Yodle Local Articles » health and medicine

What is Medical Dermatology?

Todd Minars — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:21:15 +0000

Dr. Todd Minars joined his father’s dermatology practice, Minars Dermatology, in Hollywood, Florida in 2002. Since then, the office has experienced substantial growth in medical, laser, cosmetic and surgical dermatology. Here, he discusses the varied problems and conditions that fall under the category of medical dermatology.

Medical dermatology concerns any problem or condition of the skin that is not purely cosmetic. That means there is a dysfunction in the skin, either in its function or appearance. Examples of medical dermatology include psoriasis, eczema, warts, acne and skin cancer. Those are the most common diagnoses that fall under this rubric, which we see often in our practice.

Some of the other things that fall under the heading of medical dermatology, or are common, are sexually transmitted diseases such as herpes and genital warts. This is because all these types of STDs affect the skin, so this category is broad.

We also see a lot of infections which give you skin diseases, such as folliculitis, which is an infection of the hair follicles. It looks like pimples or pustules on the skin, and people often get it on their rear ends or thighs, which happens when they are spending a lot of time sitting or sweating. Boils are also a infection that affects the skin; they are just sort of a deeper version of the pimples or pustules.

Dermatological Specialty vs General Doctor

People with STDs often prefer to see dermatologists because they are specialists in the field as far as skin conditions are concerned. They are set up to treat warts in general, and that would include genital warts. In our office, we have medicine we use for that such as liquid nitrogen, and we have other specialist instruments on hand which a regular general doctor may not have.

Another benefit of a dermatologist is that we can usually diagnose these things as we see them frequently, without having to do special tests. It falls under our specialty. We have learned about it, and it is part of our expertise. A general doctor might know a little about a specific skin condition, for example, but will not have any specific intimate knowledge about it.

If you have something wrong with your skin, it often saves time to go straight to a specialist. I often see patients who wasted a few days or weeks treating something incorrectly, something a regular doctor might only see once a year. We see it every day, which is why it is usually more efficient to see somebody whose specialty is dermatology.

Get Someone Board-Certified

When looking for a good dermatologist, you can always go to the American Academy of Dermatology website. They have a dermatologist finder according to area, and everyone who is on that website is a board-certified dermatologist. I would recommend seeing someone who is board-certified only. Otherwise there are people who say they are dermatologists but are really medical doctors in the broadest sense of the word, even though they have not actually done a residency in dermatology.

In Florida, where Minars Dermatology is located, they just passed a law saying that someone cannot use the term “dermatologist” without having been accredited with one of the major boards. That new law means you are getting someone who is specifically trained in the field, who will treat you using the best techniques and drawing on specific knowledge of the profession.

The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.

Tags: dermatology, health, health and medicine, inflammatory skin disorder, medical dermatology, skin, skin disease, skin disorder, skin infection

Birth Control From Med Spas

Guljeet Sohal — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 17:56:04 +0000

Ever thought of getting a contraceptive device fitted at your med spa? Why not? Dr. Guljeet Sohal, owner of Balle Bliss luxury med spa in Cypress, Texas, has a focus in women’s heath and, says she has several forms contraceptives available to her patients.

I offer my female patients several birth control options. The first is the ParaGard IUD, an intra-uterine device which is inserted into your uterus. It’s good for 10 years and is based on copper, with no hormones in it. One of the benefits is that it does not disrupt your menstrual cycle.

I also offer the Mirena, which is also an IUD inserted in the uterus. It’s based on progesterol, and is especially good for women with heavy menstrual cycles. Its life is five years, it helps decrease the amount of menstrual flow and also prevents pregnancy.

The last birth control device I offer is the Implanon. It’s a sub-thermal implant that goes into your arm, similar to the Norplant, but the Norplant implant contains five little capsules, while this is just one small plastic capsule that goes into your arm. It is offers three years of prevention against pregnancy.

Background in Women’s Health

Offering birth control at a med spa is a rarity. But I am a board-certified family practice physician as well, and most of my studies were in women’s health. I have done hundreds of each of these procedures, and have lots of experience in this field. I am interested in women’s health and I deal with women a lot, so why not offer contraceptives?

Sometimes getting into an ob-gyn’s office is difficult, the waiting list can be anywhere from several weeks to several months. There can be a long waiting list, but you can call us and we can see you the next day. And people who come to us for other reasons find it easier, we can take care of it all at once.

Only Condoms Prevent Infection

Please note that having an intrauterine device or contraceptive implant cannot protect against sexually-transmitted infections or diseases, such as HIV. You can also not use IUDs if you have Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID), or engage in behavior that can make you prone to getting it.

Tags: birth control, contraceptives, health, health and medicine, med spa, medical spa

The Importance of Ambiance at a Med Spa

Guljeet Sohal — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 17:52:52 +0000

Dr. Guljeet Sohal is the owner of Balle Bliss, a luxury med spa based in her hometown of Cypress, Texas that seeks to bring specialized care back into the practice of medicine. Here she talks about how vital it is that clients feel comfortable and at ease when they enter the doors of her establishment.

We feel it’s crucial that people coming to us for a consultation, treatment or procedure feel 100% comfortable the moment they walk through our doors. With this in mind, we have a round waiting room where we play relaxing music and offer drinks, to make people relax and feel at ease from the very first.

Our clients immediately are given the choice of soft drinks, red wine, beer or liquor – anything they like, really. It actually helps relax them and makes them feel comfortable and happy.

Even though we are a medical spa, we still want them to feel pampered. We’ve got nice fluffy couches with fluffy pillows, the lights are turned down low, and music is playing. What could be better?

Not Just Another Doctor’s Office

We never want people who come to us to feel like they are coming to the doctor’s office. We want them to feel they are going somewhere to pamper themselves, to make them feel better. The injections might hurt but we are there to try and ease the pain as much as we can.

When you go into our treatment rooms the nice, calm atmosphere continues. We have regular chairs where people sit but they are covered in satin sheets. Clients can relax and listen to the nice music; it’s not at all like being at the dentist’s office and getting injections into your face.

Would You Like a Drink With That?

Often, women take their wine in there with them when they are getting their lips done. During the procedure, they sometimes stop and say, “Oh wait, I need more wine.” It helps relax them. After the treatment, if they are swollen or feel kind of wrecked, they can go back in the waiting room, lie on the couch, have a blanket and relax.

Our atmosphere is so inviting that not long ago a our patient asked us if she could have her birthday party here at the med spa. We provided the liquor and the refreshments for free, she brought her friends and a lot of them had BOTOX treatments.

Earlier, she had told her friends that they “just had to see” the space where she gets her beauty treatments done. She was proud of us, and wanted to show us off to her contemporaries.

We always tell our clients, “Bring your friends.” It’s fine. It makes them feel that they’re not going to a doctor’s office — that it’s more of place of relaxation. That’s really what it should all be about.

Tags: health, health and medicine, med spa, medical spa, medical spa atmosphere

Medical Weight Loss as a Solution for Obesity

Kelly Brown — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 19:52:55 +0000

Medical weight loss may be the answer from anyone suffering from obesity that has never learned healthy eating and fitness. The plans often include added boosters such
as appetite suppressants and vitamin supplements, but they are medically supervised and designed for those whose weight is a threat to their health. Even medically
supervised, there are still some dangers, but many whose lives are unfulling due to
their weight may want to consider if the pros outweigh the cons.

What Is It?

Many turn to medical weight loss after other attempts at weight loss have failed.

There are a number of medical weight loss programs across the country. Many include a combination of weight loss injections, appetite suppressants and counseling. Some of these methods include vitamin cocktails that boost weight loss and another uses the pregnancy hormone, HCG. Human chorine gonadotropin is believed to play a role in the break down of abnormal body fat. It enables “good” fat and muscle to remain healthy and intact, which is a benefit that even normal diet and exercise fall short doing. The hormones can be pair with appetite suppressants and are in liquid form and not give as shots.

Another option, which is given in injection form, is Lipo B shots. This is a
combination of a variety of vitamins and minerals meant to boost the metabolism. It
focuses on helping the liver with its natural function. It frequently includes a shot
of B-12, an energy booster and choline, which is responsible for the transport and
metabolizing of fats and cholesterol in the body. Paired with those two are inositol,
which also aids in the metabolism of fat and cholesterol, and methione, which acts as
a lipotropic agent to prevent excess fat build up. Lipotropics are three amino acids
essential for the functioning of the liver, which removes fat and toxins from the
body.

A typical program will include a combination of blood and metabolism customization,
diet medication, B-12 shots, booster pills, customized meals, supplements, and
meetings with doctors and counselors. Some programs also offer group counseling
sessions and support.

Who Needs It?

Anyone that is significantly overweight will benefit the most from a medical weight
loss program. Those that have never learned to eat properly will work with doctors to
design a diet that is healthy and suitable for their lifestyle. While skeptics often
doubt the lasting effects of weight loss “crutches” like shots and cocktails, these
programs are designed to use those as a boost while also educating. Often, when
someone has a significant amount of weight to lose, the best way to bet started is
with immediate drastic results. This gives them motivation to keep losing. Over time,
the develop a healthy lifestyle.

Benefits

The major benefit of medical weight loss is immediate and often drastic weight loss.
Most of the programs use natural substances that are found in the human body. Patients
are monitored by doctors and their vital signs are observed closely, often on the
weekly basis. Paired with low calories foods plans, medical weight loss protects
muscles in the body while ridding it of excess fat. This means patients are not left
with the saggy skin that is often a result of drastic weight loss. Women using the HCG
weight loss plan have also reported improved sleep, decreased irritability, and
increased energy without a stimulant effect. Some people react poorly to vitamin B-12
and feel as if they have been injected with caffeine. The energy boost from HCG does
not have this side effect.

Risks

Risks are relatively minimal, and resemble what someone would find with any drastic
weight loss program. Patients may experience dizziness, an intolerance to cold
temperatures, constipation, dry skin, and head aches. These are all due to the calorie
restricting included in the diets. Lipo B shots should not be used by those suffering
from sulfa allergies. Some that do utilize only the B-12 for energy boost. Those use
HCG may also experience breast tenderness, headaches, and swelling. It should also be
noted that the use of HCG is not approved by the FDA for weight loss.

The programs are typically very expensive, but in some cases, may be covered by insurance. Many have complained that maintenance success rates are disappointing. The programs requires just as much, if not more, commitment than an unsupervised weight loss plan. If someone does not educate themselves while utilizing the vitamins, supplements and hormones, than there will not be lasting results.

If you are considering a medical weight loss program, do as much research as possible beforehand. Be sure it uses FDA approved supplements. Also speak with the doctor about how they will monitor your electrolytes, fiber, calcium, vitamins, minerals and Omega -3 intake. You should be comfortable with your program and choose one that you feel will bring you the most success in the long run.

Tags: diet, exercise, fat, health and medicine, medical weight loss, obesity, weight loss, weight loss program

A Guide to Dental Spas

Stephanie Miles — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 19:04:36 +0000

As the number of cosmetic dental procedures has increased in recent years, so has the demand for dental spas across the country. A cross between a dentist’s office and a beauty spa, dental spas are designed to make everyday dental procedures less scary by utilizing a number of relaxation techniques throughout the office. Visits to dental spas grew by 143 percent between 1997 and 2002, according to the International SPA Association, making dental spas one of the fastest growing niche fields in the medical industry.

With dental spas, gone are the days of scary dentists haunting your nightmares.

Despite the recent surge in popularity, dental spas have actually been around for more than 30 years, when dentists first began looking into ways to make a trip to their office a more pleasant experience. Since then, the dental spa industry has gotten a boost from the abundance of new cosmetic procedures that bring patients into the office more frequently and for longer periods of time.

What is a dental spa?

Dental spas are licensed dental facilities where patients can undergo a variety of dental procedures in a more relaxing atmosphere than the standard dentist’s office. To do this, dental spas utilize a number of age-old techniques meant to sooth patients, many of which are also used in popular day spas.

In large cities and small towns, dental spas are commonly found in hospitals, health clubs, and resort or hotel settings, as well as medical parks and shopping centers. Patients visiting a dental spa for the first time can expect to find a soothing, calming atmosphere, commonly decorated with soft colors and candlelight, similar to a day spa environment.

Among the services offered at a dental spa that may not be offered at a standard dentist’s office: Patients are welcome to experience complimentary massages and reflexology while undergoing stressful dental procedures, and may also occasionally be offered the chance to relax in vibrating chairs, watch movies, or listen to music during the exams as well—all with the goal of putting the patient in as relaxed a state as possible.

In addition, many dental spas offer a wider variety of cosmetic dental procedures than those offered in other medical offices. These include teeth whitening, veneers, enamel shaping, contouring, and bonding, along with the more standard dental procedures such as cleanings and cavity fillings.

Who should consider going to a dental spa?

Patients with a fear of the dentist are considered excellent candidates for dentistry spas, where they can expect to receive the same quality of care with less fear-inducing stress. Beyond those with an overwhelming fear of dentists, however, dental spas are an excellent option for just about anyone needing dental care. Because these offices offer virtually every service a person could need—from basic teeth cleaning to more advanced root canals and other procedures—just about anyone can consider visiting one.

What are the benefits of dental spas?

Dental spas can turn an otherwise anxious experience into a relaxing time.

Thousands of would-be dental patients forego visits to the dentist each year due to an overwhelming fear of the dentist’s chair. Thanks to the emergence of dental spas, however, many of these people are finally able to get themselves in to see a doctor, albeit in a calming environment where they feel relaxed and safe.

As an additional way to calm patient’s anxieties, many dental spas offer pharmaceutical sedation methods not available in other practices. Although they should be used sparingly, these methods are an obvious benefit to anyone who has experienced the terror of sitting through a grueling dental procedure for hours on end with only mild anesthetic.

In addition, dentists report that certain procedures and oral operations can actually be more dangerous on patients who are tensed up, which is why examining patients who are relaxed is actually beneficial for the dentistry professional as well.

Are there are risks to visiting a dental spa?

Although dental spas have many followers, they have many detractors as well. As such, dental spas are not recognized by the American Dental Association—which governs dentistry practices across the country—even though they are recognized by the International Medical Spa Association. A number of licensed dentists have spoken out against dental spas, and worry that patients may be seeking out dental procedures that are unnecessary and potentially harmful.

To combat this, patients interested in visiting a dental spa for the first time would be well advised to seek out information about the specific spa they are visiting beforehand. This includes ensuring that the dental practitioner is licensed, that the spa itself is licensed, and finding out what past patients have to say about the practice. In addition, prospective patients can contact the Better Business Bureau to ensure that no complaints have been filed against the salon before booking their first appointment.

Tags: benefits, clean teeth, consumer guide, Cosmetic Dentistry, day spa, dental care, dental spa, dentists, health and medicine, medical spa, oral hygiene, pros and cons, risks

Curing the Winter Blues with Light Therapy

Sarah Matthews — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 02:54:09 +0000

The vast majority of us often feel a bit blue in the winter, when the days are considerably shorter and the sky is usually gray and miserable. However, a minority of us suffer more than the occasional blue spell. When the months get colder and darker they sink into a state of despair, one that is characterized by extreme lethargy, fatigue and depression and often marked by over-eating and sleeping too much.

Many people suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder during the winter months.

In days gone past, we told people with seasonal depression to simply snap out of their funk. Many of us feel a bit off-color during the colder seasons, we’d say, so stop moaning and deal with it like an adult. However, scientists have now recognized that people who suffer from a more severe form of the winter blues actually have a known medical condition – known as Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD. It’s not that uncommon – and the good news is that it can almost always be very successfully treated.

What is Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD?

As mentioned, SAD is not about feeling a bit miserable when it’s dark and cold out. It’s a cyclical feeling of depression and despair, which in severe cases can threaten to take over an individual’s life. It usually begins either in late fall or the beginning of winter and last until the weather changes, although in some cases it starts during the summer months. Interestingly, it mainly affects people under age 40, and the ratio of women affected as compared to men is 3:2.

Our age, lifestyle, genetic factors etc play a role in who gets affected by SAD. But the clever boffins who gave a name to this condition have also pinpointed several other factors. They include an increase of melatonin, which can affect both sleep and depression, and a decrease in the feel-good hormone serotonin. They concluded also that some people are more affected by cyclical changes than others, and that their circadian rhythms, or natural body clocks, are thus more affected as well.

In any case, symptoms usually worsen then get better when the weather changes – making those affected act much like a bear desperate to put on a layer of fat and hibernate the cold months away. In rare cases, however, people suffer from what is known as Reverse SAD, experiencing feelings of elation, euphoria and overpowering enthusiasm for no apparent reason until the weather lifts (sounds good!).

If you think you suffer from winter-onset SAD, here is a checklist of possible symptoms to look out for. Remember, they are season-dependent – if you have these symptoms all the time regardless of season, you may just be suffering from plain old depression, and should ask your doctor for help. Symptoms include:

Tendency to oversleep
Tendency to overeat, especially comfort food such as carbohydrates
Anxiety and other forms of nervousness
Depression
A feeling of hopelessness and despair
Lack of interest in things, which may include sex
Weight gain
Marked difficulty in being able to concentrate

If you suffer from summer-onset SAD, which is much less common, signs may include being irritable, becoming easily irritated, having a marked increase in sex, insomnia, weight loss, agitation and nervousness.

Treatment

As a lack of sunlight is seen as the main culprit in causing SAD, it makes sense that the main treatment for this disorder is to get more light (no surprise here). People with mild symptoms can try to be outside for longer when it’s sunny, taking part in outdoor sports, exercising in the open air or taking walks in the middle of the day. Exposing themselves to as much natural sunlight is key.

For patients with a more severe form of the condition, the best treatment is usually phototherapy, or light therapy. Patients either sit or stand in front of a specially designed light box or wear a special light visor for up to 45 minutes a day. Often this is done first thing in the morning, when the effect can last longer. The light box should only be administered by a professional, as it is mandatory to get one that filters out all harmful UV rays.

If light therapy does not seem to help, then behavioral therapy or medication may be a next resort – or even a combination of treatments used at one time. Behavioral therapy is a form of counselling where patients will discuss why they have negative thoughts and how they affect them, and what they can do to reduce them. Medication may include antidepressants, so be careful as they can interact with other medication you may be taking.

Other therapies include taking regular exercise, eating healthily and dawn light simulation. This rather bizarre technique is very simple: a light comes on in your bedroom while you sleep, then slowly gets brighter and brighter as if mimicking a dawn sunrise, making you feel as if you were warmed by the sun. Please note that tanning beds are NOT cures for SAD, and will not help someone who has been accurately diagnosed with the condition.

In places like Siberia and Alaska, where there is often less than one hour of natural sunlight a day during the winter months, schoolchildren are often exposed to phototherapy every day while at school. It is seen as a natural way to make up for nature’s lack of sunshine. In Norway, children are routinely given cod lover oil before the winter months to “prepare” them for the dark days ahead. Sometimes prevention is better than cure.

Looking Ahead

SAD is a type of depression, and like many forms of depression it is often not recognized and is easily overlooked. Even children can be affected by SAD, causing them to lose interest in school and their friends, and even normally fun after-school activities like parties and hobby clubs. Often, parents see their children as slacking off, and don’t realize that they actually have a recognized mental health disorder.

Fatigue, lethargy and an overall feeling of malaise could be caused by a more serious condition, so if you are wondering whether you or someone in your family is suffering from SAD, it’s important to see a medical professional to rule out anything more serious first. If SAD is the diagnosis, getting help and the proper treatment is easy.

Nobody should suffer from any mental health problem in silence. If you believe you suffer from SAD, see your doctor. And along with following his or her instructions, it’s not a bad idea to prepare yourself for the advent of winter by eating healthily, exercising regularly, and making sure you have a support network of family and friends around you.

Tags: anxiety, depression, emotional health, health, health and medicine, medicine, mental health, seasonal affective disorder, seasonal depression, winter blues

No More Sags or Bags: Having a Mommy Makeover

Sarah Matthews — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 07:30:00 +0000

Twenty years ago, having a “mommy makeover” meant a manicure and facial followed by a quick cut and set. Not any more. These days, women with children seeking to pass themselves off as fresh-faced virgins who never changed a diaper in their lives are having a variety of plastic surgery procedures, in a bid to make them look younger, thinner and without any sags or bags.

Take Ellie Malmin, a 45-year-old from Florida who took time off from a busy career to have two children. Pregnancy left the diminutive 5ft 5in makeup artist with 30 extra pounds of post-pregnancy weight, and she felt horrible, fat and downright ugly.

Many mommies go through elaborate makeovers involving a variety of plastic surgeries in a bid to look younger.

“Like many women, I wanted to be the perfect mother and gave virtually all my time and attention to the children,” Ellie told CosmeticSurgery.com. “I got to the point where I had put myself at the bottom of my priorities and even went around without makeup. In a word, I had become a frump.

“If I lose respect for myself, my kids may also lose respect for me and then themselves,” Ellie said to herself in a rare moment of insight. “Perhaps the children would have a better role model if they saw me as more outgoing and confident – and not so frumpy.”

So what did Ellie do? According to the website, she had a tummy tuck, eye bag removal, thigh liposuction, a breast lift and cosmetic dentistry. And now her kids, aged three and seven, see a “more confident, outgoing mother with higher self-esteem.”

If you think your little darlings would love you a lot more if you had higher breasts and a flatter tummy – and what children wouldn’t? – maybe it’s time you spent tens of thousands of dollars on plastic surgery (or get new kids – and a life). After all, if a Mommy Makeover worked for Ellie, maybe it would work for you…

What is a Mommy Makeover?

A Mommy makeover is an expensive, painful procedure where women who have given birth to children with their own bodies seek to turn back the clock and make themselves appear younger, thinner and more sleek. The list of procedures available is endless as you can always find a cosmetic surgeon willing to change literally every part of your body – at a cost. Here are just some of the procedures on offer:

Invasive Procedures

Breast Lift. A mastopexy will raise your breasts and take away their droopy appearance. Can be done in conjunction with an augmentation or reduction. Sometimes the nipple may have to be cut away and removed, then placed back. Ouch!

Breast Augmentation. Commonly known as a boob job, but in official parlance goes by the name “augmentation mammoplasty”. Add a bit of silicone inside your chest to make your saggy breasts, ravaged by breastfeeding, look perky and new. Some women opt for bigger boobs to have a more proportional figure, some do it for the opposite reason…

Tummy Tuck. Different types of tucks, or abdominoplasties, are available, depending on how much fat and skin you need removed. Sometimes liposuction is done in conjunction. Best for women who have achieved their ideal weight through dieting and exercise but have excess skin they cannot get rid of as the result of pregnancy.

Thigh Liposuction. Get rid of those deposits of fat that are proving impossible to shift with this vacuum-like device. It really sucks.

Butt Lift. Fat is transferred from other parts of your body into your bottom, to give it shape and make it appear perkier. Buttock implants are also a possibility, where silicone implants are used to fill out your butt cheeks. Cheeky, huh?

Face Lift. Why look old when you don’t have to? Have your face threaded, lifted or even have part of it cut away! Be aware, however, that face lifts may take away the odd wrinkle but cannot give you beautiful skin – unless you had it before the procedure was carried out.

Vaginal Rejuvenation. Get a tighter vagina by having the skin muscles tightened and excess tissue cut away. If you really want to look younger, have a hymenoplasty at the same time, to “repair” your hymen.

Less Invasive Procedures

Chemical Peel. Various acids are used to peel away the top layer of skin, and theoretically to improve the stimulation of more collagen. Can take away age spots and very fine wrinkles and leave you looking younger. Ask to see which one is best for your skin type.

Botox. Whether it’s to smooth away fine lines on the forehead or around the mouth, this toxin works by paralyzing the facial muscles and making you look younger, as if you haven’t a care in the world…

Laser Hair Removal. Getting rid of hair in the bikini region is one way to make yourself look younger – why not go all the way and look pre-pubescent? Some guys like that – but do we like guys who do?

Dermal Fillers. Fill our your lips and plump up your cheeks with injections of Restylane, Juvederm and other cosmetic fillers. Look like Angelina Jolie, if you wish – at least around her mouth!

There’s no reason women shouldn’t be happy with the bodies they have, and feel proud to wear the scars of motherhood. We should revel in our saggy breasts, stretchmarks and big tummies. After all, no pain, no gain – right? And there’s (almost) nothing a bit of dieting and exercise can’t sort out.

If you do decide to have a Mommy Makeover, however, there’s no reason your spouse shouldn’t have a Daddy Makeover at the same time. Just because he didn’t have to give birth doesn’t mean he hasn’t aged. After all, sitting on the couch watching football, drinking beer and scoffing pizza every weekend while you take care of the kids must have taken its toll on the poor fella.

So next time you trot off to the hospital in your Manolo Blahniks for a quick nip and tuck, why not suggest that your man also go under the knife and indulge in a chin implant, hair transplant, pectoral implant and tummy tuck? And why not throw in a nose job – and a penis extension – while he’s at it? Looking good, Daddio!

Tags: breast lift, cosmetic surgeon, cosmetic surgery, day spa, health and medicine, liposuction, medical spa, mommy makeover, plastic surgery, tummy tuck

Deep Tissue Massage: Is It Worth the Potential Pain?

Kyle Donley — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 19:21:07 +0000

While massages are generally associated with relaxation, deep tissue massage remains the counterpoint, as therapists throw off the kid’s gloves and work your body like an unmolded slab of dough. Though a small amount of pain or soreness may arise after a session of deep tissue massage, it’s a good way to release tension in the long run.

What is it?

Deep tissue massage is a style of massage that hones in on relieving tension from muscles located under the surface of top muscles.

Deep tissue massage is a style of massage that hones in on relieving tension from muscles located under the surface of top muscles, as well as tension from fascia, or connective body tissue. The massage therapist uses a variety of different techniques (which may involve using their elbows, fingers, or in some cases wooden props) to loosen the hard-to-reach muscles and relieve a great amount of tension, ultimately with the goal of realigning deeper layers of muscles and connective tissue.

When adhesions (bands of rigid tissue) form in muscles, tendons, or ligaments, they can be very painful, limiting movement and blocking circulation. Deep tissue massage counters these adhesions through direct deep pressure applied against the grain of the sore muscles in question. Typically, deep tissue massage is defined by its slow strokes, which is to say it is by no means a quick process. In fact, it is recommended that deep tissue massage be administered on a regular basis to correct long term muscle tension and prevent injury.

Who needs it?

Deep tissue massage is generally suited for a specific problem that the patient is having, such as chronic pain, limited mobility, recovery from an injury, osteoarthritis pain, or muscle spasms. It is also great for stiff necks, lower back tightness, and sore shoulders. In fact, a session can comprise of a therapist working solely on one particular problem area.

It’s a fairly intensive procedure, so don’t go thinking you’ll be sipping on wheat-grass smoothies while wearing neat little robes and slippers. This is not to suggest that a patient has to be in physical pain in order to have a deep tissue massage, as it is beneficial to one’s overall health, especially the limberness of their muscles. It’s just easier to justify the intense, sometimes painful massaging when you have an ailment that needs immediate attention. Those who are involved in heavy physical activity, athletes for one, or those that are in consistent pain will find the most to gain from multiple sessions of deep tissue massage.

Benefits

Although you may experience some discomfort or pain either during or after a deep tissue massage, it is beneficial to your health in the long run. Luckily, any stiffness or soreness that occurs will generally subside in a day or so and then naturally, your body should feel better than ever, considering all the deep-seated tension being released from your core muscles.

In fact, once you’re used to the intensive techniques of deep tissue massage, you’ll most likely find it pleasurable and relaxing. Overall, it’s a very healthy workout for the muscles, as it releases toxins, prevents inflammation, and helps blood and oxygen circulate in more proper fashion.

Risks

Aside from the initial pain or discomfort, there are not too many risks to deep tissue massage, unless your skin is equal to the strength of a plastic bag. That being said, this type of massage is not generally recommended for people immediately after surgery, pregnant women, or on anyone with infectious skin diseases, rashes, open wounds, or abdominal hernia. Also, if you are prone to blood clots, you should ask your primary physician before getting a deep tissue massage because there is a risk of blood clots being dislodged during the session.

Lastly, it is not recommended that you eat a large, hearty meal before an appointment (so if your massage therapist’s office is next to an IHOP, think first). It is also generally wise to stay hydrated, especially after the massage to help eliminate toxins from the body.

So if you were thinking about joining a fight club anytime soon, you may want to hold off. Deep tissue massage may be that visceral experience you’ve been searching for. And lucky for you, it’s healthy, it’s legal, and it doesn’t require meeting up with a bunch of guys in a warehouse basement. At least it shouldn’t.

Tags: chronic pain, day spa, deep tissue massage, health and medicine, massage therapist, massage therapy, medical spa, Personal Care

Botox for the Bladder: Treating Urinary Incontinence

Sarah Matthews — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:51:14 +0000

Fifty-six year old Carol Ronse used to need the toilet at least 20 times a day. In fact, her urge to urinate was so great that it was seemingly taking over her life – and no treatment seemed to work.

The Carol tried Botox injections – not on her face, but directly into her bladder.

Botox injections in the bladder can be a viable option in fighting incontinence.

“The whole procedure, carried out under local anaesthetic and as a day patient, was uncomfortable – rather like pinching but inside my tummy – yet not painful. The procedure lasted around 20 minutes and afterwards I felt no pain at all and went home,” she told the British Daily Mail newspaper.

“After around nine months the effects did start to wear off and I went back for a second injection. I will need to have these ‘top-ups’ indefinitely. Still the change to my life is immeasurable. Quite simply, after 20 years of problems, at last I feel normal.”

Most of us associate Botox with getting rid of frown lines and wrinkles. Now the versatile Botulinum toxin, which can cause severe food poisoning, has yet another purpose besides making us appear younger than we actually are: it is increasingly being used to treat urinary incontinence.

Botox for the Bladder

Botox, which is most commonly used in cosmetic treatments, works by paralyzing our muscles. That means it gets rid of frown lines by stopping the actions of the muscles that make them. In a similar fashion, it can get rid of the urge to urinate by paralyzing the detrusor muscle, one of the bladder muscles which makes the bladder empty on its own.

An overactive bladder is one where the bladder muscles suddenly contract, usually without warning and for no apparent reason, causing a rush of urine. The use of Botox makes people who suffer from this type of urinary incontinence still feel the need to use the toilet, but the bladder muscles become desensitized to such an extent that they don’t need to go so often.

Most patients who get injections of Botox into their bladder say the effect lasted for at least six months, after which they received an additional injection and continues to see – and feel – the results. Those who were given an injection every six months for two years said they no longer felt that urinary incontinence was having any effect on their lives whatsoever.

Conclusive Proof

The most well-known study on the effects of Botox on the bladder was a Swiss one conducted in 2004. Botox is “effective” in treating urinary incontinence, the results of the study pointed out, during a presentation at a joint meeting of the Society of Gynecologic Surgeons and American Urogynecologic Society.

The study involved 26 patients, both men and women whose average age was 66, who had not responded to conventional treatment for incontinence. That meant they were unaffected by commonly prescribed medications used to control bladder spasms and relax the bladder muscles.

The group received injections of Botox directly into the muscles of the bladder, and then followed up at specific pre-arranged time periods. All of them reported back that their bladders were able to hold much more than previously, and that they emptied their bladder on average only four times a day, as opposed to 12 times. They all said that incontinence was no longer a problem that bothered them on a daily basis.

A more recent study was carried out on people suffering from urge incontinence at London’s Guy’s Hospital and King’s College School of Medicine and published in the BJU International journal. It tested 36 people, some of whom were injected with Botox and others who received a placebo. The result showed that those who actually got the Botox felt that their incontinence had a smaller effect on their lives than previously.

What is Urinary Incontinence?

Also known as urge incontinence, overactive bladder or spasmodic bladder, bladder incontinence is when you have a strong urge to wee – often very often – sometimes to the point when you are unable to control it. It’s estimated that at least 10 percent of the population suffer from this affliction, which becomes more common the older we get.

You might think that storing up and then having a wee is fairly straightforward, but it’s actually a very complex process. First of all, a person must have the mental and physical abilities required to recognize they need a wee, and to control their urination. That’s why newborns are unable to hold their urine, and why some older people are unable to as well.

Secondly, the lower urinary tract, kidneys and nervous system must all be in top working order for us to wee normally. We must have a normal sphincter muscle, which controls the urine flow, as well as a working bladder wall.

When we urinate, we wee in two stages. The first involves storing the urine in the bladder; the second involves pushing it out, hopefully into the proper receptacle (ie, not your pants). When a specific amount of urine is collected in the bladder, it contracts. As toddlers become potty-trained, they learn to reign in that contraction and hold it until a toilet is in sight. But for people with urinary incontinence, holding the urine is often an impossibility.

There are several different types of urinary incontinence, including:

Stress incontinence. Women who have had children or are going/have gone through the menopause can suffer from stress incontinence, when they cannot control their stream of urinate due to stress being placed on the bladder. This can happen when they sneeze robustly, laugh too heartily, run or cough. One solution is to never laugh, run, cough or sneeze again. Another is to do kegel exercises, which strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. Men also get this affliction, which in their case is connected to a prostatectomy, or surgical removal of the prostate.
Urge incontinence. This happens when people suddenly leak urine as soon as they feel the urge to wee. The reasons are numerous, and can include infection of the bladder or overactivity of the nerves in the bladder.
Overflow incontinence. A consistent dribbling of urine that cannot be controlled characterizes this type of incontinence, which is usually caused by a blocked urethra or weak bladder muscles.

Suffering from urinary incontinence is no laughing matter. Many people can have their condition reversed through either intensive drug therapy, regular pelvic floor muscle exercises, or, in some cases, either invasive surgery or losing a massive amount of weight. But if these methods have all failed, Botox may be a new and exciting solution.

If you think that, like Carol Ronse, you could benefit from Botox injections to treat urinary incontinence, speak to your doctor. Don’t just visit a med spa and ask someone who is used to injecting Botox into frown lines to take a detour to your bladder. You will need a competent surgeon who is familiar with the procedure to carry it out, one who has done it countless times before with a spotless track record. Good luck!

Tags: botox, botox for bladder, health, health and medicine, incontinence, medicine, plastic surgeon, plastic surgery

The Benelli Breast Lift for Smaller Boobs

Sarah Matthews — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:50:32 +0000

Most people assume that only large-chested women can suffer from breasts that droop and sag as the result of heredity, age, weight fluctuations or breastfeeding. The truth is far from that. Women with smaller breasts can also suffer from breast ptosis, or Boobs-Gone-South-Syndrome, which is why clever plastic surgeon Dr Louis Benelli pioneered a new type of breast uplift he (modestly) dubbed the “Benelli Lift”.

The Benelli Breast Lift is a tasteful alternative to the normal breast lift.

If the thought of having your nipple raised several centimeters higher on your chest so that other people will think you have higher breasts is appealing, then the Benelli lift may be exactly what you need. The beauty part, as they say, is that the scars are placed around the areola area, so they are practically invisible. The Benelli breast lift, also known as the concentric or peri-areolar lift, is also less invasive than most other types of breast uplifts, and can cost considerably less.

Benelli Breast Lift Basics

The Benelli breast lift (“doughnut mastopexy”) is basically cosmetic surgery in which the skin “brassiere” is reshaped. It involves having a small doughnut-shaped piece of tissue removed from around the border of the areola. The surrounding tissue is then stitched to the areola itself using small purse-string like sutures, so that the nipple appears raised.

If you think this all sounds a bit nasty, you’re right! In some cases, the surgeon may also want to give the breasts an extra lift by removing another crescent-shaped piece of tissue from the top bit of the areola (nastier still). Some women may also choose to have implants inserted at the same time while they are under the knife to have not only perkier breasts but bigger ones as well. Please note that most surgeons think an implant is the only way to achieve fullness in the breast’s upper quadrant – this cannot be done through mastopexy alone.

The operation as a whole should take anywhere from two to three hours and is performed under local anesthesia, although sedation is also used at the same time – so you won’t see your nipple being sliced. Women can normally return to work within a week although some bruising is to be expected, as well as some redness and feeling of numbness in the breastal area. In some cases there is an accompanying loss of sensitivity, which may be permanent, and there is always the risk of infection and skin necrosis.

Be advised that the tightening of the purse-strings in this procedure can cause a wrinkling or even pleating of the skin, which in some cases can be permanent. That is why it works best in women who have smaller breasts – also because it can give the breasts a more rounded shape.

If you are considering this op, it is imperative that you get professional surgical advice to make sure that it is really the right procedure for you. Don’t choose it simply because it is less invasive or can cost less – that will hardly matter if the outcome is far from what you desire.

Benelli Lollipop

This type of op is for people whose breasts sag that little bit more, when the skin elasticity is slightly more stretched. In this case, the nipple will have to be raised more to achieve the perkier look. It is good for women who have larger breasts compared to those who would require only a simple, stream-lined Benelli, but is not suitable for very large-breasted gals.

The surgeon will make an incision around the entire areola, not just on the top bit, as well as making a vertical scar, down the front of the breast. Obviously, scars will be more noticeable with a lollipop lift, although there will be a lot less scarring than that of a complete mastopexy, which would involve an anchor incision and corresponding anchor-like scar. The two incisions in this lift are thought to resemble a lollipop on a stick, which is how it gets its name.

Cautionary Advice

Breast lifts are only realistic options for some people. You are a potentially good candidate for a breast lift of any sort if you have breasts which are:

saggy and/or droopy
elongated and/or flat
have lost shape and/or volume

Health considerations should also be taken into account. Only have a mastopexy if you:

are not a smoker
are not prone to keloid scarring
maintain a reasonable weight
are not planning to lose a lot of weight in the near future
have realistic expectation about what cosmetic surgery can do for you
are in good overall health
are free of certain pre-existing health conditions
are in good mental health

Having any type of cosmetic surgery is a difficult to decision to make, and one that you should only have carried out after thinking long and hard about what you really, really want. While cosmetic surgery often can enhance a person’s self-esteem, there are other ways to achieve a better self-image than by re-shaping your body through costly and often dangerous surgical means.

Remember, having a breast uplift means trading in droopiness for scars – so make sure you will be happy with the trade-off before having anything done. The type of mastopexy you will have will depend on the amount of droop as well as the cause, and you will also need to choose whether you also are interested in having breast augmentation or reduction done at the same time.

If you are considering having plastic surgery of any kind, do your homework first and have an in-depth consultation with a qualified, Board-certified surgeon who is experienced in performing exactly the type of operation you want done. Alternatively, if gravity has really taken its toll on your breasts, you could always consider moving to another planet. Uranus is supposed to be nice this time of year…

Tags: Benelli breast lift, boob job, breast lift, health, health and medicine, nipple alteration, plastic surgery

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