Employment Cosmetics?

You want to be at the top of your game in a job interview, but the lengths people will go extend well beyond a blow out and a manicure.

Young Koreans – in their teens and 20s – are going to extremes when it comes to landing a big-time corporate job. They are seeking "employment cosmetics" to make headway in a highly-competitive job market. Gone are the days when a simple dark suit, heels, a Gucci briefcase, and a great attitude would be all you need to nail a job offer. It seems that ear, eye, nose and brow procedures are among the most favored surgeries that take beauty to a new level. For example, Korean women are going in for Botox® injections to their vocal chords in order to prevent trembling under pressure – in a job interview for instance. Now there's a clever idea that I bet you wouldn't have thought of on your own! The same tact might work on a first date, now that I think of it.

While you're at it, if sweaty palms are another hang up, Botox® works for that too!

A new weapon in the wrinkle wars -- Perlane ® -- has finally arrived stateside, and it's about time!

I have known about Perlane ® for many years from Europe, and Americans are in for a treat. This is the newest form of Restylane ®, the natural hyaluronic acid gel from Sweden, only it's three times thicker so it lasts longer and helps to enhance volume in the cheeks and chins, recontour noses, plump lips, with all sorts of other novel uses. If you have had Restylane ® already, think of Perlane ® as its big sister. The molecule is larger so it gets deposited more deeply into creases and folds. It is best for contour changes, and not really intended to smooth fine lines.

Take my advice and go for it!

Who is having cosmetic surgery now?

Syringes, scalpels, and laser beams are not just for Hollywood 's A-list in this day and age. In fact, soccer moms, retired teachers, and bank managers (rather than only heiresses and ladies who lunch) are now very interested in having a little work done too. The main difference is that “normal,” average women usually have to watch their pennies and save up for high-tech beauty treatments – which is exactly what they are doing!

These women are setting aside part of their wardrobe budget to have Botox ®, and foregoing a kitchen makeover for a facelift. Maintenance gets expensive. Just to keep up with injections can run into several thousands a year. Add some laser treatments or peels, and you can get up to $5,000 to $10,000 easily. This is where setting aside a budget for yourself can keep you on the right track. If you find yourself popping into your dermatologist's office every 3 to 6 months for a $2,500 and up a session, it may be time to actually think about having something that lasts longer.

Picture this: You and your BFF meet up for a day of beauty at the most posh local spa – massages, facials, manis and pedis, and … Botox ®? This is actually more common than you may realize, which leads me to ask: "Why have Botox in a place where their core competencies are really mud masks and seaweed wraps?”

Don't settle for a B-list doctor based merely on convenience, when there are 10,000 board certified dermatologists, 5,000 board certified plastic surgeons, and thousands more healthcare professionals who can skillfully inject your every muscle, line, and wrinkle in the safety and comfort (not to mention privacy) of a professional medical office under good lighting! The explosion of the medi-spa trend spells big bucks for those who merge medical procedures in the context of beauty services.

Botox ® is a drug - and used properly, it really saves the day for any woman who has ever squinted, scowled, or cried herself to sleep. However, having a great treatment is more than just a few arbitrary jabs with a needle. You really need an experienced, highly qualified physician to make the call about where and when you need an injection, and to give you the best aesthetic result. So unless it's a doctor you know and trust, skip the spa or salon, and head straight to the best clinic you can afford.

It certainly took long enough – 75 years to be exact – but 2006 marked the first year in which a female, Roxanne Guy, M.D., F.A.C.S., was elected president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

With Nancy Pelosi as our first female speaker of the House, let's hope that 2007 will continue to be a benchmark year for women in all areas of professional life. The cosmetic surgery industry has historically been dominated by men. One glance at the roster of board certified plastic surgeons, and you'll notice an overabundance of testosterone. Women have flourished in the medical field, including specialties such as dermatology and cosmetic dentistry, but it seems like far too few choose to be plastic surgeons. I am keeping my eye on the latest statistics in the hope that there will be an upswing during the next decade. I believe very strongly that women should support other women, so if you find a great female doctor, stick with her and send your friends as well!

What's the worst thing to happen to breast implants in modern history? First, it was the silicone moratorium of 1992 that scared women half to death unnecessarily. More recently, it is the ad nausea coverage of Anna Nicole’s melon-sized implants that she built her career on. Enough already – I don't care who the father of her baby is! But I would like to know who her plastic surgeon was, if only to be sure that I never refer any of my clients to him!

Big, round, fake-looking implants are so yesterday. Today's woman wants a natural look that suits her frame, body type and fashion sense, and doesn't attract the wrong kind of attention. The bigger the implant, the more problems you can have too. If you stick with a reasonable size – depending on your height, bone structure, and the width of your shoulders and hips – you can have a great-looking shape that looks like you were born with it.

Silicone versus saline? No contest! My clients prefer silicone gels for the look, feel, and durability they offer.

Lasers could pave the way for future discovery on the science behind skin aging!

A study published in the Oct. 1 issue of the journal Optics Letters suggests that women’s skin ages faster than men’s skin; a finding that is particularly true of women who are post-menopausal. This should come as no shock to any woman in the free world!

Researchers used multiphoton laser imaging to measure the levels of collagen and elastin in the skin of men and women ranging in ages 21 to 84. These researchers indicate that this finding could be of major significance in the curing of skin diseases, as well as for manufacturers of anti-aging skincare looking to prove they have the "real" science behind effective skin cream.

Hope springs eternal!

Thank goodness for small miracles – or in this case, large ones. A 24-year-old Bulgarian woman was saved in a head-on car crash by an unlikely hero: her size 40DD breast implants!

Although both cars were damaged and the other driver was seriously injured, the woman's breasts served as airbags. The implants defended her vital organs from damage at the time of impact. This is the second instance in recent news where breast implants have come to the rescue.

The first was back in August when I relayed the story of a 24-year-old Israeli woman whose implants supposedly saved her life when she was wounded by Hezbollah rocket fire. Bulgarian police reported that unlike a functional airbag, the driver's implants exploded. They're not meant to replace airbags, after all, but it's comforting to know that they have served these women well!