Unwanted Lawsuits Grow From Laser Hair Removal
from Law.com
The booming medical spa industry is suffering some aches and pains. The diagnosis? Malpractice lawsuits. The prognosis? Not so good. Plaintiffs and defense attorneys alike say medi-spas, where the beauty-conscious go to lose their unwanted facial hair, acne scars and fine lines, are a new litigation hot spot as patients increasingly sue over spa treatments gone wrong. Laser hair removal in particular is triggering lawsuits, lawyers note, warning that even more litigation is on the horizon as the number of medical spas has soared. More

Plastic Surgery May Also Ease Migraines
from The New York Times
Many of the nearly 30 million Americans who suffer from migraines end up feeling like guinea pigs. Chronic patients -- those who are laid low 15 or more days a month -- often cycle through drug after drug in search of relief. They also contend with side effects like mental sluggishness and stomach upset. Treatment involves guesswork because doctors have not pinpointed what causes migraines, nor do they know which drugs will best help which patients.More

Today's Job Market is so Tight, Cosmetic Surgery is not Uncommon
from St. Petersburg Times
Years of installing satellite television equipment had taken their toll on Henry Williams' skin. Having a 9-month-old baby and a 6-year-old at home made the bags under his eyes feel permanent. On top of that, he was out of a job. Last month, after three chemical peels that skimmed away some of the sun damage and smoothed away some of Williams' freckles, he landed a job as a satellite technician -- his field of expertise. More

Samsung Line Leads Medical Tourism in Seoul
from The Seoul Times
Medical tourism is fast becoming the discourse among local peoples in South Korea as increasing number of foreigners from overseas visit the nation for both tourism and medical treatment. In the year 2012 the number of inbound medical tourists will hit 100,000 by the South Korean government’s estimate.More

Lipstick Slips, but Botox Booms
from The National
During times of economic uncertainty, economists have noted that American women load up on affordable luxuries as a substitute for more expensive items such as clothes and jewelry. Dubbed the “Lipstick Indicator,” it was charted first during the Great Depression, when industrial production in the U.S. was cut in half, but sales of lipstick climbed 25 percent. In more recent periods of belt-tightening, including the Second World War and the 1973 oil embargo, general spending declined, but cosmetics sales held strong. Most recently, lipstick sales jumped 11 percent in the months after the September 11 attacks on New York and the Pentagon. More

Australian Doctors Offering Cosmetic Enhancements as Door Prizes
from MedIndia
Doctors in Australia are reportedly offering cosmetic enhancements as door prizes during a "fun night just for girls.” The Sydney practice Doctors on Darling apparently shows how "natural fillers can help reduce lines, fill lips, enhance cheeks and improve the appearance of hollows under eyes".More

Singapore Scientist Says Novel Discovery Suggests New Approach For Age-Defying, Anti-Wrinkling Treatments
from Medical News Today
In the new print issue of Nature Genetics, scientists in Singapore and Germany report that mutations in the PYCR1 gene cause the rare genetic condition that results in premature skin aging and that is known as "wrinkly skin syndrome."More