August 4, 2009
Posted by marta
The Y Lift is the signature procedure of a New York plastic surgeon called Yan Trokel (I presume he named his treatment after himself). It is basically injections of hyaluronic acid. But the twist is that Dr T has designed his own injection device and follows the incisions by massaging the filler into place with his hands.
An intrepid journalist from the British newspaper, Daily Mail, gave a try and posted pictures of the results on the newspaper’s website. Now, which do you think is the before and which the post Y Lift procedure?
The picture on the bottom is post $4,000 worth of Y Lift Treatment.
Well, I’m sorry, but I think she looks lovely in the top (before) picture. Not a wrinkle in sight. A full, healthy face. Afterward she looks gaunt and much, much older. Read more...
May 22, 2009
Posted by marta
The other day, I posted on oxygen treatments for acne and not for the first time I began to think that oxygen facials might be nothing more than hot air. Oxygen as an anti-aging treatment got some marketing oomph a few years ago when Madonna told Harper’s Bazaar that she keeps an oxygen machine in every one of her homes. Even though a blast of cooling oxygen rounds out my own monthly facial treatments, I’ve never been entirely convinced and then I came across an article on the cosmetic trade website, Special Chem, that suggests that oxygen facials may do more harm than good.
The oxygen paradox is that while it is essential for (most) life, it can also cause untold damage. It is powerful oxidizer that can attack biological molecules and lead to free radical formation. Not a good thing. The body, thankfully, can regulate this free radical production with enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, which transform the reactive oxygen species into hydrogen peroxide or water. Assuming all is working well, Madonna’s body’s enzymes will spring into action the minute excess oxygen is squirted onto her face. Read more...
May 10, 2009
Posted by marta
One of my earliest posts was a confessional on my flirtation with daily facial exercises. I’m a bit of an exercise nut and work out my body most days, so I was drawn to the idea that if I did the facial equivalent of a bicep curl, I would fend off wrinkles. And being something of a stickler for seeing things through, I kept at this routine called Facercise night after night, month after month. I can now tell you that gurning in front of a mirror looks ridiculous, is pointless and, with hindsight, a monumental waste of time.
So when I received an email alerting me to the FaceTrainer with an invite to get to know more over a cup of tea at the W Hotel, my first reaction was no!,no! Read more...
April 4, 2009
Posted by marta
Posted by Marta
When I first heard about ear candling, it struck me as so silly as to be preposterous and then I never gave it another thought. Until the other day, that is, when I heard that it was one of the most popular and fastest-growing spa treatments. Get away!
For those of you who don’t much about it, I am going to risk the ire of its proponents by giving you my take on it. The basic proposition, let alone the actual method, is daft. The idea is that a wax candle placed over the ear will magically draw wax and toxins. Now, I get that there’s a kind of appealing symmetry of wax to wax – like ashes to ashes and dust to dust – but surely no one really believes that candles pull out ear wax by “creating a low-level vacuum”. The kind of negative pressure required to make that work would probably blow your eardrum. Read more...
September 24, 2008
Posted by marta
We’ve had the live snake exfoliation treatment, now tout la America is apparently poised to put a toe in the water, shared by shoals of tiny skin nibbling fish.
Immersing feet – and even the whole body – into a tank full of garra rufa is all the rage in Turkey and China, where it is used to treat skin disorders such as psoriasis. The fish pedicure has now arrived in the US and salon owner, John Ho, points out that the toothless garra rufa, which feed only on dead cells, are a “bladeless and environmentally friendly” alternative to sloughing hardened skin.
If the idea of feeling like a contestant in a televised Japanese endurance competition doesn’t put you off, spare a thought for the poor garra rufa. They probably don’t find it especially “environmentally friendly” to share their pool with the smelly feet of a stranger. Read more...
