Archive for the ‘Skincare’ Category
The Sun and Plastic Surgery
Monday, July 11th, 2011
There are many rumors about the sun and plastic surgery, so I thought that the summer would be the best time to let Yager Esthetics patients know what the truth as I know it is on the topic.
The sun is very important for your body to effectively absorb and utilize vitamin D. This is especially important to darker skinned patients, as the color in the skin makes it harder for the sun to penetrate and convert the vitamin d into a useful form. I highly recommend having your doctor check your level to see if you need to take supplements for this vitamin.
I also tell my patients to be very careful about the sun if they have had recent cosmetic surgery, as many of these procedures can temporarily decrease sensation in your skin. Because of this, skin can burn without you feeling it. Remember to use sunblock and check the areas frequently.
Another important fact is that scars do not tan. Because of this, if you had a facelift, the scar can become more noticeable as the skin around it darkens while it stays white.
The sun will age your skin, can make dark spots worse, accentuate wrinkles, and pave the way for skin cancer in the future, so be smart. Make sure to use and reapply sun screen if you must be outdoors, hydrate well, and do it in moderation. A tan may look healthy, but it is really a sign of skin damage.
We hope you are careful of the sun this summer, and that you stop in to see our estheticians so they can help repair the fun in the sun damage to your skin when it ends.
Top Ten Skin Care Tips For Latinas
Monday, May 23rd, 2011Many of my patients ask about skin care. At Yager Esthetics, we have the Y Spa, a unique medi spa specializing in Hispanic skin. Below, I list the top ten tips I give to my latin patients.
1. Before you treat a mancha, you must treat the cause of the dark spot. If they are caused by acne, you must control the acne first so they won’t come back. Likewise if they are caused by a medicine or hormonal imbalance.
2. Even though your skin is darker, skin cancer can occur. Get regular checkups with your dermatologist who specializes in Hispanic skin and be smart and avoid excessive sun.
3. Sun block is essential every day, even if it is wintertime or it is cloudy. Make sure you use a daily product with SPF of at least 25, and reapply if you are outdoors.
4. Acne has many causes, and a skin care professional such as a dermatologist or plastic surgeon is sometimes needed to find the right regimen. Antibiotics, creams, and light therapies, as well as some lasers and peels can be effective, but make sure the doctor is used to treating Latinas.
5. Rosacea, sometimes called adult acne, is less common in Hispanic skin, but it does occur. It is usually in sensitive skin, and a redness with bumps is present. Sometimes prolonged steroid cream use can produce this condition, so use care with these products.
6. Always clean your cell phone with alcohol before putting it against your skin, as it can lead to pimples and irritation in that area. You can alternatively use Bluetooth.
7. Latinas need much less retin-A then Caucasians. A green pea size is more than enough for your face if your doctor indicates.
8. Always use water based makeup! The oil based formulations can clog your pores and lead to pimples and dark spots.
9. Stay hydrated. Drinking enough water is essential to good skin health, as if your body is dehydrated, it keeps the water it has for essential functions and makes the skin even drier. This even makes cellulite worse.
10. Do not use your friends or families skin care products, especially if they are by prescription.
Even if it works for them, it may be harmful to your skin.
Hope you find these helpful!
What is a Medi-Spa?
Monday, March 28th, 2011
There are many nonsurgical treatments for beauty, and spas and salons can offer high quality facials, massage, masks and wraps to help you look and feel better. They are often beautiful spots which cater to customers. Why should you go to a Medi-Spa?
A little over 10 years ago, doctors who do mainly cosmetic surgery, especially plastic surgeons, began thinking it would be a good idea to offer spa services to patients. It was a nice compliment to surgery and laser treatments. The results were mixed, depending on the doctor.
If a physician wants to make a little extra money doing peels, massage and facials, and has poorly trained staff handle patients in unoccupied rooms that do not offer a luxury experience, they often do poorly.
At the YSpa, the Medi-Spa of Yager Esthetics, we built specific suites for each spa treatment to maximize the patient experience. Only Registered Nurses and Licensed Estheticians provide treatments under the my supervision. Each treatment is tested for effectiveness and safety before it is offered, because we will never invest in technology that we are not sure will be of benefit to our patients.
At YSpa, as in any good Medi-Spa, your advantage is that we can offer prescription strength products, peels, and treatments, as well as laser and IPL treatments which require a doctor’s supervision. This means more effective options, and the chance to correct bigger cosmetic problems.
If you have a great facialist, or love your spa’s pampering and results, I encourage you to remain loyal. If you are searching for a more effective treatment that your salon does not provide, visit us at YSpa, or whichever Medi-Spa you trust.
Do your Skin Care Products work?
Thursday, December 2nd, 2010
During my training in Plastic Surgery, we were not allowed to talk to representatives of companies that made products for Plastic Surgery for fear of bias. Because of this, I was determined to find out for myself what worked and what didn’t.
When I opened Yager Esthetics/Estetica, I knew my patients could benefit from more than just surgery. I sought out the best in injectable fillers, like Radiesse which is an organic longlasting material with virtually no down time, and Botox and Dysport for dynamic wrinkles. We added skin treatments like the Silkpeel to our regular dermapeels, and brought in the latest in post-op massage treatments from Colombia.
The other important piece has been truly spectacular skin care products. While I have offered peels and products since 1997, and have seen great results, I wanted a way to prove scientifically that they worked, and wanted to measure the results objectively. With the Visia skin analysis computer, I am finally able to achieve that goal.
The Visia is a computerized photosystem that analyzes your skin in 9 parameters such as sun damage, vascular lesions, wrinkles, and texture, and rates your skin against other patients your age to show where your problem areas are. We then select the proper products for each parameter, and after treatment we can remeasure to see the improvement in actual numbers. We can then continually modify your regimen to achieve the best possible results. Some of the most effective product lines we recommend at this time are Obagi and Skinmedica.
Just because a product feels or smells good doesn’t mean it is repairing damage or preventing the aging changes of your skin. I encourage you to come to the office for a complimentary Visia analysis and consultation with one of our Estheticians so that we can insure the money you spend on your skin is well worth it.