Reflections on Beauty

Face it: there really are no up sides to cigarettes. They’ve been linked to cancer, premature aging of the skin, and now prices are lingering around eight dollars a pack in New Jersey. If that doesn’t make you want to quit puffing away, a study has now found that there is a link between smoking and adult acne.

According to a study published in The British Journal of Dermatology, ‘smokers’ acne’ is particularly common among women. Of the subjects with acne, 192 of 226 (85.0%) were classified as having comedonal postadolescent acne (CPAA), which is characterized by blocked pores and large blackheads. Not only was CPAA the most common form of adult acne, but 72.9% of the subjects with CPAA were smokers.

For years there has been a common misconception that ethnicities with darker skin tones are less prone to becoming casualties of skin cancer. According StyleList.com, a recent study shows that melanoma-related deaths are actually more common in darker skin tones.

In the study, 41,072 Florida residents with advanced melanoma were classified based on race. African Americans made up Twenty-six percent of the cases, 18% were Hispanics, and only 12% were Caucasian. But what’s the reasoning for this? Apparently minorities are less likely to be treated for skin cancer during the early detection stages.

Since there is an overwhelming public focus on the effects of sun damage on people with fair skin, their darker-skinned counterparts often feel bulletproof. That, and darker skin usually doesn’t burn or peel after having an excessive amount of sun exposure. According to Dr. Marcy Street, the first African-American female MOHS surgeon in the U.S., “there is a fairly common misconception among African Americans and Hispanics that we do not get skin cancer. Nothing could be further from the truth.”

To fight this statistic, individuals with darker skin should perform regular self-checks to ensure early detection of skin cancer. The ABCD Rule is recommended by the American Melanoma Association to help determine if a skin abnormality is cancerous or not:

• Asymmetry: if a lesion doesn’t look the same on both sides if it were divided in half
• Border: if the edges are blurry or jagged
• Color: any changes in color or if there are multiple colors within a lesion
• Diameter: if the lesion larger than ¼” in diameter

Skin cancer can be found almost anywhere on the body, including places that are not exposed to the sun directly. It is important to perform regular self-checks and report any abnormalities to your physician. And don’t forget that no matter how dark your skin is, it is always important to lather on a sunscreen of SPF30 or higher.

Imagine being able freeze away fat with one easy and painless procedure. No knife. No needle. No downtime. Sounds unrealistic, doesn’t it? Well it is real, and it’s the brand new procedure called Zeltiq.We’ve taken the time to put together everything you should know about this revolutionary new procedure.

What is Zeltiq?
Zeltiq is a new, non-invasive procedure that freezes fat away in targeted areas of your body, leaving you with natural, yet noticeable, results. Zeltiq has no down-time, it is virtually painless, and does not require needles, incisions, or anesthesia.


How does Zeltiq Work?
Zeltiq uses a technology called cryolipolysis. During cryolipolysis, a vacuum applicator delivers controlled cooling to program your fat cells for elimination from the body. The surrounding skin and muscle remain intact and untouched during the procedure. In the period following your Zeltiq treatment, the cooling crystallizes the cells and initiates a process of natural fat removal.

Zeltiq delivers a specific amount of cooling to crystallize the fat cells without harming the skin and muscle. The body then removes the crystallized fat cells through its natural processes.


How long until I see results from Zeltiq?
The average patient will see results from Zeltiq in about two to four months following treatment. One treatment can promote fat reduction of up to 25% in the targeted areas. Some patients may choose to treat the targeted area more than once with Zeltiq.

Who is an Ideal Candidate for Zeltiq?
The ideal Zeltiq candidate has a healthy BMI, however, has some bumps and bulges of fat that they cannot get rid of with diet and exercise. Zeltiq is not meant for weight loss or for obese patients. Zeltiq is designed to target problem areas such as love handles, pooches, or saddlebags.

What is a Typical Zeltiq Treatment Like?
During your Zeltiq treatment, a thin gel pad will be applied to the targeted area. This gel pad insulates the skin during the treatment and allows the vacuum applicator to attach with ease. The Zeltiq vacuum applicator is then attached to the area of desired fat reduction.

Once the procedure begins you will feel a cooling sensation, and then the treated area will quickly go numb.

The treatment usually takes around an hour per area, however, and most patients have two locations treated during their visit (i.e. both love handles). There is no recovery time for Zeltiq and patients can resume their normal activity following their treatment.



What Happens After My Treatment?
Within weeks following your initial Zeltiq treatment, you will notice a gradual reduction of fat in the targeted areas. Optimum results will be seen within two to four months following the treatment. Redness usually occurs on the treated area for about twenty minutes, and there may be a feeling or appearance of stiffness for about ten minutes.

Occasionally, patients will experience some temporary side effects that include bruising, tenderness, and numbness of the treated areas. The numbness can last anywhere from a few hours to several weeks depending on the patients. Some patients may also experience tingling or soreness in the treated area as well. In all cases the area returns to normal.




If you are a New Jersey resident who is considering Zeltiq, the technology is now available at Reflections Center for Skin & Body. Our offices would be delighted to answer any additional questions you have either over the phone, or in-person during your complimentary consultation.

Laser technology can do wonders to rejuvenate skin, not to mention the perks of laser hair removal.  Before you take the leap under the light, however, there are few things you should consider:

1. Find a medical doctor who owns a variety of lasers.  The more tools the doctor has, the more flexible he or she can be in creating a treatment program that’s just right for you. Also, owning multiple lasers show how committed the doctor is to non-invasive aesthetic medicine.
2. Avoid doctors who rent lasers or only have one device. This might be an indication that laser medicine is a side business for a doctor, not the focus of their practice. You don’t want to be zapped by someone who dabbles with lasers.  Also, many “do all” devices do one thing well and everything else poorly.  Do a little web research and make sure they have the right tool for the job.
3. Don’t request a specific laser for your treatment. Rather, let the doctor choose the right treatment to address your skin concerns.
4. Wait for your tan to fade before undergoing certain laser treatments.  The darker you are, the greater your risk of complications considering that laser light is attracted to pigmentation in the skin.  We will always advise patients of which treatments may be affected by their bronzed skin.
5. If a physician assistant or someone other than a doctor is administering your treatment, check to make sure they are permitted to do so under your state’s law. In New Jersey, only doctors are allowed to administer laser treatments.
6. Be realistic about the outcome of your laser treatment. While lasers have great benefits to the skin, they are not a beauty cure-all. Make sure you look at before and after pictures and get a clear sense of the outcome you can expect before you decide on a treatment.  This can be done during a complimentary consultation at Reflections.
7. If you are planning a laser treatment prior to an important event, such as a wedding, make sure you allow enough time for the skin to heal following the treatment. We can provide information on the recommended downtime and possible side effects for your treatment. Some lasers can cause swelling and redness, while others require you to avoid sun exposure for a period of time.


If you are considering a laser skin treatment in New Jersey, our friendly staff here at The Reflections Center for Skin and Body is delighted to help your find the right laser for your aesthetic goals. Reflections Center offers an extensive array of laser treatments, including Fraxel, Portrait PSR, Smoothbeam, CO2, and Vbeam. No matter your skin type or condition, our office is sure to have the perfect laser treatment for you.


The staff can address your concerns over the phone, or you can choose a time to come in for your initial free consultation.


Collagen is a principal structural protein holding the skin together. Collagen’s ability to provide structure to the cells in the dermis keeps akin looking young and healthy. Collagen gives skin its strength and makes it appear firm and flexible with the help of elastin.

While there are certain habits that are known to slow the signs of aging skin, it cannot be stopped in its tracks.  In August of 2009, the FDA approved Scupltra® Aesthetic as a collagen-stimulating injectable. Sculptra ®, which has been available in Europe for a decade, was previously administered to HIV patients as a way to restore volume in to the face. Sculptra® Aesthetic, a long-acting facial filler, works deep within the dermis to replace and stimulate the production of lost collagen.

Unlike dermal fillers such as Juvederm® or Restylane®, Sculptra® Aesthetic works slowly over time to subtly correct facial wrinkles.  Sculptra® Aesthetic is injected an average of three times and results are said to last up to two years. As with any dermal filler, if you end the treatment your skin will revert to its original appearance. Sculptra® Aesthetic can only be administered by a physician in New Jersey, and be sure to choose an experienced medical professional for your treatment.

If you are injured on the job, workers compensation should cover you medical expenses. But what if your plastic surgery is ruined as a result of a work-related injury? One North Carolina woman was able to have a ruptured implant replaced following a work-related car accident.

In 2001, Penny Richardson suffered a ruptured right implant and rippling in her left implant following an automobile accident. She was originally awarded compensation to replace both implants, however, her employer and insurance company appealed the decision.

Richardson’s case was the first of it’s kind in North Carolina’s state Court of Appeals. The court had to decide whether or not the implant should be covered by workers compensation. All three judges agreed that the implants should be covered by workers compensation, however, their decision partially reversed the original ruling by only allowing compensation for the replacement of the burst implant. Richardson’s plastic surgeon replaced both the implants in the end for the sake of symmetry.

Workers compensation laws vary by jurisdiction, and the outcome could have been different based on the location of the court case. If a similar case arises somewhere else in the country, compensation may be granted for either the pair of implants or none at all.

While Richardson was still awarded partial compensation for the ruptured implant, the final verdict was handed down in 2008—seven years following the initial injury.  Richardson fronted the money for the replacement implants while undergoing an extensive legal battle.  Whether or not the patient had the implants removed or replaced, she still would have had extensive medical bills from the correction of her injuries.

According to NewBeauty Magazine, just thinking that you’re overweight may negatively affect your quality of life just as much as actually being overweight.

According to a recent study held in Germany, people who believed themselves overweight reported a lower quality of life than people who believed themselves to be at a healthy weight.

In the study, 7,000 adolescents were asked to assess their bodies on a scale ranging from “far too thin” to “far too fat”.  The subjects were also questioned about their quality of life.

While only 18% of the subjects were considered overweight, 36% of males and 55% of females reported thinking of themselves as overweight. Not only did those who were actually overweight report a lower quality of life, the subjects who merely thought they were overweight did as well.

The researchers associate this correlation with societal pressure to be thin. Another recent study done at University College London reported that healthy people consistently judge their bodies to be shorter and wider than they actually are. Perhaps these two studies could provide a link to the roots of body image disorders such as bulimia and anorexia nervosa.

As the summer sun starts to heat up, people flock to the beach to work on their summer tan. For the longest time it was believed that people with fair skin and red hair were only capable of turning tomato red under sun. According to ScienceDaily, however, there is a new study that shows fairer complexions are just as capable of tanning as their olive counterparts.

Scientists once believed that redheads were more apt to burn due to their inability to make melanin—the pigment that is created to protect our skin against ultra-violet radiation. A team from the University’s Centre for Skin Sciences (CSS) found that in lab settings, pigment cells from very fair skin were able to create just as much melanin as olive skin.

The study, which was done on isolated skin cells cultured under identical conditions, showed that in some instances the fair skin created up to five time more melanin than olive skin. The study did show, however, that the fair skin had a higher inflammatory response to ultra-violet radiation than olive skin did.

According to CSS Director and Professor of Cell Biology Des Tobin, the study’s lead author, “Research into sunburn has tended to ignore melanocytes — the cells that make melanin — as it’s been assumed that was all they did. But our research has shown that in some skin types they also contribute to the inflammation that creates sunburn and it’s this, rather than their ability to make melanin, that seems to be at the root of how different skins respond to the sun.”

During the study, which was partially funded by Wellcome Trust and published in an issue of Pigment Cell and Melanoma Research, melanocytes were isoloated from five patients with fair skin and five with olive skin.  Some cells from each patient were stimulated to make melanin, while other cells were subjected to UVR. The melanin levels and levels of a pro-inflammatory chemical called prostaglandin-E2 (PGE2) were then measured.  While all of the fair skin cells were able to make just as much, if not more, melanin, the fair skin cells made up to five times more PGE2 than the olive skin cells.

According to Professor Tobin, melanocytes may play a role in UVR-induced inflammation. Anti-inflammatory intervention may be key in protecting fairer skin types from sunburn. However, future studies will be necessary to prove this. Fair or olive skin aside, here at Reflections Center for Skin & Body we recommend that you use SPF 45 sunscreen or higher for adequate sun protection.

Celebrities like Jennifer Garner and Mario Lopez are famous for their amazing dimples. Once only a trait of someone with good genetics, there is a growing trend in dimpleplasties among the plastic surgery industry.

Mesotherapy is a commonly known treatment for the appearance of cellulite. Developed in France over 50 years ago, Mesotherapy involves the injection of very small amounts of naturally occurring substances, minerals and pharmaceutical agents into the top layers of the skin. The most recent use for Mesotherapy, however, is to treat hair loss.

The same solution that is injected into cellulite problem areas is also injected into the scalp to stimulate hair follicles. The composition of the Mesotherapy injection is determined by testing the patient to see what nutrients the hair lacks. The treatment is fairly painless for patients who can tolerate needles.

While Mesotherapy will not work miracles, it can generate thicker and more voluminous hair. Since Mesotherapy is treating hair loss caused by the lack of vitamins and minerals, balding caused by other issues may not see any improvement. Some causes of hair loss can include stress, increased hormone levels with pregnancy, use of prescriptions, and unhealthy eating.

Other treatments to hair loss include hair transplant surgery, use of healing shampoos to treat broken or damaged hair, and vitamin supplements.