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Arnica and Plastic Surgery

Reduce Bruising after Surgery! Used for centuries in Europe to treat swelling, soreness, and bruising, Arnica Montana (extract of the dried root and flower of the arnica plant and also known as leopard’s bane) can be used either by tablet or applied as a topical gel. I particularly like its oral form and have all Read More…

Anatomy of the Skin – Understanding Why We Wrinkle

Anatomy of the Skin The epidermis is the most superficial layer of the skin and provides the first barrier or protection from the invasion of foreign substances into the body. The principle cell of the epidermis is called a keratinocyte. The epidermis is subdivided into five layers or strata, the stratum germinativum (SG), the stratum Read More…

Acne – What Causes It and How To Treat It

Acne is a skin condition which has plugged pores (blackheads and whiteheads), inflamed pimples (pustules), and deeper lumps (nodules). Acne occurs on the face, as well as the neck, chest, back, shoulders, and upper arms. Although most teenagers get some form of acne, adults in their 20’s, 30’s, 40’s, or even older, can develop Read More…

Liquid Facelifts – For the Younger Patient

Injectable Botox and Fillers Together The combination of Botox (muscle relaxer) and injectable fillers (plumping agents) may produce an effect that is greater than the use of injectable fillers alone. By reducing muscle contraction, Botox helps slow down the breakdown of the filler due to less movement in the area that has been filled. However, Read More…

Midace Rejuvenation – Implants vs Lift

One of the most overlooked areas of facial aging is that of the cheek region. Most think of facial aging in the neck, jowls, or eyes, and while these certainly exist, the midfacial cheek region often sags as well. In those patients with weak cheekbones and a flatter face, the cheek tissue can especially sag Read More…

How Does Botox Work?

The tremendous popularity of the facial wrinkle treatment, Botox, is simply due to its effectiveness. It consistently achieves good results, has few complications, is simple to perform, has no recovery, and patient satisfaction is quite high. However, many misconceptions exist as to how it works, what facial problems it is good for, and when, where, Read More…

Advanta Facial Implants – An Alternative To Injectable Fillers

As of today, there are seven commercially-available injectable fillers, from the original Restylane (hyaluronic acid) to the most recent ArteFill (plastic microspheres). While these all produce wonderful and instantaneous results in the filling of facial lines, wrinkles, and lips, the lifespan of their effect is limited to montsh and, at best, certainly less than one Read More…

Ology Spas – A Hospital-Based Concept

A Hospital-Based Spa – Integrating East and West The past 10 years has seen a paradigm shift in plastic surgery with a large number of non-surgical office-based procedures for producing cosmetic changes. Botox, injectable fillers, LipoDissolve injections, light therapies, etc. have resulted in more office visits than any number of surgeries that could be performed. Read More…

Revisional Plastic Surgery – High Risk in Some Patients

In today’s world of ever-increasing cosmetic surgery awareness, the number of people having undergone some form of cosmetic procedure is now commonplace. With these vast numbers of cosmetic patients comes the reality that a small percentage of them will either suffer complications or not achieve the result that they desire. While this number is fortunately Read More…

Scars and Scar Revision

One of the most common questions we get asked in plastic surgery, on a daily basis, is about scars or scarring. Whether it be an old scar from a previous injury or surgery or a concern about a new scar from a planned surgical procedure, patients have great concerns about an external visible scar. Read More…