Imagine the astonishment as Ponce de Leon, the Spanish explorer credited with discovering the legendary Fountain of Youth in 1513, teleports to present time. He would the manifestation of disappearing wrinkles, shaving bumps, spider veins, tattoos, scars, acne, hair removal and the effects of similar aesthetic rejuvenations, not with an elixir but with light.

Nearly 500 years later, people still clamor to be ever-young, ever-beautiful and ever-healthy, and aesthetic and surgical lasers help enhance their appearance, self-esteem, personal comfort and quality of life. And thus, they are willing to pay for the benefits of LASER treatment.

We have over 25,000 medical spas on the U.S., and more physicians are adding aesthetic services to their practice every month. Many surveys indicate that patients prefer a medical rather than a spa environment to receive laser procedures, and therefore doctors of many specialties will offer various  non-invasive light-based treatments to their own patients in years to come. Lasers are main stream of aesthetic medicine.

Medical tourism is a growing trend when it comes to plastic and cosmetic surgery. Some Americans believe that they can get the same cosmetic procedures for a lower cost outside the U.S.

Brazil, Chile, Venezuela and Colombia are the most popular destinations among American medical tourists. An interesting fact: some of the better surgeons were actually trained in Cuba. There are a lot of excellent doctors in Latin America and the equipment they use is often comparable to that available in the laser clinics in the U.S. You just have to do your own research to avoid complications.

Importance needs to be placed on researching the doctor’s credentials and experience because you want a doctor who is qualified and will take good care of you. As far as the cost… These days you can get excellent deals within a reasonable driving distance from your home. Plastic surgeons and medical spas in the U.S. is a very saturated business. There is a lot of competition and a lot of top notch experts in both surgical and non-invasive procedures. Give them a chance at a free consult before you board an airplane! Guess where the Swiss are going to save money on cosmetic surgery? The U.S.!

Primary care providers chose their profession out of a desire to help patients live better and longer lives according to the Hippocratic Oath. But the winds of change are blowing stronger across the landscape of medical practices throughout America. Now, more than ever, practitioners wishing to fulfill their calling are increasingly challenged on all sides by the pressures of time, patient demands, and complexity in the health insurance industry, government involvement and economics.

Many primary care providers (PCPs) find themselves on a treadmill, trying to maintain the highest standards of care while also endeavoring to achieve the rewards they and their families deserve to compensate the years and high cost of medical training and the long hours devoted to this most noble profession. There are several strategies to bring the economics of medical practice back into balance: work more hours and see more patients (not usually possible); raise fees (not practical given insurance industry dynamics); cut costs further (many practices are already close to a point of diminishing returns); or offer new, cash-based medical services.

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Nationwide, a growing number of people are turning to cosmetic procedures to put their best face forward as they look for a job – or try to hold on to the one they have. A survey of physicians by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery showed that 75 percent of them said they had treated patients who requested facial plastic surgery to stay competitive in the workplace.

”Youth is becoming more and more emphasized in the workplace,” said Dr. Steven Pearlman, past president of the organization.  “The seasoned experts, once pictured in ads with lots of wrinkles, have been replaced by young go-getters with multiple degrees and the appearance of boundless energy.” Read the whole story published by Miami Herald.

For thousands of years, body hair has been viewed as a legacy from prehistoric times and as the expression of the wildly libidinous and animal tendencies of Homo sapiens. For many cultures, trimming, plucking and twirling out pubic hairs is just part of life.

This article in San Francisco Sentinel is a vivid explanation of why laser hair removal is so popular and bound to remain the most desired laser procedure as more consumers become aware of this permanent hair reduction option.

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Chiropractic and pain management clinics are getting into aesthetic medicine. Some of the more forward looking doctors in the field realize the potential of the growing market and feel that laser aesthetic procedures are a natural extension of their core business.

For these chiropractors, adding aesthetic services has been a plus. Not only have they benefited from an entirely different client base, but they’ve offered reasons for established patients to come in more regularly. And correcting cash-flow issues has been a real plus.

But aesthetic services will not fit every practice. Chiropractors need to learn about the new treatments they’re considering and measure the potential benefits against possible drawbacks. If space or staffing is an issue — or if new marketing methods do not seem feasible — reconsider.

Aesthetics can offer a brand new way of approaching a chiropractic practice, complementing existing holistic services for a growing baby-boomer market.

A general drop off in plastic surgery procedures has become an obvious trend evidenced by many surveys. Consumers opt for less invasive and less expensive cosmetic procedures, such as dermal fillers and light-based aesthetic treatments. Among the procedures on the rise are Botox, dermal fillers, laser skin resurfacing, skin rejuvenation with skin tightening, laser treatments of age spots and spider veins.

Another story with comments by several plastic surgeons published in clarionledger.com adds to the following prevailing trends in aesthetic medicine:

• Expensive plastic surgery procedures (reconstructive and cosmetic) continue to decline:
  • Consumers who do not have money now put off their elective surgeries indefinitely;
  • Consumers with savings prefer to wait out the storm;
  • Consumers with some savings seek loans with reasonable terms to cover their surgeries – they do not want to let go of their cash;
  • Before setting up the first appointment, consumers do their research on how much cosmetic treatments will cost; before the recession, they would come in and ask all their questions.
• Medical practices see their profit margins slimming as patients seek less expensive procedures, do a lot more of price shopping, and use up all incentives (coupons and discounts) before committing to a treatment package;
• Physicians’ costs are on the upswing as they have to spend more on marketing, advertising and customer service.

Aesthetic physicians are being forced into turning into businessmen more than ever before. Those who have adapted stand to gain tremendously when consumer spending turns around.