The end of the year is coming and for many of us, that means our annual bonus is just right around the corner. If you’re deciding what gift to reward yourself with for a year of hard work and you already have an arsenal of the latest man-toys of the latest car, watch or tech gadget, consider spending it on aesthetic treatments. Better yet, get some devices that tout similar results as those treatments administered professionally by doctors. It could save you some money, and time as you could do the same treatments for a potentially lower cost, right in the comfort and privacy of your own home. While these may not be items that can be worn or put on as part of your daily look, they can definitely boost your confidence and self-esteem just as well as a well-cut suit or handsome timepiece. Plus, with a bit of luck, they could help you look sharper for your year-end holiday getaway or company function.
Hair Growth Restoration
Type in “laser hair rejuvenation” at realself.com and you’d get a mixed bag of reactions from the doctors who have contributed their replies. To the uninitiated, realself.com is an online forum that is used by both patients and would-be patients of cosmetic surgery/treatments to discuss and share the latest medical procedures for aesthetic goals. Doctors form the other user group of this forum as they reply to patients’ queries and are also rated/reviewed by their patients for their services. Think of it as Yelp for cosmetic surgery/treatments. When it comes to the topic of “laser hair rejuvenation”, some doctors shared that their practices have demonstrated that it does work to help prevent hair loss and a few even claimed that it helps to encourage dormant hair follicles to grow. Most, however, seemed to be sceptical and one even compared the treatment to nothing more than shining a laser pointer on your scalp. While this treatment does bring hope to those whose manes are thinning with age, it is important to understand and find out the factors contributing to it and it’s even more important to keep in mind that each individual case can and will differ from another. That’s the only way to get the best way to keep your hair for longer . For those for whom hair is but a distant memory, fret not, bald can be sexy, too.
If you’re so inclined but want to try a form of this treatment in the privacy of your home, you might want to consider iRestore. This equipment looks just like a helmet and you’re supposed to wear it for 25 minutes every other day. The inside of the helmet emits clinical-strength lasers and this red-light therapy is supposed to supply energy to the hair follicles and encourage cell metabolism. The end goal is, of course, to extend the growth phase of the hair growth cycle and reactivate dormant hairs. If you have a taste for chance and luck in life, visit irestorelaser.com to find out more and purchase your set – sceptics stay away.
(Photo credit: iRestore.com)
Face Rejuvenation
Want tighter, firmer skin? Then, Thermage might be the answer. Thermage is a non-invasive medical procedure in which radiofrequency technology is utilised to deliver heat to the deep layer of our skin where collagen resides and trigger them to grow. The end result is therefore firmer, plumper skin with less wrinkles. If you want a similar skin lifting effect but do not want to pay a few thousand dollars for this treatment, you can look for similar devices made for home use that purport to do the same thing for your skin.
One of these would be the NuFACE Facial Toning Device . This is a handheld device that is shaped like a pebble with two metallic knobs on one end. The two knobs deliver small electric currents, known as microcurrents, past skin and tissues down to our facial muscles to stimulate them. The theory is similar to exercise, the more we work our muscles, the stronger and more pliant they get. In this aspect, think of it as doing crunches for your skin. The company claims that with continued use, this device is able to deliver an improved, lifted appearance.
(Photo credit: mynuface.com)
Body Fat Reduction
Speaking of exercising to firm up our muscles, you might want to spare yourself some side planks to rid yourself of the pesky, persistent fat around your mid-section and consider Coolsculpting . So, what is Coolsculpting? It’s a non-invasive medical procedure in which a device is used to freeze your fat cells, thus causing them to die. These frozen (and very dead) fat cells are then processed and broken down by your body, and subsequently eliminated from your body. This procedure has been viewed as the holy grail for anyone seeking to spot-reduce persistent fat on their body. The most popular application has been on the abdominal area and specially, the obliques or what we’d call “love handles”.
A do-it-at-home-yourself version of Coolsculpting would be the blue Fat Freeze System. The way it works is that you wear a wrap at the areas you want to freeze fat and in the wrap itself are pockets into which you slot cold packs. These cold packs are to be frozen in your freezer for at least 24 hours prior to use and the company claims that their proprietary dual targeting technology allows their cold packs to “harden significantly more and drop to a much colder temp than traditional refrigerants”. This technology is also supposed to help the cold packs reach temperatures up to 16-22 degrees lower than traditional refrigerants and allows them to maintain their temperature six times longer so as to optimise fat cell death.
(Photo credit: blue Fat Freeze System)
While all that does sound promising, the company does carry this disclaimer rather prominently under the “How it works” section of their website – “*Each person is unique and while we are confident you will see results with proper use, we do not guarantee these specific results as they may vary from person to person. Results can vary based on several factors including starting point, your goals, and the frequency of use. Exercise and a healthy diet are important to achieve and maintain a healthy weight and muscle definition. The testimonials featured may have used multiple blue products and/or extended the number of uses to achieve their maximum results”. Therefore, as with any home-based versions of professional medical treatments, you might want to tamper your expectations a wee bit when purchasing this system.