Issue #4 summary - GO BACK TO ARCHIVE

Fighting cellulite
Each time a new gimmick, substance or gadget shows the smallest glimmer of hope in eradicating cellulite, shops cannot stock their shelves fast enough. But after the hype has died down, independent research conducted, and results from users spread quickly by word of mouth, consumers' interest wanes and switches to another product.
   To understand why cellulite is so hard to eliminate, one must understand its underlying cause. Cellulite is a bumpy cottage cheese-like appearance of the skin (predominantly in women) found mostly on the hips, thighs, and buttock region where there is a band of tissue that extends from the lining over the muscle to the under surface of the skin. The fat that forms between those bands tends to pout out the skin. The bands hold the skin down so that dimpling results where those bands are attached. Although these bands could be cut with a tiny instrument if they were isolated, this is usually not sufficient because a surgeon cannot cut all of the bands as they hold the skin in place.
    Many people think that liposuction can contour and reduce the appearance of cellulite, but this is a misconception. With liposuction, if a surgeon can remove the high points of fat around the bands, it will sometimes improve the appearance of cellulite. Most, however, need more extensive liposuction, and more liposuction does not equal less cellulite. If one performs a larger scale liposuction, then the bands still pull the skin in. This is because the skin is not supported by the fat lifting it out, thus causing dimpling as it tends to be pulled downward by gravity.
Cellasene is a pill taken orally that has been touted as the angel to cellulite's devil. Cellasene was introduced in the US in March 1999 and is widely available on the internet. Controversy has focused both on its effectiveness and on the manner in which it has been marketed to the public. Dietary supplements are not regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as long as they pose no unreasonable risk and are not marketed as a cure for a disease or a medical condition. For this reason, the marketing campaign for Cellasene has, so far, been virtually unrestricted, and competing companies have been quick to introduce similar products to cash in on the new consumer attraction.

Lip service
From Melanie Griffith's bee-stung pucker to Michelle Pfeiffer's full mouth, luscious lips are in demand. More people are desiring this look, choosing from a number of lip-enhancement treatments.
    Injectable collagen; derived from cows, this is probably the most familiar procedure for lip enlargement, primarily defining the lip border. It has also been used for years by physicians to fill in lines and wrinkles as well as other facial indentations or scars. The collagen is injected by a fine needle during a simple, non-surgical treatment. The amount required varies. On average, the lip plumping effect lasts two to three months , so ongoing injection is needed to maintain the look. Recovery involves only minor swelling. Collagen is great for those who want to "sample how they will look with bigger lips.
    Autologous fat injections; during liposuction the fat is harvested gently with small syringes, processed right away, and reinjected it into the lips. If patients desire this procedure and they are not having liposuction, fat can also be taken from a small area using a local anaesthetic. Patients will experience just a little soreness in the area liposuctioned. Recovery involves avoiding strenuous activity for approximately one week. It is easiest to take fat from the lower abdomen. The results can last a few years with a 15% loss of volume after a few months. I favour this method over any other type of lip enhancement.
    Autologen; some individuals may have a reaction to bovine-derived collagen. A simple test is performed to determine this before a procedure. Other patients simply object to the use of an animal product in their lips. For those patients, injections of Autologen, a human-derived collagen, may be an option for lip augmentation. Autologen is derived from a person's own tissue, a process normally carried out during the course of elective surgery (facelift, tummy tuck, breast reduction). Autologen lasts about the same time in the lip as bovine collagen (two to three months), but the hope is that because it is intact, Autologen will prove longer lasting.
    Dermologen; another alternative to animal and synthetic lip implants for lip augmentation (as well as other facial defect treatments), called Dermologen, is also derived from human tissue donors (cadavers). Tissue donors are tested and screened for infectious diseases. In addition, Collagenesis' patented process includes viral-inactivation steps. Both Autologen and Dermologen are used under FDA guidelines.

Long-term hair removal
Low-energy lasers are the emerging bright stars in hair removal. Their wavelengths pass through the skin and are absorbed by the pigment in the hair follicle. All of the treated hair follicles are disabled and the hair falls out. The original laser hair removal started with a pulse dye ruby laser that targeted dot sizes on a grid. Although effective, it was time consuming and expensive. Today's lasers use scanners to cover large areas in a shorter time. Areas like the legs are treated more quickly. The basic rule for laser treatments is, the larger the area to be treated, the higher the cost.
   Laser treatments can last a few minutes to a few hours depending on the size of the area being treated. Consumers have benefited from lower prices, as you would expect from a more efficient system. Intense competition among the laser manufacturers has also played a role. More models offer features to practitioners for much less than they cost only a couple of years ago. Specific prices vary considerably and depend on location. A full back and shoulders in New York and the north-eastern US ranges from $800'$1,000 (about £500'£625). In smaller areas, such as the upper lip, treatments might run about $200 each (£125). In the UK treatments can cost twice as much.
   Laser hair removal results will vary from patient to patient depending on skin and hair colour. One laser expert says: "While the ideal candidates for laser hair removal remain light-skinned patients with dark hair, new changes in laser technology have also allowed safe treatments in dark-skinned patients. New lasers in research will further improve treatments for darker pigmented skin. But not everyone treats darker-skinned people because of potential hyperpigmentation. Dr Saida Baxt of Baxt CosMedical in Paramus, New Jersey, says the best candidates are patients with thick, dark hair and fair skin. "Most patients require four to six treatments in the first year and see anywhere from a 40 to 90 per cent reduction in hair.

Good breath of fresh air
Building on the positive and nondestructively refining the negative is the aim in rhinoplasty surgery, the name for a group of nose operations. The surgeons' goal is to make the nose fit aesthetic facial proportions and efficiently deliver air to the lungs. Aesthetically the surgeons' goal is to create a new nose in harmony with the face. Age is considered as part of the overall assessment when establishing suitable patients. A number of surgeons prefer not to operate on teenagers until they have stopped growing. Teenagers are also assessed on their social and emotional states and whether rhinoplasty is what they really want.
    Despite age, everyone needs a careful clinical examination before undergoing rhinoplasty. This should make a thorough nasal assessment and look at medical history and medicines taken. The surgeon should explain the factors that can influence the procedure, namely, the structure of nasal bones and cartilage, facial shape, skin thickness and age. The surgeon must evaluate the structure of the nose and face to discuss the possibilities that can be achieved. The best results are noses that don't look like they have been operated on.
    Breathing obstruction issues may also be addressed. You may wish to have an endoscopic examination of the nasal passages which clearly shows obstructions of the airway passages. Surgically, straightening a bent septum or thinning a thickened septum obstruction can improve breathing.
    As the consensus is that a beautiful nose has no set dimensions, it follows that not all noses should be made to look alike. Achieving a good result has much to do with emphasising a person's good features. Overall facial balance is very much part of the equation. A small chin can make the nose look larger. Two-dimensional computer images are being used increasingly for projecting final results. But these should be considered only a guide. Flesh is not a computer image. On a computer you can make your nose change to almost anything. "Virtual changes" rarely can be duplicated with surgery. To be satisfied, you must understand what surgery can really do.
  

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