·
By
Aja
Mangum
Published
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(Photo: The estate of Fernand Fonssagrives/Courtesy Bonni Benrubi Gallery, N.Y.) |
P
art
doctor’s office, part pampering
zone, the medspa (sometimes called a medispa) concept seems to make
perfect
sense for a city where time-pressed women want to combine the more
pleasurable
parts of body maintenance (facials, massages) with the more painful
approaches
(Botox shots, collagen stimulation) that have become
routine. In recent months, six new ones have opened:
Skin Thera P, Näbi
MedSpa, Institute
Beauté, Sleek MedSpa, and Tribeca Skin Care (the last two are on
the same
street but unrelated). And enterprising dermatologist Neil Sadick has
opened a
glossy 4,000-square-foot
Despite
the spa language and imagery in their literature, the
new medspas seem more clinical than comforting—the furnishings are
uniformly
sleek and minimal, not cozy. Many have affiliated doctors, although
there’s
some skepticism as to whether those M.D.’s are really patrolling the
treatment
rooms. Only doctors or registered nurses are allowed to man the
syringes. And
though they might be easy, these treatments aren’t cheap: A syringe of
Restylane can be $1,000, and the treatment needs to be repeated every
three
months or so. More medspas are coming; Sleek’s owner, Andrew Rudnick,
wants to
open another half-dozen in
What
$3,815 Treats
FINE
LINES AND
WRINKLES
The HydraFacial system pelts skin with a mixture of water and various
serums.
It claims to be just as effective as microdermabrasion for deep
cleaning and
reducing fine lines but less irritating.
Recovery: The 30-minute treatment doesn’t leave skin red like
microdermabrasion, but sunblock should still be used.
Price: $150.
At: Silk,
LOOSE
SKIN
The Titan laser uses a pulsing infrared light, said to stimulate
collagen
production, thus tightening and firming skin.
Recovery: According to the centers, there’s no pain and no
downtime, and
makeup can be applied immediately afterward. The procedure has been
around for
only a year and a half, though, so clinical results on the lasting
effects are
still pending.
Price: $715 per treatment.
At:
DEEP
LINES
A numbing cream is applied to the face, and the lines are injected with
one of
the following fillers: Restylane, Hylaform, or Captique.
Recovery: Bruising and swelling can last for a few hours up to a
few
days. Results last three to six months.
Price: From $650 per syringe (one treatment typically uses one
syringe).
At: Tribeca MedSpa,
SPIDER
VEINS
Sclerotherapy uses needles to inject small veins with a solution that
collapses
them. There’s some pain with the injection.
Recovery: A slight itching and burning for up to two hours after
the
treatment. The center says lines vanish “almost immediately,” but other
reports
say veins darken first, then gradually fade over six to twelve weeks.
It’s
permanent, though.
Price: $300 to $450 per leg for the basic treatment; $750 to
$900 per
leg for the “foam” treatment, which is said to be less painful.
At:
SAGGY
ANKLES
Botox is now being used for wrinkly ankles, and laser hair removal on
feet and
toes.
Recovery: There can be some redness and soreness after Botox.
Price: From $500.
At: Institute Beauté,
