Why do women have lip fillers?

Lip fillers are growing in popularity because women are looking for ways to cheat time and stay looking vital and youthful without having to resort to drastic and dangerous surgeries.

“Do whatever makes you happy.” That is the mantra of the liberal, life-loving. However, when you see yet another celebrity (this time, Cheryl Cole) denying they have had a cosmetic procedure in spite of appearing to have seriously inflated boobs*/lips*/bottom*. *delete as applicable. It really does make one wonder if all the effort was necessary or even really wanted. We all know that cosmetic surgery rumours heighten a celeb’s profile, think about what it has done for Victoria Beckham!

Cheryl Cole is 26 years old and clearly doesn’t need any anti-aging treatments like Botox or Restylane lip fillers. Typically, plump and full lips are a sign of youth which is why women have their lips done in the first place. They are losing collagen as a direct result of aging and their lips are starting to thin a bit. Lips are so sensuous; you eat, speak and kiss with them so theoretically, the bigger the better right?

Well, no actually. The birth of lip fillers was accompanied with the insult ‘trout pout’ for when lip surgery/fillers goes very, very wrong (think Lesley Ash, Jocelyn Wildenstein or Pete Burns)

Badly done lips stick out like a sore thumb. After all, who wants to look like they have two thick slugs stuck on their face masquerading as lips? Fuller lips do make a woman look younger, but it takes a talented doctor to know how much filler will make a woman be transformed from drab to fab with just a few Restylane injections.

At Cosmetic Clinics, we aren’t ‘scalpel jockeys’, we are professionals who take pride in our work so if we don’t think a treatment is right for you, we will tell you so.

Laser Hair Removal

For some, hair removal is a costly, painful and inconvenient necessity. Could this be down to a cultural dislike of female body hair? I think this is entirely possible because whenever you see a picture of a woman showing off body hair, for most, the instant reaction is to screw up your face in disgust and say, “urgh!” It really is the last taboo when it comes to the female body and I do not see this one disappearing soon.

Julia Roberts bravely (?) flashed her hairy armpit to the word at the Notting Hill premier in 1999 and most recently, actress Mo’Nique made the world gasp at her hairy legs. She won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress but this did not stop Mo’Nique raising her dress to show off a seriously unkempt pair of legs. Goodness knows why she did this because I thought she looked amazing… up until that point.

I know I don’t feel my best if my legs aren’t smooth. There is no respite even when you wear trousers, as the hairs seem to rub mercilessly and almost create static! Again, if you want to wear knee-length boots, this can be uncomfortable even with two days of leg hair growth.

Yet losing the body hair is also a problem. Shaving can cause nasty nicks and waxing hurts no matter what anyone tells you! Last year I had my bikini line waxed, but the finer hairs that were apparently hiding beneath the more visible thicker hairs were left behind and I had a very red and blotchy bikini area, which I had to continue plucking at home. Very unattractive! The masochistic waxing lady didn’t even shape the remaining hair. I left the waxing studio feeling sore and worry for myself. I could use a depilatory cream but they usually smell pretty nasty and they are messy to use and take too long if you’re in a hurry to get to work.

There is electrolysis as a more permanent option but it is very costly and can be very painful. As with everything, there are risks e.g. infection or the treatment may not work. In the wrong hands, electrolysis can cause permanent skin damage. This is why I opted for laser hair removal for my armpits. It got to the stage where I was shaving my armpits every day because I couldn’t bear the tiniest bit of stubble.

So how does it work?
Laser hair removal works by laser energy being turned to heat energy when absorbed by the hair follicle, this causes thermal damage to the follicle without any damage to the surrounding skin, thus ceasing growth in the treated follicle. It is not 100% permanent, but the more treatments you have, the longer the effects should last.

It was the perfect option and I am so glad that I had it done, look at the pictures! I will be going in to have treatment on my legs next. Thank you Cosmetic Clinics!

Women's Body Hair - by louisa hastings

Why Choose Dermal Fillers?

For a variety of reasons, maybe weight loss or age, a person may find that their face is beginning to look drawn and gaunt. Young skin looks plump and taut thanks to collagen, but as we age, the collagen in our skin slowly decreases. Fortunately, there are lots of non-surgical methods that can be used so that a patient can regain their former youthful looks.

The obvious answer to filling lines and wrinkles is to have Botox. Whilst this is a fantastic method for smoothing lines and wrinkles, not everybody is comfortable with the idea of having Botox injected into their face as an over-zealous practitioner could wipe out a patient’s ability to move their face.

The best non-surgical alternative to Botox is dermal fillers. This is a very useful method of smoothing lines and wrinkles and does not paralyse a person’s face into an expressionless mask. Dermal fillers can also fill out a person’s face to replace fat and plump out areas that have come to look somewhat gaunt e.g. cheeks. A patient can have fillers as a means to fill acne scars or change the shape of their chin or the tip of their nose.

If you are wondering why dermal fillers have become so popular, I can explain why: The effects of dermal fillers are immediate - so you do not have to wait for weeks until the swelling has gone down to see how the procedure has turned out. However, patients may experience very slight bleeding where the needle enters the skin. This is completely normal and is no cause for concern. There may be slight swelling or redness in the treated area although this will go down very quickly.

Typically injected into the lower two halves of the face (Botox is better for use on the forehead), the effects of dermal fillers are softer than other treatments and are often preferred to invasive, painful and expensive surgery which carries the inherent risks of infection and use of general anaesthetics. Compared to a surgical facelift, there is no contest between this and dermal fillers on the subject of cost. It is also very apt to mention that with dermal fillers there is no extensive aftercare and time off work required.

Most of today’s dermal fillers contain hyaluronic acid – this is a compound naturally found in the skin and is critical to the structural integrity of the dermal collagen matrix. What consumers will find is that there are several types of filler such as Radiesse which is more suitable for filling acne scars and treating lines around the nose and mouth. Typically lasting 16-24 months, patients looking for a dermal filler more suitable for filling out cheeks may consider Belotero. It pays to do your research!

Treatment
Patients may be given a local anaesthetic or a topical anaesthetic cream to numb the treated area to avoid discomfort. The treatment typically lasts between 30 and 60 minutes. There is no cutting of the skin and few risks although this should always be discussed at length with the professional involved in the procedure.

When looking for someone to provide dermal fillers, be aware that doctors, nurses and dermatologists can administer the treatment. When looking for a professional to provide dermal fillers check they are qualified to do so. All of the doctors affiliated with Cosmetic Clinics will be more than happy to reassure you by showing their credentials.

Merry Christmas from Cosmetic Clinics

We wish you a merry Christmas
We wish you a merry Christmas
We wish you a merry Christmas
... and a happy new year!

Merry Christmas to all our readers, we hope you have a wonderful Christmas and a happy and exciting new year.

This is our last blog for 2009 but look out for our new and exciting posts in 2010! We'll be bringing you the latest cosmetic treatment news and treatments as well as fantastic offers.

Take care in this cold and icy weather and we'll be back soon.

A Question about Hair Transplant Surgery

We recieved a question regarding hair transplant surgery that a gentleman had undergone at a clinic unrelated to the Cosmetic Clinics Group. He was feeling unimpressed with the results and asked our advice on the matter and other hair restoration and hair transplant alternatives.

The Question

“I have had a 2300 graft strip surgery 3 months ago to the front and temple region. I am not happy with the density and also the direction of the hair. I have heard that with the specialised implanter used in H+ technique, you can achieve better density and also better direction than traditional strip procedures.

My question is can the density and direction be improved and if yes, how soon can this be done after my first surgery?”

Our Answer

“Thanks for your question. Before I start answering, I would like to reassure you that 3m is still very early days to determine the success or failure of your strip surgery. I do not belong to the school of thought that FUE hair transplant surgery is better than strip surgery. My belief is that both surgeries should complement each other.

Moving on, yes we use a specialised implanter pen that helps in achieving better control over the angle and direction, whilst protecting the vital structures of the graft.

With regards to density, a couple of factors influence the density. Logic says that to achieve the desired coverage a surgeon should aim to achieve 50% of the density of the donor area. Any density beyond that would not provide any additional benefits.

So the answer to your question is that we can achieve the desired density in one procedure with the H+ technique.

With regards to answering your second question, I always advise my patients to wait at least 6 months before contemplating the second procedure.

The reasoning behind this is that you have to wait this long at least before you could assess the success of the first surgery and hence you can plan your second surgery better, without disturbing the healing process.”

For more information on FUE hair transplants, hair transpant surgery and hair restoration, visit the Cosmetic Clinics website.

Miracle Anti Ageing Pills? We're Not So Sure

This article was spotted at the Daily Mail Online and we thought it was worth mentioning.

It concerns a new pill on the market in Europe (though not Britain) called Inneov Fermete that claims it can restore, to degrees, the elasticity of the skin. Now many would say that we here at the Cosmetic Clinics Group are biased, as this would be competition for many of our anti-ageing treatments, but we cannot help but be somewhat sceptical.

The magic pill that solves all is not a new invention, there have been pills for so many things over the years. The problem is most of them just don't work, or work to a degree but only in conjunction with other things, such as diet pills that only work with a calories controlled diet and exercise. Well forgive us for saying but if you took the pills away from that equation, you'd have the same results too.

We aren't saying this flat out doesn't work, it's too early and the information is too little for us to comment on that, but reading below it says that the magic ingredient is something found in tomatoes. Now if that is the case why not just eat more tomatoes? They certainly aren't £25 for a ten day supply.

Also if you add it up it will cost someone in the region of nearly £1000 over a year for these pills. You would be better off trying an actually proven anti-ageing cosmetic treatment for that kind of money, as a matter of fact you could probably get several.

For now we will just stay sceptical, and see if we have to eat our words or not, only time will tell. You can read the full article below.

“A treatment has arrived that claims the way to look more youthful on the outside is to start with the inside.

Inneov Fermete is a little red pill that when taken daily supposedly provides the necessary nutrients to prevent wrinkles.

It contains a compound found in tomatoes which, it is claimed, protects old skin cells and promotes the growth of new ones.

The pills have been tested on two groups of women - 90 postmenopausal women aged 51 to 69 and 70 others with an average age of 45. Some were given the pill and others received a placebo.

Those given the anti-wrinkle product were found after six months of use to have skin elasticity that was 8.7 per cent better than those who had taken the dummy pill. Inneov Fermete has been developed by cosmetics firm L'Oreal in conjunction with the food multinational NestlÈ, and claims to combine nutritional and dermatological science.

It is among an emerging class of so-called cosmeceuticals - beauty treatments that claim to work from inside the body rather than being applied to the hair or skin.
Because Inneov Fermete is taken daily as a sugar-coated pill, its makers hope that it will be viewed as a lifestyle product, like a vitamin supplement, rather than as a medicine.

It is on sale in parts of Europe and South America and a launch is planned in the UK, although a date has not yet been confirmed.

But with a price tag of £25 for a ten- day supply, it is likely to be beyond the budget of most Britons, particularly as the manufacturers say it will take around three months for any effect to be noticed.

Patricia Manissier, of Inneov, said: 'We have done a lot of research which shows this product works and now we're looking for ways of improving it.

'We know that good nutrition can prevent the skin from ageing and that there are clear links between certain nutrients and skin health.' The three main ingredients are all antioxidants, which are believed to protect tissue against damage.

Lycopene, the red carotine pigment found in tomatoes, has been modified to be easily absorbed by human cells, and combined with vitamin C and isoflavones, which are extracted from soya beans.”

Source: Daily Mail Online

How would you like a skin treatment for free?

We are looking for a guinea pig...

Don’t worry, it’s not as bad as it sounds, we are not endorsing testing on animals! In fact, Mulberry House has been fortunate enough to be asked to evaluate a new product that is taking the dermatological world by storm. We’re currently keeping the precise details under wraps, but if this product is as good as initial reports claim, this could be a breakthrough for those suffering from skin pigmentation conditions.

At Mulberry House, we currently offer a selection of possible treatment for skin pigmentation conditions. The new treatment involves one simple application to skin suffering with pigmentation problems. Studies have shown this product to be fourteen times more effective than the current treatment, hydroquinone.

Skin pigmentation problems can sometimes be caused by sun damage, so prevention is obviously better than the cure! Make sure you always apply an SPF 15 at least when you go out into the sun and try to stay out of the brightest and harsh sunshine of the day – between 11am and 3pm.
If you think that this treatment sounds like something you might benefit from and you are happy to have your before and after treatment photos used for demonstration purposes, please contact Dr Tanqueray by email – info@mulberryhouseclinic.co.uk

If the treatment becomes more widely available, we will of course let you be the first to know!