Defy the Clock: Turn Back Time Without Surgery
When it comes to looking good, Baby Boomers aren’t going down without a fight. Even as many approach retirement, they’re determined to defy the clock and turn back time. And Dr. Alice Cohen of the Randali Centre for Aesthetic Medicine is determined to help them fight the good fight and put a new face on aging. “Baby boomers have forever changed the face of aging and that, as much as anything, has driven this industry,” says Cohen, who practices with her husband, Randy, at 160 N. Pointe Boulevard.
Welcome to the Boomer-driven world of cosmetic medicine, in which surgery is fast being supplanted by much less invasive techniques. “I’m not saying cosmetic surgery is on the way out, but I do believe the needle is replacing the knife,” Cohen says. According to the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, all cosmetic procedures are on the rise, with the greatest growth in non-invasive treatments such as Botox (tiny injections into facial muscles), which remains the most requested procedure. Although mostly women seek aesthetic treatments, men are starting to make a dent in the cosmetic clientele base.
Non-surgical cosmetic procedures, which can range in price from several hundred to several thousand dollars, are not cheap and are generally not covered by insurance, but they are usually less costly than surgery.
Randy and Alice Cohen opened the Randali Centre in 2001, after she took a year off from practicing family medicine. “I am fascinated with the ability we now have to improve our appearance without surgery,” she says. “I love helping people feel better about themselves and image enhancement. It’s very gratifying to help people increase self-esteem.”
As the body ages, the skin can lose volume and elasticity. But through an assortment of non-surgical techniques, Cohen can reverse the wages of aging around the mouth, the cheeks, the jaw line, the lips and the neck. She can erase expression and laugh lines, help change skin texture, tone and pigmentation and even eliminate acne.
Laser can tighten skin, and also can be used for Rosacea and scar treatment as well as for birthmark and mole removal. In addition, laser is used in conjunction with the topical Levulan solution for skin rejuvenation and repair. Levulan is also now being touted as an effective treatment for acne.
While Botox is the trademark in skin rejuvenation, other injection treatments include Restylane, which offers soft tissue augmentation, and sclerotherapy for varicose and spider veins.
Cohen is determined to stay on the cutting edge of anti-aging techniques and cosmetic medicine. “I want to be the best at what I do,” she says. “I like to think ‘good enough’ never is enough. I love beauty and beautiful things, and I have a real passion for this. There’s also a creativity to it I like.”
Cohen especially wants to cater to her female clientele, who, because they spend time nurturing others, sometimes have a hard time taking time for themselves, she says. “Most of my patients are female, and I like for them to feel that when they come into the centre, they have permission to focus on themselves.” Cohen believes aesthetic medicine is a more affordable and approachable form of youthful transformation than surgery. “We want to improve the bridge where cosmetics leave off and surgery begins. Non-surgical rejuvenation is becoming more and more mainstream. “I believe people shouldn’t be embarrassed or let vanity stop them. Although we don’t like to believe it sometimes, looks do matter. You deserve to be good to yourself and to look good.”
This article originally written by Susan Jurgelsky and appeared in Lancaster New Era Newspaper