Angela: Laser Hair Removal Works

Due to her fair complexion, Angela found laser hair removal far more effective at getting rid of her dark hair than shaving or waxing. Shaving left the root of her hair visible on her skin and waxing was both painful and tedious. As more of her friends had success with laser hair removal, Angela thought it might be a good option for her.

The process was quick and was able to be done on her lunch break. For Angela, she did not know what to expect, so her first treatment was the most uncomfortable. Once she adjusted to the process, she found that she was more able to tolerate the discomfort, which felt like a rubber band snapping against your skin. It also became less painful since each treatment reduces the amount of hair in the area. Overall, it was much less painful than the traditional waxing process and the results are permanent.

Angela saw results 10 days after her treatment, with the hair falling right out. Her underarm hair was completely gone after 6 laser hair removal treatments, and she now only needs occasional shaving to keep her underarms completely hair-free. The cost of the laser hair removal was much less than the ongoing costs of continual waxing or shaving. For Angela, the experience and results of her laser hair removal were so positive, she is considering doing other parts of her body as well.

Watch the link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PfPOjkyC0k&feature=youtu.be

The Next Trend in Plastic Surgery

There are plenty of unconventional body-modification procedures out there—you really can have your nipples reduced or your cheeks fixed up with dimples. But ever since a study was published in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal last year, one type of surgery seems to be increasing in popularity. And it's probably not what you're expecting.

Yep: We're talking about calf augmentation. "Fat grafting has been used by plastic surgeons for a long time, however it has not been used regularly on the calf," says study author James Vogel, an associate professor of plastic surgery at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. "Many people are self-conscious about their lower leg appearance and…my study has helped the procedure become more widely known."

Here's the basic rundown of how calf augmentation works: A doctor performs liposuction on an area of the body containing unwanted fat. Then the fat is grafted onto the calves to make them larger. Silicone implants have been the most traditional method of calf augmentation, but as Vogel notes in his article, they also come with the risks of hyperpigmentation, infection, protrusion through the skin, and therapeutic seromas (pockets of fluid). Fat transfers, on the other hand, offer smaller scars, the ability to increase size with future procedures, lack of foreign body rejection, and more precise patient adjustment. "Patients can expect a natural-looking calf that looks more muscular and shapely," says Vogel. "Just as important, the results improve people's self-esteem."

White House ink: 58% of Americans approve a president with visible tattoo, 23% regret their own.

ANALYSIS/OPINION:

Tattoos have become such a cultural fixture that pollsters now track the trends of those who favor the ink. The Harris Poll, in fact, interviewed 3,300 people about their tattoo sentiments to find that three in ten Americans have tattoos – and there’s no partisan divide here. Equal numbers of Republicans, Democrats and independents – about 28 percent of them – have one or more tattoos.

And most of the public is just fine with that. Tattoos are so mainstream now that few are bothered with the permanent designs, even on the skins of authority figures: 58 percent would not mind a U.S. President or presidential candidate with a visible tattoo. And equal numbers felt that way about a tattooed primary school teacher, judge or doctor.

Those with the highest approval ratings are athletes, of course: 86 percent of us are very comfy with a tattooed sports hero. Next come IT technicians (78 percent) chefs (78 percent), police officers (70 percent) and bankers (64 percent). Among parents in the survey, 71 percent were comfortable with their child interacting with a pediatrician who had a tattoo.

But alas, there’s regret out there too – and it’s increasing. Some rue the tattoo.

“With tattoos on the rise, regrets have risen as well; though a strong majority still has no regrets, nearly one fourth (23 percent) of those with tattoos say they regret getting one – up from 14 percent in 2012,” the poll analysis notes.

The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery reports the real numbers on this disappearing ink: about 46,000 people a year opt for the pricey laser removal procedure, which can stretch into three or four treatments and leave scars. Women account for 72 percent of the business.

The respondents in the Harris Poll were also asked to name their own reasons for tattoo regret. The No. 1 reason that was cited: They were just “too young” when they got the tattoo. In second place: the design no longer fit their personality or present lifestyle, followed by “I got someone’s name that I’m no longer with.” At the end of the list: Complaints that the design was poorly done or looked unprofessional, and last but not least, the tattoo “isn’t meaningful.”

To tattoo, or not to tattoo? There is still a big age difference among the inked and the non-inked. About half of those under 35 are tattooed compared to 13 percent of the Baby Boomer set. Parents, for the most part, were not eager to allow their kids under 18 to get a tattoo: only 8 percent would agree to that, compared to 76 percent who would allow their child to get pierced ears.

Motivations vary. Overall, a third of those with tattooed admitted their skin ink made them feel more sexy and attractive, 19 percent said they felt more “spiritual” with a tattoo.

The Harris Poll was conducted October 14-19, 2015 among 2,225 U.S. adults, and among an additional 1,093 parents November 6-16, and released Monday.