Beauty fix or fad?

According to reports, Hollywood actress Kate Beckinsale is the latest celebrity to try ‘penis facials’. While the skin treatment may sound gross, they are being offered for a whopping $650 and involve applying a mask that's derived from newborn baby foreskin cells, cloned in a lab. Kate isn't the only one to get what's also been dubbed a Hollywood EGF (Epidermal Growth Factor) Facial. It has also been tried by divas such as Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Emma Stone, Katy Perry and is definitely touted to give your skin deep cleansing and long-lasting glow.

The penis or foreskin facial uses serum containing the liquefied foreskins of circumcised South Korean baby boys, a specialty of skin care expert Georgia Louise. For this treatment stem cells and peptides are penetrated deep into the skin using a special electric micro-needling wand. While there are simpler, easy to apply treatments, does a foreskin facial stand a better chance at being effective on the face? Cosmetic dermatologist Dr. Manhohar Sobhani believes while a majority of beauty products use an animal source, this one uses human tissues.

Explaining it scientifically he says, “You are eating all the time but your tongue is healthy. You have sex all the time and still, the penis skin is healthy. This skin can withstand a lot of stress and pressure. So God has given you a skin that can withstand stress whereas your face gets tanned and pigmented with even a little exposure. In that case, using the foreskin might help the face beauty lift up.”

Counting it as an anti-aging treatment, the expert explains that epidermal growth factor and fibroblasts can definitely increase collagen production that can, in turn, help the skin rejuvenate.

Dermatologist Dr Ashwini Padmawar who favours vampire facials is of the opinion that as long there are proteins, anything will work well for the facial skin.“They must be cultivating that skin, developing stem cell product and from that, must be extracting the protein. As long as it contains proteins that will repair skin, it is always accepted. This is exactly what happens in the vampire facial,” she says.

However, Dr Padmawar believes that the effectiveness of such facials solely depends on the method used. “Any protein is going to be helpful but a lot depends on the procedure with which you are applying the serum. Are you massaging it, or using a technology like micro healing, or penetrating deep inside? If you are just applying on a superficial level, then the amount of penetration is doubtful,” she lists.

But then does a treatment costing £465 (around Rs 45,925) become so crucial? According to Dr. Sobhani, people are longing for something new for their body to display and as long as is it has a feel-good factor, the market will always be open. Women and child psychiatrist, Dr, Sharita Shah points out that with the modernisation and technology advancement, people’s urge to look good has gone to another level. “You are constantly aware of your image and how you look all the time. Earlier, it was for people under media glare but now every individual wants to try. Even a child who has access to the phone is looking up on things that will make him or her look attractive. Therefore, one is wanting to try anything and everything,” she rues.

Further drawing attention to the fact that in such a case, cost becomes secondary as long as it is not harmful. “Whether it is the fish pedicure or a facial roller, people don’t really care. They are willing to try anything without realising about the consequences. Anything that remotely gives people hope, they are willing to try,” adds the psychiatrist.

With people getting obsessed with fine looks and opting for any treatment under the sun, how does this craziness wear off in the long run? The psychiatrist puts this in the body dysmorphic disorder category where one constantly feels something is wrong with their body or body parts.

Though the Indian market is equally vulnerable to any new beauty fad, Dr Sobhani will not recommend it to his patients, as he doesn’t believe in them. “When you are doing makeup, it will last for eight or 12 hours. So now the point is how long will the serum stay on, would it really stimulate the fibroblast of the Indian skin type?” he asks.

Dr. Padmawar begs to differ. According to her, as long as it is research oriented, people in India will go with it. “But if you tell them it is a first time and you want to try it with them they will not be ready. With vampire facial, for four-five years people were not ready for it, now everyone is doing it here,” she concludes.