Michael J. Will, MD, DDS, FACS
Maryland (301) 874-1707
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New Study Examines How Often to Get Botox
After a period of two years undergoing Botox treatments, patients may reduce the frequency of treatments to every six months and achieve the same benefits, according to a study by the Oregon Health & Science University’s Casey Eye Institute that looked at how often to get Botox.
When looking at a group of 50 women, aged 30 to 50 who were being treated for glabellar lines, the study found a decrease in treatments did not yield a decrease in results. The study discovered that after a patient has undergone regular Botox treatments every four months for two years, the frequency can be lowered. The frequency of how often to get Botox may not dramatically effect its effectiveness.
In fact, the study found that patients who had completed the initial two-year treatment and then received Botox injections only every six months achieved similar results. This is when compared to those who continued receiving Botox treatments every three months.
Though Allergan, the maker of Botox, may still recommend continued treatment every three months, those looking for a cost-effective alternative could reduce the number of yearly treatments.
As an added benefit, the study found that the patients in the age group also experienced a reduction in the formation of wrinkles when Botox use was continued past two years.
Pregnancy and Skin Care: Which Products are Safe?
So you’ve got a baby coming, and you don’t want to lose ground with your skin care routine.
While some women can look fabulous through pregnancy, others are more affected by the hormonal changes. They notice dark spots, acne or varicose veins appearing. These are common concerns that you should discuss with your dermatologist, midwife, obstetrician or family physician.
When it comes to skin care products and treatments, many physicians recommend that you simply postpone their use until pregnancy and breastfeeding are over. In addition to safety concerns about products, skin issues may resolve on their own when your life is back to normal.
Topical moisturizers, antioxidants and sulphur-based products are safe during pregnancy. You could also safely undergo microdermabrasion, which exfoliates the skin with tiny crystals.
Products to Avoid
Unsafe products include but are not limited to:
Retinoids (tretinoin) are a standard part of the anti-aging regimen. But they are not recommended for use during pregnancy. The FDA also recommends that pregnant women limit their Vitamin A intake.
Beta hydroxy acids, like salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide for acne treatment.
Accutane is known to cause serious birth defects when used during pregnancy.
The clinical research done on this topic is limited – because no physician is likely to perform studies of pregnant women and different skin care products. If you’re in doubt about any skin care product or treatment, consider your options carefully and talk to a physician before using it.
When you’re in the public eye, you need skin care and beauty strategies that get results. By working with the best dermatologists and makeup artists, celebrities learn how to look great for every camera pointing in their direction. Read these six tips to see how they do it.
1. Use cleansing towelettes to remove makeup at night.
“I need a makeup wipe at all times,” Kim Kardashian explained to allure. “That’s the only way I take my makeup off.”
A gentle cleansing towelette will remove dirt, bacteria, and damaging free radicals before you fall sleep.
2. Choose a cleanser that doesn’t dry out your skin.
Jessica Simpson, who has her own skin care line called BeautyMint, says she prefers a product that cleanses while it hydrates at the same time.
“My baby really loves my water and is taking all of it,” said the pregnant singer to Stylelist “I have to use a lot of moisturizer and I thought that it could break my skin out but I now know that it does more things than hydrate.”
3. Exfoliate with facials and microdermabrasion
Gisele Bundchen uses a combination of facials and microdermabrasion to keep her skin looking fresh, according to Harper’s Bazaar, with a glycolic peel, green tea mask and collagen mask.
4. Look awake even when you’re tired.
“Sometimes I put a little gold eye shadow in the inner corners of my eyes” says Beyonce Knowles to Elle. “It’s more subtle than white, but it still really makes you look more awake.”
5. Don’t sunbathe. Use a bronzer or self tanner instead.
Nicole Kidman once had skin cancer, so she knows to protect her fair skin from the sun. “I wear a lot of sunscreen, she tells marie claire, “and I never go in the sun.”
Both J-Lo and Beyonce say they use self tanners to get a healthy looking glow. While Beyonce says she uses layers of bronzers when appearing in public, J-Lo says that avoiding sun damage while using bronzers and self-tanners, has “saved her skin” over the years.
6. A simple skin care routine is usually best.
A good routine starts with the basics. Before you look at high end moisturizers and eye cream, you need to perfect the fundamental steps of your basic skin care routine.
Cleansing is a must, and one of the best new ways to cleanse is the Clarisonic brush and opal. Gwyneth Paltrow revealed in her weekly email newsletter that both of these products are part of her beauty regimen. She’s even “obsessed with them,” reports marie claire UK.
Consumer Reports has revealed its list of the best rated sunscreens to help you choose summer sun protection. The magazine tested 18 sunscreens.
Each product’s UVB radiation protection was rated before and after swimming for up to 80 minutes.
Consumer Reports also did a “critical wavelength” test that is now required by the FDA to see if the sunscreen has both broad-spectrum UVA and UVB protection. UVB radiation causes sunburn; UVA contributes to long-term skin damage and aging.
“Passing the broad-spectrum test shows that the product provides UVA protection that is proportional to its UVB protection,” says FDA spokesman Devin Koontz.
Consumer Reports named three “Best Buys”:
No-Ad Lotion with Aloe & Vitamin E, SPF 45
Walgreens Continuous Spray Sport, SPF 50
Coppertone Oil-free Foaming Spray, SPF 75+
The magazine also rated four other products as “Recommended”:
Pores are microscopic openings at the surface of the skin. They provide a way for the body to flush out toxins, regulate body temperature and moisturize overly dry skin. We need pores to stay healthy and the average human face has thousands.
That being said, enlarged pores are a bothersome cosmetic concern for many people. Fortunately there are a number of ways to treat large pores with lasers, proper skin care and other topical methods.
What Causes Enlarged Pores?
Pores may appear enlarged for a number of reasons:
Genetic predisposition
Too much sun exposure
Increased oil production
Naturally due to age
Smoking
Dirt, oil and dead skin cells tend to collect around pores, making them appear even larger.
Switching Up Your Skin Care Routine
There are number of ways to minimize the appearance of enlarged pores, starting with your daily skin routine. Washing your skin daily is vital to a healthy, vibrant complexion. Just make sure to use a mild cleanser and exfoliant so that your skin doesn’t become overly dry. The body responds to dry skin by increasing oil production, which could exaggerate the appearance of already enlarged pores.
Daily sunscreen is also important. Protecting your skin with an SPF of 15 or higher will prevent the rims of your pores from becoming thicker and enlarged. Depending on your skin, a combination of topical treatments may also be recommended such as retinoids, salicylic acid, alpha hydroxyl acid or benzoyl peroxides to further minimize the appearance of your pores.
Professional Treatments for Large Pores
If switching up your skin care routine simply isn’t enough, there are a number of professional treatments that may help eliminate large pores, including:
You will need to schedule a consultation with a qualified cosmetic surgeon or dermatologist to determine which approach is best for your skin.
Solve Common Beauty Problems With These Nutrient Rich Foods
We’ve all hear the saying “you are what you eat.” Well it’s true – especially when it comes to beauty.
If you’re struggling with common beauty problems like dry skin, puffy bags or premature wrinkles, it might be time to re-evaluate your diet. The nutritious (and delicious) snacks below may just be the beauty answer you’ve been looking for:
The Problem: Thin or Damaged Hair
The Fix: Whole Grains
Whole grains found in oats, quinoa and brown rice are rich in essential B vitamins which can help improve the texture and quality of your hair. They also contain silica, which can minimize hair breakage, and zinc, an important hair nutrient that prevents hair loss.
The Problem: Wrinkles
The Fix: Oily Fish
To keep your skin hydrated and wrinkle free, it’s important to get enough omega-3 fatty acids. These essential nutrients will keep your skin hydrated and supple. They’ll also boost your skin’s collagen production – which will prevent fine lines and wrinkles in the long run.
Nuts and seeds are not only tasty – they’re also a great source of vitamin E, which can help your skin stay hydrated longer. Walnuts and flaxseeds (unsalted) will give you the best results because they’re also a great source of omega-3 fatty acids.
The Problem: Puffy Bags
The Fix: Avocado
Puffy under eye bags are often caused by excess fluid retention. To fix this problem, you should decrease your sodium intake and increase your potassium intake. Avocados are rich in potassium and healthy fatty acids which can also reduce skin inflammation.
The Problem: Brittle Nails
The Fix: Egg Yolk
Egg yolks are rich in vitamin B7, zinc, iron and protein – all of which are essential to strong, healthy nails. Eating egg yolk rich foods like omelettes on a regular basis is a great way to reduce brittleness and nail abnormalities.
Patient Shares Her Obagi Nu-Derm Skin Transformation
Obagi’s Nu-Derm System, a prescription-strength skin care line, changes your skin on a cellular level, according to Kristen, 33, who is featured in Obagi’s new “Watch the Transformation” series of videos.
In the video, Kristen points out the pores and sunspots on her face prior to using Obagi, and after using the system regularly she is clearly happy with the results. “If you just look at my skin — it’s white. It’s just clean all the way through,” she says.
The Nu-Derm System focuses on treating the signs of photodamage, and Kristen’s regimen was custom-tailored for her. “My doctor’s really good,” she says. “She customized it for me, so it’s ‘Kristen’s Obagi Nu-Derm’.”
She explains that the Nu-Derm System works by getting rid of dead skin cells on the top and then helps you build new skin cells.
“There’s a tone to my skin now that wasn’t there before that’s all over my face,” Kristen says.
She says that the sun spots that ran across her forehead are gone and that she looks and feels awake and refreshed. “People who’ve seen me say that my skin looks clear,” she adds.
Will Surgical Arts offers Obagi skin care products, including the Nu-Derm System, which clinical studies have shown is six times more effective than the most popular over-the-counter skin care products.
Other Obagi products include the Condition & Enhance System, designed to optimize the results of in-office cosmetic procedures; the Rosaclear System to treat rosacea; and the Décolletage System to improve the complexion of your chest and neck.
Simply adding a few more servings of fruits and vegetables to your diet each day can improve your skin tone, finds a new study.
Researchers from the School of Psychology at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland followed 35 people for six weeks, recording their diet and skin color. It linked an increase in fruit and vegetable consumption with perceptibly healthier and more attractive skin color.
The researchers found that the redness and yellowness in the skin increased as participants ate more fruits and vegetables.
Lead researcher Ross Whitehead said it is due to the impact of carotenoids. “These are red/yellow plant pigments, which are distributed to the skin surface when we eat fruits and veggies.”
In addition to the changes in skin color, the researchers also linked eating more fruits and vegetables with increased attractiveness.
Diet Changes That Improve Your Skin’s Complexion
The diet in the study is easy to replicate and gave participants relatively quick results.
Whitehead said that changes were noticeable when participants had just two additional portions of fruits and vegetables a day during the six weeks.
The carotenoids that were studied included beta-carotene and lycopene. Foods rich in these include:
Carrots, yams, spinach, peaches, pumpkin and apricots (beta-carotene)
Apricots, watermelons, tomatoes and pink grapefruits (lycopene)
Because most of the study’s participants were white, further research is needed to see how diet affects other groups, the researchers said.
Only 25 percent to 30 percent of Americans eat the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables, according to dietitian and nutritionist Samantha Heller.
“But once the word gets out that eating fruits and vegetables can make you sexy, attractive and maybe even look younger, hopefully, the carrots, kale and cantaloupe will be flying off the shelves and into people’s meals,” she said.
Non-invasive laser skin resurfacing is also effective for improving the skin. The laser is able to remove unwanted tissue, such as scarred, lined, wrinkled, pigmented, and otherwise imperfect skin, leaving you with a better complexion.
While we associate acne with our teenage years, many women suffer from acne well beyond their teens.
According to a presentation by dermatologist Dr. Bethanee Jean Schlosser at the American Academy of Dermatology’s recent annual meeting, adult-onset acne is becoming more common among women in their 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s.
A 2011 study that looked at photos of women from age 10 to 70 for signs of acne found the following:
45% of women aged 21-30 had acne
26% of women aged 31-40 had acne
12% of women aged 41-50 had acne
The Link Between Hormones & Acne in Women
Hormones contribute to some of the primary causes of acne. For instance, hormones can cause excess oil gland production, and they can cause shedded skin cells to become sticky and clog up in the hair follicle.
Male hormones, called androgens, are present in both men and women and can cause acne by overstimulating the oil glands and changing the development of skin cells around hair follicles.
Acne Treatments for Women
Treatments for acne in women should be specific to the type and severity of the acne, according to Dr. Schlosser. In addition, other conditions, such as pregnancy, rosacea, and age must also be considered, as some common topical acne treatments may not be compatible with these conditions.
One common acne treatment is topical retinoids, which, according to Dr. Schlosser, is the preferred treatment for the long-term prevention of acne.
Another possible treatment for women’s acne is certain oral contraceptives. The FDA has approved several oral contraceptives for this use, as they change the levels and activity of hormones that can bring on acne.
An alternative to oral and topical medications is pulsed light therapy, which attacks acne-causing bacteria and inhibits future acne breakouts.
You may also be able to prevent acne by following some of these skin care tips:
Use noncomedogenic and sensitive skin products.
Use a mild cleanser, twice a day.
Use a noncomedogenic moisturizer daily.
Avoid using cleansers with scrubbing particles, which can irritate the skin.
Proper skin care and sun protection aren’t your only means of preventing skin cancer.
Another new study has come out claiming that aspirin may actually have the ability to inhibit melanoma.
The study, which was published in the medical journal Cancer, is by far the largest of its kind. Researchers at the Women’s Health Initiative were able to gather data from nearly 60,000 post-menopausal women over the course of 12 years.
During their enrollment, these women regularly answered questions about their diet, lifestyle habits (including sun exposure) and medication use.
Aspirin and Melanoma Risk
What researchers found was that women who took aspirin at least two times per week showed a nearly 21 percent lower risk of developing melanoma (the most deadly form of skin cancer) than women who didn’t take the pain killer.
“We’re really excited aspirin could be used as a potential preventive agent for melanoma,” the study’s senior author Dr. Jean Tang of Stanford University said in a recent interview. “In terms of cancer prevention, a lower melanoma risk by 20 percent is very large and significant.”
And the longer women stayed on a regular dose of aspirin, the lower their risk. In fact, women taking aspirin for five years or longer had a 30 percent lower risk of developing melanoma.
Additional Research is Necessary
Despite the results, the study’s senior author was quick to point out that this type of observational study isn’t enough to prove anything in concrete terms.
“We would have to do a large clinical trial, randomizing women to receive aspirin versus placebo, following them for 10-plus years.”
So the question remains: Should you start popping a couple aspirin tablets a week to lower your risk?
Opinions are certainly split on the matter, but Tang had this advice to offer women:
“In somebody who’s at high risk for melanoma, I would say that taking aspirin is a good idea.”
High risk means anyone who has previously been diagnosed with skin cancer (whether it be melanoma or a less dangerous form) or individuals who sunburn very easily.
“Patient care was incredible! We are so very happy our child was referred to Dr. Will. We appreciate the attentiveness given to his medical condition. Will highly recommend to others.”
While some women can look fabulous through pregnancy, others are more affected by the hormonal changes. They notice dark spots, acne or varicose veins appearing. These are common concerns that you should discuss with your dermatologist, midwife, obstetrician or family physician.
1. Use cleansing towelettes to remove makeup at night.
Consumer Reports has revealed its list of the best rated sunscreens to help you choose summer sun protection. The magazine tested 18 sunscreens.
Proper 
