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Poorly Executed Cosmetic Procedures Can Leave Lasting Damage
A visit to a skin treatment clinic in a Florida suburban mall in late 2004 changed 52-year-old Jordan Miles' life forever.
She had responded to an ad from the clinic that promised help for her teenage son's acne. He didn't get the treatment, but Miles made an appointment for herself for laser treatments to remove sunspots on her arms, back and chest.
Two women ended up performing the procedure -- neither, Miles later found out, had the necessary training.
"They started with the laser on my chest, and when they got to my back, they decided the sunspots were worse, and so they upped the laser, further intensifying the procedure," Miles recalled.
The outpatient procedure left Miles, a mental health counselor, in such excruciating pain that she vomited on her way home. Getting no helpful response from the clinic, she consulted a dermatologist, who confirmed that she was covered in red, stripe-like second- and third-degree burns that would leave lasting scars.
The redness subsided, but each burn drained the pigment from her skin, leaving Miles open to further skin problems should she ever expose the affected areas to the sun.
"I now have what looks like zebra stripes everywhere," Miles said. "I'm restricted from a lot of activities and types of clothing. It's terrible."
Miles' experience is hardly unique. In the past few years, reports of fraudulent or shoddy cosmetic and plastic surgery procedures have grabbed headlines:
- In 2003, New York City financial analyst Maria Cruz died after a fatal reaction to lidocaine, delivered by Dean Faiello, a 46-year-old from Newark, N.J., who had been posing as a cosmetic surgeon. Faiello fled to Costa Rica but was apprehended by U.S. authorities in 2006 and is now in prison.
- In 2004, four people in Florida became paralyzed after Bach McComb, an osteopath with a suspended license, administered lab-strength botulism toxin -- not the much weaker Botox -- to himself, his girlfriend and two others. McComb was later sent to prison for three years.
- In 2005, a 46-year-old California woman died of multiple organ failure after receiving a buttock injection of what had been billed as a "French polymer" but was actually cooking oil. The beautician who delivered the shot, 39-year-old Martha Mata Vasquez, was sentenced to 15 years in prison in January.
It's tough to tell how often these types of dangerous procedures are being performed in the United States, experts said.
"I think that, especially in big cities, it's more common than you think, because I see lots of patients with problems who have been treated in hotel rooms, for example," said Dr. Rhoda Narins, past president of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS) and a clinical professor of dermatology at New York University Medical Center.
"Sometimes, when I ask patient what it is that they have had, they really have no idea," she said. In many cases, procedures are performed in non-medical settings -- hotel rooms, private homes, beauty clinics and spas, Narins said. "I've seen several patients who had spa treatments and got comfortable there, and then they were offered non-medical-grade silicone. They ended up having horrendous reactions."
Dr. John W. Canady, vice president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), said that the underground nature of these sub-par procedures makes them especially hard to track.
He and Narins said consumers should watch out for the following "red flags" when seeking out cosmetic injections or surgeries:
- Check for credentials. It's not enough that your "doctor" is wearing a white lab coat and has a certificate on the wall. A number of organizations -- the ASDS, the ASPS, the American Board of Plastic Surgery and state medical boards -- have online resources that people can check to verify credentials and experience.
- Be wary of cheap deals. "If a procedure has an unbelievable price that nobody else is offering, then you really have to slow down and examine why it's so cheap -- why is it so out of line with the rest of the market?" said Canady, who is also professor of plastic surgery at the University of Iowa.
- Look for nearby medical support. Even procedures conducted by the best-qualified staff can go awry, so make sure your practitioner has equipment and qualified personnel on hand to deal with allergic reactions, clotting and other events. Most reputable clinics will have hospital affiliations. "As a patient, you want to know what things are available if things don't go right," Canady said.
Most of all, the experts said, ask questions.
"It's important to be a responsible consumer, to do your homework, to not be afraid to ask the tough questions," Canady said. "If you ask people legitimate questions in a non-offensive way, and they get angry or hostile with you, then you need to go find somebody else."
Narins agreed that an educated, proactive consumer is the best defense against fraud and abuse in her industry.
"People shouldn't take chances with their health. When you inject something into your body, this is not the same as getting a massage," she said. "This is something that can seriously affect you, and for a long time."
That's a lesson Miles said she learned the hard way, but she's hopeful that her story can at least help others. The clinic she received her laser treatment from has since closed down, and Florida state law was recently toughened to mandate that all laser procedures be done under a doctor's supervision.
But Miles said her scars are a daily reminder that patients remain vulnerable.
"Make no assumptions, and don't be afraid to ask questions," she advised. "The mistake I made was that I never asked these women if they were a nurse practitioner, or if they had any experience doing this before, or how many times they had done it before. All of those were major mistakes."
HealthDay News, 2/26/2007, By E.J. Mundell
FDA Approves Laser Treatment for Hair Loss
A handheld laser device designed to treat hair loss has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The Florida company that makes the Hairmax Lasercomb said 26-week trials found that the device does increase the numbers of thick hairs on the scalp, the Associated Press reported.
Lexington International LLC said its device combines a low-level laser with a comb. When it's drawn through the hair, the laser affects the scalp in way that promotes hair growth.
According to the company, the Hairmax Lasercomb is the only FDA-approved drug-free product for home use in fighting hair loss. The device sells for $54 on the Web, the AP reported.
HealthDay News, February 16, 2007
Albuquerque Named Fittest U.S. City
Albuquerque, N.M. moved from 13th place last year to be named American's fittest city this year in the March issue of Men's Fitness magazine.
The other top 10 in the nonscientific survey of 50 cities are: Seattle; Colorado Springs; Minneapolis; Tucson, Ariz.; Denver; San Francisco; Baltimore; Portland, Ore.; and Honolulu, the Associated Press reported.
The magazine said this year's top 10 fattest cities are: Las Vegas, Nev.; San Antonio, Texas; Miami; Mesa. Ariz.; Los Angeles; Houston; Dallas; El Paso, Texas; Detroit; and San Jose, Calif.
The survey results are based on various lifestyle factors in each city, including the availability of bikes paths or gyms, commute times, fast food restaurants per capita, amount of television watching, along with federal statistics on obesity-related illnesses and injuries.
Magazine editor Neal Boulton told the AP that the list is published each year "to motivate folks to look at the simple things in their lives they can do to be healthy."
HealthDay News, February 9, 2007
Luxury Travel Company Identifies Top Spas of 2007
The online luxury travel resource, Luxury Link, recently named the winners of the 2007 World's Best Spa Awards. Identified by a panel of discerning travel editors, the 25 winners were chosen based on service, facilities, location, uniqueness, and overall levels of luxury. The winners are:
Adler Thermae Spa and Wellness Resort, Tuscany, Italy
Avanyu Spa, Manchester Village, Vermont
Brenner's Spa, Baden-Baden, Germany
Canyon Ranch, Lenox, Massachusetts
The Earth Spa by Six Senses, Hua Hin, Thailand
The Hualalai Sports Club and Spa, Hualalai, Hawaii
One & Only Spa, Los Cabos, Mexico
Spa Montage, Laguna Beach, California
Spa and Sanctuary, Namale, Fiji
The Spa at Huvafen Fushi, Maldives
The Spa at the Crescent, Dallas, Texas
Spa at the Mandarin Oriental, Miami, Florida
Victoria-Jungfrau Spa, Interlaken, Switzerland
Amandari, Bali, Indonesia
The BodyHoliday at LeSport, St. Lucia, West Indies
California Wellbeing Institute, Westlake Village, California
Carita Spa, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Worldwide
The Golden Door Spa, Carefree, Arizona
Miraval Life in Balance, Tucson, Arizona
Six Senses Spa at Puntacana, Dominican Republic
Spa Without Walls, Kohala Coast, Hawaii
The Spa at Four Seasons Resort, Chiang Mai, Thailand
The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, New York
The Spa at the Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia
Spahalekulani, Oahu, Hawaii
Fitness and Nutrition Trends in the Spa
By Michelle Kleist, RD
International Trends: Redefining Indigenous
By Richard Williams
Embrace the culture of your country and provide a unique experience for your clients.
Spa Products’ Limitless Future
By Karen Newman
IRIDEX Acquires Laserscope
IRIDEX Corporation completed its acquisition of the esthetics business of Laserscope.
Red Door Lifestyle Spa Opens in Florida
Red Door Lifestyle Spa, Elizabeth Arden, recently was unveiled in Weston, FL, at the Hyatt Regency Bonaventure. At 48,000 square feet, this destination spa has an array of treatment choices, exercise options and relaxation techniques to offer guests. 954-389-3300
Aveda Opens Third Spa in Italy
Aveda has announced its third destination spa in Italy: Aqua Spa in the Grand Hotel Fasano. Located in the northern lakes region of Gardone Riviera, the spa overlooks Lake Garda and offers the full range of Aveda treatments. 39-0365-290220