Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

Beauty and the business

For too long, the cosmetics industry has relied on women to keep it afl oat. But, as Celeste Neill-Duvoisin discovers at Geneva’s Forever Laser Institut, men are now also buying into the dream of eternal youth

In recent months, a buzz has been building about Swiss skincare line Alchimie Forever, thanks to the brand’s fusion of science, nature and art. The brand was created by the Geneva-based Forever Laser Institut, founded by Dr Luigi Polla, 60, a leading European dermatologist specialising in aesthetic non-invasive anti-ageing treatments, and his wife Dr Barbara Polla, 59, an internationally respected specialist in cellular ageing and biomedical research on antioxidants.

The couple’s penchant for the avant-garde has led them to fuse their forward-thinking skincare philosophy with their passion for working with innovative contemporary artists at their Geneva gallery, Analix Forever.

The institute itself is a cocooning fusion of beauty and art, taking visual inspiration from Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. There’s a site-specific sound installation designed by UK artist Leslie Deere; in keeping with developing this synergy of the brand, she has also designed a limited-edition music box for the Alchimie Forever skincare line. Conceptual British artist Martin Creed’s work Lights Going On and Off was also used as inspiration on a number of products, and the range’s art packaging has led to the brand being sold in boutiques such as the Hayward Gallery in London and Arty Dandy in Paris, spaces many other beauty brands would find impossible to penetrate.

The Forever Laser Institut was one of the first so-called medical spas to set up in Europe, in 1997, when the beauty industry was on the brink of a huge transformation thanks to the groundbreaking new world of anti-ageing aesthetics.

“I was sure we were beginning a new era in the dermatological approach of beauty,” says Luigi Polla, sitting in his clinic near Geneva’s most glamorous shopping districts. “Finally, we had great products that were safe, gave great results, were relatively affordable and needed very little downtime.”

The growth in what are categorised as ‘non-surgical medical aesthetic treatments’ – which include laser treatments, chemical peels, fillers and Botox – has kick-started a revolution in how beauty is now sold. Anything anti-ageing is all the rage – and the more affordable it is, the better.

Aesthetic capital

Geneva itself has become somewhat of a European centre of aesthetic medicine, thanks to many of the field’s leading names – especially those from France – being drawn to the city’s high-quality lifestyle. The city also has the highest per capita injection rate of Botox in the world.

This gives the Forever Laser Institut a strong client base. Consequently, the institute’s international reputation for pioneering anti-ageing treatments has led to it launching the brand into the relatively new world of ‘cosmeceuticals’, which brings together over-the-counter cosmetic creams with pharmaceuticals.

Key to these products’ successful development was an understanding that it wouldn’t just be women who’d be buying into the dream of eternal youth.

Brands such as L’Oréal and Nivea have successful men-only product lines, and medical spas have also witnessed a huge rise in demand from male clients in recent years. The Forever Laser Institut has responded by launching its own male skincare line as part of the Alchimie Forever brand.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, one of the range’s best-selling products is a stress-relieving gel, and Luigi Polla attributes much of this surge in demand for male grooming to a competitive job market fuelled by the credit crunch. “There was a study published recently that shows scientifically something that everyone already knows – that success in your professional life comes of course from your intelligence and your personality, but having a good appearance is also a huge advantage,” he explains.

“Men in their late 40s and 50s start feeling pressure from younger associates and they don’t want to show that they’re perhaps not as young or dynamic as them.”

Barbara Polla, who oversees Alchimie Forever’s product development, as well as curating the institute’s gallery, believes our sudden increasing lifespan has also brought about key changes in how men’s beauty is judged in society.

“In one century, average lifespan has increased 30 years – that’s enormous. So, for many people, there’s now a great discrepancy between their physical appearance and the way they feel inside” she says. “Men have always been interested in beauty but, until fairly recently, showing interest in that was judged as being very effeminate.

“In the past 30 years, however, that has totally changed and a man going to a spa to take care of his appearance is now accepted in society, as we are all trying to look our best”.

Non-invasive treatments such as Botox and fillers such as Restylane offer the perfect solution for busy executives, as they involve little downtime and can produce results over a lunchtime.

US Botox manufacturer Allergan has reported a 30% surge in use among men in the last year alone.

FR Beauté et business

Ces derniers mois, la notoriété des produits suisses de soins de la peau Alchimie Forever a fait un bond en avant dans toute l’Europe et aux USA. Cet envol est dû principalement à l’esprit de la marque, une alliance d’expertise scientifique, de nature et d’art. La ligne des produits cosmétiques du centre Forever Laser Institute basé à Genève, a été créée par les médecins Luigi Polla, un éminent dermatologue en Europe, et sa femme Barbara Polla, une spécialiste internationale réputée pour ses recherches biomédicales en matière de vieillissement cellulaire et d’anti-oxydants.

Le succès du Forever Laser Institute et des produits Alchimie Forever est dû en grande partie à la vision des Pollas, qui ont très vite compris que les femmes ne seraient pas les seules à succomber au rêve de l’éternelle jeunesse. Au cours des dernières années, les centres de médecine thermale ont enregistré une forte augmentation de la demande des clients masculins. Un facteur que le Dr Luigi Polla attribue principalement à un marché du travail de plus en plus compétitif, encore accentué par la crise économique.

“Les hommes à la fin de la quarantaine ou au début de la cinquantaine commencent à sentir la pression de leurs associés plus jeunes et ils ne veulent pas montrer qu‘ils ne sont peutêtre plus aussi jeunes ni dynamiques qu’eux,” explique Luigi. Des traitements non-invasifs comme le Botox et les substances de comblement des rides comme Restylane offrent une solution parfaite pour les exécutifs pressés. Ces interventions mobilisent très peu de temps et elles produisent des résultats rapides : l’argument majeur du marché des soins esthétiques.

En outre, Barbara croit que l’allongement de notre espérance de vie a apporté un tout nouveau regard sur la beauté masculine aujourd’hui dans nos sociétés. En un siècle, notre espérance de vie a augmenté de 30 ans. “Pour un grand nombre d’individus, il existe un grand écart entre leur apparence physique et la façon dont ils se sentent intérieurement. Alors que les hommes ont toujours été intéressés par leur attrait, il est beaucoup plus accepté aujourd’hui qu’ils prennent part à des traitements en institut pour le rajeunissement,” conclut-elle.

NL Beauty en de business

De voorbije maanden ging het Zwitserse Alchimie Forever, dat een gamma van huidverzorgingsproducten op de markt brengt, in Europa en de VS veelvuldig over de tongen. Die aandacht dankt het merk aan de uitgekiende mix van wetenschap, natuur en kunst. Alchimie Forever is een creatie van het Forever Laser Institute in Genève, dat werd opgericht door dokters Luigi Polla, een toonaangevende Europese dermatoloog, en zijn vrouw Barbara Polla, een internationaal erkende specialiste in celveroudering en biomedisch onderzoek van antioxidanten.

De beslissende factor voor het succes van het Forever Laser Institute en Alchimie Forever was dat het koppel al te goed besefte dat niet alleen vrouwen geld zouden investeren in de droom van een eindeloze jeugd. Medische kuuroorden zien de laatste jaren een enorme stijging in het aantal aanvragen van mannelijke klanten. Dr. Luigi Polla wijt deze fikse stijging aan de combinatie van een uiterst competitieve arbeidsmarkt met de huidige economische crisis.

“Mannen van eind de 40 en 50 jaar beginnen de druk van jongere collega’s te voelen en ze willen niet tonen dat ze minder jong of dynamisch zijn dan hun jongere evenknie”, aldus Luigi. Niet-invasieve behandelingen zoals Botox en vullingen zoals Restylane zijn de perfecte oplossing voor drukbezette executives. De ingrepen zorgen voor een minimum aan downtime en een maximum aan resultaat – meteen de belangrijkste drijfveer op de esthetische schoonheidsmarkt.

Daarenboven is Barbara er rotsvast van overtuigd dat onze plots langer wordende levensduur fundamentele veranderingen heeft teweeggebracht in de manier waarop mannelijke schoonheid in de maatschappij wordt beoordeeld. Onze potentiële levensduur is in één eeuw met 30 jaar verlengd. “Er is voor heel wat mensen een groot verschil tussen hoe oud ze er uitzien en hoe ze zich voelen binnenin.

Terwijl mannen eigenlijk altijd al in schoonheid geïnteresseerd waren, wordt het tegenwoordig veel makkelijker aanvaard als ook zij hun heil zoeken in kuuroorden en verzorgende behandelingen”, besluit ze.

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