Cosmetic Surgery: Fast Holiday Perk-Up Specials

There's something about the holiday that just makes us want to look better and feel brighter.

I think it's wildly unfair that the very season you want to look the best in your new sparkly dress or just fit into your longtime favorite holiday outfit is the time when they're throwing the most food at you from every corner.

From snack/sampler stations at Costco to the newest pumpkin-spice-caramel-mint-whipped-foamed-cream-topped concoction at Starbucks, temptation is at every turn to make sure you look more like a holiday globe than a candy cane.

Which is why some women—and men—take advantage of a little facial rejuvenation (even as they're succumbing to bodily submission). Injectibles like Botox, Dysport, and the new kid on the block, Xeomin, are popular because they offer fast fixes like relaxing lines or lifting droop, so you look less worried, stressed, and tired – which has the unusual side effect of creating from the outside in. What? When you look in the mirror and see less stress or fatigue, you feel it less too.

Sort of the cosmetic-work version of acting "as if".

Many dermatologists and plastic surgeons offer holiday discounts and specials on those treatments - and they're worth taking advantage of, just as a sampler. 

West Palm Beach: Just for the holidays, the Anushka Spa, Salon, Cosmedical Centre is offering:

• Paparazzi perfect at any age: 2 syringes of restylane for $1,100
•  2 sites with Botox for $645
• They also offer a Little Black Dress Lift with the Cynosure smoothshapes system for $129.

NYC: Dr. Z. Paul Lorenc is offering a 20% off courtesy for first time Xeomin users this month.

The specials offered by Dr. David Colbert's at New York Dermatology Group (of the famed Fashion Week specials) include:

• 25% off on Botox, fillers & laser appointments that are scheduled before December 31st. (This offer does not include 25% off on the Triad Facial.)
• Make sure to mention the "NYDG Holiday Promotion" when scheduling your appointment to receive the 25% off.

Chicago: Dr. David Teplica (whose research uncovered the fact that our love handles are not our fault) is offering:

• Autologous fat transfer (the future of cosmetic work according to our go-to guru, aesthetics consultant, Wendy Lewis) to the wrinkles/creases around the mouth under local anesthesia in the office through January 1, with pricing comparable to the price of temporary hyaluronic fillers for the same creases (hyaluronic acid products, such as Juvederm and Restylane, typically run between $850 - 1800 for creases around the mouth – naso-labial folds, frown lines, marionette lines, etc — whole fat grafting usually runs a little less than twice as much: $1500 – 2800).

Why? Dr. Teplica says:

I've been underwhelmed with the injectibles, since they are so temporary, and I feel they deplete patient's cash reserves in this tough economy. I never want to seem like I'm pushing people toward a more expensive option for the wrong reason. It simply is a far better investment. The holidays are times when folks can lay low for 2-3 days for swelling to subside (slightly more than for injectibles), so now is the time to consider something more permanent. Permanent at the same price as temporary, with a natural filler and only 2-3 days of downtime made sense to me!

Nashville:  At Dr. Michael Gold's Gold Skin Care Center, they were offering 12 Days of Christmas sales and specials, such as

• $25 off Clarisonic PRO with free brush head and free full size cleanser
• An Obagi Radiant Facial just $50 (reg. $95)
• Laser Hair Removal is 40% off
• Restylane at 50% off
• And still: Neocutis Bio-Serum and Holiday Glow Facial package just $100 (reg. $284)

But you can always call and check for special extensions!

Remember though, as Dr. Gold told us in Does Cosmetic Surgery Hurt? – always, always make sure you're getting work, whether it's a special or not, from a reputable board-certified doctor, and not a pop-up shop in your local mall. This is your face after all.

Happy Holidays!

Related stories:
What's On the Never-Never List When Considering Plastic Surgery
Do You Want Pippa's Bottom?
Lush Lashes a Cure for Balding?
Un-Plastic Surgery — The New Nonsurgical Face Lift
Trading plastic surgery for Botox – is it safe?