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New in Spa Business (page 192 of 200)
Root Elected ISPA Chairman
Jim Root, general manager of spa operations for The Spa at Sea Island, has been elected chairman of the International SPA Association (ISPA). 800-732-4752
FDA Approves Radiesse
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Radiesse, a cosmetic dermal filler, for the long-lasting correction of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds such as nasolabial folds.
Radiesse is composed of calcium hydroxylapatite microspheres in a water-based gel carrier. The product provides immediate improvement so a patient looks better the moment the product is injected. The calcium microsphere technology also enables the body to generate new collagen. Further, Radiesse provides physicians a high level of control, predictability and finesse for facial applications.
FDA approval of Radiesse for treatment of facial wrinkles and folds was based on the results of a clinical trial supporting Radiesse’s safety and effectiveness. In this study, conducted at four medical centers in the United States, 117 patients with nasolabial folds were treated with Radiesse on one side of the face and a control agent (Cosmoplast, a human collagen product) on the other. Results based on the ratings of three blinded evaluators showed that six months after treatment, Radiesse was more effective than the control on every comparative efficacy outcome (p<0.0001).
Key clinical findings include:
· 82 percent of nasolabial folds treated with Radiesse showed improvement after six months. This was significantly higher than the control, which showed improvement in only 27 percent of treated folds (p<0.0001).
· After six months, the fold treated with Radiesse was more improved in 79 percent of patients compared to the control-treated fold. The folds treated with the control rated more improved in only 5 percent of patients.
· The nasolabial folds treated with Radiesse required approximately half as much volume (1.22cc) than the folds treated with the control (2.35cc).
· Both products were safe and well tolerated, with no serious adverse events reported. In the 117 patients treated, Radiesse had zero granulomas and the same low rate of nodules as the control.
Larimar Spa Opens in Aruba
Radisson Aruba Resort and Casino unveiled its Larimar Spa, a 13,000-square-foot facility that features a full menu of services in nine separate treatment rooms. 800-333-3333
Cosmetic Wrinkle Filler Approved
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a new treatment for moderate-to-severe frown lines, medically called nasolabial folds.
BioForm Medical issued a statement describing its Radiesse as a longer-lasting alternative to existing wrinkle fillers. The company said its calcium-based microsphere technology not only fills in facial folds and depressions, but also stimulates the body to produce collagen, the fibrous protein that gives the face its structure and fullness.
The drug was also newly approved to improve the appearance of people with AIDS-causing HIV who have significant facial fat loss (lipoatrophy), the San Mateo, Calif.-based company said.
Radiesse was first FDA approved in 2002 for use in facial reconstructive surgery.
HealthDay News, December 28, 2006
Allegria Spa Undergoes Renovation
Allegria Spa, located at the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek in Avon, CO, currently is undergoing a $12 million renovation that will double its size and add an Aqua Sanitas—healing waters—sanctuary. 970-949-1234
Solstice Day Spa Named "Business of the Year" in Cape Cod
The Solstice Day Spa in Cape Cod, MA, has been named “Business of the Year” by the Hyannis Area Chamber of Commerce. Solstice also was voted Best Day Spa 2006 by both Cape Cod Life magazine and Cape Cod View magazine. 508-775-7400, solsticedayspa@aol.com
Spas Give Shopping Malls a Face-lift
Amy Andrade had been thinking about Botox for a while. So when she spotted a spa-like "cosmedical" clinic in an upscale mall in Dallas, she was immediately interested.
When she learned the clinic was connected with one of Texas' leading medical institutions, she was sold.
She had Botox injected into her 32-year-old forehead and near her eyes to smooth out infinitesimal wrinkles.
"It was great. I felt like I was getting a facial," said the furniture showroom manager.
Medical spas like the one at Dallas' NorthPark Center are booming. The number in the United States has jumped to about 2,500 this year from 50 in 2002, when Botox injections won federal approval.
Such spas offer minimally invasive cosmetic procedures such as injections of Botox, which relaxes facial muscles to make lines fade, and fillers like Restylane, which add volume.
Not all medical spas have ties with a major medical institution like the Klinger Advanced Aesthetics Cosmedical Center, Spa and Salon, which has teamed up with the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.
Some "cosmedical" clinics don't even require their practitioners to be plastic surgeons or dermatologists.
Dr. Richard A. D'Amico of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons said the procedures may look like simple injections, but serious complications could result if someone isn't properly trained.
And Kate Parsons, director of the Center for Ethics at Webster University in St. Louis, said she is worried that as such services become more widely available, people will be less inclined to examine why they want to look younger.
"I guess my concern is that we're not examining that as much as we could be," Parsons said. "It is becoming increasingly accepted as one more option among the array of cosmetics and fashion."
By Jamie Stengel, Associated Press, December 18, 2006
Maly's Opens 100th Location
Maly’s newly opened location in Los Gates, CA, is the salon product distributor’s 100th store. The company marked this occasion by offering special promotions and giveaways at every location during the week of the Los Gates store’s opening. 408-356-3281
Furlong Named YG LabÅratories President, COO
Dr. Patrick Furlong has joined YG LabÅratories as the company's new president and chief operating officer. Additionally, Rebecca James Gadberry and Robert James are now co-CEO's of the company. James will also serve as chief financial officer, and Gadberry will become company chairman. 800-999-4569, info@yglabs.com
Carbon Dioxide Laser Can Be Safe for Neck Resurfacing
When it comes to treating the aging face, patients have their pick of numerous laser therapies for successful skin rejuvenation. But finding an effective treatment for the delicate skin of the neck can often be a real pain in the neck. Now, a retrospective review presented in a recent issue of Lasers in Surgery and Medicine, the journal of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery, finds that a skilled practitioner can successfully resurface an aging and photodamaged neck using the Carbon Dioxide (CO2) laser if a series of treatment parameters are strictly followed.
In her article entitled “Safe and Effective Carbon Dioxide Laser Skin Resurfacing of the Neck,” laser expert Suzanne D. Kilmer, MD, of the Laser & Skin Surgery Center of Northern California, Sacramento, CA, outlines three key components essential to effective laser resurfacing of the neck with the CO2 laser that she and her colleagues have used to safely treat more than 1,000 patients over the past 10 years.
“We have found that for the CO2 laser to work safely and effectively on the neck, 1) the skin has to be sufficiently hydrated with a pre-operative topical anesthesia; 2) the laser has to be administered at a low density with only a single pass; and 3) the treated epidermis must not be wiped following the procedure,” explains Dr. Kilmer. “These three ingredients, in a sense, make up the ‘recipe’ for how to safely use the CO2 laser for neck resurfacing. And like all recipes, every step must be followed and all the ingredients must be added properly for the end result to turn out right.”
In order to adequately hydrate the skin prior to the laser procedure, Dr. Kilmer recommends that patients wash their entire face and neck with hot water and then immediately apply a thick layer—like frosting on a cake—of the topical anesthesia EMLA. The area is then sealed using a plastic wrap, and this process is repeated 45 minutes before the procedure. Dr. Kilmer notes that proper hydration is critical, as it “plumps up” the skin and creates a protective buffer against the laser that also aids in absorbing the laser’s energy.
During a typical laser skin resurfacing of the face with the CO2 laser, the epidermis is completely removed. For neck resurfacing, the laser energy is lowered so the epidermis is not removed and stays intact. This low density coupled with a single pass of the laser creates less trauma and less wounding on the neck. Dr. Kilmer points out that while the face would normally be wiped to remove the epidermal debris following the procedure, it is important not to wipe the treated epidermis from the neck because it serves as a natural dressing that protects the skin and aids in the healing process.
“Most of our patients that undergo CO2 laser skin resurfacing on their face also get their neck done at the same time,” says Dr. Kilmer. “Performing both procedures helps to blend the results, eliminating the noticeable line of demarcation that usually occurs when the neck is left untreated.”
While non-ablative laser treatment for skin rejuvenation has gained in popularity during the past few years, Dr. Kilmer notes that the CO2 laser produces longer-lasting results than its non-invasive counterparts and only a single treatment session is needed instead of a series of treatment sessions.
“As with any procedure, patients need to be informed of the potential risks, how much downtime is involved, and the importance of post-operative care before undergoing CO2 laser resurfacing,” adds Dr. Kilmer. “But for any single resurfacing treatment, the CO2 laser delivers the most overall improvement—hands down.”
Patients with a personal or immediate family history of vitiligo are not considered candidates for this procedure, as laser resurfacing can trigger depigmentation of the treated area consistent with this condition.