Middle Aged Job Seekers Seek Cosmetic Enhancements Out of Neccessity

It should be no suprise to anyone that there has been a huge upswing in the use of Botox and other esthetic injectables in recent months. After all, with 12.1% unemployment, Oregon is at the top of the bad news economic wave. But can the economy really effect how many people pursue esthetic enhancements? Apparently, yes.

Not wanting to appear their age during the interview, nor intimidate younger, less experienced interviewers, middle aged Americans are turning back the clock with Botox, Restylane, dermal fillers, etc. It's not a bad idea...even if it just gives the patient an emotional leg up on the job search and the interview process. My concern isn't with this kind of justification for esthetic treatments, it's more a concern about how the market will meet this sudden demand.

We've all heard the term "medspa" which is used to describe organizations that run the gamut from a fully medically based clinic all the way to a slightly enhanced "tanning salon" where hordes of 25 year old women with really deep tans are administering laser-based photo-facials. I'm not going to pick on the "tanning places" too much except to say that it seems somewhat unethical to run an establishment on one hand that makes money causing your skin problems and then makes money off of you again to repair the damage.

Whereas there are numerous clinics in America where laser treatments are administered by staff that are quite a long way from being a "medical professional", injectables do require a solid medical understanding and quite a bit of experience to do well. I've been looking at enhancing our current women's clinic with a division that is focused on minimally invasive cosmetic procedures...for some time. I think the timing and the needs of the aging workforce are prime reasons for offering these services to patients in and around the Hillsboro area.

In the next few months we may begin to offer clients and patients some esthetic services which would include injectable treatments like Botox. Ultimately we plan on having a fully equipped medical spa offereing photo-facial treatments, as well as other really cool procedures and services.

Until then...happy hunting and try not to scrunch up your forehead too much during that job search!

Wellness and the Working Woman

As a mother of two college age children, co-owner of an established Hillsboro Healthcare Facility and member of the Hillsboro City Council, I know exactly what working women go through on a daily basis to take care of themselves and their families.

I also know what toll a heavy schedule can take on our overall health. In my 25 year career as a healthcare provider I've focused most of my efforts and training on women's health issues. At the Hillsboro Women's Clinic I work closely with a broad sprectrum of women of all age ranges and deal with all manner of issues. From the young teen going through her first period to the post-menopausal woman, I've experienced it all.

With the advent of the Internet I've also found that many women are better educated on issues than they were 20 years ago. There is also more confusion, however, as the Internet often provides information without proper lay-person narrative, leaving the patient, at times, with information that contradicts other information they've discovered.

My blog is an attempt to provide a resource that busy moms, corporate professionals, students and others can use to get trusted feedback on critical women's health issues. In the coming weeks, I will feedback to some of the most common questions I hear from women in our practice and look forward to responding to questions from our expanding electronic audience as well.

Good Health!