Recently, today.msnbc.com published their list of the 8 craziest beauty treatments of the decade.  While their list certainly includes some treatments that give us pause, some of these aren’t only not crazy, some are even FDA approved.

1 – ‘Different’ facials: Facials come in all shapes, sizes and colors and may use many different materials. There are oatmeal facials, clay facials, and now – fecal facials. Some of the more extreme facial treatments to come out recently include substances many people wouldn’t want to touch, much less put on their faces, including snail secretion, human placenta, and spermine – a substance found in human sperm.

2 – Snake Massage: In Tel Aviv, Israel, you can pay $70 to have six non-venomous snakes placed on your body and enjoy what the spa calls a relaxing massage via serpent. We wonder what Indiana Jones would say.

3 – Fishy Pedicure: Customers have been paying big bucks to feed the fish. Using tiny fish imported from Asia, customers can dip their feet in the fish tank and relax while the fish feed off the dead skin, resulting in smoother feet. 14 states have banned this procedure, deeming it unsanitary as the fish are reused on multiple customers.

4 – Delicious Scents: If the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, why not entice him with a food-inspired aroma? From flame broiled meat scented cologne to cheesy flavored lip balm, our choices in scent have grown, for better or worse.

5 – Bootylicious: Buttock Implants have grown in popularity over the past decade thanks in large part to the growth in celebrity backsides. Famously curvaceous women like Beyonce and Jennifer Lopez have inspired many women to seek out a more plumped behind and some are turning to cosmetic surgery to get it.

6 – Designer Vaginas: Vaginal rejuvenation procedures have definitely seen a rise in popularity in the past few years. Some plastic surgeons are even including this in a group of procedures referred to as the mommy makeover which often includes tummy tuck, breast lift, and liposuction as well. For many, the procedure is about getting back the pre-baby look and sensation, and is much more than vanity run amok.

7 – Bottled Baths: If water just isn’t doing it for you, how about some sake? In south-central Japan, there’s a medspa where you can bathe in your choice of different spirits including red wine or green tea. While it does sound a little different at first glance, people have bathed with salts and flower petals without so much as the bat of an eyelash. It it really so strange to think of red wine as a bath companion?

8 – Botox: One common misconception about Botox is that it is unsafe or that it’s vanity gone mad as people inject themselves with toxins. Botox has actually been around for years treating people for cervical dystonia, a painful condition which involves spasms of the neck muscles. Botox was used to relax the muscles. It is known to be highly dependable and predictable when dosed and injected properly. It is being used off label to treat migraines and TMJ. We don’t find that crazy at all.

The 8 craziest beauty treatments of the decade is a post from: Skin Clinic MD

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You may have your mom to thank for those wrinkles…

Friends and family say you inherited your mother’s eyes, but plastic surgeons want you to know that you’ve probably inherited her bags and crow’s-feet, too, even if they haven’t shown up yet.

According to members of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, women can expect to age just like their moms, as shown in a new study that measured age-related changes in 10 mother-daughter pairs between 15 and 90 years old.

“Studies of facial aging up to the present have largely been observational and subjective,” explained the Loma Linda University research team. “This study applies state-of-the-art facial imaging and three-dimensional computer modeling to measure changes in the aging female face.”

Among the findings: mothers and daughters similarly lose volume in the lower lid in their mid-30s, with common progression throughout their lives.

The knowledge that we’re destined to age like our mothers could help surgeons more acutely personalize procedures by making it easier to visualize what the patient would look like down the road. This could mean more satisfying, longer-lasting results that help keep mom’s wrinkles off your face.

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Dermatologists have discovered yet another gender inequity…

(HealthDay News)   Women develop more and deeper wrinkles around their mouths as they age than men do.  The disadvantage had long been suspected, but a new study provides “irrefutable scientific evidence,” said Dr. Foad Nahai, a plastic surgeon practicing in Atlanta and editor-in-chief of the Aesthetic Surgery Journal .

The authors of the paper believe they even know why women suffer more in this department.

“The gender differences were most probably due to the amount of appendages [hair follicles, sebaceous glands] and the connections between the skin and muscle of the lips,” explained senior study author Dr. Moshe Kon, head of the department of plastic, reconstructive and hand surgery at University Medical Center Utrecht in the Netherlands.

“We had always had the impression that male skin doesn’t age as rapidly as female skin,” said Nahai. “What we didn’t know, and this study points out, is that one of the reasons that lines are deeper in women is because they have fewer sweat or sebaceous glands, the glands that make the oil that keeps our skin feeling soft … So women are producing less oil, which is protective and keeps the skin smoother.”

Previous studies had not focused in on differences between men and women in the perioral area of the face, meaning the region around the mouth.

Women tend to go for procedures to remedy such wrinkles more often than men, although it hadn’t been clear if women were just worried about how they looked or if their wrinkles were actually worse.

The authors studied the skin around the upper lip in both male and female cadavers, as well as reconstructions of those areas.

Several key differences between men and women emerged: women had fewer sweat glands around the mouth than men; women had fewer blood vessels so less blood flow to that region; the muscles around the mouth are closer to the skin than in men, which may pull the skin in tighter, causing wrinkles; and, although the number of hair follicles were about the same in both genders, men had more sweat glands per hair follicle, again contributing to more relaxed skin throughout aging.

Hormones also seem to play a role in women’s dermatologic aging process.  ”A lot of gender differences in health and disease are related to estrogens,” said Dr. Seth Thaller, chief of plastic surgery at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

For instance, estrogens promote healing, meaning that women tend to heal from wounds faster. And postmenopausal women have reduced blood flow, again contributing to lines and furrows. And they experience a decrease in the fat secreted by sweat glands.  Meanwhile, women on hormone replacement therapy have been reported to have fewer wrinkles than those not taking the hormones.  Tissue also gets thinner as people age.  Many existing cosmetic procedures, including fat transfers, can remedy some of these changes, Cheung added.

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Well not exactly, but check out this new procedure….

Zeltiq is a new procedure designed to help patients look and feel their best by helping those who desire spot fat reduction. The procedure is mostly designed for people who are in good shape but may have one or two places they want to get toned up. Often times, there are spots that exercise simply can’t shrink. Zeltiq is able to shrink those areas without surgery.

Dr. Steven Weiner, a Board Certified physician, is one of the first physicians in the US to add Zeltiq to their list of treatments offered. According to Dr. Weiner, patients typically see a 20-25% reduction in thickness. No pain is suffered by the patient and normal daily routines can resume as soon as the procedure is completed.

Zeltiq works by using precision cold therapy to crystallize the fat. The skin over the area to be treated is suctioned between two cooling plates which lower the fat’s temperature to just above freezing. The cold extracts energy from fat causing it to die. Though it is referred to as cryolipolysis, it is not actually “freezing” the fat or the surrounding tissues. Rather, it crystallizes the lipids in fat cells causing the slow collapse of cells as they die. The procedure is biologically selective meaning that it only targets fat cells and only those in the superficial fat layer close to the skin. The body then carries off the dead cells over the course of two to three months so that the result is seen more gradually. Treatment only takes about an hour per treatment area.

“This is truly a remarkable breakthrough in the cosmetic industry,” says Dr. Weiner. “Never before have we been able to see such a distinct reduction in fat tissue, non-invasively until Zeltiq. It is a safe, painless, and effective and is the first true alternative to liposuction or cosmetic surgery,” he added.

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Persistence seems to be the key to helping teens through the acne years.

(LA Times)  More than 40% of teens have acne that’s severe enough to require treatment by a physician, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.

The first line of prescription medications include topical retinoids and antibiotics. Using these drugs in combination often produces the best results, but they must be taken for as long as the acne persists, which, for some people, can be many years. Although generally well-tolerated, they frequently cause skin dryness and irritation.

Persistence and patience are required. “Teens want to see the dermatologist today and be better tomorrow,” says Dr. Karl Beutner, associate clinical professor of dermatology at UC San Francisco and co-author of the American Academy of Dermatology’s current acne treatment guidelines. “For medications to be efficacious, they need to be used religiously. It often takes good compliance over a long period of time to see the difference.”

Oral antibiotics including doxycycline and minocycline are also mainstays of treatment, particularly when topical fail.

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Skin laser clinics are medical businesses that provide non-surgical cosmetic treatments and include laser clinics, medical spas and other medical centers that are operated with some form of physician oversight and differ from day spas in that offer medical treatments.

Skin & laser clinics usually offer very high end skin care.

The use of nonsurgical technology also differentiates medspas and laser clinics from traditional plastic surgery. Laser hair removal, IPL and laser treatments, Fraxel, Thermage, Botox, Restylane and other popular cosmetic treatments are usually offered.

With the addition of nonsurgical technology solutions that don’t require surgery, cosmetic medicine is now being offered in a growing number of general medical practices.

Medspas, skin clinics and laser centers usually have blogs as part of their web sites and use it as a means of communication with existing patients and patient marketing.

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Rosacea laser treatments can be particularly effective in treating this difficult condition.

Rosacea starts with redness particularly on the cheeks and nose. It comes and goes as a ‘flush’ or ‘blush’ gradually becoming permanent and more noticeable. Small blood vessels (telangiectasia) become enlarged and visible. Facial skin may become very dry. Pimples may appear as small, red, solid or pus filled bumps that resemble teenage acne but without the blackheads and whiteheads seen in acne. Eyes and eyelids may be irritated. Knobby bumps (rhinophyma) may develop on the nose. Without treatment Rosacea often progresses.

Because it often develops gradually it may be mistaken for a sunburn or acne. Early treatment helps prevent worsening and formation of permanently dilated blood vessels and rhinophyma (also called W.C Fields nose).

What causes Rosacea?

Rosacea generally develops between 20 to 70 years old, may run in families and is more common in fair skinned people with a history of blushing easily and frequently. Women are more likely to get Rosacea, but men are more likely to develop Rhinophyma on the nose.

Ninety percent of patients who actually have Rosacea are not receiving medical care. Rosacea Awareness is a campaign to encourage all patients with Rosacea to seek treatment for this common condition before it reaches the more advanced stages.

What is the best Rosacea treatment?

Although there is no cure, treatment can decrease symptoms and slow or stop progression. Treatment varies depending on severity. Options include surface or oral antibiotics, Intense Pulsed Light (IPL), Fraxel Laser and LED treatments. Avoidance of triggers is important.

What surface antibiotics are used for Rosacea?

Prescription antibiotics Metronidazole (Metrocream/Metrogel/Metrolotion/Noritate), Azelaic Acid (Finacea), Sulfacetamide, or Clindamycin creams, lotions and gels are helpful and are used on a continuous basis.

What oral antibiotics are used for Rosacea?

Some patients may also need oral antibiotics such as Tetracycline (Sumycin), Doxycycline (Vibramycin, Periostat, Doryx), or Minocycline (Minocin®) for flare ups. Most patients have no problems with antibiotics but occasional side effects include: headache, vertigo (dizziness), sun sensitivity, stomach upset, allergic reaction (hives, hepatitis), and blue/grey pigmentation of skin or teeth. Possible side effects in females are interference with effectiveness of birth control pills, yeast infections, and if taken during pregnancy, discoloration of the infant’s bones and teeth.

Do light treatments help Rosacea?

Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) uses specific wavelengths of light to heat up the small veins so that body absorbs them. It is very effective in reducing the redness and dilated blood vessels.

What Rosacea Laser Treatments are offered?

Fraxel Laser Treatment to help the redness and thickened skin.

Does LED help Rosacea?

LED Treatments can help the redness and inflammation of Rosacea, but these are not Rosacea ‘laser treatments’.

Want to know more about Rosacea treatments? Join our mailing list and get your free med spa and laser clinic report that details all of the nonsurgical cosmetic medical treatments including an entire section all about skin clinic treatments.

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Visit Medical Spa MD’s plastic surgery and cosmetic dermatology physician forums and you’ll step into an unlikely brouhaha that’s more than just uncommon in cosmetic dermatology and plastic surgery circles, it’s unheard of.

Medical Spa MD: Angry Cosmetic Dermatologists & Plastic Surgeons?

Growing increasingly frustrated by what physicians see as an manufactured silence and infuriating lack of clinical support from cosmetic laser and IPL companies, doctors have taken their anger public in a kind of free-for-all dog pile that you don’t usually see from physicians. A publicly viewed outing where ‘names are named’ and fingers are pointed directly at the management teams of cosmetic laser and IPL companies.

In some cases entire strings of emails are published detailing conversations (or lack thereof) and publicly embarrassing top executives and even fellow cosmetic surgeons that are acting as luminaries. It’s as though the physicians have now decided to play hard ball really hard.

Of course there’s still some self preservation and common sense left. Many of the plastic surgeons comments that are left come from anonymous doctors and the web sites that host these forums generally try to protect the plastic surgeons from hidden reprisals.

The web sites hosting these physicians forums have some headaches of their own. Medical Spa MD, the most prominent forum for physicians in cosmetic medicine, has been served with a substantial number of letters and threats from lawyers for daring to make these forum discussions public.

“We’ve received more than the usual web site’s number of nasty-grams”, says the publisher of Medical Spa MD, “but to censor public discourse between physicians is not what we’re about. The cosmetic surgeons on the site are responsible for what they post directly and commenting that they’re not receiving sufficient support is just that, their opinion.”

The issues are increasingly complicated by the types of medical answers that the most vocal of the cosmetic surgeons are demanding, leaving the IPL and laser companies in the uncomfortable position of seeming to be ignoring their cosmetic surgeons as customers, or providing information for cosmetic medical treatments that could easily be considered off-label use by the FDA, creating a potential for hazardous liability claims from patients and as well as the very cosmetic surgeons who are demanding answers.

The topic is not likely to die down anytime soon. Information that’s disseminated on the web has a long life and it’s obvious that technology companies are taking notice. In some cases they’ve actively joined in the discussion forums and proactively address concerns of individuals as soon as they’re posted, leaving an impression of active customer support. These tactics seem to be working as the IPL and laser manufactures who are active have a much lower incidence of negative comments from cosmetic dermatologists who see their calls for support go unheeded.

In the end it will come down to money. Many physicians who are opening new cosmetic clinics and looking for new IPL and laser technology are finding their way into these forums, asking their more experienced peers for advice. IPL and laser manufacturers who aren’t involved can’t expect to win the propaganda wars.

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