European Med Spa Series: Conclusion
October 25th, 2011
Med spas have existed in Europe for more than two hundred years, as we have discovered during our recent survey. Many of the early European thermal spas were originally developed to improve health and offer clients relaxation and a sense of rejuvenation in returning to their normal routine. Today, along with spas in America, the addition of anti-aging services seems to be front and center.
Although similar in approach, the spas are different. The main differences that I have seen appear to be in the subtlety of the results, which probably correlate with expectations. European women seem to focus on health, wellness and beauty, while American women likely buy into the media hype and glamorization of extreme youthful looks. There is an old saying for one to age gracefully, which I think can actually be achieved by more subtle nipntucks. I believe that by understanding classical aesthetic principles in cosmetic surgery and applying current technology, it is possible to achieve a natural and pleasing result. This result is more reminiscent of the rested and rejuvenated effect of the early European spas, that I aspire to provide to my patients.
European Med Spa Series #7
October 12th, 2011
Mesotherapy
According to our survey of medical and lifestyle spas last month, Europeans appear to embrace Mesotherapy from Greek mesos, meaning middle and therapy or to treat medically. These therapies usually employ non-surgical cosmetic medicine treatments. Mesotherapy consists of a variety of multiple injections in the fat under the skin, using either pharmaceutical and/or a combinations of homeopathic medications, plant extracts and vitamins.
There are published studies reported in Europe and South America on the clinical treatments and effects of these medications and the various combinations. However, the actual clinical research is inconclusive as to the effectiveness of these procedures. This fact does not seem to dissuade patients from seeking out mesotherapy and contributing to the popularity of it at the spas we visited in France and Switzerland. As with many of the trendy anti-aging treatments available in America, the marketplace often embraces a product based on slick marketing, rather than hard clinical evidence.
Next time: Swiss Anti-aging Fixes
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