Bold & beautiful go for custom-made look

Sulekha Nair


At a recent film awards function, a popular star declared on stage, “I should go and do a botox.” Perhaps, she was referring to the purr-fectly sculptured faces and toned bodies of the people around her.

You don’t have the looks? Oh, never mind. Get one custom-built for you. One can get the entire works done. You name it...old skin plumped to not just look but feel younger, scars lightened, hairline changed, balding heads sprouting hair without the use of a blow-a-way wig, teeth realigned, smiles redesigned...and after a considerable use of money, the proverbial swan does glide out. By the advent of this millennium, the emphasis on looks has sharpened and with the increasing use of technology to get these effects done in almost a jiffy, cost is hardly a factor. The beauty industry is reported to be an astounding Rs 1,500-1,800
crore market, with 25 per cent annual growth.

The facial market is alone estimated to be in the region of Rs 500 crore. The technological invasion in the beauty industry is still at a nascent stage. Except for renowned dermatologists and a few clinics in the country, there is no major skin revolution in the country, say the players themselves. Meanwhile, a simple do-it-yourself or a beauty routine at a parlour for waxing off body hair has been rendered obsolete to some extent with the use of laser technology. Kaya Skin Clinic, a Marico Industries venture, has set up clinics in the country and offers various technological options to help people achieve “beauty through technology.” Kaya Skin Clinic marketing head Reena Chhabra says, traditional beauty parlours don’t use much technology.

Waxing is done manually. If one were to opt for laser hair reduction, one can be assured of a permanent solution, she says. “We use the latest technology through ND:YAD laser that is prevalent in Europe and the US, which is adapted and suitable for Indian skin.

People grow older and the skin has a different tale to convey. “At Kaya Skin Clinic, we offer non-surgical face lifts administered through microcurrent. One can also avail of photo rejuvenation through laser technology which boosts collagen, thereby making one look younger. One can also opt for botox and fillers to take care of ugly wrinkles, crow’s feet and deep laugh lines, to make one look younger instantly, taking off five to 10 years off your age,” Ms Chhabra says. There’s an effective option for people hiding their face under loads of make up because of acne scars, too. Through a combination of skin polishing and glycolic
peels, one can get rid of these scars up to 80 per cent. Even dull and tired skin can be given a rejuvenated look through face and eye rejuvenator, which cost Rs 400 upwards, she adds. The results are effective, says Ms Betty Thomas, a collegian who went in for upper lip hair removal.

“The pain is bearable but what is good about it is that the effect is long lasting.” The machines used at Kaya Skin Clinic are all US FDA approved and the cost is very high. “A laser machine, for instance, would cost a little over Rs 25 lakh.” The range of machines we have cost from Rs 3-50 lakh. Ms Chhabra says that besides the machine, the company has to invest in dermatologists, trained personnel and a very high level
of hygiene, besides interiors and aesthetics to make the whole experience a pleasurable one.

“Most of the machines get dated and the technology becomes obsolete quickly. So one has to keep abreast of the technology. The initial cost of investment is very high because of the machines and the cost of maintenance is also dear. Perhaps, that is one of the reasons why there are not many players in the market,” she adds. Bare Necessities, a London-based clinic has set up a clinic in Bandra, Mumbai. Dr Rohini Wadhwani, medical director, says that unlike abroad, in India the awareness of technological advancements has not truly caught up with the masses. “There is still a fear factor. Abroad, for instance, a botox is done during lunch hour. Here, one would send one’s cousin, friend to the clinic to try out and only after that, venture for the same. Around 50 per cent of clients abroad are male while in India, there are just about 20-30 per cent of males venturing out for the same.”

Technological advances in beauty have grown to include laser, microdermabrasion and non-surgical face lifts. “The prices of the machines are so high for we have to pay in dollars as these are US FDA machines.
But the return on investments is low as compared to their cost. A hair removal of the chin, for instance in London would cost £54-59 and here in India it would be Rs 1,500. The returns are very low,” she says.

Dr Sandesh Mayekar of the famed Mayekar’s Clinic known for designing smiles, says a machine called ’Bright Smile’ can take stains off teeth in one sitting which costs Rs 10-11,000 in India while the same would cost $320 abroad. Laser is used to achieve quick results with no bleeding and for a quick heal. “We use it to contour gums so that the gums and the teeth are symmetrical. As a cosmetic dentist, I design smiles which I do by taking into effect the symmetry of the face and teeth which has to be in harmony. The lines that go into the eyes when one smiles should be parallel to the teeth.” The cost factor is variable depending on the client’s condition of the teeth, etc. It could cost around Rs 1,000, while in the US it would cost $1,500! The latest in vision correction is Lasik Laser. Dr Vipin Buckshey, optometrist and contact lens specialist at Delhi’s Visual Aids Centre, says, “the latest FDA approved laser technology known as the Customvue procedure has the potential to make one see better than it is possible with glasses or contact lenses. I am just one of the two
doctors in the country to have this technology.”

VISX Star S4 with Wavescan laser system is suitable for most eyes as it removes minimum corneal tissue during the procedure and it also takes minimum time for laser application. The machine has a 3D eye tracker along with various other features that makes it the best in the world. The Wavescan technology captures the unique imperfections in one’s vision that could not have been measured and corrected before. This gives the doctor treatment options that are individualised to one’s visual needs. The treatment information is then transferred to the VISX STAR S4 Excimer laser, providing a new level of precision and accuracy.

It combines Variable Spot Scanning (VSS) and ActiveTrak 3-D Eye Tracking along with the Wavescan providing the best possible treatment option. WaveScan technology produces a detailed map of the eye - much like a fingerprint, no two are alike. This new level of measurement provides 25 times more precision than standard measurements used for glasses and contact lenses. The machine costs around Rs 2 crore, but says Dr Buckshey, with the fast pace technology upgradation, the software has to be changed rapidly. “That costs a lot of money. The recovery on investments is just not comparable. It takes just 20 minutes for the procedure for a pair of eyes and the cost is Rs 30,000. Five years ago, there were only a handful opting for this procedure while over the years, the numbers have multiplied.”

And the future, “it is a flood that will not stop,” he says. Now for the crowning glory. The receding hairline and the balding patch can blow your perfectly made looks and the pinched and puffed body away. The Indian hair care market grew by 8.7 per cent in current value terms in 2003, with value sales amounting to Rs 126 billion. Dr Apurva Shah, one of India’s pioneering trichologist, says “the path from science to salon is a long one, but be it perming, dyeing, or conditioning, a fundamental understanding of the science behind these processes is a pre-requisite to developing successful and innovative formulations. Scientific and technological innovations have contributed in the growth of the hair care industry. Due to progress in technology and innovations, an individual no longer has to shy away from hair and scalp problems.”

The latest technology and developments in the hair care industry can make one’s hair stand at its end, literally and metaphorically! The Laser Comb hair loss solution, which has been voted as the best invention by Time magazine, is available in India. The development of Ethno-Botanical products, helps alopecia areata sufferers and reverses this type of hair loss. The development of single Fibre Torsion Pendulum is uniquely designed to study damage done to hair as a result of twisting and setting processes, such as curling and perming.

Whoever thought technology was for scientific progress did not realise that for the beauty conscious, help was only a laser beam away! Of course, at a price.


Source

People will grow older and the skin change. If your looks are not good enough there are technology that can change you.