Is gold the new buzzword in skin creams?

According to legend, 5,000 years ago, Cleopatra slept in a gold face mask every night because she believed it made her skin luminous and soft. Whether that was true or not, Cleopatra is said to have had beautiful skin. But then again, in that day and age, women lived to a ripe old age of 30-something, so who is to know. Cleopatra herself lived only to 39.

Many new skin products coming on the market contain gold particles, reported to tighten loose skin, reduce discoloration and ward off the sun’s damaging UV rays. Unfortunately, there are no studies that have documented these claims, and the creams are enormously expensive, as you might guess.

The truth is, few skin care ingredients have been proven to create real results in skin tone, texture and luminosity. Among them are Retin-A. Laser skin rejuvenation, microdermabrasion and chemical peels have also been proven to rejuvenate collagen beneath the skin and create a much smoother, more youthful appearance. 

Cosmetic Surgery is No Cure for Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) has been getting a lot of attention in the media recently.  The condition, which drives people to constantly alter their appearance in a desire to be perfect, is oftentimes linked to plastic surgery. But do BDD sufferers actually benefit emotionally by undergoing plastic surgery? A new study’s says ‘no’. Despite these findings, there are surgeons who still provide requested surgeries to BDD sufferers.

The study, which was recently published in the Annals of Plastic Surgery, was spearheaded by Katharine A. Phillips, MD, is the director of the body image program at Rhode Island Hospital. Phillips defines BDD as “a psychiatric disorder characterized by preoccupation with an imagined or slight defect in appearance which causes clinically significant distress or functional impairment. A majority of these individuals believe they have an actual deformity that can be corrected by cosmetic treatments to fix these perceived defects rather than seeking psychiatric intervention."

Phillips co-authored the study with Canice Crerand, PhD, of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. The researchers reported that previous studies showed BDD to be relatively common among individuals who underwent plastic surgery, accounting for roughly 7-8% American plastic surgery patients. The duo retrospectively studied 200 individuals with BDD. Of the group, 31% sought and 21% received surgical or minimally invasive treatments to remedy their BDD symptoms.

The study found that almost all of the individuals still experienced BDD symptoms, while some even developed new appearance fixations. The researchers also surveyed 265 cosmetic surgeons, of which 65% reported treating patients with BDD symptoms. Only one percent of the reported cases that were treated resulted in symptom improvement.

The most common surgical procedures among the patients were rhinoplasty and breast augmentation, while the most popular non-invasive treatments were dermal fillers and microdermabrasion. Three-quarters of all the desired procedures involved the face, and more than a third of the patients studied underwent numerous different treatments.

In the long-term, only 25% of patients with BDD showed a more positive appraisal of their treated body parts. Not only that, only two percent of treated patients saw a lasting improvement of their overall BDD symptoms.   

Of the patients who sough treatment, 20% did not receive a procedure. Surprisingly, patients with BDD were turned down more often due inability to pay for a procedure than they were for their symptoms. Thirty percent of patients could not undergo their procedure due to financing, while 26% were refused treatment by a doctor. The researchers also found that surgeons were significantly less likely to refuse a cosmetic treatment than other procedures, such as dermatological, dental or otherwise.

"This suggests that many surgeons were not aware of the patient's BDD or do not consider BDD a contraindication to treatment,” says Phillips.  “In a survey of 265 cosmetic surgeons, only 30 percent believed that BDD was always a contraindication to surgery."

While some cases of body dysmorphic disorder are easy to recognize, other cases are not so clear-cut. This study is an indicator that there should be more training and sensitivity in the aesthetic plastic surgery industry to the symptoms of BDD.  While most patients have a healthy desire to simply enhance their features, the crippling symptoms of BDD could be the motive for patients to undergo cosmetic surgery.

Saving Face: Hidden Dangers of Microdermabrasion

Skin resurfacing is one of the most sought after non-invasive skincare treatments. Skin resurfacing is done with lasers, chemical peels, and quite often microdermabrasion. Microdermabrasion is often considered a reliable way to treat acne, scarring, and uneven skin; however, the traditional process could be more harmful than they are helpful.

Traditionally, microdermabrasion helps to smooth the skin's top layers by surgical scraping or sanding using aluminum oxide crystals. During the procedure, the outermost layer of skin is removed with a rough wire brush and the dead skin cells and crystals are then vacuumed off. Once praised in the cosmetic industry, the earlier methods are now being criticized by medical professionals due to the negative effects of the aluminum oxide crystals.

 

An article by StyleList.com reports that traditional microdermabrasion treatments can have post-treatment reactions. The named reactions include intense redness, infections, streaking from pressure on the probe, and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. When not executed by a trained professional or physician, crystals can scatter into the hair, lashes and ears, which can cause to corneal scratches and abrasions.

Never fear, for there are newer technologies available for microdermabrasion treatments. Most modern microdermabrasion treatments use diamond tips and other alternatives in place of aluminum oxide crystals. If you are concerned about the treatment, make sure to check with your physician about what type of microdermabrasion they use.

Even though microdermabrasion is considered a noninvasive procedure, it is imperative to have your treatment performed under the guidance of board-certified plastic surgeon. Microdermabrasions in Wilmington, DE, can be performed by licensed aestheticians. More aggressive microdermabrasion treatments, however, should be performed by the plastic surgeon themself.