It seems that we're back in the thick of things after the holidays. There were so many news stories this week that you'll have to visit the main and subsequent pages of www.medspapress.com to see them all.

In product and company news...A trial date has been set for the Cutera - Palomar & Palomar - Cutera patent infringement trials. Cutera was also in the news announcing the resignation of one of their Board of Director members. Syneron annouced two new sales alliances in Canada. The Lumenis One received regulatory clearance in Korea along with the Cynosure Apogee Elite receiving regulatory clearance in both Korea and Taiwan. But, our favorite stories are highlighted below.

Here are the top stories for this week. View the rest of the medspa and aesthetic industry news at www.medspapress.com.

ASAPS and ASPS raise concerns about cosmetic procedures performed by unqualified personnel The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) have joined forces to raise awareness about the dangers of unlicensed personnel performing medical cosmetic procedures in non-clinical settings. Recent cases of patients receiving BOTOX(R) and tissue fillers at shopping malls, beauty salons or in their homes by individuals without sufficient training or licensure caused concerns among clinical and public health experts.

VC investors bet on baby boomer businesses Will Nasdaq end the year above 3,200? Will Amazon.com get bought by Wal-Mart? And which way is Google's stock headed? Those are a few of the questions that Seattle-area venture capitalists and private equity investors pondered in John Cook's annual predictions column. So here is a look into the minds of five investors as they try to figure out where things are headed in 2006. Don't be too surprised to see that anti-aging treatments for baby boomers are high on their list.

French women do get fat Would you look younger if you came from Japan? Or be happier as a Brazilian? National stereotypes were meant to have gone the way of bowler hats and the British Empire. Yet the latest publishing phenomenon plays entirely on the notion that the inhabitants of a country share certain traits. This article examines modern stereotypes for traces of myth or reality.

Cosmoceuticals - A layperson's explanation Cosmoceuticals, this new generation of skincare combines cosmetics with vitamins, herbs and, occasionally, pharmaceuticals. Cosmoceuticals contain higher levels of active ingredients than their counterparts and companies often conduct scientific studies to substantiate their claims.

Maintaining mommy This humorous, yet accurate story from the Globe and Mail reflects our obsession with bodily maintainence...and how we may achieve it.

Canadian experts say silicone breast implants safety still unclear Health Canada should set up and administer a registry of women with breast implants and seek more information about the long-term safety of the silicone-gel form of the devices, an expert scientific panel says in its long-awaited report.

Hope you enjoyed this week's news from MedSpaPress. You may click on www.medspapress.com to view and search on more news from our industry.

Have a great week and we'll see you next Monday!

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