Botox proven to improve quality of life

It's no surprise to hear that Botox has been proven to increase a person's self-esteem-- who wouldn't feel better about themselves after having their fine lines and wrinkles erased?

However, it is interesting to hear that aside from self-esteem improvement, new studies show that Botox actually increases a person's quality of life, across the board...

In November 2010, researchers for the journal of Dermatologic Surgery conducted an experiment where 100 patients were given either Botox injections, or placebo saline injections. The participants were surveyed before the injections, and then again 2 weeks, and 3 months later. Questions asked were related to quality, satisfaction, and happiness of the participant's lives.
 

Once the results of all three surveys were tabulated (before injection, immediately after, and a few months after), the patients who received the real Botox injections showed statistically significant improvements in a wide variety of emotions related to self-esteem and quality of life; such as physical health, mood, household activities, overall life satisfaction, body satisfaction, self-consciousness, intelligence, self-worth, appearance, comprehension, weight satisfaction, attractiveness, and sense of well-being.

These findings tie into an idea suggested more than a century ago, when it was first suggested that facial expressions can send a message to the brain that influences emotions. For example, if the simple act of smiling can help make you feel happy, than frowning can negatively affect your mood. If the patients that were injected with the real Botox were physically unable to make the faces associated with stress/anger/upset, perhaps they were likewise spared from feeling those according unhappy emotions? 


For all of the good that Botox can accomplish, (anti-aging, anti-sweating, anti-migraine, perhaps anti-depression, etc.) it is definitely time for Botox to lose it's negative social stigma. Instead of looking at Botox like it's something to be ashamed or embarrassed about, it should be seen as the new Band-Aid or Tylenol, with a useful application for many a variety of ailments.

No surprise: Philly's top 3 skin treatments are America's top too!

With the absolutely amazing transformations that we see on a daily basis, further convincing was not necessary, but... it's always nice to know that (MANY!) others agree with you. 

According to the American Health & Beauty Reader's Choice Awards, Fraxel, Thermage, and Botox were all picked as the BEST treatments in their respective genres.

 Best Skin Tightening Devices: Thermage 

While skin tightening inquiries were high, the most popular skin tightening device was Thermage. With almost immediate improvements, no down time, and no risk, it is easy to understand why Thermage would be America's most popular choice for tightening the skin on their faces, neck, belly, thighs, buttocks, arms, etc... 

Used to treat sagging skin, wrinkles and discoloration, Thermage stimulates growth of new collagen, therefore tightening and improving skin's texture and contours. 

Best of Fillers/Injectables: Botox 

An oldy but goody: BOTOX is still number 1 when it comes to facial fillers/injectables! (Having been around since 1994, this is the oldest procedure on the list!) 

Despite the negative media hype regarding the use of Botox, people love it, and keep coming back to it again and again for it's wrinkle erasing abilities.  Despite several competitors entering the market this year, Botox remained the #1 preferred injectable.

Best Resurfacing/Rejuvenation Device: Fraxel 

Setting the gold standard for skin resurfacing, Fraxel (by the same company as Thermage, Solta Medical) was by far the most popular in its category. 

By promoting new collagen growth, Fraxel is able to rid the skin of acne scars, sun damage, uneven pigmentation, fine lines and wrinkles, scarring, stretch marks, and much more. 

How to get the most out of your Latisse

Considering this is advice I share on an almost daily basis, it was a head-smacking moment when I realized I had yet to post a blog article about the ways to get the most of your teeny, tiny little Latisse bottle. 

It is no secret that I am a HUGE fan of Latisse, as are all of my patients. (The rumors about Latisse changing the color of your eyes or darkening your eye-lids, is sensationalized for the media's sake, as it has no bearing on reality. My light blue eyes haven't changed color one bit, nor have the light eyes of Latisse's new spokesmodel, Claire Danes.) 

Everyone who has tried it, gets results. Granted, the results range from just super long and thick, to almost mutant status (in the best way possible), where the lashes get so long that they look fake-- even without mascara. But like any addiction, Latisse users really like the results they get, and want to keep using-- which leads to Latisse's biggest downfall: it's price-point. 

At $126 per kit, Latisse is definitely a significant eye-lash investment. Allergan (the company that makes it) recommends using a kit per month, which roughly adds up to over $1,000 a year on eye-lashes! That is a lot of money, especially considering today's shaky economical environment. 

After years of use, I have developed a fool-proof way to fully maximize the contents of that tiny Latisse bottle, so that instead of a month, one bottle can last me over 4+ months. It all depends on the application method...

Your Latisse kit comes in a substantially sized box, but once you open it up, it is often shocking to see how little the Latisse bottle actually is.

The majority of the kit is made up of plastic applicator brushes, which Allergan recommends using two of for each application. (One brush per eye, and then in the trash they go.) The brushes are chunky and clumsy, and the cheap plastic bristles don't absorb the liquid, so you go through way more drops than necessary just trying to get it on your eye-- and this is why it is the recommended application. By following Allergan's directions, you go through Latisse extremely quickly, and would definitely another kit after 30 days. 

 

The application technique is the key to my entire Latisse trick. In order to get the most from your bottle, you have to use it as sparingly as possible, which means using a brush that actually holds the liquid, and absorbs only as much as you need. 

Instead of the wasteful brushes Allergan supplies, my best success has come from a lipstick brush. Retractable, with a lid, and nice, soft bristles, these brushes can usually be found inexpensively at any drugstore, and absolutely anywhere online. 

By using a brush like this, you can control more precisely the liquid you are using. 

Make sure your lipstick brush has a lid-- this way your brush never fully dries out, and never has to be fully re-saturated. The bristles on a brush like this are absorbent, and hold just enough liquid to adequately apply across your lash-line. (In addition, these brushes can be periodically washed if needed.)

These days, when I need a new kit I just take the little bottle out and put it in my make-up case. Instead of just throwing them out, I take the included applicator brushes and store them with my arts & crafts supplies. You never know when disposable paint brushes might come in handy... and that's about the only thing they're good for. 

This application method will definitely allow you more mileage from the 3mL bottle.  

Do you have any Latisse tricks and/or tips?

Dream Latisse user: Asians

One of our most favorite patients is a beautiful and fiesty Asian lady who owns a local Chinese restaurant. Genetically blessed with absolutely gorgeous skin, at age 50 she naturally has absolutely smooth, creamy, to-die for skin. (And I know it's genetic because I recently had the pleasure of meeting her mother, who had equally envy-inducing skin.) 

The other day I passed her in the hallway of our office, and she grabbed my hand to pull me close, and started batting her eye-lashes at me. 

"Look at these lashes!" she exclaimed, "My eye-lashes used to be short and terrible, but I've been using Latisse for a couple months, and now look at them!" 

Indeed, her fluttering eye-lashes looked long, thick, and perfect. 

She pulled me even closer, and confided, from one business owner to another, that I have been severely remiss by not marketing Latisse to the local Asian community. (Philadelphia's "China Town" is about 2 blocks away from our office.) 

As a business owner herself, she knows the power of word of mouth, but as she put it, "I tell everyone, but I'm only one person!" 

This discussion happened a couple of weeks ago, and since then I find my mind often drifting back to the topic, but I am momentarily confounded about how to appeal to a crowd that speaks a completely different language than myself. 

While I continue to work on that problem in my head, this article caught my eye. "In defense of Latisse" featured at Thehairpin.com is a funny, honest, beautifully written article by a girl that is half Asian named Jasmine Moy, whom details her experience with the eye-lash enhancing serum. 

I loved reading her account (below), and I was proud to see that she too had forsaken the stupid application brush that is included in the kit, and was instead doing the same thing we recommend to get the most out of every last drop of Latisse. (Don't use the applicator brushes they include, they waste too much product. Instead, an eye-liner brush works well, or our favorite is a retractable lipstick brush. The lipstick brush never fully dries out, so less liquid is needed to re-saturate it.) 

Her article is below, and I'll leave you to enjoy it while I continue to periodically mull over how to best advertise Latisse to my so-close, yet so far-away, Asian eye-lash market...

In defense of Latisse 
For years I'd said that if I could get any part of my body replaced that it would be my eyelashes, to which some people would respond, "You can get eyelash transplants?" (I used to make fun of those people but, OMG, you can actually get transplants! Gross.) I'm half-Chinese and I have (rather, I had) what I not-so-affectionately called, "stubby Asian lashes," these short things that could barely be curled and required at least three coats of mascara to be seen at all. In short, if I'd known before now that eyelash transplants existed and if they weren't totally creepy I'd have bought in. Though I'd never consider Botox, I'm not above spending money on aesthetic improvement. I bought myself braces when I got out of grad school and I also sprung for Lasik a few years back.
When eyelash extensions were all the rage, I tried them. I sat through an hour of some woman gluing longer lashes to my own. The fumes from the glue painfully burning my eyeballs while also, as it turns out, making your lashes so stiff that so much as lightly rubbing your eye will make you feel like needles are being poked into your eyelids. Also, they fall out extremely unevenly (they stay on your lash until the lash itself falls or the glue comes undone, either of which will happen in a couple weeks) so you're left with crazy face after you lose half and are waiting for the rest to shed. When only a few remained on each eye, I pulled them off myself which is pretty much the worst thing someone who longs for longer lashes could do. The crazy face was THAT BAD.
So when Latisse came out, I wanted it. Nay, needed it. Not an early adapter, I wanted to wait until I'd met someone else who had tried it and approved first. I was in search of a guinea pig, but everyone I mentioned it to said the same thing, "It changes the color of your eyes! And turns your eyelids red!" or "How can you be SURE you won't grow some kind of horrible deformed eyelash baby or other biological/physiological monstrosity that the scientists just haven't figured out yet because it's all so new???"* There was also that pesky detail of Latisse being prescription only which I assumed meant some kind of doctor visit and, inevitably, a sturdy fee.
Some light research yielded several revelations. First, about a thousand cosmetic surgery offices offer Latisse with just $100 and a signed fax saying that you're aware of the side effects and that you don't have any random medicine allergies. Second, those side effects? Not likely. As a lawyer, I'm familiar with the black box warning. In "Torts 101" you learn that because of lawyers/lawsuits most prospective side effects, no matter how small or uncommon, must be stated on labels and mentioned in speed-read postscripts to commercials. Lumigan, the medicine from which Latisse was derived, was an eye drop used for glaucoma. Side effects of Lumigan included a darkening of the iris. In Latisse trials this didn't actually occur, but because some people are morons and will actually put this stuff in their eye instead of applying it like eyeliner, you've got to put the warning on the box.
I sent my fax and had my Latisse in hand in a week. Within a month people started noticing. "This is going to sound crazy, but I think I can already see it working," my co-worker said. After two months my lashes were so long that they were nearly unmanageable. I had to comb them or they'd tangle, but they looked pretty, not crazy like this. I'd use a little clear mascara on the base just to keep them from getting unruly. At least once a week someone comments on how beautiful my eyelashes are. I thought the girl who cuts my hair was leaning in to see if my bangs were even. Instead she said, "You're using Latisse, aren't you? That stuff is amazing." Occasionally one grows so long that I have to pull the rogue lash (trimming would leave a funny-looking blunt edge).
My hazel eyes are the same as always, but as for that other side-effect, the one with the darkening skin, I confess it has happened to me. The edge of my upper eyelid has a mauve-ish tint that goes away when I stop using the Latisse for a couple weeks (I don't bring it when I travel and sometimes I just forget). Currently, I only use it a few times a week and the discoloration is something I can live with for a few reasons: I barely have an eyelid to speak of (and no real eye-crease) because of that Asian thing, when I use eyeshadow I use a darker shade that covers it up anyhow, and I have an olive tone to my skin and it's not nearly as noticeable on me as it would be on someone with fairer skin. In short, it is a small price to pay.
As a good Virgo would, I've found a better and more effective way to use the Latisse than comes via the instructions.** They send these huge clumsy plastic cheap brushes that you're supposed to use once and toss. It may be sterile, but they suck. I bought a small eyeliner brush and just make sure to wash it regularly. I use half the amount of medicine than recommended (and with great results). Instead of one drop per disposable applicator, I use one drop total that I put in the bottle's lid, then dab at for both eyes. For those tough at math, that means that my bottle lasts twice as long. I got something like 6 months worth out of my first bottle.
But this is a commitment. If I ever stop using it, my Asian stubs will grow right back in as the long, luxurious ones fall out. There are those who might disapprove, something about how women should love the bodies they were born with blah blah blah, but my new lashes? I love them. They make me happy. And for that Latisse is worth every single penny. I rarely wear mascara anymore and have no need for eye makeup remover which are things I tell myself when I start doing the math to figure out how much it will cost to continue using it over the course of the rest of my life. Money: they say it can't buy you love or happiness but I'm living proof that it can, at least, buy you longer lashes.

*Actual question from your editor, Edith Zimmerman.
**Um, legal disclaimer! I'm not responsible if something bad happens to you by following my example, etc.

Genie in a bottle? Nope, Christina Aguilera prefers Latisse.

Although perhaps not the best spokes-person for natural looking, understated beauty, in the November 2010 issue of Marie Claire magazine, Christina Aguilera does list Latisse eye-lash enhancing serum as one of her can't-live-without beauty products. 

While I strongly suspect that she also is a fan of massive fake eye-lashes (as any self-respecting heterosexual woman with proclivities towards drag-queen style would be!), but no doubt if she is a true Latisse devotee, her real lashes are probably pretty fake looking now, even when she's not wearing a lick of make-up. (Hey, a make-up free Christina Aguilera could happen-- she has to shower at some point, right?)

The jewel of her eye: Tarte's crystal covered eye-lash curler

For the girl that has everything (in our case, including killer lashes thanks to Latisse) what better way to extra emphasize (again-- in our case, ridiculously long) eyelashes than the perfect eyelash curler?

Tarte cosmetics has released a limited edition, crystal encrusted version of it's already popular eye-lash curler, just in time for the holidays! 

Ergonomically designed to be easy on both your hands and your lashes, it enables the user to get the most dramatic results from their lashes. (See before & after below.) Made to accommodate all eye shapes and sizes, the rubber padding is supposed to help prevent leaving any obvious "crimping" marks in your eye-lashes. 

The jeweled eye-lash curler has received great reviews, and is an adorable product guaranteed to appeal to many people. With it's reasonable price-tag (only $15) this is one eye-lash curler that you better get before you blink and it's gone. 

(Extra props to Tarte for it's dedication to the environment, and their free advice on what to do with the packaging so as to not waste anything.)

Botox "frequent-flyer-miles"

Not that I needed any sort of incentive to keep up with my Botox, but leave it to the geniuses at Allergan to concoct a way to incentivize us to stay on top of our Botox treatments, anyway! (Even though it's a bit hard to discern feelings in print, I am not being sarcastic at all. They really are very smart marketers!)

Allergan recently launched a rewards program, dubbed "Brilliant Distinctions". Akin to a "frequent flyer mile" situation, you are rewarded for every Botox/Juvederm treatment. 

Here's how it works; upon signing-up for the program, you are awarded "points" for every Botox or Juvederm treatment you receive. It doesn't matter how much of either consumable you use, just going through the act of the treatment qualifies you for points, so you are rewarded for frequency, not size. 

The points you are awarded translate into a dollar amount (200 points equals approximately $25.00) which can be saved up, or applied piece-meal to each treatment moving forward. (All of the legal fine-print and specific details can be found on the Brilliant Distinctions website.)

Although points are only given for Botox or Juvederm, the points can be redeemed on any Allergan product; including of course Botox or Juvederm, but also Latisse, or any Vivite skin care product. 

Depending on the timing, either Botox of Juvederm can be on special promotions where double or triple points are awarded for getting a treatment. 

Considering that Botox and Juvederm injections are treatments that are needed repeatedly, it is smart of Allergan to develop ways to incentivize  people to keep up with it.

Botox... the next quick way to lose weight?

When it comes to weight-loss, everyone loves a quick fix.

The idea of Thermage is usually a big tease in this arena. People looking to lose weight hear about this new laser treatment that promises to "tighten skin" and "contour the body" and they hopefully assume that this treatment is a way to easily drop a couple pounds. 

But...it's not. 

Thermage tightens skin that is loose for a variety of reasons (significant weight loss, pregnancy*, aging, etc.) but Thermage only affects the skin, it cannot do anything to the fat underneath it. A lot of excited would-be Thermage patients leave the office very disappointed when they hear this reality... 

The latest fly-by-night weight-loss solution that might actually just be the golden ticket,  comes from our very good friend, Botox. 

Although this concept is still in the very early stages of study and experimentation, research suggests that if Botox is injected into the stomach walls, the appetite can be significantly suppressed, resulting in decreased weight. (Is there anything Botox can't do?!) 

For the testing of this, patients are sedated before the injection so that the doctors can endoscopically view the patient's stomach to see the best points to inject. Upon injection, the Botox “temporarily relaxes the muscles of the stomach so that it can’t contract as vigorously, and you feel full faster and you eat less food,” explains Gastroenterologist Dr. Robynne Chutkan, founder of the Digestive Center for Women, on a recent episode of The Doctors. 

Clinical trials showed that stomachs treated with Botox retain the food longer, delaying emptying time and cutting the amount of food and liquid it takes a person to feel full, in half. Just like other Botox injections, it takes about two weeks for the botulinum toxin to reach its peak effect.

This study is in it's infancy though, as only ten patients so far have received this treatment. Dr. Chutkan, who tested this procedure on herself, admits that the feeling  “[is] subtle, but you definitely feel full faster.” She also  noted during this experiment, she lost seven pounds in three weeks. (A little higher than the recommended weight loss rate of 2lbs. per week, max.)

Botox is already being used off-label to solve a wide variety of physical problems including migraines, hair loss, vocal cord problems, hyper-sweating, and even an overly gummy smile.

The great thing about Botox is that it can be experimented with safely, because any effect it has is temporary. 

If weight-loss turns out to be another solution Botox can provide, I may need to snap up some Allergan stock asap. Here's to better living through chemistry...

*Picture shows a Thermage "before & after", where the female patient was done having children, and no amount of diet or exercise would shrink her skin back into shape. 

Stomach Botox injections for weight loss:

Don't even bat a lash at these impossible Mascara promises...

It is no secret that I am an unabashed, die-hard Latisse devotee, and everyday my super long lashes serve as a badge of my undying Latisse loyalty.

As sales from Latisse have proven, there is a lot of money to be made in the eye-lash category, and almost every make-up company is jumping on board with some sort of product that promises to grow and enhance lashes. 

However, while Latisse remains the ONLY FDA-approved lash stimulator, I thought it would be interesting to investigate the competition's claims, and see if they have any merit. 

Revlon's "Grow Luscious by Fabulash" is marketed as a product that acts as a mascara that also encourages lashes to grow better. While tester's report positive results, the formula doesn't include anything that actually stimulates extra growth. The fibers and polypeptides included will bulk up the appearance of the lashes, and won't dry them out as other mascaras might, but once the mascara is removed the eye-lash appearance will return back to normal.

Grade: D

Akin to a "lip plumping" formula, LipFusion developed a "FushionBeauty LashFushion XL Micro-Technology Instant Wand-Lash Voluminizer" mascara. (Whew, try saying that 3x fast!) Employing the same delivery system hair-care experts use to make volume-boosting shampoos, testers say that their lashes looked noticeably fuller and thicker, and didn't clump all day long. This is the same as Revlon's product though... the appearance of longer lashes is temporary, and disappears with the removal of the mascara. 

Grade: C

Lancome Defincils Precious Cells (creepy sounding name) is a mascara that contains special plant extracts which are designed to condition lashes so that they stay as healthy, and in place, for as long as possible.The theory behind this is that the healthier the lashes are, the less likely they are to break and fall out. Latisse is also supposed to lengthen the lifetime of each eyelash, but in addition Latisse is proven to actually encourage extra growth too. 

Grade: C+ 

In a discussion about mascara, I would be remiss to not mention cult favorite Dior DiorShow Mascara. Known for delivering amazing eye-lash length and fullness, this lash booster has no ingredients that are known to improve the quality of your lashes after it's removal. (Personally, I don't even like this mascara and don't understand the fuss. For the price, it doesn't last very long and gets extremely clumpy too soon after opening.)

Grade: F

In conclusion (I like to add that in there to make this really feel like a 9th grade thesis paper) there remains only one option when it comes to optimizing your eye-lash appearance with or without makeup: Latisse. 

P.S. The aspect I don't like to dwell on too much is that no one completely understands what that causes the eyelashes to react the way they do... but it has been thoroughly tested and is proven to be completely safe for use.  (Funny Latisse side story, but it's eyelash effects were discovered by accident-- people using an Allergan eye-drop medication for glaucoma noticed that their eyelashes were growing like crazy. Allergan did research to pin-point which ingredient was causing this reaction, and singled it out and *ta da* now we have Latisse. But, the point being, it's totally safe as people have been purposely putting this stuff into their eyes for over 20 years now.)

P.P.S. Two eye-lash products that I have yet to try, but find especially intriguing are an eye makeup remover that is supposed to also act as an eyelash conditioner, and a product that is being marketed as a "topcoat" for your lashes. DermaQuest Eye Makeup Remover is made of a conditioning formula that hydrates the delicate skin around the eye area, and the lashes themselves, while removing every last speck of makeup. (Genius!) Laura Geller Lash Varnish is supposed to be applied to lashes after mascara has been put on, in order to give your lashes extra shine. 

Both sound interesting and promising... keep your eyes open for future reviews. ;)