Teosyal offers the best of Hyaluronic Acid with their Resilient Hyaluroic Acid - developed with a patented technology that makes it super-resilient, ensures the purity and delivers the lowest concentration of by-products in compairson to other dermal fillers. With very high lift capabilities, the ability to maintain its shape and stay where it is injected, Teosyal delivers long-lasting, natural results.

What makes it interesting is that it's not a "one filler suits everything" deal - there is a different filler for different areas including: Eyes - to deal with fine lines, crow's feet, tear troughs and glabellar wrinkles; Cheeks - for upper cheeks, cheeks and nasolabial folds; Lips - for cupid's bow, perioral wrinkles, lip volume, lip contour and marionette lines; and Light Filling - a treatment used between filling injections to redensify skin deep down and restore its ability to reflect light and help with tried, drawn features, loss of tone and radiance along with wrinkles and lines.
You can get some really dramatic results as evidenced from the before and after pictures above.
Or you can get something a lot more subtle that will have people saying things to you like "you look refreshed" or "you look like you slept well" or "damn you look good girl"! Not once have I had anyone ask what I've had done to my face. There isn't a dramatic difference - my tear troughs are slightly shallower, my cheeks are a little fuller - but most impressively...
My nose is straight - if you look at the top in the before pictures I have a bump - a little filler and no more bump, just a perfectly straight nose!

All thanks to my good friend Dr. Corey Torgerson who took great pleasure in jabbing me continuously with a needle - I'm just kidding - as a needle-phobic person it's amazing I got this done at all but Dr. T. is a genius with a needle, you barely know he's doing anything at all! You can stalk him at http://www.drtorgerson.com

The injections themselves didn't really feel like much, it's after the fact that's much worse - my face felt tender and sore for several days afterwards - being a delicate peach I also really bruised, so next time I would ice the injection areas generously to avoid that - overall I am really pleased with the results - and they will last anywhere from 6-18 months!

Not crazy about needles but still want to do something great for your skin? Then how about a SilkPeel Dermalinfusion - a non-invasive skin rejuvenation might be just the ticket, it offers advanced exfoliation along with the delivery of condition-specific topicals for Clarifying - for oily, blemished skin to reveal a clearer, smoother complexion; Hydrating - with a nutrient-rich moisturizing formula developed to quench the thirstiest skin; Vitamin C - for skin that looks tired and dull; and Lumixyl - to improve the appearance of discolouration and achieve a more even tone overall.

Teosyal and SilkPeel are distributed in Canada by Clarion Medical Technologies, an Alphaeon Company - for more information or to find a doctor near you who can hook you up check out http://teoxane.com/en and http://silkpeel.com.

I knew that if I held off long enough that science would come up with anti-aging procedures that wouldn't involve any cutting - and thankfully, I was right!

One of he latest and greatest in non-surgery procedures is Ultherapy - the only non-invasive ultrasound treatment approved by the FDA and Health Canada for lifting the skin on the neck, chin and brow by using focused ultrasound to lift and tighten loose skin over time.

The focused ultrasound is used to stimulate the growth of new collagen deep within the skin - which is important because as we know, collagen is a natural protein that gives skin its youthfulness by keeping it firmed and toned. As we age, collagen loses its strength and its ability to stand up to the effects of gravity that pull the skin downward. The thermal affect essentially jumpstarts a repair process that strengthens existing collagen and produces fresh, new collagen. - and as the production of new collagen occurs over time, the results aren't immediate but become more apparent over three to six months. 

The procedure only takes about an hour for most patients, costs between $1-$5K depending on the areas being treated, and there is no downtime.

Lifting with no cutting, I was all over this one so I went to see my friend Dr. Cory Torgerson to see if this procedure could do something about my less then defined jawline and saggy chin bits. 

I purposely didn't read other people's experiences with it before I went because I didn't want to have any preconceived ideas on what it would be like - I realize what you really want to know here is if it hurts - and the short answer is no. 

Before the procedure I took a couple of advil and tylenols and Dr. Torgerson gave me a few numbing injections which really did the trick. I was told I could expect pain on an out of 10 scale of about a 4 but at the very worst it was a 2 and that wasn't even very often. Most of the time it didn't feel like much of anything - when I did it was just slightly painful - like having  hot ashes from a cigarette flicked on my skin and that mostly happened for me right along the jawline and on my cheeks near my teeth with crowns.

Having now read some of the reviews by people who had Ulthera without the numbing, make sure you go and see someone that will numb you, it does not sound fun without it!

Afterwards my skin was slightly red for a couple of hours, over the next day I developed a couple of small welts along the jawline and for a week or so my skin felt mildly tender when I touched it. Now that it is a couple of weeks past the procedure I have no reminders of it at all except that my collagen should now be hard at work strenthening and improving itself!

Immediately following the treatment, the skin on my jawline felt firmer and when I looked in the mirror I thought it even looked a bit tighter - but looking at the photos that were taken before and after, I can't actually see any difference so I'm not going to bother posting them because then you'll just be forced to see me without makeup for no reason and nobody should have to go through that!

Over the next couple of months I can expect to see the results with a tighter jawline - can't wait! You can  check out Dr. Torgerson's website for more info on the procedure - www.drtorgerson.com!

"Botox and injectable fillers are both injected into the skin using needles. Simply put Botox effectively reduces muscle activity that causes lines and wrinkles whereas injectable fillers restore the volume to your face that has been lost due to the aging process. There have been great advancements in the cosmetic industry in recent years and I’d like to reiterate that both products are completely safe as long as they are administered properly by a licensed professional. 


Dr. T injected Botox between my eyes and to my crow's feet and Restylane filler to my tear troughs (to lessen dark circles). The pictures were taken a week apart and I can't get over what a subtle but impressive difference it makes. My eyes are obviously wider and I look much more awake and the crows feet are pretty much gone.


My husband is super happy I can no longer make a mad scrunchy face at him, because of the Botox between my eyes! This makes it obvious that he is the cause of my needing it there to begin with!
As well as Restylane filler in the cheeks (to add volume) and nasolabial folds (the lines between the nose and mouth) - which is much softer now.

I am really happy with the results! I look like me, just single and independently wealthy (less stressed)!

If you've been thinking about doing a little something and are now feeling inspired  this would be a great time to see Dr. Torgerson -  for a day of beauty on Wednesday, March 28th  -

Toronto lovers of beauty rejoice - Beautylicious is back again!  For those not familiar with what it is, many of the salons and spas in the Bloor-Yorkville area offer consumers set value-priced packages and services for a set period of time.  there is a wide array of hair, spa, skin and health & wellness service packages available at three set prices - $25, $75 and $125 in four categories: hair (hair/colour/cut/style); spa (includes massage and/or facial and/or mani/pedi); skin (non-invasive procedures including Botox, Restylane or chemical peel); and Health & Wellness (nutrition services, dental, chiropractic services)

There are too many packages for me to even begin to tell you about but you can find all the event info at www.bloor-yorkville.com with details of all the participating spas and salons as well as the packages available.  But I will share with you a few of the ones I have my eye on as well as a few that I have tried already and can recommend:

Marc Anthony Salon - 38 Avenue Road - 416-413-1521 has an amazing $125 offering of an all-over colour, wash, deep conditioning treatment, Shiatsu scalp massage, haircut and blowout (for new clients only).  I got my hair cut there with Byron last week and it was great - you can read the review here.

Taz Hair Co. - 11 Yorkville Avenue - 416-922-6060 has a great $75 or $125 package involving colour and/or highlights - snag Susan if you can, she's great and they use the INOA colour there which has to be experienced to be believed!  You can read my review here.

Pure + Simple - 41 Avenue Road - 416-924-6555 - I can't say enough about the deluxe sea salt microdermabrasion so you will just have to go an experience it for yourself for $125!  You can read the review here.

and don't miss out on seeing Dr. Cory Torgerson - Facial Cosmetic Surgery - 70 Yorkville Avenue, Suite 31 - 647-343-0207 - who is offering special promotional prices on Restylane or Perlane injectable fillers as well as Botox.  If you aren't ready for that yet, he is also offering a complimentary consultation and 3D photo image session - check out what you could look like after a bit (or a lot) of work!  I did it and it was fun, you can check out the post here.

What sounds interesting that I haven't tried:

Clarins Skin Spa - 87 Yorkville Avenue - 416-924-9124 - for $125 I can have a Hawaiian Wave body treatment + Firmer bust: super moisturizing treatment for the body and bust and decollete treatment to stimulate and tone for firmer skin in this delicate area.

OxyBeauty - 14A Hazelton Avenue, Suite 304 - 416-929-4597 - for $75 I can have a OXYjet facial: removes pore impurities, replenishes antioxidant content and provides deep skin moisturizing for environmentally damaged skin

Spa at the Windor Arms Hotel - 18 St. Thomas Street - 416-934-6031 - for $75 I can have a 60 minute Pumpkin Body Wrap: this vitamin-rich masque stimulates blood flow and nourishes the skin.

I have no idea how I will ever choose - it's too bad I only have one face (unlike Christelle)!

Check it out at www.bloor-yorkville.com and help me make a decision and if you're going to book, do it soon, they book up fast and it only runs October 28-November 7!

George Carlin had a whole routine around the 7 words you can never say on television.  I'm a little easier going then that, there are only 3 words that you can never say in my presence - panties, clip and blood - I don't know what it is about them but they just make me cringe!  Panties is always underwear or knickers, clip is cut and blood is that red stuff that I don't talk about because just thinking about it makes me want to faint or vomit or both, needless to say I am hopeless when it comes to needles and I don't get involved with red stuff drives.  I bring this up because I am now going to discuss a new cosmetic filler  - Selphyl - that is actually made up from your very own red stuff!  Normally I would avoid this topic like the plague but you know how fascinated I am by plastic surgery and my fascination is fighting my revulsion and winning!

Now we've talked about fillers before and how they help you regain the youthful "plumpness" that your face loses as you age which up to now has been done with fillers with synthetic or animal-derived materials.  Selphyl, on the other hand, uses human growth factors harvested from our own red stuff to rebuild tissue and erase the signs of years gone by.  The Selphyl system fills in wrinkles, skin depressions and even helps prevent scars.  Selphyl's technology is different from conventional fillers as it works by promoting collagenesis and vascularization to repair tissues instead of filling depressions.  The procedure starts with one or two teaspoons of red stuff being collected from the patient.  The red stuff is then placed in a special patented centrifuge which has been designed and optimized to prepare a Platelet-Rich Fibrin Matrix (PRFM) by separating the red and white red stuff cells from the plasma containing the platelets.  The platelets are the key to tissue regeneration and Selphyl's patented system ensures that intact and viable platelets are injected back into your body.  Platelets are rich in human growth factors and release natural regenerating factors over time by stimulating fibroblasts in order to reconstitute the extracellular matrix of the skin, promoting tissue repair, cell growth and collagen production.

What does all of this science-babble actually mean?  Well simply put: the procedure allows the cells in your body to talk to each other and gets your body's own natural healing system to do all the work! And it's pretty easy - 20 minutes, no downtime and results are visible within 3 weeks and have been proven to last for over 12 months.  You can call  1-800-465-3376 to find a qualified doctor in your area or if you are in the GTA the very cute (and qualified) Dr. Cory Torgerson can hook you up!  You can find his website here.  You can also check out the Selphyl website to see other before and after pictures.  You'll notice the results are subtle, but make such a big difference in how the women look afterwards!

If they could find a way to extract my red stuff without aid of a needle, I would totally be all over this!  Or maybe I could just get really drunk before - I'll have to find out if that would be a problem...

I must admit that all of my plastic surgery knowledge comes from TV.  Shows like Nip/Tuck and The Swan - which probably paint a less that favourable view of the industry.  Well I decided it was time to check things out for myself, if not for my own sake, then for Christelle who will certainly be needing some botox really soon as all the scowling she does has given her a great big furrow between her eyebrows - see what a good friend I am?!

I expect plastic surgeons on TV to be attractive, everyone on TV is attractive - but imagine my surprise when I met Dr. Cory Torgerson in person - he could have his own TV show!  Hedgehog hair and a youthful looking face had me thinking this guy must have started med school when he was 12 but Dr. Cory is his own best advertisement for his profession!  His focus is simple - he wants to naturally enhance and genuinely reflect who you are.  He believes in helping people find their true beauty.  Which may sound contrary when spoken in conjunction with plastic surgery but really, it just means that if you are looking for extreme, unnecessary measures, he is not the doctor for you!

A few weeks ago, Dr. Cory was kind enough to sit down with me at his very modern, newly renovated office at 70 Yorkville Avenue and take some time to go over the basics of plastic surgery with me.  He made the concept of it simple by telling me that the key to effective and natural looking plastic surgery is to do the right thing at the right time.  Which led to my question - what is the right thing and when is the right time for it?

In your 20s - 30s - You'll know it's the right time when you start to see the early signs of aging such as sun damage.  You no longer look as fresh in the morning.  Your cheeks lose their fullness.  The right thing - injectables to help plump the skin back up in the cheek and chin area, botox for the expression lines and lasers (but not for dark skin) for the age spots, freckles, acne scars, rosacea and to improve texture. This is also the time to make sure you are using a good skin care line.

In your late 30s - 40s - This is the time for more aggressive injectables, botox and eye surgery.

Keep in mind of course that these ages aren't set in stone, a lot of it also has to do with genetics, how thick your skin is as well as environmental factors, if you smoke and/or tan.  It should go without saying that non-smokers and non-sun worshipers age much slower!

Of course you are wondering how much youth is going to cost you and what the downtime is:

Botox can be done in 20-30 minutes and you can go right back to work and no one will notice.  Any signs of the injections are very minimal and usually not noticeable.  Cost is around $350 an area.

Injectable fillers, there will be some swelling for anywhere between 24 hrs to 1 week, depending on the type of filler you choose. There may also be slight bruising, but this can be easily covered with make-up. Cost is $500 and up depending on what type of filler you go with.

Eyelid surgery, the stitches come out within 5 days, but bruising and swelling lasts between 1-2 weeks.  The cost for upper and lower blepharoplasty is $6K.  Dr. Cory was kind enough to share some before and afters for this procedure - check out the area above her eyes - it's amazing how much bigger her eyes look!

Other services offered:  rhinoplasty, face and neck lift, forehead lift, otoplasty, chin and cheek implants and brow reshaping.

If you're looking for a boob job than Dr. Cory is not your guy, his practice is strictly from the neck up!

And unlike some offices you go to where there is an overwhelming choice of skin care brands, Dr. Cory has chosen what he believes to be the best, most effective line - Alyria - a line of advanced skincare products that improve skin tone and texture, and noticeably reduce fine and lines and even deep wrinkles.  Each product is formulated with proven ingredients in effective percentages and state-of the art technology, including patented delivery systems, to enhance the beauty of your skin.  This is the doctor's office line from our good friends at NeoStrata, so I feel confident that it must be good!

He also carries a line of professional nutricosmetics - GliSODin Skin Nutrients - a professional nutricosmetic line specifically formulated with premium natural ingredients to deliver critical nutrients to the skin.  GliSODin Skin Nutrients should be used by those who are looking to improve their skin health and general well being. GliSODin Skin Nutrients should also be used by anyone who undergoes medical aesthetic procedures and is looking to enhance their daily beauty regime.  Pretty pills!  He did give me a sample pack to try so I will be getting back to you with my results.

What I was really interested in seeing when I went to visit the good doctor is some new technology that he is the first in Canada to have - the Vectra Face Sculptor. What I find daunting about the idea of plastic surgery is not knowing exactly what you will look like when it's done - what if I hate it?  No longer a worry, what this new technology does is take six simultaneous photographs of your face which, when overlaid, produces a living three-dimensional recreation.  This 3D image can then be modified to give a realistic idea of how you might look with your surgery.  He used it on me and it's as simple as having your picture taken - what's daunting is having to see yourself in 3D.  Dr. Cory then gave the image a little makeover - some lasering, a little filler and insultingly enough, a nose job - I always thought my nose was fine, now I'm not so sure!  It really is amazing to see what a difference a few tweaks can make!  Here's a patient example he gave me permission to share - you don't think there was any chance I would show you mine, did you?!


Want to check it out for yourself? - you're in luck!  Dr. Cory will be at the Anti-Aging Show taking place this weekend at the International Centre in Mississauga.  The show runs from the 19th to the 21st.  You can find Dr. Cory at his booth (115/117) or doing a presentation on the main stage Friday at 3pm and Saturday and Sunday at 2pm.

Will I be going "under the knife" anytime soon?  Probably not - but a little refreshing is sounding pretty good right about now...