And now, a botox lounge

JAM magazine receives a lot of press releases. Here's one which caught my attention, although not necessarily for the right reasons...

Botox Lounge throws open its door today
-One of its kind lounge in India-

Mumbai, April 9, 2007: Cosmetic treatments in India gains the much needed paradigm shift with the opening of the first ever Botox Lounge in Aditya Jyot Eye Hospital today. Inaugurated by Dr. Peter Rubin, Associate Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Botox Lounge aims to steer clear from the hospital set-up in terms of offering the best in class aesthetic treatments in an endearing atmosphere replete with soothing music, massage chairs, reading area etc.

Within the Theme of Relaxation, this set-up will also offer non-surgical cosmetic treatments like facial peels, face lifts, botox injections which will be the core procedure for erasing forehead wrinkles, frown line, crows feet in a set up that seamlessly transforms a patient procedure into a rejuvenating experience. The rationale behind offering cosmetic treatment in a lounge setting is to drive home the fact that botox treatments are simple, quick & pain free procedure that can be carried out in a relaxed setting without the trappings of a hospital room.

Speaking about the uniqueness of Botox lounge, Dr. Debraj Shome, Head, Department of Facial Plastic Surgery, Aditya Jyot Eye Hospital said, "The Botox Lounge is a revolutionary approach towards making cosmetic treatments an enjoyable experience. With an increasing number of people opting for botox as the most effective treatment for erasing wrinkles, we decided to bring in that extra personal touch by making certain striking changes in the ambience.

A Botox customer is not a patient; he/she is a normal person who wants to look better - hence we thought that the entire experience should be aesthetically sublime. The visual appeal of a botox lounge coupled with aesthetic subtle nuances and the 'feel good' factor are tailored to make our customers feel like royalty and will undoubtedly make a cosmetic treatment worthy of the time and money spent".

Dr. Peter Rubin, Associate Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, said "The Botox lounge is another big step in the growth of the cosmetic industry in India. What I like the most is the fact that the person interested in cosmetic treatments will have total privacy and be separated from the rest of the patient".

Though located within the premises of the Aditya Jyot Hospital, the Botox Lounge is far flung from any operating or surgical room. The ergonomically designed furniture shining in all its resplendent hue, with plush interiors, dimmed lights in the waiting area and a massage chair, is a comfort zone of sorts for botox customers and their relatives/friends who accompany them. Now, a customer to the botox lounge will typically be ushered in with a welcome drink and read the latest magazines while awaiting their turn.

Said Dr. Shome, "I can now expect folks to turn up for Botox every month, even if they do not need it, just to experience the pleasure of being at the lounge".

End of Press release

Questions from my side (I have also, helpfully, provided some answers)

Q: Does it make any sense to send this press release to JAM, a publication aimed at an audience aged 16-24?

Answer: You never know... At the very least they could influence their parents and grandparents!

Q: Why a 'botox lounge' in an eye hospital?

Answer: Improved eyesight needs something good to look at...

Q: Will they serve alcohol?

Answer:: They don't need to... If someone asks, "What's your poison?" the answer is Botox!

Q: What magazines will they stock?

Answer:The wrinkle free kind.

Q: So will people turn up every month at the lounge... even if they don't need botox?

Answer: Why not... Doctor, do let us know when you start 'Root Canal' lounge - we'll sign up for that too!

On a slightly serious note, I wonder whether 'botox' is really so painfree and side effects free that it's almost like getting a haircut? Luckily, I am relatively wrinkle free and hence can wait a while to find out.

By then we may have botox spas, botox bars, botox fine dine restaurants ("Enjoy your botox over a relaxing 3 course meal. A quick shot between the second and third course - you won't feel a thing!").

And watch out for botox in transit. Waiting for planes to take off and land is adding a lot of fine lines - at departure gates and on weary faces!

Related read: More Doctors turning to the Business of Beauty in The New York Times