AGEING FEARS
Almost one-third of Australian women under 35 feel over the hill, according to our study.
The Victorian Cosmetic Institute poll of 1500 women found 29 per cent of women aged 25 to 34 said they would consider non-surgical cosmetic procedures because they felt old and past their use-by date.
One-quarter of women in that age bracket said they would think about cosmetic procedures because they felt they always looked tired.
A further 10 per cent said they were tempted after seeing the results on Hollywood stars.
A quarter of women aged 18 to 24 also felt past their best, while 22 per cent said they always looked tired.
But only 3 per cent said celebrities getting cosmetic surgery made them more likely to follow suit.
Despite the misgivings, most women aged between 18 to 34 years thought they looked their age.
Almost 30 per cent thought they looked at least three years younger, while 48 per cent thought they looked their age.
Almost a quarter thought they looked at least three years older than their real age.
A spokesman for the institute, Dr Gavin Chan, said some women felt invisible regardless of their young years.
“It now seems women across the board feel they are either becoming invisible and not taken seriously or so worn out by their lot in life they feel old and tired,” Chan said.
“This feeling of invisibility seems to be worse at certain life junctures, after a relationship breakup, when things get tough in the workplace, after having a baby and when looking for a job.
“Women report feeling quite diminished by the reactions of employers, shopkeepers, bartenders and society in general.”

As a doctor, I’m often asked what is the difference between laser and IPL or Intense Pulsed Light, and what is best for different skin conditions. At The Victorian Cosmetic Institute, we firmly believe that laser is the superior modality for skin treatments and tend to be able to treat a particular problem more specifically than IPL. Our current laser count is 13. One might ask why we have so many lasers? The answer is; because each laser has a specific function and target, and thus various lasers can be used to treat a variety of skin conditions more specifically than a single laser or IPL system. Lasers are a single wavelength of light as opposed to IPL that is broad band of various light wavelengths. As a result, each laser wavelength has a certain target in the skin, whereas IPL is less specific than this. We have a specific laser for the treatment of pigmentation, acne, capillaries, hair, wrinkles, tattoos, scarring, leg veins – each designed specifically for the job.

The other issue is who operates these lasers. Our doctors have specialised training in the use of lasers for the treatment of various skin conditions. However, in Victoria, there are currently no regulations as to who can use a laser. There will probably be changes to this in the near future, with regulations that will be put in place so that only doctors will be allowed to operate lasers. This is the case in some other states of Australia.

Overall, when choosing a laser provider, you should ask; what laser technology do they own, do they use laser or IPL, and who is operating the laser, so you can get the best treatment for your skin.

For more information about lasers, click on the link to our information page on lasers;

http://www.thevictoriancosmeticinstitute.com.au/laser-general-information/