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Check out the video stream on MyFOX Los Angeles Video Feed #2 at 10:15AM Pacific Time.
I’m trying to edit my little beauty clips & put them online on youtube - I’ve finally managed to stop lurking and open up a spa-view channel. yay! Here’s me & B taking a trip to see our beloved Dr. Marks for a teeny tiny bit of botox.
Ok so I had a couple of leg vein consultations last week. The first one was a laser vein cosmetic center that also specializes in botox, juvederm & lipozap/mesotherapy similar to what Dr. Marks offers (minus the laser vein treatment). They made me wait about an hour, then had a sales consultant come in and tell me that the consultation is free, however, the ultrasound is $500 per leg which is required upfront, and then the laser treatment itself is $2800 per leg. After he explained that while I do indeed have insurance, and a PPO to be exact, they said that they will ‘bill my insurance’ as a courtesy, but that they still required full payment prior to the procedure. Being that I am pretty desperate to get this done because I REALLY do want to have nice legs for the summer season, I went ahead and booked my appointment. The doctor tried to get me to rush and come in within a week, but something just told me to wait it out…he had that used car salesman thing about him - the ‘you should book now because if you wait another day, you wont get an appointment in until june.”. I figured that it would probably take me until june to gather an extra $3500 around to get this vein treated anyway, so I said that june was sounding ok to me. But I booked my ultrasound for the following week.
On the way home, I got to thinking…why on earth would my insurance not pay for this?? Its actually preventative treatment, and not totally cosmetic. I mean sure, it’s ugly, but more importantly than that, I surely don’t want to form some sort of circulatory issue as a result of this…and my foot does get numb at times…
So I decided to call the toll free number on the back of my insurance card and was told that they do in fact cover the procedure, I just had to 1. go to a doctor within their network, and 2. submit a request for authorization from the vascular surgeon who would be performing the op. So after around 5 phone calls to various vascular surgeons in the valley, I finally found one who does specialize in preventative care. I booked an appointment, paid my $40 co-pay and right away he issued an ultrasound on both of my legs to make sure there was no clotting or immediate risk. I walked out an hour later with 2 ultrasounds done, 1 request for laser vein removal and now I wait for authorization from BlueCross which now calls themselves Anthem.
I hope they cover it! But if they don’t, then at least I saved money on the ultrasound, and that makes me feel somewhat accomplished at the end of the day! I should know something within a couple of weeks I hope…wish me luck!
Great…now my mom has yet another reason to get on my ass.
When I was in college, I got my tongue pierced and out of the blue I started receiving ‘anonymous’ newspaper and magazine clippings about how toxic tongue rings are and yada yada with yellow post-it-notes saying “Because I love you, mi hija”. Nothing bad happened from getting my tongue ring, although I do feel bad for the few that got horrible infections and loss of whatever.
Now…Newsweek has a new article out that is making it’s rounds all over the place stating that Botox injected into lab rats is showing that the solution can travel into your brain. Here is a rundown of the article:
The bottom line? The FDA’s Katz says that people getting Botox for cosmetic reasons should “make their own personal best judgment about this” and “be aware that there’s the potential for” the neurotoxin to spread.
So there you have it. A simple breakdown for the botox prone, to debate and combat those loved ones in your life that are going to run rampant with this new study and try to ruin your day…like my mom. lol.
Ok so I just finished swelling down from my 2008 wrinkle filler injections - this time with the latest and greatest, Juvederm. Last year, I had 2 treatments of Restalyn, on my face paranthesis, the corners of my mouth and on my upper lip (1 thread) but I had a couple of super minor problems - the first being a tiny lump that formed on the underside of my top lip, which to me wasn’t a super big deal because it wasn’t visible and didn’t hurt. It ended up dissolving about a year later. The other problem was that my side face filler was kind of visible under my skin - kind of like i had a baby slug under my skin -omg-gross, but it wasn’t really gross, it was just kind of weird. I’ll post a photo later to show you what I’m talking about.
ANYway, I went to Dr. Marks again to get this year’s filler upper - same places - nasal folds, lip crease, upper lip (2 threads this time) but this time with Juvederm - which has a waaaay more smooth look. No under-skin slugs, smooth injection sites, but the downfall (tiny actually) is that my lip bruised up at the injection site so I had to cover it up for a couple of days. And after the 3rd day the swelling goes down and the injections end up looking way more natural. I may have to go get the corners of my mouth retouched but other than that, I’m pretty happy and actually prefer Juvederm over Restalyn. And of course, Dr. Marks did a fabulous job with absolutely no pain whatsoever so I was a happy camper. Am a happy camper I mean.
The procedure will run you approximately $500 bucks for about a year of plumpness.
It’s January, and in my mid-30’s life that means taking a trip to my favorite medi-doc Dr Marks to get some touch up schlerotherapy for spider vein & varicose vein removal. Since I’m only a few months away from goal weight with Jenny Craig, I want to make sure my legs are looking fab for this summer!
Schlerotherapy doesn’t really hurt - Dr Marks injects the vein with a tiny needle with solution that collapses the vein, but after the injection (which you totally can’t feel), your leg cramps up kind of like a charlie horse. Unfortunately I’ve got a pretty resistant varicose that just won’t totally go away, so on my next checkup appt, I might have to get a referral for a more evasive method for getting rid of it, but best believe, it’s going to get got…somehow or another - I AM GOING TO BE FLY THIS SUMMER. Doggonit.
mmm. Last year, on a quest to lose about 20lbs for my sorority sister’s wedding, I managed to link up with a co-worker who was also on a similar mission. After she had her daughter, she went through the “depressed, i hate skinny people, and i hate my body” phase. Someone hipped her to Alpha Health Care on Ventura Blvd in Sherman Oaks. Within a month, she had lost 15lbs and had managed to keep it off. But now…she was in the same boat as I. We were going through the “my job stresses me out and I’m eating everything in sight” phase.
With her name as my referral, I managed to secure an appointment the next day. Because they have several offices and just a few nutritionists and nurses, everyone rotates around and it’s sometimes difficult to meet with a nutritionist. After you receive the first consultation including blood pressure, blood tests, and a sit down spill your guts with a “shrink”, you’re able to start their program and receive any of their services on a walk-in whenever you want basis. They prefer that you try to come every other day though. So maybe a Tues-Thurs or a M-W-F if you plan on eating like a pig over the weekend. *smile*
Hell bent on not paying $300 for 6 weeks of vitamins at the time, I decided to combine their Vitamin B12 injections with the Lemonade Diet for a week. Every other day, I trekked over to Ventura Blvd around lunch time to receive my Vitamin B-12 injection. It definitely sped up my metabolism to the point where I was dying to go to the gym and get in a run. They hurt like a bitch at first, but…now my ass is used to it, and they inject you in the same spot every time, so the bruising is in one spot.
In the first month, I lost about 10 lbs. I’m pretty sure that the lemonade diet had a lot to do with it, but the Vitamin B12 definitely gave me the energy that I needed to gym and it definitely kept the scale moving in the right direction
I walked in one day and there were a few women who were whispering. It seemed like something was wrong, but one of the nurses mentioned that Beyonce had just left. mmm. They were star struck. how cute. they must be new. I didn’t care really…I just needed my injection. Seeing the scale needle move down was like crack at that point.
Although it’s been over a year since I started on B-12. Earlier this year, I added in their $300 vitamin program to the mix, in order to get in shape for a cruise that I was going on for Grad School graduation. They worked. But after a few months, I figured out what it was that I was paying for and that I could go to target and save $260 every month. *lol* They had given me a months worth of B-6, a *secret pill*, an appetite suppressant and 3 months worth of 100 calorie protein shakes.
I’ll probably start receiving the B-12 injections again soon. I just hate the drive to Ventura Blvd. So if you’re looking for a monitored way to lose weight within 6 weeks, you should definitely check out Alpha Health Care. See you there!
Alpha Health Care
16260 Ventura Blvd # L40 Encino, CA 91436-2203 USA
818-905-9700
Haters are alive and at em in the valley ya’ll! I got a “concerned’ call from someone who got Botox injections from Dr. Marks Cosmetic Center (and looked amazing btw) because she had a “friend” who got her eyebrows done in the valley who told her that Dr. Marks uses knock off botox from mexico.
Umm whatever. I’ve seen the boxes, I’ve been there when they book the Botox appointments making sure that everyone comes in within minutes of each other to make sure that the product is fresh when it’s injected, but you know me, I have to dig for the truth. I immediately called Erika who is the good doctor’s right hand and was totally assured that their product is from Allergan and that she can totally show me whatever it is I have concerns about. I’ve actually sat in the waiting room with the Allergan rep many times so I’m not the one who needs assurance, but it would make for a great knowledge base for all of you readers.
Anyway, if you want to look amazing, you can make an appointment with Dr. Marks too and get some botox by clicking here. Tell him that SylviaG from Spa-View.com sent you!! 
Perez posted a blog on his site saying that Britney went alllll the way to Las Vegas to get some LipoDissolve done -
“This is not the first time Brit Brit has visited the LipoDissolve Center. She was caught there in April for PCDC treatments - injections of a soybean derivative into the body’s fatty areas. The procedure is said to dissolve fat cells in a matter of weeks.”
source: PerezHilton.com
I wonder if she read the reviews at RealSelf.com? With a 59% of the reviewers saying it doesn’t work and is super expensive, why not go the MesoTherapy route? It works and is way way cheaper and not as painful. I dunno… just an opinion.
I absolutely love botox. Dr Marks in Canoga Park does mine, and I only have to get it every 9-10 months or so. He has fabulous bedside manner and is a great shooter, with perfect results every time. pain is minimal and the only precaution really is to not put any makeup or use any type of lotions for up to a day after.
It takes me around 7 days to see the results but boy oh boy is it worth it!!
Dr. Marks is at the Valley View Cosmetic Center in Canoga Park, CA - he is soooo good!
I’ve said this before, and I will say it again…nothing is better than botox if it comes in topical form. period. However, I have been fortunate enough to come across a full size bottle of Strivectin theramal deep wrinkle serum and am going to give it a full test run. I am a religious botox believer and get mine done every 8 - 9 months for preventative measures and really don’t feel that anything could be ‘better’ but for the bottom part of my face (i.e. corners of the mouth, nose folds & under eye creasing and of COURSE, my cleavage crow’s feet) are fair game and ready for some deep wrinkle treatment.
It’s kind of complicated too - you have to prep your face and then dab on the wrinkle serum. and wait until it gets ‘tacky’ to the touch. Then you have to have a wet hot towel to put over the face/neck to kind of ’seal’ the serum for 30 seconds. And you have to do that twice a day for a month and then 2-3 times per week to keep up the results.
It runs around $153 per bottle from Sephora which will probably last about a month, and is way time consuming - compared to a series of botox which will run you around $200 and lasts for 6-9 months depending on your skintype AND you don’t have to do anything at all. So even with my test run about to begin today, I can pretty much say right from the get-go that Strivectin is NOT better than botox, but it still has a shot at the cleavage wrinkles…stay tuned!
Ok so Dr. Marks had to go out of town so he postponed my second mesotherapy / lipodissolve treatment that I am undergoing for my double chin until mid-november. I had O take a pic of my side profile before the first treatment so that I could document the actual results, and the second is 2 weeks later. I’m not seeing too much of a difference yet, but then again I’ve had two people tell me that my face looks thinner, so I guess maybe its more obvious in the whole view rather than the side profile. I will take full front pics too- for comparison shots. Dr. Marks suggests 3-4 sessions to get the best results, spread over a series of 2 week intervals.
I have a mild double chin…or rather, it’s mild at least in my eyes lol. I booked my first appointment with Dr. Marks the miracle worker and went for it. I kind of thought that since I only had a bit of pudge under my chin that I would see a difference right away, but no such luck. Georgie on the other hand looks fab since he got his - but he got 2 sessions. I had a fat face for maybe 3 days, the injections (6 total under my chin and on each side) hurt like hell - almost like someone socked me in the jaw, 6 times. Dr. Marks said that the cosmetic surgery board or whoever recommends a total of 4 sessions to see significant results, so I booked session 2 for this thursday. 3 more days of fat face this week.
Origin’s Mega Mushroom Eye Serum wasn’t so magical. I used a full size bottle religiously with no results differenting from a cheapie OTC product. I’m so sad.
So much for Dr. Weil’s organic plantidote products for skincare…I’m opting for going for the medi-spa injectibles & skincare from Target. I still have crow’s feet and dark circles under my eye AND creping now - which is something that I just noticed. Great. I actually used the Origins Plantidote Skin serum too with no noticeable results. I’m heading back to Olay!
Sigh…genetics and age are not treating my body right. But that’s ok, because I have Dr. Marks on my team! I’ve been undergoing almost 2 years of continual Schlerotherapy - or simply put, vericose vein removal.
Basically the way it works is you get a series of shots directly to your veins, you don’t feel the injection at all because the needle is itty bitty, but once the fluid is injected into the vein you feel a charlie-horse cramp thing for like half a minute, and then it’s gone. Doc Marks swabs the injection site up and then tapes it up. After the said vein is injected, it ‘collapses” and the ache is gone. And so is the vein! He sends you home with your leg wrapped up in an ace bandage that you have to wear for like 2 weeks to keep the vein from swelling up under your weight but you can totally go back to regular activity the next day.
Unfortunately for me, I am super prone to vericose veins so I have to get repeat injections every 6-8 months to keep them under control.
