The cutting edge

By MARY AWOSIKA

Ten years ago, "rhinoplasty," "liposuction," "mesotherapy," "abdominoplasty" and "canthoplasty" would have sounded like gibberish to most people.

Today, thanks to TV shows like "Extreme Makeover" and "The Swan" that document cosmetic and reconstructive procedures, those terms have become a part of the American vocabulary.

With this new awareness comes the temptation to gloss over the seriousness of a procedure and the preparation preceding it.

A new magazine, New Beauty, based in Boca Raton, aims to educate people who might be considering those procedures. It's more of a textbook than an informational pamphlet, but it reads with ease, said Yolanda Yo, the publication's art director.

"It's meant to be a resource, something you keep and refer to like a bridal magazine," said Yo. "It's not to be thrown away," she said.

Published three times a year, it is sold at major retail bookstores for $9.95. Within its 250 pages readers can find information about such topics as how to choose a doctor, breast augmentations and spa treatments.

It's not intended to glamorize the procedures, Yo said, but to give readers an inside view of the cosmetic enhancement industry.

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the top five cosmetic procedures are nose reshaping, liposuction, breast augmentation, eyelid surgery and face lift.

New Beauty, which has been on sale since January, is being published internationally. Within the United States there are 13 regional editions, including Washington, D.C., New York City, Northern and Southern California and the Gulf Coast.

Well-known doctors are contacted by the magazine's advertising sales representatives about being included in the "advertorial" section. Each profile lists the certification and a brief biography of the doctor. For the West Florida edition, plastic surgeons, vein specialists and cosmetic dentists from Tampa and Seminole to Fort Myers and Bonita Springs are listed.

Dentist Jill Morris and her colleague Burr Blake were two of the 20 doctors featured in the West Florida regional pullout section Morris said she was approached by the magazine's editorial staff a year ago and was impressed with the concept.

The majority of the New Beauty editorial staff has a medical science background, and the entire magazine is approved by a board of doctors before publication to ensure the content is accurate and valid, Yo said.

Morris said she noticed an increase in her business and in patient inquiries about new dental procedures since the magazine was published.

"It makes my job easier, to have someone well-educated when they walk in the door," Morris said. "You can read the information and have good questions ."

New Beauty addresses smile, skin, face, body and mind. The New Man section covers solutions for hair loss and misshapen physiques, in addition to exploring over-the-counter products. Within each section real people share their personal experiences with surgical procedures.

The articles are a combination of briefs, charts and sidebars to make it reader-friendly, Yo said. "We know that people don't have lots of time to sit and read a huge article."

"We wanted to present a new concept, a whole new kind of beauty magazine," Yo said, hence the simple layout, crisp fonts and bold photos.

"We're not saying go out and change yourself, so you can be someone else; it's nice that people have choices and options," said Yo. "But, they need to be educated."