Again, people all over the nation are making strides to fulfill their New Year's resolutions. Weight loss, wrinkles and smoking are usually at the top of the list. When it comes to how your clients look, there are things that can be done inside and outside the plastic surgeon's office.
At the time of this writing, we do not know who will be the new president of the United States. Let's have some fun...what if Governor George W Bush or Vice President Al Gore walked into skin care facility or plastic surgery office? I don't know if you know this, but most politicians have "image" consultants who show candidates how to dress, comb their hair or touch up their look. It is universally accepted that a person's face is the basis for first impressions, and for politicians, they use are, of course, the center of attention.

An informal survey
The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) decided to have an "election" of its own. The AAFPRS surveyed its membership to offwe a little advice to Vice President Al Gore and Governor George W. Bush regarding their facial appearances. As the presidential candidates face the nation and duke it out for the title of president, all of America is not only listening to what Gore and Bush are saying, but they are carefully watching and analyzing how they look. Fairly or not, candidates' looks have strongly influenced voters since the beginning of TV era politics.
According to the AAFPRS survey, when it comes to attracting votes, Al Gore's facial features are an asset.
Think about what you could do or recommend to the new president - elect (whoever it will be) to fulfill his resolutions to look better for the public.

Eat, drink, exercise and sun
First, you would start with the basics. What you eat and drink is important to how you look. Most of us do not drink enough fluids to keep us hydrated and looking youthful. Our bodies are made up of 95 percent water and unless you replenish it, your body will not function nor look as rejuvenated as it can. Triathletes know this and are big on drinking a lot of fluids. Some estimates are that the body can loose up to 50 percent of its efficiency when not properly hydrated.
Eating well is common sense, which most of us do not have! Recommend well-balanced meals and vitamin supplements (many skin care companies have incorporated supplements into their lines). When necessary, a healthful diet can help your client maintain an appropriate weight. A certified dietician or nutritionist, which some spas have on staff, is helpful to clients who need that extra guidance.
Ok, perhaps it may be out of the realm of possibilities, but if your client were the president-elect, a healthful diet would also keep the stress levels down.
Exercise is also a great way to keep stress in check. Many political personalities hire personal trainers to come to their houses or offices. Consider partnering with a personal trainer to package your services. When partnering with personal trainers, make sure they are certified. Get references and make sure they have their own liability insurance.
There is so much written in literature about the importance of skin care and sun protection - all I have to say to patients is "just do it." If your clientstill wants more of a "fix" what can be done? A lot.

Pick them apart
Almost 30 percent of the AAFPRS surgeons surveyed do not recommend any facial surgery procedures for Gore. However, there were others (almost 20 percent)who recommended that the vice president undergo rhinoplasty (nose surgery), while 9 percent thought he could benefit from hair restoration.
On the other hand, while the surveyed surgeons scrutinized Bush for his perpetual "half-grin," his eyes, say some, also need attention. In fact, 60 percent of AAFPRS members surveyed recommended either blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) or brow-lift surgery for the governor. The eyes show our age before any other part of the face.
"Often one of the first signs of aging is in the eyelid area, which may make Bush look slightly older than Gore," says AAFPRS President Dr. Russell W.H. Kridel. "However, some signs of minor aging may reflect the image of a man with experience, who displays the wisdom and maturity that comes along with it.

The list
Here is a laundry list of the available services that will make clients feel better about their looks:
* Microdermabrasion can be offered in salons and doctors' offices. It works well to refresh dull skin.
* Consider a skin care line that may be appropriate for your client's skin consitions.
* Injectable agents such as Botox, collagen, Biopolymer, cymetra, etc., are widely available. These injectables fill in wrinkles, paralyze wrinkles and hide wrinkles.
* Surgical options can include minor changes or major changes. Available surgeries to improve looks starting from head to toe include scalp reduction, hair transplantation, forehead lift (endoscopic, coronal, hairline incision), direct brow-lift, blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery, transconjunctival, traditional, fat redistribution), mid-face endoscopic lift, facelift (deep plane, SMAS, triplanar, skin only), neck liposuction (with muscle plication), chin implant, chin reduction, fat injections, otoplasty (pinning ears back), rhinoplasty (nose job), lip augmentation or reduction, dental implants, teeth whitening, breast reduction or augmentation, liposuction of any body part imaginable, abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), sclerotherapy (vein removal), buttock augmentation and calf and pectoral implants for men and women.
There are a wide variety of things that your clients can take advantage of to fulfill their resolutions. Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the best looking presidential candidate of them all ? I hope we will know soon...