Baldness drug Propecia 'risking men's sexual health'

Young men could be risking their sexual health by taking a commonly used anti-baldness drug, claim some doctors.

They say finasteride, sold in the UK as Propecia, can cause serious side effects and isn't adequately labelled.

A quarter of men in their 20s show signs of male pattern baldness, with six and a half million males in the UK affected.

Propecia manufacturer Merck says it continually monitors the drug's safety and has updated the label.

James, 26, from Edinburgh suffered side effects after using the drug.

"I noticed hair loss, hair coming out in the shower and on the pillow, and I freaked out basically.

"I went onto the internet and researched it. I found out there was a drug called Propecia, and soon enough I started buying that and it worked a treat."

The prescription pill is extremely effective at stopping hair loss and in clinical trials nine out of 10 men didn't lose any more hair over a five year period.

Drugs' company Merck, which manufactures Propecia, claims on its website that less than 2% of men could suffer sexual side effects.

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The facelift that made me fall in love with life again

Annabel Giles was one of Britain's top models, but nearing 50, illness and heartbreak had left her looking tired and old...

The wonderful Joan Collins famously once said: ‘The problem with beauty is that it’s like being born rich, and getting poorer.’

One morning in the summer of 2007, I looked at myself in the mirror and suddenly knew with searing clarity what she meant.

I hated what I saw staring back at me. In my youth, I had been one of the most celebrated models of my generation — a supermodel before the term had been invented. To take up Joan’s analogy, I hadn’t just been born rich; I’d been born a millionaire.

Now here I was, peering at my 48-year-old self in the mirror, wondering where my lovely face had gone.

It seemed as if it was slowly sliding off my head. I looked cross, tired and worried, even when I was feeling chipper. Put simply, my inside wasn’t matching my outside — a feeling most women no longer in the first flush of youth will recognise only too well.

I realised in that moment that I didn’t want to stand idly by as my looks slipped away. I wanted to look as good as I could, no matter what my age.

So there was only one thing for it — to go under the surgeon’s knife.

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Carey Mulligan: Hollywood doctor told me to have Botox

At just 25, Carey Mulligan is one of Hollywood's freshest-faced stars.

Yet the British actress was told to get Botox in order to look more youthful, she has disclosed.

Of her visit to a Los Angeles dermatologist, Mulligan recalled: "I said, 'I have some lines here under my eye and they're annoying, what can you do?' He looked at my face and said, 'We'll just drop some Botox in here and here...'.

"I said, 'What the ----? I'm only 25, are you joking?' So I can't move my face? Isn't that, well, the antithesis of what I'm trying to do as an actress? Only in LA would someone try and give you Botox when you're 25 years old."

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Do-it-yourself Botox injections risky business

Do-it-yourself Botox injections are the latest wrinkle in the pursuit of beauty on a budget.

Catherine Maiorino, 54, started thinking about buying Botox over the Internet when the creases between her eyebrows began to needle her. "So I went and found a website where I could order it," recalls the vocational school teacher from Pennsauken, N.J.

She paid $200 to a spa in California for a vial of what was labeled as Dysport, which contains the same active ingredient as Botox. The price was about one-third of what she expected to pay at a physician's office. Maiorino figured her daughter, a phlebotomist, could do the injections. "She is the most excellent sticker in the whole world."

When the substance arrived in the mail, Maiorino was disappointed to find only a few freeze-dried crystals in the vial, to be reconstituted with saline solution.
"There were no actual instructions in the package, no way to determine what the proper consistency should be," she says.

Her daughter balked - "she said I was crazy" - and insisted Maiorino take the vial to a doctor.

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Botox Could Cause Muscle Wastage

Submitted by Ria Patel

According to a new study carried out by the researchers from the University of Calgary, the botox injections that are employed to get rid of wrinkles and plump-up lips could lead to wastage of muscles into fat.

The researchers claim that the cosmetic jab if used over long periods of time could harm any part of the body and not just the area where injection is given.

The findings of the study are based on the experiment of Botulinum toxin A, a substance used in the medical profession on a group of 18 rabbits for a period of up to six months. It was discovered that the limbs of the animals, where the shot was given had endured muscle wastage of up to 50%. The loss of muscle was not just confined to limbs where injection was given but also affected other limbs.

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Botox to be tested for Treating Herpes

Submitted by Ria Patel

A treatment used to get rid of wrinkles is being used for other purposes as well. Apparently, Botox is being used to treat the cold sores that occur in people suffering from the herpes simplex virus. The sores usually appear around the lips of people suffering from the condition.

Though, the infection does not appear in its nascent stages, yet once it's activated, people end up suffering from cold sores, which appear on a regular basis.

The cosmetic procedure is being currently scrutinized to check, whether it can help people suffering from herpes. The research is being conducted by a group of researchers from the Chicago Centre for Facial Plastic Surgery in the United States.

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Try a super serum: Don't scoff - the powerful doses of anti-ageing ingredients in these potions work wonders

By Alice Hart-davis

When I first heard about beauty serums a few years ago, my reaction was cynical. A whole new step in skincare, between cleansing and moisturising? Yeah, right.

How come we had all been fine for decades using just moisturiser? Had skincare companies - or perhaps their marketing departments - come up with this brilliant money-making wheeze to persuade us to add yet another product to our daily regimes?

But now I couldn’t live without my serums. Like many others, I have come to see them as a vital ingredient in any skincare regime. Have I just been suckered by the hype? Goodness, no. Here’s why.

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Would you let your man spend £7,000 to hide his bald patch?

Anyone who’s caught their man secretly checking out his reflection in the bathroom mirror will know that most of them are as vain as David Beckham or Simon Cowell.

They may be able to laugh off comments about their complexion, weight or their (lack of a) six-pack, but if there’s one thing liable to put in him in a huff, it’s pointing out that he may be thinning on top.

Male pattern baldness - known medically as androgenetic alopecia - affects nearly all men by the time they are 60. For some, such as Prince William and footballer Wayne Rooney, it can begin as young as 17 or 18.

But, for most men, baldness begins in the late 20s or early 30s. By the age of 40, a large percentage have said goodbye to the thick, lustrous locks of their youth.

For those happy to go through life looking like Phil Mitchell, William Hague - or for the lucky few - Bruce Willis, it’s no big deal.

But for many others, baldness can become an obsession, as actor James Nesbitt admitted last week.

Publish Post

After years of battling his thinning pate, he finally had two follicular unit transplants, which replaced much of the lost hair. ‘They’ve changed my life,’ he says. ‘It’s horrible going bald. Anyone who says it isn’t is lying.’


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The hot-wax mask loved by celebrities 'that wipes years off your face'

It is billed as the quickest way to a 'non-surgical facelift'.

So it's no wonder beauty experts are waxing lyrical about it.

The paraffin wax facial, a thermal mask painted on to the skin and then kept warm under infra-red light, is the latest A-list craze in the quest for more youthful skin.

The treatment begins with an hour's intensive massage by Emma Hardie, the renowned celebrity facialist who came up with the idea.

During the massage, which is known as the Natural Sculpt and Lift facial, she uses moisturising oils and massage to stimulate the skin cells and a 'deep-tissue' kneading technique to give softer, plumper skin.

She then uses a specially formulated rose and geranium thermal paraffin wax mask which is painted on to the skin while warm and left on for half an hour.

This helps the skin to absorb the moisturising oils and soothes and relaxes the facial muscles to help release tension and leave the skin bright and glowing.

The wax is kept warm under an infra-red light so that it doesn't solidify before it is wiped off.

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Cream of the crop: Want to be sure your anti-ageing cream isn't just snake oil? Look for the ingredients that really work

We are obsessed with looking younger. We spend £600 million a year on anti-ageing face creams and this figure is set to rise as yet more products enter the market.

But with a vast array of lotions and potions competing for our cash, how can you be sure the cream you are buying is not just a gimmick? The answer is to look out for the proven ingredients that can really halt skin ageing.

Here are the ‘super-ingredients’ that you should be scanning for ...

RETINOL

A form of vitamin A, retinol is a tried and tested wrinkle reducer. This powerful ingredient exfoliates the top layer of the complexion and stimulates the production of skin-firming collagen.
With consistent use, sun-damaged or slack skin can gradually become smoother and tauter —– six months is the norm.

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Botox or no-tox... How high-maintenance is YOUR beauty regime

By Elsa Mcalonan

The Big British Beauty Poll, commissioned by Olay, is one of the biggest beauty surveys ever conducted in the UK  -  20,000 women, aged 18-65, were asked about their beauty habits, covering everything from how much they spend to how they feel about Botox.

The results are in, and here we can exclusively reveal what British women really think about beauty.

BOTOX VERSUS NO-TOX?

Botox is out! Now it’s official — women prefer ‘Super Facials’ as the top anti-ageing treatment. The ‘frozen look’ has been given the cold shoulder as women opt for the needle-free method of turning back the years.

When asked ‘Would you consider having, or have you had, any of the following anti-ageing treatments?’, 67 per cent chose anti-ageing facials, 43 per cent micro-dermabrasion, 27 per cent facial peels, 25 per cent laser re-surfacing and 24 per cent cosmetic surgery.

Botox was least popular, scoring only 21 per cent. As high-profile celebrities such as Dannii Minogue say ‘no more’ to Botox, women are following the trend and turning to super-charged facials as alternatives to firmer, younger-looking skin.

A-list facialist Anastasia Achilleos says: ‘I’ve noticed more and more women switching from Botox to high-performance facials.

'They’ve heard about the rejuvenating effects you can achieve from new facial techniques and are looking for a softer, more individual approach to anti-ageing. Now that celebrities are ­coming out against Botox, there’s a growing trend for a more natural look.’

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Severe acne linked to higher suicide risk

Experts say people with acne should be monitored for depression and suicidal thoughts

 

By Peter Russell
WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Dr Farah Ahmed

 

12th November 2010 - People with severe acne are at a heightened risk of attempting suicide, according to a new study in the online edition of the bmj.

It also found that those who had been treated with the commonly prescribed acne medication isotretinoin may be at an additional suicide risk. However, the authors stress that this is more likely to be because of events associated with their medical condition than the drug itself.

Isotretinoin has been used to treat severe cases of acne since the 1980s. It is marketed under the brand names Roaccutane, Accutane, Amnesteem, Claravis, Clarus or Decutan. Researchers in Sweden set out to determine whether there was any truth in case reports of an association between isotretinoin, depression and suicidal behaviour: for instance, a five year study which found that Finnish army recruits treated with isotretinoin were more likely to use mental health services than those who were not.

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From the facelift in a jar to the gel that boosts your bust, do these miracle creams EVER work?

Every month a new product is hailed as a miracle that will banish wrinkles, zap cellulite or give you a bigger bust.

But how many wonder lotions work?

JENNY STOCKS of the Daily Mail asked two top dermatologists, Dr Nick Lowe, of the Cranley Clinic, and Dr Stefanie Williams, of Harley Street clinic Eudelo.com, to find out...

THE CELLULITE BUSTER

Biotherm Celluli Laser D Code, £37, Boots

What is it? Only a lucky few will escape the curse of cellulite and so there are dozens of creams on the market that claim to lessen the dreaded orange peel effect. But one product caused a real splash, back in April, when 94 per cent of women during clinical trials reported less dimpled legs after use. 

Biotherm’s pink gel contains a chemical, phytosveltyl, which helps skin cells burn more fat and store less of it.

Dr Lowe’s verdict: ‘Whenever I see the word laser in a non-prescription cream, I’m worried. It’s doubtful any product can do the same as a laser.

‘This contains moisturising glycerin and caffeine, which may cause a slight tightening, but it would be a very temporary result.’


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What is a Wellay Personal Skin Laser and will it Rejuvenate My Skin?

What is a Wellay Personal Skin Laser and will it Rejuvenate My Skin?

After 18 years of Botox, how I finally unfroze my smile...

Was it the day I looked in the mirror and saw an unfamiliarly, glassy face staring back at me? Or was it the humiliating moment in A&E when the young doctor treating me for a cut on my forehead asked me to raise my eyebrows and I simply couldn’t do it?

Either way, after nearly two decades of having Botox, I’ve decided to quit. And as I hit send on the email cancelling my latest appointment — saying that I wouldn’t be rearranging it — I felt wonderfully liberated. Hell, I even raised an eyebrow in celebration.

My Botox days started 18 years ago, when, at the age of 29 I was asked by a magazine to test this radical new treatment. It really did seem to work magic, and although I wasn’t plagued with wrinkles, I had injections sporadically over the years, when I started to look tired.

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Fighting Wrinkles With Lasers Scientifically Unraveled

Laser pulses enable skin rejuvenation, as research at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) has shown. Laser treatment introduces heat into the skin. Under the influence of heat shocks of 45°C, skin cells produce more collagen. This is the protein that gives the skin its firmness and elasticity. Susanne Dams describes this process in the dissertation for which she gained her PhD degree from the Biomedical Engineering Department at TU/e.

Laser treatment is quite common in the practices of beauticians and dermatologists. Although the technique has been widely used for many years, its impact and the underlying processes are still to be unraveled.

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Is having cosmetic work done the new normal?

As more ordinary women opt to undergo cosmetic work, Justine Picardie argues they are losing more than just a few wrinkles in their quest for ageless perfection.

Earlier this month I found myself sitting next to Courtney Love during Paris Fashion Week. At 47, she looked astonishingly smooth of complexion - her skin unwrinkled, her cheeks and lips as plump as a Renaissance cherub. But beneath her dewy foundation, there were faint signs of yellow bruises, as if this fresh face had blossomed out of a fight.

It's never easy to untangle hard facts from candy-floss gossip in the reporting of celebrity cosmetic procedures; but several newspapers have commented approvingly on Love's new look, and attributed it to Dr Sam Rizk, a New York surgeon who performs a 'stem-cell facelift', whereby the patient's own fat and adult stem cells are extracted, separated and then injected back into the face. This is, apparently, the latest breakthrough in the quest for youthfulness - with more desirable results than the obvious facelifts of the past, which gave everyone the same scarily tautened skin and identikit noses.


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Laser Hair Loss Therapy Advice From The Consulting Room

The history of baldness cures that don’t involve some form of surgery can be summed up rather succinctly. From prehistory to the late 1980s, nothing worked. All baldness cures were figuratively and often literally snake oil.

Then came Minoxidil (marketed in the UK as Regaine®) followed quickly by Finasteride (marketed in the UK as Propecia®); see the hair loss drugs section. These products can prevent hair loss and in some cases, grow new hair.

Genes are behind most of the bald and thinning heads out there, male and female. You can inherit baldness from your mother or your father. Baldness is not passed only through the mother's side, a quick look at the countless number of bald fathers and sons will nullify this myth.

There are now a wide range of products, from custom hair replacement systems to laser hair loss therapy devices, (both in salon and at home hand-held comb devices) available on the market, which claim to provide a solution to hair loss.

The use of low-level laser therapy (LLLT), although shown in some studies to be effective in improving the thickness and fullness of hair on its own*, is often combined with proven scalp and hair re-growth products, (see the hair loss drugs section), for a full hair loss treatment program.

Low-level laser hair loss therapy is now recognized throughout Europe and in the United States as an effective treatment for most forms of hair loss, including male and female pattern baldness. It is suitable for anybody who is in the early stages of thinning.

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How 'mummy tummy' became the latest body image anxiety

A cosmetic cream, said to help reduce a woman's post-natal stomach bulge, has been launched - prompting reports of rush buying. But why does it seem women are suddenly worried about this most natural result of pregnancy?

It's a miracle apparently. A new cream costing £18.85 with "fat-burning ingredients" that can help banish a mummy tummy - the softness around the midriff most women are left with after having a baby.

That women worry about their stomachs - and bodies - after giving birth is nothing new. The average woman puts on two-and-a-half stone during pregnancy, so it's no wonder her stomach muscles are left looser than they were.

But in recent years this natural body change has been given its own moniker. At the same time, the raft of celebrity-focused magazines and tabloid newspapers seem to be keeping a watching brief on which famous mothers are winning - and losing - their battle with this baby bulge.

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Vampire therapy: It might sound ghoulish, but having your blood sucked out and cleaned could work miracles

Another miracle cure from the Daily Mail. I think a skin laser would possibly have the same anti-aging effect as it energises the blood circulation resulting in healthier skin cells and of course can also be used for healing wounds among other things.

"The thought of having blood drained from your body, treated under ultraviolet light, then pumped back in sounds like something out of a Hallowe’en horror film.

But blood cleansing, the latest health-boosting treatment to reach our shores, claims to not only energise you, but aid a host of medical and skin concerns, too.

UVB Photo-biological Stimulation therapy (UVB therapy) involves a small amount (50ml) of blood being extracted from the body and passed, via a tube connection, to a machine where it’s briefly exposed to UV light then redirected into the bloodstream.
It sounds ghoulish and a little bizarre, but this 15-minute treatment is widely used in Germany and Russia. And now the treatment is available in the UK.

Blood cleansing makes some impressive claims from perking up energy levels, strengthening the immune system and increasing metabolism, to reducing the symptoms of diabetes, allergies and improving skin conditions such as acne and dermatitis.

But can exposing our blood to light actually improve our wellbeing?

The theory is, that when there is not enough oxygen in the blood, there is also a lack of energy in the blood’s cells which can lead to poor circulation. This is when illness can strike.

‘UVB therapy works to re-oxygenate the bloodstream, re-energise the body and boost the immune system, which is vital for inner health and wellbeing,’ says Dr Robert Stelzer, a specialist, who has been administering the treatment for more than a decade."

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No surgery required: Can Denise Van Outen's miracle cream really banish mummy tummy?

Not lasers but a miracle cream! Oh if this only did work, how happy we would all be.
This is what the Daily Mail says,

"The beauty bloggers claim its toning and skin-tightening effects are comparable to having surgery.

Small wonder then that this £18.85 ‘miracle’ cream – which claims to banish the dreaded mummy tummy – is flying off the shelves.

The cream caused havoc at Harvey Nichols when it went on sale, triggering a stampede which saw it selling out in London and Manchester within an hour.

‘People are saying the effect is amazing,’ said one skincare sales assistant.

Chemist Boots started stocking the product, but it too sold out after a rush on the cream made it last month’s bestseller.

More than 850 customers are now on the waiting list for a tube of the Nip+Fab Tummy Fix, the next delivery of which should arrive next week.

Kimberley Walsh, Denise Van Outen, Alexandra Burke, Diane Vickers and Ellie Goulding have all declared themselves to be fans of the cream, which was developed by the team behind the luxury Rodial body-sculpting range."

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How fashion for Botox has seen number of mice used in medical experiments more than double

The fashion for the anti-wrinkle jab Botox is condemning tens of thousands of animals to a painful death, it has been claimed.

New figures show that the number of laboratory mice used in a controversial drugs toxicity test more than doubled in Europe between 2005 and 2008 from 33,000 a year to a staggering 87,000.

According to one of the world's leading authorities on animal experiments, most of the rise can be explained by the boom in instant facelifts.

Although animal experiments for cosmetics are banned in Europe, Botox and similar jabs are classified as medicines.  Each  batch is tested by injecting a group of mice with ever increasing doses until half the animals are dead.

While Botox  is used by some doctors to treat painful muscle spasms and unpleasant sweating, it is far more commonly used to ease out wrinkles.

In recent years, its use has been popularised by celebrities such as Katie Price.

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Beauty-Lasers.com is here to help you stay young and beautiful the affordable way

Beauty-Lasers.com is here to help you stay young and beautiful the affordable way

Pillow-face epidemic: Which celebs have plumped for a surgery-free facelift - and who just looks like they have?

Cameron Diaz, the blonde surfer babe with the effortless beauty, suddenly looks ­downright weird.

Face puffed up, cheeks resembling those of an over-inflated chipmunk, eyes shrunk to tiny slits ... she has joined what can only be described as the Pillow Face Club.

Sharon Osbourne, pictured last week, is another member. There she is looking as smooth and as unlined as a baby’s bottom and, for someone who has just turned 58, that looks plain odd.

Then there’s Kylie, Priscilla Presley, Daryl Hannah, Nicole Kidman and Linda Evans — all beautiful women who now look rejuvenated. How do they do it — diet and exercise?

They all sport the same youthful, plasticised look. But apart from Sharon Osbourne and Priscilla Presley, none admits to using fillers.

But Sharon, for example, must have a huge entourage surrounding her — why doesn’t one of them tell her to stop tampering?

Why doesn’t her personal assistant tell her she has gone too far? It’s as if everyone is either too scared to say: ‘Stop plumping yourself up, you look hideous.’ Or, even more ­worryingly, they think it looks great. 

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The 'one-stitch facelift' claims to be the ultimate quick fix for turkey necks, but does it work?

Given the wind-tunnel results of plastic surgery as seen on the likes of Joan Rivers, not to mention the prospect of a general anaesthetic, scars and months of recovery, it’s not surprising that a full-on facelift is about as popular as last year’s It-bag.

After all, if you want to pretend your ever-youthful looks are down to yoga and water, it doesn’t do to be seen to look as if you’ve had serious work.

For a while it seemed as if fillers and Botox would be the secret of stealth rejuvenation, but not everyone wants the chipmunk cheeks and glassy forehead that so often go with them.

So the facelift has been fighting back. But this time it’s different.

The new ‘One-Stitch Facelift’ is a minimally invasive, super-sneaky way to lift cheeks and jowls, reduce double chins and tighten saggy necks. It is done under local anaesthetic and involves having just one stitch on each side of the head, buried in the hair.

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Healthy Choices: Go Wrinkle free

Until now, anti-ageing laser light therapy was only available in beauty salons and private cosmetic clinics. However, the personal Wellay Cosmetic Skin Laser has made that a thing of the past, allowing you to use patented multi-wavelength laser technology in your own home.

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Let there be light! LED treatments claiming to cure acne are now available as home kits - but are they safe?

When you’ve got acne or wrinkles, the last thing you want is for someone to come along and shine a light on your imperfections.

But an innovative home-use device requires you to do exactly that — with the promise of results that match up to professional-strength machines.

Treatments using the skin-repairing power of LED (light-emitting diode) light therapy are firm favourites with dermatologists and facialists.

Carla Bruni, Natalie Imbruglia and Sienna Miller are all said to be disciples.

But typical salon or clinic-based LED light treatment can cost more than £100 a go, and require six to 12 sessions.

Enter the Tanda Light Therapy Skincare System, a hand-held gizmo that mimics the light frequency used in clinic-based treatments, with the added bonus that you can use it in your own home, in your own time and at a fraction of the cost.

Developed in Canada, the mini-machines work by exposing the skin to different wavelengths of coloured light to gently and painlessly treat blemished complexions.

There are two devices, available only in Harvey Nichols.

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Cosmetic surgery industry in UK 'has key weaknesses'

There are fundamental weaknesses in the way cosmetic surgery is carried out in the UK, an official review body says.


The National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death found many centres were failing to assess and care for patients properly.

In particular, the poll of 361 sites found patients were at risk from a culture which saw teams "have a go" at operations they rarely performed.

The professional body for cosmetic surgeons accepted there was a problem.

The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons only has about a third of the industry as members.
President Nigel Mercer said: "This presents a distressing picture, but one which is sadly not surprising. Aesthetic surgery needs to be recognised as the multi-million pound specialty it is."

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Shining a light on acne

Laser treatment may be the new panacea for acne.

It isn’t just the young stars of the Harry Potter movies who are plagued by zits – a huge number of more mature celebrities are cursed with problematic skin. Kate Moss, Cameron Diaz, Madonna, Uma Thurman, Billie Piper and Victoria Beckham have all been spotted (sorry) with outbreaks. Adult acne is increasing and a recent study in the US shows that 25 per cent of women aged 30-40 will suffer from the condition.

“It’s a major psychological problem,’’ says Tony Chu, professor of dermatology at the University of Buckinghamand medical director of the West London Dermatology Centre. ''I have had patients who have cancelled their weddings as the stress made their skin worse.’’

Stress is a major cause of the spot epidemic. “Acne is caused by hormonal changes normally onset by puberty,” says Prof Chu, “but it’s now seen in adults who lead more stressful lives.’’

Pharmacist Shabir Daya from online pharmacy Victoria Health agrees. ''Stress stimulates the production of male hormones. The major culprit is dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which increases the production of the skin’s natural oil, sebum, clogging the pores.’’ The bacteria associated causes acne to thrive in these conditions, feeding on the sebum and irritating the glands, which leads to spots.

The standard prescription is an antibiotic and a vitamin A cream to unblock the pores. For tough cases, stronger medications such as Roaccutane (isotretinoin) are used, which take four to six weeks to take effect and can clear about 50 per cent of lesions. However, they might have side-effects such as dry skin, eyes and lips, raised blood fats and sugar.

Prof Chu is pioneering the use of a different approach – the N-Lite (or Regenlite) laser. It was developed for general skin rejuvenation but when one patient with severe acne found her lesions virtually disappeared after two weeks, a clinical study was set up at Hammersmith Hospital.

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Botox industry register launched

A government-backed register for providers of injectable cosmetic treatments such as botox and dermal fillers has been launched.

Those who meet the standards set down for the Independent Heathcare Advisory Services' voluntary register, will receive a quality assurance mark.

The IHAS hopes people will be steered away from "botox parties" or treatments offered in inappropriate locations.

But cosmetic surgeons say such self regulation will not stop bad practice.

Botox boom

The introduction of the register comes amid a boom in demand for botox and dermal fillers.

According to the IHAS, there are currently about 5,000 providers of injectables in the UK, carrying out about 200,000 treatments each year.

Other estimates suggest far higher numbers of people in the UK are seeking out these treatments.

But there are growing concerns over people receiving treatments in inappropriate settings.

"We've heard stories of botox parties and people going to even garden sheds [to have treatment], " IHAS director Sally Taber said.

"It's just amazing that the general public think that they can have an injection into their face in a nail bar, a garden shed or at a botox party, because you are dealing with a prescription medicine.

"They can cause permanent damage. The patient will be reminded all their lives that they've gone to an inappropriate practitioner who wasn't appropriately qualified," she warns.

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Botox being injected by 'practitioners' with less than half a day's training

Botox administrators with less than half a day's training are injecting patients' faces with the muscle-paralysing poison.

Dozens of medicals firms are allowing employees to carry out this cosmetic treatment after learning to how to perform the procedure using an orange, the Independent Healthcare Advisory Service (IHAS) found.

And many trainers have no medical employment history or qualifications.

This lack of regulation is putting trusting clients at risk as many hairdressers and beauty therapists, according to the IHAS, are storing Botulism at the wrong temperature and in unhygienic conditions.

Approximately one million Brits have Botox or facial fillers injected each year.

It is estimated one in twenty suffer from resulting complications such as droopy eyelids from the former and lumps developing under the skin from the latter.

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Can You Reverse Hair Loss with a Laser?

Hair loss treatment with low level laser light therapy can be traced back to 1964 when Professor Andre Mester of Budapest conducted an experiment using low level laser light rays to heal the wounds of laboratory mice. He discovered that the laser rays stimulated blood circulation and caused hair located in the area of the wound to grow thicker and longer.

Low level laser light therapy is now widely used around the world as a treatment for hair loss. Laser light rays are applied directly to the scalp and penetrate deeply to activate blood circulation around the hair follicles, halting hair loss and stimulating new growth.

Until recently, this treatment was only available under medical supervision in clinics and was very costly, but the miniaturisation of the technology and stringent, international safety and quality requirements have led to the exciting development of affordable hand-held hair loss treatment lasers for personal use at home.

What Type Of Hair Laser Will Be Most Effective?

Currently there are many different types of hair laser available on the market but how do you choose which is going to be the most effective in treating your hair loss?

Each different laser light used in hair loss treatment lasers has a specific treatment and penetration depth into the scalp. The blood capillaries in direct contact with the dermal papillae lie in the hypodermis, the deepest inner layer among 3 layers of skin (scalp) tissue. The dermal papillae nourish the hair follicles and play a pivotal role in the cycle of hair formation and growth.

Does the Wavelength of the Lasers Matter?

Lasers around the 650nm / 670nm wavelength are the most commonly used in hair loss treatment lasers since their light is a clear, bright red which is immediately visible to the naked eye. It is easily observed to be working in treatment and in fact, it actually does have a beneficial therapeutic effect. They are also cheaper to use in manufacture than longer wavelength, infrared lasers. However, light at this wavelength mainly treats the surface of the scalp and does not penetrate deeply enough so, used alone, is not sufficient for effective hair loss treatment.

The more expensive infrared (invisible light) lasers which use 780nm wavelength are able to penetrate and energise deeper within the skin tissue and are more effective in treatment, although substances within the skin tissue such as melanin, water and haemoglobin absorb and weaken the energy of the laser light. Due to their cost, these lasers are rarely used by manufacturers of hair loss treatment lasers.

Laser light at 830nm wavelength is the least absorbed by the melanin, water and haemoglobin in the skin tissue and therefore able to retain more of its beneficial power to energise the hair follicles and so more light energy can be absorbed into the blood cells. This increases blood circulation and the delivery of nutrients and oxygen to the hair follicles.

Multi Wavelength Hair Loss Treatment Lasers

The most effective hair loss treatment lasers use a combination of 670nm, 780nm and 830nm lasers, such as the Wellay Personal Hair Laser which uses 21 low power multi-wavelength lasers, in 7 groups of 3 lasers at 670nm, 780nm and 830nm. The 3 different wavelengths irradiate the same area of the scalp simultaneously, each working at different layers of the tissue, maximising the benefit and proving a more effective hair growth treatment.

In clinical trials, regular treatment with a Wellay Personal Hair Laser stops the progress of hair loss in 85% of users, increases blood supply to the scalp by 54% after only one treatment, stimulates hair follicles to activate re-growth and improves the quality of the hair shaft resulting in a 25% increase in hair volume and shinier and thicker hair. It also gives noticeable hair growth in as little as 12 weeks. With continuing use, the hair will carry on growing and improving in health.

Patented Technology

The Wellay Personal Hair Laser from beauty-lasers uses world-first patented technology and is the only genuine multi-wavelength hair treatment laser for home treatment of hair loss and scalp conditions. It has CE approval, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 13485 and FDA (Korea) approval. It has been designed to the highest international safety and quality standards.

There are many scientific studies for each laser wavelength that show how effective it is in therapeutic treatment - you can read more about the different effects of each wavelength on the website of the Swedish Laser Medical Society.

Bankrupted by Beauty?

£595 face cream, £53 lipstick and £100 foundation - why have cosmetics prices gone mad?
By Alice Hart-Davis

When the missive arrived from the representatives of Dr Nicholas Perricone, I read it with close interest.

Perricone is one of the world's most highly regarded dermatologists and I learned that in London, in October, he will be making available, for a few weeks only, a small amount of his 'Private Reserve' serum.

I had heard rumours of this fabled stuff, but wasn't sure it actually existed; a serum so special, so high-tech and crammed with patented neuropeptides (tiny molecules that help renew the skin) that it is mixed by hand, once a year, for his highest-profile clients; a skincare holy Grail, if you like . . . and then my reverie was interrupted. I saw the price.

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Reverse Your Losses

This isn't a story about losing your hair gracefully.

Instead, it's about men like Chuck, a successful lawyer, who in his early twenties looked in the mirror and was mortified to see the hair on his temples thinning. He could do the math, especially after thumbing through the family photo album and using his father and uncles as gauges. If he was losing his hair this young, he figured, he'd probably be bald by his thirties, a time that should be the pinnacle of a man's earning power and social prowess.

The images in the mental gallery that followed weren't pretty, starting with the one of him wearing a toupee. "I realized a hairpiece would never work with my active lifestyle," he says. Transplant technology was improving, he read, but the idea of having his follicles rearranged in a $20,000 surgical shell game filled him with dread.

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Cosmetic facial filler suspended

Novabel is marketed as "the gentle, powerful, versatile dermal shaper" by its manufacturer, Merz.

Since its introduction in January the algae-based product has been used by cosmetic surgeons to fill out lines, reduce hollowness below the eyes and plump out cheeks.

According to Merz, 17 clinics use the substance and about 1,700 people across Britain have been treated with it.

But on Thursday the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Authority (MHRA) issued an alert that it should be withdrawn immediately from use.

It stated that Merz had "received reports of adverse reactions to the filler including redness, bruising, pain, swelling and histologically confirmed granuloma". The last is an immune system response that results in small raised nodules under the skin.

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Is a beauty laser the answer to everything?: What is a Wellay Hair Loss Treatment Laser?

Is a beauty laser the answer to everything?: What is a Wellay Hair Loss Treatment Laser?: "The Wellay @home Hair Loss Treatment Laser is the World's first multi-wavelength personal laser for home treatment of hair loss and scalp he..."

Is a beauty laser the answer to everything?: If my hair follicles are dead, will the hair laser...

Is a beauty laser the answer to everything?: If my hair follicles are dead, will the hair laser...: "There's a lot of snake oil out there in terms of hair regrowth products so I have to say this upfront. The Wellay Hair Loss Treatment Laser ..."

Is a beauty laser the answer to everything?: Would I be able to use other hair growth products,...

Is a beauty laser the answer to everything?: Would I be able to use other hair growth products,...: "Yes. You can continue to use any medication you are taking for hair loss, any hair lotion or other treatments while using the Wellay @home H..."

Is a beauty laser the answer to everything?: Would I be getting the same results from this Hair...

Is a beauty laser the answer to everything?: Would I be getting the same results from this Hair...: "I have had laser treatment before from a company which I visited once a week where they used the large laser over the entire head. Will the ..."

Is a beauty laser the answer to everything?: I had plastic surgery but it was years ago. Can I ...

Is a beauty laser the answer to everything?: I had plastic surgery but it was years ago. Can I ...: "Yes. The Wellay @home hair laser will not have any adverse effects. It's quite safe for you to use. The only safety consideration (and it i..."

Is a beauty laser the answer to everything?: Does the Wellay @home hair laser work for Afro-Car...

Is a beauty laser the answer to everything?: Does the Wellay @home hair laser work for Afro-Car...: "Yes. The Wellay @home hair laser will treat hair loss for any colour skin and any colour hair - skin and hair colour and hair texture are no..."

Is a beauty laser the answer to everything?: How do I choose the best and most effective hair l...

Is a beauty laser the answer to everything?: How do I choose the best and most effective hair l...: "Which wavelengths are able to penetrate the skin and be most effective? The Wellay @home Hair Laser was developed jointly, through clinical..."

Is a beauty laser the answer to everything?: Is the Wellay Hair Laser capable of regrowing hair...

Is a beauty laser the answer to everything?: Is the Wellay Hair Laser capable of regrowing hair...: "Both men and women tend to lose hair due to hormonal changes in the body. It is mainly the alterations in the metabolism of androgen in the ..."

Botox: Perennially perky, even when sad

After having Botox, Rebecca Newman finds herself longing to frown again.

"Just a few injections around your eyebrows,” recommends Dr Nick Lowe. Botox. It’s a bit like being offered drugs. The excitement. The fear. The shame. Increasingly, the ubiquity: about 500,000 people have botulinum toxin syringed into their dermis each year in Britain, in the pursuit of beauty, if not truth.

Yet despite its popularity, Botox is not regulated in this country and, should you come across a shoddy practitioner, you could end up with a petrified, lopsided face. But Dr Lowe, aka Dr Botox, is one of the country’s most celebrated dermatologists. So when he tells me that my wrinkles are nothing to worry about, and that he can relax the muscles I use when I frown (which I do as I type, over the years leading to droopy, basset-hound eyelids) I am powerless to resist.

A few small pricks later, my eyes open beautifully wide, just as they used to.

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Why I refuse to get Botox, by Julia Roberts

Eat Pray Love star Julia Roberts refuses to get Botox because she wants her face to 'tell a story'.

The 42-year-old wants to embrace her natural looks for her children.

Julia told US Elle magazine: 'I want my kids to know when I'm p***ed, when I'm happy and when I'm confounded.

'Your face tells a story and it shouldn't be a story about your drive to the doctor's office.'

The actress, who is the new face of Lancome, cannot understand the obsession with looking young.

She said: 'It's unfortunate that we live in such a panicked, dysmorphic society where women don't even give themselves a chance to see what they'll look like as older persons.

'I want to have some idea of what I'll look like before I start cleaning the slates.'

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LIZ JONES MOANS Forget the gym, let's just bring back the girdle

I hate growing old. Every day, you wake up and something else has changed. This morning, I noticed my eyes are now disappearing into their sockets. When did that happen?

More importantly, why is it happening? And where are the beauty features in the glossies telling me how to deal with this?

Most annoying fashion tip gleaned from the September issues, (from InStyle magazine): 'Don't want your hair blowing in your face? Do the hair tuck.' This involves 'tucking your hair into your coat, a la the Margaret Howell catwalk show'.

Are these women insane? I wish that instead, over the years they'd told me I wouldn't always be young. That instead of worrying about stuff I should have enjoyed life, done things.

Equally laughable is the headline accompanying the interview with Louise Redknapp, in Red magazine: 'This is me at 35 and I like it.'

She is 35, not 90! She has money, a husband, children, but she is apologising for the fact she is still alive.

Thinking about my upcoming birthday, I pulled out a copy of Vogue from the month I was born: September 1958. Not one feature on dieting, exercise or plastic surgery. Not a single ad for hair colour.

The models are in their 40s and 50s. There are, though, lots of ads for girdles. That's more like it: cheaper and less bother than gym membership, and far less wear and tear on the face...

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Immupure - Milking It

FROM VOGUE beauty news:

New York socialites are snapping up Immupure, a new anti-ageing skincare line that uses the colostrum (or first milk) produced by cows nursing their newborns.

Colostrum is full of essential vitamins and nutrients, and Immupure have combined the nutritious milk with aloe vera to create a range of anti-ageing serums and moisturisers.

Used daily, the Immupure line aims to boost the skin's natural production of collagen and elastin, helping to smooth out fine lines and wrinkles, repair sun damage and generally perk up the skin no end.

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The British Beauty Blogger Trials the Tanda Skincare System

The British Beauty Blogger is just about to start trialling the Tanda Skincare System that uses red LED light to provide anti-ageing and skin-improving benefits and is the latest to enter the hugely lucrative 'beauty gadget' market.

Here's the promise:

75% of Tanda Regenerate users reported an immediate benefit in hydration;
92% of users reported softer, smoother and more radiant looking skin, and
88% of users saw an improvement in the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles (after 30 days).

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Freeze off that fat instead of melting away your flab with a laser

The hottest craze from America is to chill it to death!

Treatments based on the concept of melting away fat cells with heat based lasers have become commonplace. But the hottest new weight-loss procedure to arrive in the UK does the complete opposite - it freezes hard-to-shift flab to death.

Fresh from the U.S., this innovative machine goes by the name of Zeltiq, and uses a cooling method called cryolipolysis to target, chill and break down fat cells.

Developed by boffins at Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital, Zeltiq has proved a massive hit across the pond since being introduced a year ago - and now it's coming to the UK.

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More women try the Botox way to stay young

Over one million treatments carried out each year for the first time.

The number of women resorting to Botox, lip-plumping and similar treatments in an attempt to stay young has jumped by 15 per cent in a year.

More than one million treatments are now being carried out each year for the first time, confirming a desire to copy the beauty secrets of the rich and famous.

There are well known concerns that Botox injections into the face produce a number of undesired effects, not least creating a mask-like expression devoid of normal movement and expression.

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Wellay Personal Skin Laser Review by Style Apothecary

METSV says:  I remember in the not-so-distant past when I used to watch Extreme Makeover (the people edition, not the home one) and often times the doctors would use lasers to rejuvenate the skin of the patients, taking years off their looks and just adding to the "wow" factor in their final reveal.  I became fascinated with these lasers and started to mentally calculate the money I'd have to save if I ever wanted to laser my skin at a doctor's office.... Well, times have changed, that's for sure.  Now I can perform my own skin lasering right in the privacy of my own home with this sleek and lightweight tool from Wellay.

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Botox makes you happier because it stops you frowning

Frowning when sad actually makes you feel more unhappy, research into the beauty treatment Botox suggests.


The anti-wrinkle drug can make people feel better because it stops them frowning when they are unhappy which feeds back to the brain reducing the intensity of the feeling.

The theory is that if they cannot physically frown then the brain feels there may be less to frown about, scientists claim.


They said it is the psychological equivalent of the old song "when you're smiling, the whole world smiles with you" – or when you don't frown, then the world is less sad.

It applies even if the reason for seeming happy is an injection of chemicals into the forehead to stop wrinkles, said the study by the US Association for Psychological Science.

Many celebrities have the shiny forehead and startled rabbit look that suggests they have had Botox treatments, though not all admit it.

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She Stoops To Conquer Do real feminists use their looks to get ahead?

A funny thing happened late last year, as the health-care bill lulled in the Senate: the so-called Bo-Tax, a proposed (but ultimately rejected) levy on Botox, fillers, and other elective cosmetic procedures, was suddenly creating a feminist uproar.

“It singles out women,” surgeons roared. “It’s hurting the middle class,” others complained. Most surprising, though, was the voice of Terry O’Neill, the president of NOW, who suggested the tax was discriminatory toward women. “[Women] have to find work,” O’Neill told The New York Times. “And…the fact is, we live in a society that punishes women for getting older.”

It’s hard to imagine this was the same NOW once led by Betty Friedan, or that these were the same feminists who, to protest the Miss America pageant in 1968, threw their high heels, girdles, and bras into a “Freedom Trash Can,” claiming that women were “enslaved by ludicrous beauty standards.”

How could any woman who calls herself a feminist condone a patriarchal, plasticized beauty ideal?

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Buzz off, wrinkles: An anti-ageing cream with an electric charge isn't as shocking as you think

Have you heard the latest buzz? Forget fancy ingredients with unpronounceable names, what's getting the beauty business excited right now is something a little more, well, current. Electrical micro-current, to be precise.

Kate Moss recently confessed that she was addicted to a hand-held anti-ageing gadget called Tua Viso (£179, tinarichards.com).

It uses electrical micro-currents to lift facial muscles and stimulate new collagen in a similar way to traditional CACI electrical facelifting treatments.

Meanwhile, Parisian beauty guru Dr Veronique Simon has arrived in London with her patented anti-ageing mask, which uses micro-currents to push collagen into the skin for a replumped look which A-listers and foreign royals are queuing up for.


Using similar technology, but for home use, Estee Lauder recently launched Perfectionist Power Correcting Patches (£80 for eight pairs of patches), which contain a paper-thin battery to deliver a gentle micro-current of energy to drive anti-ageing peptides deeper into the skin and 'dramatically reduce the look of eye lines and wrinkles in just 20 minutes'.

But the newest and most innovative use of 'bio-electricity' is also the most astonishing - it comes in the form of a cream.

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Losing it: Tamara Beckwith falls victim to the curse of the hair extension.

.. just like Naomi Campbell.

It was a condition first spotted in public when Naomi Campbell stepped out with what seemed like an alarmingly large bald patch on the side of her head.

And now another celebrity appears to be suffering from what experts are calling the curse of the hair extension.

Blonde It Girl and TV presenter Tamara Beckwith, 40, was spotted out shopping last week with her scalp showing clearly on the side of her head.

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My Anti-Aging Gadgets - Do They Work?

Rosina at Middle Ageless writes:

I've been asked many times for my opinion on the various gizmos I use to keep my skin looking young (at least the skin on my face...) so here goes!

Baby Quasar, Anti-aging Lightstim, DPL freestanding anti-aging light.

Yes, I have all three. I'm crazy.

What they are: Antiaging lights produce visible and invisible red or amber light from LED units positioned on the head. These lights are claimed by the manufacturers to generate new collagen and elastin by stimulating the skin's fibroblast cells. In doing so, they purportedly reduce wrinkles, diminish pores and lighten age spots. These lights are a less intense version of professional IPL units used in medi-spas.

The likelihood of their working: Not that great therapeutically but possibly effective in a preventive sense. Hundreds of women swear by them however, and I wouldn't want to be without mine because it feels like it is doing something positive for my skin. The EDS forums are a great source of info on these lights.

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Race for eyelash thickener crashes Boots website

Thousands of women crashed the Boots website as they clamoured to get hold of a new 'miracle' eyelash thickener, it has been revealed.

More than 1,000 women had already joined a waiting list for the £39.99 RapidLash Eyelash Enhancing Serum, which went on sale yesterday.

The 'miracle' serum claims to boost the length and thickness of eyelashes by fifty per cent with daily use.

Yesterday a tube of the serum was sold every minute in Boots stores as women dashed to the shops on lunch breaks or on the way home from work to snap up the new product.

And last night the website was so inundated with women trying to snap up tubes of the serum online that it crashed under the strain.

A spokesman for Boots, who are selling the product exclusively, said it had been one of the most popular lines it had ever stocked.

The product could go on to become an even bigger sensation that Boots' flagship anti-aging serum, No 7 Protect and Perfect.

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Will the fizzy facelift make you sparkle?

We test the latest unlikely treatment - carbon dioxide injected into your skin!

The ingredient that puts the pop into fizzy drinks is being touted as the best way to put the sparkle back into lacklustre looks.

Carbon dioxide, the invisible, odourless gas that is part of the air we breathe and creates the bubbles in champagne, not to mention being blamed for heating up the planet, is being injected into the skin as a rejuvenating treatment.

And the fizzy facelift is growing in popularity as one of a new wave of ultra-subtle rejuvenating treatments that make up the 'no trace face', the backlash against the more obvious effects of thick facial fillers and Botox.

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Is a beauty laser the answer to everything?: Is the Wellay Hair Laser capable of regrowing hair...

Is a beauty laser the answer to everything?: Is the Wellay Hair Laser capable of regrowing hair...: "Both men and women tend to lose hair due to hormonal changes in the body. It is mainly the alterations in the metabolism of androgen in the ..."

Is a beauty laser the answer to everything?: How do I choose the best and most effective hair l...

Is a beauty laser the answer to everything?: How do I choose the best and most effective hair l...: "Which wavelengths are able to penetrate the skin and be most effective? The Wellay @home Hair Laser was developed jointly, through clinical..."

Is a beauty laser the answer to everything?: Would I be getting the same results from this Hair...

Is a beauty laser the answer to everything?: Would I be getting the same results from this Hair...: "I have had laser treatment before from a company which I visited once a week where they used the large laser over the entire head. Will the ..."

Is a beauty laser the answer to everything?: What is a Wellay Hair Loss Treatment Laser?

Is a beauty laser the answer to everything?: What is a Wellay Hair Loss Treatment Laser?: "The Wellay @home Hair Loss Treatment Laser is the World's first multi-wavelength personal laser for home treatment of hair loss and scalp he..."

Is a beauty laser the answer to everything?: Will the Wellay Skin Laser lift the skin?

Is a beauty laser the answer to everything?: Will the Wellay Skin Laser lift the skin?: "Yes. Low level laser light therapy with a Wellay @home skin laser will rejuvenate your appearance and lift and tighten your skin. With regu..."

Is a beauty laser the answer to everything?: Would the Skin Laser remove my old, dark scars?

Is a beauty laser the answer to everything?: Would the Skin Laser remove my old, dark scars?: "How long before I see a result? Yes. Old, dark scars would be positively affected by healthier skin conditions resulting from using the Skin..."

Is a beauty laser the answer to everything?: Can the Wellay skin laser help with facial flushin...

Is a beauty laser the answer to everything?: Can the Wellay skin laser help with facial flushin...: "I am paying 1200 euro a session for IPL to treat facial flushing. Naturally this is very expensive. Can your skin laser help with this cond..."

Is a beauty laser the answer to everything?: Can I use the Skin Laser for undereye wrinkles?

Is a beauty laser the answer to everything?: Can I use the Skin Laser for undereye wrinkles?: "Yes, when the Skin Laser is placed on the skin, each wavelength penetrates and heals different levels in the skin tissue, promoting collage..."

Is a beauty laser the answer to everything?: What is a Wellay @home Skin Laser?

Is a beauty laser the answer to everything?: What is a Wellay @home Skin Laser?: "The Wellay @home Skin Laser produces coherent laser light which stimulates mitochondrial activity in the skin cells to promote ATP synthesi..."

Is a beauty laser the answer to everything?: Personal Anti-Ageing Skin Laser Smoothes Out Wrink...

Is a beauty laser the answer to everything?: Personal Anti-Ageing Skin Laser Smoothes Out Wrink...: "Until now, anti-ageing low level laser light therapy has only been available in beauty salons and private cosmetic clinics at great expens..."

Is a beauty laser the answer to everything?: How do I choose the best and most effective hair l...

Is a beauty laser the answer to everything?: How do I choose the best and most effective hair l...: "Each different wavelength used in hair loss treatment lasers has a different treatment and penetration depth into the scalp. The blood ca..."

Zap away summertime skin problems

Want to peel off in the sun but worried about skin blemishes? Victoria Lambert has some hi-tech answers to spots, lines and moles.

With its cloudless skies and soaring temperatures, summer should be the time to peel off a few layers and bask. But for those with unsightly or worrisome skin conditions, the hot weather is just a nightmare. Where is the fun in flashing flesh that's marred by spots, pigmentation, lines or moles? Here are some hi-tech solutions to summertime skin problems.

Broken veins and capilliaries? Try Fraxel

Italian cosmetic surgeon Dr Mario Luca Russo suggests a session with a Fraxel laser, which can remove broken veins and blemishes in as little as five minutes. "It is even good for wrinkles," he explains. "The light from the laser is absorbed by the haemoglobin and water in the blood of the vein, converting it to heat. We call this a thermal injury. If the vein is tiny, it will evaporate quickly, causing the vein to shrink and collapse, disappearing very fast. If the vein is larger, you can expect the blood to coagulate – making it appear darker than before. Gradually it will get reabsorbed by the body. In that case, it can take about a month to disappear."

If you want to go in the sun after a Fraxel treatment, he warns, ''do wait for seven to 10 days for your skin to heal or it will be very sensitive. And always use a high factor suncream, regardless of what you have done, to protect your skin from ageing.'

Cost: from £250 a session, depending on the size of the blemished area, at The Rejuvenation Clinic, London (0870 243 2230, www.therejuvenationclinic.co.uk)

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Spot the problem: Stress, poor diet, even too much exercise - how modern life is fuelling a rise in adult acne

Spots were once the scourge of hormonal teenage years, a skin problem that was thankfully kissed goodbye come adulthood. But for a growing number of British women, pimples no longer disappear when the school uniform is hung up.

According to the British Association of Dermatology, around 14 per cent of women aged 26 to 44 seek help for adult acne every year, with many more suffering in silence.

What is compounding this eruption in skin problems, say experts, is raised levels of stress, poor diets and even too much exercise.

At any age, the underlying cause of acne is an over-sensitivity to the male hormone testosterone.

'In response, skin glands produce excessive amounts of oil that, along with dead skin cells, clog up in hair follicles, trapping bacteria and triggering superficial pimples and blackheads, as well as bumps beneath the skin's surface,' says Susan Mayou, a consultant dermatologist at the Cadogan Clinic and Cromwell Hospital.

Mayou says it has always been known that some women are more prone to spots at times when hormones fluctuate, such as adolescence, pregnancy and during the menopause. Many more also experience monthly breakouts triggered by the menstrual cycle.

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Can you get rid of stretch marks with a skin laser?

 A very interesting article from Middle Ageless

"Stretch marks result from tears in the dermis, caused by the skin stretching rapidly.

Growth spurts during adolescence and pregnancy are the primary causes of stretch marks. In adolescent girls, the sudden appearance of pink or purple lines over the hips, thighs, and sometimes breasts, can be very distressing. They will fade over time, and become silvery, but so far no one has some up with a way to get rid of them.

Every now and then, I'll read on a doc or derm's website that the fractional laser will fade stretch marks. However, in practice, I'm not sure this is true. Manhattan dermatological surgeon, Jordana Gilman, says that in her opinion only ablative (Co2) fractional lasers can postively affect stretch marks and then only to a degree."

read more from Middle Ageless - a blog for anyone who has reached 40 and wants to stay there!

Pete Blasts Botox Lovers

PETER Andre has taken a sneaky pop at ex wife Jordan for using Botox, insisting he'd like to "grow old gracefully".

The singer made the comments just after the glamour girl threw a Botox party for pals to celebrate her hen do before her wedding blessing to Alex Reid later this summer.

He said in his new! magazine column: "I've been thinking a bit about Botox lately and whether it's worth having, but I think I've decided that for the moment I'd like to grow old gracefully.

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Why Botox jabs could leave you emotionally uptight

Botox users have long been mocked for their inability to show emotion on their partially paralysed faces.

But new research suggests the anti-wrinkle jabs could also affect women’s ability to experience feelings in the first place.

In a study, those given the toxin injections experienced significantly less reaction to emotionally charged films than those who had not had the treatment.

The research reinforces the psychological theory that facial expressions can affect your mood, as well as being an indicator of it – so, for example, not being able to smile means you do not feel as happy.

Used by celebrities such as Amanda Holden, Kylie Minogue and Katie Price, Botox is one of the fastest-growing cosmetic treatments, with British women receiving up to 500,000 injections of the botulinum toxin every year.

The £200 jab effectively ‘freezes’ the facial muscles around wrinkles, smoothing the skin but inhibiting facial expressions.

For the research, 68 women were divided into two groups. Half were given Botox injections and half Restylane, a cosmetic filler that does not affect facial muscles. The women did not know which treatment they had received.

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Boob job lite: A new laser therapy promises a bigger bust without surgery - but is it too good to be true?

Your boobs not what they once were? Then summer can be a trial. Flimsy dresses, bikinis and bathing suits mean you can't hide your bosom, or lack of one, under layers and upholstery.

But the very good news is that if your cups are half-full and you want to do something about it, you no longer have to choose between full-on surgery or simply stuffing your bra with 'chicken fillets'.

Those of us searching for effective methods of breast enhancement without incisions or traumatic augmentation surgery may have found the ultimate solution.

The latest technique to arrive on our shores is TLC Breast Enhancement, which makes use of intense pulsed light (IPL) to lift and firm the boobs, or increase their size.

One of the main benefits is that it is completely non-invasive: there are no incisions or needles involved. Currently all the rage in LA, the treatment is now being offered by Daniel Sister, a London-based French cosmetic doctor, at his clinic in Notting Hill.

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Is the Wellay Hair Laser capable of regrowing hair despite the presence of dihydrotestosterone (DHT)?

Both men and women tend to lose hair due to hormonal changes in the body. It is mainly the alterations in the metabolism of androgen in the body that brings about hair loss. Androgen is the male hormone that plays a very important role in both hair loss and hair growth. This metabolism of androgen gets involved with an enzyme, the 5 alpha reductase which tends to combine with the male hormone, testosterone to give DHT (Dihydrotestosterone). This DHT is the natural metabolite of the human body that is the main reason for hair loss.

The most important structure of a hair follicle is the dermal papilla, which is responsible for hair growth. The cell of this dermal papilla divides and differentiates to form a new hair follicle. As this dermal papilla lies in direct contact with blood capillaries of the skin, it is responsible for deriving nutrients for hair follicle growth. This dermal papilla has many receptors for androgens; where men have more androgenic receptors here than women.

It is very important for a person to have proper nutrition to maintain hair. So when DHT reaches the hair follicles and dermal papilla, it tends to prevent proteins, vitamins and minerals from providing the needed nourishment to sustain life in the hair of these follicles. With this, the hair follicles tend to reproduce at a slower rate and this in turn either shortens the growing phase of the hair follicles or lengthens its resting stage.
extract from from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/68082.php

While DHT is the primary contributing factor in male pattern baldness and one of several possible causes for female hair loss, the US FDA has officially approved LLLT, (Low Level Laser) for its effectiveness in treating hair loss.

As you know, hair loss is caused by many different factors, however, the fundamental cause of hair loss is that the follicles are not getting enough nutrients, minerals, vitamins, etc to sustain and grow hairs. It is vital to boost nourishment to the dermal papilla, the most important structure of a hair follicle, which is responsible for hair growth.

Despite the presence of DHT, the Wellay hair laser helps to promote blood flow in the capillary vessels and thus supply nutrients, oxygen, etc to the follicles more effectively, counteracting the effect of DHT blocking the nutrients from getting into follicles.

How do I choose the best and most effective hair loss treatment laser?

Which wavelengths are able to penetrate the skin and be most effective?

The Wellay @home Hair Laser was developed jointly, through clinical research and testing, with the most renowned medical laser research centre in Korea; the Medical Laser and Device Research Center of Dankook University,  which is a leading contributor to the development of high-tech medical equipment, focusing on research in advanced laser treatments for clinical applications. The Wellay @home Hair Laser, using 21 lasers at 670nm, 780nm and 830nm, is patented as the World's first multi-wavelength therapeutic laser for treatment of hair loss.

Each different wavelength used in the Wellay @home Hair Laser has a different treatment and penetration depth into the scalp. The blood capillaries in direct contact with the dermal papilla lie in the hypodermis (the deepest inner layer among 3 layers of skin (scalp) tissue.

The 670nm wavelength laser light mainly treats the surface of the scalp and does not penetrate deeply into the scalp so the 670nm wavelength alone is not enough for effective hair loss treatment.

Longer wavelength (780nm, 830nm) lasers are able to penetrate more deeply into the skin tissue. However, substances within the skin tissue such as melanin, water and haemoglobin all absorb and weaken the laser light.

Light at 830nm wavelength is the least absorbed by those substances, which means it retains more of its beneficial power to energise the hair follicles because more of the light energy is absorbed into the blood cells to increase circulation and the delivery of more nutrients and oxygen to the follicles.

In the cosmetic and therapeutic laser device market, each treatment laser uses different wavelengths. 650nm/670nm are visible (red) light, while 780nm and 830nm are infrared light with more power and stronger penetrating ability and effectiveness.

Lasers around the 650nm wavelength are the most commonly used in cosmetic and therapeutic lasers because the light is a clear, bright red which is visible to the eye so it looks as if it really works for treatment and in fact, it actually does have a therapeutic effect. Also, the 650nm wavelength is the most widely used in the cosmetic laser market and is cheaper to use than longer wavelength lasers.

However, the more expensive infrared lasers which use 780nm and 830nm wavelengths are able to penetrate and stimulate deeper into the skin tissue and so are more effective in treatment although they are rarely used by other manufacturers of cosmetic and therapeutic lasers.

The Wellay @home Hair Laser uses one 670nm, one 780nm and one 830nm laser in each of its 7 laser clusters and is the only hair treatment laser on the market which offers this technology. The 3 different wavelengths irradiate the same area of the scalp simultaneously, each working at different layers and thus maximising the benefit and proving a more effective treatment.

Does the Wellay @home hair laser work for Afro-Caribbean hair?

Yes. The Wellay @home hair laser will treat hair loss for any colour skin and any colour hair - skin and hair colour and hair texture are not relevant to its effectiveness. The Hair Laser uses 21 low power multi-wavelength lasers for maximum effect which penetrate deeply into the scalp, regardless of skin colour, to activate blood circulation around your hair follicles, halting hair loss and stimulating new hair growth.

I have had jaw surgery and my jaw is wired with metal. Is it safe to use a Hair Laser?

Yes. It is perfectly safe to use a Wellay @home Hair Laser unless it is used directly on the eyes or eyelids, otherwise there are no side-effects.

I had plastic surgery but it was years ago. Can I use the hair laser?

Yes. The Wellay @home hair laser will not have any adverse effects. It's quite safe for you to use.

The only safety consideration (and it is the same with any laser) is that you need to be careful not to look directly at the laser light or directly put the laser on your eyes or eyelids.

Low Level Laser Therapy, which is the technology used in the hair laser, can be widely used for various kinds of skin troubles and for hastening recovery of open wounds, burns etc,  without any side effects. It natually promotes blood circulation in the capillary vessels of your skin and the cell activity, hence actually enhances recovery process after injury.

You can find more detailed information on Low Level Laser Light Therapy at www.laser.nu

Would I be getting the same results from this Hair Laser as I do from the clinic?

I have had laser treatment before from a company which I visited once a week where they used the large laser over the entire head. Will the Wellay Hair Laser give me the same results?

The Wellay @home Hair Laser uses 21 low power multi-wavelength lasers for maximum effect which penetrate deeply into the scalp to activate blood circulation around your hair follicles, halting hair loss and stimulating new hair growth. Regular treatment will stop the progress of hair loss in 85% of users; increase blood supply to the scalp by 54% after only one treatment; stimulate hair follicles to help re-growth; repair and improve the quality of the hair shaft resulting in a 25% increase in hair volume; give noticeable hair growth in as little as 12 weeks with continued use.

In order to see the full hair restoration benefits of the Wellay @home Hair Laser it is important that you use it regularly on the areas where you are suffering hair loss, preferably for at least 10 minutes twice a day. It is to easy to use whenever and wherever you have a few minutes to spare. You just charge it up like your mobile, switch on the lasers and move it slowly over your scalp for 10 minutes (longer, if you wish), whenever you have time.

Continue using the Hair Laser as directed to treat your hair loss, even after your hair has started to grow again as it will continue to improve over time, giving you thicker and healthier hair.