Plastic & Cosmetic Surgery Blog – Harley Medical Group

Officials in Dubai have warned beauty salons that they must stop performing laser hair removal treatments from August.

When the ban takes effect, only registered health care service providers will be allowed to carry out laser treatments in the Emirate. According to Gulfnews.com the aim is to protect members of the public.

Dr Mohammad Osama Kayali, head of the Dubai Health Authority’s regulation section, said the new law is intended to improve safety by ensuring that laser hair removal treatment is only carried out by trained and qualified healthcare professionals.

An increasing number of people are benefiting from the procedure, but if it is to be performed safely, it is essential that people go through a registered cosmetic clinic.

Dr Kayali said: “(Businesses) need to employ a licensed specialist dermatologist or plastic surgeon if they wish to continue this service.

“In many instances, excessive hair growth is due to hormonal imbalances which need specialist medical advice and follow-up.”

Any business that breaks the new rule will face a fine of up to Dh10,000 (£1,600) or may be closed down.

Breast reduction is one of the most successful cosmetic surgery procedures in terms of patient satisfaction, according to a new survey.

The research was conducted by RealSelf.com, a US-based online forum for cosmetic surgery patients. Dr Gus Galante, a specialist in breast reduction surgery, said he was not surprised by the findings.

Dr Galante believes the reason that patients experience a high level of satisfaction with this type of surgery is that there are physical benefits to be enjoyed, as well as emotional ones.

Women with large breasts can suffer from back, neck and shoulder pain, which can prevent them from wanting to take part in physical activities. Dr Galante added that these women can often feel self-conscious about their appearance.

He said: “For them, the breast reduction procedure is about achieving a shape and proportion that allows them to feel normal.

“Both breast augmentation and breast reduction help women to feel more balanced and proportional, and may enhance their body image and feelings of sensuality.”

A former glamour model says marriage to a plastic surgeon has changed her views on cosmetic treatments.

Nina Carter, who found fame as a Page 3 model in the 1970s and spent 20 years married to musician Rick Wakeman, has told the Daily Mail newspaper that she would “most definitely consider” having plastic surgery in the future.

The 59-year-old has so far kept her youthful good looks by sticking to a healthy diet and plenty of exercise. However, after marrying plastic surgeon Douglas Harrison last year, she says she has changed her mind about cosmetic procedures such as liposuction and breast implants.

She said: “People come from all over the world and have all sorts of reasons for having plastic surgery. In that sense, it is a wonderful thing.

“I feel that if you have bags under your eyes and it makes you feel better, then I cannot see any reason not to go ahead with it.”

A healthcare body has stressed the importance of only receiving Botox treatments from trained professionals.

Thanks to the recession, people are looking to find cheaper ways of looking good. But the Independent Healthcare Advisory Service is concerned that people are putting themselves at risk by cutting corners in order to save cash when it comes to Botox injections.

A report by The Sun newspaper says Botox parties are becoming increasingly popular, but there are substantial risks if the person carrying out the procedure is not sufficiently qualified.

Sally Taber, a founding member of IHAS, said: “We are urging everyone to think about their safety when choosing a practitioner and by following our five-point checklist, patients can ensure they are in the best possible hands.”

Ms Taber said there are a number of things people can do to ensure they stay safe when receiving injectable cosmetics. Checking the person carrying out the procedure is qualified, has suitable credentials and is properly trained are extremely important, as is making sure the environment where the treatment is taking place is clean and safe. Ensuring the quality of the substance being used is also a must.

Requests for laser hair removal are up by 37 per cent on this time last year, no doubt inspired by a combination of increased awareness of the effects of the treatment and the warmer weather encouraging us to bare more flesh.

So what do potential customers of this revolutionary treatment need to know before committing to the necessary number of sessions?

Firstly, thanks to the latest laser technology treatment, no matter what your skin or hair colour and type, you can now benefit from permanent hair reduction or removal. Gone are the days when only those with dark hair would see good results from laser technology, and now even vellus hair (or “peach fuzz”) can be removed.

Secondly, it is essential to have the treatment at a registered cosmetic clinic and not just by the cheapest practitioner you can find. This is because the laser used is an advanced piece of technology and one that in the wrong hands could cause skin damage. Clinics employing trained and experienced cosmetic nurses and aesthetic practitioners will also be much more like to be safe, clean environments with proper patient safety procedures in place.

Thirdly, the number of treatments required varies from one individual to the next making initial consultations very important to get an accurate price for the course and to ensure you know exactly what to expect. Initial consultations will often involve carrying out computerised photo imaging skin analysis, a process by which the condition of the skin is assessed, and this helps the nurse involved to recommend the right number of treatments and also get an idea of how effective it will be.

And finally, it is important to remember that permanent hair removal is not 100 per cent guaranteed, and many people will benefit instead from permanent hair reduction.

According to latest figures more and more women are opting for laser hair removal treatment to rid their feet and toes of unwanted hair.

The figures, published in the Mirror today, suggest that requests for laser treatment for hair removal are up by 37 per cent overall, and that woman are not just choosing to remove hair from the usual areas. While the bikini line, legs, underarms and face are still the most common areas to be treated using lasers, requests to remove hair from more unusual areas, such as the feet, are becoming more widespread.

Experts attribute the increase in requests for the permanent hair removal treatment to the warmer weather and say it is not unusual for non-surgical treatments to rise in popularity in the run-up to summer. Women planning to look their best on the beach this summer by opting for any type of cosmetic surgery or treatment are advised to book in now as recovery times can vary from a few days to a few months.

The International Association for Physicians in Aesthetic Medicine (IAPAM) has announced plans to release images used in its Botox training resources to clinicians using iPads.

The members-only iPad portal will give those with access a chance to zoom in on important images of the anatomy and clinical illustrations that can help them to understand how different cosmetic treatments can affect the body. The IAPAM hopes that its latest offering will help them to treat patients efficiently and give them the benefit of access to a wide range of resources.

The iPad facility is part of the IAPAM’s Aesthetic Medicine Symposium which is a programme designed to update physicians on the latest trends in cosmetic surgery, how to develop a client base, how to perform client consultations, how to add Botox along with other injectable treatments, laser hair removal and medical microdermabrasion to their offerings, and to train on all forms of aesthetic medicine.

A New York-based plastic surgeon has spoken out to say that breast enlargement surgery is about a lot more than just size.

Dr Scott Newman, a specialist in cosmetic and reconstructive breast surgery, told the Sun Herald newspaper that the majority of his patients are interested in achieving the right sized breasts for their shape, rather than “overpowering breasts that enter the room before their body does.”

 “There are many reasons women seek enhancements; centrefold boobs are a small portion,” Dr Newman explained.

 “Most of my patients are average women who want to look great in a bathing suit, as well as in a business suit,” he added. “Other motivating factors include asymmetrical breasts, post-surgery reconstruction, post-pregnancy sagging, underdevelopment and body proportioning”, he added.

He went on to explain that while a desire to increase their bust size is one of the reasons why women undergo breast surgery, they also choose this procedure to restore the fullness of their breasts after pregnancy or medical treatment, and often to even out asymmetrical breasts.

American socialite and reality television star Kim Kardashian has admitted to waxing her forehead before she discovered laser treatment for hair removal.

Kardashian, who made a name for herself on reality television show Keeping Up With The Kardashians, told the press that she used to spend a lot of time trying to keep the baby hair on her forehead, below her hairline, at bay.

In a recent interview, the 30-year-old brunette said: “If you look at pictures of me from even three years ago, I had like two inches of baby hairs on my forehead.”

“But they weren’t thick enough to slick back, so they were permanently down and I would wax them all the time and now I laser them and they don’t come back.”
 
Two weeks ago the star was spotted attending a laser hair removal clinic in Los Angeles where she is said to go regularly for the treatment.

Dermatologists have hailed the humble red grape as a potential treatment for the problem of fine lines and wrinkles.

New research suggests that the skin of the fruit contains powerful antioxidants that, when harnessed, could have similar smoothing effects to those of injectable Botox treatments. Some anti-ageing creams already contain resveratrol, an ingredient that is taken directly from the sap of grape vines, but latest findings suggest that the same ingredient can also be found in red wine.

In an interview with the May issue of Allure magazine, Jeanette Graf, a leading dermatologist, hails the findings and agrees that the grape could hold the key to sun protection.

She said: “Studies show that resveratrol suppresses UV-induced damage, which can protect against skin cancer.

“It’s great at fighting free radical damage and is right up there with Coffee Berry and idebenone as an excellent antioxidant.”