05/04/10

Retin-A Cream Has Proven Efficacy

Retin-A cream falls in the category of retinoids. Retin-A (retinoids, vitamin A derivatives) cream has been used for years by dermatologists for the treatment of acne, photodamage and anti-aging. There is scientific evidence to show that it stimulates underlying collagen, thereby improving overlying fine lines and wrinkles. The key with Retin-A is learning how to use it correctly so that it doesn’t irritate your skin. You should consult with your dermatologist about getting started with a Retin-A cream.

04/30/10

Leg Veins: Causes and Treatments

Spider veins are small enlarged superficial blood vessels that appear at the skin surface as red or blue. Spider veins commonly occur on the legs. These dilated blood vessels may be short, unconnected hair-like lines, or connected in a "sunburst" pattern. Sometimes, spider veins occur in a small area and aren't very noticeable. Other times, they can cover a large area of skin and be very unattractive. Larger dilated blood vessels (called reticular veins) may appear blue or green through the skin’s surface and often occur along with spider veins.

Physiologically speaking, leg veins are a result of valvular insufficiency of the veins in the legs. Causes of valvular insufficiency can include inheritance pattierns, hormones, standing immobile for extended periods of time, crossing the legs for extended periods of time, excessive weight, pregnancy or trauma.

Sclerotherapy is injection therapy for spider veins and larger reticular veins of the leg. The procedure is simple. Veins are injected with a solution which causes the veins to collapse and fade from view. The number of treatments depends on the amount and severity of your condition and the results that you hope to achieve.

04/27/10

Lasers and Neck Skin Tightening

Lasers are used in cosmetic medicine for many different things, one of which is skin tightening. There are certain types of lasers which do this very well. This is not the same thing as traditional cosmetic (plastic) surgery that involves cutting the skin. Invasive surgery to improve severe sagging, aging and laxity in the neck can include liposuction and lifting.

Skin tightening would not work well on a severely aged and sagging neck. Skin tightening by laser works well on mild to moderately aged and saggy necks. While one will see a nice result with one treatment of laser skin tightening, the results are optimal after several treatments, with each treatment being spaced a few weeks apart. The cost per treatment of laser skin tightening in the neck really varies depending on the severity of the area being treated.

If this is something which interests you, we recommend you consult a reputable physician (dermatologist, plastic surgeon, ENT, facial plastic surgeon) in your area to find out what treatment best suits your goals.

04/26/10

Chemical Peeling

Chemical Peels Are A Great Way to Refresh and Rejuvenate!

A chemical peel is a chemical solution applied to the skin’s surface to reduce fine lines, wrinkles, and discoloration of the skin (such as sun and age spots). They can also be used for acne and acne scarring. A chemical peel also refreshes skin texture and color creating a youthful and rejuvenated glow of the skin.

Chemical peeling falls into three categories: superficial, medium and deep peeling. Superficial peeling is traditionally the least aggressive, while medium and deep chemical peeling can be very aggressive with more significant downtime. However, more aggressive peels typically give more noticeable results. Therefore, the amount of downtime and longevity of a peel depends on the level of peel done.

In our practice, we use medical strength salicylic acid, glycolic acid and trichloracetic acid, as well as the ViPeel System. During your consultation, we will decide with you which chemical peel is right for you based on the condition(s) being addressed and your goals.

04/25/10

Non-Surgical Rhinoplasty - What is it?

Not all nasal defects need to be corrected with traditional surgical rhinoplasty. Many defects, contour irregularities, or imperfections of the nose can be corrected with an injectable filler. We call this the Non-Surgical Rhinoplasty.

In our practice, we only use liquid injectable silicone for this as it is permanent and precise. Silicone is ideal for this and gives great results. However, it must be injected by an experienced physician who uses the proper injection technique which is the micro-droplet injection technique. Other fillers such as Restylane and Juvederm are temporary, therefore requiring repeated treatments, and are not as precise, giving less natural-looking results.

01/06/10

Eyelash Enhancement

I frequently get asked by my patients if there is anything one can do to enhance their eyelashes.  As many of you know, there is now a prescription product called Latisse which makes eyelashes thicker, longer and darker.  Latisse is applied with a disposable applicator to each eye at night in the same fashion as one would apply eyeliner.  You use a separate applicator for each eye so that a month's supply includes 60 applicators.  One can begin to see improvement after about 6-8 weeks and should expect to see the full results after 12-16 weeks.  In addition to Latisse, there are several non-prescription products that also promote eyelash growth including Revita Lash, Marini Lash and Lilash eyelash growth stimulator.  At this point, most of my patients using Latisse are very pleased; however it is a financial investment and requires some form of maintenance after the 3-month course. I also have patients that have been happy with the non-prescription formulations.

Happy New Year!

Dr. C

12/28/09

Liquid Facelift

What is a LIQUID FACELIFT? I choose this question to answer as the kick-off for our blog as it has been asked frequently in the last couple of weeks.
Liquid facelift is a term used for the process of achieving results similar to a surgical facelift, but with injectable fillers and other non-invasive cosmetic procedures. If the doctor is using temporary fillers, such as Juvederm, Perlane, Restylane, Radiesse, and collagen, then the results are short-term and need to be repeated. However, certain physicians, such as myself and my father, use liquid injectable silicone (it is our filler of choice) and as it is a permanent filler, the results are permanent.
The advantage of a liquid facelift is that one can achieve excellent results with minimal down time and minimal risk (as compared to a surgical facelift). And for those of my patients who choose liquid injectable silicone, their financial investment is far less than if they were to do temporary fillers (treatments need to be repeated) or a surgical facelift. With a liquid facelift, one achieves a natural and more refreshed, rejuvenated and youthful appearance without appearing overdone.

Happy Holidays!

Dr. C

11/23/09

Coming Soon

Coming Soon