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

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If you are like most people, you want what you don’t have.  Perms and hair straighteners may be a thing of the past and going curly or straight could be as simple as popping a pill….

A new finding by Australian scientists could lead to letting you switch your hair texture by popping a pill.

It sounds like science fiction, but Nick Martin of the Queensland Institute of Medical Research tells the UK’s Daily Mail: “Potentially, we can now develop new treatments to make hair curlier or straighter, rather than treating the hair directly.” How? It’s due to the discovery of the gene that predicts whether a person will have curly or straight hair.

Already known to influence follicle development, the trichohyalin gene has now been found to determine the curliness of its host’s hair. In addition to predicting what a baby’s hair texture will be and helping forensic specialists establish if a person has a wavy mane, this discovery could mean a future free of flattening and curling irons, chemical straightening treatments and perms.

How far in future? Martin says, “I will be discussing this with a major cosmetic company in Paris in January.”

Pop a pill and skip the perm is a post from: Botox Patient

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Taking a prescription drug for a cosmetic side effect — at the risk of other side effects — may seem risky. But it’s a risk that many Americans, mostly women, have shown themselves happy to take.

Latisse, originally a glaucoma drug marketed under the name Lumigan, was approved separately at the end of last year for its
eyelash-enhancing purposes, and its maker, Allergan, has reported sales of $47.7 million thus far. The company says 2009 sales could reach $70 million, exceeding projections of $30 million to $50 million. The national advertising campaign featuring model and actress Brooke Shields hasn’t hurt.

The success of Latisse, however, concerns some ophthalmologists –
albeit medically conservative ones, who say it’s important to see an
eye doctor before taking any eye medication, especially if you’ve never
had a full eye exam. As increasing numbers of dermatologists, plastic
surgeons and medical-spa physicians prescribe the drug, the desire for
pretty eyelashes seems to be taking precedence over eye health, they
say.

Besides stimulating lash growth, the drug can cause eye redness,
itchiness, irritation, infection, darkening of the skin around the
application area. It may even cause a change in eye color, especially
in people who have any amount of brown pigment in their eyes.

“As it is, most Americans don’t get basic routine eye exams, and it’s
really important that people get a baseline eye exam before they
consider using a drug like Latisse,” says Andrew Iwach, the executive
director of the Glaucoma Center in San Francisco and a spokesman for
the American Academy of Ophthalmology. “The eyes are a delicate tissue.
And if someone is thinking about Latisse, they need to see if there are
any contraindications or underlying problems they aren’t aware of.”

Such contraindications, or conditions precluding the use of the drug,
include pregnancy, breast feeding, cataract surgery and ocular
inflammation. “Use Latisse as an opportunity to look good but to see
well too,” Iwach said.

There simply is no long-term data on Latisse, he points out. The
original version, Lumigan, wasn’t even approved for glaucoma until
2001. “We have data for using this type of medication as an eye drop,”
he said. “But we don’t know if this will have a cumulative risk with
topical application over time.”

To many, the gamble is a small one — and well worth taking. 

Continue article

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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

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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

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Active FX laser skin resurfacing is gaining popularity at medical spas, laser clinics and plastic surgery centers. It’s main competitors are Thermage, Fraxel, and other skin tightening or laser skin resurfacing treatments.

Here’s an overview of Active FX and some links to more information.

The goal of laser skin resurfacing is simple: replace damaged skin with new, fresh skin. Techniques for skin resurfacing have made enormous advances, allowing nearly everyone to achieve close to flawless complexions. Many systems allow for light, moderate or deep laser resurfacing. The primary targets of laser skin resurfacing include:

• Fine lines and wrinkles of the face, especially around the upper lip, cheeks and forehead
• Loose eyelid skin
• Crow’s feet around the eyes
• Pucker marks (smoker’s lines) and frown lines
• Brown spots and splotchy, uneven skin tone
• Scars, especially acne scars
• Loose skin around the neck and jowls

How it Works

The gold standard of laser resurfacing systems, the UltraPulse® CO2 laser delivers thousands of tiny laser pulses in a pattern over the skin. Each pulse heats a column of tissue eliminating pigment discolorations at the surface and creating a zone of heating deep in the tissue. Unique to the UltraPulse Encore, these zones of heating shrink collagen and tighten the skin immediately*. The CO2 laser also offers the benefits of heating deeper layers of skin tissue, thereby stimulating collagen remodeling, tightening* the skin further. Patients can select from a range of treatments depending on the needs of your skin and lifestyle.

What is ActiveFX “fractional” laser resurfacing?

ActiveFX is a fractional laser procedure performed in a single treatment with minimal patient downtime. During the procedure, a high-energy beam of laser light is used to smooth out lines, wrinkles and scars, remove brown spots and other irregularities, and tighten the skin. It also stimulates formation of new underlying collagen to continue improvement over time. With fractional laser treatment, only a fraction of the skin’s surface is treated by the laser, leaving small “bridges” of untouched skin. This technique makes the healing process much faster and enables you to get back to normal activities sooner.

Is ActiveFX right for you?

Treated areas should be washed twice a day with cool water and a mild soap. Use our lotion twice daily to treated areas for 3 to 5 days or until healing is complete. Treated areas should be protected from direct exposure to sunlight. Sunscreen with SPF greater than 15 should be used at all times on the treated areas.

ActiveFX is ideal for you if you:

• Have a busy lifestyle or cannot be away from work for a long time
• Want noticeable results with minimal downtime
• Want to treat dyschromia, fine lines, wrinkles and skin laxity*

What you can expect from ActiveFX

Most physicians perform the procedure in the office with a topical anesthetic cream that is applied 30-40 minutes before the ActiveFX procedure begins. There is little to no pain associated with the procedure – most patients say they feel warmth similar to sunburn. You can drive yourself home after the procedure. With a gentle washing and moisturizing regimen, your photodamaged skin will begin to flake off within 2 days. After about 3-5 days, your doctor will probably let you wear make-up. Pinkness should be gone in about a week.

ActiveFX benefits

ActiveFX treatment produces a dramatic effect on the skin:

• Causes immediate skin tightening*
• Reduces wrinkles and fine lines, and softens deeper frown lines
• Noticeably improves skin tone and texture
• Stimulates new collagen formation and plumps the skin

The results of ActiveFX laser treatment are long-term and, with proper sun protection, can persist for many years. Most effects of treatment become visible right away, whereas others – such as new collagen formation, which leads to continued inner tightening – build up gradually and become more evident over time. Therefore, most people look even better 3-5 months after the procedure.

Additional Information on ActiveFX

http://www.aesthetic.lumenis.com/wt/page/activefx

http://www.lumenis.com/wt/page/pr_1170434066

http://www.skinandhealth.com/details/wrinkles_treatment#wrinkles_co2

Redness after IPL & Laser Treatments: DeepFX & ActiveFX

Reliant UltraPulse Fractional CO2 Laser

Active FX: Physician User Group ~ Medical Spa MD

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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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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

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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

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

Botox Patient: Posted from Laser Treatment MD

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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

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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.

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

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Thermage is FDA approved for tightening and thickening skin without surgery. This non-invasive choice is particularly attractive for patients who don’t want to undergo the more drastic effects of a traditional surgical facelift and its associated recovery period.

Thermage uses a radiofrequency (RF) technology to heat the deep layers of the skin while protecting the skin’s outer layers with a cooling cryogen spray. This deep heating promotes immediate collagen contraction beneath the skins surface and generates new collagen growth over time.

Thermage: Key Points

• Thermage is approved by the FDA for skin tightening and collagen growth.
• Thermage provides an alternative to traditional surgical face lifts.
• Thermage not only treats existing conditions, but is also a preventative treatment for future problems including wrinkles, loose skin and collagen loss.
• Thermage can treat any area of the body but is most commonly used on the face, around the eyes and forehead, cheeks and jowls, and the neck. Results actually increase over time. With maximum results usually achieved up to 6 months after the treatment.
• Thermage “Vectoring” can be used for more specific results. Vectoring uses a second, double row of pulses to tighten skin along specific lines or “vectors”. In this way we can perform eyelifts, neck lifts, bags around the eyes, crows feet, or any part of the face where loose skin is unwanted.

Thermage: Key Benefits

• Thermage tightens skin and stimulates new collagen growth.
• Thermage can be performed in 2-3 hours under local anesthetic.
• Thermage actually “tightens” skin rather than stretching skin.
• The results look completely natural
• The cost is less than traditional, surgical facelifts
• The results are very long lasting or permanent.
• Additional treatments can maximize the effects or just maintain results.

Thermage: Benefits in comparison to traditional surgical face lifts

• No cutting. No stretching. No stitches. No scars.
• Thermage requires no physical recovery time.
• The skin is tightened rather than stretched, eliminating the pulled look that can happen with traditional face lifts.
• The chance of complications or infection is almost nil.
• Thermage can be combined with other treatments like filler injections and Pointé Lifts for more dramatic effects.

Possible Complications with Thermage Treatments:

Thermage complications are very rare. The device contains three computers that constantly monitor the amount of energy being delivered. However, as with any medical treatment there exists the possibility of other results, including:

• Burns; in clinical trials for Thermage less than 1% of patients received any burns. (There were only two that healed completely and without complication). At Surface, we have never seen a burn.
• The effect is less dramatic than the client wants: However, Thermage can be used as a treatment more than once. Results can be improved or enhanced with additional treatments like Botox or Surface Pointé Lifts.

NOTE: Thermage has received mixed reviews from both patients and physicians. In our opinion this is because of the way that Thermage has been marketed to physicians as an "add-on" to their practice. Thermage results are highly dependant upon the treatment you receive. While Thermage is now widely available, our recommendation is that you only have a Thermage treatment from a physician who specializes in non-surgical cosmetic medicine and has a laser clinic, skin clinic, or laser treatment center with experience with this treatment.

Botox Patient: Posted from Laser Treatment MD

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When it comes to the cosmetic laser field, we can sometimes feel adrift at sea with little more than a compass and the stars to guide us. We're either doing laser treatments according to our laser manufacturers' guidelines, which are conservative and often inadequate to produce excellent clinical results. Or we're trying new laser treatment settings without the benefit of knowing what other doctors have tried.

If we discover something important, we have no forum to discuss this information with our colleagues. Many of us experiment in our clinics, but we don't share our problems, successes, failures and thought processes with anyone. As a result, we make little progress because we don't benefit from others' advances and insights.

This has flattened our learning curves. Innovation-if and when it comes-is slow. This needs to change. And it begins with doctors simply talking to each other. Participating in Internet-based user groups is one of the easiest ways to do this. Such a forum allows us to share our ideas, experiences and opinions so that we can learn from each other.

The collective intellectual capacity among us, as cosmetic laser providers, is tremendous. If we all worked together, we would discover and share treatment protocols that are more effective and less painful, and produce fewer complications. We would discover better ways to reduce and treat complications when they do arise. Our field would become stronger, and we'd become better practitioners.

Unfortunately, cosmetic laser practitioners have little clinical exchange compared to other specialists, such as cardiologists. These physicians have thorough initial training with a three-year residency and a one- to three-year fellowship. They have mentors, classmates and large practice groups so colleagues can talk to one another. Publications and newsletters keep cardiologists abreast of developments in the field. They stay in touch with their academic training centers, attend meetings and are members of professional associations. In short, they communicate and connect.

What Do We As Cosmetic Physicians Have?

Contrast this to cosmetic laser medicine. Unlike cardiologists, we don't have highly developed professional networks. Nor do we have the formal advanced training. Our main professional association is the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery (ASLMS), which hosts a yearly meeting and produces a monthly journal. The ASLMS is a great professional society, but it doesn't serve all of our needs.

Another source of education is the laser companies, which provide clinical training, Webinars and Web sites. The trainers teach the basics, but they're limited by company protocols, which are reviewed by corporate attorneys, and designed to prevent problems rather than to get excellent clinical results.

The laser companies' Webinars are lectures designed to sell lasers, not provide advanced training. Luminaries are paid to do the Webinars, but there's no access to them for detailed follow-up questioning.

What's more, we have to sit at our computers for two hours listening to basic, redundant information to glean one useful, advanced clinical tip. The content of the Webinars are not made available in any other format?-written summary, cassette tapes or CDs-so it's not widely accessed.

If we go to aesthetic laser manufacturers company Web sites for resources, the information is basic and limited. The marketing material, of course, is fresh and current, but the clinical material is dated and sparse.

Other resources are trade publications that keep us abreast of issues in aesthetic medicine. But these magazines don't get into the details of treatment protocols and how to get the best results.

Finally, we have independent blogs, such as MedicalSpaMD.com. This blog, in my opinion, is one of the best ways to get information and find out what other providers are thinking and doing. Some doctors who blog on MedicalSpaMD are experienced users who share their expertise and opinions?, all of which are extremely helpful. But the drawback is too few physicians blog about specific topics.

Several Solutions

Working with laser companies is one way to combat this problem. Laser companies can be particularly valuable in the clinical exchange arena. These companies have the resources to start, support and nurture this activity. They know who their users are, they can enlist the knowledge of luminaries, and they have company doctors and scientists who understand the clinical applications of their laser devices. It's important to mix all of these elements in the proper environment to spur the best advances and innovations from these groups.

M. Christine Lee, MD, MPH, writes that upstanding laser companies "put more money and resources into product development than in marketing and advertising. They have a corporate philosophy that's based on building relationships.investing in new technology and research.[and] nurturing forward vision."¹

It seems almost foolish not to work with cosmetic laser companies, especially since many providers are getting clinical results that are suboptimal. Furthermore, many patients are experiencing complications that can be avoided. (See RealSelf.com for patient complaints and see MedicalSpaMD.com for physician complaints.)

Although aesthetic laser companies don't provide the clinical exchange we need, we can find useful models to emulate outside our field. For example, a medical device company produces Philips NetForum. This community connects Philips users from around the globe in a virtual users meeting so they can share clinical experiences, learn from peers and optimize results.

I'm sure many innovations have occurred when users simply share ideas and explore insights with each other via this Internet clinical forum. If we had this resource, our field would advance dramatically.

What We're Doing As Medical Spa Physicians

As a physician, I have a responsibility to take my part in this call to action. As a result, we're now forming clinical exchange meetings at our Cherry Hill, N.J., clinic. We get together twice yearly with doctors from 20 to 30 other clinics to discuss what works and what doesn't. Part of our meeting focuses on business and marketing, and the other part addresses clinical issues.

We also work closely with MedicalSpaMD.com. We are active visitors to this site and frequent contributors. This Web site is so important that we've actually bought an intense pulsed light (IPL) system based largely on the opinions of the Web site's bloggers, many of whom have had experience with several IPL systems.

We're also forming Internet-based user groups on our own. These groups discuss everything from fractionated CO2 systems to injectables to treating patients with skin of color. Doctors from around the country and the world, including Greece, Australia, France, England and India, share their opinions and experiences.

In addition, we're setting up systems in which providers who attend conferences or listen to Webinars write summaries of what they've heard. These summaries can be posted on Medical Spa MD for others to learn from. Once these summaries are posted, other providers can read them and comment on the issues they're discussing. Of course, we cannot overlook traditional methods of clinical exchange. These are still important and should be developed further. Conferences, publications, newsletters and professional associations are excellent ways to communicate and exchange opinions and experiences.

Cosmetic laser medicine is still in its infancy. We haven't yet worked out the best protocols and new technology is continually emerging.

We have to quickly learn the best ways to use all of our technology for optimal clinical results. The best way to do this is to communicate with each other so we can learn what others are thinking, doing and experiencing. When we actively participate in this learning, our field will advance more rapidly and dramatically. This will benefit all of us. True to the Chinese maxim, when the tide rises, all boats indeed rise higher.

Reference

1. Lee CM. Lasers: what every patient should know, and what your doctor probably doesn't. The ultimate guide for the best skin ever. Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse; 2006; 163.

Botox Patient: Posted from Laser Treatment MD

Clinical Exchange of Laser Treatments for Medical Spas, Laser Clinics, & Skin Clinics is a post from: Botox Patient

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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

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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.

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Medical Spa MD is now publishing training manuals and books for laser clinics, plastic surgery centers and dermatology clinics.

These medical spa training eBooks are designed specifically for medical estheticians, cosmetic laser and IPL technicians and front desk staff, to provide a consistent environment for new hires and keep the staff informed the latest cosmetic treatments.

It’s part of an evolving plan to be able to monetize the huge community of plastic surgeons, dermatologists, laser clinics and medical spas that are part of the community at Medical Spa MD. There are more than 4,000 physician members running laser clinics, medical spas, and skin clinics, and around a million and a half targeted page views, most of which are from physicians (although non-physician numbers are growing).

Medical Spa MD is a community that was started a few years ago and I think it demonstrates how effective you can be if you have information that is not generally available, and know how to build and motivate an online community. Medical Spa MD will never make me rich, but it’s an asset that accrues increasing value over time and more than pays for itself with new opportunities.

Medical Spa RX is the sister site to Medical Spa MD and allows these same dermatologists, plastic surgeons and laser clinics to buy wholesale Botox, Juvederm, Restylane and Dysport from Canada and distribute it world wide.

But perhaps the greatest value of Medical Spa MD is simply the trust and goodwill we’ve grown among physicians. Medical Spa MD’s influence and reach is very long, as attested to the numerous leagal threats, phone calls from lawyers, and cease and desist letters we’ve received.

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