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When it comes to the one product that has granted more wishes and answered more prayers, BOTOX rules. The #1 sign of premature aging, the woeful wrinkle, is diminished or disappears. Like the magic of a mini brow-lift, hooded eye lids open wide. And the down-turned corners of our lips, once more, have something to smile about.

Cosmetic dermatology truly is an art and a science. And with BOTOX, the science has performed beautifully. But making the magic real, is in the experienced eye and skillful hand of the practitioner. The artist. The sculptor. Because that’s what creating beauty, with BOTOX, really is. Artistry. So let’s give credit where credit is due.

Before administering a single injection, the doctor or nurse or other qualified practitioner must first see the client’s face. Not just look, but see. Imagine. Create. Where would the product work best? Where would the results most shine? Where to pinpoint each injection? How much product? How little product? How close? How far? When is less more? When is “more” best?

If you’re living near or may be visiting BEVERLY HILLS or L.A. you’re in the place that’s truly home to the most dazzling, glamorous people in the world. This is “show business”country. And this is also home to the most experienced, up-to-the-minute and best BOTOX specialists in the cosmetic dermatology industry. But you don’t have to be a super star in the entertainment industry to feel like one!

A little research, a phone call and you’ll be on your way to renewing the more youthful, attractive and star power person you always knew you could be.

Long, luxurious locks of hair have always been considered one of a woman’s sexiest, most desirable attributes. Even men have discovered the captivating quality of the curl.

But as we discussed, last week, hair can also be a source of considerable embarrassment and cosmetic concern. Facial hair for women, back hair for men, any hair that appears in the wrong place at the wrong time is deemed “unwanted” and targeted for removal.

Fortunately, modern medical technology has provided many ways to treat unwanted hair: depilatories, shaving, tweezing, electrolysis and today’s most preferred method of hair removal, from Beverly Hills to L.A. – the laser.

The process is fast, cost effective and, usually, permanent. But, as with any hair removal procedure, you can only remove the hair that’s there. Visible. Above the surface. Available for removal. So, laser treatments must be repeated to achieve good results.

To make your Laser Hair Removal as effective as possible – and to avoid an unnecessary number of treatments, read“cost” –  here are a few simple tips to follow, prior to your treatment.

For at least, two weeks prior to your laser treatment, avoid sunbathing. The UV rays may interfere with the laser process. And for maximum results, avoid plucking, bleaching or waxing for four weeks, prior to treatment. The laser beam detects the darkness of your hair and bleaching causes a “hide and seek” game by lightening your hair and its follicle.

Tweezing and waxing removes hair at the roots, interferingwith the natural growth cycle. This is one time when the more hair follicles, the better. A depilatory or razor, which only removes hair above the skin surface, is allowed, if needed.

Finally, right before treatment, do shave the area to help minimize any discomfort as the laser follows the hair down to the root of the follicle. While most people tolerate the laser well, there’s never a need to “suffer in silence.” A numbing cream can be applied or the practitioner may adjust the laser to a more comfortable level.

And remember, small facial areas, like lip and chin, are usually completed within 10 minutes.

After your session, you might experience some redness or swelling, which is usually gone, within hours, by the application of an ice pack. And please note, it might appear as if some of your hairs are still present. It’s normal. Sometimes the hair doesn’t fall out for several days after the treatment.

Be gentle on your new skin and protect it with a sunscreen with an SPF of 30, for the next two weeks. And schedule your follow-up appointment for four weeks later. Then celebrate your new-found freedom: hair-free and lovin’ it!

Sometimes, when talking about beauty and skin care and conditions and treatments and on and on, there are subjects that are very difficult to discuss. Sometimes those subjects are of great importance; often, of great concern.

Unwanted body hair, for women and men, is one of those subjects. So – let’s talk.

For women, the unwanted hair is usually facial; for men, it might be hair on their backs or ears or even an over-abundance of chest or arm hair. Everyone reacts differently to their perception of what’s “normal” and what is not. But one thing that is common to all, is the embarrassment, shyness and downright distress that unwelcome hair growth causes. To everyone. Perceived or real.

While there are no absolute causes for this condition, in addition to heredity, there are some factors that do play a pivotal part. Androgens, the male hormones that become active at puberty are one of the primary triggers of unwanted hair.

Medications, like some birth control, migraine headache, high blood pressure and steroid pills might also activate the growth.

But regardless of the cause, the good news is that there are many treatments to alleviate or eliminate the unwanted hair. Shaving, depilatories, waxing and electrolysis are the old staple treatments. Some are daily, some messy, some have uneven results and some are simply unacceptable.

Today, Laser Hair Removal is the most high tech, state-of-the-art, “I’m serious about this,” permanent hair removal process available. In the most “serious about beauty” cities in America –  L.A. and Beverly Hills. And when it comes to the play-off between electrolysis and laser hair removal, according to both the practitioner and the patient, the laser wins. Hands down.

For covering larger areas; for fewer treatments resulting in less cost; for less discomfort; for less procedure time, laser hair removal offers all the benefits you desire.

So how, exactly, does the laser process work? As the name implies, a high-intensity beam of light and a steady level of heat is focused on the hair follicle. The hair is destroyed, at its root. Immediately, a corresponding cooling process is also administered to minimize the discomfort, curtail side effects and prevent the laser from affecting the surrounding skin, as well.

A bit more tech than you needed to know? Perhaps. But not a bit less remarkable in its results. There’s a reason important things are done “laser fast” and we “focus like a laser” when precision really counts. Indeed. There’s a reason the laser has become the process of choice in swift, precise hair removal. It works.

Restylane – the facial filler that changed everything. Look years younger, instantly. No surgery. No painful recovery. No staples or tubes. No lost work time.

The standard procedure, for all the fillers, is the same. A series of small injections are administered below the surface of the skin. Depending upon the number of areas treated – the lips, under eyes, nose-to-mouth and mouth-to-chin areas being the most popular – the entire process takes about 30-minutes.

Restylane has also been FDA approved and the product may now be combined with the anesthesia Lydocaine, in the same syringe. Additionally, a variety of numbing agents may also be applied, topically, if you desire.

Following the procedure, you might experience some minor swelling, redness or tenderness. In some instances, there might also be some spots of bruising. All of these side effects will usually disappear in less than 7 days. Applications of ice, immediately following, combined with Arnica tablets or cream, does wonders to further reduce any discomfort. And here, with the vast experience in Beverly Hills facial fillers and Restylane L.A., physicians are skilled at making it easy.

Your practitioner may also discuss other precautions you might take in the week or days prior to treatment. Halting your supplement regimen and aspirin/ibuprofen products or blood-thinning drugs and limiting alcohol or sugar might be suggested to further prevent swelling.

Be assured that few products have undergone the long term research and rigid testing as the wonder drugs of modern cosmetic dermatology. And while there are more than 100 facial filler drugs, in use, around the world, there are only nine approved here in the U.S.

It’s safe, reasonably priced with minor and short-lived side effects and the results are stunning.

“Be careful what you wish for” can, sometimes, be wise and worldly advise. But even better, sometimes, if we really get lucky, we may actually find “everything we wished for…and MORE!” Did somebody just say, “BOTOX?”

BOTOX cosmetic, originally intended to correct the optical disorder commonly known as  “cross-eyes,” has been the veritable Fountain of Youth of the cosmetic dermatology industry, since 2002. Relax, release, and get rid of wrinkles here, there and everywhere on your forehead and brow. Even those “laugh lines,” which are really not so funny when they’re called “crow’s feet,” can disappear in the blink of an eye. Oh, that BOTOX.

But now, only 11 years after receiving FDA approval as a treatment for facial wrinkles, BOTOX offers more. Much more.

Have you ever considered a surgical “brow lift” to stave off the downward spiral of gravity? Your beautiful big eyes are still beautiful but not quite so big? And your lids have a heavy, hooded look with deeper folds than you remember? A few strategically placed BOTOX injections can lift your brows, raise your eyelids and restore your youthful look of wide-eyed wonder. And more.

Oh, that gravity – turning down the curvy corners of your mouth or forming jowls along your, once-firm, jawline. Or the vertical lines, above (or below) your lips caused by “pucker up and kiss me.” Or smoking? From L.A. to the east coast and around the world, everyone knows that BOTOX has become the Go-to Guru for restoring that fresh, smooth and youthful glow of vitality.

But what you may not know is that while the cosmetic uses for BOTOX are constantly increasing, the medical or therapeutic uses may, eventually, far out weigh its beauty benefits. Allergan, the drug’s producer, currently has more than 90 patents, currently owned or pending.

With a 30-year record of favorable research, 11,000 people studied and approximately 17, 000,000 treatments in the U.S. alone, BOTOX has proven successful in the treatment of migraine headaches, excessive sweating, chewing and swallowing impediments, various muscle spasms and is on the edge of treatment for stroke patients and benign enlarged prostate.

So keep your beautiful, big, wide-eyes on BOTOX where wishes really do come true.

Beauty may be in the eyes of the beholder, but it’s always more than skin deep. In fact, despite of the effectiveness of today’s topical skin creams and lotions, when it comes to dramatic, instant and long lasting results, it takes more than moisturizers and hydrating creams, toners, surface scrubs or masques. It takes the combination of visual Art and 21^st century Science.

And the Science of the 21^st century has introduced break-through procedures that have changed everything. When BOTOX exploded into the cosmetic dermatology offices, lines formed from the treatment room to the waiting room.

Now with the phenomenon of the facial fillers like Restylane, Perlane, Juvederm and Radiesse, the Science has taken us even closer to the edge of “forever young.”

And the Art? Today, the Art of beauty lies in the eyes and the mind and the skillful hands of your physician. Training and experience, experience and vision, artistry and experience with, not just hundreds, but thousands of patients where you want to put your best face forward. And with whom.

For the most natural look, the perfect product placement, how much product (or how little!) and the delicate touch of the artist with the precise technique of the physician, there’s no place, in the world, like the L.A. to Beverly Hills beauty expressway.

The Restylane procedure, itself, is very straight-forward and takes anywhere from several minutes to one half hour, depending upon the number of treated areas. First an antiseptic, followed by a numbing agent, is applied to the skin. Then the gel-like Hyaluronic acid is injected under the skin, and with the help of the body’s own water, creates and retains volume beneath the skin’s surface.

Folds and deep wrinkles disappear both instantly and over the course of the next week.

While every one is different, there usually is some discomfort from the injections which could be followed by some redness, swelling, tenderness and slight bruising. But, in most instances, these side effects disappear, within a few days. In 2010, the FDA approved adding the anesthetic, Lidocaine, to the Restylane (and Perlane, as well), which has greatly reduced the discomfort of the procedures.

But, all in all –  the wonderful long-lasting effects of a non-invasive, non-surgical, no recovery time, no lost work, …“what price beauty” is a very tiny price, indeed.

Restylane, Perlane, Juvederm, Radiesse – the fabulous cosmetic fillers. The very names bring beautiful images to mind. Restful…pearlescent…youthful…radiant. Lingering still. Perhaps, forever.

OK, let’s talk. Since Cleopatra first lined her eyes deep with mystery, well, actually it was Henna, women have searched for, learned and mastered the art of looking beautiful and of accepting the natural aging process, but not the loss of beauty, style, or the youthful appearance of clear, fresh, vibrant skin at any age.

So what is the process of facial aging? Over time, the loss of ligament support and skin elasticity, loss or shifting of fat deposits and the inevitable pull of gravity do leave their marks. Wrinkles, deep grooves and folds, sagging cheeks or drooping eyelids, neck bands, “Marionette” lines and so on.

But enough! We know the signs. So what would Cleopatra do if she ruled the red “Nile” carpet from Beverly Hills to L.A. today?

Until quite recently, surgical face, brow, neck and eyelid lifts were the only available procedures. But for many people, they were just too costly, with varying levels of discomfort, recovery and down-time.

Then, in 2003, Restylane was the first hyaluronic acid facial filler approved by the FDA for the U.S. market. It was widely lauded and launched an exciting, even revolutionary, new era in the history of cosmetic dermatology. For this non-invasive treatment helped to fill the bags and sags and drops and droops of time and was now readily available for both royalty and all the smart, chic and sexy women like you.

By 2010, in seven short years, more than 10,000,000 Restylane procedures have been performed world-wide for men and women alike. These procedures were affordable, took approximately 30 minutes to perform, and lasted between 6 – 12 months each.

Because Restylane is so versatile, its uses are many. A “filler” does exactly what it says: it fills or plumps facial areas that have lost volume. The common hollows or “troughs” under your eyes or in your cheeks can be immediately “filled out.” The grooves or folds that run from your nose to your mouth are softened and the area around your chin can be rounded to diminish the appearance of jowls. Now we’re talking!

And there’s more: Lips that have thinned may be re-defined, “plumped and pouting” to reflect the latest and greatest L.A. glamor styles. Even the “puckering” smile lines above the lips may be smoothed and the downward turning corners of your mouth may now heed the call to “pucker UP!”

Restylane restores the soft and youthful contours of your face. If it had been discovered in 30 BC, Cleopatra could have ruled the world. What will you do?

Come back soon and learn about the actual Restylane procedure and possible side effects.