Looking Good

Looking Good. The Australian guide to skin care, cosmetic medicine and cosmetic surgery.

Dr Laurence Anderson. Sydney: MJA Books, 2006 (v + 112 pp) ISBN 0-85557-044-X . “— an excellent publication that gives an accurate overview of what is available for the cosmetic medicine consumer. It is interesting, informative, well set out and easy

Cosmetic medicine and cosmetic surgery have come of age. We can remove wrinkles and blemishes, straighten teeth and noses, and sculpt our bodies into works of art. We have the power to make ourselves beautiful and are not afraid to use it.

These days, cosmetic procedures are varied, mainstream and affordable, and the line between beauty treatments and cosmetic medical options is blurred. In Looking Good, Dr Laurence Anderson, a member of the Cosmetic Physicians Society of Australasia, clearly explains how to look after our skin and demystifies the many cosmetic and plastic surgical procedures available.

Looking Good answers the Australian public’s questions. A registered cosmetic physician and long-term GP, Dr Anderson covers skin anatomy, sun protection, diet, cosmetics and other general information in the first half of the book, then tackles available cosmetic procedures in the second half. These are broadly divided into minor or office procedures valued at around $1000 or less, and the major procedures costing up to $15,000 or more and often requiring a general anaesthetic. Various practitioners have contributed high quality “before and after” photographs, and the text is liberally illustrated with line drawings and other photographs. There are sections on overseas travel to get cosmetic medicine and how to prepare yourself and your family when you are considering surgery.

Looking Good is not a shopfront for cosmetic practitioners and is quite candid about the downfalls, both physical and emotional, of this growing cultural phenomenon. While people have the right to maximise their attractiveness, the book points out that there is also the danger that for some cosmetic medicine may become an unhealthy obsession or be mistaken as the answer to life’s problems. Order this book