We are moving...
to bigger and better premises!

Suite 1001, 122 Arthur Street
North Sydney NSW 2026

Phone 9011 5545

Our new premises mean:

• More appointment times
• Reception staff to help answer your questions
• We are easier to find

We are available for appointments from Monday 10th October.
The phone is connected from 7th October however if you would like to make an appointment in the meantime, please email mailto:info@agelessfaceandbody.com.au

As gen XYZ ages we should brace ourselves for a large increase in filler usage

It is interesting how such a dichotomy exists in the world around Botox and fillers. Gen XYZ think it as essential as food and their mothers think it has not yet been proven safe to use. I don't know when it happened. There we all were soothing forty and fifty year olds telling them they are sure to like the results and that it is really very safe, and their daughters developed a horror of the slightest line on their faces. Usage by Gen XYZ is going through the roof.

There is also an increase in the number of men using Botox. These are mainstream guys who have abused their skin over many years and now have decided to do something about it. It is good to see the Aussie bloke taking time out from the pub to tend to his appearance.

The uptake of fillers is higher in the upper age groups because it suits their needs, the correction of facial fat loss and skin laxity. As gen XYZ ages we should brace ourselves for a large increase in filler usage as well.

Whether the introduction of epigenetic  stimulants in skin care (view Ageloc.com)will be effective at reducing age related collagen loss and changing the game forever remains to be seen.

Facial Rejuvenation & Restylane Injectors

This past weekend's  Restylane injectors' symposium at the Ivy was probably the most sedate event of their week.

Hundreds involved in the facial rejuvenation were there to watch new techniques in Restylane injectors and to socialise.

The newest thing I saw there was a new app for the iphone to record the areas injected in a patients face. Just the thing for a roving injector. Mark it up on the phone and then download into the patient's file on the central computor.

There are many nurses who go from place to place injecting Botox, Restylane and Juvederm flouting the law that says all patients must be seen by a doctor and a prescription written for an S4 drug before it is injected.  They will find this app invaluable.  It won't fix the legal situation but it will improve record keeping.

Things change in every field and cosmetic medicine is no different.

There have been changes!

No, there is no new wonder drug but there are new uses and techniques with existing products particularly fillers. The number of filler procedures continues to rise and the number of surgical face lifts to fall.

Who would choose surgery over fillers if the result will be comparable?

Attention is now being placed firmly on the cause of skin laxity. Most laxity is genetically caused and shows itself in the loss of facial fat pads and loss of bone thickness in the facial bones. Sun damage contributes to this sagging by damaging the collagen and elastin in the skin.

Once the fat pads are gone they will not regenerate; nor will the bone thicken up again. This leaves us with skin draped over a smaller base like a table cloth too big for the table. Surgery removes the excess skin and in good hands can result in great improvement. However this improvement comes with potential complications. Scarring always occurs there may also be other complications.

The objective of fillers in this situation is to give the face back the bulk it has lost. This results in filling in of the under eye hollows, moves the cheek curve back up to where it used to be and reduces the marionette and naso labial folds . Improvement can also be made in the neck. To do this we need to use much more and longer lasting fillers than we used to. This is not about line filling, this is about restoring youthful contours. Price has always had an impact on how much filler we can use, so the filler companies have come to the party by offering some staggering deals on long lasting fillers. That means you can get more filler for your money and that gives better bang for your buck and a real WOW factor!

Improvement of the skin is another important feature of non surgical rejuvenation. We can achieve this in many ways using cosmeceuticals or lasers and Ipl.

Naturally this does not apply to those who have major facial and neck laxity who may be better served by surgery.

The internet is changing the way we do business and the way we shop!

Retailers are complaining about on line shoppers deserting them for cheaper offerings on line.

It's easy to see why shoppers are going for the lower prices, but I wonder if they have thought this through.

The main retail offerings on the web are women's, men's and children's clothing. These offers arrive unsolicited  in my inbox daily. Certainly the prices are low but I am not tempted- at least not so far. I have an appreciation of the work put in by the real life retailers in choosing appropriate product for local climate and lifestyle. The risks they take are high. I understand how much it costs them to pay high street rents and to pay for good staff. I also appreciate their advice.  I know how many poor choices I have made by myself and I trust these people to help me save money by not buying items that are not suitable.

Left to myself I suspect I would end up looking mismatched and either dowdy or wearing clothing too young for me. I see many people who could benefit from advice.

So, for me, shopping for clothes on the web would not be cheaper because it would entail hiring a stylist and I understand they don't come cheap. I also like to see the clothes on me so I can check for too short , too long, too low in the front, crooked hem etc . Yes, I know they can be sent back for refund but I don't even like going to the post office at any time. My local post office is not within walking distance and it is impossible to park without running the risk of a parking ticket. I could have it delivered to the office, but then I have to carry my parcel, my gym bag, my hand bag and my computer bag home. Somehow the attraction cannot compete for the inconvenience.

The internet is changing the way we interact , the way we do business and the way we shop.  The main lure of online shopping is price. The main loss is service. It seems many are happy to forego this

If we apply the same concepts to service businesses when consumers have decided they don't want to pay for service, then what do service businesses have left to sell? The answer is expertise. But what happens when expertise is no longer valued?

I can see the accounting services sector having to compete with low cost offerings out of India and China. Certainly accountants in these areas can study the local tax codes and do our accounting via web based services. I think accounting services are very vulnerable to this threat. I like to know that my accountant is truly up to date with the regular changes in the tax codes. He has also done good work for me in the past and helped me a great deal. I appreciate that and would not desert him for a cheaper service.

Solicitors have some protection from this. They have been challenged by local conveyencers but maintain their tranche of the work quite well. They are protected from competition from offshore in matters that come to court as solicitors need to be admitted in this country and non admitted solicitors cannot come into court. Perhaps barrister's opinions may be sought from other countries saving the extreme cost of barrister's opinions in this country. Again what price expertise?

Do you look sad? Botox can give you great results.

Cosmetic procedures occupy number one position on this planet with Botox injections topping the list. The next one down is liposuction.

There is no surprise about Botox being number one. Despite its detractors Botox is a fantastic drug that is used medically in many areas. The  most common usage is cosmetic . The only TGA approved use in this country is for relaxing wrinkles between the brows- the well known frown line. People are aware of its use for treating crow's feet but less aware that it can be used in other areas for cosmetic purposes.

As long as the operator knows the anatomy of the facial muscles well there are many things that can be done.

• Does your nose look pointy when you laugh?
• Is your face square rather  than oval?
• Is your jaw line ill defined?
• Does your mouth turn down at the corners?
• Do you look sad?
• Do the muscles in your neck stand out ?

Botox can be used to treat all these areas with very good results.

 With the increasingly sedentary nature of our working lives obesity is becoming a problem.  Not everyone is obese but most of us carry a little extra around our middles giving the attractive muffin top look. This isn't going to get better, it's going to get worse. So the advent of the new non surgical fat removal technology is well timed. I doubt it will be long before non surgical fat removal takes the number one place from Botox. Not everyone can relate to wrinkle reduction injections but everyone can relate to the difficulty of getting the waistline back under control.

Believe me it is addictive. I have had two treatments and can't wait to have some more. It's just great to do up the jeans and not see something pushed up over the top!

Are we in the middle of boom or bust?

With cries of doom and gloom coming from the retail sector and cries of joy from the miners, who are we to believe?

Are we in the middle of boom or bust?

Is the Reserve Bank right not to raise interest rates just yet? Is unemployment a worry at 4.9%?

Are people economising on their appearance? It seems the young are not. They are out there still wanting Botox and increasingly non surgical fat reduction. Perhaps the older generation having been through tough times before are tightening their spending? No, again. Older patients are investing in their appearance, perhaps as a way to compete in a youth obsessed world, or perhaps it is something our mothers and grandmothers would have done if they had had control of the family finances.

Appearance medicine is working its way into men's lives as well. Younger men are definitely more interested in grooming than they were a decade ago. Most admit to using their girlfriends skin products, usually  moisturiser, others go the whole hog, cleanser, toner and moisturiser.

People are still spending but they are looking for bargains. Look at Scoopon , Groupon, Cudo etc. There are vouchers for this that and the other, all at ridiculously low prices. These are used by businesses for promotion but would not generate profits for the owners. The only people who make money from these are the owners of the voucher business when they take a large percentage of the fee as their remuneration. Everything has become a commodity. There was even a voucher add for non surgical rhinoplasty! A nose job is now a commodity to be pushed at the lowest price.

So, is it a recession or just a change in spending habits related to online purchasing and discounting? I believe it's the latter and just possibly here to stay.

Beware of cheap cosmetic deals!

I must be on to something here. The British Medical Association has come out against the use of discount coupons to fund cheap cosmetic deals. The dignity of the medical profession seems at risk here rather as the dignity of the patient was at risk with the concept of selling access to well know surgeon's operating sessions. In that case it was to raise money for research.

Will we soon have reality shows where contestants fight to win the cancer operation of their choice? We already have Bridalplasty.

If we continue this concept to its logical conclusion we could extend it to the legal profession (a profession not well known for discounting) as criminals compete to win the prize of representation by the celebrity barrister. Can you imagine the episodes as competitors work their way through challenges like "who can rip the little old lady quickest" or who is best at the "long con", "the short con", "the internet scam"? Surely TV should pick up this idea- a reality program that is self funding as the competitors are sure to bring in money. There would be really interesting stories too; much more interesting than Survivor, Masterchef or the Great Race. Can't miss tonight's show as Gerry plans the heist down at the local RSL!

Self esteem plays a role in the use of cosmetic medicine.

There was an interesting piece on RN last night detailing the uses of Botox which range from treatment of severe clustered migraine to treatment of crows'  feet.

In our society where the internet offers information at the touch of a button it is interesting to note the two different stances on Botox treatment  in the public.

There is one group that says "fantastic it gets rid of my wrinkles and anything that does that is good" and the other group that just as strongly affirms "I don't put anything into my body that isn't natural". The latter includes the sub group of "getting old is normal and I'm not going to do anything about it". This is often said by those who pay no attention to anything in their appearance and I wonder if that is because they lack money for hairdressers and modern clothes; perhaps they simply don't care and don't think anyone else should either.

I would be the first to agree that one can choose one's appearance. Like Trinny and Suzanna I want to force people to look better groomed but wouldn't drag people off the street because their look displeased me. Their raison d'etre appears to be that lack of self esteem underlies the daggy tops and baggy pants and bad haircuts.

Could this be so in the area of cosmetic medicine also? Are those with very low self esteem those who won't come for treatment; or are those who won't come for treatment those souls happy in their skin and highly self confident? Or do they have a different aesthetic ?

I think low self esteem plays a major part for this group ; naturally cost is a significant draw back. Well groomed women who are not rich come for treatment. They save their money and pay for their treatment. They don't use credit. The simply sloppy don't come at all. Are they not informed or do they live in a demographic just the same as them where they look the same as everyone else? Perhaps they truly see themselves as beautiful but I doubt it.

Don't be seduced by a cheaper price...

DR Mauricio Di Maio a world renowned surgeon who specialises in Botox and filler treatments for the face gave a very informative full day session on the assessment and treatment of facial ageing at all ages. It was a fascinating exploration of the anatomy of the area. The review of the anatomy is something we all should do regularly. It is important to be very familiar with the muscles nerves arteries and veins of the face to enable us to deliver treatments almost painlessly and with minimal bruising.

His message was - pay attention to the veins and arteries to avoid injecting in the area.  Know your anatomy to plan your treatment 

Analysis of facial muscles that are causing the problem gives us an objective way to plan out treatments for muscle relaxants.

Analysis of tissue loss in the face allows us to correctly replace lost bulk with fillers. Two things cause loss of bulk- one is the decrease in thickness of bone and fat pads with age, and the other is the loss of elasticity of skin due to decreased production of collagen and elastin as a result of genetics and sun damage.

Another issue highlighted by Dr Di Maio is the increasing level of competition in this area of medicine. We have all seen the $9.90 /unit Botox ads. Selling Botox for $9.90m per unit is a sure way to go broke unless you have a huge turnover. What do you get with a huge turnover? Very Little time for assessment and treatment of the patient.

When cost becomes the criterion for the selection of a person to treat your face then we are not far prom poor results. I can relate to a purchaser seeking the lowest price on an item. However one person's assessment of a face. It can be  will never be the same as anothers'. Comparison is not realistic if based on price alone. If the only criterion is how much muscle relaxant or filler you get in your face for your dollar then a treatment is easy- simply pump x amount in and there is your result. Is it really that simple?

In my opinion the answer is a very loud "no:.. Aren't we trying to make people look there best here?"

As long as cosmetic medical injections are priced solely on the amount of product pumped into the face then I think we are on the road to more hideous lips and weird looking faces. As long as cost dictates the choice of practitioner then beauty is going to take a back seat.

There must be a price for assessment and treatment planning and, (dare I say it?) for skill.

When you find a skill full practitioner, stay there, don't be seduced by a cheaper price.

Visit us at http://www.agelessfaceandbody.com.au/

20% Fat Reduction Treatments - June 2011 ONLY

Ever wanted to remove those hard to shift, exercise resistant fat deposits?
Now you can...with one of the latest cosmetic treatments on the market.

Med Contour is a fat reduction treatment. It is meant for spot treatment and is not a treatment for obesity. It is ideal for treating exercise resistant fat and can be used in all areas except the face and neck. this is a technical restriction because of the size of the ultrasound head. A new head for the treatment of necks is in production. Treatment is given over 4 -6 weeks. The minimum recommended treatment is four sessions.

Visit http://www.agelessfaceandbody.com.au for more information