Category: Uncategorized
Demystifying Laser Treatments: Illuminating the Path to Radiant Skin
Laser treatments have become synonymous with achieving radiant and youthful skin, but for many, the process remains shrouded in mystery. Let’s shed light on the world of laser treatments, dispelling myths and unraveling the secrets behind these transformative procedures.
The Science Behind Lasers:
Laser treatments harness the power of concentrated light to address a spectrum of skin concerns. Contrary to popular belief, lasers aren’t a one-size-fits-all solution. There are various types of lasers, each designed to target specific issues, from wrinkles and pigmentation to scars and uneven texture.
How Laser Treatments Work:
At the core, lasers work by emitting focused energy that penetrates the skin. This energy stimulates collagen production, promoting skin renewal and a more youthful appearance. Depending on the type of laser, treatments can range from ablative, removing outer layers of skin, to non-ablative, which heats the underlying tissue without damaging the surface.
Common Misconceptions:
- Painful Procedures: Laser treatments are often well-tolerated, with minimal discomfort. Most sessions involve a brief sensation, often likened to the snap of a rubber band, and some lasers, such as the Fraxel Dual, incorporate cooling mechanisms for added comfort.
- Downtime: While some ablative lasers, such as Fraxel Repair, may require a few days of downtime for skin recovery, many non-ablative treatments allow individuals to resume their normal activities immediately. Advances in technology have significantly minimized post-treatment downtime.
- One and Done Magic: Achieving optimal results often involves a series of treatments. While some improvements may be noticeable after the first session, a well-planned series ensures cumulative and long-lasting benefits.
Busting the Cellulite Myth: Unveiling the Magic of Cellulaze Treatment
We’ve all heard the whispers about cellulite – that stubborn, dimpled skin that seems to appear out of nowhere. The truth is, cellulite is incredibly common, affecting people of all shapes and sizes. It’s not about fitness levels or body weight; cellulite is more about the structure of the skin and fat beneath it.
Cellulite occurs when fat deposits push through the connective tissue beneath the skin, creating a dimpled or lumpy appearance, often likened to the texture of orange peel. Despite its prevalence, cellulite can be a source of frustration for many individuals, impacting self-confidence and body image.
But fear not – there’s a game-changer in the world of aesthetic treatments: Cellulaze. This revolutionary laser-assisted technology is designed to target the structural causes of cellulite. Unlike creams and temporary solutions, Cellulaze goes deeper, addressing the root of the issue beneath the skin.
How Cellulaze Works
- Laser Precision: Cellulaze employs laser energy to target and melt fat deposits beneath the skin, smoothing out the uneven appearance.
- Release of Fibrous Bands: The treatment releases the tight, fibrous bands that pull down on the skin, creating the characteristic dimples.
- Stimulation of Collagen: By stimulating collagen production, Cellulaze promotes skin elasticity, leading to a firmer and smoother surface.
Is Cellulaze Right for You?
If you’re tired of battling cellulite with temporary fixes and creams, Cellulaze could be the solution you’ve been searching for. This treatment has become a go-to option for those seeking lasting results in the quest for smoother, more radiant skin.
Contact us today to schedule a consultation and discover if Cellulaze is the key to unlocking the smooth, beautiful skin you’ve always desired.
See you soon.
The Beauty of Non-Invasive Treatments: Why Less Can Be More
In the ever-evolving landscape of cosmetic enhancements, the pursuit of beauty has taken a transformative turn. Non-invasive cosmetic treatments have emerged as a revolutionary solution, offering remarkable results with fewer risks, shorter recovery times, and a more natural appearance.
Unlike surgical procedures, non-invasive treatments don’t require incisions or anesthesia, significantly reducing the risk of complications, infections, and adverse reactions. Non-invasive procedures also offer a quicker recovery and little to no downtime, allowing patients to enjoy the results without putting their lives on hold.
Non-invasive treatments are designed to enhance your natural beauty, rather than drastically alter your appearance. These procedures focus on subtle improvements that bring out your best features, ensuring you look like yourself—just refreshed and rejuvenated. Treatments can also be tailored to a person’s unique needs and desires. Whether you’re looking to smooth wrinkles, add volume, or refine facial contours, non-invasive options offer the flexibility to customize your results.
The allure of non-invasive cosmetic treatments lies in their ability to provide impressive, natural-looking results without the commitment and risks associated with surgery. With minimal downtime and personalized approaches, these treatments offer a smarter, safer, and more convenient way to enhance your beauty. Whether you’re seeking a refreshed complexion or a rejuvenated silhouette, our non-invasive treatments can help you look and feel your best.
See you soon.
Body Sculpting: Your Best Shape is Easy to Have
Body shaping changes the size, profile and parameters of your anatomy, refining and sculpting areas that fail to respond to diet and exercise. My philosophy is to look at your body as a whole, not as a sum of parts, to create a natural and balanced silhouette that suits your frame. In our fully accredited facility, I utilize many state-of-the-art methods for doing this, including Smartlipo TriPlex, Exilis, Thermage CPT and Cellulaze.
What Will Body Sculpting Do For You?
- tighten loose skin after dramatic weight loss
- restore a pre-pregnancy body after childbirth
- tighten up loose saggy skin and remove excess fat pockets
- eliminate cellulite and the “dimples” it causes
- give you a trim, firm and contoured body
- boost self-confidence and esteem
When Is the Best Time for Body Sculpting?
Before you have any body shaping procedure, it’s important that you are in good general health and are at a stable weight for at least three months. You may choose to have treatments on multiple body areas, and these may be done at the same time or at different times, depending upon your individual plan.
Here are some of the procedures that we perform in our fully accredited facility:
Smartlipo TriPlex is less invasive and more precise than traditional liposuction. It removes unwanted fat from specific body areas that have resisted even the strictest diets and toughest exercise regimens. The process actually melts fat, stimulates skin tightening and encourages collagen renewal, using three wavelengths of light and a tiny cannula the size of a small ballpoint pen tip. Smartlipo is particularly effective on the abdomen, neck, jawline, inner arms, male breasts, love handles, bra fat (overhang), inner/outer thighs, inner knees, chin, hips, buttocks, pubic mound and back of neck.
Exilis Ultra 360 offers the newest advances in nonsurgical skin tightening to reduce unwanted inches and to lift and contour sagging skin anywhere on your body.
Thermage CPT is a nonsurgical facelift that will transform skin all over your body. The thermal lift will tighten loose skin on the eyelids, under-eye areas, abdomen, arms, legs and buttocks. Thermage CPT, the most effective lift treatment for a multitude of concerns, yields dramatic results without incisions and recuperation.
Cellulaze melts excess fat under the skin and removes the fibrous bands that pull skin into a dimple. It is a minimally invasive way of decreasing the appearance of cellulite in the areas where it typically crops up–the buttocks, hips, thighs, arms and abdomen. Cellulaze also stimulates collagen production, which thickens your skin.
As the summer approaches, I look forward to helping you devise a personalized treatment plan for reshaping and contouring your skin. I know that you will love feeling younger, healthier and more vibrant.
See you soon.
Exilis Ultra 360, an Excellent Choice
Have you been wearing out the treadmill? Eating only cantaloupe for months? And still, not looking the way that you want to?
Sometimes, no matter what we do, our bodies don’t budge. We feel bad and embarrassed and spend too much time trying to camouflage our trouble spots. But body contouring can help, drastically. It is currently among the most popular cosmetic surgery procedures, and it can give you the silhouette that diet and exercise have failed to provide.
We offer several options, the first of which is Exilis Ultra 360, the latest nonsurgical advancement in body shaping and among the most powerful fat reduction and skin tightening devices. Exilis Ultra 360 is an FDA-approved procedure that offers real results without surgery (or anesthesia and incisions) and without downtime. We have used Exilis Ultra 360 to tighten skin and decrease inches in many problem areas, including the neck/jowls, arms, bra strap area, abdomen, “love handles,” male chest, thighs, hips, buttocks and knees.
Exilis Ultra 360 gives us maximum power with total control. Now we can safely, quickly and effectively deliver the right amount of targeted energy in order to tighten, firm and tone loose and sagging skin and reshape and melt stubborn fatty deposits anywhere on your face and body. You’ll notice a smaller size and a decrease in cellulite, and the results get better with time.
So, keep exercising and eating healthfully, but don’t despair. Come talk with us about Exilis Ultra 360 and hear how we can help you look and feel your best.
See you soon.
Keeping Dry Skin at Bay
When winter temperatures hit, we put on coats, scarves, hats and boots to keep our bodies warm. But it is just as, if not more important, to protect the delicate skin on your face.
Biting cold and wind can assault exposed skin, causing dryness, chafing and other more serious skin disorders, including frostbite. And, it happens quickly. So, before you venture out, even for a few minutes, moisturize with a broad-spectrum sunblock and apply a petroleum-based product to your lips. If your moisturizer is oil-based, choose an oil that is “non-clogging,” such as avocado, mineral, primrose or almond. Then, cover your face as best as you can with a scarf or hood. Also, don’t forget the sunglasses, which will protect your eyes from glare, freezing temperatures and wind.
To avoid the inflamed and itchy skin that happens all over your body during the winter months, you can take several preventative steps all season long, around the clock. Remember, the condition happens because of a lack of water, not oil, so the following tactics aim to prevent dehydration.
- If your facial skin is uncomfortably dry, avoid using harsh peels, masks, and alcohol-based toners or astringents, all of which can strip vital oil from your skin. Instead, find a cleansing milk or mild foaming cleanser, an alcohol-free toner and masks that are “deeply hydrating” rather than clay-based, which tend to draw moisture out of the face.
- Trap water from a shower or bath quickly by applying a water-in-oil cream moisturizer. If you have sensitive skin to begin with, use a cream moisturizer that does not contain lanolin or perfume, and don’t scrimp. More is better in this case, particularly on your hands, elbows and feet (these can contain petroleum or glycerin).
- Choose a shower instead of a bath; sitting in hot water will break down lipids and dry your skin.
- Limit your use of hot water and soap. Take short lukewarm showers, using non-detergent soaps and cleansers, and only as much as you need since they remove natural moisturizers from the skin. If you must bathe, keep the water as cool as possible.
- Keep your house temperature as low as you can (no higher than 78 degrees) and use a humidifier that returns moisture to the air.
- Overnight, use a thicker night cream on your face, a product formulated for the delicate skin under and over the eyes, and a lip balm.
As always, call my office to schedule a complimentary consultation to learn how we can help you look and feel your best.
See you soon.
Keeping Dry Skin at Bay
When winter temperatures hit, we put on coats, scarves, hats and boots to keep our bodies warm. But it is just as, if not more important, to protect the delicate skin on your face.
Biting cold and wind can assault exposed skin, causing dryness, chafing and other more serious skin disorders, including frostbite. And, it happens quickly. So, before you venture out, even for a few minutes, moisturize with a broad-spectrum sunblock and apply a petroleum-based product to your lips. If your moisturizer is oil-based, choose an oil that is “non-clogging,” such as avocado, mineral, primrose or almond. Then, cover your face as best as you can with a scarf or hood. Also, don’t forget the sunglasses, which will protect your eyes from glare, freezing temperatures and wind.
To avoid the inflamed and itchy skin that happens all over your body during the winter months, you can take several preventative steps all season long, around the clock. Remember, the condition happens because of a lack of water, not oil, so the following tactics aim to prevent dehydration.
- If your facial skin is uncomfortably dry, avoid using harsh peels, masks, and alcohol-based toners or astringents, all of which can strip vital oil from your skin. Instead, find a cleansing milk or mild foaming cleanser, an alcohol-free toner and masks that are “deeply hydrating” rather than clay-based, which tend to draw moisture out of the face.
- Trap water from a shower or bath quickly by applying a water-in-oil cream moisturizer. If you have sensitive skin to begin with, use a cream moisturizer that does not contain lanolin or perfume, and don’t scrimp. More is better in this case, particularly on your hands, elbows and feet (these can contain petroleum or glycerin).
- Choose a shower instead of a bath; sitting in hot water will break down lipids and dry your skin.
- Limit your use of hot water and soap. Take short lukewarm showers, using non-detergent soaps and cleansers, and only as much as you need since they remove natural moisturizers from the skin. If you must bathe, keep the water as cool as possible.
- Keep your house temperature as low as you can (no higher than 78 degrees) and use a humidifier that returns moisture to the air.
- Overnight, use a thicker night cream on your face, a product formulated for the delicate skin under and over the eyes, and a lip balm.
As always, call my office to schedule a complimentary consultation to learn how we can help you look and feel your best.
See you soon.
RED-CARPET SKIN CARE…IN A FEW EASY STEPS
It’s fun to watch our favorite actors arriving for the Oscars, primped, polished and poofed to perfection. We all know, though, that this sort of thing can take hours…and hours…to achieve. For everyday good looks, though, there are skin care tricks that will leave you looking just as beautiful without as much effort.
The best part is, the strategy is quite simple. Less is more, when it comes to skin. Here are a few basic tricks for getting–and keeping–your face in movie star shape:
- Be diligent about cleansing: Wash away impurities twice a day with a gentle cleanser. Avoid soap and any other products that contain harsh detergents.
- Be careful with your eyes: Use eye makeup remover around your eyes. Delicate skin requires delicate treatment. Avoid the urge to scrub the skin surrounding your eye and instead, soak a cotton ball or square in oil-free makeup remover and using downward strokes over your lashes, gently remove mascara, liner and shadow.
- Moisturize, day and night, and then, do it again: More is more, when it comes to hydration. After cleansing, apply eye cream and oil-free moisturizer (with sunscreen) liberally. Make sure to remember your lips and neck. At night, after cleansing, apply a rich night cream to your skin and lips.
- Remember to exfoliate: Two to three times a week, use a mild exfoliant to slough away dead skin cells. A rotating facial brush will work, as will creams and lotions containing microbeads. Avoid any products made from shells (such as apricot scrubs), as these can damage your skin.
Stay Beautiful While You Travel
Many of you have planned vacations for the upcoming holiday season. If you’re about to travel by plane, remember that our bodies don’t always respond so well to being moved from place to place, high overhead. But, fear not. With a little preparation, you will look your best despite the altitude.
Here are a few beauty strategies that you can make part of your normal travel routine:
- Face: Cabin pressure causes skin to become dehydrated. The night before you fly, apply extra rich, extra thick moisturizer that will prime your face for the plane’s dry air. And, do yourself a favor and skip the foundation on the day of travel. Sometimes, foundation can exacerbate dryness, so use a rich moisturizer only as you normally do in the morning and then again before you board.
- Cheeks: It’s best to avoid makeup when you fly, but if you must…boost your complexion with a shimmer powder or cream applied lightly to the tops of your cheeks and bridge of your nose. Also, a cream blush and lip balm will add color without drying.
- Lips: Layer with a lip stain, apply a few coats and then finish with gloss. Or, use an extra creamy lipstick. If you don’t use color, use medicated lip balms throughout the trip, instead. More is better, in this case. Stay away from cakey lipsticks or long-lasting formulations, since these can sometimes dry out the delicate skin on the lips. Remember to moisturize well before applying any product to your lips, particularly on the border between the lips and skin above and below them
- Eyes: Use a rich eye cream under your eyes and if you are skipping concealer, reapply during your flight, particularly if you will be sleeping.
- Body and hands: Again, it’s all about the moisture. Slather your body with your creamiest moisturizer before you dress, and do the same for your hands. Remember to reapply after you wash your hands.
- Hair: Cabin dryness will produce fly-aways and static and sometimes leave hair looking flat. During the trip, twist your tresses on top of your head and secure with a butterfly clip or fabric band. When you land, your hair will be full and full of natural waves, too. Take along a spritz bottle of water, turn your head upside down and spray at the roots to reignite products when you are on the ground. The upside—if you suffer from coarse hair, nothing is better than airplane air to fight the frizz.
Safe travels, and see you soon.
Stay Beautiful While You Travel
Many of you have planned vacations for the upcoming holiday season. If you’re about to travel by plane, remember that our bodies don’t always respond so well to being moved from place to place, high overhead. But, fear not. With a little preparation, you will look your best despite the altitude.
Here are a few beauty strategies that you can make part of your normal travel routine:
- Face: Cabin pressure causes skin to become dehydrated. The night before you fly, apply extra rich, extra thick moisturizer that will prime your face for the plane’s dry air. And, do yourself a favor and skip the foundation on the day of travel. Sometimes, foundation can exacerbate dryness, so use a rich moisturizer only as you normally do in the morning and then again before you board.
- Cheeks: It’s best to avoid makeup when you fly, but if you must…boost your complexion with a shimmer powder or cream applied lightly to the tops of your cheeks and bridge of your nose. Also, a cream blush and lip balm will add color without drying.
- Lips: Layer with a lip stain, apply a few coats and then finish with gloss. Or, use an extra creamy lipstick. If you don’t use color, use medicated lip balms throughout the trip, instead. More is better, in this case. Stay away from cakey lipsticks or long-lasting formulations, since these can sometimes dry out the delicate skin on the lips. Remember to moisturize well before applying any product to your lips, particularly on the border between the lips and skin above and below them
- Eyes: Use a rich eye cream under your eyes and if you are skipping concealer, reapply during your flight, particularly if you will be sleeping.
- Body and hands: Again, it’s all about the moisture. Slather your body with your creamiest moisturizer before you dress, and do the same for your hands. Remember to reapply after you wash your hands.
- Hair: Cabin dryness will produce fly-aways and static and sometimes leave hair looking flat. During the trip, twist your tresses on top of your head and secure with a butterfly clip or fabric band. When you land, your hair will be full and full of natural waves, too. Take along a spritz bottle of water, turn your head upside down and spray at the roots to reignite products when you are on the ground. The upside—if you suffer from coarse hair, nothing is better than airplane air to fight the frizz.
Safe travels, and see you soon.
We Can’t Remind You Enough: Avoid The Sun
Tanned skin is damaged skin…and who wants that? Prolonged exposure to the sun can cause early wrinkling and brown spots, and it puts you at risk for skin cancer, too. While most of us enjoy being outside in the summer, not many of us really want to suffer the effects of sun damage. Staying safe while spending time outside is possible, though. The strategies just need to become a part of your daily routine.
Here are some simple ways to protect your skin:
- Stay indoors between 10am and 3pm, when the sun is most powerful. There are two types of rays: UVA rays cause aging and wrinkles and contribute to skin cancer. UVB rays cause sunburn and skin cancer.
- Go nowhere without sunscreen:
- More is better, so don’t scrimp. Make sure that it has a SPF of 30 or higher and it says “broad spectrum” on the label, which means that it will handle both UVA and UVB rays. Also, make sure it’s water-resistant and that you apply it all over your body 15 to 30 minutes before leaving the house.
- Use sunscreen even when it is cloudy outside, when you are driving in a car and inside a window. UVA rays penetrate clouds, glass and water.
- If you wear foundation, apply the sunscreen first and let it absorb before continuing with your makeup.
- Don’t forget the lip balm, SPF 15 or higher.
- Remember the tops of your ears, hairline, the “V” of your chest, nose, hands and tops of your feet. Eighty percent of skin cancer occurs on the head, neck and hands.
- Wear protective clothing: hats, sleeves and sunglasses. Dark, tightly woven fabrics provide more protection than lightly colored ones. Find hats that have protection built into them.
- Be aware that umbrellas and shade trees give only moderate protection from ultraviolet light. They don’t protect you from light that is reflected off of sand, snow, concrete and other surfaces.
- Avoid tanning oils. These essentially cook your skin.
- Be conscious of your medications. Certain medicines can make your skin extra sensitive to sun exposure, including tetracycline, diuretics and even herbal formulations such as St. John’s Wort.
Call us today to schedule your complimentary consultation. See you soon.
September, Seriously
Fall is the time for getting back to work and hitting the books. With vacation time behind us, we tend to become more serious in general about our day to day lives and responsibilities. An important part of every day is how we feel, with happiness being the overwhelming goal for many people. When we are happy, we typically do better–at work, at home, at school, and everywhere else.
How we feel about ourselves determines, in no small part, how happy we are. The more assured in our abilities, the more secure in our emotions, the more enthusiastic about the experiences we have, the happier we seem to be. How content we are with our appearance also plays a role in our overall well-being. It is an old adage–”Look good, feel good”–but I think that it is true.
We can help bring it to life for you, and now is a good time to start, or to begin again. Fall is self-improvement time, the perfect season for getting serious about making subtle changes that will enhance your natural good looks and your confidence.
Here is what we recommend for this month:
Lift Your Spirits, and Your Skin: Using advanced dermal fillers such as Juvederm, Radiesse, Restylane, Restylane Defyne, Restylane Refyne and Restylane Lyft, we can lift and contour facial features, restoring your natural fullness exactly where you need us to. Nonsurgical and virtually pain-free, this “liquid facelift” can reduce wrinkles, lines and folds, create a more rested and fresh look, and return your face to its curved former self.
Sometimes, we “lift” the entire face; sometimes, we target specific spots, such as bags under the eyes, marionette lines, sagging eye lids, jowls and flattened cheeks. We can even disguise bumps on the nose, a method that will keep you out of the operating room and free of anesthesia, recuperation and downtime.
No More Turtlenecks: Particularly effective for this area, Infini microneedling is a treatment for boosting your skin’s natural production of collagen and elastin, which are two of the most important substances for keeping your skin plump and youthful. Tiny needles, ones that are much smaller than the needles we use with dermal fillers, penetrate the top layer of your skin, triggering your body to create the new collagen and elastin. Results may include improved texture and firmness, and I’ve seen terrific success in the reduction of acne scarring, pore size and stretch marks.
Say Eye: Touted as the first nonsurgical facelift, Thermage CPT will actually transform skin all over your body. The Thermage CPT thermal lift will tighten loose skin on the eyelids, under-eye areas, abdomen, arms, legs and even your sagging buttocks. Thermage CPT, one of the most effective lift treatments for a multitude of concerns, yields dramatic results without incisions and recuperation.
In the eye area, for instance, Thermage CPT reduces “hooding,” improves texture, and tones and softens fine lines and crow’s feet. The treatment is a safe, effective and unique option for “eyelid rejuvenation.” The Body Shape procedure is ideal for men and women who are looking to help firm sagging skin and reduce unwanted bulges that dieting and exercise alone cannot seem to change.
Shape a Better You: SmartLipo Triplex is a minimally invasive method for removing unwanted fat and sculpting areas of the body that you’d like to change. A laser treatment that virtually melts fat cells and suctions them away, the Triplex technology is updated from the original SmartLipo system in that it uses three wavelengths of laser light and yields better fat removal, tighter skin and high-definition body sculpting capabilities.
Call our office for a complimentary consultation, and we’ll help devise a treatment plan just for you.
See you soon.
