Reflections on Beauty

New research shows that the 5-a-Day rule about fruits and veggies might not be adequate to cut the risk of dying from heart disease. In fact, 8 servings a day may be more appropriate.

The Centers for Disease Control reports that the diet and lifestyles of over 300,000 people over 8 European countries were studied. Those who ate at least 8 servings of fruits and vegetables a day had a 22% lower risk of dying from heart disease than those who ate 3 servings a day. They estimated that each additional serving of a fruit or vegetable per day was linked to a 4% lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease. One portion is about 80 grams, which would be roughly equivalent to a medium apple, a small carrot or small banana.

Since heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US, accounting for about 25% of all deaths, this is wise advice.

Fractional thermolysis, which made its debut in 2004, has been taking the cosmetic skincare field by storm during the last several years. Laser treatments target the gamut from wrinkle and fine line reduction — the original FDA indications for the devices — to elimination of all kinds of scars such as burn, surgery and/or acne scars, stretch marks and even melasma.

Ablative vs. Non-Ablative: What’s the Difference?

Fractional skin resurfacing with the new-generation ablative devices is the hottest development, although the non-ablative ones are a mainstay. The non-ablative devices are great for mild to moderate wrinkling and photoaging, and fairly close to eliminating most acne scarring over a series of 4-6 treatments that are only a bit uncomfortable followed by roughly 3 days of redness. It’s that reduced downtime, compared with more invasive treatments that require a week to 10 days from work & social obligations, that makes the non-ablative lasers so appealing in our patients’ busy lives.

The biggest difference between ablative and non-ablative lasers

Ablative laser treatments are more severe and can cause epidermal burning. Recovery time is longer and can extend up to 4-6 weeks. However, ice pick and boxcar acne scars respond well to ablative treatments, as do deeper wrinkles. For patients with older skin or those with a great deal of sun damage, the ablative laser may be best, even with the more significant downtime. We utilize excellent topical anesthetic creams and our ablative lasers have built-in cooling capacity to make the procedure more comfortable.

How does a non-ablative laser compare?

A non-ablative laser is less invasive and conducts heat deeper into the dermis, essentially bypassing the top layer of skin to treat the skin tissue beneath. This deep-placed heat causes the collagen to rebuild, making the non-ablative laser a good choice for under-eye lines and wrinkles, other more superficial facial wrinkles, as well as shallow scars.

Essentially, the less aggressive the laser, the more treatments are required to get the best final result. If you need to quickly get back to work and/or social activities, having more treatments with a non-ablative laser would be best.

Here at Reflections Center for Skin & Body in New Jersey, we have the Gold Standard in ablative and non-ablative treatments—the Fraxel Repair and Fraxel Re:Store Dual. In this way, we can offer the Best of the Best, whether you need an ablative or non-ablative treatment.

Thermage, a safe and simple non-surgical procedure, can reduce the appearance of aging skin by applying radiofrequency energy to the skin.

In the past, surgeries such as face lifts, liposuction, and body contouring were performed to remedy problems like sagging facial skin, loose body skin and stretch marks. For many people, Thermage has been an alternative to surgery with results that have been remarkable. Plus, there’s absolutely no down time or scarring.

Thermage’s radiofrequency waves force the underlying tissue to tighten. It is often used for non-surgical brow lifts and non-surgical tightening of facial wrinkles on the forehead, around the eyes, the face, the neck and, most recently, for tightening loose body skin on the arms, legs, abdomen and buttocks.

Thermage uses very specific radio frequency energy, which causes your collagen to contract and causes new collagen to form, thus lifting sagging skin. Administered in our New Jersey cosmetic surgery office, Thermage treatment can take from a minutes to just over an hour, depending on the area treated. You’ll be surprised at the results!

Dr. Charles Soparkar, an oculoplastic surgeon at The Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas and his fellow researchers performed a study showing that by taking a supplement containing organic zinc plus phytase, an enzyme, for four days before receiving their Botox injections, made the toxin 93% more effective. As a result of the amazing results, the researchers filed for a patent of the two supplements. The new supplement is being called ZYTAZE™ and will be available soon. The majority of the patients in the study were actually being treated for a rare form of eyelid spasm. However, this research is positive news for anyone who gets injections of Botox for cosmetic reasons.

“Surprisingly, the results showed that in over 90% of the patients studied, the zinc/phytase combination resulted in a remarkable improved responsiveness to treatment of blepharospasm using the same amount of botulinum toxin as previously used,” said Soparkar. “The toxins seemed to have greater effect and last longer. Potentially, this could mean using less toxin, offering patients financial savings, greater safety, and more consistent results.”

ZYTAZE is licensed to OCuSOFT, Inc., a company that focuses on ophthalmic research and development.

If the prescription isn’t terribly expensive, it could result in an overall savings for those individuals who use Botox for wrinkle reduction, as less product will be needed and the results will last longer. We’ll update you as soon as we hear further news on this topic.

Doesn’t a six pack ab look amazing??  That great look isn’t the only reason for having one, however. Did you know that there are several health benefits of having a six pack? It’s true. Here are six of the most important ones:

1. A six pack helps you maintain good posture through stronger abdominal muscles;
2. A six pack strengthens your core and enables you to lift heavier weights, not just in the gym but at home with kids, grocery bags, heavy snow;
3. A six pack lessens your chances of getting injured in sports and other physical activities;
4. A six pack helps you avoid an abdominal hernia, as the muscles are strong and tight;
5. A six pack helps protect your most important organs;
6. A six pack means you have less belly fat, which is a leading cause for heart disease

Of course having a six pack means exercising regularly and eating right, two things we recommend to all of our patients, even those interested in laser liposuction!

You undoubtedly have heard all kinds of things about silicone injections. Priscilla Presley’s beautiful face was literally ruined by lowgrade silicone injections that her doctor assured her were “better than Botox”. The photos at left show the damage.

Even though silicone injections are illegal here in the states, lots of women receive them, either knowingly or not, in their lips, buttocks, breasts and face. If you took a straw poll of your friends, we’re betting that most of them would not know that silicone was not approved for cosmetic uses. The FDA has not approved liquid silicone for any cosmetic purpose, which means that silicone cannot be legally advertised or sold in the US for injections into the body, such as for plumping lips, cheeks, breasts or otherwise.

Back in the ‘50’s, silicone was injected into the breasts, for augmentation purposes. Because this practice resulted in infection, deformities, lumps and bumps, it was eventually banned.

There are a multitude of substitutions for silicone injections, all of which work much better and, because they are not permanent, will “age with” your face. Permanent fillers, such as silicone, will not do this, resulting in a strange appearance as one ages. We here at the Reflections Center are always on top of not just the latest, but the safest and most effective, dermal fillers for our New Jersey and New York patients.

If you’d like to see how you might look with Botox or dermal fillers, check out our Botox Treatment Visualizer and/or our Juvederm Treatment Visualizer. It’s a private and fun way to see if Botox and fillers might be right for you!