Skip to content

Posts from the ‘Articles’ Category

Aug 29

Does Protein Help You Heal Faster After Surgery?

What you eat plays a role in building new cells and repairing injured ones. Because it is present in every cell, protein is one macronutrient you especially need. Functions

Protein plays a variety of functions in your body, some of which are specific to healing post-surgery. For example, protein is responsible for building white blood cells and immunoglobulins, types of cells that are necessary for immune system function. The healthier your immune system is, the more equipped you are to heal following surgery. Protein also is the major component of skin and muscle tissue. Collagen, the substance in your skin responsible for building scar tissue, is made chiefly from protein strands. By having enough protein in your diet, your body can create the scar tissue that will repair your incision post-surgery.

Always talk to your doctor before making any changes to your diet following surgery.

Here’s a recipe to get you started:Eggs in Rings

 Clean-Eatting-Breakfast-Egg-in-Rings-768x1024

Ingredients

    • 1-2 red, green, orange, or red bell peppers, & a large red onion
    • whole eggs
    • sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
    • Red pepper flakes to taste.
optional toppings: fresh dill, fresh parsley, fresh chives, smoked salmon, crumbled nitrate-free bacon, and/or sliced red onion.

Instructions

  1. Slice the bell peppers, and onions into 1/2, to 3/4 inch rings. Use a sharp knife to make clean cuts (to better hold the egg in place). Remove all of the the white inner flesh and seeds.
  2. Heat a large skillet to a nice medium heat and coat with a few drops avocado, olive, or coconut oil.
  3. Let the pan heat up before adding the rings.
  4. Place the veggie rings in the middle of the pan. Allow the rings to cook and brown lightly before adding the egg, maybe a minute or two. Turn the rings over a few times so both sides cook evenly.
  5. Very gently crack one egg into the middle of each ring.
  6. Cook over med-low heat until yolks firm and egg whites harden and are no long translucent.
  7. Add optional toppings at the last minute.
  8. Spray the bottom of your spatula with non-stick coconut oil spray. Slide it underneath pepper ring.
  9. Lift carefully from the skillet and onto your plate.

more at…http://cleanfoodcrush.com/egg-rings/

Aug 25

How you prepare for Breast Augmentation

By Mayo Clinic Staff
T-830W
Initially, you’ll consult with a plastic surgeon about your preferences for size, feel and overall appearance of your breasts. The surgeon will describe specific types of implants — smooth or textured, round or shaped like a teardrop, saline or silicone — as well as options for surgical techniques.
 
Review any documentation carefully, and keep copies of all pertinent information for your records.
 
Before you decide to go ahead with surgery, consider some important factors about breast augmentation:
 
Breast implants won’t prevent your breasts from sagging. To correct sagging breasts, you might need a breast lift in addition to breast augmentation.
Breast implants aren’t guaranteed to last a lifetime. Implant rupture is a possibility. Also, your breasts will continue to age after augmentation — and factors such as weight gain or weight loss might further change the way your breasts look. Any of these issues might lead to additional surgery.
Mammograms might be more complicated. If you have breast implants, in addition to routine mammograms, you’ll require additional, specialized views.
You might need routine MRI scans. The Food and Drug Administration recommends monitoring silicone breast implants with routine MRI scans every two years, starting three years after the initial implant surgery.
Breast implants might hamper breast-feeding. Some women are able to successfully breast-feed after breast augmentation. For others, however, breast-feeding is a challenge.
Insurance might not cover breast implants. Unless it’s medically necessary — such as the need for implant reconstruction after a mastectomy — breast augmentation isn’t covered by insurance. Be prepared to handle any expenses that accompany breast augmentation, including related surgeries or future imaging tests.
You might need additional surgery after breast implant removal. If you decide to have your implants removed, you might need a breast lift or other corrective surgery to help your breasts maintain an aesthetically pleasing appearance.
If you decide to have the surgery, you may need a baseline mammogram ahead of time. Your doctor might adjust certain medications before the surgery as well. For example, it’s important to avoid aspirin or other medications that can increase bleeding.
 
If you smoke, your surgeon will ask you to stop smoking for a certain period of time before the surgery.
 
Arrange for someone to drive you home after the surgery and to stay with you for at least the first night.

Aug 24

Sleep Wrinkles And Aging Skin

wedge

Goesel Anson, MD, FACS, Michael A.C. Kane, MD, and Val Lambros, MD, FACS, published an article in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal (September 2016) in which they discuss the role of sleep wrinkles in aging skin, which differ from expression wrinkles in that they are caused by mechanical compression, shear and stress forces that act on the skin in sleep positions. They performed a literature review relating to the development of wrinkles and the biomechanical changes that occur in response to intrinsic and extrinsic influences, and explored the possibility that compression during sleep not only results in wrinkles, but may contribute to facial skin expansion.

Because sleep wrinkles differ from expression wrinkles in mechanism of origin (external forces vs. internal muscle contraction), location (at the limits of retaining ligaments vs. site of muscle contraction), and directionality (mostly perpendicular to each other), the authors suggest reconsidering wrinkle classification and posit that facial distortion during sleep may also contribute to overall facial aging. They note that with age, the number of position shifts during sleep decreases from 27 to 16 per night, with an average of 20 position shifts per night, meaning the time spent in each position increases with age.

Dermatologists and plastic surgeons would benefit from recognizing sleep wrinkles as distinct from expression wrinkles with a different etiology, and potentially grouping them with gravitational wrinkles since they develop due to external forces and are influenced by ligamentous attachments. Unfortunately, treatment options for wrinkles caused by sleep are more limited than those for expression lines; the authors suggest that the only reliable way to minimize sleep wrinkles is to avoid facial distortion. In their practices, they recommend back sleeping and specialty pillows designed to minimize facial deformation during sleep. They suggest advising patients to avoid sleep compression in addition to the typical suggestions for minimizing signs of aging, i.e., using sunscreen, quitting smoking, optimizing nutrition and maximizing topical skin care.

“While avoiding the development of sleep wrinkles may be important, it is the facial distortion and its potential impact on overall facial aging that may be even more important,” the authors wrote. “The consequence of repetitive stretching of facial tissue over time is intriguing and warrants further study.”

http://medestheticsmag.com/

Aug 22

The Knifeless Facelift

“The LazerLift is the first procedure that tightens the facial skin and underlying supporting tissues without a scalpel,” says cosmetic surgeon, Dr. Bassin. “Using a new fiber-optic laser device, the LazerLift tightens and smoothes the skin from the inside out, safely and effectively. The LazerLift is done with the patient awake, with no stitches and no scars,” says Bassin.

Read more

May 19

Stage 2 Male Compression Shirt

SC-175 CDI Stage 2 Male Compression Shirt

Ideal for use during the extended recovery period following gynocomastia and liposuction of the upper body. Made from our exclusive SuperSilky fabric, the CDI SC-175 offers maximum compression to the chest, upper back and flanks and upper and lower abdomen. A tapered design provides a contoured fit and allows this shirt to be worn under every day clothing, ultimately contributing to increased patient compliance and a comfortable recovery.

 

May 18

The Vital Role of Nutrition in Fighting Cancer

The following are important facts shared by the Cancer Treatment Centers of America…

1/3 of cancer deaths in the United States are linked to poor diet, physical inactivity, and being overweight…

Your progress to being cancer-free can be stalled by delays in treatment schedule due to weakness brought on by malnutrition.

Malnutrition can impact your immune system.  Neutropenia, which depresses the immune system, is commonly found in Cancer patients.

Select a high-nutrition meal plan that works for you and your family, that is specific to your cancer and your tolerance to your treatment.  Proper nutrition can ease side effects.  Foods rich in soluble fiber may decrease symptoms of diarrhea.

May 4

Keep calm and carry on with these helpful tips for fighting stress and anxious thoughts.

be calm

It’s easy to find things that stress you out. While stress can be a good thing—think of the fight or flight response while running from danger—too much stress has the opposite effect.
1. Control what can be controlled.
 
According to stress experts from the American Institute of Stress, a key component in managing stress is feeling in control of it. A lack of control leaves us feeling weak and vulnerable—the same way Kryptonite sends Superman to his knees.
 
Todd Bello, a National Psoriasis Foundation volunteer with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis in Long Island, New York, said gentle-to-moderate exercise helps with his stress.
 
“My doctor recommended that I exercise and eat right to reduce stress. I found this most helpful with my psoriatic arthritis. I prefer low-impact exercise like walking or riding a bike, which is less traumatic on the joints,” he said.
 
By closely monitoring his diet, Bello feels more in control of his psoriatic arthritis. That’s why he also avoids foods like bread, dairy, sugar and preservatives that he said tend to increase his inflammation, which increases his stress.
 
2. Focus on breathing.
 
We breathe to stay alive—but when stressed, our brains require even more oxygen, said Lauren E. Miller, stress expert and author of “5 Minutes to Stress Relief: How to Release Fear, Worry and Doubt Instantly.”
 
Instead of the common wisdom of taking deep breaths, Miller suggests breathing in through the nose and out through the nose in a continuous fashion—with quick breaths—as a daily ritual.
 
“Close the mouth and cough several times, exhaling through the nose,” said Miller. When you need more air, just inhale through the nose and continue.
 
Upon waking, Miller said she breathes like this for about 60 breaths.
 
3. Get moving—just for a minute.
 
Another way to combat stress is to get on your feet for a few minutes.
 
“Stand up and bounce on the balls of your feet—it helps the body drain the lymphatic system and toxins in the body,” Miller said.
 
Now, combine bouncing while massaging the back of your neck to help you relax, Miller said.
 read more: https://www.psoriasis.org/blog/4-ways-fight-stress-4-psoriatic-arthritis?utm_source=email&utm_campaign=npfblog&utm_content=may032016&cmp=1&utm_medium=npfblog

Mar 29

Breast Reduction Scar Treatment

There’s more than one type of incision (and more than one type of scar)

.circlesl

“Breast reduction, which is done to reduce the size of a woman’s breasts, usually includes removing skin and/or the breast tissue beneath it,” Gordon Lee, M.D., a plastic and breast reconstructive surgeon at Stanford Health Care, tells SELF. There are three incision types to do just that. Which one your surgeon chooses largely depends on how much excess skin and breast tissue needs to be removed. If you only need a small amount taken out, there’s the circumareolar incision—also known as a doughnut incision—which involves cutting around the areola and removing some of the surrounding excess skin. If you need to remove more loose skin and tissue than that, the next level up is the lollipop incision, which leaves a scar around areola and a second scar that goes straight down from the base of the areola. “When you sew it together, the final shape is like a lollipop,” says Lee. For more extensive reductions, there’s the Wise pattern, which has the same two incisions as the lollipop and an additional scar that runs along the underside, or crease, of the breast, creating a scar that resembles an anchor. In some cases, surgeons also tack on liposuction to help reduce breast tissue.*

During the formation of scars, the epidermal layers of the skin will produce high levels of moisture in an attempt to hydrate the scar site. However, most of this moisture evaporates once it reaches the stratum corneum, or upper layer of the skin. This moisture loss triggers keratinocytes in the skin to produce collagen. Left unchecked, excessive collagen production can lead to abnormal scarring.

Silicone Gel Sheeting in procedure specific configurations fully encapsulates the scar site, meaning that it completely covers the treatment site for even distribution of necessary moisture (hydration), and maximum exposure to oxygen. Although the entire site is covered, silicone is semipermeable, allowing oxygen to enter while maintaining necessary moisture. This is called “homeostasis,” otherwise known as an ideal healing environment.

Epi-Derm Silicone Gel Sheeting, provided by Contemporary Design Inc. is an ideal healing environment at the stratum corneum signals keratinocytes to scale back the production of collagen, thereby preventing abnormal scarring.

*http://www.self.com/wellness/2016/03/8-things-women-should-know-about-breast-reduction-surgery-but-dont/

Mar 25

Just in time for the Easter Bunny…a New Look at Chocolate

Although chocolate may not cure cellulite or sagging breasts, new research does find it good for the brain.  easterch
The latest news on chocolate couldn’t have been sweeter:  it benefits the brain! Results of an international study – the researchers were from Australia, Maine and Luxembourg – suggested that people who eat chocolate at least once a week performed better on a series of neuropsychological tests than people in the study who didn’t consume chocolate at least once a week. The tests revealed that those who enjoyed the most chocolate among the study’s 968 participants showed improved visual-spatial memory and abstract reasoning compared to those who consumed less chocolate. The researchers theorized that the flavanols (antioxidants) in chocolate were responsible for the brain boost, just as these compounds seem to be for improvements in blood flow associated with chocolate. How much chocolate should you eat to help sharpen your memory or hone your abstract reasoning? And what kind of chocolate would be best for these purposes? Unfortunately, those questions weren’t addressed. This study may not have fully satisfied the yen for good news about chocolate, but previous animal studies have documented the protective effects of flavanol consumption on cognition, and other investigators have reported similar benefits in humans. Stay tuned.

read more at: e-bulletins@communications.drweil.com

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/behindtheheadlines/news/2016-03-09-can-chocolate-make-you-smarter/

Mar 15

My Beautiful Mommy

my beautiful mommy

Dr. Michael Salzhauer, a renowned plastic surgeon, wrote My Beautiful Mommy to help patients explain their transformation to their children. The story guides children through Mommy’s surgery and healing process in a friendly, nonthreatening way.

Through vivid illustrations and straightforward dialogue, My Beautiful Mommy explains a parent s physical transformation in a breezy, child-friendly manner from a young child s perspective. You and your child will follow along as Mommy goes through her plastic surgery experience and learn how the entire family pitches in to help Mommy achieve her beautiful results.

If you are a mother with young children and thinking about having plastic surgery – this book is a must have.

Undergoing a plastic surgery procedure can be an exciting and stressful time for you and your family. After you ve picked a board-certified plastic surgeon and a surgery date, take a few minutes to read through this book with your child.

This book will make your plastic surgery experience more understandable to your little ones.
Information For Parents: Plastic surgery has become extremely common among mothers with young children. In 2007 more than 400,000 women with young children underwent elective cosmetic surgery in the U.S. alone.

As any parent will tell you – children are very perceptive. It is nearly impossible to hide a plastic surgery transformation from your children. In my years of experience, trying to do so adds additional and unnecessary stress for both parent and child. Throughout the process young children can become confused.

During the initial consultation they may ask themselves questions such as Why is Mommy going to the doctor? Is Mommy sick? If these questions are not addressed, the child will often imagine fantastical scenarios to fill in the gaps of information they are lacking. This phenomenon becomes more pronounced after the surgery.

Once mommy is home and the child sees that mommy is bandaged and bruised, they can become even more worried and inquisitive. Finally, when the bandages come off and mommy looks somewhat different, their confusion may lead to responses that adults may find inappropriate or hard to understand.

This book is designed to explain to your child what to expect – from the initial consultation to the final result. It is recommended that you read this with your child (and spouse) at least three times during the plastic surgery process: once prior to the initial consultation (if they will be coming along), once more prior to the surgery, and then again during the post-operative healing phase. Encourage your child to ask questions as you read. Answer them in an honest and straightforward manner in language they will understand.

If you follow this advice, you will be able to calm your children’s fears, address their concerns, and help your family to sail easily through the plastic surgery experience.

The review on this one is still out.  My very smart grown daughter often shares my shortcomings and the things I have done to damage her and make life less than perfect.  Yes she also speaks of the good stuff, but that seems less memorable.  Per chance this book is one of those moments that may define you. One’s definition of beauty is often informed by their mother and what she does and doesn’t like about herself. Those vulnerable years between girlhood and womanhood shouldn’t be spent wondering if my mother’s complaints about her own shortcomings (short or nonexistent eyelashes, saddle bags, crow’s feet) wouldn’t suddenly be the only things you inherited.  Think about it.

 

 

« Older Entries