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Simple Cosmetic Treatments Increase in Popularity Among Men

As dermatological technology advances, simple cosmetic treatments such as facial fillers and Botox are no longer primarily targeted for women. Men are increasingly taking advantage of cosmetic enhancements as well, to help fight signs of age and to increase professional marketability. Men looking for an affordable alternative to invasive cosmetic surgery are turning to facial fillers, Botox, and other non-invasive cosmetic treatments in lieu of opting for costly traditional cosmetic surgery.

Non surgical treatments such as facial fillers and Botox, compared to going under the knife via face lifts and other invasive cosmetic procedures, are affordable, quick, and require minimal recovery time. However, non surgical treatments offer very similar results to surgery, by filling out the temple area, smoothing wrinkles, and eliminating sun spots from an aging face. Even nose jobs can be achieved with non surgical cosmetic treatments, by using an injectable wrinkle filler to straighten noses and smooth bumps.

Results from non surgical cosmetic treatments are instantaneous, making these cosmetic options increasingly attractive to men as well as women. In particular, the popularity of skin peels has exceeded that of facelifts among British women.

A struggling global economy has seen job seekers looking for innovative ways to increase their odds of landing a job. The job market is brutal, and competition for jobs is fierce. A younger and more energetic appearance may help job candidates look more desirable in the eyes of a hiring manager.

The global recession may have had some impact on the increasing popularity of non surgical cosmetic procedures for other reasons, as well. The simple explanation is that the procedures are much less costly than traditional cosmetic surgery. This may explain the increased popularity of skin peels among women. Also, due to the decreased recovery time, patients find they are able to return to work right away. Patients without paid leave are more likely to invest in cosmetic treatments when they are not required to miss work in order to do so.

For these reasons, non invasive cosmetic treatments have increased by five per cent in the last year. The bottom line is that non surgical cosmetic treatments offer many of the same results that traditional cosmetic surgery offered, at a fraction of the cost and recovery. With such easy ways to enhance the appearance of an aging face, it’s no wonder that these treatments have increased in popularity among men and women alike.

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Quality Assurance Mark Guarantees Quality

Patients of injectable cosmetic treatments, such as wrinkle fillers and Botox, can finally rest easy. Up until now, cosmetic treatment facilities have been unregulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), and patients risked securing care from providers offering less-than-quality services. But a new provider registration and quality assurance mark offered by the Independent Healthcare Advisors Services (IHAS) and backed by the Government guarantees quality care from cosmetic treatment providers.

The IHAS Registration mark separates quality cosmetic treatment providers from the unqualified practitioners, offering a safeguard to patients seeking cosmetic services. Organisations and practitioners offering injectable cosmetic treatments must register through IHAS in order to legally display the IHAS Register of Injectable Cosmetic Providers mark. Registration requirements include completing self assessment forms and submitting supporting evidence, permitting random site visit inspections with only 24 hours’ notice, and paying a registration scheme fee to support the IHAS quality cosmetic treatment initiative. The providers must prove, through assessments, inspections, and supporting documentation, that they comply with good practice standards for the cosmetic treatment industry.

The industry led initiative is fully supported by Health Minister Mike O’Brien, who stated that the registration will “…help protect the public from unscrupulous operators. It will clearly mark those who uphold the highest standards the industry can provide.” The Minister has Government offered funding to support the regulation of cosmetic treatment providers in the United Kingdom.

Large cosmetic treatment providers in the industry have already offered their commitment to supporting the quality initiative. The Harley Medical Group, Transform, and Sk:n, who together own more than eighty clinics, plan to register all of their facilities. The initiative is also highly supported by suppliers to the cosmetic treatment industry, such as Q-MED UK Ltd, the manufacturer of Restylane dermal fillers, and Dental Protection, which offers professional support and advice to a majority of dentists in the United Kingdom. The British Association of Cosmetic Doctors also announced its support of the industry regulation.

Patients seeking quality care can search the Independent Healthcare Advisors Services registration for registered cosmetic treatment providers, or simply look for the “IHAS Register of Injectable Cosmetic Providers Quality Assurance Mark” at any provider of choice. Doctors, registered adult nurses, and dentists will be registered during the first year of implementation. If the launch is successful, IHAS will consider adding standards for dental hygienists, therapists, physiotherapists, and others during a second rollout of registration year two of implementation.

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Botox Clinics

For the first time ever, an attempt has been made to monitor and control places that provide Botox treatments and “filler” injections. With 5,000 clinics performing approximately 200,000 Botox treatments for wrinkles and filler treatments designed to plump lips and sagging skin each year in the United Kingdom, the industry is in dire need of regulation. Although there are plenty of legitimate practitioners working in the industry, there are also far too many rogue practitioners administering treatments they are not qualified to give. To combat this, only doctors, dentists and nurses will be invited to participate in this attempt at regulation, along with organizations that provide Botox and filler injections. Once accepted, these practitioners will receive certificates of approval proving the quality and safety of their service.

The main problem with this proposed system is that it is voluntary. The charity Action Against Medical Accidents declared that if the Government does not make this system statutory, many people will be left at risk because an industry cannot be trusted to regulate itself properly – especially an industry that is as large and prosperous as the cosmetic industry. The Government requires any major cosmetic surgery to be regulated, but as Botox and filler injections are relatively minor non-surgical procedures, they can be offered by just about any business. Peter Walsh, the chief executive of Action Against Medical Accidents declares that his charity will continue “using our experience and influence to make this scheme as robust as it can be.”

One of the best reasons to create a regulated cosmetic industry is to help reduce the amount of botched cosmetic procedures. The most high profile examples of cosmetic treatments gone wrong are usually celebrities. For example, in 2003, Leslie Ash, the star of the television show Men Behaving Badly, had filler injections on her lips. The procedure went wrong, resulting in a look known as the “trout pout.” It is hard to determine exactly how many people have suffered from cosmetic treatments gone wrong or adverse side effects since many people are extremely embarrassed as to what has happened to them and would prefer to keep it quiet rather than raise a national ruckus. Also, without strict guidelines, many practitioners may turn to shady and dangerous treatments. For instance, in 2005, two government reports were published detailing how several practitioners supplying filler injections were using material from both animal and human corpses – material that could have been infected with hepatitis and other deadly diseases.

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Why People Love Facial Dermal Fillers

Soft tissue augmentation for aesthetic purposes has been around for over a hundred years. We can trace this field of medicine back to a German plastic surgeon who published a paper about adipose grafts that are transplanted to fix soft tissue defects on the face. This shows that fat grafts are the oldest known facial dermal fillers used in the plastic surgery field. Of course, the past 100 years have been spent improving techniques and finding better materials and devices to use to help patients cosmetically improve the appearance of soft tissue deficiencies. Facial dermal fillers are now one of the most popular ways people use to create a more aesthetically pleasing improvement to their face with the least invasive procedure possible.

Unfortunately, smoking, sunlight, aging and gravity take a toll on the elastic collagen of the face, causing wrinkles to appear. Aging-related changes include downturned corners of the mouth and atrophy of the lower and upper lips. Plastic surgery makes it possible to rejuvenate these areas with minor improvements. Facial dermal fillers are used to rebuild and refresh the areas near the mouth, helping the patient regain a more youthful appearance. Dermal fillers can also treat aging near the naso-labial folds of the face, a common and early sign of facial aging.

So why do people love facial dermal fillers to such a degree? One reason is the popularity of Botox, which has been shown to have amazing anti-aging on upper facial areas. With Botox injections, the anti-aging effects on the upper face have also created a need for better procedures to address the lower area of the face. Novel filler technology has also increased facial dermal fillers’ popularity with the general public. When Botox is used for the upper face together with dermal fillers on the lower face, an unbelievable age-reversing result is achieved that offers a rejuvenated appearance with minimally invasive procedures.

Today, many people will agree that a face should have prominence and depressions that are symmetrical. This belief is yet another reason people seem drawn to the field of soft tissue augmentation, particularly facial dermal fillers. Lip enhancement is now one of the most popular procedures and draws both the young and old. Because of the minimally invasive nature of these procedures, paired with their ability to deliver unmatched results, it’s no wonder people are eager to use facial dermal fillers to improve their appearance.

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The Pros and Cons of the Cosmetic Treatment Craze

Cosmetic treatment technologies continue to evolve, making beauty easier and cheaper for women to attain. This is good news for women seeking to appear younger, particularly because research has shown a correlation between attractiveness and career success. And since today’s non invasive treatments are less costly and require less recovery time than surgical procedures, more and more women are climbing on the cosmetic treatment bandwagon. But these newer treatments are temporary compared to traditional cosmetic surgery, requiring recurring visits to cosmetic treatment providers, and costs and time invested can add up. Also, experts worry that the growing fad may have societal repercussions in which younger and younger women are turning to cosmetic treatments in order to feel acceptable. And finally, little studies have been conducted to determine the long-term effects of non invasive treatments.

It’s true that cosmetic treatments are getting easier. Where cow-sourced collagen formerly required skin testing, human collagen and Botox now require no skin test. The treatments are quick and easy, with virtually no recovery time. When compared with traditional cosmetic surgery, fillers and injections are much more affordable, costing hundreds of dollars instead of thousands of dollars. But since these treatments are not permanent, women must routinely have the treatments repeated. And experts say that the non invasive treatments are simply postponing the traditional plastic surgeries, such as eyebrow lifts and face lifts. In the end, women may pay more than if they had opted for the traditional surgery in the first place. Also, traditional surgery has a longer history, so side-effects and long-term effects are well known by doctors.

But many argue against the growing fad altogether. Younger women are undergoing non invasive cosmetic treatments than ever before. Books such as “Bodylove: Learning to Like Our Looks and Ourselves, A Practical Guide for Women” by Rita Freedman and “Midlife Crisis at 30: How the Stakes Have Changed for a New Generation – And What to Do About It” by Lia Macko and Kerry Rubin address the negative repercussions that this fad has on society. Women see celebrities and even their peers undergoing treatments, and they feel like they don’t measure up. Indeed, studies have shown a correlation between career success and attractiveness, so it may be that the trend is already irreversible. Cosmetic enhancements may be no different than any other technology taking over the globe. Once we go there, it’s hard to turn back.

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Overview of Dermal Fillers

There’s almost nothing more satisfying for patients that undergo cosmetic procedures than an immediate correction in scars, skin texture and appearance. Dermal fillers today can provide this, instantly filling in hollow areas and smoothing the skin’s surface. Bovine collagen was the first FDA-approved dermal filler in the United States and remained the only option for almost a decade after it’s introduction in 1981. This type of dermal filler quickly became very popular and was sold under the name Zyderm I, with effective results that lasted around three months.

Of course, Zyderm I had its shortcomings. It was able to give fair results with marionette lines, moderate rhytides and deep nasolabial folds, although it had many disadvantages. Zyderm I provided a potential for allergy and required a skin test before use. The results only lasted three months or less and results were often disappointing for moderate to severe lines and scars.

In a very short time, Zyderm II and Zyplast were approved by the FDA and introduced to the public, addressing many of the problems with Zyderm I. These new types of dermal fillers significantly improved results and remained the only dermal fillers approved for use by the FDA for almost a decade. Still, there were many needs left unanswered. These products had many limitations and the full potential of facial dermal fillers wasn’t seen for some time.

The ideal dermal filler is safe, painless, hypoallergenic, inexpensive and provides results that last a long time. Today, dermal fillers have come a long way to fulfill this promise. With an increasingly large population reaching middle age, the demand for effective and safe dermal fillers is only growing. For this reason, facial filler products are the fastest growing area of cosmetic surgery and will continue to develop.

Dermal fillers are products that are injected into the dermis. After a treatment with dermal fillers, patients must not manipulate or touch the treated area to prevent product shift. If you’re interested in a treatment with facial fillers, typical costs range between £200 and £600 per session, depending on the formula you select. Today, results can last for six months or longer and greatly improve the appearance of even deeply set-in lines. You can even select fillers in the United States that are subdermal fillers, which are injected under the dermis in the subcutis area. Dermal fillers are only for use by trained professionals so you’ll need to schedule an appointment with a medical spa or cosmetic surgeon for each session. If you’re ready to see the difference a facial dermal filler can make, try scheduling a session today. You’ll find new fillers can erase years from your face while improving the overall texture and evenness of your skin.

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