Beam Me Up, Scotty

Kathryn Retzer

How is it that the glamourous around town can spend their summers sunning on the Cote d'Azur (Bain de Soleil for that St. Tropez tan!) with nary a sunspot in sight? Their secret: trips to Dr. Sanford Schnoll, one of several experts who perform a noninvasive laserlike treatment called IPL (intense pulsed light) that has no known health risks. For $575 a visit, one can reduuce skin imperfections such as age spots, birthmarks, and broken veins on the face, neck, chest, arms, and hands. Clients are in and out in an hour (with no downtime) and walk away with permanent results. With an anestnetic cream applied 15 minutes prior to the procedure, the pulses of light applied to the skin are but a tickle. Afterward, the treated skin hardens and peels off within one to two weeks. A few sessions are required for optimal effect, so be prepared to drain your checkbook to banish blemishes

FEATURE

Gone

Our recent story about teen suicide on the Golden Gate Bridge has generated a sometimes heated debate. In the last four years, 16 young people have climbed over the rail and jumped. These kids weren’t crazy. They were in the throes of painful—and impulsive—adolescence. Then, suddenly, they were gone.

Suicide hotlines and resources

If you or someone you know might be contemplating suicide, contact the following resources.

REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK

The best investment advice you'll never get

For 35 years, Bay Area finance revolutionaries have been pushing a personal investing strategy that brokers despise and hope you ignore.

REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK

Do you want a 20-second warning?

If we adopted UC Berkeley seismologist Richard Allen’s breakthrough earthquake alarm system, your cell phone and laptop could alert you to the Big One before the shaking begins. Tell that to the powers that be.