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efore her recent rhinoplasty,
Mindy Goldstein, 19, was nev-
er sure if people were staring
at her face or simply at her
nose.
"Kids in school used to make
fun of me," said the 19-year-
old Michigan State Universi-
ty student from Beverly Hills.
"I always tried to cover it up.
Now that I've had it done, I'm more open.
I go up to people and talk to them. I have
a lot more self-confidence."
Ms. Goldstein is one of the nearly 3 mil-
lion people who underwent some sort of
cosmetic surgery last year in the United
States, according to the American Acad-
emy of Cosmetic Surgery. That is an in-
crease of over 100 percent since 1990.
At an average of $2,100 for a single
procedure — and most people opt for sec-
ondary procedures like fat or silicone in-
jections — the bucks are big indeed.
"Cosmetic surgery is no longer some-
thing we have to whisper about," said Dr.
David Segel, co-founder of Image Sculpt-
ing Inc., based in Farmington Hills. Im-
proved technology and widespread
availability have brought cosmetic
surgery out of the closet and into the
mainstream.
Rather than going to the hospital and
facing the burden of hospital costs and
inconveniences, Dr. Segel said, today
even the most invasive surgeries can be
done on an outpatient basis and are of-
ten safer, faster and cheaper than tradi-
tional methods.
His company, which opened in
early September, specializes in laser
surgery. Image Sculpting offers both
refractive laser eye surgery and
photorefractive keratotomy
(PRK) for the correction of near-
sightedness, and what Dr. Segel
calls "laser image sculpting," or
cosmetic laser surgery, for the
removal of wrinkles, scars, spi-
der veins, bags under the eyes,
and more.
Using computer-controlled
beams of light, doctors are able
to reshape the cornea for pa-
tients looking to shed glasses or
contact lenses or remove layers
of skin for those with skin-re-
lated problems. And both pro-
cedures offer what many believe
is a significant advantage over
their older surgical counterparts
— no scalpels.
The types of lasers used for
these procedures have only re-
cently been approved by the
U.S. Food and Drug Adminis-

S

The pursuit of beauty is a boon for
surgeons and a blessing for the mirror.

LESLIE JOSEPH SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

PHOTO BY DANIEL LIPPITT

Sandra Poll: Before and after laser surgery.

tration, but the field is growing fast. Dr.
Segel and his partner plan to open sev-
eral more laser centers in the area and
throughout the country over the next
few years.
The Laser Lift Skin Rejuvenation In-
stitute in Warren is another company
specializing in cosmetic laser surgery.
Owned and operated by Dr. Steven K.
Grekin, a cosmetic dermatologist, the
Skin Rejuvenation Institute has been
open for three years and features the
carbon dioxide laser, a state of the art
laser used for, among other things, the
removal of wrinkles and scars.
`The CO2 laser has taken the place of
facial peels and dermabrasion," said Jodi
Majchrzak, director of nursing at the in-
stitute.
Unlike traditional chemi-
Dr. D
cal
peels and dermabrasion,
Se D a
Laser whiz. which are as good as the
practitioner who performs
the procedure, the laser is more pre-
dictable, Ms. Majchrzak said. The com-
puter operating the laser contains
different programs, or patterns, based
on the procedure to be performed. On
the first pass of the laser, the epidermis,
or outer layer of skin, is sloughed off and
wiped away. On the second pass, the
laser hits the collagen layer and shrinks
it up to 66 percent. This helps to firm the
skin and remove the problem area. Pro-
cedures usually last an hour or less, de-
pending on the size of the area being
treated, and the recovery period can be
10 to 14 days.
While lasers carry many ob-
vious advantages, there are
disadvantages as well. Scarring,
infection, pigmentation changes
and redness that can last up to
three or four months are just a
few of the risks involved. What
is more, some physicians cau-
tion that while lasers work well
for resurfacing the skin —
smoothing out wrinkles and
scars due to environmental
damage such as the sun and
smoking — a traditional facelift
using a scalpel is the only way
to get rid of loose, excess skin as-
sociated with aging.
Further, the price tag for
many of these procedures is not
inexpensive. Typical prices
range from $2,000 to $3,500 for
laser resurfacing of an entire
face to $1,200 to $1,500 for
work around the eyes or
mouth. And while traditional
insurance does not normally

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