|
 |
March
22,
2007
Ready
for
Prime
Time
Longer,
thicker
lashes--they're
what
every
woman
wants.
And
now
a
new
surgical
procedure
is
offering
women
a
better
alternative
to
eyelash
extensions
and
mascara,
with
permanent
results.
Eyelash
transplantation
(ET)
is a
breakthrough
microsurgical
procedure
that
allows
patients
to
have
healthy
new
long
lashes
that
will
last
forever.
First
developed
years
ago,
ET
has
been
performed
primarily
by
hair-restoration
surgeons
as a
reconstructive
procedure
to
help
those
suffering
from
permanent
milphosis
(eyelash
loss,
also
called
madarosis)
or
alopecia
adnata
(underdevelopment
of
the
eyelashes).
For
many
women--and
the
occasional
man--who
have
experienced
permanent
eyelash
loss
as a
result
of
alopecia,
trauma,
or
trichotillomania,
ET
has
been
the
only
reconstructive
option
for
regaining
their
lost
lashes,
helping
them
restore
a
normal
appearance
and
function
to
their
eyelids.
But
today,
this
advanced
microsurgical
hair-restoration
procedure
is
finding
a
whole
new
audience
among
image-conscious
women
and
the
fashionable
elite.
It
has
been
reported
that
the
procedure
is
now
being
requested
more
often
for
aesthetic
enhancement--to
make
women's
eyes
more
beautiful--than
it
is
for
reconstructive
purposes.
What
Is
Eyelash
Transplantation?
ET
is a
minimally
invasive
microsurgical
hair-restoration
procedure
performed
in
an
outpatient
setting
under
local
anesthesia.
Its
purpose
is
to
permanently
restore
or
aesthetically
improve
the
eyelashes.
The
procedure
enhances
the
eyes
by
adding
lash
density,
length,
and
volume
to
eyelids
that--for
whatever
reason--have
fewer,
thinner,
or
shorter
lashes
than
"average."
Whereas
some
women
may
prefer
a
glamorous,
"Hollywood-style"
look
with
their
new
lashes,
the
typical
procedure
is
focused
on
normalizing
the
patient's
eyelids
by
implanting
roughly
20
to
40
lashes
per
lid.
ET
is
an
effective
alternative
or
adjunct
to
mascara
and
eyelash
extensions,
and
a
permanent
solution
for
weak
or
missing
lashes.
However,
it
is
important
for
patients
to
realize
that
with
this
permanence
comes
a
lifetime
of
responsibility.
Because
the
new
lashes
are
the
result
of
hair
follicles
transplanted
from
the
scalp,
they
will
continue
to
grow--just
like
scalp
hair
does.
As a
result,
the
new
lashes
will
typically
need
to
be
trimmed
and
curled
every
4 to
6
weeks
for
the
rest
of
the
patient's
life.
The
ET
procedure
can
transplant
anywhere
between
40
to
100
lashes
for
both
eyes.
The
entire
procedure
takes
2 to
3
hours
to
complete,
depending
on
the
difficulty
of
the
case.
http://www.plasticsurgeryproductsonline.com/issues/articles/2007-03_02.asp
FDA
issues
marketing
clearance
for
laser
hair-growth
device
The
Food
and
Drug
Administration
has
issued
clearance
for
Lexington
International
LLC
to
market
its
medical
laser
device,
the
HairMax
LaserComb,®
for
use
in
combating
hair
loss.
As
part
of
the
process
for
acquiring
FDA
clearance,
Lexington
conducted
a
clinical
study
in
four
locations
in
the
United
States.
Results
of
the
study
showed
that
93
percent
of
the
participants
(ages
30-60)
experienced
an
increase
in
the
number
of
terminal
hairs
over
a
six-month
period.
There
were
no
reports
of
serious
adverse
events.
According
to
its
Boca
Raton,
Fla.-based
manufacturer,
the
HairMax
LaserComb®
uses
a
patented
technology
to
part
the
hair,
which
allows
the
laser
energy
to
reach
the
scalp.
A
company-issued
statement
notes
that
the
laser
is
most
effective
when
it
has
an
unobstructed
path
directly
to
the
hair
follicle.
http://www.cosmeticsurgerytimes.com/cosmeticsurgerytimes
/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=409721
|
Botox
for
Back
Pain
Millions
of
Americans
suffer
from
back
pain,
but
could
Botox
be
the
answer.
Now
the
same
stuff
that
is
used
to
get
rid
of
wrinkles
is
being
used
at
Scripps
La
Jolla
to
give
patients
relief
from
chronic
back
pain.
Hank
Coleman
loves
to
surf,
but
chronic
back
pain
is
keeping
him
out
of
the
water.
"I
have
to
take
a
pill
to
get
up,
I
have
to
take
a
pill
at
mid-day,
and
a
pill
to
go
to
bed,"
he
said.
In
addition
to
medication
and
other
treatments,
Coleman
says
he's
tried
back
surgery,
physical
therapy
and
exercise.
Today,
he's
trying
Botox,
the
same
drug
used
to
get
rid
of
wrinkles.
Dr.
Joseph
Shurman
is
chairman
of
pain
management
at
Scripps
Memorial
Hospital
La
Jolla,
and
says
Coleman
isn't
alone
when
it
comes
to
back
pain.
"It's
probably
the
number
one
type
of
patient
we
see
in
our
pain
clinic
and
in
other
pain
clinics
is
back
pain,"
Shurman
said.
When
injected
into
muscles
in
Coleman's
back,
the
Botox
can
stop
or
reduce
muscle
spasm.
"The
concept
is
to
have
a
muscle
contraction,
you
have
this
chemical
that's
released
from
one
nerve
that
goes
to a
muscle
called
acetylcholine,"
Coleman
explained.
"Botox
interferes
with
that,
therefore
you
get
relaxation."
Dr.
Shurman
says
the
use
of
Botox
to
treat
back
pain
is
an
off-label
use
of
the
drug,
which
means
that
it
has
not
been
approved
by
the
FDA.
That
means
that
some
insurance
companies
might
not
cover
it.
He
says
Botox
can
take
a
week
or
two
to
work,
and
Coleman
will
need
to
come
back
about
every
three
months
for
more
injections.
"The
biggest
problem
is
spasm
in
one
particular
area
and
we've
done
local
injections
with
local
anesthetics,
and
he
gets
relief,
and
the
concept
is
could
we
get
him
more
prolonged
relief
with
the
Botox,"
Shurman
said.
"It
would
be
incredible
if
it
would
just
stop,"
Hank
said.
We
spoke
with
Hank
and
he
said
he
had
an
immediate
relief
of
pain,
although
his
pain
isn't
completely
gone.
Dr.
Shurman
says
the
Botox
can
take
a
few
weeks
to
fully
work.
He
says
if
you
suffer
from
chronic
back
pain,
you
should
talk
to a
doctor
about
options
and
possible
side
effects
of
using
Botox.
Original
Source:
News
8
HD;http://www.inboxrobot.com/news.php?fid=116219348
|
Plunging
Into
Something
New
by
Cheryl
Whitman
If
you
plan
to
add
a
medical-spa
component
to
your
practice,
here
are
some
things
to
consider
Running
a
successful
practice
is
no
simple
task.
It
takes
dedication
from
you
and
your
employees
to
deliver
your
products
or
services
effectively
and
profitably.
This
article
will
cover
what
you
should
consider
if
you
are
planning
to
open
a
medical
spa
alongside
your
existing
plastic
surgery
practice.
I
assume
that
you
already
have
an
established
plastic
surgery
practice
based
on a
robust
infrastructure
that
includes
an
actionable
business
plan,
a
solid
patient
roster,
and
qualified
employees.
Now,
you
perceive
an
opportunity
to
branch
out
and
open
a
medical
spa.
A
few
of
the
natural
synergies
between
the
two
businesses
are:
- The medical spa may become a source for new plastic-surgery patients.
- Plastic-surgery patients may become a source for new medical-spa patients.
- Medical-spa procedures can be performed by other health care professionals under your supervision. (Check your particular state's regulations on this.) Thus, you are able to obtain more income without actually having to perform the procedures.
- Additional retail opportunities present themselves through the medical spa.
Perhaps
there
is
an
extra
exam
room
in
your
existing
practice
that
may
be
used
for
this
new
venture,
or
at
least
for
the
start-up.
Before
you
know
it,
a
new
business
is
born.
Nevertheless,
please
wait
before
taking
the
plunge.
Important
planning
work
needs
to
be
done.
Look
Before
You
Leap
Before
embarking
on
this
powerfully
exciting
opportunity
to
expand
your
practice,
use
caution.
Be
sure
to
ask
your
current
patients
if
they
would
be
interested
in
obtaining
medical-spa
services
from
you
and
at
your
location;
and
if
so,
which
types
of
services
they
would
want.
Other
considerations
to
be
resolved
beforehand
include
developing
a
separate
financial
infrastructure.
Even
if
your
medical
spa
will
be
located
in
an
additional
exam
room
in
your
plastic
surgery
practice,
you
should
have
a
separate
accounting
function
for
that
business
that
properly
identifies
its
expenses
and
tracks
its
profitability
to
ensure
that
adding
the
new
treatments
or
services
is
indeed
profitable
for
your
practice.
One
of
the
pitfalls
of
adding
new
treatments
to
existing
practices
is
that
most
owners
never
know
if
they
are
profitable.
Although
your
plastic
surgery
practice
and
medical
spa
may
have
the
same
owner,
they
are
very
different
businesses.
To
realize
their
full
scope
of
profits
and
benefits,
they
should
be
treated
as
such
from
the
outset.
If
you
wish,
you
could
overlap
some
of
your
businesses'
back-office
functions.
For
example,
you
can
centralize
the
call
center
and
appointment-setting
function,
as
well
as
bookkeeping,
accounting,
and
purchasing.
This
way,
you
will
achieve
economies
of
scale
without
affecting
the
way
the
two
businesses
appear
to
the
public.
Build
the
Diving
Board
Once
you
decide
that
you
are
primed
to
launch
into
the
medical-spa
business,
be
sure
to
create
the
vital
step
in
your
road
map
to
success:
a
business
plan.
Think
of
your
business
plan
as
your
plan
for
success.
It
will
help
you
navigate
around
the
potential
business
barriers,
recognize
opportunities,
and
remind
you
of
your
organization's
strengths
and
weakness.
For
complete
article
go
to:
http://www.plasticsurgeryproductsonline.com/issues/articles/2006-12_11.asp
|
Body
Contouring
Without
Surgery
Various
techniques
may
offer
non-invasive
alternatives,
but
more
research
needed
The
American
Society
for
Aesthetic
Plastic
Surgery
(ASAPS)
announced
today
that
a
panel
titled
"Non-invasive
Body
Contouring:
Fact
or
Fiction,"
will
be
held
at
the
Society's
Annual
Meeting,
April
21-25
in
Orlando,
FL.
The
panel
will
be
moderated
by
Franklin
L.
DiSpaltro,
MD,
of
New
Jersey,
and
will
include
Spencer
Brown,
PhD,
Dennis
Hammond,
MD,
and
Peter
B.
Fodor,
MD.
Panelists
will
discuss
three
potential
non-invasive
alternatives
to
surgical
body
contouring:
mesotherapy
(Lipodissolve),
Thermage
(Thermacool
or
Thermalift)
and
LipoSonix.
All
three
techniques
may
provide
plastic
surgeons
with
minimally-invasive
treatment
options,
but
are
not
yet
sufficiently
backed
by
clinical
data,
an
important
distinction
that
needs
to
be
communicated
to
patients.
"As
plastic
surgeons,
we
are
constantly
searching
for
new,
less
invasive
body
contouring
techniques
that
are
efficient,
safe
and
effective,"
said
Dr.
DiSpaltro.
"In
this
panel,
we
want
to
separate
the
hype
from
what
we
actually
know
about
these
treatments
based
on
clinical
experience
and
the
limited
available
data."
The
featured
non-invasive
therapies
utilize
three
distinct
methods.
Mesotherapy
involves
the
injection
of
various
compounds
into
the
skin
to
"dissolve"
fat.
Thermage
uses
radiofrequency
to
tighten
facial
skin
for
a
"non-surgical
face
lift."
LipoSonix
uses
a
high-intensity
ultrasound
device
to
target
and
destroy
unwanted
fat
cells
while
sparing
intervening
tissue
and
skin.
"The
concept
behind
these
approaches
is
to
limit
the
invasiveness
of
our
methods.
For
example,
LipoSonix
non-invasively
disrupts
and
selectively
reduces
fatty
tissue,"
said
Dr.
Fodor,
a
plastic
surgeon
in
Los
Angeles.
"Approaches
such
as
these
are
very
attractive
to
patients.
The
more
we
learn
about
how
well
they
work
and
how
safe
they
are,
the
better
the
advice
we
can
give
our
patients."
Although
these
minimally-invasive
techniques
are
being
offered
with
increasing
frequency
across
the
United
States,
reliable
data
on
their
safety
and
efficacy
is
lacking.
Clinical
trials
are
being
planned;
including
a
study
of
mesotherapy
designed
by
the
Aesthetic
Society
and
funded
by
the
Aesthetic
Surgery
Education
and
Research
Foundation
(ASERF),
and
a
study
of
the
sonic
body
sculpting
method,
LipoSonix,
by
plastic
surgeon
and
panelist
Peter
Fodor.
LipoSonix
has
been
tested
in
Mexico
in
both
porcine
models
and
humans,
and
has
submitted
a
protocol
to
the
Food
and
Drug
Administration
(FDA)
for
clinical
trials
in
the
US.
Dr.
Fodor
will
present
several
months
of
data
from
the
Mexican
studies,
including
before
and
after
photos.
Patients
considering
any
body
contouring
procedure
must
be
fully
informed
about
any
unpredictability
of
non-surgical
body
contouring
results,
and
their
expectations
must
be
realistic.
As
always,
patients
should
seek
treatment
only
from
medical
professionals
who
are
qualified
to
carry
out
proper,
clinically
proven
therapies.
"There
is a
lot
of
controversy
and
confusion
surrounding
non-invasive
body
contouring
treatment.
None
are
yet
FDA
approved
or
otherwise
medically
proven.
We
welcome
new
research
on
the
issue.
As
always,
the
more
facts
we
have
at
our
disposal,
the
more
completely
we
can
inform
our
patients
to
help
ensure
their
safety
and
satisfaction,"
Mark
Jewell,
MD,
President,
ASAPS
http://www.surgery.org/press/news-release.php?iid=434
|
Trends
in
Advanced
Education
Aesthetics
has
come
a
long
way
in
the
U.S.
since
licensed
professionals
had
to
spell
'aesthetics'
for
those
who
asked
'what
do
you
do?'
Clients
know
what
aesthetic
services
are
now,
and
many
have
placed
them
firmly
into
their
lifestyle
must-haves.
Due
to
this
populartity,
aesthetic
schools
are
filled
with
students
excited
to
join
our
profession,
and
committed
aestheticians
graduate
with
the
fundamentals
for
practicing
basic
skin
care.
But
is
this
basic
education
enough?
Our
services
and
our
businesses
have
become
more
complex
and
many
believe
require
higher
levels
of
education
for
the
safety
of
our
clients
and
to
just
stay
in
business.
Higher
Licensing
Requirements
A
new
trend
is
emerging
in
states
toward
requiring
added
hours
of
skill
and
safety
training
before
performing
certain
advanced
services.
For
example,
Colorado
requires
state
approved
hours
for
graduates
prior
to
their
performing
microdermabrasion
(14
hours)
and
acid
treatments
(24
hours),
as
does
Ohio
(8
hours).
Medical
Aesthetics?
A
trend
is
out
there
for
aestheticians
to
add
'ME'
(Medical
Esthetician)
and
'CME'
(Certified
Medical
Esthetician)
after
their
names.
But
what
is
the
basis
for
using
these
letters
as
professional
designations?
For
example,
graduates
of
the
Florida
College
of
Natural
Health
paramedical
course
are
not
awarded
an
advanced
license
or
title
after
graduating
from
this
second
level
course.
"Our
graduates
are
still
known
as
Registered
Facial
Specialists
in
Florida,
but
can
be
confident
they
have
the
advanced
skills
they
need
to
work
in
these
environments
and
can
portray
this
capability
to
potential
employers,"
says
Sherry
Parker,
Director
of
Education,
Steiner
Education
Group.
Many
employers
in
southeast
Florida,
when
they
look
for
an
aesthetician
specify
that
they
must
have
their
associates
degree,
which
means
they
must
be
from
this
program.
At
the
present
time,
the
only
persons
authorized
by
states
to
use
the
initials
'M.E.'
in
the
U.S.
are
the
Master
Estheticians
who
have
graduated
from
the
second
level
courses
in
Utah
and
Virginia.
Graduates
from
these
courses
learn
all
the
skills
required
of
the
person
who
wishes
to
be
called
a
medical
aesthetician,
and
much
more,
and
have
many
hours
of
hands-on
practice
time.
Even
though
no
cosmetology
board
will
label
them
a
'medical
aesthetician,'
in
deference
to
the
medical
boards,
these
aestheticians
are
learning
the
skills
and
the
support
information
needed
to
be
working
in
these
advanced
settings,
and
graduate
with
a
legitimate
ME
as
Master
Estheticians.
By
Janet
McCormick,
M.S
For
complete
article
go
to:
http://www.dermascope.com/index.php?option=com_content&task
=view&id=1886&Itemid=413
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
