Beauty Industry News

With summer now on our doorstep we’re all looking for fast transformations to look good for the wedding and BBQ season.

From smooth hair-free under arms and bronzed pins to plumped lips and line-free skin, thousands of people are utilising non-surgical services on offer.

In 2009, according to a cosmetic surgery market report, produced by Key Note, the non-surgical market over took the surgical sector by 219 per cent. But the most surprising trend is the rise in male surgical and non-surgical procedures. In 2009 the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) found that more and more men were opting for treatments to help them look good.

Now beauty salons are also seeing a rise in male clients looking to enhance their appearances with the introduction of non-surgical treatments such as Botox that are being offered by fully qualified nurses in-house.

Recent programmes such as Embarrassing Bodies have helped to highlight men’s appearance issues and have made it more acceptable for men to seek aesthetic help.

It looks as though 2010 is already shaping up to be a profitable year for salons offering non-surgical treatments such as CACI (Computer Aided Cosmetology Instrument), injectable filler treatments and chemical peels for men.

With men now feeling more comfortable about seeking non-cosmetic and beauty treatments it can only be a good thing for salons across the UK, although I wouldn’t bank on many male clients over the next few weeks – probably football widows only.

Jenni West

In the bathroom. In the bedroom. On a mat. Us girls do it everywhere…….fake tanning that is! But how do we know which one is the best one to use?

Well we have to learn from our mistakes. We’ve all had messy slip-ups with the bottle bronze in the past, and we’ve all ended up  looking more like Jodie Marsh than Eva Longoria. But times have changed with various different types of fake tan.

From St Tropez to Dove Summer Glow, there are so many to choose from. All ranging from £30 right down to £1.99, but is it best to spend more?

I have worked with numerous fake tan products, professionally as well as personally, and there is only one that I would keep going back to buy. You will be surprised.

It is Boots own brand Soltan Beautiful Bronze Self-Tan. The mousse is the best one I have used as it is quick drying, easy to use and above all non-streaky. The best part is that it’s only £7.99 for 150ml, which roughly covers four average bodies.

I have, and probably will always suffer from bad skin. Because of this I have to be careful about what I put on my face, however I have found Beautiful Bronze to be the only fake-tan I can use that causes me no irritation, break-outs or greasy skin.

I would highly recommend Beautiful Bronze if you are wanting a natural, streak-free tan. But if you fancy looking for like Jordan on a dodgy day (let’s face it, that’s most days) just apply Creosote…..available at most garden centres. 

By Jenni West

The need for chemotherapy could soon be at an end with the creation of a new miracle drug, used to help fight against cancerous tumours.

It’s not surprising that in modern times, drugs are being developed to fight cancer all the time. But never before has a drug been created that could be used for all forms of cancer, and be taken in a pill form, spelling the possible end for chemotherapy.

Researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Centre have developed a tiny molecule that could help the body in its fight against cancerous tumours.

The human body contains a protein called p53, this protein helps to promote cell health and helps to suppress tumours normally, but when the body is under attack from cancerous cells these proteins are inhibited by other proteins, and the body fails to fight the tumour alone. The new molecule, MI-219, is used to specifically kill tumour cells by supporting the bodies protein, p53.

This is a breakthrough in medical science as researchers have spent years searching for a cancer drug that kills tumour cells without damaging healthy normal cells in the process.

‘Many traditional cancer drugs also activate p53 but they do so by causing DNA damage. They will kill not only tumour cells but also normal cells, this having severe side effects. MI-219 is unique in that it is designed to activate p53 without causing DNA damage, specifically killing tumour cells. Indeed, MI-219 is highly effective in inhibiting tumour growth, and even inducing tumour regression, but it has caused no toxicity to animals at efficacious doses’. Says study author, Shaomeng Wang, Professor in Medicine at the U-M Medical School and co-director of the Molecule Therapeutics Program at the U-M Comprehensive Cancer Centre.

‘For more that 10 years scientists have searches for ways to block p53 inhibition, but with little success. Our study clearly shows that this can be done’. Professor Wang goes on to say.

Through clinical trials on animals proving no major side effects on those treated with the molecule, this could well be a huge step forward to patients being treated with chemotherapy. Many patients have devastating side effects including hair-loss, severe nausea, mouth ulcers, and Diarrhea when receiving chemotherapy, but with the orally given pill, the need for intravenous chemotherapy drugs could soon be at an end.

Professor Wang points out, ‘While promising in preclinical studies, MI-219 needs to be evaluated in human clinical trials for its safety and efficiency for cancer treatment since it is a brand new drug’.

Although the drug is still in its early stages and has not progressed to human trials yet, it has been hailed as a breakthrough in cancer care. If clinical trials prove the drugs potential it could have use treating many different types of cancer. This could soon see the end to long hospital appointments and agonizing chemotherapy treatments for patients.

By Jenni West

So the sunshine is out, the weekend’s here and we are all wanting to add a splash of colour to our milk bottle pins. We all feel better with a golden glow, and let’s face it we’re all a damn sight happier. But with 9,000 new cases of Malignant Melanoma (Skin Cancer, developing often in moles) developing every year, are you dying for a tan?

Unfortunately most sun damage is done before the age of 20, and we all know what we were like as kids in the sun. Slapping on the baby oil in the hope that we could change from Milky Bar white to Bournville brown in the space of an afternoon.

But what can we do now to make sure that the damage we have already done to our skin, doesn’t progress into something far more life-threatening than a few blemishes? Well making sure that you check your moles regularly is a start. A mole that changes in shape, size, becomes raised, bleeds or itches needs to be checked immediately. Your GP will be able to refer you if need be. If the cancer is diagnosed and treated early, prognosis is good, however if the Malignant Melanoma is untreated, the cancer can spread to other organs and the chances of cure are much lower. Approximately 1,500 people die every year in England and Wales due to malignant melanoma.

Just because most of the damage may already have been done, further sun exposure will make things worse. Making sure that an appropiate sun SPF is applied BEFORE sun exposure will reduce further damage caused by UV rays.

So before you venture into the garden this weekend, remember to slip slap slop. For further information click here; Macmillan Cancer Support.

By Jenni West

 

Finding out that your 14 year old sister is cutting their arms is devastating enough, but finding out that they are also suffering with an eating disorder is soul destroying.   

Magazines designed for young girls are littered with glossy images of young attractive, and painfully thin, American TV stars. They give tips for fitness, how to attract boys, and what make-up they should use. Is this the image that should be portrayed to impressionable girls?    

Being 14 is hard enough, but having a ‘perfect look’ to live up to is critical for the all important popularity that every teenager craves. But what can we do to make sure that children are happy being children? The unfortunate fact is that we probably can’t. We are just going to have to make sure that we are there to support and nurture as best we can.    

As for looking after your little sister, all you can do is hope they soon realise they are beautiful as they are.    

By Jenni West

With the media filling pages, airwaves and any available time slot with the news of the recession, we have only just,finally, been given a slight respite with the inevitable news of Jordan and Peter.

But even with the pair dominating the headlines this year, it hasn’t taken away the fact that recession is affecting everybody. However, the economic downturn has had a strange effect on the beauty industry and its clients’ spending habits in the salon.

I have been in Harley Street this week speaking to a leading cosmetic surgeon who has found that the credit crunch has severely affected the number of patients that are coming through his doors. His patient numbers for surgery such as breast augmentation, tummy tucks, and face lifts have dropped by a phenomenal 50 per cent since this time last year. He is not alone in his finding; I spoke to a number of plastic surgeons in the prestigious W1G postcode area, and found similar reports of patient numbers dropping.

 www.harleystreetguide.com

However, the strange finding is that although patients are not spending vast sums of money on invasive cosmetic procedures, they are still finding the cash for non-invasive quick-fix treatments such as dermal fillers, anti-aging facials, and chemical skin peels. When I spoke to surgeons in Harley Street, they all reported a 10-20 per cent rise in patients opting for non-invasive treatments over the more expensive and serious procedures that involve surgery.

This shows that although, the majority, of men and women are being more scrupulous with their money, people haven’t given up on looking good just yet. These findings are good news for salons up and down the country who are worried about the economic climate.

Chemical skin peels, CACI non surgical facelifts, dermal fillers, body wraps, and anti-ageing facials are the treatments that are being favoured over long-term fixes such as face-lifts and liposuction – not only this but they are more than 10 times cheaper than the surgical options.

That aside, salons offering dermal fillers need to make sure that these treatments are being administered by healthcare professionals or those with proper training only.
The British Association of Cosmetic Doctors recently warned of the potentially fatal consequences that can occur from being injected by untrained staff, with unregulated dermal fillers.

However, clients can check that salons and clinics are regulated by the Care Quality Commission by clicking here; www.cqc.org.uk

So, making sure that your salon is promoting these in the best and safest way possible will guarantee that your business does not fall apart like the rest of the economy – or like Jordan and Peter.

Has your business seen an increase in clients opting for a cheaper option to surgery?

 By Jenni West

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