For years, Sue Hazen watched as the effects of time and a long-term smoking habit took their toll on her 53-year-old face.

At the end of January, the Port Jefferson Station resident decided to investigate some alternatives for turning back the clock. She and her husband, Peter, attended a seminar given by renowned Manhattan cosmetic plastic surgeon Stephen T. Greenberg held earlier this month.

Dr. Greenberg, who was speaking at the Spa at East Wind in Wading River, is frequently interviewed and asked to discuss his knowledge of the latest cosmetic surgery techniques. 

At the end of Dr. Greenberg’s 60-minute informal lecture, Ms. Hazen, who quit a year ago after smoking for a decade, decided to take the first step in recapturing her youth. She underwent a serious of injections, which were administered by Dr. Greenberg, to hide lines and wrinkles on her face.

“I guess I’m just not doing well with getting older,” said Ms. Hazen, who received Botox injections to temporarily paralyze muscles in her forehead, and Restylane to hide the wrinkles around her mouth and cheeks.

“The injections pinched a little bit,” Ms. Hazen admitted, while holding an ice pack on her slightly swollen face immediately following the procedure. “As for how it comes out, I’ll have to let you know.”

During his lecture, Dr. Greenberg explained various options, from facial creams to invasive surgery, to help turn back the clock. The surgeon, who has also appeared in national magazines such as Harper’s Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, More, and Elle, gave a “head to toe” analysis of the latest alternatives now available.

Starting with the face, Dr. Greenberg explained that wrinkles and sagging—commonly known as jowls—and/or loose or thin skin near the neck are some of the most detested effects of aging. He explained that as we grow older, our skin becomes thinner and less radiant with loss of elastic tissue and fat cells known as collagen.

“The effect of gravity causes skin and tissue to sag downwards from the face, toward the chin, lower face and surrounding neck,” Dr. Greenberg said. “People come to me and say ‘I can’t believe I have jowls,’ but we all age the same way … The fat that once was in our cheeks has drifted down your face into your jawline.”

Other contributing factors that can contribute to wrinkles include reduction of muscle mass, sun exposure, smoking, genetics and even diet, he explained. Dr. Greenberg noted that until recently, invasive plastic surgery was the only effective method to hide jowls and facial wrinkles.

But new injection gels, known as Restylane and Perlane, are providing some non-surgical relief, too. Restylane and Perlane are trade names for a specific formulation of non-animal sourced fat replacement gel, known as hyaluronic acid, which is most commonly used for lip augmentation.

At Dr. Greenberg’s lecture, Lisa Paveglio of Centereach asked about the differences between Restylane and Juvaderm, the latter being a new product touted in television and magazine advertisements. Dr. Greenberg held up both a box of Restylane and Juvaderm to the audience and explained, “Juvaderm has a prettier box,” he said, pointing to the multi-color Juvaderm box in contrast to the plain white-and-black box holding the Restylane.

“The Juvaderm box is a little bigger, but that’s about the only difference,” he added.

In the United States, Restylane has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for cosmetic injection into subdermal facial tissues. Restylane is injected under wrinkles and aging lines of the face, including the nasolabial folds on either side of the nose and the melomental folds around the eyes.

Restylane can also be used for filling aging-related facial hollows and orbital troughs located under and around the eyes. The process has a recovery time of two to three days.

Costs for the treatment can range between $300 and $500 per visit. However, the treatment is not permanent and lasts only about six months, Dr. Greenberg noted. He recommend getting reapplications every four to five months so that the visual effect is not as noticeable.

“You don’t want to keep going from looking great, to looking tired, to looking great, to looking tired,” he said. “Everyone’s body absorbs the gel differently, so it might be six months for some, but four or five months for others.”

Dr. Greenberg stressed that Restylane injections are only for people with moderate wrinkling, namely those between 40 and 60 years old. He noted that those with advanced aging would require plastic surgery.

A face-lift is the only option for eliminating extreme sagging beneath the jawline—often referred to as turkey neck—according to Dr. Greenberg. One such surgical technique uses a wire with small barbs that is inserted along the jaw line. The barbs catch on tissue and the wire is pulled up toward the skull, thus lifting sagging skin.

Aside from the painful-sounding description of the procedure, there is another drawback to this technique, the doctor noted. “The problem is, it doesn’t last,” Dr. Greenberg said.

Also in attendance at the talk were Jean Giroux of Holtsville and Jeane Zinser of Stony Brook. The two friends, both of whom are 75 years old, said they wanted to learn more about a new procedure known as the Lifestyle Lift.

Dr. Greenberg said the $6,000 procedure is a form of “mini-lift” and focuses on specific areas of the face, such as the neck and the folds of the nose. Using smaller incisions, the surgeon lifts, repositions and removes facial tissue. The surgeon then repositions the skin with sutures.

“The Lifestyle Lift is very scary,” Dr. Greenberg said emphatically. “The problem with the procedure is that it’s being mostly performed by doctors who have little or no plastic surgery experience, and you’re taking big chances when you don’t go to a board-certified plastic surgeon.”

Though the most common form of plastic surgery sought across America is breast augmentation, Dr. Greenberg noted that women are not the only ones seeking plastic surgery these days. He added that between 20 to 30 percent of plastic surgery patients nationwide are men.

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, roughly 350,000 women had breast augmentations in 2008, making it the number one cosmetic plastic surgery procedure performed that year. Dr. Greenberg noted that breast implants could last up to 10 years or more. He recommends a new silicon gel implant, noting that it does not leak as did past silicon implants.

Tabitha Silva, a Manorville resident who is currently studying esthetics at Long Island Nail and Skin Care Institute in Levittown, asked how long it takes to switch breast implants. Dr. Greenberg reported that it was quick procedure, because the pocket for the implant was already in place under the chest muscles.

“It takes about 10 minutes,” Dr. Greenberg said, smiling. “I can change breast implants faster than I can change a tire.”

Full Article and Credits

Anti Aging, Botox Anti Aging, Botox

LAKE OSWEGO — Kellie Bishop had to decide: her face or her leg?
The 43-year-old Dundee resident wanted both Botox to smooth out a few frown lines on her forehead and sclerotherapy to reduce the appearance of veins on the side of her leg. In headier economic times, she might have gotten both, but the tanking economy forced her to prioritize.
“I can always wear pants, but I have to look with my face,” Bishop said last week after receiving her third Botox treatment.

These days, it seems the knife has come under the knife.

At the Lake Oswego practice of plastic surgeon Dr. Lee D. Robinson and across the nation, fewer patients are choosing expensive combination surgeries, such as the face-lift in conjunction with an eyelid lift. But business is booming for chemical peels, microderm abrasions, Botox injections and laser rejuvenation.

“What’s happening,” Robinson said, “is that some patients that would normally opt for surgery are at least temporarily saying, ‘I’ll opt for something nonsurgical that will tide me over for a number of months.’”

Next door, at Robinson’s Oswego Spa & Laser, the number of clients asking for facials dropped about 25 percent this summer. Business hit a particularly painful stretch in October, when the stock market took a huge plunge, before picking up again after the November election.

“I know people who say, ‘If we have to change the diet, I’ll feed my kids Cheerios if it means I can get my Botox,’” Dorothy Ryan, a licensed aesthetician in Robinson’s Oswego Spa & Laser, said. “They still want to maintain themselves.”

In a business that depends on discretionary income, Ryan sees many clients forgoing feel-good facials, such as the spa’s $90 classic facial, to invest in chemical peels that are a bit more costly but also more effective. The spa has seen about a 10 percent rise in the number of clients getting peels.

“If they’re going to spend money, they’re looking for a physical result,” Ryan said. “They want to look like they’ve improved, not just, ‘OK, I had a relaxing hour.’”

Stressful times
On a recent morning, the Pet Shop Boys’ song “West End Girls” filtered through the operating room as Robinson used a cauterizing instrument as she performed a chin implant for a male patient. The caustic smell of burnt flesh lingered as Robinson cut open a small pocket inside the patient’s mouth, slipped in the silicone implant and stitched it up — all in a quick half-hour.

Single surgeries are typical these days, ranging from mole removal or earlobe reductions that cost a few hundred dollars to a $9,000 face-lift. Combination surgeries can cost $15,000 to $20,000.

“We’ve seen a softening in the big, major stuff,” Robinson said. “We tell patients that if it’s too much of a strain (financially), wait a few months. Patients who don’t have anxiety over it make better patients.”

Two years ago, Robinson had a two-month waiting period for surgeries. Now that waiting time has been slashed in half.

Because Robinson specializes in elective facial procedures, his clients tend to be older and more financially stable than clients of a practice that specializes in breast augmentation, for example. The large majority of his patients pay with credit cards, though some use cashier’s checks, and a small number pay with cash or payment plans.

Customers who used to refinance their homes to pay for big-ticket items — cars, vacations, plastic surgery — are finding they just can’t use their homes as credit cards anymore, he said.

Keeping up appearances
For some clients, there’s no time like today’s stressful weeks for cosmetic procedures.

“I have some patients who are getting ready for job interviews,” said Deb-ee Jones, a licensed aesthetician in the spa. “They want to look younger as they’re looking for a new job.”

Others just don’t want to give in to the anxiety of the moment, nurse Heather Allen said.

“I have patients who say, ‘I need a pick-me-up, anything, Botox, laser, a little quick-fix,’” Allen said. “If everything else looks down, you might as well look better. You don’t have to look like everything is falling apart.”

 

Full Article and Credits

Botox, Med Spa, Medical Spa, Oregon Spas

Injectables for the Holidays

It’s that time of the year again. The holidays are just around the corner, and if you are like most people, you are starting to think long and hard about what to get for your loved ones.

Finding the perfect holiday gift is rarely easy. You must walk the fine line between finding something that is both thoughtful and useful, while making sure not to bust your budget. This can take some finesse.

Facial fillers can make for an excellent gift for your loved one. They do an excellent job smoothing away wrinkles to help provide you with a more youthful appearance, and they offer a great alternative to major cosmetic surgery, such as a facelift. Many cosmetic surgeons offer this treatment in a spa-like atmosphere, making it an even more attractive gift option.

There are several options when considering facial fillers. Ultimately, it is important to discuss them all with your cosmetic surgeon to determine which one is right for your loved one.

Juvederm®

Juvederm® is an excellent option to treat moderate to severe facial wrinkles. It is a gel implant composed primarily of hyaluronic acid, a natural complex sugar that boosts skin elasticity, giving your skin a smoother and softer appearance.

Juvederm is injected into the mid-to-deep dermal layer of your skin, the area where most wrinkles develop. It lifts and adds volume to the wrinkles in the region being treated. The process can be performed in one visit to your cosmetic surgeon, and will only take about an hour to complete.

Juvederm can be used for the following aesthetic skin improvements:

• Naso-labial wrinkles (the region around your nose and mouth)

• Fuller lips

• Cheek augmentation

• Chin augmentation

• Filling in hollow areas underneath scar tissue

One main advantage of Juvederm over its competitors is that it tends to last longer than other injectables. You will retain the benefits of this product for approximately six to nine months. You should notice the results the day of the procedure.

Evolence

Evolence is a yellowish, opaque gel made out of pig (porcine) collagen. It is injected into the inner layers of your facial skin to add volume and structure to worn-out facial areas. It is most effective treating moderate to deep facial wrinkles and naso-labial folds.

Evolence combines the porcine collagen with a sugar to create a new structure that binds with your body’s natural collagen. As you get older, your natural collagen breaks down, causing wrinkles and folds in your skin. Evolence helps replace this deteriorated collagen so that your skin becomes more durable and supple.

You will notice the results of your Evolence treatment immediately and the improvements should last for about six months.

Anti Aging, Botox

 Wedding trend: Botox for the bridal party

After the band was chosen and the napkins color-coordinated to match her shoes, Kacey Knauer, a bride-to-be, had another critical matter to address: her skin, and the skin of the nine women in her bridal party.
So Knauer, the 35-year-old owner of TempTrends, a staffing agency in Manhattan, invited her nearest and dearest — including her mother and future mother-in-law — for a night out at the TriBeCa MedSpa, replete with mimosas and cupcakes. An aesthetician assessed each woman’s face and devised a treatment plan — a quick chemical peel, say, or an injection of wrinkle filler. Or maybe, for a bridesmaid with age spots, a series of Fraxel laser treatments over months, allowing for recovery time.
For Knauer, who will be married in December, cosmetic interventions for herself and her entourage are as vital as the centerpieces or food.
“If I were 25 or 26 and getting married, a bracelet, necklace or matching earrings would be fine,” she said.
But at 35?
“Giving them a bracelet isn’t as special as spending an evening together. Plus, as you get older, everyone is more conscientious about their skin and appearance,” she said. “Giving them something for themselves — as opposed to something that they’ll never wear again — is more meaningful.”
And let’s not forget the pictures of college roommates-turned-bridesmaids quickly posted to Facebook. It is no longer sufficient to hire a hairstylist and makeup artist to be on hand the
day of. Instead, bridal parties are indulging in dermal fillers and tooth whitening months before the Big Day.
‘THEY WANT IT’
Some brides pick up the tab for their attendants, replacing the pillbox inscribed with the wedding date with a well-earned squirt between the eyes. In other cases, bridesmaids — who may quietly seethe about unflattering dresses — are surprisingly willing to pay for cosmetic enhancements.
“Most women, when they come in here, they want it,” said Camille Meyer, the owner of TriBeCa MedSpa. “They know they’re aging.”
For Karen Hohenstein, who held her party at the Tiffani Kim Institute Medical Wellness Spa in Chicago, convincing her friends was as smooth as a Botoxed forehead.
“It wasn’t me saying, ‘Hey, we all could use a little something,’ ” she said. “It was, ‘I want to do this,’ and a couple of people said, ‘I do, too.’ ”
But for every accommodating pal, there’s another who feels going under the knife is beyond the duty of bridesmaid. Becky Lee, 39, a Manhattan photographer, declined when a friend asked her — and five other attendants — to have their breasts enhanced.
“We’re all Asian and didn’t have a whole lot of cleavage, and she found a doctor in L.A. who was willing to do four for the price of two,” said Lee, who wore a push-up bra instead.
Not for nothing are some maids known as slaves of honor, but this kind of cajoling is a recent development on the wedding front.
Marie Scalogna-Watkinson, the founder of Spa Chicks on-the-Go, a mobile spa, said she receives five to seven calls a month from brides seeking Botox or Restylane for their bridesmaids. Five years ago, collective makeovers were unheard of, she said.
Dr. Fardad Forouzanpour, a cosmetic surgeon in Beverly Hills, Calif., said his business has increased more than 40 percent since he began offering what he calls Bridal Beauty Buffets in 2006.
Just as timing matters when it comes to securing a hall, it’s best that brides-to-be don’t delay scheduling appointments, aestheticians and doctors say.
“You wouldn’t get a cut and color the week before,” said Dr. Jessica Wu, a dermatologist in Beverly Hills who advises coming in three to six months before the big day. “We do a trial run of Botox about four months ahead of time. Then, two weeks before the wedding, we do that last treatment.”
Meyer of TriBeCa MedSpa suggests a bride contact her the minute the question is popped.
“Brides really appreciate the fact that we put everything in a regimented schedule for them,” she said. Since February 2007, she has staged more than 30 bridesmaid parties and has 18 planned so far this year. “If you have to do eight treatments, six weeks apart, that could take up to a year,” she said.
COST-BENEFIT ANALYSES
Fraxel laser could also set you back $1,200 a session, which even without the economic downturn, amounts to quite a bit. These days, Robyn Bomar, an event planner in Destin, Fla., overhears brides doing cost-benefit analyses.
“They will never choose Botox over a great dress, but they will say, ‘Maybe I’ll have a buffet over a sit-down at the rehearsal dinner,’ ” she said. Or: ” ‘I’ll spend the money on Botox rather than lunch.’ ”
In June, Jennifer Peterson, 31, a production director in Los Angeles, and eight friends indulged in Botox, Restylane, massages, facials and microdermabrasion at Infinity MedSpa in Valencia, Calif. Her friends chipped in for her treatments, but she is considering giving them each a $100 certificate to the spa — a gift she is sure they will appreciate.
“Everybody does Botox out here,” she said.
The beauty procedure thank-you gift is becoming more common, said Bomar, who coordinates about three parties a month. Time was when the bride arranged for everyone to get manicures at the same time, followed by lunch. But today?
“It’s much more likely that she is footing the bill for eyelash extensions, airbrush tanning and a bevy of other cosmetic procedures,” she said.
Five years ago, plastic surgeons, dermatologists and tooth-whitening centers “were virtually absent” from bridal expos, said William F. Heaton III, the president of the Great Bridal Expo Group, which produces events in 40 cities nationwide. “Now, we’re getting a half dozen phone calls a week.”
This year alone, American Laser Centers, a chain, has participated in 830 bridal shows, said Amanda McInnes, a marketing director.
Two weeks ago, Health Travel Guides, a medical tourism company, exhibited at the Dallas Bridal Show for the first time.
“We received 30 requests for quotes among the bridal show attendees — mostly for plastic surgery, such as liposuction and breast augmentation,” said Sandra Miller, the company’s chief marketing officer. “But also many for cosmetic dentistry and inquiries for providing quotes for bachelorette getaways that will feature beauty treatments.”
STRAINED RELATIONSHIPS
A bride’s request that you whiten your grayish teeth can strain a relationship. Samantha Goldberg, a wedding planner in Chester, N.J., recalled a bride who asked her attendants to get professionally spray-tanned for a Hawaiian-theme reception.
Alas, two women were claustrophobic and couldn’t bear standing in a tanning capsule.
“They asked the bride if they could use regular tanning cream from a salon,” Goldberg said. The bride refused; she wanted everyone to be the same shade. The women ultimately declined to be bridesmaids. “Friendships of 20-plus years gone over a spray tan?” Goldberg said. “Sad!”
And how does a bride break it to a mother-in-law that she’d love her crow’s feet to be frozen into submission? Very delicately.
“My mother is in her 60s. She’s been talking about it for so long, so I said, ‘Let’s do it,’ ” said Stacey Berlin, 29, a marketing consultant, who is having a party at Aquamedica Day Spa in Long Branch, N.J.
It was trickier with her future mother-in-law. “To her,” Berlin said, “I said it as a joke: ‘You should do Botox for the wedding!’ She giggled, and then I said, ‘I’m serious. It’s exactly what you need to freshen up.’ At first, she kind of laughed it off, but then we talked about it and I told her my mom was going to do it, she said, ‘OK.’ ”

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Botox And Restylane Not A Destination Or Spa Treatment

The Physicians Coalition for Injectable Safety warns patients worldwide of the dangers of accepting Botox, Restylane or any other cosmetic injection or procedure from unfamiliar physicians during vacation, cruise or spa encounters.

“Cosmetic injections are highly satisfying, popular procedures when consumers elect to accept these treatments from a qualified, board-certified physician with whom the patient has a trusted and consistent relationship,” says Coalition leader Mark Jewell, MD, of Eugene, OR. “Patient confidence in the physician is a critical factor for any medical treatment, whether cosmetic or medically necessary. Confidence is largely based on trust, relationship and previous experiences with a physician or his or her practice. A one-time encounter in a vacation setting deprives the patient not only of a relationship but also the opportunity to follow-up when complications or questions present potentially weeks or months after initial treatment.”

“You must know your doctor. Whether on vacation or at home, patients must inquire specifically about a physician’s board certification and license status, and his or her experience specifically with the treatment recommended for you,” says Coalition leader Joao Carlos Sampaio Goes, MD of Sao Paolo, Brazil. “Board-certification, licensing and standards for safety in medical offices and reporting adverse events are unique to every destination. It is vital to know the country whose jurisdiction the procedure is performed under, and what standards are required and are practiced.”

“Whether on land or at sea you must inquire about the approval status of the injected agent, as well as your doctor’s qualifications,” says Coalition leader Ira D. Papel, MD of Baltimore, MD. “Each country has its own regulatory agency that approves pharmacological agents and devices. Ask specifically the approval status in the governing jurisdiction and in your own home country, and accept only genuine, branded and approved injectables.” Consumers must be cautioned that in international waters there may be no governing regulation, and therefore no agency where adverse, potentially permanent events are to be reported.

The Coalition offers consumers these very simple questions to ask before considering any cosmetic injectable procedure:

– Doctor: Is the injectable recommended by a qualified doctor who regularly treats similar conditions, in an appropriately licensed and equipped medical facility? Has the doctor examined the prospective patient before recommending treatment?

– Brand: Is the injectable recommended approved by the U.S. FDA, in the U.S. and by equivalent agencies in the country of origin for cosmetic indications and is it appropriately labeled and packaged to reflect its authenticity and approval?

– Safety: Is the setting a proper medically-equipped office, with safety and sterilization procedures? Has the physician evaluated conditions, recommended treatment, offered alternatives and clearly defined the potential outcomes including any complications?

• Full Article

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• An ounce of prevention
• Top 5 ways to avoid skin damage
• Top Five Regimens for Healthier Skin
• What is a Medical Spa?
• What facial factors show your age?
• Primary Facial Concerns
• Top 5 Nonsurgical Skin Treatments for Women
• Spavelous Preferred Facial Treatments
• Medical Spa Trends for 2008

Anti Aging, Botox, Destination Spa, Spa Treatments

 

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Stay spa safe from Day Spa Dangers

“You know you don’t want things done to your face that you don’t know anything about, so I tried to do my homework.”

Linda Hampton made that decision before undergoing laser hair removal. She knew there were risks involved and wanted to be safe.

“I was a little apprehensive because I was afraid to tell you the truth but after I had it the first time I had no problem.”

 

Dr. Jim McNatt with Georgia’s Medical Board says among things like Botox injections, and chemical peels, laser hair removal is the number one cosmetic procedure being offered at day spas and salons, but there’s concern.

 

“The use of lasers in day spas has been a problem and seems to be growing. There are a number of practitioners out there who are not authorized to use lasers in Georgia who are in fact using lasers to perform cosmetic procedures on patients.”

 

He says regulating the unlicensed practice of medicine isn’t easy.

 

“That’s difficult because we’re a small agency with a small budget. We have seven investigators for the entire state.”

 

With so few investigators, there’s a risk of people getting injured in unlicensed facilities. McNatt says, those injuries many times are not reported by patients.

 

“The complaints are not always from the patients having problems, it could be from a doctor in the town that knows this is going on and believes it is wrong,” said McNatt.

 

Dr. Anika Bradley is a plastic surgeon who runs a medical day spa in Georgia.

 

“Many of the procedures aren’t necessarily difficult to perform but they do have potential complications. Non-surgical does not mean not brought without complications,” said Bradley.

 

She says protecting yourself means knowing the difference between a day spa and a medical day spa.

 

“Medical spas always have a physician involved and thus they get that distinction. Day spas are places that tend to offer less aggressive treatment and many of them do not have physicians who are on staff. They are in things such as salons and free standing buildings that may have people trained in cosmetology.”

 

Dr. Kevin Baggett and Dr. Becky Campbell agree. They run a medical day spa of their own in Warner Robins.

 

“Some spas will have a medical professional that might be associated with it but they might not be on site. They might be in another city, said Baggett.”

 

According to the Georgia Medical Board, if it learns of an unlicensed person or business practicing medical procedures like laser hair removal or botox injections, they send out a cease and desist letter.

 

McNatt says they have limited authority in enforcing the law. There are no fines and for the most part he says, investigators don’t follow up.

 

“That was part of the reason that the board has been attempting for a number of years to pass rules and regulations that would make what was allowed and what was not allowed more clearer,” said McNatt.

 

Safe Spas – What you need to know about spa sanitation

Anti Aging, Beauty Tips, Botox, Chemical Peels, Day Spa, Med Spa, Medical Spa, Spa Safety, Spa Safety Sanitation

SAVE THE DATE
THURSDAY MAY 8^TH

 

Aquamedica
  16 Laird St
  Long Branch, NJ 07740

 

 

 

Aquamedica Salon and Day Spa invites all New Jersey Moms to a day of relaxation at our

 

Annual “Moms’ Extravaganza”

 

On this special day Moms will receive their choice of very special offers including 30% off spa and salon services, Botox® treatment for $9 per unit and cosmetic facial filler for $425 per syringeLearn about the latest salon and spa trends. Live demonstrations!

Event Agenda

 

10am-4pm:

Enjoy spa and salon services – 30% off
(Must be prepaid and booked in advance)

4pm-5pm:

Attend an Anti-Aging Seminar by Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, Rudolf C. Thompson MD, FACS and see live Botox® & facial filler demonstrations

5pm-6pm:

Receive specially priced cosmetic medical treatments including Botox and facial fillers
  (Space is limited so please reserve your appointment in advance)

Enjoy live demonstrations of the latest spa and salon trends, wine, cheese, meditation in our “Dream Room” and complimentary body fat analysis

 
 

6pm-7pm:

Internationally-trained skincare specialist and head Aesthetician, Valentina Chistova, will demonstrate a micro-dermabrasion treatment and share information about the incredible benefits of this popular procedure

7pm-8pm:

Raffles! Receive a special gift… just for you. You could win a free spa treatment!
(Winners must be present)

RSVP by May 1^st 732-222-8611 Spa / 732-571-3330 Medispa

  Looking for the perfect gift? Receive 10% off Gift Cards through
  5/31/08

good for all Spa and Salon Services

Anti Aging, Beauty Tips, Botox, Day Spa, Long Branch Nj Day Sap Aquamedica, Med Spa, Mothers Day Spa, New Jersey Day Spa Events, Spa, Spa Getaways, Spa Parties, Spa Treatments

This article is brought to you by Spavelous.com.

 

Botox can reach the brain, researchers say.

Botox injection Botox injected into face muscles can travel into the brain, according to a study of laboratory rats and mice published today in the Journal of Neuroscience.

Once it reaches the central nervous system, the diluted form of the botulinum toxin can disrupt nerve cell activity, said researcher Matteo Caleo of Italy’s National Research Council, who led the project.

The study is the latest of several raising questions about the safety of the wrinkle-fighter Botox, which is made by Irvine-based Allergan.

In February, the Food and Drug Administration launched a review of Botox, citing 16 cases of deaths of patients who had received injections of the toxin.

All but one of the deaths were related to strong therapeutic doses of botulinum toxin. Even the one death that followed six weeks after an injection of weaker cosmetic-strength Botox was not caused by that treatment, Allergan said.

Allergan notes that Botox has been used safely by millions of patients over the past two decades.

Local cosmetic physicians say they have seen no problems worse than an occasional headache among Botox users, and no evidence that patients are wary of the injections. Several said that the fact that the injected toxin travels within the body has long been known, and is a reason why skilled physicians calculate safe dosages and use appropriate injection methods.

The Journal of Neuroscience gave the article the label, “Could botulinum toxin be bad for you?”

In a press release on March 26, the Society for Neuroscience, which publishes the journal, said,

Botulinum neurotoxin disrupts cell communication by destroying a protein essential to signaling between nerve cells. Matteo Caleo, PhD, of Italy’s National Research Council, and colleagues confirmed the movement of botulinum neurotoxin A by detecting the remnants of proteins it had fragmented. This evidence helped show that nerve cells at the injection site absorbed some of the botulinum neurotoxin, which was then transported across the cell and released to connected cells, where the proteins also were destroyed. The direction it traveled was opposite to that of the nerve cell’s electrical signals. These findings contradict previous research, which suggested that botulinum neurotoxin was completely degraded at the injection site and not transported beyond it.

Caleo’s team traced the movement of botulinum neurotoxins in mice and rats. The team made injections into the whisker muscles, the hippocampus, and the superior colliculus, a brain region that receives input from the eye. Using protein analysis and microscopic examination of the rodents’ brain tissue, the researchers found that, within three days, active forms of botulinum neurotoxin had migrated from the whisker muscles to the brain stem, from one hippocampus to the hippocampus on the opposite side of the brain, and from the superior colliculus back to the eye.

Brain cell activity was disrupted both where botulinum neurotoxin was injected and in some of these distant but connected sites. Caleo and his colleagues noted in particular that the effects of the botulinum neurotoxin injection on the hippocampus were still present six months later.

In March, researchers in Canada found that injected Botox migrates to nearby muscles.(This post was updated at 5:45 p.m. to add links and expand the discussion of past studies and the new Italian research.)

 

Related Articles

 

• • Skin Basics
  • An ounce of prevention
  • Top 5 ways to avoid skin damage
  • Top Five Regimens for Healthier Skin
  • What is a Medical Spa?
  • What facial factors show your age?
  • Primary Facial Concerns
  • Top 5 Nonsurgical Skin Treatments for Women
  • Spavelous Preferred Facial Treatments
  • Medical Spa Trends for 2008

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The woman, who looked to be in her 30s, wanted the same thing most of the Phoenix medical spa’s customers wanted: no more wrinkles.

There was Botox, Juvéderm, Restylane. The wrinkles were smoothed. She even sprang for an eyebrow tattoo.

The bill was $2,644, common for such procedures.

But when the spa manager questioned her credit card, the woman screamed at him.

She said she was going to call police. Instead, the manager did. The woman ran outside and vanished.

Call her a “Botox Bandit,” part of a small but remarkable crime wave.

These bandits order thousands of dollars of face-firming injections, then bolt without paying their sizable bills.

Across the country, spas report similar stories.

In the Valley: The $2,644 theft was in January, at Radiance MedSpa on Camelback Road in Phoenix. Another Radiance location had already been hit – by the Valley’s top Botox Bandit.

Sandra Foster, 43, hit five medical spas and a doctor’s office from 2003 to 2006, according to a court record. In a 2006 plea deal, she was placed on two years’ probation, sentenced to three days in a Maricopa County jail and ordered to pay $7,335 in restitution, the cost of the stolen services.

In each case, she used a fake name. After the treatments, she left her purse and jacket inside the spa, saying she was going outside to get her wallet. When she didn’t return, spa employees found her purse stuffed with paper.

After the media published her spa photographs, Foster was arrested on March 31, 2006, two weeks after receiving $1,400 worth of Botox and Restylane treatments at CosMediSpa at Scottsdale Fashion Square.

In Tampa: Photos taken at a medical spa also led to the arrest earlier this year of a 30-year-old woman. She reportedly left a medical spa after receiving $850 in Botox treatments. She told spa staff she was going out to her car and left without paying, according to news reports.

In Houston: An unidentified woman walked out of a medical spa without paying $2,600 for Botox injections and skin products on Feb. 20, according to news reports. The woman said she was going outside to get her American Express card. She never returned. Her spa photos were turned over to police. Argentina Vasquez, a receptionist at the Institute of Anti-Aging Medicine and Skin Spa in Houston, said Monday that the woman hadn’t been arrested.

Wrinkles in investigations

It is difficult to say how many medical spas have been hit by Botox Bandits. Some may not be reported by spa owners.

Detective Stacie Derge, a Phoenix police spokeswoman, said such thefts are categorized as thefts by fraud.

Medical spas may open themselves to theft because they don’t ask for payment up-front. The cost isn’t settled until clients choose from a menu of services including hair removal, face peels or newly plumped lips.

“Clients come in for a consultation,” said David Hiers, manager of the Radiance MedSpa on Camelback Road.

“We talk about what they want and then start the procedures.”

Dr. Richard Johnson, owner and medical director of the Camelback Road Radiance spa, said clients used to go to doctors offices for lip-plumping, face peels and other treatments that don’t require surgery.

But as more and more people began yearning for a younger look, treatments were moved out of doctors offices into spalike settings, Johnson said.

Bonni Bostian, 43, of Scottsdale, said she began going to a doctor’s office for face peels about eight years ago. On her 40th birthday, she treated herself to Botox injections at the Radiance spa.

‘The ambience’

“It seemed as if I was getting a lot more for my money,” she said, adding that she likes “the ambience.”

“You can get a massage, book a peel, Botox and reflexology all at the same time,” Bostian said.

Meanwhile, Foster, who stole services from six anti-aging operations, admits she was seduced by the youth craze, court records say.

The self-employed jeweler at first paid for her injections. But when her money ran out, she ran out on the bill.

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