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Nonsurgical facelift with electricity

Everyone wants to look better without surgery. This has created a market for products such as the "Tua Viso", an electrical stimulator similar to the "abdominal sculptors" seen on late night television. This "facial exerciser" is supposed to tighten skin and smooth wrinkles by strengthening the facial muscles with a 9-volt battery.
Does it work? There is no evidence to support its use for this purpose thus far. Their website does have an unpublished, non-peer reviewed trial summary, which doesn't add much. Read about it here. 

Facial Flexing

Another tool to sculpt the face with exercises is available on flexawaysystem.com. Sounds like a great idea, but it is extremely unlikely that you can get results like those shown on the site. Exercises may slightly strengthen muscles (though not likely to a visibile degree with the thin muscles of the neck) but they should not decrease fat at all. Fat goes away when the body is in a negative caloric balance, not by targeting a certain area.

It brings us back to the bogus facial resistance training, that we posted on here. Lately, there have been a lot of comments from people involved with a particular company that sells exercises and training certificates. Judge for yourself on these techniques.

Why do Lifestyle Lift problems dominate the cosmetic blogosphere?

Again, Lifestyle Lift Holding Inc is heavy-handedly trying to shut down negative web exposure.  They tried to get RealSelf to turn off the review page on its procedure which has received very mixed comments.  (remember when they sued NBC?)

Read about the lawsuit here, from someone who has done legal work for RealSelf.

Facial resistance training

There are enough bogus 'systems' out there to fill up a blog on an hourly basis. Here's one more: Flex Effect Facial Resistance Training. There is absolutely no way that the claims made by this website are legitimate. Take this before and after for example. Droopy upper eyelid skin can not be corrected by facial exercises. Never.

But, for $1750 you can become a certified facial trainer. Now that's something to put on your resume.

About stretch marks

Stretch marks are a big concern for many patients, especially after giving birth or gaining weight. They are a result of breaks in the deep skin layer called the dermis. There are common remedies used to prevent them, such as lanolin and cocoa butter. There are numerous treatments being offered to reduce their appearance, from microdermabrasion to lasers to creams (many of them ineffective).

We found a websited devoted to stretch mark treatments (http://www.allaboutstretchmarks.com/index.htm), but its clearly an advertisement. Unfortunately, a site like allaboutstretchmarks is not required to disclose what it is an advertisement for, though we suspect it is funded by Fraxel. As disclosed on their site: "The compensation received may influence the advertising content, topics or posts made in this website. That content, advertising space or post may not always be identified as paid or sponsored content." Sort of sneaky, since the site purports to be an authoritative, semi-scientific discussion of a topic of medical concern. It does contain some valid info though.

New Botox warnings?

A public citizen group is petitioning for a Botox warning because of several deaths related to the product. From an MSNBC report, "Dr. Sidney Wolfe, director of Public Citizen's Health Research Group, said such problems can occur if botulinum toxin spreads from the injection site to the esophagus, causing partial paralysis. Instructions for Botox and Myobloc mention the issue but it is easy to miss, he said."

To our knowledge there has never been a death report from the injection of Botox for cosmetic reasons. In some cases, Botox is used for vocal cord problems, and this can lead to misinjection, leading to a complication.  All in all, this group is inciting an issue over a non-issue. The warnings are already there in the packaging. If any other medication had a rate of 16 deaths, it would be considered one of the safest drugs available.

green tea for eyes

Do green tea bags help under-eye circles and bags? Some think so. It's got powerful antioxidants.

“Brew two bags, let cool, then use as a compress for 10 minutes,” says dermatologist Dr. Kunin. To increase the “depuffing” effect, use caffeinated, she adds.“

Interesting thought. Mostly just an anecdotal recommendation. But it's inexpensive and it likely wouldn't hurt.

Dremu on.

Here are the opening lines of a website we recently found:

Dear friend,

If you would like to know how some of the most famous actors, celebrities and super models in the world keep their skin looking young, beautiful, and age free… without Botox, or plastic surgery… then what I am about to reveal to you in this brief little message will be the most important beauty secret you will ever discover.

When anyone begins with dear friend, you have to be skeptical. Not to mention everything else that follows. Its an ad for Dremu, a concoction that is supposed to be the most amazing wrinkle remover ever created. But it's not. And that's why they have to make hard-sell websites such as this one.

Is Dermitage another phony product that doesn't work?

We got an email from a reader asking about dermitage and the questionable benefits they tout from their products. Here is the before and after section of their website with tiny photos taken with different techniques, obscuring any ascertainable results.

They also use pseudo-scientific sounding proprietary names such as Inflacin, QuSomes, and lifting spheres, which are all meant to impress. 

Then we found out about fradulent billing and fake free offers. Look at their ridiculous ad above with 'simulated' aging. Our advice: steer clear of this company's products.

Jan Marini Eyelash product does not grow lashes

Jan Marini's age intervention eyelash product does not grow lashes, according to the company itself. According to their website, “Age Intervention Eyelash Conditioner is not intended to stop, prevent, cure, relieve, reverse or reduce eyelash loss or to promote the growth of eyelashes”. They were banned from selling their Revitalash product becuase it contained travoprost, the prostaglandin analogue used to treat glaucoma, with the convenient side-effect of lash thickening and darkening, and the inconvenient effect of darkening the iris. But it is illegal to sell this prescription drug as an over-the-counter beauty product. The new product is without the same active ingredient, but still sells for an astounding $160. Worth it? No, according to The Beauty Brains. An alternative, is to wear falsies.