Laser Clinic MD

A medical aesthetic clinic in Laval is launching the first-ever event during which clients will pay the amount they choose for their BOTOX or Juvéderm treatments. These are the two anti-aging treatments most often administered in Canada and the basic components in Soft Lift treatments. This event will take place on Tuesday, January 26, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

“NuFace is the first medical aesthetic clinic to take such an initiative. By organizing this special day, we want the public to become better informed about full facial rejuvenation treatments using BOTOX Cosmetic and Juvéderm, and help individuals feel better about themselves during this difficult economic time,” said Jany Manning, owner of the Univers NuFace clinic.

Clients who make an appointment for a treatment on this specific day will be able to choose the price they wish to pay. “The only rule is that the customer must pay at least a penny; we’ll rely on each person’s judgment. We believe that individuals have the right to treat themselves and enhance their quality of life through treatments such as Soft Lift even when the economy doesn’t make it easy. This is our small contribution to jump-start the economy and we hope that other businesses will follow with similar initiatives,” added Ms. Manning.

At the Univers NuFace clinic, all medical aesthetic treatments are administered by a physician. “We are one of the leaders in the field of Soft Lift treatment. We favour this combination of BOTOX Cosmetic and Juvéderm because of the quality and safety of these products, which give patients optimal results, a natural look and an unparalleled degree of satisfaction,” said Dr. Damian Naqvi, Medical Director of the Univers NuFace clinic.

• Teeth Whitening From Shine.
  Posted on Sunday, January 3rd, 2010 in Laser Clinic – Comments: (0)
  Image via WikipediaShine provides professional teeth whitening services to medical clinics using exactly the same process, materials and trained technicians that serve dental clinics. We provide a new way for your medical spa, laser clinic or cosmetic surgery center to offer the most desired cosmetic treatment directly to your existing clientele… and it’s amazingly easy.How Shine Teeth Whitening Services Work.Shine’s teeth whitening kits are easy to use. Any member of your staff can quickly administer the materials we send you to capture precise top and bottom “bite” impressions of your clients in the specialized impression putty and trays we provide to you.Send the impressions to our lab in the package we provide you. Within 48 hours, we’ll ship the completed custom trays back to you for your client to pick up from your office (or, if you prefer, we can mail the completed kit directly to the customer for you with gel and instructions included.)A return visit by your customer is another chance to provide additional service and purchases such as extra whitening gel and portable whitening pens to supplement your client’s new custom whitening kit.The possibilities are endless – and in no time, your ability to provide custom teeth whitening kits at a retail price that is up to 70% less expensive than a comparable kit from a dental office will provide extra satisfaction for your clientele, and thousands of dollars per month in additional revenue for you, with no extra staffing, equipment or training required.
• Laser Clinic MD: High Cost Treatments Taking a Backseat
  Posted on Tuesday, January 12th, 2010 in Cosmetic Laser – Comments: (0)
  People are putting off cosmetic procedures until the economy rebounds and for now seek lower-cost treatmentsIn the fall season opener of “Nip/Tuck,” the sleek Los Angeles office of McNamara/Troy sat forlorn and empty, a voice-over reminding that when times are tough, one of the first things to go is the luxury of elective cosmetic surgery.That same scene could be played out in plastic surgeons’ offices all over, as people seem to be passing up big-ticket beauty procedures — face-lifts, liposuction, breast augmentation — and seeking less expensive ways to achieve beauty ideals.According to both the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, the number of cosmetic surgical procedures done in 2008 was lower than in 2007 — by 9%, according to the ASPS, and 15%, according to the ASAPS. And although 2009 figures will not be available until late February or early March, plastic surgeons say, anecdotally, that business for the year was down at least 20% from 2008.As a result, cosmetic surgery practices are finding themselves acting somewhat as financial consultants to their patients, helping them work out payment plans, negotiating fees and making out lists of priorities — a Brazilian butt lift can wait, but those wrinkles under the eyes need to be dealt with right away.

People are putting off cosmetic procedures until the economy rebounds and for now seek lower-cost treatments

In the fall season opener of “Nip/Tuck,” the sleek Los Angeles office of McNamara/Troy sat forlorn and empty, a voice-over reminding that when times are tough, one of the first things to go is the luxury of elective cosmetic surgery.

That same scene could be played out in plastic surgeons’ offices all over, as people seem to be passing up big-ticket beauty procedures — face-lifts, liposuction, breast augmentation — and seeking less expensive ways to achieve beauty ideals.

According to both the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, the number of cosmetic surgical procedures done in 2008 was lower than in 2007 — by 9%, according to the ASPS, and 15%, according to the ASAPS. And although 2009 figures will not be available until late February or early March, plastic surgeons say, anecdotally, that business for the year was down at least 20% from 2008.

As a result, cosmetic surgery practices are finding themselves acting somewhat as financial consultants to their patients, helping them work out payment plans, negotiating fees and making out lists of priorities — a Brazilian butt lift can wait, but those wrinkles under the eyes need to be dealt with right away. In addition, plastic surgeons who previously only focused on the expensive and invasive procedures have had to turn their hands to the quick fixes — fillers, peels, laser treatments — which are increasingly in demand now.

Nonetheless, and partly because of an increasingly competitive job market, people still want to get work done, Mayer said, but they need cheaper options. Among them: Botox, Restylane and other injectibles that minimize wrinkles are proving especially popular and, at about $1,000 a treatment, are more affordable than the average $10,000 for a face-lift.

Experts are seeing trends across the board that are providing an insight into how people are choosing to spend their beauty dollars: Injectibles are holding their own, expensive products are not. The time between haircuts and mani/pedis is being stretched out, and massages and other body treatments are being postponed. But while fewer people are signing up for pricey liposuction surgeries, treatments such as laser liposculpture are proving popular.

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

How Shine Teeth Whitening Services Work.

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

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

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

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

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

Via Shine Teeth Whitening

• Time Magazine on Botox Botax.
  Posted on Thursday, December 3rd, 2009 in Botox Canada – Comments: (0)
  More heat on the great Botox ‘Botax’ debate, this time from Time.The health care bill currently being debated in the Senate includes a provision that would levy a 5% tax on elective cosmetic surgeries. The proposed Bo-tax is being presented by supporters as a simple economic tool to help offset health care costs, yet detractors—including some 7,000 doctors in the American Academy of Plastic Surgeons—say that the tax is based on inaccurate assumptions that everyone who gets plastic surgery is very wealthy, that it unfairly targets women, who make up the majority of plastic surgery patients, and that it will drive people to seek less expensive and potentially more dangerous options for cosmetic procedures. As it’s currently written, the proposed tax wouldn’t apply to people seeking cosmetic treatment for injuries or disfigurements caused by accidents, trauma or disease. Yet, often, plastic surgeries aren’t clearly either for medical or aesthetic reasons, and instead can be a combination of both. (The person who has a nose job to clear up a breathing problem and has a little sculpting done as well, for example). Additionally, plastic surgeons argue that the taxes could further harm their business, which has already seen fewer patients since the economic downturn as liposuction and other procedures have lost popularity.
• Botched Breast Reduction Plastic Surgery
  Posted on Thursday, December 3rd, 2009 in Bad Plastic Surgery – Comments: (0)
  A general practitioner who performed a botched breast reduction that left a woman disfigured learnt how to do cosmetic surgery by reading text- books, attending meetings and assisting other surgeons.Dr Christiaan Botha, who is not qualified to perform plastic and reconstructive surgery, yesterday admitted that he started performing cosmetic surgery after 10 years of “self-study” and assisting qualified surgeons.He faced charges of unprofessional conduct before the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) relating to a breast reduction procedure performed on a patient in July 2007.He pleaded guilty yesterday.In July 2007 Zelna Venter went to Botha to have a breast reduction because her breasts were causing neck and back pain.But the operation left her scarred – one of her nipples fell off and both areolas had to be removed – after an infection set in and the wound began to smell soon after the procedure. Follow-up visits to Botha saw Venter being put on two courses of antibiotics and having the wound restitched several time before a second opinion was sought, and Venter was sent for an emergency operation.It was during this operation that Venter’s areolas and a chunk of skin were finally removed.Venter’s husband last night barred her from speaking to the media and said they had gone through great trauma in the past two years.
• Medical Spas a new resort for day spas.
  Posted on Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009 in Laser Clinic – Comments: (0)
  Medical spas that provide Botox wrinkle treatments, laser hair removal, and liposuction and facial toning are faring better amid times of slower consumer spending. [Jupiter Images] Spas and salons in New Jersey are hurting, along with the rest of the economy, but the relatively pricier medical spas among them seem to be better off, so says Hannelore Leavy, executive director of the International Medical Spa Association, in Union Township, which has 350 members worldwide, including about 30 in New Jersey.The medical spa industry is faring better because its patrons are more affluent than those that patronize conventional day spas, Leavy said. “In every recession, people buy more cosmetics because they want to look and feel good,” she said. Medical spas provide that “instant gratification,” she said.Medical spas typically provide Botox wrinkle treatments, laser hair removal, and body contouring procedures like liposuction and facial toning, many of which have to be done under medical supervision, Leavy said.Salons providing basic services like haircuts and nail jobs are also handling the recession better than expected because those are necessities, said Leavy, who also heads the 800-member Day Spa Association from her Union office. The day-spa industry has been badly hit because massages, facials and herbal wraps are considered luxuries, not necessities, she said.

Clean out that make-up drawer!

A survey carried out by Mintel showed that ‘funny smells’ or discoloration would only push 28 per cent of women surveyed to discard products such as make-up, shampoo or shower gel.  The survey results suggest that industry could play a bigger part in helping to raise awareness of the hazards relating to using cosmetics and personal care products that are past their best through enhanced labeling and marketing campaigns.

Not only do personal care products lose their efficacy with age – a process that happens even quicker if they are not stored correctly – but they can also become breeding grounds for bacteria that, when applied to the skin, can increase the risk of rashes and even infection.

Greater awareness of this kind of risk would obviously help to prevent consumers suffering such consequences, ultimately serving to enhance the brand image and increasing positive associations consumers have with them.  Likewise it could also serve to increase sales if consumers are encouraged to discard older and deteriorated products in favor of replacement purchases.  The Mintel study draws a comparison with food products, underlining the fact that consumers would be far less likely to eat food that was beyond its sell-by date or clearly not safe to consume.

“It is not simply a matter of products no longer performing to optimal standards, old said Alexandra Richmond, senior beauty analyst at Mintel.  ”Repeated exposure to bacteria from the mouth affects lip color cosmetics, while out-of-date mascara and eye pencils can raise the risk of infections.”  Richmond also went on point out that often natural and organic products – currently an area of the market that is enjoying huge consumer interest and growth – are more susceptible to spoiling because they use fewer and sometimes no preservatives.

Mintel’s survey results also show that many women struggle with the concept of sell-by dates for cosmetics and personal care products, with most indicating that they would continue to use it until either it runs out or when it is clearly off.  Another problem is that many labels indicate that the product should be used within a certain period after opening. However, a significant number of women surveyed said they had problems keeping track of when products were first opened.

Patients don’t have to wait for the economy to get better in order to look their best…

In a tough economy where many are turning to cosmetic surgery to help “lift” their job prospects, more patients are turning to scaled-down versions of face lifts to get some of the results of the traditional procedure without the traditionally larger price tag.  Facial liposuction is quickly growing in popularity with patients who want noticeable results but cannot commit to taking much time away from work for recovery.

“I think what we’re seeing now is a second wave of patients who have decided they aren’t going to wait on the economy to improve their appearance,” explains Dr. Andrew Salzberg. “We’ve seen a number of patients who decided to switch over to short-term, noninvasive treatments like injectables, but I think a lot of these patients now are taking a second look at their options and going for longer-term results that still fit their budget.”

To many of these women and men, facial liposuction seems like an ideal solution. “For the right patient, this procedure is a great alternative to the traditional face lift because it creates a few key adjustments without requiring patients to take a lot of time off of work to recover,” says Dr. Salzberg.

A face lift adjusts sagging muscle tissues, skin, and fat, but facial liposuction focuses instead on eliminating excess fat in areas like the lower face to ease signs of aging like wrinkles, jowls, and neck “wattles.” While facial liposuction is not as extensive as a face lift, it can often improve the lower face dramatically by tightening up the jaw line and minimizing some of the more noticeable wrinkles around the mouth.

“With a traditional face lift you get multiple levels of correction, and for many patients those changes will be more appropriate,” explains Dr. Salzberg. “For the right patient, though, the results of facial liposuction can be very impressive.”

In addition to blue light treatments that target the bacteria responsible for acne, other energy sources, such

as those that send heat deep into the skin, can be used to suppress the oil glands in an effort to stop the breakout cycle.

Smoothbeam is the most popular diode laser used to shrink the size of the oil glands and suppress their activity. It heats the outer layer of the gland and creates a mild thermal injury that decreases sebum production. In addition to reducing active lesions and preventing new ones from forming, the nonablative resurfacing effect of collagen remodeling also helps reduce scarring.

Patients usually see a 40% to 50% improvement after the first treatment, but three to six are normal, with severe acne and scarring requiring up to 12 treatments.

Caution for those with darker skin before you try laser hair removal….

The best candidate for light-based hair removal is someone with fair skin and dark hair.  Dark hair absorbs light more effectively, but the light can’t tell the difference between brown hair and brown skin. This can be tricky for those with darker skin types, like African-Americans, Hispanics, and some Asians.

A doctor could under-treat and get no response, or he or she may over-treat, stopping hair growth, but damaging the pigment-producing cells in the surrounding skin, leaving white spots.

Try to find a dermatologist who performs a lot of laser hair removal and also treats people with your skin color and type on a regular basis. Be sure to ask if he or she has treated others with your skin type with a fair amount of success, and what the complication rate has been.

It is also recommended that you ask how old the doctor’s technology is, since devices manufactured before 1999 emit pulses that are too short to address darker skin. Using these older machines could leave serious blistering and permanent discoloration.

Beauty business is still targeted for new tax…

(Politics Daily)  Goodbye “Botax”, hello “Tan-tax”!

In the new package of changes to the health reform bill released Saturday morning, Senate leaders have cut out the much-discussed five-percent tax on elective cosmetic surgery, known as the Botox-tax. In its place, the bill will add a 10-percent tax on indoor tanning. According to the language in the bill, the tax would apply to golden glows that come from tanning beds that deliver UV radiation, not spray tans, and will come out of your pocket when you pay for your fresh-from-the-beach look.

The only good news for tanners is that the tax becomes effective on July 1, 2010, so fake sun seekers have the entire winter to enjoy the last round of tax-free tans.