question for bernard(anna)

F

fitnurse

Cathlete
Anna,
I hope you don't mind me asking this, but you seem to be really up on all the cosmetic/skin/health stuff. I am a nurse and recently started working with a Physician in a vein clinic/medical spa. I just went last week to receive training in endermologie by LPG. Have you heard of it, and what do you think of it? It is licensed by the FDA now. I have always been a skeptic where cellulite treatments are concerned, but this seems to really help the appearance. My friend and I have done 2 treatments on each other "practising". We hope to see results in 7 treatments.

I'm also learning to do photofacial rejuvevination with IPL and Laser, microdermabrasion, and hair removal with IPL. Have you heard good things about any of these?
Thanks for any input you can give me. I want to feel that what we are selling is really worth it and not just a waste of our clients money. Of course I'm preaching exercise (and cathe) and diet along with all we are doing.

Thanks,
Lynn
 
[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Nov-23-02 AT 07:55PM (Est)[/font][p]Hi Lynn,
I have to admit you have got me there, Lynn. Is endermologie actually working on cellulite areas ? If it is I agree with you, I am always a bit sceptical about cellulite treatments, but if it is working then that is great - technology is so much better since I left the beauty industry !

Sorry ladies, once it is there it is REALLY hard to shift. You can improve the appearance of cellulite, but with it comes lots of dietry and lifestyle changes. Cellulite, is fat cell build up in all the typical female problem areas (hips, buttocks, thighs, backs of arms, and tummy), imagine small spherical polystyrene balls piled on top of each other. Fat cells clump in these areas, causing the circulation through these areas to become sluggish, and because of the nature of the way the fat cells are grouped the circulation can't get through efficiently. And toxin intake (smoking, alcohol, caffeine) in the body slows down the circulation, causing the cellulite appearance. And contrary to popular belief, aerobic exercise doesn't help improve the circulation through the cellulite areas.

It is also thought that the female hormones contribute also to the cellulite problem, what don't they contribute to ?

Lynn, we were taught in college (going back 12 years) to treat cellulite, electrically using a method called Galvanism, which helps the dispersal of soft fat and cellulite conditions. In the UK, this treatment is normally found in salons, under the brand name 'Ionithermie' (not sure about the US ?), it is effective to a certain point. I wonder if endermologie works deeper than the epidermis - in the beauty world it is against the law to do anything to the skin below the epidermis. But, IMO, nothing will completely eliminate cellulite, just improve it.

I am a great believer in body brushing and certain essential oils applied topically in a carrier oil are known to work very well on the appearance of the skin. There are also brilliant professional skin care ranges out there with fantastic cellulite treatments to topically apply to the skin. And cellulite always looks less noticeable with a tan.

It sounds like endermologie is more of an intense treatment, and looks like it is finally being classed as a medical condition ?

I have heard of hair removal with laser, and I believe it is starting to creep into UK Salons, too. I have heard laser hair removal is much quicker than electrolysis. Not sure about the facials, is microdermabrasion a treatment for acne prone skins ? You must tell me more about these, Lynn, I am very interested :)

Thanks Anna :)
 
Hi Anna!

I was wondering if you could explain what skin brushing is? Is sounds interesting and relaxing. Thanks in advance! Deb
 
Hey, nursie, I'm really glad to see your post. I would like to get my awful varicose (spelling?) fixed, and saw a new procedure on TV during which the veins are treated externally with a needle, and the recovery time is way less than when they used to strip the veins.

I'd love to get something done, but the recovery time with no exercise really is a turn-off. Got any recommendations for me? I had phlebitis (or however you spell it) when I was 21, and I have bad veins externally and internally. The externally ones leave my left leg permanently swollen and purple, and as a result I have a hard time with muscle tone on that leg, I guess because of the poor circulation.

Just Do It! :)
 
Hi Honeybunch,

Are your veins genetically inherited ? My mother suffers too, she inherited her veins from her Father, and hers were also made worse with phlebitis, post-pregnancy, too ?

Anna :)
 
Honeybunch,
Sorry to reply so late, but I've been working and just got to check the site.

When the Dr. did my spider veins I was all upset about not being able to work out. He made me wait 2 days and when I did start back I had to wear the stockings. But, it wasn't bad, and the spider veins he did you can't even tell where they were. I have a large vein that bulges out and runs all down my left thigh and calve. He did an ultrasound and determined that he can get rid of it with a procedure called "venous closure". It is a percutaneous procedure, not surgery (yeah) and uses a local anesthetic. He has been doing them very successfully for awhile. I am still awaiting insurance approval because the catheters themselves in the procedure cost $800. But, hopefully soon! It does hurt a bit to have the spider veins removed via IPG (intermittent pulsed light, or laser) but I did it with no EMLA (lidocaine) cream or anything.

You can probably search the internet for Physicians in your area, or Nurse Practitioners who do these procedures. Many offer payment plans, too.

Good luck, and let me know how it goes!

Lynn
 
Anna,

Thanks for the reply. Yes, Endermologie stimulates the connective tissue and increases circulation, also stimulates the lymph system. It does not remove cellulite. I have had 2 treatments, and they say you should see results in 6-7 so I will let you know what results I see. We are also taking before and after pictures. My cellulite is not that extensive, but mostly on the buttocks and some on the thighs.

I am also set up to have the hair removal treatments and photofacial rejuvenation (as well as training to perform these) in the next couple of months. I'll let you know how that goes. The pictures and testimonials were very convincing. These procedures are not cheap so they must work, or would people keep having them done? Hopefully not. I will not be able to market and provide a service that doesn't really help.

I have read some of your posts on brushing and exfoliating. I bought an exfoliating loofah pad, and some scrub and have been using it, with nice results. My skin is very sensitive as a red head and I have to be careful, but this has been a good thing.

I am going for my training on Microdermabrasion soon and will let you know what I learn about it. One of my friends has this and facial peels done quite regularly and she is not only glowingly beautiful but says it feels great.

You know, I have never been one to fixate on external beauty, for I truly feel it's what lies inside that counts, but as I am aging I find myself more intrigued with these things. I would like to continue to look the best I can and be as healthy as possible, without going to fanatical extremes.

Thanks for the info you provided, and so quickly! I love reading your posts! I'll keep you updated as our spa moves forward!!

Lynn
 
Since my problem is much more than cosmetic (I have really bad swelling sometimes, and aching), do you think insurance may cover it?

Thanks for your reply!

Just Do It! :)
 
>would like to get my
>awful varicose (spelling?) fixed, and
>saw a new procedure on
>TV during which the veins
>are treated externally with a
>needle, and the recovery time

I had endovenous laser surgery last summer for this. My insurance did cover it. That was more than the $800 procedure you guys are talking about, it'd have been around $1800 had I paid out of pocket. Here's info on what I had done:
http://www.emedicine.com/derm/topic750.htm
Now, they told me I could walk out of the office directly back into my normal activity schedule (they weren't talking exercising here) and I wouldn't say it was *that* easy. I didn't feel like doing that much for a few days afterward.

>I'd love to get something done,
>but the recovery time with
>no exercise really is a
>turn-off. Got any recommendations
>for me?

I didn't have a "no exercise" order, just no impact (they said no running but I knew what they meant) for about a month. They encouraged low impact stuff. I had to wear the stocking 24/7 for a week after (and during all my waking hours for the 2nd week), so I took just that first week off from exercising.


Lisa
 
AnnA/Lyn:

I would be very suspect of the effectiveness of this treatment. The name says it all: "endermologie". It's a another French invention, torture treatment for women who have body fat in certain places because they are women and genetically programmed to have it.

When I lived in France, I could see that the concern with "Cellulite" was nothing more than a national obsession, funding the beauty and "pharmacie" industry.

Open any French magazine and all you found was endless articles berating women for being women, for having this "probleme", and for not doing anything about it. No self-respecting, middle class woman went without her beauty salon treatments for it. Trouble is, in the late eighties (is it still the case?) there was no fitness industry in France. Women were not encouraged to get healthy from the inside out, only to get beautiful from the outside in. When I went running, I was oggled at, accosted, propositioned. Women just don't realy exercise in France. But, they must have their cellulite treatments..... The only winners here are the manufacturers of those stupid green mits and creams that do nothing except make your skin softer while you use them.

Sorry for the tirade. If they make you feel good and you have the money, go ahead. But you just might feel a whole lot better doing an explosive Leaner Legs or IMAx routine and being proud of being female!

Nuff said.

Clare
 
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