Time Magazine, November 6, 2006: Saving Face

Thursday, January 04, 2007 9:26 AM

In the November 6 issue of Time Magazine, Dody Tsiantar not only provides pertinent information on the world of cosmetic facial enhancement but does so with an air of humor and down to earth practicality. Tsiantar offers an unbiased opinion for an impressive assortment of cosmetic treatments designed to tighten and enlighten the various ailments of today’s modern face, including Thermage, Titan, Rhytec Portrait, Juvederm, Botox, and others.

Almost everywhere one turns an onslaught of cosmetic media is ready to pounce whether in grocery stores, in pharmacies, at newsstands, perusing through magazines, or vegging out in front of the tube. The casual consumer probably sees hundreds if not thousands of references on a daily basis alluding to tighter skin, wrinkle-free brows, fat-reducing techniques, perfect skin tone, etc, etc, etc. Wading through the garbage of worthless information trash can be a tricky task and often times people have a difficult challenge when determining what information to retain and what to scorn and use in the litter box.

For years Americans have fought a losing battle against aging skin, wrinkles, uneven skin tone, and more. Fortunately (or unfortunately depending on one’s personal perspective on vanity) today's society plays gracious host to a multi-billion dollar cosmetic enhancement industry. Tsiantar's article begins by outlining some of the major players in this almost fantastical game of strategy and creativity aimed at one goal: winning you and earning the right to transform your fickle freckles, wobbly wrinkles, and downward dimples into reflections of physical perfection.

Although Tsiantar pays homage to Botox, one of the several cosmetic procedures that has revolutionized the way millions of Americans see themselves, she is quick to offer the spotlight to some of the newer competitors such as Juvéderm, unveiled by none other than Allergan, maker of Botox. Like its big sister Botox, Juvéderm is a dermal filler used to smooth wrinkles and provide a youthful facial appearance. Other products include Restylane created and marketed by Medicis, as well as Perlane a somewhat stronger version of Restylane also offered by Medicis.

Another Botox-like alternative which will likely get the FDA green light of approval is Reloxin. Although Allergan and Medicis appear to be the main fighters in the battle over skin treatments these two giants are not in the ring alone. Pharmaceutical companies, cosmetics companies, spas, dermatologists, and medical device makers are all trying to cash in on the seemingly limitless supply of eager consumers anxious for the fabled face of perfection. One of the reasons behind the ruthless rampage of wrinkle-removing age-defying procedures is that these techniques actually work, though not permanently, and create an illusion desired by everyone who might look every second of her not so young life.

What they do with what they got Although the end result is generally the same—happy patients who hide years behind smooth-faced facades—the techniques are not universal. Tsiantar outlines the key types of skin transformation procedures and how each one is carving its own unique niche into the statuesque models they create. For example, the above mentioned Botox, Juvéderm, Restylane, Perlane, and Reloxin are injections. These materials are literally injected under the skin and create the appearance of smooth, tight jowls, chins, cheeks, and more.

However, clearly cosmetic surgeons aren’t the only ones raking in the dough—in the world of cosmetic enhancement there really is room for everyone. After all, not every patient wants the same degree of treatment or even the same method. Enter the slew of options for every facial make and model, and to some degree every budget. Although effective, Botox, Restylane, and similar techniques can create a sort of "pulled look" that is not always favored by those of the baby boomer generation. Instead, these patients look for ways to improve their skin’s appearance yet maintain that youthful feel they had when they were younger.

Radiofrequencies and other methods replace syringes and come in your pick of flavor: radiofrequencies (Thermage), plasma gas (Portrait), infrared light (Titan), light-emitting diodes (GentleWaves), pulsed light (Palomar Medical Technologies' Lux system) and lasers (Fraxel, Vbeam). And if the price of the procedure seems high, its nothing compared to what doctors and other specialty physicians shell out to purchase the medical equipment responsible for all the great improvements.

According to Tsiantar’s article, these masses of metal, probes, and all sorts of other attachments, can cost in the range of $110,000 and $175,000. The FraxelSR1500 for example, costs $110,000 and then $400 for each special tip used during the procedure. The kicker: a tip is only good for four to six treatments. Additionaly, "According to Shiu-Yik Au, an analyst for Millennium Research Group, the market for aesthetic medical equipment will top $400 million this year, a 30% increase from 2005. He projects it could more than double by 2010."

And patients seem willing to contribute their share to enjoy such purchases. The GentleWaves treatment will set one back about $800 for an eight-session course of treatment but the gentle method is appealing to older patients. Through specialized technology, the GentleWaves machine energizes cells instead of damaging them. The energized cells create more collagen and thus improve the look and feel of the skin.

Over the Rainbow…more like Over the Counter After a trip through your local drug store you might feel like Dorothy after she entered the grounds of Emerald City. Bright flashy colors and attractive products glisten and gleam on glass shelves. They all say they same thing: if you buy me I will make you pretty. Yeah right. But there is some truth, at least that is what cosmetics companies what consumers to believe. In this article, Tsiantar explores the cosmetics industry and how it shapes consumers faces almost as much as the $2,000 clinic procedure.

L'Oréal created Pro-Xylane; their own magic potion of age defiance. And for $132 you can purchase Lancôme's Absolue Premium bx to put on at night and let your dreams combat those aging demons. According to the article, "To echo the instant effects of nonsurgical treatments, some antiaging products use ingredients that make you look better seconds after application. How? They use optical elements that reflect light (Definity by Olay), pink pigments that enhance skin tone (Clarins' Night Wear) and micro-size sponge-like pearls that fill in pores (Instant Smooth by Clarins). Boutique product Freeze 24/7's claim to fame: gamma amino butyric acid, a natural muscle relaxant that temporarily eases the appearance of fine lines."

As evident by Tsiantar’s word of wisdom, the world of cosmetic facial enhancement is wide and all encompassing. One needs only know where to look.

Related Articles:

Locate Skin Tightening Providers

-- Choose from the list below -- Arizona Skin Tightening      Chandler Skin Tightening      Glendale Skin Tightening      Goodyear Skin Tightening      Mesa Skin Tightening      Phoenix Skin Tightening      Scottsdale Skin Tightening Arkansas Skin Tightening      Rogers Skin Tightening California Skin Tightening      Beverly Hills Skin Tightening      Carlsbad Skin Tightening      Encinitas Skin Tightening      Escondido Skin Tightening      Freedom Skin Tightening      Glendale Skin Tightening      Hermosa Beach Skin Tightening      Huntington Beach Skin Tightening      Inland Empire Skin Tightening      La Jolla Skin Tightening      Los Angeles Skin Tightening      Malibu Skin Tightening      Napa Skin Tightening      Newport Beach Skin Tightening      Norco Skin Tightening      Palm Desert Skin Tightening      Pasadena Skin Tightening      Redondo Beach Skin Tightening      Roseville Skin Tightening      San Diego Skin Tightening      San Francisco Skin Tightening      San Ramon Skin Tightening      Santa Monica Skin Tightening      Santa Rosa Skin Tightening      Saratoga Skin Tightening      Temecula Skin Tightening      Walnut Creek Skin Tightening Canada Skin Tightening      Edmonton Skin Tightening      Montreal Skin Tightening Colorado Skin Tightening      Boulder Skin Tightening      Denver Skin Tightening      Grand Junction Skin Tightening      Highlands Ranch Skin Tightening      Lafayette Skin Tightening Connecticut Skin Tightening      Avon Skin Tightening      East Lyme Skin Tightening      Glastonbury Skin Tightening      Greenwich Skin Tightening      Hartford Skin Tightening      New Canaan Skin Tightening      New Haven Skin Tightening      Waterbury Skin Tightening Florida Skin Tightening      Aventura Skin Tightening      Boca Raton Skin Tightening      Clearwater Skin Tightening      Cooper City Skin Tightening      Coral Gables Skin Tightening      Fort Lauderdale Skin Tightening      Holiday Skin Tightening      Jacksonville Skin Tightening      Jupiter Skin Tightening      Kissimmee Skin Tightening      Lake Worth Skin Tightening      Lakeland Skin Tightening      Melbourne Skin Tightening      Miami Skin Tightening      New Port Richey Skin Tightening      North Miami Beach Skin Tightening      Orlando Skin Tightening      Oviedo Skin Tightening      Parkland Skin Tightening      Sarasota Skin Tightening      Tamarac Skin Tightening      Tampa Bay Skin Tightening      Vero Beach Skin Tightening      West Palm Beach Skin Tightening      Winter Park Skin Tightening Georgia Skin Tightening      Alpharetta Skin Tightening      Atlanta Skin Tightening      Decatur Skin Tightening      Duluth Skin Tightening      Suwanee Skin Tightening Idaho Skin Tightening      Boise Skin Tightening      Coeur dAlene Skin Tightening      Eagle Skin Tightening Illinois Skin Tightening      Chicago Skin Tightening      Decatur Skin Tightening      Glenview Skin Tightening      Hinsdale Skin Tightening      Naperville Skin Tightening      Orland Park Skin Tightening      Schaumburg Skin Tightening      Skokie Skin Tightening      Vernon Hills Skin Tightening      Wheaton Skin Tightening Indiana Skin Tightening      Carmel Skin Tightening      Evansville Skin Tightening      Indianapolis Skin Tightening      Newburgh Skin Tightening      Noblesville Skin Tightening Iowa Skin Tightening      Cedar Rapids Skin Tightening      Des Moines Skin Tightening Kansas Skin Tightening      Emporia Skin Tightening      Kansas City Skin Tightening      Overland Park Skin Tightening      Wichita Skin Tightening Kentucky Skin Tightening      Fort Thomas Skin Tightening      Henderson Skin Tightening Louisiana Skin Tightening      Ponchatoula Skin Tightening      Slidell Skin Tightening Maine Skin Tightening      Ellsworth Skin Tightening      Portland Skin Tightening Maryland Skin Tightening      Baltimore Skin Tightening      Bethesda Skin Tightening      Chevy Chase Skin Tightening      Columbia Skin Tightening      Glen Burnie Skin Tightening      Severna Park Skin Tightening Massachusetts Skin Tightening      Boston Skin Tightening      Braintree Skin Tightening      Burlington Skin Tightening      Feeding Hills Skin Tightening      Framingham Skin Tightening      Natick Skin Tightening      Waltham Skin Tightening Michigan Skin Tightening      Shelby Twp Skin Tightening      Sterling Heights Skin Tightening Minnesota Skin Tightening      Burnsville Skin Tightening      Crystal Skin Tightening      Minneapolis Skin Tightening Missouri Skin Tightening      Clayton Skin Tightening      Springfield Skin Tightening      St Louis Skin Tightening      West Plains Skin Tightening Nebraska Skin Tightening      Lincoln Skin Tightening Nevada Skin Tightening      Las Vegas Skin Tightening      Reno Skin Tightening New Jersey Skin Tightening      Cherry Hill Skin Tightening      Edison Skin Tightening      Florham Park Skin Tightening      Little Silver Skin Tightening      Marlboro Skin Tightening      Paramus Skin Tightening      Voorhees Skin Tightening      Warren Skin Tightening New Mexico Skin Tightening      Albuquerque Skin Tightening New York Skin Tightening      Batavia Skin Tightening      Bay Shore Skin Tightening      Center Moriches Skin Tightening      Johnstown Skin Tightening      Long Island Skin Tightening      Manhattan Skin Tightening      Merrick Skin Tightening      New York Skin Tightening      Riverdale Skin Tightening      Rosedale Skin Tightening      Roslyn Skin Tightening      Roslyn Heights Skin Tightening      Southampton Skin Tightening      Staten Island Skin Tightening      Westchester County Skin Tightening      Williamsville Skin Tightening      Woodbury Skin Tightening North Carolina Skin Tightening      Charlotte Skin Tightening      Lumberton Skin Tightening      Raleigh-Durham Skin Tightening North Dakota Skin Tightening      Fargo Skin Tightening Ohio Skin Tightening      Cincinnati Skin Tightening      Columbus Skin Tightening      Delaware Skin Tightening      Elyria Skin Tightening Oklahoma Skin Tightening      Tulsa Skin Tightening Oregon Skin Tightening      Portland Skin Tightening      Salem Skin Tightening      Tigard Skin Tightening Pennsylvania Skin Tightening      Allentown Skin Tightening      Bala Cynwyd Skin Tightening      King of Prussia Skin Tightening      Langhorne Skin Tightening      Mechanicsburg Skin Tightening      Media Skin Tightening      Milford Skin Tightening      New Hope Skin Tightening      Newtown Square Skin Tightening      Philadelphia Skin Tightening      Pittsburgh Skin Tightening      Plymouth Meeting Skin Tightening      Warrington Skin Tightening Rhode Island Skin Tightening      Pawtucket Skin Tightening South Carolina Skin Tightening      Charleston Skin Tightening      Columbia Skin Tightening      Irmo Skin Tightening      Myrtle Beach Skin Tightening      Piedmont Skin Tightening South Dakota Skin Tightening      Dakota Dunes Skin Tightening      Sioux Falls Skin Tightening Tennessee Skin Tightening      Brentwood Skin Tightening      Chattanooga Skin Tightening Texas Skin Tightening      Austin Skin Tightening      Beaumont Skin Tightening      Brownwood Skin Tightening      Bryan Skin Tightening      Dallas Skin Tightening      Fort Worth Skin Tightening      Friendswood Skin Tightening      Grapevine Skin Tightening      Harlingen Skin Tightening      Houston Skin Tightening      Kingwood Skin Tightening      Kyle Skin Tightening      Plano Skin Tightening      Richardson Skin Tightening      Round Rock Skin Tightening      San Antonio Skin Tightening      The Woodlands Skin Tightening      Tomball Skin Tightening Vermont Skin Tightening      Burlington Skin Tightening Virginia Skin Tightening      Leesburg Skin Tightening      Sterling Skin Tightening Washington Skin Tightening      Bellevue Skin Tightening      Bonney Lake Skin Tightening      Burien Skin Tightening      Edmonds Skin Tightening      Federal Way Skin Tightening      Issaquah Skin Tightening      Lynnwood Skin Tightening      Maple Valley Skin Tightening      Seattle Skin Tightening      Tacoma Skin Tightening West Virginia Skin Tightening      Martinsburg Skin Tightening Wisconsin Skin Tightening      Appleton Skin Tightening      Eau Claire Skin Tightening      Green Bay Skin Tightening      Kenosha Skin Tightening      La Crosse Skin Tightening      Madison Skin Tightening      Marinette Skin Tightening      Milwaukee Skin Tightening      New Berlin Skin Tightening      Stevens Point Skin Tightening      Wausau Skin Tightening

OR

Consumers researching Skin Tightening also researched:

• Latest Headlines
• Top Procedures
• Most Read