MUST READ on Anti-Aging Treatments For Skin : The Surgery-Free Makeover

January 1, 2009

In Gifts For The Real World 4 and Botox For Christmas, I talked about the great website, Skin Tour. In that site, you’ll see the book, The Surgery-Free Makeover.

I was sent the book (but am not being paid for this review). I knew I’d find it an essential read because the website already is. I didn’t expect how much more information made it into the book. I finished it in 2 days. I was reading it in the bathtub.

The information cuts to the core of what you need and want to know.

Dr. Irwin is a scientist with access to and comprehension of the research. Would you take a pill that didn’t have solid research behind it? Not if you’re sane. Same applies for injections and lasers. And skin cream, of course!! Just because some company added Noni Juice or whatever magic potion to a cream doesn’t mean they did any research to prove it works (other than market research to see if and how they could sell it, of course!!).

There’s loads on the net. I can tell you that it is almost impossible for pet owners to find accurate information about their animal’s condition on line. It’s there but people can’t recognize it amid all the clutter and can’t put it in the context of their own pet. They’re as hopeless at choosing the right treatment option as they would be at reading their dog’s X-ray. You need help from a professional to filter out what’s true and how it applies to you. What happened to your best friend’s face or your neighbor’s cat has nothing to do with your face and your cat. Zero.

Plastic surgery seems too radical a first step. Anytime I’ve seen it (and known it), it looks odd. The skin on the neck is a different age from the skin on the face. Or the skin behind the ears is older. Or the face is 10 years younger than the voice/energy level/personality, and the whole person comes across as weirdly discordant. For some problems, this is the only answer. For most common concerns of aging faces, you can achieve gorgeous results without it. I still want to be able to see myself.

The Surgery-Free Makeover is written almost as a workbook, certainly not a textbook. This reads like straight-up talk at your own personal consultation. You’ll find yourself over and over. You’re encouraged to write your own specific list as you learn the various terms and types of problems.

You’ll be taken on a tour of your own face, including the neck and chest area. The most frequent complaints for each feature are discussed, along with real patients’ questions and concerns. There are 6 different problems for the forehead alone (including a brief but bottom-line discussion on thinning hair at the temples)!

You’ll get information throughout the book on the 6 most common anti-aging treatments. They are

- Botox

- fillers like Restylane and Juvederm

- lasers for redness, blotches, and age spots

- lasers for wrinkles, and imperfect texture

- skin tightening treatments like Thermage and Titan

- Peels and microdermabrasion

Which one is for you? How much can you expect it to do? You’re about to find out. If there’s a short-term fix or cream, it will be named. If there’s a question you must ask or a risk you should know, Dr. Irwin tells you. If only surgery will fix it, you’ll be saved a lot of time and money.

There is an entire chapter on menopause and skin. If you’re working towards a particular event or with a finite budget, you’ll learn what you can accomplish with realistic expectations of the near and far future.

I so appreciate the attention and space devoted to helping you find a good doctor and treatment facility. What if I live in a small town where the local M.D. has opened a Skin Center? Do I trust him? Or will I look like a clown for 3 months while a bad injection wears off ? You’ll be well armed, with the 7 most important questions to ask (and what answer you should get!), how to evaluate the facility and the staff, when to run screaming, and much more. One of my absolute favorite chapters.

With a final section on emerging technologies, this book was written for us. It’s the best.

My eyes have been completely opened to the possibilities in this field. I LIKE possibility. It’s what I am about. What I’ve learned will influence every decision I ever make about this subject, even which creams I buy. Once you’re done reading, you’ve got the last word. You won’t wonder anymore. I honestly get when and how this will fit into my life.

If you would love to have something done to improve your appearance, you have got to get informed. One of the chapters is entitled Knowledge Is Power. That is exactly what it is.

Posted by Christine Scaman | Filed Under Skin Care

Comments

2 Responses to “MUST READ on Anti-Aging Treatments For Skin : The Surgery-Free Makeover”

Mary Ann on January 2nd, 2009 8:00 am

Wonderful article. Thanks for pointing out the skin tour — I forgot how much time I’m actually spending in the sun, even in the winter.
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