If you look at aesthetic procedures such as tch chemical peels, laser light surgical procedures, or plastic surgery, be prepared for an expensive choice. A full-face phenol peel costs anywhere between $1,000 and $2,500. A surgeon's fee for a forehead-lift ranges from $1,500 to $5,000, with anesthesia, operating room costs, and related expenses
adding another $1,000. Many of these procedures aren't covered by health insurance, so you will pay the tab
yourself.
Clearly, it behooves all of us to become informed consumers who know how to get the results we pay for.
My friends and patients often ask me for guidance on how to achieve and maintain beautiful skin. Here are
some frequent questions:
Which skin care products really work?
How can you choose the products that are best for your skin type?
What are the best treatments for common problems: skin that is sensitive, oily, dry, itchy, or prone to break out?
Are chemical peels and plastic surgery worth the money?
If they are, which procedures would I recommend?
Have you, too, wondered how to get the most for your beauty budget? Then this article might be for you.
You're Not Getting Older, You're Getting More Products!
Louis Harris & Associates recently surveyed more than 1,200 baby boomers (ages 30 to 50) about their feelings
on getting older. They must have had a lot to say; their responses filled a report that ran to 74 pages.
More than half the respondents noted that facial wrinkles have a strong influence on how they feel about
themselves and their appearance. Most bothersome were the wrinkles around their eyes, with forehead lines
coming in a close second. Most admitted they would feel more attractive if they could make those lines
disappear.
Do you, too, worry about wrinkles? If so, you have lots of company. It's not surprising we feel uneasy about
even the slightest signs of age; America is notorious for equating beauty with youth.
The media reinforce our insecurity by bombarding us daily with negative messages. (You could say we let them
get under our skin!) Look at any fashion magazine, and you will see that the models are rarely over 30
(especially the women). How many movies and TV shows star older adults in positive roles? Not many.
Marketers know a bonanza when they see one. In the United States alone, sales of antiaging creams top more
than $1 billion per year. Alpha hydroxy acids, heavily advertised as wrinkle reducers, are used to sell
everything from moisturizers to soap.
...to be continued...