American Laser Centers offers industry-leading aesthetic technology for Skin Care & Tightening, Laser Hair Removal, Wrinkle Reduction, Botox and Dermal Fillers, Cellulite Reduction and Body Shaping.

“We are extremely proud to have reached the 5.8 million treatment milestone,” said Steve Straus, American Laser Centers CEO. “In addition to being the most experienced provider of laser cosmetic services, our commitment to providing the best customer service, our investment in the newest technologies and our constant evaluation of new procedures has allowed us to provide our customers with the highest level of treatment and services available in the industry.”

American Laser Centers began as a single clinic in Novi, Michigan in 2002 and quickly grew to 30 clinics by the end of 2003. Now with over 170 locations nationwide, American Laser Centers is providing over 160,000 treatments per month to thousands of satisfied clients across the country from Mesa, AZ to Philadelphia, PA.

For more information visit www.americanlaser.com.

American Laser Centers provides Beauty through Technology with the latest trends in skin care solutions including Laser Hair Removal, Skin Care & Tightening, Wrinkle Reduction, Body Shaping, Cellulite Reduction, Botox and Dermal Fillers. Since the company’s establishment in 2002, over 5.8 million treatments have been performed using state-of-the-art-technology.

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American Laser Centers performs 5.8 million laser cosmetic treatments

Laser Hair Removal by American Laser Centers

American Laser Centers surveyed 540 ladies around the country to find out about their preferred hair removal approach, attitudes toward it, time invested in it and the cost to perform it. Please read below to find out the results!

Survey respondents reported they will spend more than 58.4 days removing hair from their bodies during their lifetime.  The survey also revealed that women remove unwanted body hair for an average period of 53.6 years using methods including shaving, waxing and depilatory creams.

While women report a small monthly spend on shaving, $15.87 per month, the lifetime investment for females who shave adds up to $10,207.

Delapidory cream- or lotion-users are paying slightly more than those who shave for their hair removal, $10,555 through their lifetime, yet they only remove hair one to two times per month.

Waxing is by far the most expensive form of hair removal.  While respondents reported waxing only one to two times per month, women who wax will spend an average of $23,000 on hair removal in a lifetime.

American Laser Centers conducted the hair removal study to determine the cost savings benefit of laser hair removal verses a lifetime of shaving or waxing.  On average, women can save $7,000 by receiving laser hair removal on the areas of the body they typically shave.  When compared to a lifetime of waxing, women can save $20,000 by receiving laser hair removal on the areas of the body they usually wax.

“As people are more time crunched than ever, laser hair removal has evolved into a lifestyle decision for our clients,” said American Laser Centers Clinical Training Director, Ana Varela, A.R.N.P., M.S.N. “Like Lasik surgery for contact and glasses wearers, laser hair removal is a decision to free yourself from one of the most mundane processes in your life – hair removal.  When performed by American Laser Centers trained professionals, laser hair removal is safe, effective and painless.”

In addition, laser hair removal is a procedure that will help conserve water.  Fifty-two percent of women surveyed reported shaving with the water running the entire time.  Women surveyed reported an average shaving time of 10.9 minutes and an average of shaving 12 times per month.  With the average shower using five gallons of water per minute, this means the average woman will use 7,848 gallons each year and a total of 420,652 gallons of water shaving throughout their lifetime, nearly enough water to fill an Olympic-size swimming pool.  Only 2 percent of women shavers do not use water when shaving.

American Laser Centers offers laser hair removal services in most major cities including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Phoenix and San Francisco. For more information about laser hair removal and to find an American Laser Centers clinic near you, visit www.americanlaser.com.

Survey Methodology

The American Laser Centers hair removal survey was performed using Zoomerang to recruit a random sample of respondents for an online survey, 540 females between the ages of 18-65 were asked approximately 30 questions about their preferred hair removal approach, attitudes toward it, time invested in it and the cost to perform it.

Do you remember being reminded to “put on your sunscreen” growing up? How many of you listened?

A survey by The Skin Cancer Foundation found that 45% of responders do not wear sunscreen. Not only does sunscreen prevent sun burns which may prevent skin cancer but it also prevents photodamaged skin which causes brown spots and wrinkles. It isn’t too late to make sunscreen a part of your daily beauty regimen. The easiest step is to buy a moisturizer with sunscreen already included.

For those of you already experiencing the effects of your bathing beauty days there is hope! Non-invasive laser treatments such as Matrix RF use Sublative Rejuvenation to improve skin’s texture (pores, acne scarring, fine lines and wrinkles) and skin pigmentation. This clinically proven treatment diminishes the effects of sun damaged skin on the face, neck and décolleté by stimulating cell and collagen growth.

Want to learn more? Click here.

That unwanted hair! You don’t want to be constantly shaving, waxing and tweezing, do you? Well, maybe it’s time that you considered laser hair removal treatment. Why? Laser hair removal treatment offers long-term hair removal solutions, so you can say goodbye to the conventional way of removing unwanted hair.

However, keep in mind that there is more to just randomly picking the laser hair removal clinic that you like. You do not want to entrust your delicate needs to those with little experience. You want nothing but the best laser hair removal treatment from only the experts that offer high quality hair removal. Remember, just like in any other medical treatments, choosing the best clinic for your hair removal needs is a delicate decision, so you have to choose carefully and wisely.

Use the Internet

Perhaps the easiest and most convenient way of choosing the right laser hair removal clinic is by searching online. ‘Googling’ your way around will offer you tons of information about the various clinics that offer the treatment that you need. You can narrow down your search by location, in order to locate the clinics offering laser hair removal treatments around the area or areas nearest you. As you go along your search, you can obtain important information such as the contact persons for the clinics, clinic hours, phone numbers, email addresses and most importantly, customer feedback.

To get the best chance of learning if the clinics listed online are reputable, Google some more. Check for certifications and government approvals to see if their treatments are FDA-approved. Also check for pricing and compare prices between several clinics.

Asking around

There are other ways with which you can wisely choose the right clinic for your hair removal needs. One great way is to ask around. And who better to ask from than your friends? Some of your friends (or people they may know) may have already gone through laser hair removal treatments. They may offer insights on whether to choose the clinic where they had their treatments or to choose other clinics. They may be able to relate to you their experiences, their successes with the treatments, the kind or customer service that their clinic offered, etc. As their experience may have taught them several things, they may even know of a few ideas on how to save costs on laser hair removal treatments.

Getting in touch with real-life patients

Go to laser hair removal clinics and see if you could obtain a list of patients. If you are successful enough in obtaining information about their former patients, you can get in touch with these patients and do some information gathering. Don’t interview just one patient. Interview more than you need until you are satisfied, as not all patients gain the same results out of laser hair removal treatments.
Actually go to the clinic of your choice

Once you have chosen the clinic where you want to have your treatment, do a spot check. You don’t want to just go there and get the treatment and regret later on. Check to see if a qualified doctor supervises the treatment. This cannot be emphasized enough, as it is required that a qualified doctor should be present in each laser hair removal clinic. Check to see as well if the clinic employs registered nurses and licensed anaesthesiologists.

It is also very important to see if the laser operators received ample trainings and are very qualified in doing laser hair removal treatments. You may also want to see if the clinic uses the latest technology or has updated equipment.

Ask the clinic if they offer free consultations. Most reputable laser hair removal clinics offer free consultations as added value to their clients and prospective patients, so as to evaluate your needs before you actually receive your first treatment.

Other things that you may want to check regarding the clinic of your choice is the cleanliness, the professionalism that their staff offers and the various packages that they have in store to meet your needs.

In our quest to create ways that can instantly make us look fabulous and stunningly sexy, the medical field has produced breakthrough means of almost instantly making excess fat in our body melt away. Many of the modern and innovative techniques to make us more aesthetically pleasing has been brought about by what the society has mandated as the ideal for ’sexiness.’ In short, a slim body is always sexier and fat is always undesirable.

Of course, exercise still has its place today in helping us lose unwanted poundage. However, we seem to have gravitated to everything that is ‘instant.’ That is why modern science has come up with lipoplasty, or what is commonly known as liposuction.

The lure of liposuction and its side effects

Liposuction is considered by many today as the ultimate shortcut to looking slim and sexy. Hundreds of thousands of people, including celebrities and even athletes, have been lured to its instant benefits, letting them see their fat go away quite literally.

Liposuction is a cosmetic surgery procedure that contours the body by surgically removing unwanted fat from certain areas of the body as specified by patients. Parts of the body where unwanted fat can be removed may include the buttocks, thighs, abdomen and even the neck.
Many patients have successfully reaped the rewards of liposuction. However, like some surgical procedures, there are risks and minor side complications associated with liposuction. That is why plastic surgeons always let the patients become aware of the side effects that liposuction may cause.

The side effects and complications associated with liposuction

Many doctors and patrons guarantee liposuction’s safety. However, the procedure is still extremely invasive. As such, the risks involved are real. Liposuction uses a cannula, or a hollow tube inserted through the skin where the unwanted fat lays. Through the cannula, the fat is sucked out of the body. It should be noted that while the cannula is sealed in sterilized packaging, once the procedure is underway, there is still the danger of infection.

The possible dangers and side effects of liposuction include:

• Pulmonary emboli, where fat accidentally travels to the lungs during the procedure
• Swelling of the affected area
• Extended healing time
• Bruising
• Skin irregularities
• Allergic reaction to medication
• Excessive fluid loss
• Damage to skin or other vital organs
• Discoloration or sagging of skin
• Numbness

In extreme cases, deaths linked to liposuction have been documented. However, these cases are rare, and almost always linked to small, underground facilities.

A great alternative to liposuction

There are certain alternatives to liposuction that are worth looking at. These options are non-invasive, thus taking away the danger of infection and other adverse effects that are associated with invasive procedures such as liposuction. One very effective procedure that takes away excess fat that is gaining popularity in the States is VelaShape.
VelaShape reduces the cellulite in as few as just four sessions. VelaShape is a non-invasive fat reduction and body contouring procedure that is FDA-approved. This procedure is not painful and does not involve sticky creams and other uncomfortable methods.

VelaShape owes its powerful effect to a combination of light, energy and specially designed rollers that smooth out the skin surface, reducing the appearance of fat significantly. VelaShape uses a four-pronged approach to fat, using mainly infrared light, radio-frequency (RF) energy, vacuum-pulsed negative pressure and advanced rollers that smooth out various areas of the skin during the treatment. It effectively and quickly melts away fat.

To learn more about VelaShape, visit the American Laser Centers website at AmericanLaser.com.

Winter time is at hand. For many people, the winter season causes some serious skin problems. The cold air can cause the skin to dry leaving it flaking, cracking, and inflamed. There are many skin care products that offer some outrageous promises of miraculously curing dry skin, but some fall short of their claims despite their exorbitant cost.

This is not to state that all skin care products offer false claims. Sure, there are some products out in the market that make wonders to your skin. However, it is best to go the practical way when dealing with dry skin problems.

Below are some of the practical means that will help you with your skin problems.

The wonders of using a good moisturizer

Our body is composed mostly of water. As such, our skin needs to be regularly nourished with moisture. However, experts agree that you shouldn’t use just any moisturizers found in commercials. Those moisturizers usually contain mineral oils and other petroleum-based products.

For dry skin, it is best to use hypoallergenic skin care products. Applying a good amount of cocoa butter, virgin coconut oil or Shea butter all over your body right after taking a bath locks in your skin’s moisture, leaving it feeling supple all day long. These natural moisturizers contain very nourishing ingredients such as essential oils and vitamins that are essential to the skin such as Vitamins A, C, D and E. Because these natural creams do not contain harmful chemicals, they effectively protect your skin from aging by deeply moisturizing the skin.

On bathing and showering

It is also best to avoid taking showers or baths with tap water. Tap water contains chlorine and other harmful elements that could harm your skin. It is also important to take note that if your skin dries easily, it is best to reduce the amount of time you spend in the bathroom.

Use mild soap, and avoid soaps with heavy perfume and other strong ingredients. Better yet, use liquid soap, as soap bars are known to contain hardening ingredients that are highly corrosive. Can you imagine taking a bath using chemicals intended for industrial use?

To scrape off dead skills and to naturally exfoliate your skin, it is highly recommended to scrub your skin with oatmeal soap. Naturally exfoliating with oatmeal soap can effectively avoid skin irritation.

After bathing, instead of rubbing your skin with towel, pat your self dry gently. And to lock in the moisture on the surface of your skin, immediately apply moisturizer recommended above.

Dealing with skin itchiness

When your skin is dry, it’s usually irritated and itchy. To avoid further irritating the skin, do not scratch it. Instead, apply a sufficient amount of virgin coconut oil a few times a day. It would also be best to include essential oils in your diet. Essential oils can be found in raw organic butter, eggs, coconut oil, cod liver oil and certain types of fish.

Dealing with the cold winter months

To avoid the harsh effects of the winter season on your skin, get a good humidifier to be used in your bedroom to provide moisture in the air during the cold season. This can help protect your skin from dryness.

On using organic skin care products

Using only organic skin care products cannot be overemphasized. Organic products are made from virgin sources, meaning they do not contain harmful chemicals. Ask skin care experts on the best natural skin care products that are right for your dry skin problems.

Looking for ways to rejuvenate your skin? Visit AmericanLaser.com to find out how you can take back those years and regain a youthful glowing skin.

Although the technology does provide great wonders to those wanting to have their unwanted hair removed, there are misconceptions associated with the treatment. That is why many laser hair removal patients end up frustrated – because they did not achieved the results that they wanted.

What did they want?

Ultimately, women who were looking to undergo laser hair removal treatment wanted total, visible and long-lasting results. However, they wanted it instantly, as in results that could be seen and felt in days. Unfortunately, that is not how laser hair removal treatments work. A more realistic result can be achieved in more than three treatments depending on several factors including color of hair and skin complexion.

It should be noted that one laser hair removal session produces long-term result. To obtain the optimum result, however, several treatments are required. Best results are achieved during the hair’s growth phase. Also, the best treatment results are achieved most likely by patients with darker hair and fairer skin complexion. We’ll explain why later.

Just how laser hair removal works, and what to expect

Laser hair treatment involves, as you guessed, laser in eradicating unwanted hair which is often called phototricholysis or photoepilation. The treatment is ultra-selective in that it causes damage only to a localized area by emitting heat on targeted dark matter. Because hair is essentially dark due to melanin that gives it its natural dark color and because laser is light, hair absorbs the laser much quicker and more intensely. The area surrounding the hair is left unaffected. That is why this type of treatment is best for people with darker hair.

It should be noted, however, that laser hair removal does not guarantee a permanent solution to hair problem and it does not work on all hair types. Treatment may be as few as five sessions to as many as seven sessions before results can be achieved. This is relatively shorter than most types of hair removal treatments that could take up to 10 months before optimum results are achieved, such in the case of electrolysis. For people with lesser tolerance to pain, laser hair removal is the perfect solution for them, as other types of hair removal solutions may involve invasive procedures.

Is laser hair removal harmful?

Laser hair removal is not harmful. This treatment intuitively causes damage to only a localized area, i.e. it only damages the hair, as hair is naturally dark, readily absorbing the heat emitted by laser. The penetration of the laser is also considered negligible, as it only enters a depth of one to four millimeters. Nothing else is affected by the laser’s heat other than the hair follicle. Patients need not worry about having their internals damaged by the laser.

Also, because laser hair removal does not involve invasive procedures, it does not result in scarring and ingrown hairs. People who have been misinformed about the effects of laser hair treatment have been led to believe that because the procedure involves emitted heat, it can burn the skin and thus leave unwanted scars. Quite the opposite in reality, as skin scarring is usually caused by cuts and needle pricks. As previously mentioned, the heat emitted by lasers in laser hair removal treatment does not affect the skin.

To learn more about the benefits of laser hair removal treatment, visit AmericanLaser.com.

But thanks to science, the discovery of Botox and dermal fillers has given us hope that we could somehow look better despite our advancing age. Since this basic toxin received FDA approval for the purpose of cosmetic enhancement in 2002, countless women all over the world have enjoyed the benefits of the cosmetic miracles that Botox combined with dermal fillers deliver.

What is Botox and how does it work?

Over the years, the name Botox has become a household name. Botox is the brand name for the very powerful neurotoxin derived from clostridium botulinum. The toxin is generally associated with food poisoning and causes severe paralysis when administered in large doses. The fact that Botox is derived from a powerful neurotoxin and that it causes paralysis has put many people off. However, with a little enlightenment, you will find why Botox is safe and is extremely effective to help reduce the effects of aging to skin.

The protein botulinum toxin or commonly called as Botox has many medical uses apart from treating skin aging. Botox is also used to treat cervical dystonia, excessive sweating and uncontrolled blinking of the eyes. A small dose of highly diluted botulinum toxin is administered to affected muscles to weaken them in a controlled manner.

Botox has also been known to treat depression. The administration of Botox along the frown lines of patients suffering from depression actually helped in getting rid of their depression.

In helping stall the effects of ageing on facial skin, Botox has been a favorite by many for its proven results. A controlled dosage of highly diluted botulinum toxin relaxes the contraction of muscles by blocking nerve impulses. Because of this, muscles can no longer contract, and in effect the skin relaxes and the wrinkles soften. The effect may not be instant. It may take up to four days for a satisfying cosmetic result to be noticed, but the effect may last up to six months. The beauty of administering Botox is that if wrinkles re-appear after six months, they are not as severe as they were before Botox was administered, as the muscles have been trained to relax.

Administering Botox to affected areas is not as painful as it may seem. That is why no anesthesia is required for this procedure. Botox is administered into the muscle using fine needles that greatly reduces discomfort. Bruising may appear, but to minimize this, it is highly recommended that patients avoid taking aspirin and anti-inflammatory medicines weeks before the treatment.

Although it has been proven that using Botox in a controlled dosage is safe, it is without any associated side effects. As mentioned, temporary bruising may appear after the procedure. Other possible side effects include headache, respiratory infection, flu syndrome, blepharoptosis (drooping of the upper eyelid), nausea and indigestion.

So is Botox the ultimate solution to skin aging? It all depends on your age. A skin that hasn’t lost much of its natural fullness but has been exposed to the sun’s ultraviolet rays may still be saved by Botox’s age-defying wonders. However, as skin progresses in age, it naturally loses some of its natural fullness. Thus, apart from wrinkling, older skin also sags. In this case it is best to undergo a treatment that is a combination of Botox and dermal fillers.

To learn more about Botox and dermal fillers, visit your nearest American Laser Centers clinic. The company’s friendly and highly qualified team of cosmetic professionals will be more than glad to accommodate your inquiries.

As we all know, aging largely manifests in the skin. Once the skin ages, it’s quite a challenge, in fact, nearly impossible to get back its former pristine appearance. However, as our genes dictate how and how soon our skin age, there are certain factors to skin aging that we can do something about to somehow stall the skin’s aging process.

But first, let’s take a look at how inevitable skin aging is. There are actually two sides to skin aging; one is intrinsic and the other is extrinsic. And as we go along, we’ll also take a look at the different cosmetic procedures that will drastically take away the signs of aging from our skin.

The Intrinsic aspect of aging

The human body’s aging process could be delayed with the aid of modern technology. Scientists have recently discovered a way to stall the human cell’s aging. However, although the cell’s aging may be decelerated, aging remains inevitable. This is because of the intrinsic or natural aging process of the human cells as dictated by our genetic makeup. Generally, signs of aging may begin to manifest in the mid to late 20s – hair turns gray, fine lines begin to appear on the face, and some portions of the face – especially the chin – starts to sag.

As we age, our skin’s ability to produce collagen slows down, and the elastin within our skin loses its flexibility, making our skin more prone to breakage. The skin also loses its ability to retain moisture, allowing fine lines to become more visible, and wrinkles to appear much sooner. These are all programmed into our genes. As intrinsic aging unfolds, there isn’t quite anything that we can do to reverse it. Well, at least not just yet due to the limitations to what today’s science can do.

Extrinsic aging

Extrinsic aging is aging caused by outside factors such as environment conditions, the sun’s harmful UV rays, cigarette smoke, pollution, and chemicals found in bar soaps, among others. These elements can actually speed up the aging process as they combine with intrinsic aging processes.

While the sun is the source of energy and life for most living organisms in the planet, it also plays a vital role in skin aging. Too much exposure to the sun’s harmful UV rays can accelerate skin damage and aging. This is why it is wise to avoid excessive exposure to the sun. But walking in the shade is just not enough – skin care experts also recommend applying sunscreen during the day to protect skin from the harsh beating of the sun’s damaging UV rays.

You think smoking will only cause lung cancer and untimely death? Think again. Cigarette smoke can also cause untimely skin aging. Facial wrinkles appear sooner on people who smoke. Thus, many smokers look much older than their actual age.

Other extrinsic factors that can contribute to skin aging include gravity and sleeping position. Gravity pulls down portions of our face like the eyelids, the tip of the nose, the skin underneath the eyebrows and the chin, making our facial skin sag.

When all else fails, cosmetics procedures can actually save the day. Laugh lines, crow’s feet, wrinkles and facial folds can all be corrected with modern surgical procedures such as BOTOX® or dermal filler treatments. A combination of deep structural filler such as RADIESSE® along with the softer, superficial filler JUVÉDERM® can greatly take away the obvious effects of aging when done by a highly qualified medical practitioner.

Find out how cosmetic procedures can help you reverse the skin aging process by visiting American Laser Centers.

Keeping ourselves clean starts with the bathroom and our morning rituals. Most of us, in general, have a set method of bathing: step into the shower, wash ourselves off, lather soap and/or shampoo, and go. Some people, sadly, believe that’s all it takes, and even worse so if soap is all they have to take care of their skin. Most men are guilty of this, and it is no surprise that they are the ones most in need of skin care aid.

Common commercial bath soap sold on the market is composed of chemicals that create reactions with water and oil. On your skin, this pulls away oil or grease on skin, while also suspending and trapping dirt and grime that may be there as well. Once washed off with water, skin is cleaner as it pulls the dirt away with it.

The trouble with soap is that these chemical reactions can be tough on human skin. That’s because human skin naturally generates a layer of oil to keep it from drying up, and at best to help keep particles from entering one’s pores. Soap damages this layer, and basically strips it away at every wash. When this happens it compromises the health of one’s skin. It can get even worse when one factors in any possible anti-bacterial formulas that can be included in the soap making process, which can also cause harsh reactions on one’s skin.

At best, soap can make the skin feel drier, especially when the weather outdoors lacks humidity. On a bad day, it can damage the skin, and can be part to blame for acne, irritation and other forms of break outs that may be experienced. At worst, some people find some soap products abrasive and can cause allergies which can leave lesions that leave scars and other signs of physical damage.

What solutions are there? Of course, one shouldn’t give up on soap, because keeping clean will be more effective with its regular use – however, it is important to be wiser about using soap. The first step to consider is simple enough – switch to a different soap brand or formula. Different parts of the human body can have different levels of sensitivity, and facial skin is usually the most sensitive. Switching to a mild soap for cleaning one’s face can make a huge difference.

Another key factor is investing on proper lotions or skin care products. They can help restore the lipid layer on skin which soap strips away. This can keep moisture in, which help the skin stay soft and supple.

Of course, one does not neglect the other steps people take to keep skin healthy. They’re basic things, like drinking water, and keeping a balanced diet. It may not sound much, but keeping healthy this way is a factor in keeping one’s skin fit. All the moisturizer in the world does not help if one is dehydrated, and the steady intake of proper nutrients can keep the skin cells in one’s body healthy.

When all else fails, special treatments can come into play. One can opt for skin rejuvenation procedures offered by professional dermatologists and skin care experts. These can help revitalize and restore the damage done on skin, safely and efficiently.