Cosmetics

Dr. W. Grant Stevens calls it his fire and ice room. Stocked with lasers, skin-tightening devices, fat-zapping machines and, on a recent Wednesday, a 65-year-old woman named Helen, the brightly lighted corner of the Marina del Rey medical facility is a smorgasbord of the latest nonsurgical cosmetic procedures. In one corner, there's an Exilis electronic wand not much bigger than a pen, plugged in and ready to roll over Helen's face, tightening her skin. Two boxy Zeltiq machines, which are used as a nonsurgical alternative to liposuction, sit in another corner.

"Trout pout" ? overly plumped lips that are ubiquitous on Hollywood's red carpets ? can afflict any woman who has tried to enhance naturally thin lips. But a technique from Europe that's rolling out across cosmetic surgery practices in Beverly Hills and beyond aims to counteract the billowy, bee-stung lips that are the result of having fillers, collagen and fat injected into the area. PermaLip, an Food and Drug Administration-approved implant that looks like a clear-colored piece of elastic, is now being used in practices in Florida, Texas, New York and California.

Question: I am traveling to London from LAX in May. For the first time, I want to carry on rather than check. Must I limit the liquids I am taking to a 1-quart plastic bag? How strict is the Transportation Security Administration on this topic for international flights? Susan J. Rainey, Riverside Answer: Yes, 1 quart. And very strict. "When you come through the passenger checkpoint, we aren't aware of where you're going," said Nico Melendez, a spokesman for the TSA. "You might be flying to [Washington's]

There's a lot to consider before having cosmetic surgery -- the cost, the procedure, the risks and, of course, the doctor. Here are two experts who can help with those decisions. Reconstructive surgeon Dr. Paul Wigoda -- and medical malpractice attorney Sarah Steinbaum -- will be guests on a live Web chat Friday (noon EST, 11 a.m. CST and 9 a.m. PST). The online discussion will focus on how to shop for a plastic surgeon, what expectations are realistic and related topics. So come join the online chat with your own set of questions.

Karla Rendon stood in front of the vending machine at Maplewood Mall in St. Paul, Minn., staring at an assortment of items ? diapers, baby wipes, sippy cups, bottles, grape juice and diaper rash ointment. Just what a mother shopping with her 13-month-old baby needed. "I wish there had been one of these when I was at the Mall of America," said Rendon of Maplewood, Minn., recalling a recent excursion with daughters Makayla, 5, and Daisy, 13 months. On that day, Rendon had forgotten Daisy's bottle.

North Hollywood nail polish maker OPI Products Inc., best known for its nail lacquers inspired by celebrities including Katy Perry, Justin Bieber and Jennifer Lopez, has been purchased by cosmetics giant Coty Inc., the companies announced Monday. This latest acquisition by privately held Coty, which last year sold $4 billion worth of fragrances and other beauty products, comes amid a flurry of growth by the brand. Terms of the purchase were not disclosed. "It's time for a new era at OPI," said George Schaeffer, the company's co-founder and chief executive.

Holiday travel is right around the corner, and you probably already dread some of the beauty pitfalls. Try to breeze through airport security with regular-size beauty products and you may find yourself pulled to the side of the line, in your stocking feet, subjected to a close, personal relationship with the TSA worker giving you a full-body scan with a security wand. Travel by ship, train or car, and loose makeup in your purse can cause a gooey, gunky mess. A lipstick top falls off, an eye shadow shatters and you are left not only with a soiled handbag but often with ruined cosmetics too. But organization can turn holiday travel from frenzied to fabulous.

When doctors, researchers and celebrity lobbyists talk about the amazing potential of stem cell therapy, their discussions usually center on big-ticket items such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, cancer and spinal cord injuries. They don't, as a rule, talk about wrinkles and crow's feet. But could stem cells be the next frontier in anti-aging medicine? Though most stem cell therapies are still in their infancy, a small number of plastic surgeons across the country are already offering so-called stem cell face-lifts, cosmetic procedures that use a person's own stem cells to supposedly bring new life to aging, sagging skin.

I don't have anything against cosmetic surgery. No amount of running or iron pumping was going to do anything about the genetically programmed dark circles under my eyes, so I got those things zapped with a nuclear-powered laser that made me twitch and fidget in the chair like a spider monkey coming off a meth bender. Cosmetic surgery can, quite simply, do things that diet and exercise can't. If you've got something that looks like that mutant from "Total Recall" hanging off your stomach telling you to "start the reactor," and it bothers you more than the sizeable surgery scars will, then getting some work done on this area could be an option.