Age-less : The Definitive Guide to Botox, Collagen, Lasers, Peels, and Other Solutions for Flawless Skin

Rating:
Summary: Don't waste your money on this book
Review: I feel like I've read every book on cosmetic avenues to anti-aging. In fact, I noted that I read ALL the related books that Amazon recommends! This one has got to be the best. In a very straight-forward and succinct fashion, Dr. Brandt explains what Botox, fillers (such as collagen), and peeling/exfoliation treatments can do. If you've ever read any books by Perricone and tried to get through his detailed 'dermis' explanations or biochemistry lessons, you'll know what I mean.

I think other writers (such as Perricone) try to persuade (read: sell their products) by overwhelming the reader with their credentials and medical jargon. Brandt doesn't have to: he administers more Botox than any other doctor in the U.S.; he knows his stuff and he informs you in layperson language. (Thankfully for me, my dermatologist is a patient of Dr. Brandt's and is the second largest user of Botox).

Everthing that Dr. Brandt says about what these procedures can and can't do has been true for me. There are so many exciting developments that don't require invasive plastic surgery. Dr. Brandt explains how these procedures can help stave off the anti-aging process for those of us "ordinary" folk who have accepted the looks we were born with and don't want to completely alter them (like one celebrity who has been in the news lately); we just want to look as refreshed as we feel.

Rating:
Summary: The best of the best
Review: I feel like I've read every book on cosmetic avenues to anti-aging. In fact, I noted that I read ALL the related books that Amazon recommends! This one has got to be the best. In a very straight-forward and succinct fashion, Dr. Brandt explains what Botox, fillers (such as collagen), and peeling/exfoliation treatments can do. If you've ever read any books by Perricone and tried to get through his detailed 'dermis' explanations or biochemistry lessons, you'll know what I mean.

I think other writers (such as Perricone) try to persuade (read: sell their products) by overwhelming the reader with their credentials and medical jargon. Brandt doesn't have to: he administers more Botox than any other doctor in the U.S.; he knows his stuff and he informs you in layperson language. (Thankfully for me, my dermatologist is a patient of Dr. Brandt's and is the second largest user of Botox).

Everthing that Dr. Brandt says about what these procedures can and can't do has been true for me. There are so many exciting developments that don't require invasive plastic surgery. Dr. Brandt explains how these procedures can help stave off the anti-aging process for those of us "ordinary" folk who have accepted the looks we were born with and don't want to completely alter them (like one celebrity who has been in the news lately); we just want to look as refreshed as we feel.

Rating:
Summary: Don't waste your money on this book
Review: This book is of interest only if you know absolutely nothing about the procedures described and want a biased introduction to some cosmetic enhancements. There is by far more useful information on all of these techniques and more on the web. This site is constantly updated, well researched, provides lots of links to many other useful sites and has a lively ongoing discussion pages - all for free!

The authors do not mention one of the most successful permanent cosmetic fillers, Artecoll, which has been used for many years in Canada and is close to FDA approval in the US. They also fail to mention the major downside of botox and collagen injections, i.e. the expense of having to re-inject every 3-5 months because the results are so temporary. In a very cursory overview of some procedures, the authors do not give any evaluation of how effective the procedure really is versus the claims and a relative idea of expense. As consumers, we're looking for more information on what's going to give us the biggest bang for our buck!

The list at the end of the book of the author's products and where they are available also casts doubts on the objectivity of the information presented.