I have wanted to have laser eye surgery for the last 20 years. I first started wearing glasses when I was 8 years old, and have hated them ever since. I progressed onto contact lenses as soon as my Mum gave me permission, but though they’re great I do have some issues. They’re costly, my eyes get dry and I can’t wear them 24/7 or swim with them. I dabbled with day/night lenses (you take them out once a month) but didn’t agree with them, and thought longingly about laser eye surgery.
I had my first consultation four years ago (you should wait till you are in your twenties and your eyes have stabilized) and was told that I wasn’t suitable. I have a high prescription (-7.5 Dioptres) but this alone wasn’t the main factor, as I also have thin corneas, and combined this simply wasn’t a safe option. I sadly gave up on my dream, but recently I decided to go for a new opinion- techniques have progressed and I might be candidate now. I wanted to be prepared so I researched all the types of laser eye surgery that are now on offer, and though I would share this with you. There’s a lot of information out there and some of it can be quite confusing, so I’ll try and decode the laser eye surgery process in this piece.
There are currently THREE types of laser eye surgery performed in the UK, as well as contact less implantation (called ICL) for those who aren’t suitable for any of these options.
PRK
PRK stands for photorefractive keratectomy. This used to be the most common laser technique till newer ones were introduced, and this generally is the one offered by those clinics when you see those ‘£200 per eye’ deals. It involves the DR removing some of the cells on the epithelium (this covers the surface of the cornea. It’s very thin and is quick to heal when the cornea is injured). It involves no cutting of the cornea, but creating a ‘scratch’ along the surface, which is then treated with the excimer laser to help reshape the eye. The fact that you don’t need to create a flap means the eye will heal more cleanly, but the recovery time will be around a week, so you should prepare for a week off normal activities. Complications include infection, scarring, over correction and devloping astigmatism. Issues with light such as sensitivity and halos can be a concern. Corneal haze is the most common, where you’d experience some objects with a light haze around them. Post surgery bandage contact lenses are placed in the eye, which are taken out around 4 days later. Vision is blurry while they are in but tends to improve quickly when they are out. PRK is not performed at many places nowadays as most clinics offer LASIK and LASEK instead. Read more…
2011 is making way for 2012 and we get to look forward to a dark January, an escalating Euro crisis and the chaos/excitement of the London 2012 Olympics. It’s not all doom and gloom though as it’s time to take a look back at 2011 and evaluate just who the movers and shakers in the beauty industry were- and think about what will be big in 2012. I’ve previously introduced you to the top ten strange beauty trends in 2010, and in the same vein I’m going to reflect on how the beauty industry has advanced in the last year. Sure there have been the usual celebrity fragrances/product lines/ faces stuck on any old tat, but I’d like to dig a little deeper than just trot out that Kate Moss and the TOWIE girls are doing well. We all know that- what’s more interesting to me is looking at what else is going on in the beauty world.
Magentized Magic
The magnetized nail trend has been very popular in 2011, with numerous brand falling all over themselves to offer women the chance to create a strange gradient effect on their nails. Aping the Crackle craze of 2010, these nail varnishes work by using a formula that contains iron filings in the mixture. You apply, wave the attached magnet (normally in the lid of the product) over the nails, and voila, a cute ripple effect. Yes, you may well have done this when you were 12, but that just goes to show you how circular beauty trend can be- and the effect is very pretty. Read more…
Technology is a fascinating arena as it’s constantly evolving with new and exciting products being released all the time. Many people think that high tech products don’t actually affect them on a day to day basis (unless they’re awaiting the iPhone 5) but there’s actually a lot of stuff that’s getting released that has a direct impact on your health and wellbeing. Many of the newest discoveries can actually enable an easier healthier lifestyle, so I’m eager to share some of the most exciting new ways that technology is moving into the field of health and beauty.
Laser Hair Removal using Sound Waves
Laser hair removal has gained popularity and affordability in the last few years, but it’s still a slightly uncomfortable procedure which involves lots of zapping and messy gels being used. Clinogen Laboratories has developed a new way of doing this using a product called the Epil Sonic which uses sound waves to identify and destroy the hair root.
It’s not a perfect treatment as to channel the sound energy down the hair shaft you do need to use a ‘probe’ which might be uncomfortable, but the sonic power of the soundwaves is able to disable the hair follicle and lead to a reduction of hair growth in the chosen areas. Sound energy coupled with static causes no trauma to the surrounding skin and over a period of 6-8 months can lead to a serious reduction in hair growth.
Due to the nature of this treatment you can treat all areas-even those considered particularly tender- without burning or pigmentation. Whats really exciting is that the Epil Sonic treatment doesn’t target melanin like normal laser treatments, so you can actually treat ALL hair colours including grey, white and red air as well as tanned skin (which would normally burn). FYI, shouting won’t work- you have to go and actually use the Epil Sonic machines for the right frequency.
Perfect Sizing in the fitting room with Fits.me
I love shopping online but I find it frustrating that I need to order an outfit in two or three sizes to make sure that it will fit perfectly. I can blame the fact that companies use different sizing, or I can use the FitBot to enable a perfect fit every time. The Fitbot is a robotic mannequin that comprises of a series of shifting mechanical muscles that adjust based on your measurements. How it works is that websites that are enabled with the Fits.me technology will accept your measurements and you can get an idea of how an item of clothing will hang on your exact physical shape. Read more…
I get very depressed each time winter rolls around, and not just because I have to put my shorts away for six months. I suffer from something called Seasonal Affective Disorder (also known as SAD) which means I have a strong reaction to the lack of light and heat in the day. Yes, I know most people prefer summer to winter, but my symptoms are significant enough for me to actually have this condition. I become incredibly lethargic, have problems sleeping and getting out of bed, and lack energy during the day and I’m snappy, irritable and tearful. People may all get these to varying degrees, but I get this so severely I have to take counter measures, so I don’t spend four months hibernating till I see sun again. The theory behind people getting SAD is that the lack of light causes an increase in Melatonin (the sleep hormone) and a reduction in Serotonin (the happy hormone*). When humans were less advanced and farmed the land, we’d all be getting enough light-even in Winter- but modern day means we’re cooped in offices or on the tube and miss out on vital sun time.
Here are five ways to help keep your SAD under control– they help, not heal, as there is no one stop cure, it’s more of an improved sense of well being due to managing lifestyle factors.
Botox for a better mood
It may sound odd, but having Botox just before winter could actively improve your SAD symptoms. Why is this the case? Some researchers believe that paralyzing the muscles between the eyebrows has a significant reduction on people diagnosed with depression.
Dr Eric Finzi started studying the effects of Botox injections on depressive disorder in 2006. He found that after 2 months all subjects had markedly improved in temperament. Her argues this wasn’t due to increased body image, it was because “if you inhibit the ability of this muscle to contract, you’re actually going to feel less sadness and anger. You’re actually going to have more difficulty feeling the emotion because feelings are not just something that’s happening in the brain.”
Richard Alleyne, science writer for the Telegraph says that, ‘The anti-wrinkle drug can make people feel better because it stops them frowning when they are unhappy which feeds back to the brain reducing the intensity of the feeling.’
Another study- this one by the US Association for Psychological Science found tested a group of 40 people with Botox. They were asked to read out a series of statements ranging in tone from positive to negative, before and after treatment. They discovered a small time delay on the negative statements occurring after treatment, which researcher David Havas finds significant because it suggests the brain takes longer to process the emotion behind the statements. Read more…
There has been a lot of press lately about Laser Eye Jewelry (also known as La SER jewelry), created by the Shekhar Institute in Mumbai. They’re offering a rather strange way of giving the eyes some extra bling- diamond studded contact lenses for that extra sparkle. Though this is definitely one way to change the look of your eyes, other similar fads have emerged in recent years, and I thought this would be a good space to showcase them for you. There’ been a lot of creativity in the sphere of eye decoration, some scary, some involving surgery, and some that can actually correct your eyesight whilst you sleep. Here’s my pick of six ultra strange eye inventions that will really let you make the most of those peepers.
LED false eyelashes from Soomi Park
Soomi Park is a talented designer with a playful side, and I love her LED Eyelashes which she created as part of a university project. She looked at the Asian desire for bigger ‘Western eyes’, and came up with LED Eyelashes, which make the eyes unavoidably focal, drawing attention with every flutter. The LED lashes feature a tilt sensor with mercury to turn them on and off. The sensor perceives the movements of the pupil in the eyes and eyelid, and will flicker the lashes according to the movements of your body. Application is called ‘as simple as wearing false lashes’ (lots of faffing around with glue then) but the finished product is very striking. It might not be for everyday wear, but I could see club kids loving this.
Every year a new beauty trend emerges and beauty fiends embrace it wholeheartedly. The jury is still out on what will be the biggest deal for 2011 (though magnetic nail varnishes are looking hot) and we have the crackle nail varnish craze of last year to beat. I’ve been noticing a lot of lip focused products emerging which are treating the mouth as artwork, rather than just a repository for lipstick. The lips can be amazingly expressive and some of the latest products are focusing on this area with rather exciting results. Here are some of the liptastic products on the market that are helping change the way we view this part of our face.
Teeth Tattoos
Tooth decals are nothing new but teeth tattoos are the next big thing- in Japan. They involve placing designs on the teeth such as rhinestones or cute items like ladybugs, affixing them via a super strong adhesive and then scaring/amazing people with your smile.It has been reported that Japanese teens like to match their teeth art with their nail art (as seen above) which I think is taking colour co-ordinating a whole step too far. Read more…
Lady Gaga’s success has heralded a new age for fashion and beauty, where women are prepared to take more risks with their attire and wear new and unusual things. These beautiful looking Black Lace face tattoo masks are a nod to this new direction, but rather than being outrageous and crazy they actually look rather beautiful and relatively restrained.
