Ben Kaminsky - Beyond Botox: 7 Strategies for Sexy, Ageless Skin Without Needles or Surgery

Copyright 2006 by Ben Kaminsky and Howard Kaminsky

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

Springboard Press

Hachette Book Group

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First eBook Edition: October 2006

ISBN: 978-0-446-56152-5

W e dedicate this book to the thousands of women who have called and written us with real and often anguished questions regarding their skin care needs. We hope this book will help them and all women make more informed choices to take better care of their skin.

Skin 101

B efore you embark on a skin care game plan, it is imperative that you understand all about your skinthe bodys largest and most visible organ. In Part I, we will give the background information, definitions, and educational tools necessary to implement the Beyond Botox program in Part II.

Everything They Dont Want You to Know and Only a Chemist Will Tell You

Y ou look in the mirror on Monday morning and see the face of a middle-aged woman peering back at you. Who is that tired-looking person? Sure, youre not as young as you used to be and the small laugh lines around your mouth and eyes dont really bother you too much. Theyre the signs of a life well lived, right?

But its your complexionwhich always seems dull these daysand those persistent, deeper creases on your forehead that really get you down and make you feel, well, old. Maybe your physician is right. Maybe its time to look into Botox. But ugh, the idea of injecting a toxin like botulism into your face seems downright foolish. Doesnt Joan in the office know someone who had some awful side effects from that procedure?

Sighing, you hop into the shower, hurriedly dress, grab a bagel and a coffee on the way to the office, and spend the day trying to keep up with the crazy rat race that is your life. At night, despite your best intentions, you forgo the gym to stay late at the office, then you rush home for some takeout with the family before crashing into bed and getting up early the next morning to do it all again.

What if I told you that you didnt have to subject yourself to procedures like Botox, Restalin, brow lifts, or other invasive or surgical procedures to have sexy, vibrant, young-looking skin? What if I told you that some doctorsdespite their good intentionsactually make big bucks off these types of cosmetic procedures even though there are other, affordable techniques that are even safer and more responsible in the long term? What if I showed you another way to make your skin look beautiful and ageless?

My name is Ben Kaminsky. I am a pharmaceutical and dermatological chemist, cofounder of the cosmeceutical company B. Kamins, Chemist, and president of Odan Laboratories. For more than thirty years, I have been in my laboratory, developing medicines and dermatological preparations that are prescribed by physicians and widely used in hospitals to treat skin conditions and other medical problems. I also formulate very specific cosmeceuticals, the cosmetic products that have healing druglike benefits and are intended as a bridge between the physicians office and traditional cosmetics. My chemist colleagues and I are on the front lines of skin care research: we test new products, develop new formulations, and relay that information to your doctor so he or she can learn about the newest advances in beauty, cosmeceuticals, and skin care.

Although dermatologists and other physicians diagnose skin conditions, most doctors have varying knowledge in how to actually treat skin problems, depending on the courses they took in medical school. In fact, it is the pharmaceutical chemistthe professional who researches and develops the precise formulationswho ultimately understands how to resolve skin disorders safely and effectively and who helps dermatologists and other medical doctors do the same. Thats the work that I do every single day, and Im thrilled to have the chance to bring my findings directly to the consumerto youand let you know the truth about what products, procedures, and lifestyle choices really make the most difference for your skin.

Since I started my pharmaceutical career in the early 1970s, we have learned much about skin care and what ingredients are most effective. I have seen tremendous advances in moisturizing materials and in methods to renew aging skin, and we are constantly improving our older formulations to produce revolutionary new products that are far more effective in rejuvenating aging skin and healing dermatological problems than ever before. In particular, weve discovered several topical formulations (i.e., products that can be applied directly to the skin) that are remarkably effective in combating the signs of aging. In addition, certain lifestyle changes (like eating specific foods and maintaining a proper sleep regimen) have dramatic and lasting effects on the skin.

But even as we learn more about what really works to keep skin looking healthy and gorgeous, I have observed an ever-increasing tendency for many physicians and cosmetic dermatologists to turn away from such topical formulations and lifestyle recommendations. Instead, many medical doctors lean toward invasive procedures to rejuvenate aging skin, such as the currently trendy injections of Botox. Botox, as you surely know by now, is a highly diluted and purified form of botulinum toxin (a neurotoxin that causes botulism). When injected into the skin, Botox temporarily reduces the ability of the underlying muscles to contract and crease the skin.

These days, its hard to open a magazine or turn on the television without seeing an advertisement for Botox or hearing about a glamorous Hollywood star who has reportedly used the procedure. Because of a multimillion-dollar marketing campaign, the money to be made from providing Botox, and, yes, the procedures sometimes dramatic short-term effects, we are left with the impression that Botox is the cure-all for revitalizing aging skin.

The results, admittedly, can be dramatic in the short term. In the past five years, the use of Botox has caught the imagination of numerous physicians who now offer it to their patients, both young and old, as a quick fix wrinkle treatment. However, I strongly believe that not everyone is a candidate for such an invasive procedure, and I respectfully but firmly disagree with those doctors who tout Botox as the only effective long-term solution. The effects of Botox are temporaryand in some cases even harmfuland this type of quick fix is not the secret to long-lasting, beautiful skin. I believe that theres a safer and ultimately more effective alternative.

What goes underreported about Botox is the fact that, as with all relatively new procedures, there are certain risks involved. Many times these Botox injections can even cause unwanted side effects. For instance, some patients have the tendency to bleed and bruise easily. They also may be slow to heal, allergic to the injected ingredients, or have difficulty with the topical anesthetics. Although it happens rarely, there is a risk that the doctor slips a bit when injecting Botoxand the consequences of this can be dire. The worst that can happen is that you wont be able to raise your eyelids all the way, or, if the shot was near the mouth (which is unapproved usage according to the FDA), you could be left drooling. If this occurs, you would have to wait for the toxin to wear off, which can take several months. Moreover, because the toxin actually paralyzes the muscles that cause deep frown lines, even if the doctor did a perfect job, you might not be able to frown, raise your eyebrows, or squint. This could lead to a diminished range of facial expressions, so you might want to consider that too.