Cosmetic treatments blog posts and news

At-home Laser Treatment Of Eye Wrinkles Gets FDA Approval

Soon you may be zapping your wrinkles with a laser--in front of your bathroom mirror. Last week Palomar Medical Technologies, Inc. received FDA approval for an at-home laser to treat eye wrinkles. 

The company isn't releasing many details of the product, including the exact launch date or any images of what the device may look like. 

They have, however, confirmed that the laser will cost hundreds of dollars and will come to market through retail partner Johnson & Johnson. 

Current wrinkle treatments by laser require a doctor office visit

Current laser treatments for eye wrinkles include the Fraxel laser. The cost of Fraxel is over $2,000, giving an opportunity to a device maker that can offer an alternative at a lower price point.

Appearing on Fox News, medical contributor Dr. Marc Siegal noted that while the home eye wrinkle laser was safe, he doesn't believe it work as effectively as doctor-administered laser treatments. However, Siegal predicts the demand for home wrinkle treatments will make the new device popular.

That said, a past attempt by Nulase to sell a home laser hair removal device was largely unsuccessful.

New wrinkle treatments

» Read more

Dysport Available Next Month

It was recently announced that Dysport, a form of botulinum type A, will officially be available in U.S. doctor offices this July.  This news come less than a month after the FDA approved the product, the first of its kind to compete head-to-head with Botox.

We've written a number of times about the entry of Dysport into the market, and what it will bean for Allergan, the makers of Botox.  Only time will tell, and now that time is just a month away!

For those of you who have used Botox in the past, are you considering trying Dysport, or sticking to what you know?  For more information, check out some of the conversations happening on RealSelf.com, or visit the Physicians Coalition for Injectable Safety for additional information.

We're looking forward to reviews from those who try out the new product, so be sure to keep us posted!

» Read more

13 Cosmetic Surgery Myths

Guest post on cosmetic surgery myths by Dallas board-certified plastic surgeons Dr. Rod Rohrich and Dr. Jeffrey Kenkel.  Dr. Rohrich is the Chairman of the Department of Plastic Surgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. Dr. Kenkel is Professor and Vice Chairman. 

1. Myth: The “new” Botox – Dysport – is better and lasts longer.

Reality: The efficacy of Botox and Dysport is about the same. Both injectables are essentially purified forms of botulinum toxin A. Dysport may act somewhat faster and is expected to be about 15 percent cheaper. Dysport is currently being used in Europe and is anticipated to launch soon in the U.S. with FDA approval.

» Read more

Lifesculpt Promises In 1 Hour: Extra Swagger, Self-confidence Boost, Newfound Sex Appeal

Expect an extra swagger in your step. A boost of self-confidence. Newfound sex appeal. It's time to put the bra bulge and muffin top on notice. You're as little as an hour away from a whole new you.

        --Product website for Lifesculpt laser liposuction

Until recently, new laser treatments were marketed only to doctors. None of us could come close to naming a laser skin device.

That all changed with the runaway success of the skin tightening device Thermage, and most recently SmartLipo. Smartlipo is a laser liposuction device that has patients calling doctors to get SmartLipo's version of fat removal.  We see this demand in terms of traffic in the RealSelf.com community.  Over 100,000 unique page views are generated on RealSelf.com each month by consumers researching SmartLipo.

Lifesculpt dreams of becoming the next SmartLipo

Rival laser device makers want to capture this consumer-driven word of mouth since no marketing method sells a device better to doctors then patients showing up for consultations asking for it by name.

» Read more

5 Cosmetic Surgery Consultation Tips: Success Is No Secret

Guest post about cosmetic surgery consultations by board-certified plastic surgeon Robert Singer, MD, the Facility Director and Surgeon at the Singer Surgery Centre in La Jolla, California.  Dr. Singer has published over 150 publications or national presentations at national and international surgical meetings. He is a member of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and a prior president of the organization.

I’m often asked, “What is the secret to a good consultation with your doctor?”

My response: there is no secret.

Common sense and being a very, very cautious consumer are the elements that will help make your consultation a success.

1. Recognize that you get what you pay for

Before the consultation, make sure that the physician is fully trained , ideally a surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Check with the State Medical Board Web site about the physician’s license status.

» Read more

Dysport: A Sporty Vacuum, Or A Long-anticipated Botox Alternative?

Unscientific consumer research about Dysport points to the uphill battle Medicis' marketing department will face in the process of branding Dysport, their newly FDA-approved Botox alternative.

Consumer marketing challenge for Dysport

Using a poll on Facebook, we asked, "What do you think of when you hear the name Dysport?" We received some pretty choice answers:

• Nothing pleasant...something from Southpark?
• A disease or disorder of some sort
• Sporty vacuum?
• I wonder if it is a word. A dysfunctional dock?

A Medicis representative, not so amused by the name associations, had to correct us on the pronunciation at the ASAPS conference in Las Vegas last week.

"Dysport is pronounced 'DISS-port,' not 'DIE-sport!'" From the responses we received, it seems of higher importance to make certain consumers don't confuse Dysport with a new Dyson vacuum cleaner.

FDA giveth Dysport approval and taketh away Reloxin

We asked Medicis, "Why the name change?" and were told by a representative that "Reloxin was the proposed U.S. name for Ipsen’s botulinum toxin product for aesthetic use, but the product will now be marketed under the name of Dysport."

In private discussions with Medicis employees, there is an acute awareness that having Dysport brand name forced upon them by the FDA poses serious challenges to their marketing to consumers.

» Read more

SmartLipo Zapped $4500 And Left Me Disappointed

Thanks to a catchy name and lots of media attention, Smart Lipo has become a popular form of liposuction.  Smart Lipo is often considered by women who aren’t quite looking for a Tummy Tuck, but aren’t quite satisfied with their shape.

After paying $4,500 for Smart Lipo, RealSelf.com reader Kristi, faces disappointing Smart Lipo results—we interviewed her to find out what she expected, and what she learned from the experience.

RealSelf (RS): I have to be honest—you don’t exactly look like you need lipo—you look great! What made you decide to go for it?

Kristi: Well, I have a son who’s 16 and a daughter who is 7. I’m 37, about 5 feet tall and around 110 lbs. I work out every day. But I’ve always had that little “pouch”…and I just had that insecurity. I was going through a divorce as well, and feeling very insecure. Maybe I was being too much of a perfectionist. But I thought that Smart Lipo would give me that “20-something” stomach. I wanted that hip-hugger jeans look.

» Read more

A Sale-rack Dress: The Final Straw To Getting A Tummy Tuck

Tummy Tuck surgery is often offered by plastic surgeons under the cutesy name, “mommy makeover.” But make no mistake—it’s serious surgery. For many women, having a Tummy Tuck goes well beyond a bit of back-in-bikini vanity; it can be a truly life-changing experience.  To get the inside scoop of the Tummy Tuck experience we interviewed Cherita, a RealSelf.com reader who posted a review about her Tummy Tuck surgery with Illinois Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Joseph Daw.

RealSelf (RS): It’s been about 4 weeks now since your Tummy Tuck—how are you feeling?

Cherita: Good—but now that the stitches are breaking down, I’ve developed some blisters at each hip. It’s uncomfortable, but my doctor and his staff have been wonderful. I can call any time, day or night, and he’ll get back to me within a half hour. He examined me and gave me some bacitracin ointment to apply and it’ll just take time—it’s part of the normal healing. But I still don’t regret one minute of it!

RS: Sounds like quite a recovery process

» Read more

How To Marry A Plastic Surgeon

First you have to meet one, perhaps on an internet dating service, at the local gym, or in the vegetable section of your organic food store. Or, you can examine your face or body and decide to undergo elective cosmetic surgery; the process of engaging a plastic surgeon is very similar to that of matrimonial commitment.

Or, as I tell my patients, a trip through an operating room door is like a walk down the aisle.

While patients can stumble unto a good plastic surgeon and might end up with a good result by luck, it is not a very reliable formula for a successful mature relationship between doctor and patient in as serious an endeavor as cosmetic surgery. Some people will fall in love at first sight and head straight for the altar that same night - but not many, and not if they are sane.

Yet patients routinely sign up for surgery after one consultation, maybe spending as little as ten minutes with the person with a sharp scalpel in his hands before handing a deposit over to a surgical consultant who is not even a doctor and who is often referred to as the ‘closer’ for obvious reasons. If the doctor or ‘closer’ seems too eager to ask for a deposit on the first visit, think of it as a person requesting sex on the first date, and slow down. Better yet, run out of the office.

» Read more

80 Percent Of Breast Augmentations Are C-cups

Women want c-cup breasts, as suggested by a new survey of plastic surgeons who routinely conduct breast surgery.  The majority (80%) of breast implants used in cosmetic surgery are 300 to 400cc in size, or, a small to full c-cup bra. 

Breast implants: many more options than just breast size

While the size of the breast implant  is of critical importance to a woman opting for breast implant surgery, there are a number of other decisions prior to surgery, such as the breast implant type or the placement of the breast implant.

Plastic surgeons responding to the survey, and reported in the March/April issue of Aesthetic Surgery Journal, reveal a number of breast implant surgery preferences by patients and doctors.

Breast augmentation options and preferences

» Read more