“These procedures, which are popular with celebrities who need big results in a short amount of time, are now accessible to everyone who wants to look fabulous for a special occasion,” said Kimberly Butterwick, M.D., member of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS).

To be “camera ready” for an upcoming event, Dr. Butterwick recommends the following timeline:

One Month Before:
•       Contour Thread lifts use non-absorbable thread under the skin’s surface to anchor and gently pull skin upward for an effective facelift without detectable scars.  Recovery time depends on the area treated, but lifts done to the jaw line and cheeks regularly require a week of downtime, while other areas have two to three week recovery periods.  Results vary and depend on the patient’s age as well as the skin’s elasticity. Generally, results last two to five years.

One Week Before:
•       The Fraxel Laser procedure successfully treats non-facial areas to resurface small wrinkles, improve texture, tone and pore size, and rejuvenate skin in the neck, chest and hands area.  There is no scarring and a brief recovery period of two to three days.  Results can last for years.

Days Before: Fillers and Lasers
•       Restylane is a dermal filler that adds volume and fullness around the face and to improve the look of wrinkles and dark circles around the eyes.  Minimal swelling and bruising may occur, but patients are usually ready to be seen the next day.
•       Sculptra is used to add volume and natural curves to the face in patients that have gaunt and sunken cheeks from fat loss either due to aging or illness.  This procedure can be done in one office visit.
•       Intense Pulsed Light is used to treat freckles, port wine stains, varicose and spider veins and flat birth marks on larger areas of the body such as the neck, chest, legs or forearms.  There is virtually no downtime and results are very effective.  Mild redness and swelling may occur around the treated area directly after a treatment but will subside in a few days.
•       Photo Facial treatments are used on patients who suffer from irregular skin texture or skin discoloration due to the effects of red blood vessels and brown spots.  Four to six treatments are recommended depending on the severity of the problem.  A patient’s skin will be refreshed and glowing without any recovery time.  Maintenance treatments are suggested once a year to keep skin in tip-top shape.

Post from: eBeautyDaily

At this time of year when we’re thinking about resolutions and what to do next year, or looking back and realizing that we’re another year older (YIKES!), it’s a super interesting read.

Even in these hard economic times, 58% of women are more likely to trade off cost for longer lasting results. It goes to show you that women will not trade down quality in their anti aging quest. I also was somewhat surprised that women are not as influenced by friends and marketing of brands as we think (or at least I did). They rely heavily on their physician’s expertise and conformability with a product, basically using his brand loyalty over their own.

According to the study, the top three factors that influence a woman’s decision to either move forward or decline a medical anti-aging treatment, such as injectables are:
1. Physician Training and Expertise: 95% of women considering a treatment ranked a physician’s training and experience with the procedure or product as most important compared with other factors, such as how the product works or how quickly results appear.
2. Gradual Results that Last Two Years: 89% of women preferred gradual results lasting two years over immediate results lasting six months.
3. Information from Physician and Web sites: 99% of women receive information about medical anti-aging treatments from health care providers or health and medical Web sites. When making a final decision, a woman’s doctor was cited as the best source of information.

Additional study results showed:

• Only 15% of women who have undergone previous anti-aging procedures are influenced by friends, family or a co-worker’s recommendation.
• One-in-three women who have had an injectable treatment have also had another type of non-invasive medical anti-aging treatment.
• 58% of women who’ve considered an anti-aging procedure are more likely to trade off cost for long-lasting results.
• 91% of injectable users and women considering anti-aging treatments would rather have results last longer rather than occur immediately.

Post from: eBeautyDaily