The most unique place Kim Kardashian has gotten laser hair removal...

Coming from Armenian descent, all of the Kardashian offspring have beautiful and thick, glossy dark hair. While the hair growing from the top of their heads is definitely envy worthy, the hair they have growing else-where is apparently less desirable... 

As featured on their reality show, and often discussed, all Kardashian sisters adamantly favor permanent laser hair removal. Utilizing laser hair removal for treatments "head-to-toe," Kim, Khloe, and Kourtney have had the usual spots taken care of: legs, armpits, bikini, face. 

Kimberly, however, took laser hair removal a step further. "I used to have the hairiest forehead," she recently revealed to InStyle magazine. "All of my baby bangs would get Photoshopped out of magazine pictures, and I liked the way that looked, so I lasered them off. It really opened up my face so much." 

While obviously beautiful, her baby bangs almost make her seem more real? In order for to have felt compelled to have something like baby bangs permanently removed, the pressure she must constantly feel to look beyond perfect, 24/7, has to be incredible.What do you think?

Mad-Lib quiz to find skin care needs

EVERYONE, at some point, has insecurities about what they see in the mirror. But, how do you know if your various issues are passing, or if they are worth seeing a professional about? 

To determine what you think is bothering you, versus what is really bothering you, print out this quick skin-care Mad-Lib type questionnaire to help identify your unique skin goals and priorities:

• Skin Goal: My goal is to ________________________________________________.
  
• Currently: I am happy with my (area of face/skin description/etc.) __________________________, but I'm curious about treatments for my ______________________.
  
• Possible (known) Solutions: I'm willing to try (prescription/peels/lasers/injections/etc.) ____________________________________________, but I prefer to steer clear of (prescription/peels/lasers/injections/etc.) ________________________________________.
  
• Pain: On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being easy, 5 being nearly unbearable), I want to keep the pain below a ________.
  
• Time: I would like to spend no more than (an hour/a day/3 days/week/etc.) __________ recovering and (would/would not) _______________ be willing to have (and/or pay for) treatments that require multiple sessions.
  
• Finances: I don't want to spend more than $______________ total, or spend more than (an hour/2 hours/ 3 hours/etc.) __________________________________ receiving treatments.
  

After completing this, you should have a more pin-pointed idea of how much something aesthetically is bothering you, and how far you are willing to go to correct it. If professional intervention is needed, feel free to bring this along with you as it will provide a clear and concise snap-shot of your views and feelings, that can then be shared with your skin care expert. 

Laser skin resurfacing with Fraxel: strange to see MY answers coming out of someone else's mouth

It is definitely weird to hear the same exact answers I would give (except for the pricing, we're less), coming out of a person who is very much NOT me.

The recent interview on Good Morning America shared great information about Fraxel laser skin resurfacing, and in a few minutes, they covered all the most important facts: what kind of results to expect for acne scarring, surgical scars, wrinkles, melasma, etc., how the device is being utilized for people in their teens, versus people in the 50's, and how Fraxel treatments can actually help prevent skin cancer. 
 
Kudos to Dr. Rohksar, definitely one of the best Fraxel videos I've seen:

70 years of sun damage, undone in 2 minutes

Granted it will take a few weeks for the skin to finish healing and look perfect, but this video encapsulates the entire treatment time needed to removed every last speck of sun-damage off this guy's weathered hands. (A die-hard golf enthusiast, these hands have spent at least 6 hours in the sun, every weekend day, for the past 70+ years. Much to my extreme disapproval, no sunscreen has been used, ever.) 

Cosmopolitan Skin Care's foolproof recipe for acne treatment

If you "google" the term acne treatment, thousands of different articles will come up.

Those that suffer from acne are so desperate to finally achieve clear skin, that they often fall prey to their own hopefulness... Whether it's the latest acne treatment P. Diddy is hawking, a mixture made in your own kitchen, some medication prescribed by your doctor, or an at-home laser treatment that a reality star swears by, there are a million different options currently being sold to those suffering from acne. We know, because our patients have usually tried all of these. 

As a last ditch effort to get clear skin, our typical acne patient has usually already tried everything on the market, and after a series of dissapointments-- they are somewhat skeptical about the efficacy of our seemingly science-fiction-like acne treatments. 

And then... they see the results.

By altering the way the skin actually functions, we are able to clear up any occurrence of acne, prevent acne break-outs in the future, and erase any sign of there ever having been an acne problem (i.e. acne scars). In short, many people who had all but given up hope on ever having acne-free skin, now bear the clear complexion of someone born with naturally perfect skin.

Making people confident in their own skin: Brian

CBS cut out the best part of Brian's post-acne treatment (Isolaz and Fraxel) interview during the editing process.

When "Talk Philly" host Pat Ciarrocchi asked Brian about the best part of having clear skin, Brian paused for a second, then looked at her smiled. As honestly and simply as a 19 year old male could say, he answered "The girls."

Obviously more comfortable and confident in his skin after getting rid of his acne and acne scars, it is a delight to see the new twinkle in Brian's eye, and the extra spring in his step.

Ladies-- watch out.

Jordan's "Before & After" Acne Story

The technological advancements humans are developing, are consistently amazing. In every realm of life, scientific break-throughs are allowing our quality of living to constantly improve. 

 Obviously, considering my line of work, the ingeniousness I am the most frequently in awe of are those pertaining to skin care. The efficiency with which we can treat acne and acne scars, has never been attainable before. Any skin color, any age, any race-- if you're a person suffering from acne, technology now exists so that you can allow your skin to be pristinely clear. 

It's remarkable, and even though we are doing these acne treatments every day, the results from Isolaz and Fraxel  never cease to amaze me. 

Witness Jordan's transformation, courtesy of Cosmopolitan Skin Care, Isolaz, and Fraxel:

$50 or 50% off the hottest skincare treatments in Philadelphia

SpaFinder.com (kind of like what Yelp is for restaurants, but more in-depth) has been growing by leaps and bounds. Clever business maneuvering has found SpaFinder newly in cahoots with powerfully poised companies in the beauty world (for example New Beauty magazine). 

As their presence and influence grow, SpaFinder's initial spa/med-spa umbrella has likewise expanded to include the likes of yoga, pilates, medical treatments, and nutrition consultanting. Due to the variety of services that can now be found on SpaFinder, they have appropriately changed the name of their previous week long "Deal Days" (think Restaurant Week, for spas) to "Wellness Week".

Although the name has been tweaked, the idea is the same: participating locations are offering services for either $50 or 50% off. The premise is very much like Restaurant Week, by making the pricing more accessible, a larger group of people can more easily expose themselves to treatments and services they might not otherwise take advantage of. 

Cosmopolitan Skin Care Solutions is happy to include acne treatments in their upcoming "Wellness Week" offerings, as acne is something that all different ages, genders, ethnicities suffer from, and Cosmo Skin Care has had great success in eradicating. 

"Wellness Week" will be taking place this Spring, from March 21 through March 27th. Those that are currently signed-up with SpaFinder (it's free!) get first dibs on booking the most coveted treatments during the week of discounts.

In order to see Cosmpolitan Skin Care's other "Wellness Week" offers, and to gaurentee a spot with the other hottest deals in Philadelphia, sign-up to become a part of SpaFinders.com now!

Patti Stanger's million dollar skin advice

With a mixture of sass and crass bluntness, third generation matchmaker Patti Stanger has a knack for finding love for other people. As owner of The Millionaire's Club, one of the most elite dating services in the world, Patti has seen thousands of relationship succeed and fail. Through both the successes and the failures, she learned-- and began taking note of the recurring trends that lead to higher love-match success rates. For single people looking to meet their perfect match, Patti delivers some harsh, but honest advice: appearance counts! 

One of her top physical priorities for attracting a mate is, unsurprisingly, good skin. In an instant, the appearance of a person's skin tells the story of that person's health and age, prime qualities that are subconsciously taken into account when choosing a prospective date. In order to get your skin in shape, and keep it looking it's best, here is a quick run-down of Patti's check-list to perfect skin:

• Do your homework!
  After testing out various micro-dermabrasions, facials, and laser treatments, Patti admits that she doesn't like to waste money-- and neither should you! Always extensively research any new skin fad you think might be beneficial before plunking down any of your hard-earned cash.
  Equally important, do your due research on the person whom might be administering these treatments to you. Check their credentials, get references, look at before and after pictures, and feel comfortable taking your time when it comes to decision making. "Keep in mind that just as the cheapest [treatment/specialist] might not be the best, the most expensive might not be either."

• If you find a skin care plan that works, stick with it!
  After experiencing break-outs whenever she strayed from her tried and true La Prairie skin care routine, Patti ultimately figured, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." Staying faithful to a skin care plan that works, and taking good care of her skin, for over 20 years, has definitely paid off. At age 47, Patti looks at least a decade younger than her chronological age.
  Once you have found a skin care plan that works for you, resist temptation to switch every time a new "miracle"product or fad emerges. If you want consistently good skin, be consistent with what works.

• There is nothing wrong with Botox, but be wary of "Botox Parties"
  Although certainly not against the use of Botox, the concept of a "Botox Party" kind of skeeves Patti out. The idea of mixing alcohol (which usually is present at social gatherings) with a medical procedure seems like a recipe for disaster.
  Muses Patti, "Do you really want to be making decisions about your face when you're tipsy? Are you going to give credence to the opinions of your drunken friends?"
  When it comes to any sort of skin care treatment, Patti's discomfort is well founded: alcohol should certainly NEVER be present, for neither the patient nor the skin care administrator.
  

• Don't forget the skin on your hands and neck
  Often overlooked in favor of just focusing on the face, the neck skin, and skin on the back of the hands, receive just as much abuse and sun damage as your face does-- but with a fraction of the TLC. Make sure to apply sunscreen everyday, all year long, to both areas. Subconsciously, these areas can easily make you appear older than you are, despite the condition of your facial skin.
  When it comes to attracting a mate, Patti recommends extra care be spent on the tips of your fingers. "Manicures and good nail care are essential. Professional nail care is so inexpensive these days, and men think beautifully manicured hands are sexy."

• No matter what, take care of your skin before bed!
  Take off your makeup, cleanse your skin, and use night cream every night, no exceptions.
  Patti's tough love: "I don't care if you're tired, do you want a [mate] or not?"
  Since your skin uses this downtime to repair itself from the offenses incurred during the day, it is important to provide your skin with the best ingredients to work with; i.e. clean, hydrated skin. 

By following Patti's sound skin advice, you will find it easier to love the reflection in the mirror, which in turn will make it even easier to find love out in the world.

For more insight into how to attract your perfect mate, check out Patti on Bravo's Millionaire Matchmaker show, or read her book, "8 Easy Steps for Attracting Your Perfect Mate".

Isolaz's last "Stop the Pop" video

Perhaps I judged Isolaz's acne treatment awareness "Stop the Pop" campaign too soon... 

Even though some of the tactics seemed juvenile, Isolaz's selection of a YouTube ambassador was spot-on with Elle Fowler, and overall Isolaz deems the campaign a success in regards to introducing the existence of Isolaz's acne fighting abilities to a much wider audience. 

Host of the popular YouTube channel "allthatglitters21", Elle herself has received almost 63 million views (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) and is clearly a trusted source for beauty advice. Her last YouTube installment for Isolaz's "Stop the Pop" campaign features a wrap-up of her Isolaz experiences, in addition to an overview of her own past acne suffering, and her top tips for dealing with acne. 

As the campaign approaches completion, Isolaz reports success with 1.5 million views of their Elle/Isolaz videos, and 1,600 video submissions to the sweepstakes. (This is extra impressive when considering that the video submissions were supposed to consist of individual's stories of acne suffering, which is a sensitive topic that most would not want to willingly share for judgement.) 

Isolaz's campaign accomplished it's goal by exposing lot of new eyes to the acne miracles that Isolaz can perform, and the company promises to unleash new and innovative ways to garner more exposure for the future. With a new focus on acne treatments for 2011, we at Cosmopolitan Skin Care Solutions will anxiously await to see what they come up with... 


In the meantime, enjoy Elle's last video:

Was Cher's hit "If I could turn back time?" really an ode to her plastic surgeon?

With the release of feel-good, but guilty-pleasure, musical/dancing extravaganza that is Burlesque, Cher is suddenly back on everyone's radar. Even though she doesn't get tons of screen time in the movie, her performances were wonderful. 

And her appearance...?

Unbelievable! 

Look at the picture above, and then consider: Cher is 64. (And her mother, Georgia Holt is 84!!)

64 and 84!?! Unbelievable.

Granted, Cher has the kind of "too perfect" countenance that usually is the tell-tale giveaway of someone having had work done, but overall she looks like a very well maintained 40-something... and not at all like a women in her mid sixties! 

And her mother-- to my eyes-- looks completely natural, which I know she can't be at 84 years old! She instead looks like a well-kept 50-something instead of a women in the midst of her eighties! 

But, both of their faces reveal a similar secret: Cher knows an AMAZING plastic surgeon.

Considering this is a mother and daughter duo, genetics surely also play a role in their looks, but take a look at a picture of the pair from over 20 years ago. (There is no date associated with the picture, but judging from their clothing I am estimating the picture was taken during the early 1980's.)

 Cher's mother looks almost younger now, than she did 20 years ago! Whatever they're doing, (and I'm sure it's a well-advised, carefully planned mixture of fillers, lasers, sunscreen, nips & tucks and the right skin products), it's definitely working for them. 

It almost seems ironic in retrospect that one of Cher's hit songs was titled "If I could turn back time," because in regards to her (and her mother's!) appearance, it seems that she has been able to accomplish just that.

What would you rather: slim body or young face?

A recent nation-wide study shows that the fanny is mightier than the face... When asked to choose between a slim body, or a young looking face, 60% of people chose a slim body. This is an interesting question for many reasons, one being that until rather recently having a "slim body" or a "young looking face" were mutually exclusive of each other.

Sources attribute French actress Catherine Denevue (pictured at left)for famously first stating this major conundrum many women of-a-certain-age face, when she said that at a certain point, women "have to choose between your fanny and your face."

Wise beyond her years, she succinctly describes the dilemma still faced by women today. 

By keeping a lean body, your face is more susceptible to the signs of volume loss that come with aging. If you keep extra weight on your body, your face benefits from an extra fullness which lends itself to a younger countenance, however your body might not be satisfactory to your liking. 

As Kathie Lee and Hoda discuss, thankfully there are now ways to manage never getting caught in this paradoxical rut. Due to the amazing advances of aesthetic medicine, people of all ages and sexes can now control their weight and their faces. (Thank you Botox, Fraxel, dermal-fillers, good skin-care products, etc., etc...)

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Today Show: Thermage, Fraxel, and Isolaz (oh my!)

Saggy skin that no exercise or diet can fix? 

Acne that won't go away, no matter what? 

Large pores, acne scars, or skin discoloration? 

For these, and a wide variety of other common skin ailments, one company has strategically managed to incorporate all the solutions. 

Solta Medical, which owns Thermage (used for skin tightening and contouring), Fraxel (skin resurfacing and refining), and Isolaz (acne vacuum), is behind the cutting-edge laser technology created to help banish your appearance woes. 

The advantages to non-invasive beauty procedures, including lower cost, no down time, minimal risk with amazing results, has many people happily converting to laser treatments as opposed to the surgery route they would have taken ten years ago.

Meredith Viera of NBC's "The Today Show" recently interviewed real-life women who have under-gone these treatments, with stellar success:

Snap, crackle, Stop-the-POP: Acne Q & A in Beverly Hills

And she's baaaaaack. 

For her second Isolaz "Stop-the-Pop" video installment (part of a campaign aimed at helping spread awareness of the amazing acne benefits that the Isolaz laser can deliver), internet sensation beauty-guru Elle Fowler visits a Beverly Hill dermatoligist's office for her second Isolaz treatment. 

After recently relocating from Atlanta to Los Angeles (good for her! She's only 21, and yet has already carved out a lucrative online niche for herself, and her 16 year old little sister Blair), Elle went to celebrity dermatologist Ava Shamban where Dr. Shamban administered her second Isolaz treatment. Elle found her second treatment fairly different from her 1st, but as she accurately explains, different derms use treatment settings differently which result in a varied patient experience.

Amidst her treatment, she asks Dr. Shamban the most frequently heard Acne and Isolaz questions, a tour of Dr. Shamban's med-spa is givem, and Elle's actual treatment is video-taped and shared. 

As "Stop-the-Pop" goes on, and the amount of video applications Isolaz receives from people hoping to be part of this campaign increases, (just go on YouTube, and search "Stop-the-Pop...) the more I second-guess my initial opinion of this campaign. Even though Acne is an extremely sensitive, potentially embarrassing subject matter, the possible rewards seem to outweigh the possible down-falls, and Isolaz apparently picked a great "ambassador" to be the face of their endeavors. 

Very interested to follow this campaign's journey and results...

Too disgusting to miss: watch Dr. Oz pop a monster zit the "right" way

When my sister read our recent "Stop-the-pop" article, she got all excited and called immediately. Apparently Oprah just did a feature on the same exact topic! OMG!!! (My sister's job, which consists of being a professional stay-at-home Mom, allows her to keep on top of the important stuff, such as Oprah topics...) 

Not wanting to miss out on the magic that was apparently created when Oprah, Dr.Oz, and a Monster Zit got together, I quickly Googled the topic and zeroed in on my prey. 

Unfortunately, I was unable to post the actual clip here, but this link will take you to it, and I promise... it's too disgusting to miss. (The zit he demonstrates with is bigger than a donut. EWWW!)

But... at least Dr. Oz's example is less disgusting than this guy's... (despite his 6+ million views and counting...)

Your "still got it" secret

Do you ever come across pictures of yourself, from years ago, and find yourself surprised? 

"I wish I appreciated what I looked like then... I wish I still looked like that..."

Skin-tightening with Thermage is one way in which you can recapture your youth. By stimulating your body's natural renewal of collagen, subtle, natural looking results are achieved with little to no downtime:

• Tighter and smoother skin
• Softened lines and wrinkles
• Redefined contours and firmness
• Renewed collagen

With the help of Thermage, you won't have to wish you looked like you did in the good ol' days; because instead you can know you've still got it! 

Connect the dots: the REAL attribute that makes you look old

Think fast: When you think of signs of physical aging, what is the first thing that comes to mind? 

 If this was Family Feud, the person who slammed the buzzer quickest and blurted out "wrinkles" would certainly be the winner. “Gray hair” might be next on the list, followed by perhaps “glasses”, and then maybe “balding”, with possibly a “cane” or “dentures” coming in last. 

What was your first mental association with aging?

Because of society’s deeply ingrained notion of what “old age” looks like-- a combination of wrinkles, glasses, and gray hair-- it comes as a surprise to learn that a recent study done in Austria proved that NONE of the above things are the leading cause of an aged appearance. Any revised guesses on what the culprit might be?

For the Austrian study, photographs of middle-aged women were photo-shopped into two distinct sets: one version with extremely uneven skin tone, and one version with an abundance of deep wrinkles. Both sets of pictures were then showed to a group of people who had to rate the attractiveness and youthfulness of the women's faces. Across the board, it was the women with the uneven skin tone that were voted less attractive and older than their wrinkled versions. The consensus of this study: brown spots age you even more than wrinkles.

Brown spots, age spots, sun spots, (previously also called  “liver spots”) all refer to the same thing, and that speckled discoloration is the skin’s natural response to long-term sun exposure. The spots you see today didn’t occur from your sun exposure this past summer; instead, they are the result of skin being exposed to too much UV rays over the course of years and years. (On average, it takes about 10 years for sun damaged areas to pigment and manifest as “brown spots”.) The fairer the skin, the more susceptible you are to visible brown spots, but even those with darker skin need to be wary of damaging UV rays too. According to Dr. Susan Taylor, director of the Skin of Color Center at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital in New York City, EVERY skin tone is susceptible to UV-induced discoloration, which is why sunscreen is a must, no matter how dark your skin color is. “In fairer skin, you get freckles or sun spots, and in darker complexions, an uneven skin tone,” she says. 

Thankfully, today’s science enables us to be able to prevent future damage (with proper diligence) and get rid of the unwanted marks currently showing. 

A high SPF is very important when trying to prevent future sun damage. Skin experts across the board pretty much agree that a broad-spectrum physical block sunscreen provides better protection than the chemical versions. Whereas chemical sunscreens have to be reapplied often, the titanium and zinc oxide in a physical blocking sunscreen actually sit on the surface of your skin and deflect UV rays until they are washed off. (SkinCeuticals makes a version that our entire office, AND Oprah, love!) 

When dealing with pre-existing pigmentation, different treatments are recommended for different skin colors. The fairer your skin, the more receptive it is to laser treatments, whereas the darker your skin is; the greater the risk of burning, darkening, or hypo-pigmentation (spot bleaching). Asian skin is especially tricky, as it can look pale, despite there being a lot of underlying pigment that risk discoloration during laser treatments. (To prevent against unwanted side effects, darker skin usually has to be pre-treated for up to two months before laser treatments.)  

Photorejuvenation laser treatments target the areas of concentrated pigment in your skin, and destroy it. After treatment, the brown spots darken and shrivel up, before sloughing completely off your skin. Once the healing process is complete, the skin has returned to it's original state: clear and pristine.

The only way to prevent more sun spots though, is to make sure your skin is constantly protected (i.e. sunscreen!) regardless of the season, temperature, or current weather. (UV rays are present even while it's cloudy or raining, and can affect your skin even while you're indoors through windows or driving.) Make sure to always cover your face, and apply a dab or two into the backs of your hands. 

Taking a few extra minutes in the morning to make sure your skin is safe can end up saving years from your appearance. (Not to mention, help prevent against skin cancer!)

New study shows that severe acne more likely to lead to suicide

Just this past week I saw another one. At well over six feet tall, this athletic looking teenager (only 16, despite his size) was unable to look me in the eyes as his mother (who looked like a peanut next to her son) discussed his acne problem. With his eyes firmly planted on his feet, his mother told how he used to be involved with every sport team in the area, and kids would flock to their house to play with him. And then puberty stuck, hard. 

Pimple after pimple erupted onto his young face, and little by little he ended his involvement with his sports teams, and the friends stopped coming over. Seems so strange to think that pimples could take down a hulking young-man such as this. As I heard the same story coming from a different mother's mouth, the same heart-rending sorrow mixed with hope fluttered in my veins, and I promised them both that we would become partners, and together he would get his life back.   

After the hundreds and hundreds of families I've seen who have a loved one suffering from severe acne, the article recently published by the Los Angeles Times is not incredibly surprising. Almost every parent I see relays the same stories about how their once social, outgoing child, became withdrawn and reclusive upon the onset of severe acne. It is always painful to hear about, as the entire family suffers along with the acne patient... but it is all the more rewarding when the patient becomes to come out of their shell again as the acne dissipates with the proper treatment.

Although heart-breaking to read the article below, it is beneficial to society for it to be well documented how much a skin condition seemingly as trivial as acne, can affect the overall mental state of the sufferer, and consequently their entire families.

Karen Kaplan, from the Los Angeles Times, reports on the newly found suicide rates and depression associated with acne:

Acne -- not acne medication -- is probably responsible for the mental health problems of sufferers, study says

September 17, 2010

One of the problems that doomed the acne drug Accutane was a widespread perception that – along with other problems, like birth defects and inflammatory bowel disease – it made patients more prone to depression and suicide. As my colleague Shari Roan reported in a story last year explaining why drug maker Roche Holding pulled Accutane from the market:

“The drug has been publicly and emotionally linked to an increased risk of depression, including suicides, and some families of suicide victims have pressed the Food and Drug Administration for its removal – among them Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), whose teenage son committed suicide after taking Accutane.”

But the link between Accutane and mental health problems is debatable, with studies producing conflicting results.

The latest study to address the matter was published online Thursday in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology. An international group of researchers collected questionnaires from 3,775 Norweigian teens (most of then 18 or 19) and looked for an association between acne severity and mental health.

Overall, they found that 11% of the Oslo teens experienced episodes of suicidal ideation. But those who reported having “substantial” acne were 80% more likely to report suicidal ideation compared to teens with clearer complexions. In fact, the researchers found that the worse one’s acne, the more likely they were to contemplate suicide.

Severe acne was also linked with other psychological deficits, including not thriving at school and having fewer attachments to friends. Those problems have also been linked to depression. Here’s how the researchers put it:

“Acne almost certainly causes embarrassment, stigma, shame, guilt, and low self-esteem, which are likely to cause psychosocial problems. Acne may cause depression, which then results in impaired social functioning and suicidal ideation.”

Bottom line: It is probably unfair to blame Accutane for depression in teens instead of the severe acne that led them to seek Accutane prescriptions in the first place.