Not only has the Isolaz treatment been beneficial to my patients suffering from acne, but it is also an excellent treatment for rosacea as highlighted in this clip from Good Morning America. The features of Isolaz treatments that I like best are that they are safe and effective for all skin types, they are painless, there is no downtime and there is an overall improvement in the skin’s appearance. Call our office for more details!
Pregnancy brings about so many physical changes that it can feel a bit like something out of invasion of the body snatchers - where your body is no longer your own! While each woman’s journey varies, there are some common skin changes that you may notice as you wait for bundle of joy to arrive.
Itchy Abdomen Skin: You do not need to spend a fortune as any good over the counter moisturizer (like Aveeno, Cetaphil) can help relive the tight, dry, itchy skin that occurs as your belly stretches during pregnancy - especially the last few months. Shea butter can also be very soothing. I tell my patients to avoid oils as they tend to not absorb well. The best time to apply moisturizer is right after you shower or bathe, as they merely allow your skin to hold onto moisture. Heavier creams are better moisturizers, but can be messier and harder to use. With any product on the skin, be sure to use common sense and stop if it causes any irritation.
Stretch Marks: Perhaps my patients’ number one fear and/or complaint. Stretch marks are the result of stretching skin and appear as reddish or pink linear marks on the abdomen, breasts or hip/buttock area. It is a rare woman that does not earn at least a few marks during her pregnancy. There is no medical evidence that any creams or vitamin E prevent them from occurring. In fact, vitamin E oil applied directly to skin can cause irritation, so I would not recommend it. However, if you feel that it never hurts to try, then I would recommend using moisturizers as noted in the previous section to relieve tightness. Generally, the marks will shrink and fade some time after delivery. However, if they are bothersome to you there are two treatments that can be helpful. Vbeam laser treatments will help reduce the pink discoloration and can help build collagen to strengthen the skin, minimizing the marks. Fraxel laser treatments help to renew the texture of the skin, making it smoother and the marks less visible. If you are interested in Vbeam or Fraxel to treat stretch marks, please contact our office.
Skin Tags: These are tiny flaps of skin that can be caused by hormonal changes during pregnancy and typically occur in areas of friction, like under your arms or around your breasts. Some of these may disappear after delivery, but any remaining tags can be quickly and easily removed by a dermatologist.
Acne: Hormonal changes can cause your skin to become more oily and prone to breakouts. To help this, you can use over the counter cleansers or moisturizers that contain alpha hydroxy Acid (AHA), lactic or glycolic acid, which help to exfoliate the skin and keep plugs from forming. Some of our pregnant patients also come in for monthly pregnancy safe chemical peels to keep their skin in balance. Benzoyl Peroxide is safe to use on your skin during pregnancy and helps exfoliate the skin and kill acne causing bacteria. If breakouts become severe or do not respond to basic treatment, be sure to contact your dermatologist.
Mask of Pregnancy (Melasma or Cholasma): Hormones at work yet again. Some women develop dark patches of pigment on their forehead and cheeks (like a mask) during pregnancy as a result of their hormones. Your skin is extra sensitive to the sun during this time, so be sure to wear your sunblock everyday to keep the sun’s rays from making the condition worse. Phytic acid is a botanically derived skin lightener that is not as strong as prescription grade products like hydroquinone (not medically advised for use during pregnancy), but is a safe alternative and may help reduce excess pigment. After delivery, check with your dermatologist on the most effective and safe ways to quickly get rid of any leftover pigmentation.
Linea Nigra: Around the fourth of fifth month of pregnancy you may notice the appearance of a dark line that runs from your belly button to the top of your pubic bone. The line is thought to be a result of…you guessed it…hormones. There is no way to prevent this line, but take comfort in knowing that it will fade after delivery.
Changes in Moles & Freckles: We often find that moles and freckles become more “active” during pregnancy, meaning that they may darken in color due to hormonal fluctuations. You may also notice other areas of skin like the nipples, areolas and labia become darker. Should any mole or freckle change significantly change in shape or size, or specifically catch your eye that didn’t before, please have it checked by a dermatologist right away.
Spider & Varicose Veins: As a result of increased blood flow throughout your body, tiny red to larger blue veins may appear on the legs and ankles during pregnancy. While there is a genetic component to their appearance, the best way to minimize them is by trying the following: keep active by walking to increase circulation; avoid sitting or standing for long periods of time; wear support hose; prop your legs up when sitting; avoid excessive weight gain. After delivery these veins can be reduced with either injections or laser treatments.
The good news is that this increase in blood flow to your body is also what gives you that pregnancy “glow” which is beautiful on every woman, so may you enjoy a healthy pregnancy and safe delivery!
As you may the recall, the Senate healthcare reform bill originally proposed a 5% tax on cosmetic medical procedures, which would have unfairly impacted the cost of many elective treatments like Botox and Restylane injections. However, with encouragement from the Amercian Academy of Dermatology (AAD), the American Medical Association (AMA), public support and other public entities this tax has been replaced in the revised Senate bill. The new bill proposes a 10% tax on indoor tanning services instead. Not only will this generate billions of dollars over the next ten years, but it will support public health by discouraging indoor tanning, which is known to cause skin cancer. Treating skin cancer only adds to healthcare costs and can be prevented. This tax will help on both fronts.
Both the House and Senate bill are now headed to conference committee hearings for deliberation.
Our office has been using the Zeltiq fat reduction device for over a month now, and we are seeing very positive results! As you may recall from my prior blog, the Zeltiq is a non-invasive medical device that is used for targeted fat reduction around the waist, tummy and love handle area of the body. Studies show a loss of fat of approximately 20 percent in the treated areas over a two to four month period. The procedure is comfortable, safe and has little, if any, down-time.
Check out this article from the Orange County Register, that discusses how the Zeltiq procedure rivals liposuction surgery.
If you have any questions regarding Zeltiq, please call our office for more information.
As highlighted in Dermatology Daily, MedPage Today (12/21, Walsh) reported that, according to an analysis published in the Dec. issue of the Archives of Dermatology, “melanoma incidence nationwide has been increasing at a rate of 2.4% per year, with certain groups having distinctly higher rates of annual increase.” After analyzing data on “41,072 cases of melanoma,” researchers found that “the highest rates of advanced melanoma…were seen in blacks,” while “Hispanics had a higher proportion of advanced melanomas than whites.” An accompanying editorial noted that the study “adds melanoma to the list of documented health disparities in ethnic minority populations.”
I believe this rate increase of melanoma among minorities reflects the misheld belief that those with non-Caucasian or darker skin types have “natural” protection from the negative effects of the sun. In fact people of all skin types must practice sun safety and have any changes to their skin, including “funny” moles, spots or anything on their body that newly catches their attention, checked out by their doctor immediately. Remember that Bob Marley died prematurely at age 36 from melanoma, which with an earlier diagnosis and treatment could have been prevented!
Do you look down at your body and see bright red dots here, there or maybe everywhere on your skin? These are known as cherry angiomas and are spots where blood vessels have proliferated in the skin. Their size can range from a pin head to much larger and they can be found anywhere on the body, but most often occur around the trunk area. Their exact cause is unknown, although they tend to show up around middle age and in women during or after a pregnancy. They are generally harmless, but cosmetically can make you feel like a dot to dot puzzle. Luckily, there are simple treatments to rid your skin of these distracting and occasionally irritating spots. While an electric needle is sometimes used to cauterize the angioma, PDL or pulse dye laser is a quicker and easier way to treat a number of the lesions at one time. With laser, the angioma will temporarily turn dark purple or black in color, then is reabsorbed by your body over a few days up to a week for most patients. Its one of my favorite treatments because its so effective, low risk and makes your skin appear more youthful. Let’s face it, the less spots on our skin, the better it looks! If you have questions or would like to come in for a treatment, please contact our office.
To help pay for the health care reform bill that is being debated over the next few weeks by the U.S. Senate, users of cosmetic medical treatments have been targeted with a 5% federal tax on such procedures.
You may want to consider opposing the tax for the following reasons:
The tax is punitive and places an additional burden on the middle class – According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, sixty percent of patients considering a cosmetic medical procedure are squarely in the middle class, earning between $30,000 and $90,000 per year. This tax would come on top of increased payroll and income taxes sure to result from health reform’s $849 billion cost, and would penalize those who have made a well-educated and informed decision in consultation with a specialized physician to opt for cosmetic medical treatments because they allow them to express their best self and have been scientifically tested.
The tax discriminates predominantly against women – Medical society data shows that 91 percent of patients seeking cosmetic medical procedures are women. And many of these women are seeking treatment to improve their appearance to enhance their self-image and self-confidence which helps them succeed at work and in other areas of their lives.
The tax does not serve the goals of health reform – President Obama has stated that the goal of health reform is “to enact legislation that offers stability and security to those who have insurance and affordable coverage to those who don’t, and that lowers costs for families, businesses and governments across the country.” Since these procedures are generally not covered by insurance, the proposed tax will not reduce the cost of health care nor will it reduce insurance premiums. Further, it will increase administrative costs for physician offices.
The tax puts cosmetic procedures in the same category as cigarettes and alcohol – so called “sin taxes” on cigarettes and alcohol were imposed to try to change unhealthy behavior and cover the significant costs that these products placed on the health care system. This is logical. But a tax on cosmetic procedures is illogical because they are healthy and merely a responsible form of self-improvement. Furthermore, these procedures do not impact the heath care system since patients pay for these procedures themselves and they are not covered by insurance. People should have the freedom to decide what is best for their personal health care, including our own aesthetic appearance and therefore be free to spend our own, hard-earned money to correct, alter or enhance our appearance responsibly, in consultation with a physician, without being forced to pay an extra tax.
The tax will be impossible to effectively and equitably administer – It is not clear which procedures will be subject to the tax and which will not. Further, the same procedure performed on two different patients could lead to different conclusions concerning application of the tax.
The tax discourages innovation and promotes dangerous and unregulated alternatives – Because only drugs and procedures regulated and approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will be subject to the tax, manufacturers may choose to circumvent FDA regulation to avoid the tax. Further, patients may seek untested and potentially dangerous treatments from unlicensed practitioners to avoid the tax, including seeking treatment across our borders and overseas.
The bill is currently being debated in the Senate, so if you would like to add your voice to opposing the tax, please visit www.stopcosmetictax.org, where you can write to your local Senators or Representatives and sign a petition against the tax.
For those of you who are downing glasses, canteens or bottles of water to improve your skin and for those that beat yourself up daily because you don’t, you may be interested in the following information.
The UK’s Telegraph (11/20) reports that “drinking lots of water doesn’t give you a clearer complexion, according to” a new report called “Food For Skin.” The report, from the British Nutrition Foundation, “highlights a lack of any robust studies backing up the popular advice that water makes the complexion glow.” The report’s author said, “Just drinking water for the sake of drinking water really has no effect on improving the appearance of skin.”
What has been shown to keep your skin looking younger is a healthy diet including lots of fruits and vegetables and wearing sunscreen daily.
Join us Friday, December 4th from 8am to 4pm for our holiday eye event!
Enjoy 20% off eye treatments and select eye products from Latisse, Neocutis and Colorscience.
Refreshments will be served along with complimentary under eye treatments. There will also be a raffle for a free Botox treatment to treat crow’s feet, so be sure to drop by the office.
I find it truly exciting that non-surgical approaches to treat aging skin continue to gain popularity. As highlighted by Dermatology Daily, Hillary Howard, in the New York Times (11/19, E3) “Skin Deep” column, wrote, “When it comes to treating aging skin around the eyes, laser resurfacing can often trump surgery,” according to plastic surgeon Michael McGuire, MD, FACS. He explained, “If the skin is mildly wrinkled and/or pigmented, the laser can be a good option” that may even “defer face-lifts” in some “patients in their 40s.” But, “the debate surrounding laser treatments is whether to go fractional or cover the entire surface of the treated area.” With fractional lasers, “recuperation time is minimal, but multiple treatments are necessary,” whereas “regular laser resurfacing…requires at least a week of recovery,” but has the advantage of being “a single treatment” producing “arguably more dramatic results.”
Laser resurfacing technology has improved greatly over the last ten years. These days there is an appropriate resurfacing procedure for nearly every person looking to reduce wrinkles and freshen up their skin. Particularly around the eyes these treatments have a high satisfaction rate among patients because renewing skin texture is often all a patient needs to look less tired and aged. While surgery remains an option for lifting and tightening skin, it does little to help with etched lines and often carries more risk than resurfacing. My office staff and I are happy to answer any questions you may have regarding these procedures and help counsel patients on which resurfacing treatment is right for them.
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