| Crackdown on backstreet Botox clinics
A WELSH skin specialist has welcomed a crackdown on beauty clinics after evidence emerged that patients are being disfigured by rogue operators. Unlicensed treatments that can harm the health of those seeking a youthful look include laser therapy, Botox injections and anti-wrinkle skin fillers. The Healthcare Commission now plans to use covert surveillance to monitor thousands of unregistered clinics using lasers and intense pulsed lights to remove facial hair and skin blemishes. So-called "mystery shoppers" will check whether the clinics are trading unlawfully by offering services without any official checks on safety standards. Offenders could be prosecuted if they fail to register after warnings. The commission is to produce a leaflet for people considering cosmetic surgery to help them reduce risks.
Cutera Takes 2Q Loss on Legal Charge
Cutera Inc., which makes laser skin treatments used by dermatologists and plastic surgeons, on Monday said it swung to a second-quarter loss, weighed down by $22 million patent settlement with rival Palomar Medical Technologies. The company posted a loss of $9 million, or 73 cents per share, compared with a profit of $2.7 million, or 20 cents per share, a year ago. Cutera anticipated the loss in June and lowered its guidance to a loss of 89 cents per share from a 12-cent gain. Excluding the legal charge and stock option expenses, the company said it earned 20 cents per share. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial expected, on average, earnings of 9 cents per share. Revenue jumped 38.8 percent to $24.4 million from $17.6 million. Analysts expected revenue of $22.8 million.
A Balancing Act: Hormones and the Skin
Throughout her life, a woman may blame many things on her hormones: unpredictable emotions, weight gain and even changes in her skin, hair and nails. These changes occur as the levels of hormones in the body increase and decrease, or if any abnormalities in hormone levels occur. A dermatologist can provide treatment options which can address the changes that occur during a womans lifetime. Speaking today at ACADEMY 06, the American Academy of Dermatologys summer scientific meeting, dermatologist Margaret E. Parsons, M.D., F.A.A.D., assistant clinical professor at the University of California at Davis in Sacramento, Calif.,discussed how the fluctuations in hormones can affect the skin, hair and nails. Puberty and Hormones Acne typically first appears during adolescence and can persist well into adulthood.
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