Archive for the ‘skin care’ Category

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Only a Quarter of Teens Report Using Sunscreen Regularly, Study Finds

Thursday, February 2nd, 2012

When a group of Massachusetts eighth graders were asked about sunscreen habits, only 25 percent said they wore it regularly, according to a new study.

The study, published in Pediatrics, tracked 360 U.S. kids’ sunscreen and tanning behaviors for three years. The participants were first surveyed in 2004 as fifth graders, and they were surveyed again in 2007 as eighth graders.

Researchers found the following about kids’ sunburn and tanning experiences:

  • More than half (53 percent) had suffered at least one sunburn by the age of 11.
  • Half used sunscreen at the beginning of the study, but only 25 percent still did three years later.
  • The proportion of kids who admitted to “liking a tan and spending time outside to get a tan significantly increased” as they got older.
  • Two out of 10 went outside just to tan when they were in fifth grade; 4 out of 10 did by eighth grade.

According to the authors, the years of “periadolescence” (ages 11 to 14) seem to be “a crucial period” when kids and teens “increase or decrease their use of sun protection, obtain sunburns, or change their tan-promoting attitudes.”

“I think especially at this age, and in general, there are a lot of forces that promote tanning,” said lead researcher Dr. Stephen Dusza, of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.

Dr. Sophie Balk, a pediatrician, said the study highlights that many kids aren’t protecting their skin.

“The problem is if you sunburn in childhood, you raise your risk of developing skin cancer later on,” said Balk.

According to Dusza, the next step is to figure out how to effectively promote sun protection in pediatric offices and community settings, like beaches and sporting events.

In addition to wearing sunscreen, Balk recommends protecting your skin with sun-protective clothing, hats and sunglasses.

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Tips for Fighting Dry Skin in Winter

Friday, January 6th, 2012

winter dry skin tips The Associated Press surveyed dermatologists to get their best tips for protecting skin during the winter. Read on for their advice.

Winter Dry Skin Tips

Avoid hot showers. Dr. Neil Sadick, a dermatologist in New York City, says to avoid hot showers. Even though they may be comforting when it’s cold out, hot showers further dehydrate your skin, says Dr. Sadick. “Make showers as tepid as you can tolerate,” he said.

Be sure to use a moisturizer. Dr. Alicia Zalka, associate clinical professor of dermatology at Yale, recommends an old standby: Vaseline. She says that if you’ve already got very dry skin it can be good to use it for a few days as a sealer and a protectant. Plus, if your skin is already cracked, it doesn’t sting, she says.

Also wear sunscreen to protect skin from sun damage, even in the winter. Dr. Sadick recommends applying a broadband sunscreen once a day.

Think before you drink. Drink beverages with alcohol or caffeine in moderation, as they can be dehydrating, says dermatologist Dr. David Orentreich.

Do drink water to stay hydrated, but don’t rely on it to keep your skin healthy while it’s cold.

Use a humidifier. Dr Orentreich also recommends using a humidifier in your house, especially in your bedroom. That way “healing and repair can take place while you sleep,” he says.

In addition to your skin, also take special care of your hair and nails during the winter, as they can crack and split like the skin does, according to Dr. Zalka. Try B vitamin supplements to improve hair and nails, she says.

Dr. Sadick also suggests using a conditioner more frequently during the winter to keep hair from getting too dry.

Learn about the medical grade skin care products available from Dr. Heffernan.

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Benefits of a Chemical Peel Make it a Good Choice for Facial Rejuvenation

Wednesday, December 7th, 2011

benefits of a chemical peelConsidering a  non-surgical facial procedure? The many benefits of a chemical peel make it a smart choice, reports Cosmetic Surgery Times.

While there are many options for non-surgical facial procedures, including lasers and injectables, chemical peels often can achieve similar outcomes to more invasive technologies, according to the article.

“Contrary to popular belief, the majority of physicians still readily use chemical peels in their cosmetic patients, and they remain as one of the most popular cosmetic procedures, following botulinum toxin and filler procedures,” writes Dr. Marina Landau of Tel Aviv University.

Chemical peels work by exfoliating the top layer of skin to reveal the healthier skin below. They come in a range of strengths. Your doctor determines which to use by evaluating your skin type and the amount of skin damage there is.

Benefits of a Chemical Peel

Chemical peels are versatile; they can treat a variety of skin problems, including acne scarring, sun damage, wrinkles, age spots and freckling.

They are also easy to perform, and they can give patients significant improvement for skin problems.

Another benefit of a chemical peel is that the results can last a long time. For instance, a deep peel’s results can last for years. This means less maintenance for the patient. Fillers, for instance, may need to be maintained several times a year or annually.

Patients who have extensive wrinkling may find that a chemical peel is cost-effective, because the peel targets the whole face. Trying to treat many individual wrinkles with fillers could become too expensive.

The recovery period after a chemical peel depends on the intensity of the peel: the deeper the peel, the longer the recovery period. Usually it averages a few days to two weeks.

Dr. Heffernan offers the Vitalize Peel® at his Seattle practice.

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Your Face Will Age Like Your Mom’s & Other Skin Care Myths

Thursday, September 15th, 2011

skin care mythsWhat are some of the most common misconceptions about how your skin ages? One is that patients often believe they are going to have bad skin because “you get the genes your parents have,” according to dermatologist Dr. Sandra Lee. But, she says, habits make more of a difference than genetics.

Here are some of the most common skin care myths, according to Lee:

Skin Care Myth: Your skin will age like your mother’s.
Reality: While genetics do play a role in how your skin looks, habits — such as tanning, drinking and smoking — make more of a difference than genetics for how you will age.

Skin Care Myth: The SPF number tells you how much protection you’re getting from the sun.
Reality: The SPF number on a sunscreen product refers only to UVB (rays that burn the skin) protection and doesn’t tell you if it protects you from UVA rays, which age the skin. Therefore, look for a product that contains UVA-blocking ingredients, such as zinc oxide, titanium dioxide or avobenzone, to fully protect your skin.

Skin Care Myth: Most sun damage happens before age 18.
Reality: According to studies, you’ve only accumulated less than a quarter (18 to 23 percent) of the sun damage you’ll incur over a lifetime by age 18. That means you still have time to protect your skin from future sun damage and aging even if you tanned a lot when you were younger.

Skin Care Myth: Over-the-counter cosmetic creams can reverse your skin’s aging.
Reality: There’s no such thing as a miracle in a bottle, according to Lee, since as you age, facial bones shrink, you lose fat under the skin and skin becomes looser — things that a cream won’t help. If you’re serious about turning back time, talk to your cosmetic surgeon about wrinkle fillers, facelift surgery and other procedures that can give you a younger look, and consider a skin care regimen with medical grade products.

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Posted in Facial Plastic Surgery, In The News, skin care | No Comments »

Red Wine Study Finds It May Prevent Sunburn

Friday, September 9th, 2011

Lowering cholesterol, fighting Alzheimer’s and preventing cavities are just a few benefits that may come from drinking wine. And, according to a new red wine study, it may also help prevent sunburn.

Scientists in Spain found that the grapes in red wine contain compounds, known as flavonoids, that work to stop the chemical changes in the body associated with causing skin damage.

How does it work? When UV rays hit the skin, they activate “reactive oxygen species,” or ROS, which react with UV rays to destroy skin cells and cause sunburn. However, the flavonoids work to decrease the formation of the ROS’s in skin cells that were exposed to the sun’s UVA and UVB rays, which are linked to wrinkles and skin cancer, in addition to sunburn.

If red wine isn’t for you, eat grapes — the authors say it’s just as effective.

Study director Dr. Marta Cascante, a biochemist at the University of Barcelona, wrote that the “encouraging results should be taken into consideration” for the development of new skin care products.

“This study supports the idea of using these products to protect the skin from cell damage and death caused by solar radiation,” said Dr. Cascante in a written statement.

There are already cosmetics containing grape compounds available, but the way they act on cells was not fully understood. Learn more about effective skin care products and non-surgical options, such as Fraxel Restore,  for correcting sun damage that has already occurred.

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Excessive Texting May Result in “Blackberry Neck”

Saturday, July 30th, 2011

reduce neck wrinklesIf you’re constantly checking your smartphone, besides staying on top of your emails, you may also be giving yourself neck wrinkles. These lines and creases that may results from smartphone use have been dubbed “Blackberry neck,” and one New York aesthetician has created the “Blackberry facial” to combat it, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.

The facial includes a neck peel, a hydrating serum, LED light and oxygen. A New York Daily News reporter who tried the treatment wrote, “At the end of my treatment, the one faint line on my neck did seem a bit fainter. But what I did notice was the smoothness. My neck had a texture of a flower petal.”

Another cell phone side effect can be breakouts on the side of the face where you hold your phone. To alleviate this, try exfoliating that side of the face nightly or try keeping your phone from touching your face.

Non-surgical Options for Reducing Neck Wrinkles

No matter what the cause of the wrinkles, there are options for reducing neck wrinkles and correcting other problems in this area.

One non-surgical option is Botox, which can be used to soften and smooth the neck’s appearance.

Chemical peels are another option. The Vitalize Peel, a gentle but effective chemical peel, removes the outer skin layers to correct fine wrinkles, blemishes and uneven skin texture.

Laser resurfacing treatments can also be effective on the neck. Fraxel works by stimulating collagen and elastin regeneration and can restore your neck’s skin texture.

Posted in In The News, Laser Treatment, skin care | No Comments »

Effective Methods for Preventing Sunburn

Thursday, July 21st, 2011

preventing sunburnA new study that looked at techniques for preventing sunburn and how effective they were concluded that other methods of protection “may be more effective than sunscreen as typically used by Americans.” Those who say they vigilantly apply sunscreen are more likely to experience damaging sunburns, according to the study.

Study researcher Dr. Eleni Linos, a dermatologist at Stanford University, stressed that her results don’t mean that sunscreen doesn’t work or shouldn’t be used, as the study was designed to look at patterns, not to prove cause and effect.

Rather, it more likely shows that many people only use sunscreen for protection from the sun, when it should be used in combination with other preventative techniques to avoid sunburn.

Five Ways to Help Prevent Sunburn

Used together, these five things can help you avoid sunburn.

  1. Apply Sunscreen. Despite the results, sunscreen is effective. Linos believes that the most likely explanation for the study results is user error — people aren’t applying as much sunscreen as they should. Aim for a golf ball-sized amount for every exposed body part.
  2. Reapply Sunscreen. When you’re outside for longer periods of time, be sure to reapply sunscreen every two hours (or every 60 to 90 minutes if swimming or sweating).
  3. Stay in the shade. “Myself, personally, I’m a dermatologist, and I don’t even wear sunscreen all that much. I stay in the shade,” said Dr. Ronald P. Rapini, a professor of dermatology at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
  4. Wear a hat. Protective clothing should also be part of your multi-pronged approach to avoiding sunburns.
  5. Wear long sleeves. The study showed that those who frequently sought shade and wore long sleeves had about a 30% lower sunburn risk compared to those who rarely used those measures.

“The best data that’s out there shows the combination of seeking shade, wearing protective clothing and wearing sunscreen, those three things together clearly lower your risk,” said Dr. Darrell S. Rigel, a clinical professor of dermatology at New York University.

In addition, the FDA’s new regulations for sunscreens, which will be implemented next year, should make it easier to choose a good sunscreen.

Dr. Heffernan offers a range of products to help patients care for their skin.

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FDA Sunscreen Regulations Updated to Help Consumers

Wednesday, July 13th, 2011

In an effort to aid consumers, updated labeling will be pushed out as a part of new FDA sunscreen regulations.

Starting in 2012, all sunscreens labeled as having broad spectrum protection must prove their effectiveness in protecting the skin from the sun’s full range of light, according to new FDA sunscreen regulations.

Water resistant sunscreens will also be regulated. The FDA claims that no sunscreen is waterproof—all sunscreens begin to lose their effectiveness when wet. Under the new FDA sunscreen regulations, water resistant sunscreens sold will be required to have a label stating how long they maintain their effectiveness when wet.

When exposing yourself to the sun, the FDA encourages individuals to wear a sunscreen with at least SPF 15 and broad spectrum protection, which can guard against sunburn, cancer and signs of aging. Additionally, the FDA states that no evidence yet shows that sunscreen with an SPF above 50 has any added benefits. The FDA also urges limited exposure to the sun in the middle of the day and suggests staying indoors when the sun’s rays are the strongest.

To prevent signs of aging, the FDA says to closely follow the instructions on your sunscreen and to reapply every two hours—more often if you get wet. Also, do not spray sunscreen directly on your face or inhale it. Rather, spray it onto your hands and then apply it to your face.

Even if you follow these FDA sunscreen regulations, you may still have experienced some sun damage. In these cases, treatments like microdermabrasion and chemical peels can reduce the visible signs of aging on your face, neck, chest and hands.

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New Botulinum Toxin Could Drive Prices Down

Wednesday, July 13th, 2011

Last summer, the FDA granted approval for the botulinum toxin drug XEOMIN to treat abnormal neck pain (cervical dystonia) and spasms of the eye. XEOMIN is botulinum toxin type a, the same active ingredient used in Botox® Cosmetic.

When it receives approval for cosmetic use, it could create enough competition in the market to drive down prices on all botulinum toxin injections.

Current treatment prices for Botox® range from $9 to $15 per unit, with most patients requiring about 20 units per treatment area.  These prices could drop when XEOMIN receives cosmetic approval from the FDA. Although XEOMIN isn’t believed to be superior, doctors say it could create more options, more competition and thus, lower prices.

“Current off-label use hasn’t shown any particular clinical advantage for Xeomin over Botox (onabotulinumtoxinA, Allergan) or Dysport, but the new toxin will broaden clinicians’ aesthetic options and may spur price competition in the U.S. “

Quote Via Dermatology Times

With another contender in this already competitive market, consumers may see more rebates and more price breaks from the pharmaceutical companies.

XEOMIN is the 3rd botulinum toxin to receive FDA approval in the U.S. The fourth could be PurTox, a drug by Mentor (popular breast implant manufacturer) that is still being studied.

You can read all the facts on the new website XEOMIN.com, including “How XEOMIN works.”

“XEOMIN is injected into muscles to decrease their activity. XEOMIN blocks the release of a chemical messenger—acetylcholine—that conveys the signal from nerve terminals and causes muscle fibers to contract. Not all terminals are affected by botulinum toxin, so the muscles can still contract, just less forcefully. This allows the muscles to contract more normally.”

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Couples Increasingly Choosing Non-Invasive Plastic Surgery

Monday, June 27th, 2011

non invasive plastic surgeryAs many couples age together, more of them are slowing down the visible effects of aging with non-invasive plastic surgery, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune.

Why Are Couples Choosing Non-Invasive Plastic Surgery?

The trend is likely because people are not only living longer than before, but also because they are working harder, which puts added stress on the skin, according to Dr. Leo R. McCafferty, vice president of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. The uptick in non-invasive plastic surgery may also be attributed to improvements in the economy, which has seen consumers with more spending money.

One plastic surgery practice near Pittsburgh saw about six couples for non-invasive plastic surgery five years ago and now sees almost 30 couples per year.

Not only are couples undergoing similar non-invasive plastic surgery treatments to maintain a youthful look for their spouses, but they may also be doing so to stay competitive in the workplace.

What Non-Invasive Plastic Surgery Options Are Couples Choosing?

Though surgical procedures are still popular among a range of patients, young and mature, non-invasive plastic surgery is only gaining traction. Most popular among women and men looking to shave a few years off is Botox, an injectable that smooths out many types of facial wrinkles.

Though one woman had undergone non-invasive plastic surgery treatments like chemical peels, she had not pressured her aging husband to do so. However, when he began to notice wrinkles creeping across his cheeks, he chose to have injectable fillers, like Juvederm or Restylane, to fill in the deep lines.

When you visit your plastic surgeon’s office for a consultation, make sure to inquire about non-invasive plastic surgery as well as traditional plastic surgeries to reduce the signs of aging and refresh your skin, at any age.

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