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.

See the After, Before

Plastic Surgery Specialists is one of a handful of practices in California to offer Vectra 3D imaging.  This exciting technology allows you to see how the operation looks on your actual body before “taking the plunge” for surgery.  Whether it is sizing for breast implants, results of your mommy makeover surgery, or subtle changes to your nose or chin, Vectra 3D takes the guess work out of the process.  “When you and your surgeon are on the same page most of your anxiety just goes away.  It has been worth every penny we have invested in this exciting technology,” Dr. Stanley Poulos of PSS confirms.

Call us today at 877-430-0523 to arrange your complementary imaging session.

QuickLift™: It could be the procedure you’ve been waiting for.

If even the latest fillers don’t get the job done, it may be time to consider what facial surgery can do.  For those who want to turn back the clock but are scared of an extensive procedure that might leave them looking like something they saw in a wax museum, the surgeons at PSS have the answer.  The alternative is called QuickLift™, and, as the name suggests, it’s a minimally invasive procedure that can take years off your appearance.

The QuickLift™ technique was developed specifically for those between the ages of 40 and 65 who want to stay ahead of the aging curve.  It was designed to smooth the lower- to mid-face areas and can also dramatically improve the neckline – one of the first areas to show signs of aging.  It creates a natural look, recovery can be as short as 2 weeks, and it doesn’t break the bank.  Most importantly, recent twin studies published in plastic surgery literature have indicated that in the hands of experienced surgeons, the results of less invasive techniques similar to the QuickLift™ last just as long as their more extensive and expensive brothers.

Contact PSS for a consultation to see if QuickLift is right for you.

Have you heard about the Vampire Lift? Use your own blood to look younger.

We have all heard how fillers can restore facial volume lost by early aging. Juvederm, Restylane, Sculptra, Radiesse, and your own fat have all been touted as the filler du jour.  Well trump that and enter the Vampire Lift.  Catchy name, but there is a lot of science behind the latest anti-aging procedure.

The doctor starts by drawing a little of you own blood.  It is centrifuged to separate the blood cells from the plasma, which contains the platelets.  These are necessary blood constituents for clotting but they are also known to be the messengers that call in the body’s building blocks, such as growth factors, angiogenesis factors, and collagen, whenever there is an injury.  When these activated platelets are injected into your own face, the body thinks it is injured and builds the tissues back up in the injected area.  Sports medicine docs have used it for some time to treat injured athletes and now PSS is bringing it to you.

The procedure takes about 45 minutes, costs $500-$1000, and may last for more than a year!  And best of all, it can even be done in the daylight.

Top 5 List of Cosmetic Surgery Procedures

Considering making a change in your appearance and not sure where to begin?  The procedures range from minor to major and the available options seem to grow by the day.  The research is dizzying and the opinions are more so.

That’s why the trusted cosmetic surgery professionals at Plastic Surgery Specialists have compiled a list of the hottest plastic surgery procedures so when the time comes to treat yourself, you’ll have some idea of where to turn.  Check out our top five list:

Liposuction: If pockets of fat—on your hips or thighs or tummy—are ruining the good things that make up the rest of your body, you may be a candidate for Liposuction.  Liposuction reshapes specific body areas by suctioning excess fat from between the skin and the underlying muscle.  The procedure requires only a tiny incision, takes very little time, and recipients can recover within a few weeks.  No wonder it is so sought after!

Breast Augmentation: Breast implants are exceedingly popular in these times, especially now that the very best plastic surgeons are working with Vectra 3D imaging, which allows patients to see the results in advance of the procedure itself.  The patient can choose between an array of implant options, and the final implants can be custom shaped to ensure that the end result is nothing less that than a dream come true.  Inconspicuous incisions, short procedure times and quick recovery make this empowering technique an all-time favorite.

Botox: Frown lines between the eyebrows, horizontal forehead lines, crows feet, and smile lines have all met their match in Botox.  Botox is based on a very simple and ingenious concept: If you weaken the muscles, underlying lines and wrinkles, you can minimize them.  Just as small amounts of, say, Iodine, are essential for good health while larger doses can be harmful, the same bacteria that causes botulism, diluted thousands of times, is used (safely) in Botox to great effect.

Eyelid Surgery: Whether or not the eyes are “the mirror of the soul”—as proclaimed by the well-known Yiddish proverb—they certainly are the feature that we focus on most when we engage with other people.  That’s why Eyelid Surgery, or Blepharoplasty, makes the popularity list year after year.  Eyelid Surgery makes it possible to remove the hooding of the upper eyelid while reshaping the wrinkles or excess fat deposits in the lower lids.  And voilà!—the sagging, drooping look that gives some faces a sad, forlorn expression is gone, revealing a younger looking you.

Rhinoplasty: Do you ever look in the mirror and wonder what your face would look like if you could only do something about your nose?  If so, you are not alone by any means.  Nose surgery, or Rhinoplasty, can improve facial balance by giving you the nose that Nature, in her quest for diversity, may have failed to provide. Chin or cheek implants can complete the procedure. The recovery time for nose surgery may take a little longer than some of the other procedures, but the results can be proportionally dramatic!

The above procedures are just the top five of the many available.  These days just about any change you’d like to see to your face or body is possible.  Mommy Makeovers that eliminate fat and excess skin and tighten the abdominal muscle girdle ensure that moms have the same chance to look fabulous that the rest of us do; Laser Skin Resurfacing, which not only corrects uneven skin and age spots but can even generate skin laxity, is sure to make the cosmetic procedure hit list as more and more people become aware of the incredible headway going on in laser technology; and while there’s no replacement for the traditional Face Lift if you really want to bring the best-looking you to the forefront, Liquid Lifts can take ten years off quickly, and with minimal recovery time.

Better yet, not only can the team at PSS help you determine what procedure(s) is best for you, they are also one of a handful of practices in California to offer Vectra 3D imaging (L4).  Whether it is sizing for breast implants, results of your mommy makeover surgery, or subtle changes to your nose or chin, Vectra 3D takes the guess work out of the process by allowing you to see how an operation looks on your actual body before “taking the plunge” for surgery.

So what are you waiting for?  Make an appointment for a consultation right away and make this summer the most memorable ever!

Buff (& Bronze?) On The Beach

If you’re old enough to remember the endless summers of the 60s or 70s or even the 80s, then you probably remember a time when the collective goal was to look like a sun god or goddess on the beach.  That meant not only looking super fit in your favorite swimsuit but also having that bronze glow that bespeaks good health and youth.

Along with learning that smoking is bad and green tea is good, we now know that the UV rays that make that bronze look possible are unsafe, whether they come from the sun or from tanning devices.  Unfortunately, the sun’s UVs are more dangerous than ever, because of the steady decline of the ozone layer.  And, according to the FDA, a recent report by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (a division of the World Health Organization) indicates that tanning devices may be even more dangerous than we initially thought.  UV rays, says the FDA, whether from tanning devices or from the sun, can cause skin cancer, skin burns, premature aging and short- and long-term eye damage.  That’s enough to make almost anyone run for cover.

Yet, no one can deny that even a body that is deliciously toned doesn’t look as good strutting its stuff in the surf when it’s also pasty white.  So leave it to modern science to come up with solutions that allow for bronze skin in spite of all the disturbing news about UV rays.

Sunless tanning (also called spray tanning, self tanning, UV-free tanning and, in the most tell-it-like-it-is terms, fake tanning) can offer us the look we want to go with our toned (we hope) bodies this summer.  Sunless tanning products include lotions, gels, wipes and sprays, all of which contain chemicals such as dihydroxyacetone, also know as DHA.  DHA is a color additive that darkens the skin by reacting with amino acids in the skin’s surface.  It is not a dye.  It begins to fade within days of its application, much like the more dangerous “real” suntans of yesteryear.  Most people will want to use a small amount of sunless tanning product on a patch of skin before applying it to the entire body as some people have reported rashes.

If you really want the perfect tan you may be tempted to get a spray tan at your local salon or spa.  But it’s worth knowing that the FDA has not approved the spray or misting booths that some spas feature.  Their concern is that indiscriminate spraying may result in DHA and other chemicals getting into the eyes or on the lips, or on other mucous membranes, or accidentally being inhaled or ingested.

Before you run out to buy your sunless tanning product, keep in mind that not all tanning products protect you from the sun.  In other words, you can get a great “out of the bottle tan” while still soaking in those harmful UV rays.  Read the label on your product of choice and make sure that it indicates that the product contains sunscreen ingredients and has adequate sun protection factor (SPF) numbers.

If you’ve already done some sun damage to your skin, all the sunless tanning products under the sun won’t begin to repair it.  But fortunately there are lots of solutions available from the offices of your favorite plastic surgeons or skincare professionals.  As you may already know, buying skin restoration products from the office of a doctor rather than over-the-counter means getting stuff that really works.  The Obagi Nu-Derm System, for instance, provides a line of products that transform the skin at a cellular level so that it begins to look and act younger. Obagi Nu-Derm also helps to prevent future skin damage.

Another solution for damaged skin is laser skin resurfacing.  The short pulsating beams of light generated by today’s state-of-the-art lasers can remove the top layer of damaged skin, and some lasers can actually work with the tissue under the skin, stimulating the growth of new collagen and elastin.  When a layer of skin is removed, the cells beneath it begin to rebuild, and the new skin will not include all of the imperfections that were burned off.

We’re fortunate to live in a time where so many of our mistakes, even those resulting from too much fun in the sun, can be reversed.

Real Men Didn’t Eat Quiche Either

Bruce Feirstein’s 1982 book REAL MEN DON’T EAT QUICHE used satire to help dispel the notion that “real men” had to deny any semblance of sensitivity in order to remain red-blooded males.  That was almost 30 years ago, and if the last three decades have taught us anything, it is that the desires and inclinations of men and women are not so different after all.

This is perhaps nowhere more evident than in the world of cosmetic surgery, where the percentage of men having facelifts is increasing annually.  And why not?  Men and women are not only living longer than ever before, but we are also living smarter.  We know about the benefits of regular exercise, healthy foods and vitamin supplements.  We know that annual blood tests to detect problems with cholesterol, triglycerides and glucose, etc., can often make the difference between a fairly long life and a really long one.  Now, thanks to modern technology, we also have the tools to keep us looking as good as we feel, no matter what age we are. Women have been taking advantage of these tools for a long time.  Why shouldn’t men avail themselves of the same opportunities?

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, they are!  Over one million men had cosmetic procedures in 2010, and the numbers will rise in 2011.  The percentage of men having facelifts alone shot up a whooping 14 percent from the previous year.

One popular surgery for men is Octoplasty, which helps to set back protruding ears or reduce ear size.  Another is breast reduction for what we have come to think of as “man boobs.”  While this condition is sometimes the result of excessive weight and can be reversed through diet and exercise, more often it is the caused by an affliction called “gynecomastia,” the abnormal development of large mammary glands, and good health habits have little or no effect on it.  Not surprisingly, gynecomastia can cause some psychological hurdles for those who suffer from it.  Often they will slouch and develop poor posture over the years in their effort to hide it.  Now men can have surgery and be done with the problem for once and for all, and they are doing just that in increasingly larger numbers.

Also popular among men is liposuction, the suctioning of excess fat from between the skin and the underlying muscle through tiny incisions.  Liposuction is not intended for general weight loss; rather it works best for reduction of fat in a specific area or areas.  Because men are even more likely than women to have localized areas of fat, they make great candidates for this procedure.

But men are not only opting for plastic surgery.  Just like women, they are learning that there are a vast number of less invasive procedures out there too.  They are benefiting from Botox injections, facial fillers, face lifts and liquid lifts, and laser skin resurfacing to generate a more uniform skin tone.

If you are thinking that the men who are getting these various procedures are celebrities who have to look good in front of the camera, think again.  Male and female celebs of course have known about the expansive assortment of surgical and non-surgical options for many years and have been taking full advantage of them.  But the men who are causing the statistics to jump in recent years include average guys who have learned what women have always known: that looking your best can increase your chances for success, both in business and socially.

Part of this has to do with self esteem.  When we know we look good, our confidence increases, and our appeal in the workplace or in social settings goes right up with it.

Let’s face it, there’s a lot of competition out there, and looking and feeling great is one good way to deal with it.  Luckily there’s enough quiche to go around for anyone who wants it—and it’s great to know that men are getting their share of the pie.

Lumps and Bumps and Dimples—Oh My!

Eighty to 90 percent of women have some cellulite somewhere—while almost no men experience it.  I know, it’s not fair, but those are the facts.  Yet we live in remarkable times, and as with so many other physical imperfections that we have explored in this blogspace, there are some remarkable cellulite-reduction solutions available.

If you’re reading between the lines, then you have already figured out that there is no actual “cure” for cellulite.  Cellulite is not a medical condition.  And while no one likes the way it looks, it doesn’t actually do any harm.  There is not even a direct link between cellulite and obesity—though obesity will emphasize it.  Cellulite has more to do with the manner in which fat cells lie within the surrounding connective tissue than with the fat cells themselves.

The causes of cellulite are not entirely understood, but we can safely say that they are rooted in metabolism, physiology and hormones, including (but not limited to) estrogen.  As anyone who has ever been to the beach knows, there is a vast range of cellulitic differentiation, from mild dimpling on the upper thigh and lower buttocks to lumps and bumps that begin above the knee and continue on upward. Variations in both location and appearance are probably based on genetic factors.

As with so many other impediments to health and beauty, variations may also depend on diet and lifestyle.  If you already have cellulite, junk food is not your friend.  In fact, if you don’t have cellulite, consuming foods with high amounts of fat and carbs and low dietary fiber may help to produce the conditions for its formation.  Likewise, excessive alcohol consumption and smoking may contribute to cellulite development, as can insufficient exercise and stress.

While all of these factors may contribute to making cellulite worse, reversing them won’t necessarily make cellulite go away.  But it sure will help.  You can hydrate your body by drinking more water.  (As you may have noticed, water is the answer to many many skincare and health problems and drinking a lot of it can’t be emphasized enough.)  You can reduce your fat intake.  And you can burn away excess weight with cardio exercise and strength training for the thighs, including plenty of squats.

It would be a big surprise if you did all of the above and did not find your cellulite to be, to some extent, in a state of retreat.  But if all your efforts still leave you feeling like you won the battle but didn’t win the war, you can take things a step further. For one, you can check in with your favorite skincare professionals to learn about the very best prescription-strength (don’t use “over-the-counter” when you can get the real deal), collagen-stimulating, circulation-activating creams available. Another solution is laser therapy to stimulate collagen growth at an even deeper level.  Laser technology is advancing by leaps and bounds.  Many lasers can even tighten the skin while promoting collagen growth.  Most top-tier plastic surgeons these days have an array of lasers, each of which has its own special function.

With beach season just around the corner, there’s no better time to do something about cellulite!

The Plastic Surgery Experience of Your Dreams

The percentage of people seeking information about plastic surgery options is soaring—and for several good reasons.  One is that the range of super cool gadgets available to plastic surgeons these days is growing by leaps and bounds.  Many plastic surgical teams now possess a Vectra 3D Imager, a device that allows patients to peruse the results of their surgical procedures before they even schedule them!  And exciting advances are happening in laser technologies too: Not only are there lasers that will gently burn off the top layer of your skin, taking with it those pesky skin flaws and minor wrinkles, but there are even lasers out there that stimulate the production of collagen in your skin cells, and thereby help to reverse the aging process!

The offshoot of all these new machines and technologies is that there is a whole new generation of plastic surgery procedures available too.  Sure, you can still have a traditional face lift if you like, but you also may be a candidate for a QuickLift™, the traditional face lift’s less invasive, less expensive, faster healing offspring.  Or you may decide on facial fillers, or cheek or chin implants.  Or you may be interested in a body lift, an arm lift or a tummy tuck.  There is virtually no part of you that cannot be “tweaked” to good purpose.

But before you run out and sign up for a fat transfer or a brow lift, do your homework.  Ask questions.  Become a sponge and learn everything you can about the procedures you are considering.  Here are some guidelines to make the learning process easier:

Create Your Plastic Surgery Dream Team: First and foremost, you need to find the right team of plastic surgeons/skincare professionals for your specific needs. You definitely want someone who has access to all the technologies out there, especially the Vectra 3D Imager.  But more importantly, you want a team that has lots of experience using these various technologies and performing plastic surgery procedures generally.  Take the time to scrutinize the websites of the pros that offer the most appealing options.  If you don’t see bios posted, call up and ask for them.  You’re the captain of this team; you have as much right to know about the experience level of your plastic surgeon as you would a heart surgeon.

Prepare The Questionnaire Yourself: Make a list of questions to ask once you schedule your first consultation with the team of your choice.  What are the procedures they offer?  What are the costs associated with each procedure?  What kind of anesthesia does each procedure generally require?  Who exactly will perform the procedure?  And where?  How long should you expect recovery to take?  Be creative; add to the list every time a concern occurs to you.  Don’t worry that your list is too long or that the surgical team may think some of the questions are trivial.

Get A Second Opinion: If the answers you get don’t satisfy, or if you simply feel that you’d like a second opinion, go ahead and set up another consultation with another team of surgeons/skin care professionals.  In fact, it’s recommended that you sit down with more than one group.  And if you happen to live in a small rural community that doesn’t offer many choices, consider traveling to a city that does. You want the best doctors available for your procedure—not just whoever happens to be located within a ten mile radius.  If the doctors you decide on are out of your area, more than likely they will be happy to help you to choose accommodations near their facility.

Share Your Medical History: There are certain medical conditions that can have adverse results on your surgery.  Once you’ve settled on a doctor, gather together your medical records for your surgical team.  Make sure they’re up to date and include recent lab test results.  Depending on your age and medical history, it may also be necessary for you to have a electrocardiogram, especially if your procedure of choice requires anesthesia.

Let your team know about any respiratory, digestive or neurological disorders you’ve had in the past, even if you don’t suffer from them currently.  You’ll also want to report any allergies and skin disorders.  And don’t forget to relate your history of weight gain and loss.  Also, provide your medical team with a list of medicines and herbal supplements that you take.  Even such common supplements as Gingko Biloba and Omega 3 Fatty Acids can cause bleeding in some people.

If you are planning on laser work, you should know that people with dark complexions can experience temporary (and in rare cases, permanent) discoloration.  Your doctor should do a test on your skin to see how it will react to laser work well in advance of the procedure itself.

Encourage (And Accept) Support: Be sure to get the support you need from your loved ones.  Since most plastic surgery is elective, friends and family members may treat it lightly.  You may be required to sit down with them and tell them about any fears or concerns that you might have.  Your period of recovery, even it if will be very brief, may still leave you feeling tired and emotionally drained.  The gift of a bouquet of flowers or a few of those books you’ve been wanting to read can really make a difference with your healing process.

These are incredible times to live in.  Only a few generations ago it was not uncommon to hear people say, “I don’t think of myself as old until I happen to look in the mirror.”  Well, those days are behind us.  Now we can look as good as we feel.

We know what to eat; we know about proper exercise; and we have the creams and skin and hair products that can really enhance our appearance.  Now, thanks to modern technology, there are safer, quicker and less invasive plastic surgery options than ever too.  There’s never been a better time to take advantage of them.