Breast Augmentation: Simpler Than You’d Think…Once You’ve Done The Thinking

There has never been a better time to consider breast augmentation.  Like all other facets of cosmetic surgery, the technology has been advancing by leaps and bounds in recent years.  Just think, at the beginning of the 20th century, physicians were creating breast implant fillers with things like glass balls, ground rubber and ox cartilage!  By the middle of the 20th century, silicone injections were being used…right up until physicians discovered they were causing women’s breasts to become lumpy and often infected.  In wasn’t until the mid 1960s that plastic surgeons developed the first silicone breast prostheses, and now, after several generations of touch-and-go manifestations, and along with the emergence of the saline-filled prostheses, it is safe to say breast implant science has finally come into its own.

The Natrelle™ Collection, for instance, offers over 140 implant choices.  You are practically guaranteed to find one that is right for you.  And you don’t have to feel like a kid in a candy store because of all the options either.  If you’ve done your homework, you already know that you will want to find a plastic surgery team that possesses the VECTRA® 3D Imager.  The VECTRA® 3D allows you and your doctors to see in advance how various implants will look on your particular body.

In fact, breast augmentation has become so straightforward that the only real difficulty may be deciding exactly what look you want to achieve.  There are two basic shapes: A “round” implant configuration is more prominent and provides a higher ridge and deeper cleavage.  A “teardrop” configuration provides a more gradual slope.  You may want to put in some time looking at “before and after” pictures to get a feel for the possibilities.

Once you’ve determined the shape you like, there is volume to consider.  While you may have always dreamed of going really big, if you are petite to begin with, you may want to reconsider.  Again, here’s where the magic of the VECTRA® 3D comes into play.  So go big, on the computer screen, and see what that will look like.  Do you look a bit top heavy?  Or maybe not.  Remember, implants are a lifestyle choice.  Are you very athletic?  Do you want to achieve a natural look?  Or are you contemplating something a bit more rebellious?  And of course your doctor will want to make recommendations based on your particular skin and tissue type and how much extra weight you can reasonably add.

Next on the list of considerations is whether you want to use silicone or saline implants.  They both have their pros and cons, and again, your doctor will be able to advise you based on your particular needs.  Generally speaking, silicone feels more like real breast tissue, and thus more natural.  Because it is pre-filled, however, it may require a slightly larger incision.  Saline implants have a silicone shell that is filled with a salt water solution after the implant has been inserted.

Based on your implant choice, your doctor will help you to determine whether your implant will go under your breast tissue or under your chest muscle.  And that choice will in turn help to determine which of the three common insertion points should be used.  The choices, generally, are inframammary (along the crease under the breast where it meets the chest), transaxillary (through the natural folds of the armpit), and periareolar (along the outline of the areola.)  All three locations are inconspicuous.

While these choices may render planning for breast augmentation somewhat time consuming, the procedure itself generally takes less than two hours, and most likely you will be on your way home an hour after it’s over!  A few days at home with minimal physical activity are recommended.  And after that—well, it’s time to jump back into your normal routine, but now with the confidence that comes from knowing that you look just the way you wanted to.

When Mistakes Give Birth to Magic…

Back in 1946 a radar engineer neglected to remove a candy bar from his pocket while testing a new kind of magnetic ray.  When the chocolate literally “cooked” all over his clothing, a light bulb went off in his head, and ultimately the microwave oven was born of his error.  Likewise, Charles Goodyear, who had spent years trying to figure out how to make rubber more adaptable to cold temperatures, had his breakthrough when he accidentally dropped a glob onto a hot stove and it “vulcanized.”  And most people know the story of the disgruntled restaurant customer who kept sending the cook back to the kitchen, complaining that his French fries were too darn thick.  The cook got so frustrated that he finally smashed the fries down to the thickness of paper and browned them to a crisp.  The customer, to his surprise, was delighted, and the potato chip had its inception.

It’s exciting to know that mistakes can be the source of compelling inventions.  The universe is charged with possibility, and sometimes we tap into it because we’ve been on the right trail all along, and other times we just bump up against it without even trying.  Our favorite story here is about how an ophthalmologist in the early 1990s using Botulinum Toxin A to cure a patient’s blinking disorder began to notice that the patient’s frown lines were disappearing; the patient was looking younger and younger.  Boom!  Botox!  Another happy accident!

Botox works by weakening the muscles into which it is injected.  The process causes wrinkles to be reduced, sometimes dramatically.  Frown lines, horizontal forehead lines, crow’s feet and laugh lines can all be diminished.  Because Botox is fast, painless, relatively inexpensive and has the success rate you would expect from a modern day fountain of youth, millions of Americans have opted to use it since its FDA approval (for wrinkles) in 2002.  More advanced techniques since then make it a viable solution for work on the chin and neck as well.

And as if generating a youthful appearance were not enough, Botox also offers a cure for hyperhidrosis: excessive sweating.  Previously, hyperhidrosis had the power not only to ruin the clothes of those who suffered from it but often to prevent them from having the confidence to get involved in social situations.  Since 2004, when the FDA gave the okay for Botox to be injected into sweat glands, Botox has been helping these people too.

And there are other uses for Botox: It has been approved for some neurological movement disorders, some central nervous system disorders, vocal cord dysfunction, and, recently, for some types of migraine.  It’s no wonder that it has come be thought of as a miracle cure—with as many applications as vulcanized rubber!

But herein lies the problem.  Back when Botox first became available, a lot of people shied away from it because it is a known fact that it is a toxin extracted from the same bacteria that causes botulism.  As time passed, though, people saw how well it worked, and they came to understand that Botox is diluted thousands of times and seldom has harmful effects—as long as it’s handled properly.  Now the pendulum has swung in the other direction.  The misgivings about Botox have all but vanished, to the point where some people have come to disregard the “as long as it’s handled properly” proviso.  You can get Botox injections at the mall now, at spas and even at Botox parties.  Even some gyms offer it!  And to make matters worse, there are Botox-look-alike products out there too.  In fact, there are so many scams that the FDA has compiled a list of them on their website.

If you are considering using Botox, please consult a plastic surgeon or other experienced and skilled skincare doctor.  The person who injects Botox into your face should have a comprehensive knowledge of anatomy, of the muscles and tissues that lie beneath the wrinkles you hope to eliminate.  Cosmetic intervention is an art that requires both technique and medical expertise.  The person who injects Botox into your face should be able to recommend other measures, such as combining Botox with Restylane or Juvederm to create what is sometimes referred to as a liquid lift, so as to ensure you get the results you want.  The person who administers your injections should know that Botox must be used within a certain amount of time after it is opened and diluted.  They should be familiar with your health history and know what medications you may be taking.  They should know what to do if you should have a reaction afterward…and that doesn’t mean within the next ten minutes.  Some possible complications—including problems swallowing, speaking, and/or breathing—can appear weeks later.

So yes, Botox is up there with rubber and the microwave and the potato chip on the long list of highly marketable items brought about almost by magic.  It’s a great product and it has a very bright future.  Just keep in mind that real magic is never in the wand but in the hand of the magician who wields it.

Personal Growth—A Step At A Time

Personal growth doesn’t generally happen by itself.  It requires taking the bull by the horns, trying new things, expanding the scope of your experiences.  That doesn’t mean you have to go out and get your pilot’s license or book a climbing trip in Nepal, necessarily.  The potential for growth is there in any new experience.  Joining a stimulating book club or a French immersion class can be just as rewarding as lifting the nose of your Cessna at the end of the runway.

Besides accruing the kinds of experiences that have meaning for you, you can achieve personal growth by taking charge of your appearance.  There is almost nothing as empowering as putting yourself in the body that best defines who you are on the inside.  Dieting, exercising and maintaining good health habits are the beginning of the journey, and for some people, they may be enough.  But other people are prone to tummy flab, or loose skin, or uneven skin tone…. Or they have reached the age where gravity has begun to work against them in earnest.  Or, they are simply not happy with some aspect of a particular feature or features.

If you are one of the many people who has considered making changes to your appearance as a component of your personal growth campaign, here are some basic steps to take.

Define your goals and research methods for achieving them: Are your thighs too big for the rest of your body?  Easy.  You will want to look into liposuction.  But if you are seeking to soften your laugh lines or get rid of those frown lines on your forehead, you are going to have to do some research.

Continual advances in cosmetic technologies mean that you have more options than ever.  Should you consider facial fillers such as Botox or laser work?  Or should you go all out and get a facelift?  Or will a quick and easy fat transfer, using your very own fat, do the job?  The key here is not to rush.  There are some great websites out there that put lots of information at your fingertips, including, in some cases, super informative 3D presentations that walk and talk you through various procedures!

Once you’ve begun to educate yourself about your options, you will want to generate a list of questions and add to it every time you think of something new.  Your list should include concerns about how your personal health history will impact any procedure you might decide to have.  It should also include questions about the procedures themselves.  How long do they take?  Do they require anesthesia?  What, if any, are the risks?  How long until a patient can resume normal activities?  And of course you will want to create questions for the medical teams you interview too.  Ask about their certifications and experience, what they consider to be their specialties, and what kind of post-procedure follow-up they provide.  And do they offer payment options?

Once you’ve identified your objective, done some research and begun to make a list of questions, it’s time to start looking for the medical team that is right for you.  Most doctors feature patient before-and-after pictures on their websites, and these can be very valuable in helping you determine what kind of results a medical team is likely to be able to achieve.  But even better is making an appointment with a plastic surgery team that possesses a Vectra 3D Imager and having your own before-and-after images generated BEFORE you commit to any procedure.  That’s the magic of the Vectra 3D.  Using special software, the patient is able to view the prospective results from all angles, bringing the patient/doctor consultation to a whole new level.

Once you’ve opened the door to personal growth you are likely to find there is no stopping you.  It’s a thrill to know that living life to its fullest can be as simple as defining your goals and taking the steps to achieve them.

Get to Know Thyself…Intimately

Skin cancer is by far the most common form of cancer.  It is also the easiest to detect.  And if detected early, it can often be treated successfully.  So it’s a forgone conclusion that everyone should become an aficianado when it comes to their own epidermis.

Of course, the best way to determine whether or not you have skin cancer is to have regular checkups with your dermatologist or skincare physican.  He or she can examine any suspect cells under a micrscope.  But as cancerous moles can pop up between appointments, it’s essential to know how to check yourself as well.  Then, if you discover an abnormality, you can make that next appointment sooner (much sooner, as in immediately) rather than later.

The most important part of the self investigation process is really getting familiar with yourself.  A thorough epidermal exploration requires only a little time, a full-length mirror, a hand-held mirror, and excellent lighting.  If you survey your skin regularly (at least once a month), you will be more apt to notice when changes occur.  You can even take pictures of the bumps and moles that you have now.  Then you will have a basis for comparison if there are any changes in the future.

If you’re wondering what exactly to check, the answer is: Everything.  Don’t stop at the obvious places.  Just because some areas of your body are never exposed to the sun (the main culprit when it comes to skin cancer), that doesn’t mean that you can’t develop cancerous cells there.  Check your genitals; check between your buttocks, between your toes, under your nails, under your arms, the bottoms of your feet…  By using your two mirrors creatively, you should be able to see every part of your body.  Take your time.  This is too important to rush with.  You will be amazed the first time you do a full body check at the little things you didn’t know about your own skin.  As for your scalp, you may want to have a partner stand over you with a blow dryer, blowing away small sections of hair at a time.  Then you can return the favor.

If you haven’t already begun an examination regime, the best time to get chummy with your skin is right after you’ve had your annual or semi-annual appointment with your dermatologist or skincare physician.  This way you can take a good look at what the doctor has already deemed innocuous, and in the months to come, you can watch for any new blemishes or changes to existing ones.  You will want to pay special attention to anything that is asymmetrical or has border irregularities.  Also look at color and size.  And anything with a diameter of over 6 millimeters (slightly less than a quarter of an inch) can be a sign of trouble too.  To make it easier, dermatologists have come up with ABCD as the examination mnemonic of choice: A (asymmetry), B (border irregularities), C (color irregularities), and D (diameter).

But don’t stop there.  Any new mole or bump can be a warning sign.  If it is painful, it can be cancerous.  If it is not painful, it can be cancerous.  If it bleeds or oozes, it may be cancerous.  Then again, it can be cancerous if it doesn’t bleed.  In other words, if you see something new, have it checked.  Your main job is to be the lookout, not the diagnostician.

While self examinations may sound self evident, you would be surprised at how many people just don’t give their skin any thought at all; or they think about it, but don’t feel they can give it any time.  If you are one of the vigilant ones who examines her/his self regularly, you are truly giving yourself a wonderful and empowering gift.  The next step is the spread the word.  Remind your loved ones; teach your kids; post information about self exams on your Facebook page, or Tweet it to your followers.  Tell everyone you know that it’s time to get to know themselves.  We live in a time of mass communication.  If enough people learn to detect skin anomalies early on, a lot of lives can be saved.

Hello Down There…

Don’t you wish there was a way to communicate with the collagen that lies just below the surface of your skin?  Collagen is the human version of Super Glue, connecting and supporting tissue throughout the body.  When collagen and elastin and subcutaneous fat are all working together at their highest levels, they keep the skin looking firm, supple and strong (and hence youthful).  But as we get older, collagen production begins to slump, and as a result, the skin thins and weakens, leading to wrinkles, folds and sagging.  Wouldn’t it be great to be able to tell your collagen to hang on just a little longer?  And at what age should you begin to be concerned?

For those of us who spent our youth lolling in the sun without adequate protection, the collagen breakdown is likely to happen sooner rather than later.  The dermis, which is the middle layer of skin in between the epidermis (outer layer) and the fatty tissue, is home to the greatest number of collagen fibers, and is the layer that suffers most when the skin is exposed to ultraviolet radiation.  Too much sun damage can actually cause collagen cells to weaken so much that they refuse to regenerate and do their job of protecting the fatty tissue beneath them.

If you are still in your 20s or 30s and are protecting from the sun now, you may think that you have plenty of time before you need to give a thought to the signs of aging.  But consider this: According to MedicineNet.com and other sources, over 80 percent of adult skin aging is the result of time spent in the sun as a teen.  In other words, you may have already had too much exposure, from back in the days when you were still peddling your bike around the neighborhood.  Your collagen fibers may not be on strike yet, but it is likely that they are meeting about it and that already your skin has less resilience than it used to.

The time to act is now, before the evidence comes to the surface.  There are some wonderful products out there, and the best ones are prescription-strength and can be purchased from doctors and other skincare professionals.  But as important as the products themselves may be the opportunity to establish a relationship early on with doctors who can continuously evaluate the ever-changing health of your skin.  This way you’ll have support in place whenever you need it.

It is generally when we are in our 40s that the effects of exposure to the sun, as well as normal aging, really begin to become evident.  By now the collagen is definitely breaking down and some early age spots may have begun to appear.  Without the collagen to hold things together, there may be some loss of underlying fat, which can lead to fine wrinkles as well as hollowing of the cheeks and around the eye sockets.  It can also cause loosening of skin on the neck.

But fear not, because this is where technology steps in to help you battle the passage of time.  You may want to consider laser skin resurfacing, which can peel away the epidermis (eliminating fine lines and forcing healthy new skin cells to form) and also penetrate the dermis to get to the collagen cells dwelling there.  In addition to helping to eliminate the signs of both normal and environment-caused aging, laser resurfacing can actually stimulate stubborn collagen cells to go back to work again.  Liquid lift options, which can include a variety of facial fillers—everything from Botox to fillers made with your very own fat—can also help by minimizing wrinkles and adding fullness to your face.

If you are in your 50s and 60s, in addition to dealing with lazy collagen cells, your hormones may be packing up and leaving town.  Your blood circulation may not be as robust as it once was.  This is a great time to consider a QuickLift, which can take ten years off your appearance with minimal recovery time and lasting results.  Or, you may even want to explore the benefits of a traditional facelift.  New technologies, such as the Vectra 3D Imager, have rendered the results of the traditional lift more predictable than ever before.

If you’ve been seeing skincare professionals all along, you will be in much better shape than those who wait until they are in their 70s or 80s to make their first appointment.  But even then, it’s not too late.  We all age at different rates, so the right time for a particular procedure for one person will not be the right time for another.

This we know: Talking to your collagen is not likely to have much of an effect on how your skin behaves.  But talking to skincare doctors early on can make all the difference in the world.  Aging gracefully can be as easy as acknowledging that, like it or not, all skin ages, and making an appointment to ask for guidance from the pros.

Back To School Can Mean New Beginnings For Moms As Well As Kids

The moment a child is born, a mother also comes into existence.  Her other labels may come and go, but “motherhood” is a permanent state, no matter how old the kiddies are.  And there used to be a time when it was a conspicuous state as well, with stretched tummies and lax breasts being its most discernible indicators.  But times have changed, and the physical mutations that a woman’s body undergoes in becoming a mother don’t have to be permanent any longer.  Thanks to modern medicine and the revolutionary technologies that support it, every woman has the opportunity not only to get her body back into its pre-maternal shape, but even, should she so desire, to take her body a step beyond.

The procedure is called the Mommy Makeover, and the doctors at San Francisco’s Plastic Surgery Specialists have become celebrated for the part they have played in making it one of the most popular cosmetic surgical procedures being performed today.  Basically the Mommy Makeover provides each woman with an array of surgical options, depending on her individual needs.  These can include breast lifts and/or augmentation, tummy tucks and liposuction.  Older moms may also want to include facial rejuvenation in their makeover package.

There are several advantages to having these various procedures performed all at the same time, under the agency of the Mommy Makeover.  First, it is cost effective to do so; in essence, you are paying for one multi-faceted procedure scheduled to occur in one place and time rather than two or three separate surgeries scheduled at various times.  Second, and more importantly, the healing/recovery period (generally two to three weeks) is far shorter than would be the collective recovery time for procedures done separately.  And third, the Mommy Makeover gives the patient and her doctors the opportunity to regard the body as a whole.  For example, one question might be, If the tummy tuck reduces the waistline by x number of inches, what size/shape breast implants will best complement the new waist contours?  The Mommy Makeover is a dynamic, creative undertaking, and the finished product can truly be a work of art.

But in spite of the lighthearted moniker, the Mommy Makeover is also a serious procedure and it requires serious consideration.  Because of its complexity, one would want a surgeon who is an expert in all of the individual procedures and who has also had many opportunities to perform them together at the same time.  Many of the best surgeons specializing in this field find it makes sense to double up, with two surgeons executing one makeover project, which, again, can cut the surgery time in half, making it even safer for the patient.  And it helps to have a support team on their staff who have experience in dealing with multi-faceted surgical procedures.  Also, plastic surgery teams that have access to VECTRA® 3D Imagers can actually allow patients to view the results before the makeover even takes place.

Back-to-school is a time of new beginnings for the kids: new clothes, new friends, new things to learn…  There’s no reason why it shouldn’t offer new beginnings for moms too.  Whether you are a young mom who has just put her youngest on the school bus for the first time, or an older mom whose kids are off to college but who has never stopped dreaming about the body she once had, now is a great time to consult with the plastic surgery team of your choice to see if you may be a good Mommy Makeover candidate.  Parenting expends a lot of energy and requires a lot of sacrifice.  A Mommy Makeover is an opportunity to turn inward and see what changes you would like to make for yourself.  A positive self image can be the precursor for taking on a string of other exciting challenges.  And women who have had Mommy Makeovers are so happy with their new bodies that they generally have no problem committing to healthy eating and exercise regimes that will keep them looking and feeling great for many years to come.

As The Workplace Tightens, So Do The Faces (And Bodies) Within

It used to be the case that folks were ready and willing to retire the minute they hit 65.  Not true anymore.  Sixty is the new forty, more or less, and folks in that age bracket want to work.  They want the stimulation, the challenges and the friendships that their careers provide.  And because of financial market fluctuations over the last several years, they also want (and often need) to give their retirement funds a chance to rebuild.  The problem is, 60-plusers staying on longer in the workforce has generated a sort of bottleneck.  There are just too many highly-qualified people out there competing to get or to stay in the most desireable jobs.  More and more of them have figured out that cosmetic procedures can give them a competitive edge.

Statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) bear this out.  According to their surveys, one out of every ten working-age women would consider having a cosmetic medical procedure just to be more competitive in the job market; 3.5-million working women have already had a cosmetic procedure; and 73 percent of working women agree that in these challenging economic times, youthful looks definitely play a role.

While this particular survey singles out working women, the same holds true for men.  In fact, men are more likely than women to name “workplace competition” as the number one reason to have a cosmetic procedure.  But no matter what your gender, if you are beginning to worry that you may be losing your career footing, whether because of age or simply the occupational uncertainty that is rocking most workplace scenarios today, you may want to consider a consultation with a plastic surgeon.  Or perhaps you’ve been out of the workforce for some time and now you need to go back in.  A youthful appearance can be even more important than brushing up on breakthroughs in your field and teaching yourself PowerPoint.

So what exactly are your choices?  Well, there are a multitude of solutions out there, depending on your needs.  Could drooping eyelids be giving your boss the impression that you suffer from age-related insomnia?  A slight elevation of the brow along with a little sculpting of the upper lid skin may be all you need to regain that keen-eyed hungry look you had your first day on the job.  Have love handles put an end to that elegant stride with which you used to enter the office?  These days the incision used for liposuction is smaller than ever, only a few millimeters!  Are just a few wrinkles on your forehead or around your mouth giving the crowd at the water cooler the impression you might be older than them?  Any one of several skin rejuvenation procedures, from Botox to laser skin resurfacing, may all you need to feel like part of the gang.

The point is, there are all sorts of things that you can do to improve your appearance and increase your workforce shelf life.  Something as simple as a QuickLift can restore your confidence as well as your good looks.  But looking good goes even further than helping you to feel better about yourself.  Whether you are a doctor or a real estate agent or a stock broker or a legal aid, your clients want to be able to trust you.  And they are more likely to give you their trust when you appear to be in your prime—no matter what your age—and not past it.

Cosmetic Surgery Advances Offer Something For Everyone

If you keep up with the latest cosmetic technologies, your head may be spinning about now.  There have never before been so many amazing options.  Look at all the fillers out there these days, everything from the ever-popular Botox to newer competitors such as Juvederm, to injectables made from one’s own fat—and even one’s own blood!  Besides being minimally invasive, these options have in common that they are affordable, take very little time, and produce results that are so smooth and natural that an observer is likely only to notice that the recipient of the procedure is “looking better than ever.”

In other words, the results are subtle.  And “subtle” may be just what you are going for.  In fact, you can go even more discrete with chemical peels and laser skin resurfacing.  These days the best plastic surgeons and skin professionals have not one but multiple lasers in their offices, because the functions of these wonderful machines vary.  There are lasers that work only with the top surface of the skin, the epidermis, softening lines and smoothing out color disparities.  Then there lasers that penetrate below the surface of the skin, into the place where collagen and elastin reside, to work at deeper wrinkles and enlarged pores.  And finally there are lasers that employ intense pulses of light that can break down uneven pigmentation and brown spots.

All of these fillers and laser procedures produce great results and can take years off your appearance.  But if what you really want is to change the shape of your chin, the size of your breasts or the volume of your eyelids, you won’t be able to get by with fillers or laser resurfacing.  Rather, you may be a candidate for old-fashioned plastic surgery.  If so, what you need to know is that while the results may be as striking as ever, the procedures are more refined than ever too.  Thanks to technology, old-fashioned plastic surgery is not really old-fashioned anymore!  And you can be guaranteed of the satisfaction of getting exactly the change you want, especially if your plastic surgery team possesses a Vectra 3D Imager, which lets you check out the results before the procedure.  Now that’s not only practical; that’s empowering.

Think of the possibilities: If having kids has changed your body in ways that displease you, you may be a candidate for a Mommy Makeover, in which breast augmentation, tummy tuck and/or liposuction can be combined, all in one procedure, to address your post-pregnancy needs.  Or you can change your entire facial structure by strategically adding chin and/or cheek implants.  The incisions necessary for such implants are tinier than ever, and yet the results can be dramatic.  Likewise, a facelift can truly give you a new lease on life.  Most plastic surgeons offer two types, a more traditional lift—and a QuickLift.  And of course there are procedures to address particular areas of your face and body.  Compression garments and cutting-edge products to address bruising and swelling make recovery from any procedure quicker and more comfortable than ever.

If you want to feel relaxed and rejuvenated, get a massage.  That steady pressure, whether on your face or all over your body, will help increase your circulation and infuse your skin tissue with nutrients, leaving your skin radiant and healthier than it was before.  If you want to knock five to ten years off your appearance, check out fillers and laser skin resurfacing options.  But if you want to change your look, go for the gold.  You won’t regret it!

Botox To The Rescue…Again!

If you suffer from hyperhidrosis—excessive sweating of underarms, palms, soles, or face—you are not alone. Almost eight million people in the United States are suffering along with you. But it may be difficult to get anyone to understand what you are going through. Mention to your buddies that you sweat too much, and their reaction is likely to be, Lucky you, sweat those toxins out!

It is true that sweating has some very positive consequences. In addition to releasing toxins through the pores in your skin, sweating regulates your metabolism and makes the adjustments required to normalize your body temperature after exercise or when external temperatures are high. In fact, when sweating is followed by appropriate cleansing techniques, impurities brought to the surface of your skin can be washed away, leaving the skin healthier and more radiant than ever. This is why steam rooms and saunas are so popular; most people like to sweat. Since 95 percent of sweat is water, the most common concern is that one drinks enough fluids to maintain hydration.

But sweating too much can be a true nightmare. Excessive sweating can keep you from socializing and getting involved in intimate situations. It can shake up your confidence during business meetings. It can distract you in circumstances where you really need to be paying attention. It can ruin your clothing; knowing that your clothing is staining can inhibit your posture. Worrying about possible body odor can make you sweat even more. And as people with hyperhidrosis often sweat even when external temps are moderate or cool, you can’t even blame it on the heat.

If you’ve tried to control excessive sweating with antiperspirants and topical medicines and nothing works, then you may be a candidate for Botox. Yes, Botox!

It’s almost not a surprise to learn that Botox injections are quickly becoming the treatment of choice, at least for axillary (underarm) hyperhidrosis. After all, Botox has been wowing skincare professionals and their patients for over 15 years, ever since an ophthalmologist using it to cure her patient’s blinking disorder discovered that the woman’s frown lines were disappearing. Now we know that in addition to weakening facial muscles so as to minimize lines and wrinkles, small amounts of Botox can also be injected into sweat glands, to temporarily clog them.

If you are thinking Botox may be the answer to your hyperhidrosis problems, begin by talking to your doctor about why you suffer from hyperhidrosis in the first place. The disorder can be the result of eating too much spicy food or drinking too much alcohol or coffee. Ridding yourself of this psychologically debilitating condition can be as easy (or as difficult) as changing your diet. If you are in your teens or early 20s, your sweats are probably a reaction to hormonal changes, in which case you need to be patient and wait for your hormones to level out. Various medications can also cause hyperhidrosis, as can hereditary factors. And of course stress can contribute to a variety of health problems, and hyperhidrosis is no exception. Hyperhidrosis can also be brought on by certain medical conditions.

Botox injections can have some side effects, so again, it is important to work with experienced doctors who will know how to eliminate risks. Since Botox over the last decade has become the province of dermatologists and plastic surgeons, they are the doctors you will want to turn to.

Botox injections are spread out over the armpit, in maybe 15 to 20 sites. A treatment can take less than an hour and the results lasts anywhere for four to 10 months. Getting them regularly truly give you a new lease on life.

One can only wonder what Botox’s next triumph will be.

Vampire Lift: Don’t Let The Nomenclature Scare You

Doesn’t it always seem to go that the things you want most in life turn out to be right under your nose?  That certainly seems to be the case with today’s newest, hottest, most talked about anti-aging procedure—the Vampire Lift.  We all want to look younger, and now it appears that our very own blood—yes, that life-maintaining fluid that circulates through our bodies and that we hardly ever give a thought to—may actually be the magical spring that countless explorers have sought after for millennium—i.e., the Fountain of Youth.

The Vampire Lift works likes this: A few vials of your blood are drawn, just as they would be if you were having a blood test.  These vials are then placed in a centrifugal appliance, where they are spun at a very precise speed.  When the vials are removed, the platelets in your blood will be at the top of the vial.  The platelets, replete with platelet protein, are then injected, very strategically, back into your skin.  The result is an increase of volume along the lines we call wrinkles, much the same as the results you would get from many of the fillers on the market.

The advantage of using your own platelets is that they act not only like fillers, puffing up the lines in your skin from beneath, but also as stimulants for the production of collagen.  When your body sees it is getting an infusion of platelets, it gets tricked into thinking that some kind of healing is required, and it recruits growth factors to jump in and help.  In essence, your tired, dull skin cells are actually healing themselves!  In fact, doctors first began using platelet therapy to treat tendonitis and arthritis and to help re-grow skin lost from accidents or disease.  Because these are your own platelets, you are unlikely to have an allergic reaction.

While the effects of the Vampire Lift may take a few weeks to reveal themselves, the procedure itself will not cause much more than a slight swelling or bruising. Nor will it produce a lumpy effect.  The Vampire Lift is a non-invasive, non-surgical, outpatient procedure that can be done in less than an hour (not counting the time it takes for the blood to be drawn and engineered).  The cost reflects the simplicity of the technique: fees vary depending on how extensive your needs are to begin with, of course, but relative to the price of a traditional face lift and some other popular procedures, Vampire Lifts are highly affordable.  How long they last depends on the individual, but most doctors agree that you can expect results to prevail for about fifteen months.

As for the name, if you are part of the “Twilight Saga” crowd, you probably already get that the gurus in charge of marketing this procedure are merely trying to point to the fact that it keeps youthfulness alive.  But for those who remember Bram Stoker’s evil Dracula (and who are more likely to be candidates for the procedure), “Vampire Lift” may conjure up some very scary associations.  We say, Don’t let the nomenclature scare you.  A rose by any other name is still a rose; and the Vampire Lift is a blossoming flower in dermatological circles.