Reflections on Beauty

Most people know that eating a nutritious diet can help them lose weight and stay healthy. Nutrient-rich foods can also be beneficial for the skin, particularly for those who suffer from rosacea. Facial flushing, a common symptom of the disorder, may be reduced by incorporating fresh berries into the diet, according to Newsmax.

Fish and nuts that are high in omega-3 fatty acids have long been touted as brain food, but these items may also promote clear skin. Whole grains, lean protein and dark green vegetables can be good choices for people who have rosacea.

In a recent interview with ABC News, dermatologist Jessica Wu said that toxins from the environment – such as pesticides and cigarette smoke – have adverse effects on skin health and vitality. Eating plant-based foods, which are rich in antioxidants, may help counteract damage from these chemicals.

Although eating well is a lifestyle choice with numerous long-term benefits, it may not be enough to eliminate rosacea. Those who have more severe symptoms should seek advice from a professional at Reflections Medical Spa, which offers laser skin rejuvenation in New Jersey. This gentle and effective technique has helped reduce the symptoms of rosacea for many people. 

A common skin bacterium that has been linked to the development of acne may also cause infections of the heart valves, eyes, chest and joints, according to researchers from Aston University.

Scientists previously believed that the presence of this pathogen, known as P. acnes, arose from contamination of the skin following a surgical procedure. They thought that the bacterium was transferred into the open wound during an operation. However, more recent studies suggest that P. acnes is already contained within the body.

"It is important to recognize that this organism has the ability to grow slowly inside our body cells," said researcher Peter Lambert. "It has long been associated with common acne, where it contributes to the inflammation and pain."

The bacterium, which is typically treated with antibiotics, can result in the symptoms of classic acne on the face, chest and back. This condition, which often appears in adolescence, may not only make an individual self-conscious, but may also be associated with pain and scarring.

Acne laser treatment has been shown to be effective in improving the appearance of affected skin. By reducing the activity of sebaceous glands and killing bacteria, this therapy may be a good option for those who struggle with the condition.

Do you have varicose veins? They’re easy to recognize and anyone who has them wishes to hide or eliminate them, particularly in the spring and summer when everyone is in shorts and swimwear. Vein problems range from superficial spider veins on the cheeks and nose, to large, twisted and raised varicose veins on the thighs and lower leg. What causes varicose veins and what can you do about them?

How Varicose Veins Develop

About 50 to 55% of American women and 40 to 45% of American men suffer from some form of vein problem. Varicose veins develop when blood pools in the veins instead of returning to the heart. Blood travels down to your legs through your arteries and returns to the heart through your veins. Regular contractions of the leg muscles help the veins pump the blood toward the heart. Additionally, your veins have one-way valves that prevent the blood from flowing backwards, i.e., down the leg. Your age, weight, gender and family history are among the factors that determine whether or not you will develop varicose veins.

Aging contributes to varicose veins. Varicose veins affect 1 out of 2 people age 50 and older. Since we possess the same veins over decades, the valves in those veins experience wear and tear, becoming weaker with age. This weakness allows blood to flow backwards and pool.

Obesity contributes to varicose veins. The extra fat applies higher pressure in the legs, making it more difficult for the veins and their tiny valves to work against that weight to push the blood toward the heart.

Women develop varicose veins more often than do men. Researchers believe that this is due to hormones during pregnancy and menopause, which cause the vein linings to weaken. Further, the added weight during pregnancy contributes to leg vein pressure, causing varicose veins to develop.

Blood clots lead to varicose veins as well. Even tiny blood clots in the superficial veins cause inflammation that can damage the valves. Weakened valves allow the blood to flow backwards, causing pooling.

The most common cause of varicose veins is lack of movement. If you sit or stand for long periods of time without moving, your leg muscles will contract less often, resulting in pooling. Over time, this leads to bulging of the veins, resulting in the twisted, bumpy characteristic that we identify as a varicose vein.

Treating Varicose Veins

Although anyone can develop varicose veins, there are treatments to help. First, pressure stockings can be worn. Be sure that someone fits you for them, rather than just picking them up at the pharmacy or Target, as poor-fitting pressure stockings will apply either too little or too much pressure.

Unfortunately, pressure stockings will relieve only the discomfort of varicose veins—they won’t make them disappear. Most of our patients opt for either laser vein treatments or sclerotherapy to obtain a permanent solution.

Laser Surgery for leg veins is a new technology that directs intense pulses of laser light into the veins. This causes them to fade and eventually, to disappear. There are no needles used in this therapy and there’s no recovery time.

Leg Vein Laser treatments take about 20 minutes. The GentleYag Nd: YAG and Vbeam Pulsed dye lasers are the most advanced lasers to treat leg veins. Depending on the severity of the veins, three to four treatments may be needed to achieve a treatment goal. There is some discomfort during the procedure but this is gone by the time patients leave the office. Patients can return to normal activity right after treatment. For larger veins, over 3mm, other forms of therapy are indicated. For tiny veins that can’t be treated with sclerotherapy, the laser is the treatment of choice.

It is not uncommon for sclerotherapy to be performed initially and then the laser is used to clean up the veins that have been resistant.

Sclerotherapy is another option. Sclerotherapy involves injecting a solution through a very tiny needle into the vein. The solution causes the vein to waste away and disappear over a few weeks. It’s very simple and involves only minor discomfort.

Radiofrequency and laser energy are yet two more options performed here in our New Jersey cosmetic surgery practice. These methods for treating the deeper varicose veins of the legs (the saphenous veins)  have replaced surgery for the vast majority of patients with severe varicose veins. This technique is not very invasive and can be done in the office.
You don’t have to suffer with ugly leg or facial veins! Call us today at 973-740-2444 in Livingston or 908-575-1122 in Martinsville to set up a visit.

We live in a cost-conscious time. All of us want to get the best value for the dollar, whether that’s in a purchase of laundry detergent or in plastic surgery. However, there’s a big difference between the two. A box of Tide is the same wherever you purchase it, but cosmetic surgery requires intrusion into your body and can have unexpected consequences in the wrong hands, particularly procedures such as liposuction.

Recently, the news has reported that a Manhattan-based Dominican Republic physician has been advertising cheap plastic surgery. Although the patients were examined in a Manhattan office, they flew to the Dominican Republic for the actual procedures. There were complaints that his patients developed severe infections and disfigurement. Because he is not licensed here in the US, he has been charged for unauthorized practice of a profession by the Attorney General’s office in New York state.

It’s extremely important that you closely examine the background of any surgeon you choose to perform cosmetic surgery on your body. While flying to another country may offer savings, the cost of airfare, hotel, meals and the need to bring a companion can outweigh any potential savings. Further is the potential for severe consequences such as infection, disfigurement and even death. Even in the US, where surgeons are held to a very high standard in their operating facilities this still leaves room for cut-rate physicians bent on doing thousands of surgeries at cheap prices to cover their overhead. Many don’t even carry malpractice insurance.

Dr. Chasin has extensive training in Aesthetic Medicine and has studied under some of the country’s most prominent physicians. He serves as a nationwide lecturer and teacher,  is often seen on national and regional television and is frequently quoted in magazines and journals.

Dr. Chasin is a Diplomate of the American Board of Laser Surgery, a Fellow of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery, and a member of the International Society of Cosmetic Laser Surgeons, the American Academy of Cosmetic Family Medicine, the American Society of Cosmetic Dermatology and Aesthetic Surgery, the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, the American Society of Liposuction Surgery, the American Academy of Aesthetic Medicine, and the International association of Physicians in Aesthetic Medicine.

You cannot put a price tag on training and experience. You wouldn’t let an unqualified person work on the electrical systems in your home; why do so with your body and your health?

A Canadian study followed both women with and women without breast implants over many years to discover whether breast implants inhibited the ability to identify breast tumors and, therefore, increased the risk for women with implants to experience poor cancer survival rates.

In fact, the study not only showed that women with implants already have a lower rate of breast cancer as compared to peer groups in the population, but that both women with and women without breast implants have similar outcomes when diagnosed with breast cancer. This is further reassurance for women who fear that implants will hide tumors on mammograms.

Whether or not you have breast implants, we recommend regular mammograms, especially if you have a family history of breast cancer. Detection is vital to your health and well-being!

According to a report in Science Daily, talking too much via cell can actually trigger an allergic reaction to the nickel in your cell phone! This was reported last fall at the annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) in Phoenix. From cosmetics to jewelry, body piercings to tattoos, allergies can lurk in unlikely places, state the allergists. “Increased use of cell phones with unlimited usage plans has led to more prolonged exposure to the nickel in phones,” said allergist Luz Fonacier, MD, ACAAI Fellow. “Patients come in with dry, itchy patches on their cheeks, jaw lines and ears and have no idea what is causing their allergic reaction.”

Nickel is one of the most common contact allergens, and affects up to 17% of women and 3% of men. Skin contact with objects that contain nickel, like keys, coins and paper clips are generally so brief that a nickel allergy may not occur on the area of contact. However, even in these brief exposures, your fingers can transfer the nickel to your face and cause irritation. The risk of allergy to nickel is increased by frequent, prolonged exposure to nickel-containing items, such as cell phones, jewelry (especially inexpensive jewelry which often contains a lot of nickel), watches, and eyeglass frames. Allergic reaction to nickel can appear as redness, swelling, itching, eczema, blistering, skin lesions, oozing and even scarring.

“Allergists are seeing increasing numbers of nickel allergy among patients,” said Dr. Fonacier. “Some researchers suggest that there should be more nickel regulation in the U.S. like there is in some European countries.”

How to avoid an allergic reaction to nickel

Avoiding direct skin contact is the best way to avoid an allergic reaction. For cell phones, use a plastic film cover, a wireless ear piece, or switch to a phone that does not contain metal on surfaces that contact your skin, suggests Dr. Fonacier.

Nickel is found in Body Piercings & Tattoos

You can also have an allergic reaction to piercing and tattoos. Statistics estimate that 24% of people 18 to 50 have tattoos and 14% have body piercings. “Allergic reactions from tattoos come mainly from the pigments used to color the dye,” said Dr. Fonacier. “The issue with piercing goes back to the increasing prevalence of nickel allergies. Some researchers suggest we delay introduction of ear piercing until children are older than 10 years.”

Nickel in your Cosmetics

“It’s well known that our everyday cosmetic products contain many substances that cause allergies,” said Dr. Fonacier. “Although the cosmetic industry is one of the largest in the world, it is not highly regulated in the U.S. The average person uses 12 personal products a day. Those 12 products may contain up to 168 chemicals, many of which can be an irritant or a substance that causes an allergic reaction.” Nearly 22% of everyone patch tested for allergies react to chemicals in cosmetics, according to Dr. Fonacier. Nickel is fairly common in eye shadows, as an example.

Also in your detergent

Although nickel isn’t present in the detergent itself, it’s often used in detergent processing process, ie, when the detergent’s products are combined. If you switch detergents and suddenly develop a rash, it could be from the nickel, as well as a myriad of other substances either present in the detergent itself or during processing.

Although we aren’t allergists here at Reflections Center in New Jersey, we certainly want to help you keep your skin healthy!