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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Friday, October 29, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
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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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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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.
read more
Monday, October 18, 2010
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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"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."
read more
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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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."
read more
Friday, October 15, 2010
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.
read more
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.
read more
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
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.
read more
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.
read more
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