Real Beauty News
Real Beauty News is your unbiased source for the latest beauty news from around the world.
Wall Street Journal Questions Efficacy Of Latest Cellulite Treatments, Quotes RealSelf.com Review
Baltimore dermatologist Robert A. Weiss, MD, President-Elect of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, told the WSJ that "nothing that has been shown in any objective way to create improvement for cellulite."
The effectiveness of Velashape and SmoothShapes, two cellulite treatment technologies heavily promoted by mainstream television like the Today Show and Rachael Ray, is still widely debated by dermatologists. Sales of the most popular cosmetic and laser treatments - both for patients and physicians who purchase the devices - are largely driven by the popular media and magazines.
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North Carolina Plastic Surgeons Share Their Opinions About SmartLipo, VASER Liposelection
A North Carolina plastic surgeon has warned consumers that the existence of new lipo treatment options doesn't guarantee their effectiveness. Dr. Steven Zoellner, a Pinehurst plastic surgeon, told the Fayetteville Observer that it's important to do your research and critically interview prospective surgeons.
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Philips And Reliant Technologies Team Up To Develop Fraxel Laser For Use At Home
The manufacturer of Fraxel laser systems, Reliant Technologies, announced this week that they will cooperate with Philips to begin research and development on a line of home laser skin care products.
The agreement will combine Reliant's technological expertise with laser treatments and Philips' user friendly design, marketing and worldwide distribution. Reliant CEO Eric Stang says "the partnership will allow us to leverage Reliant's unique fractional laser technology and enter the growing home-use aesthetic market.
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Huntington Beach Dermatologist Stars As The Botox "Fall Guy"
Huntington Beach dermatologist Dr. Joseph Manzini got slapped with a reprimand for purchasing "black market Botox" at a medical convention, and then using it on ten of his patients.
The monthly California medical board disciplinary action report is always a good read, sort of like a juicy Facebook update for the cosmetic medicine community and reporters.
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Thermage Profits Rise Despite Tough Market
A Thermage shareholder conference call on August 11, 2008 revealed that despite a slowing market, there was growth in both sales and profit for the second quarter. Thermage's stock price has slumped into the $2 range in recent months.
Thermage acquired Reliant Technologies earlier this summer, causing growing concern among physicians who own one or both technologies.
Los Angeles plastic surgeon Michael A. Persky, MD said in response to the merger,
"I have used all of Reliant's Fraxel technologies (re:fine, re:store, and re:pair) over the past three years. The newest Fraxel re:pair, a fractionated CO2 laser, is excellent technology. I have also followed Thermage technology since it's inception.
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Raleigh Dermatologist Cautions Parents Against Too Much Sun For Kids
Raleigh-Durham dermatologist Dr. Craig Burkart of UNC Healthcare tells NBC News he has seen kids with acute sun damage and long term negative effects from harmful UV rays, even when parents just don't see it.
The average person gets about 80 percent of their lifetime sun exposure as a child, so it is critical to protect kids as they venture out this summer. You should be the most concerned about your kids between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. You can use your shadow as a gauge - if it appears longer than you, it's probably pretty safe.
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Plumping Up "The New Face" Of Hollywood
New York plastic surgeon Darrick Antell, MD tells the New York Daily News that "instead of tightening the neck, there is a resuspending of the muscles in the face." New York are Hollywood are buzzing about the new "plumping face lift," from the cover of New York magazine to the gossip pages of the Daily News.
A-list stars like Madonna are known to have long, rigorous workouts and strict low calorie diets, both of which can have a "hollowing out" effect on the face over time. So how do stars like Madonna boast such plump cheeks, a smooth forehead and tight jawline?
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USA TODAY Names Cosmetic Surgery In "25 Trends To Change The World."
When USA TODAY turned 25 years old last September, the news organization released twenty-five lists, documenting the significant events and changes that have taken place in America throughout the past quarter century.
Editors of the newspaper chose the entries. Last on the list of "25 Trends That Changed America" was this:
Makeovers for the masses. You look marvelous. Cosmetic surgery (from breast implants and nose jobs to stomach bands and liposuction). Botox. Dermabrasion. Teeth whitening. Lasik eye surgery. Extreme Makeover on TV.
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Kirkland Dermatologist Offers Amazing Acne-Destroying Clothing
Just across the lake from Seattle, Kirkland dermatologist Peter Cooperider, MD is such a big fan of therapeutic sunwear clothing that he's offering it for sale in his office and has added an online store to his website.
What is therapeutic sunwear? Dr. Cooperider explains on his website that "instead of reflecting or absorbing the sun's energy, the clothing uses the energy by converting it to a wavelength (yellow or blue) that is therapeutic for the skin."
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French Plastic Surgeon "Dr. Death" Jumps Bail, Escapes By Yacht
Two weeks ago, French doctor Michel Maure fled from Marseilles on his yacht after the state prosecutor recommended a jail sentence of four years. Maure was found guilty of illegal practice, wounding and endangering life, and was scheduled to be sentenced on September 8.
Evidence against Maure came from 96 botched operations, including an account of one patient's breast implant sliding into her armpit overnight.
They call him Dr. Death in France partly because his name is pronounced "mort" (which means death), but mostly because he has no formal medical training and a lengthy record of performing disastrous plastic surgery operations, leaving his patients physically scarred and mutilated.
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Details Concerning Impaired Boston Plastic Surgeon Liposuction Case Come To Light
Michael Hicks, a former mortgage broker of Quincy, Massachusetts has filed a civil suit against Boston plastic surgeon Dr. Loren J. Borud and Beth Israel Medical Center, due to "bleeding, pain and emotional turmoil" that he suffered as a result of a June 27 skin excision and scar revision procedure performed by Dr. Borud.
The Boston Herald is reporting that along with the lawsuit, certain allegations have been made public that shed light on the doctor's impairment issue, an incident that prompted his termination from the Harvard affiliated hospital on July 18th.
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Deflated Breast Implant Patients Choose Silicone Second Time Around
Marina Plastic Surgery in Los Angeles, California, recently conducted a study of 285 women who experienced a deflation of their saline breast implants. This study focused only on their own breast implant patients, who reside in the Beverly Hills and Los Angeles areas.
The breast implant failures occurred for a variety of reasons, including defective products, physical trauma, injury and other causes. The purpose of the study was to investigate the choices women made following a breast implant deflation and the additional procedures patients sought at the time of breast implant exchange.
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Women More Inclined To Have "Tramp Stamps" Removed
Four dermatology clinics in Arizona, Colorado, Massachusetts, and Texas recently helped collect data on tattoo removal for research compiled at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.
Archives of Dermatology released the study results in July, suggesting that women experience "societal fallout" from tattoos, which explains why more women have laser tattoo removal than men.
The 2006 study analyzed a sample of 66 men and 130 women who visited a dermatology clinic for tattoo removal. The inquiry sought information on the reasons each participant had for being tattooed and subsequently having the body art removed.
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Thirsty? Washington DC Dermatologist Says Drink A Nice Big Glass Of Aloe
Washington, DC dermatologist Lisa R. Ginn, MD explains in the Baltimore Sun that "aloe has been around for centuries, and it's multifaceted." Dr. Ginn practices at Cultura Medical Spa, the Washington medical spa specializing in skin of color. She is a big fan of aloe for wrinkle treatment, thanks to a powerful antioxidant enzyme present in the plant.
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Jim Cramer Recommends Allergan On Mad Money
On today's installment of Mad Money, Jim Cramer said to buy Allergan because "even in this economy, for Botox, I saw numbers that looked good there."
Allergan released a positive second quarter earnings report on July 30, reporting an increase of 20% in total product net sales.
Cramer's half right - although it's true that Botox sales aren't hurting, this effect is a likely result of better market saturation and not that Botox has become a necessity for people.
Perhaps Cramer read the Real Beauty News post from July 28: Broke? Choose Botox Over That New Handbag
Kristin Meyer for Real Beauty News
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5 Year Study Supports ArteFill's Claims Of Lasting Longer
Naperville, Illinois dermatologist Benjamin Raab, MD, who has treated over 150 patients with ArteFill, says that his patients are looking for "a simple, one-time treatment for their wrinkles that provides long-lasting results."
San Diego-based Artes Medical says its long-lasting injectable filler ArteFill is "exhibiting impressive growth," citing an estimated 10,000 patients treated since the product's introduction in February 2007.
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Movie Theater Chain Cancels G-Spot Enhancement Ads
A Montreal cosmetic surgeon has been advertising a controversial G-spot enhancement procedure during movie theater previews, claiming that the procedure can temporarily increase sensitivity in that special area.
The ads were placed among previews for PG-13 rated summer blockbusters like "The Dark Knight" and "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull."
Although the ads also contained marketing for more traditional cosmetic surgery like breast implants and no patrons had complained, the owner of the theater chain prematurely pulled the advertisements from rotation.
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Horrors Of Bad Plastic Surgery Exposed In Documentary "America The Beautiful"
America The Beautiful, a new documentary about plastic surgery opening in New York City on August 1, features appearances by Paris Hilton, Jessica Simpson and supermodel Gerren Taylor.
Documentary filmmaker Darryl Roberts told the LA Times in 2007 that he came up with the idea for the documentary after seeing a news report about a photographer who murdered a beautiful model because 'if he couldn't have her, nobody could.'
Roberts then spent two years following the young German model Gerren Taylor, who was creating huge waves on the fashion scene and appearing in fashion shows at the age of 12.
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Teens Should Forget The Word "Cosmetic" And Remember The Word "Surgery"
Atlanta plastic surgeon Diane Alexander, MD recently told the the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that for teens, cosmetic surgery "can be transformational in terms of their attitude and mood about how they feel about themselves." Indeed, there is evidence to support this claim.
Recent statistics from the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery indicate that surgical, cosmetic procedures performed on teens age 18 and younger have nearly quadrupled in the past ten years. In 2007, the number of procedures topped 200,000.
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Broke? Choose Botox Over That New Handbag
New York City dermatologist Lisa Airan, MD thinks the New York Botox business may actually be benefiting from the economic blues, telling CBS News that "she's never been busier."
Dr. Airan's convinced that people are not going to stop coloring their hair because of the economy downturn. The reported asked her, " Even if they have to scrimp somewhere else, you think they'll still come in for Botox?"
She then said, "if it's a choice between the newest luxury handbag or looking as good as you can, i think people are always going to choose looking as good as they can."
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John McCain Cautions Against Skin Cancer, Recommends Sunscreen
John McCain encouraged Americans to wear sunscreen following a routine visit to his dermatologist, most likely at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona. McCain has survived melanoma three times and says he's doing fine.
The Mayo Clinic released a statement regarding Senator McCain's biopsy:
"As a precaution a biopsy was ordered of a very small area on Senator McCain's right cheek. This is a routine minor procedure."
According to all reports, McCain is healthy.
Kristin Meyer for Real Beauty News
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Allergan Drops Eyelash Product Lawsuit Against Jan Marini
Allergan Inc., maker of Botox® and other cosmetic products, agreed to drop a patent infringement lawsuit against San Jose, California based cosmetics company Jan Marini.
The defendant acknowledged the patents held by Allergan, agreed to stop using certain ingredients and cease production on a line of eyelash conditioning products.
The Jan Marini website informs us that even though Jan Marini voluntarily discontinued the popular Age Intervention Eyelash, the FDA mysteriously seized it over "labeling issues" in September 2006, leading to the release of a new formulation in February of 2007.
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Dallas Skin Care Expert Shares Her Daily Routine
Dallas cosmetic physician Dr. Lynley McAnalley recently shared her simple routine for keeping skin healthy and vibrant. At her Park Cities practice, Dr. McAnalley employs Botox, Radiesse, Restylane and Sculptra, among others, to treat her patients for wrinkles and other imperfections.
But when it comes to her own skin, McAnalley performs a surprisingly simple daily routine that mostly consists of sun protection.
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Could Your Belly Fat Save Your Life?
Pittsburgh plastic surgeon J. Peter Rubin MD says "adult stem cells, derived from our own tissues, hold strong promise for improved clinical therapies.” Rubin suggests that stem cells, with their capability for self-renewal, hold the key to improved reconstructive treatments needed for treating diseases and major injuries.
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Brides Who Botox And Whiten Their Bridesmaids
Yesterday the New York Times profiled women who had Botox parties for their bridesmaids to get ready for the big day, and apparently the folks at the Early Show read the paper, because on this morning's CBS Early Show, host Julie Chen opens a segment about the Modern Bride of the Year contest by asking her cohost if he knows about the hot new trend for brides, "to give Botox as a gift to her bridesmaids, for the photos?"