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Degäm MedSpa - Review

A Little Nip and No Tuck

by Sylvie Greil

Medical spas are the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. spa industry. According to the International Spa Association they grew by 109 percent from 2002 to 2004, as compared to a 26 percent growth rate for the general U.S. spa industry. But it wasn’t until recently that we joined this blooming trend. You see, we were perfectly content with "traditional" spa retreats offering noninvasive, holistic treatments like deep-cleansing facials, ayurvedic massage, aromatherapy and bodywork. Then our curiosity about the possibilities of injectables and one-hour face lifts with zero downtime got the better of us and, overcoming a fear of anything involving needles, chemicals and scalpels, we made an appointment.

Dr. Bernard de Berry, M.D., F.A.C.S. is a board-certified plastic surgeon and the medical director of Degäm Med Spa in Newport Beach, Calif. For us it was trust at first sight. The eloquent and enlightened doctor, who has twenty-five years of experience with cosmetic and reconstructive surgery, is about as holistic as a man of Western medicine can get. He was one of the first in the industry to realize the synergistic qualities of traditional wellness spas and medical facilities. Why, he mused, should one go to one place for a massage and to another for a little Botox touch-up? And why should a peaceful Zen-like atmosphere be reserved for spa retreats only? Why not bring these soothing aspects into the "doctor’s office?"

Dr. de Berry impressed us in that he administers or supervises all medical treatments at Degäm Med Spa. And said treatments are carefully selected by de Berry. Say, you have a vague idea that you’d like a face lift, or "some kind of peel" or you’re just not sure and simply would like to look less stressed out and tired. De Berry has no other agenda than to find the most beneficial, customized treatment plan for you. This may simply be a facial and massage, or his signature Non-Invasive Face Lift or the Body Sculpting Program—the latter are among the most fascinating procedures.

If you’re dealing with sagging skin, stretch marks and/or cellulite, you’d opt for the Body Sculpting, which uses a combination of mesotherapy, infrared laser and endermologie. Endermologie is a term you should become familiar with, as it can dramatically reshape your body while improving lymphatic drainage, venous flow and circulation.

Among the treatments employed for the Non-Invasive Face Lift is Adjuvant Mesotherapy. Basically, your skin is being painlessly infused with tailor-made “medicine” (vitamins, minerals and amino acids) to smoothen wrinkles, and improve circulation, elasticity and skin tone. The infusions work on a deep level to spur skin renewal and fibroblasts and fight free radicals, etc. Equally, Mesotherapy is great for reducing fat deposits and diminishing cellulite. The Non Invasive Face Lift also uses Titan and TriActive Lasers. Titan is essentially a painless correction of loose, wrinkled skin through recoiling and tightening the skin's collagen matrix. It also enhances the nutrition and rebuilding of the skin. Lavish spa treatments round out the experience.

Gone are the days of brutal liposuction and staplers. All therapies are either non-invasive or minimally invasive and at the cutting edge of modern cosmetic procedures. And there’s a licensed psychotherapist, Eva Verdult, on board to lend patients emotional support. The possibilities are truly endless, as is the menu of procedures. So after a consultation with the doctor, instead of a traditional face lift with lots of bruising and downtime, you’ll walk away with a battle plan for that sagging, uneven skin, blemishes and whatever else may have occurred in a lifetime of living well. You’ll feel secure in knowing that the treatments are administered by a board-certified plastic surgeon and the whole visit (or several) will be no different than your typical day at the spa. And terms like mesotherapy and Titan will soon come as easily from your lips as deep tissue massage or sugar scrub.

Degäm MedSpa
100 Bayview Circle
Suite 650, South Tower
Newport Beach, CA 92660
866-621-8931

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