in the two categories of injectables and the products that lie within. Estheticians become your most powerful education source for your clients which ultimately leads to an upsell for them (with possible commission).

Many people think all fillers products are the same, nor do they care to understand the difference between hyaluronic acid or calcium hydroxylapetite. All they truly care about is “how long will it last” and will the “results look fake”. Only with proper education can the medical esthetician effectively and intelligently discuss the differences in the filler products, educate the patient about the effects and lasting results, and help lead the patient to the right product, or combination of products, for their expected outcome.

This information in this chapter is very important for your front desk/phone people as well!

Botox Patient: Posted from Laser Treatment MD

Medical Spa Botox is a post from: Botox Patient

Medical Spa RX: Botox from Canada

Botox Patient — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:23:29 +0000

From Medical Spa MD: Medical Spa RX has had it’s first physician who has reordered Botox 5 times. In fact, there are a number of them. Woot!

Oddly enough, I consider 5 reoders of Botox significantly significanly more impressive than only 4. (I don’t know why. Perhaps because Medical Spa RX has only been offering Botox for the last 4 months so 5 orders would be more than monthly.)

Medical Spa RX has been shipping orders for something on the order of 4 months now so 5 orders is telling me that we’ve got a number of physicians who switched to Medical Spa RX very shortly after we launched it and have been using it exclusively. (My clincs usually orded Botox or Restyland monthly so that’s where my logic lies.)

We’ve been extremely diligent in makeing sure that Medical Spa MD Members are being taken care of by Medical Spa RX and as far as I’m aware we’ve never yet had a single complaint about the service or product.

I should note here that Medical Spa RX and Medical Spa MD are completely different. Medical Spa RX is Select Partner who offers exclusive services to our Members. (Any technology provider or service company who can provide meaningfull value to our Members is welcome to apply.)

For those physician or medical spa Members who have not yet ordered your Botox through Medical Spa RX and are in a position to do so, I’d highly recommend giving them a chance by placing a small test order of whatever you use most, Botox, Restylane, Juvederm of Dysport.

Also, if you haven’t heard about the group buy option, there’s nothing like it to harness buying power.

Botox Patient: Posted from Laser Treatment MD

Medical Spa RX: Botox from Canada is a post from: Botox Patient

Medicals Spas & Laser Clinics in 2009

Botox Patient — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:23:19 +0000

What happened in medical spas, skin clinics and laser treatment centers in 2009?

Cosmetic enhancements circa 2009 can be divided into three basic categories. Non Invasive includes wash and wear injections and resurfacing treatments such as IPL & laser treatments and chemical peels, and clinical skin care. Minimally invasive falls somewhere in between surgery with visible scars, and the non invasive category, and can be performed in a doctor’s office. Invasive procedures involve surgery done to reshape or refine parts of the face and body, typically involving an office or hospital setting and anesthesia. Most common are breast augmentation, liposuction, mini face lifts and pretty much anything that involves a scalpel.

In the overall scheme of things, there is no ideal time frame to jump on the Botox® bandwagon, although the trend is certainly towards doing things earlier as a preemptive strike for maintenance and to forestall the day when everything goes south. But there will come a time when creams stop doing enough to make you content with the way you are aging, and you start to wonder what else is out there. You don’t have to take it lying down (although lying down does make sagging disappear – try holding a mirror above your head).

The next logical step from wrinkle creams and sunscreen are chemical peels, laser treatments, and intense pulsed light treatments (IPL) that can even out skin tone and improve texture.

Botox is brilliant for lines around the eyes, forehead and mouth. Dermal fillers such as Restylane, Evolence and Radiesse are de rigeur for plumping furrows, creases and deeper folds. Brown spots and sun damage can be helped with a course of Fraxel or Pearl. For slack skin, tightening devices such as Thermage and Titan can deliver a subtle lifting effect on droopy brows and necks. The final stage before considering surgery tends to be a combination of several of these to maximize the anti-aging results.

Of course, when the non invasive treatments stop delivering what you really want in terms of sagging, sinking and bulges, you might consider a short scar face or neck lift and some minor eye rejuvenation surgery to reduce excess skin and fat deposits.

Botox Patient: Posted from Laser Treatment MD

Medicals Spas & Laser Clinics in 2009 is a post from: Botox Patient

Botox & Nose Jobs becoming more popular in India

Botox Patient — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:22:58 +0000

Botox becomming more popular in India?

A pointed nose and taut skin seem to have emerged as the two most important assets for Indians going by the number of people opting for rhinoplasty or “nose jobs” and botox injections in the country.
Though there are no official records of plastic surgeries in India, a study of hospital records show that cosmetic procedures like rhinoplasty and liposuction have seen an increase of 150 per cent in the last five years.
Other popular surgical procedures include abdominoplasty and male breast reduction.
Among the non-surgical procedures, some of the widely practised procedures include Botox injection, microdermabrasion (a non-invasive procedure that uses a spray of micro crystals to remove the outermost layer of dry, dead skin cells and reveal younger, healthier-looking skin), collagen injection, laser hair removal and chemical peel.

via ptinews.com

Vanity is constant as the norther star… So is Botox. Just the kind of thing you can get at any laser clinic or skin clinic.

Botox Patient: Posted from Laser Treatment MD

Botox & Nose Jobs becoming more popular in India is a post from: Botox Patient

Bootox? Botox & Restylane injections for women’s high heels.

Botox Patient — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:22:46 +0000

I came across this article from Australia on Botox and Restylane being injected in womens feet.

IT'S the subject of whispered conversations over cocktails deep within Flemington's Birdcage. The secret weapon a flock of fashionistas rely upon to teeter upon 10cm stilettos all day long at the races.

Botox and filler injections for the feet are the latest crazes in cosmetic surgery to make their way to Flemington – and the solution, according those with cash to splash, to the old racing conundrum of how to wear those towering pumps and not end up carrying them home after the final race has been run.

For about $1500, some doctors, such as Bondi-based cosmetic surgeon Michael Zacharia, will inject hyaluronic acid (Restylane) into the balls of the feet.

The fluid, commonly injected into joints to treat osteoarthritis, numbs the parts of the foot that become strained by wearing sky-high heels.

And judging by the height of the footwear that was racing out the door of Melbourne boutique Miss Louise yesterday, 10cm heels will indeed be spotted around the Birdcage today.

Dr Zacharia, who has been doing the procedure for just over a year, said the foot filling provided "internal padding for the feel at that point of pressure underneath the balls of the feet. Instead of using those silicon pads inside your shoes, this is an internal way of doing it."

The procedure, however, is a lot more expensive than purchasing a pair of silicon inner-soles. At $750 per foot, the fillers will last for about six months.

Dr Zacharia said three or four people this week had told him they wanted the foot fillers for the Spring Racing Carnival, but he warned those considering the treatment that the sensation immediately following the injections could be uncomfortable.

"I've been told that for about 10 minutes afterwards it feels like you are walking with marbles in your feet, or it's like there is something in your shoe," he said.

The other procedure women are turning to is "bootox" – having Botox injected into the balls, arches and soles of the feet to paralyse the sweat glands, which Dr Zacharia said would also set you back about $1500.

Australasian College of Podiatric Surgeons president Mark Gilheany said while women might think the procedures were magic solutions to stiletto-fatigue, foot fillers could be masking symptoms of more serious problems.

He warned that for people experiencing a significant amount of pain standing in heels it could be a sign of partially dislocated bones or torn ligaments.

"If you require something of that (surgical) nature then you could have an underlying problem," he said.

"It's not something that is routinely done and I haven't seen any clinical trials to say whether the injection of a biological cushion into the foot is effective.

"If there was anything that really worked I'm sure I would know about it. It seems like a waste of time when you can stick a cushion in your shoes and take some paracetamol."

Botox Patient: Posted from Laser Treatment MD

Bootox? Botox & Restylane injections for women’s high heels. is a post from: Botox Patient

Bad Botox

Botox Patient — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:22:35 +0000

Federal officials in Washington State indicted three beauty salon proprietors this week for administering phony Botox and for trying to bribe an officer to overlook an unauthorized laser device.

In the first instance, Xin “Faith” He of Natural Beauty in Bellvue, WA told clients she was injecting Botox and the hyaluronic acid dermal filler Restylane when in fact she was injecting counterfeit substances. Her actions led to at least two reported negative reactions since 2004 that required a dermatologist’s or plastic surgeon’s care. One victim (pictured above), who wished to remain anonymous, remarked, “My face looked like Frankenstein’s.”

In the second case, the two owners of Crystal Nails in Burien are charged with offering an official an $800 bribe to overlook a dangerous and unapproved radiation-emitting laser treatment they had imported.

Of course, neither of these Botox injectors were running a real medical spa, skin clinic or laser treatment center. They were just injecting Botox on their own.

Botox Patient: Posted from Laser Treatment MD

Bad Botox is a post from: Botox Patient

Medical Esthetician Training from Medical Spa MD

Botox Patient — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:22:24 +0000

Injectable products are an important contributing factor to your medical spa, plastic surgery center or laser clinic's financial success. With new products entering the market like Dysport and Evolence, and other exiting like ArteFill, it is important that your staff be knowledgeable of the products used in injectable procedures.

Although this chapter from the Advanced Medical Aesthetics Training Manual wasn’t actually requested in the training manual I wrote for the academy students, I felt it was extremely important for the entire medical spa staff, especially for medical estheticians, to know the difference amongst the various treatments used to alleviate the appearance of wrinkles and folds, and the difference between dynamic and static lines.

This information in this chapter is very important for your front desk/phone people as well!

Botox Patient: Posted from Laser Treatment MD

Medical Esthetician Training from Medical Spa MD is a post from: Botox Patient

Botox around the world

Botox Patient — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:16:41 +0000

There's a lot of Botox used around the world from sweating to headaches to wrinkles.

Here's a graphic from a Botox story on CNN.

In the hunt to discover the next blockbuster medical use for Botox, doctors have injected it experimentally into muscles and glands all over the body, making it medicine’s answer to duct tape. According to recent medical journals, physicians have used it to treat chewing problems, swallowing problems, pelvic muscle spasms, drooling, hair loss, anal fissures and pain from missing limbs.

“We see it as a molecule that keeps on giving. As we understand it more, it gives us new ideas of how to use it,” says Dr. Mitchell F. Brin, a neurologist who is the chief scientific officer for Botox at Allergan, the drug’s maker.

No other therapeutic agent “has so many demonstrated uses,” he says.

But some health advocates worry that doctors are widely adopting novel uses for Botox before federal guidance and rigorous clinical studies have established safe and effective dosages for the new treatments.

“It’s trial and error with a nerve poison,” says Dr. Sidney M. Wolfe, the director of the health research group at Public Citizen, a consumer advocacy group. Last year, the group petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to require a warning label for injectable toxins.

Botox Patient: Posted from Laser Treatment MD

Botox around the world is a post from: Botox Patient

Avoid A Facelift: Medical Spas, Laser Clinics, Skin Clinics & Laser Treatments.

Botox Patient — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:16:19 +0000

Facelifts have become a common cosmetic surgery for men and women. But surgery patients face a number of unwanted effects. Scarring, extensive recovery time, that artificial "stretched" look, and a permanent result that may be unwanted.

Fortunately, newly developed medical alternatives offer results to people wanting look younger without going under the knife.

As a leader in non-invasive cosmetic medicine, many medical spas, laser clinics and skin clinics now specialize in innovative new medical treatments for a youthful lift without the messy and painful recovery. Some medical spas have developed a unique non-surgical facelift for patients looking to gain the dramatic results of a surgical facelift but avoid a surgical facelift. Non-surgical facelifts include Thermage or Fraxel Skin Tightening followed by their signature Surface Point Lift as the non-invasive, yet exceptionally effective substitute for any surgical facelift. (Botox is also used.)

Thermage is an FDA approved radio-frequency technology that has been proven to tighten and contour the skin and its many underlying tissues without surgery. The treatment has the added benefit of stimulating the growth of new collagen throughout the skin. But there's a caveat. Thermage results are highly dependant upon the way the treatment is administered. Surface has developed specialized protocols that produce results that attract patients from other areas of the country who are looking to achieve maxim results.

Nonsurgical facelifts can be just as spectacular.

Point Lifts were created by specialists in non-surgical cosmetic medicine to replace the traditional invasive facelift. It can also be used for brows, jaw lines, necks, breasts, and even the derriere. They're perfect for the patient who does not want to undergo the harsh effects of a traditional surgical facelift including the associated, frustrating recovery period. Point Lifts are a physician procedure that "lifts" the treatment area in exactly the same was as surgical lifts, only there's no surgery.

The procedure involves placing a small, special suture under the skin through a tiny needle hole, leaving the skin to smooth with its own tension. The theme here is "No cutting. No stretching. No Stitches. No scars!" Most importantly, Point Lifts will not leave the face with that "stretched look" of traditional surgical lifts. Patients can resume their normal activities immediately with only minimal discomfort. Best of all, Point Lifts are completely reversible. Most people never knew they could have a fresh, younger lift without the troubles of surgery.

Botox Patient: Posted from Laser Treatment MD

Avoid A Facelift: Medical Spas, Laser Clinics, Skin Clinics & Laser Treatments. is a post from: Botox Patient