S ince the dawn of time, beauty has always been revered — Venus, Aphrodite, Helen of Troy, Cleopatra . . . . Millions of dollars each year are devoted to improving our looks. So, it’s not surprising that the new hit series “The Swan” has garnered so much attention. If you haven’t seen this show, it aired for the first time in early April of this year, and it’s billed as a new series where “fairy tale turns into reality.” The premise of the show is to offer contestants the opportunity to undergo physical, mental and emotional transformations with guidance from a team of experts, including a coach, therapist, trainer, cosmetic surgeons and a dentist. Each of the 17 women who participated in “The Swan” could not view herself in a mirror for 3 months while undergoing her total transformation. During each week of the show, two women were “unveiled.” One was selected to move on to series’ pageant; the other was sent home. Then, in a pageant held at the end of the season, the “ultimate swan” was crowned. This show — which reached at least 10 million viewers weekly — was phenomenally successful, and a second season is already in the works. With the popularity of this show and “Extreme Makeover” (another plastic surgery makeover show) what I want to know is whether either of these shows has had a direct impact on your practice? Have you had patients refer to these shows or ask for your opinion on how to proceed with multiple surgical procedures? I wonder if these shows are having this kind of impact, or are they more of a curiosity than anything else? I’d love to hear from you if you have any comment. In the meantime, Dr. Richard Fried, M.D., Ph.D., has much to say on the topic of the extreme makeover. See his story on page 58. In addition, we offer information on new treatments and research in cosmetic dermatology on pp. 50 to 57. Larisa Hubbs Executive Editor lhubbs@hmpcommunications.com
The Lure of the Makeover
S ince the dawn of time, beauty has always been revered — Venus, Aphrodite, Helen of Troy, Cleopatra . . . . Millions of dollars each year are devoted to improving our looks. So, it’s not surprising that the new hit series “The Swan” has garnered so much attention. If you haven’t seen this show, it aired for the first time in early April of this year, and it’s billed as a new series where “fairy tale turns into reality.” The premise of the show is to offer contestants the opportunity to undergo physical, mental and emotional transformations with guidance from a team of experts, including a coach, therapist, trainer, cosmetic surgeons and a dentist. Each of the 17 women who participated in “The Swan” could not view herself in a mirror for 3 months while undergoing her total transformation. During each week of the show, two women were “unveiled.” One was selected to move on to series’ pageant; the other was sent home. Then, in a pageant held at the end of the season, the “ultimate swan” was crowned. This show — which reached at least 10 million viewers weekly — was phenomenally successful, and a second season is already in the works. With the popularity of this show and “Extreme Makeover” (another plastic surgery makeover show) what I want to know is whether either of these shows has had a direct impact on your practice? Have you had patients refer to these shows or ask for your opinion on how to proceed with multiple surgical procedures? I wonder if these shows are having this kind of impact, or are they more of a curiosity than anything else? I’d love to hear from you if you have any comment. In the meantime, Dr. Richard Fried, M.D., Ph.D., has much to say on the topic of the extreme makeover. See his story on page 58. In addition, we offer information on new treatments and research in cosmetic dermatology on pp. 50 to 57. Larisa Hubbs Executive Editor lhubbs@hmpcommunications.com
S ince the dawn of time, beauty has always been revered — Venus, Aphrodite, Helen of Troy, Cleopatra . . . . Millions of dollars each year are devoted to improving our looks. So, it’s not surprising that the new hit series “The Swan” has garnered so much attention. If you haven’t seen this show, it aired for the first time in early April of this year, and it’s billed as a new series where “fairy tale turns into reality.” The premise of the show is to offer contestants the opportunity to undergo physical, mental and emotional transformations with guidance from a team of experts, including a coach, therapist, trainer, cosmetic surgeons and a dentist. Each of the 17 women who participated in “The Swan” could not view herself in a mirror for 3 months while undergoing her total transformation. During each week of the show, two women were “unveiled.” One was selected to move on to series’ pageant; the other was sent home. Then, in a pageant held at the end of the season, the “ultimate swan” was crowned. This show — which reached at least 10 million viewers weekly — was phenomenally successful, and a second season is already in the works. With the popularity of this show and “Extreme Makeover” (another plastic surgery makeover show) what I want to know is whether either of these shows has had a direct impact on your practice? Have you had patients refer to these shows or ask for your opinion on how to proceed with multiple surgical procedures? I wonder if these shows are having this kind of impact, or are they more of a curiosity than anything else? I’d love to hear from you if you have any comment. In the meantime, Dr. Richard Fried, M.D., Ph.D., has much to say on the topic of the extreme makeover. See his story on page 58. In addition, we offer information on new treatments and research in cosmetic dermatology on pp. 50 to 57. Larisa Hubbs Executive Editor lhubbs@hmpcommunications.com
