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Archive for December, 2009

Connect the Dots? Not on Your Skin! Notes from a San Francisco Bay Area Dermatologist

Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009

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.

 

Aware of the “Cosmetic Tax”? Notes from a San Francisco Bay Area Dermatologist

Tuesday, December 8th, 2009

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.

 

Youthful Skin and Water - Less of a Connection than you May Think: Notes from a San Francisco Bay Area Dermatologist

Friday, December 4th, 2009

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.

 

Eye Rejuvenation Event December 4th! Notes from a San Francisco Bay Area Dermatologist

Tuesday, December 1st, 2009

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.

Hope to see you there!

 

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