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Hollywood has Scientology, but for New Yorkers craving a higher order, there’s Dr. Nicholas Perricone and his flagship Upper East Side lifestyle center. The sleek two-story boutique boasts a troop of skincare and diet specialists, all indoctrinated in the ways of best-selling author Dr. Perricone whose key theory espouses that “aging is a disease.” The famous, as-seen-on-TV cure employs a three-tiered approach: Manage diet and stress, increase vitamin and mineral supplements, and buy a small dowry of skincare products. For a three-figure fee, the center offers a consultation for Perricone beginners: an hour with a certified nutritionist and a skincare expert, a Starter Kit, some product samples, and a menu planner. While the staff is extremely well versed in the Perricone method, the center projects a slightly cult-like vibe: Here, the doctor’s theories and products are taken as absolute truths, and his exorbitant product line (with branded olive oil) is relentlessly pushed as a panacea. Besides one-on-one consultations, the lifestyle center also offers monthly seminars on topics like “Beating Free Radicals.” Perricone himself does not keep an office here where his visits are random and unannounced. — Faran Alexis Krentcil