Job search got you quaking in your pumps and pencil skirt? We’ve all had that “showing up nude to the interview” nightmare, but to bump up your confidence and your look, consider an image consultant. After 15 years in the skincare and cosmetic business and experience as a recruiter, Bonnie Rogers (326-1115) is one such Image Maven who knows the power of a first impression to set the scene, on both a professional and personal level.

Working with both corporations and individuals to tailor programs for image improvement, Bonnie looks at everything from clothing fit to etiquette, with a focus on developing “image, impact, and income.” She knows how quickly first impressions are cemented, and has seen it all when it comes to job-seekers’ mistakes: short shorts, cocktail dresses, and baby carriages, to name a few. Considering that it takes only seven seconds to give a lasting impression, there isn’t much time to lose with fashion faux-pas. Just a few tips from Bonnie: Pay attention to little details like chipped nails and exposed roots, think about what your clothes are saying, and ditch the gum.

But don’t think that it’s all about the office. “When a woman looks in the mirror and changes her outward appearance, it changes how she is feeling on the inside,” Bonnie says. “There’s a lot of power to be gained from creating a powerful image.”—Lucy Zhou

You’ve heard of lasers being used for eye surgery and hair removal. Well, now there’s laser dentistry, a new, high-tech approach to teeth and gums aimed at reducing the dental chair squirm factor. Aesthetic Dentistry of Charlottesville (ADC) advertises the service on its website (cvillesmiles.com) as “requiring fewer shots and less anesthesia and replacing the drill in many cases.”

Indeed, laser technology can make a few dental procedures, including crown lengthening, frenectomy, and some fillings, less invasive and nearly pain-free. Its popularity is spreading among patients who hear “no needle” and increasingly request a laser. Dr. Anita Neel of ADC adds, “It’s especially great on kids…and it costs exactly the same.”

Still, lasers have a ways to go. Dr. Terry Dickinson of the Virginia Dental Association estimates that only 15-20 percent of dentists have adopted laser technology, which uses heat produced by splitting apart water and air molecules to penetrate soft or hard tissue. Risk of heat damage hasn’t been fully explored, say some dentists not yet on the laser train.

Despite limitations, Dickinson thinks we’ll see “more of these [laser] devices used for more and more things.” According to him, the future of laser dentistry is “a rosy picture.”—Kathryn Faulkner