Smooth Cellulite with Non-Invasive Venus Freeze

Posted on February 17, 2012 by editor2

If you’re a woman, there’s a good chance that you have to deal with cellulite — estimates say 90% of women have it.

In that past, these dimples and bumps, usually found on the buttocks and thighs, were something women learned to live with. But advances in cosmetic surgery technology have given women options for smoothing cellulite. Just last month the FDA approved a medical laser device called Cellulaze to treat cellulite.

Another approach is non-invasive Venus Freeze, which uses radio frequency and magnetic pulse technology to heat fat and boost collagen. Over six to eight weeks of treatment, it can dissolve cellulite and tighten the skin.

“It is that combination of radio frequency heating and magnetic pulsing that increases your cell activity that has shown very promising results in the treatment of cellulite by remolding the fat cells and tightening the areas around the fat cells that are responsible for the formation of cellulite,” says Dr. Sadick.

For procedures like Venus Freeze, being in good shape before treatment can help you maximize your results.

“Exercise and good diet will reduce the size of your fat cells number one, and number two it will allow, when you have these treatments, the skin to re-drape itself so the skin will be tighter,” says Dr. Sadick.

Repeat treatments of Venus Freeze are needed once or twice a year to maintain results.

Learn more about cellulite treatment options at Sadick Dermatology in New York City.

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Dr. Sadick Weighs In On Non-Surgical Cosmetic Treatments

Posted on February 8, 2012 by editor2

non-surgical cosmetic procedures Non-surgical cosmetic procedures offer promises of younger skin without the degree of risk or recovery time that surgery entails.

These types of treatments may increase the collagen and elastin in the skin, making it look and feel younger. “Some of these devices are changing the quality of the skin,” Dr. Sadick told secondact.com.

Here is Dr. Sadick’s take on some of these treatments and devices:

Skin Tightening

Skin tightening treatments, such as Pelleve and Thermage, use radiofrequency energy to heat the skin’s tissue and promote new collagen growth.

Dr. Sadick says that there haven’t been a lot of head-to-head studies to identify which of these treatments are the most effective, and different doctors favor different machines. He and other doctors agree that most are effective for mild cases of sagging.

Wrinkle Fillers

Wrinkle fillers can be used in a variety of ways, from plumping lips to filling lines around the mouth. Even acne scars can be treated with fillers.

Restylane and Juvéderm, made from a natural protein called hyaluronic acid, are two of the most commonly used dermal fillers. But, be sure to talk with your cosmetic surgeon about all of the options. For instance, Dr. Sadick points out that Radiesse, made of microspheres of CaHA, which is a mineral found in bones and teeth, is denser than Restylane and Juvéderm and may last longer. It is most often used to add volume to cheeks or in creases along the mouth.

Lasers

There are lasers and light-based devices designed for a variety of uses, including improving skin tone, correcting pigmentation and restoring firmness.

Fractionated carbon dioxide lasers can give dramatic results. Because CO2 lasers are ablative, meaning they penetrate the skin and vaporize its outer layers to promote collagen remodeling, they do usually require a week or two of downtime afterwards.

For a less aggressive treatment, consumers could try an at-home fractionated laser, such as Palovia, which retails for $500. The device claims to smooth fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes in 30 days of treatments and should provide a small degree of tightening, Dr. Sadick says.

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Sunscreen Use Declines as Kids Become Teens, Study Finds

Posted on February 6, 2012 by editor2

A new study reveals that as kids get older their sun habits get worse, as they use less sunscreen and engage in more tanning.

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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    European Study Finds Topical Skin Cancer Treatment Effective

    Posted on January 28, 2012 by editor2

    topical skin cancer treatment A study in Rome, Italy, has found that a topical skin cancer treatment is effective at removing tumors, reports The Telegraph.

    The topical treatment is for basal cell carcinoma, the most common form of skin cancer. The cream kills tumors using rhenium-188, a radioactive isotope, and does not damage the skin around it.

    In a study of 1,000 patients, the researchers reported that it removed the tumors in 95% of patients after one treatment.

    An Alternative to Surgery?

    Basal cell carcinoma, which grows slowly and is the least likely form of skin cancer to spread, is usually surgically removed. The topical treatment would offer an alternative so that patients with tumors on their faces could avoid scarring.

    Dr. Ulli Köster, a researcher at the Institut Laue-Langevin in France, where the radioactive material is produced, said, “Typically this disease is treated by surgery, and since it doesn’t metastasize this is usually okay. But the problem is if the tumor is on the face, on the nose, ear or somewhere, it is strongly disfiguring – someone can have a big scar or lose half of his face.”

    During treatment with the cream, a base layer is applied to the skin to protect the healthy cells from the radioactive isotope. The radioactive cream is then applied over the base and targets the tumor. Dr. Köster described it as “a localized radiation therapy.”

    The researchers believe it could improve patients’ quality of life, because they could avoid facial scarring.

    “I would imagine we are not talking about a major breakthrough but another option. It is nice to have a menu of different options for people, particularly with things that can have a cosmetic impact,” said Martin Ledwick, of Cancer Research UK.

    According to the report, the next step will be larger trials in Germany. There was no word on whether trials were planned for the United States.

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    Study Names Best Cosmetic Dermatology Surgery Options

    Posted on January 18, 2012 by editor2

    best cosmetic surgery procedures

    Botox is one of the best cosmetic surgery procedures, according to a Northwestern University surgeon.

    A researcher at Northwestern University has named what he believes are the “best” cosmetic surgery procedures, based on which procedures have been shown to be safe and effective in studies.

    “Many treatments gaining popularity are novel techniques that use complex devices, such as lasers and ultrasound, but there is sparse research evaluating their long-term effects,” said study author Murad Alam, MD, chief of cutaneous and aesthetic surgery at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “We need more prospective studies comparing different treatments for the same problem head-to-head, so doctors and consumers know what’s best and safest.”

    After reviewing 98 studies, Alam concluded that the following cosmetic procedures are among the most effective, proven procedures when performed by a trained, board-certified physician:

    1. Injectable botulinum toxins, which include Botox, and Dysport and Xeomin, for smoothing wrinkles
    2. Liposuction for fat removal
    3. Lasers for treating broken blood vessels, port wine stains and rosacea
    4. Lasers for removing brown spots and hair

    Of ranking Botox and other botulinum toxins first, Alam said, “These have been around for 20 years and during that entire period, when an approved pharmaceutical product in approved doses is used for cosmetic purposes, there have not been any instances of serious reactions.”

    As for liposuction, Alam said that tumescent liposuction has shown to be an especially safe liposuction technique. “The main potential complication, excessive bleeding, simply doesn’t occur with that form of liposuction when appropriate rules are followed because the anesthetic used in the procedure prevents bleeding,” he said.

    Some procedures are safe, but more studies are needed on their effectiveness, such as low-level laser light for fat removal, according to Alam.

    Others, such as fat freezing, work, said Alam, but it will take several more years to determine if the fat removal is permanent.

    Patients should be aware that there may be more than one type of procedure to treat a cosmetic concern. That’s why it is so important to have a skilled cosmetic surgeon or dermatologist. “Experienced physicians can help patients select the treatments that are best for them,” Alam concluded.

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