THE TRUTH ABOUT SUNSCREEN

 Now that we are into Spring and we can see Summer coming just around the corner, patients are constantly asking our opinion on sunscreen. With skin cancer rates continuing to rise each year sunscreen and overall sun protection is more important than ever. In this post we will go over some common questions regarding sunscreen and sun protection.

1. Isn't a "healthy" tan good for me?
Let's all answer this one together...NO! There is no such thing as a "healthy" tan. Any amount of tan is damage to your skin which can lead to premature aging and skin cancer. The best thing you can do to prevent these things from happening? Avoid the sun! Now, we don't mean spend all day long inside and miss out on the beauty of summer! But, if you can, try to at least avoid the parts of the day where the sun is the strongest, which is 10am-2pm. If you are going to be out at these times, try to seek some shade under an umbrella or a wide brimmed hat and of course, wear that sunscreen!!

2. I keep reading that my sunscreen is actually worse for me than the sun, is that true?
This is one of the hottest topics out there right now with sun protection, but don't let it scare you away from lathering up! There are some ingredients in leading sunscreens that if possible you should try to avoid. Retinyl Palmitate is one ingredient getting a lot of press right now. There was a study done on hairless mice who received topical doses of Retinyl Palmitate and were then exposed to UV rays. The conclusion of this study showed that the mice who were given the RP had increased photocarginogenicty, increased skin lesions, and increased presence of squamous cell neoplasms. It is important to remember that there have been no human studies showing these results, but as RP does not add anything your sunscreen in ways of protecting you from the sun, it is probably a good idea to find a sunscreen without it. Also remember that these findings were only when RP was put on prior to being exposed to UV rays. This is why we always recommend using your Retinol and Retinoids (other forms of Vitamin A used for anti-aging) at night instead of in the morning. The chemical forms of sunscreen are also a hot topic, particularly Oxybenzone. Oxybenzone is a trigger for allergic reactions and can also behave similar to estrogen in the body. Although it is found in a large percentage of sunscreens out there, there are plenty without it, so make sure you read your ingredients!

3. What should my sunscreen have in it?
The very best form of sunscreen is a physical sunscreen! This means that instead of using chemicals that go into your skin to block the UV rays, the sunscreen has ingredients that stay on the outside of the skin to form a barrier against the sun to deflect those UV rays. Sounds a lot safer doesn't it? The two ingredients that you want to look for in your sunscreen are Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide. The only downside of a physical sunscreen is that can be more difficult to spread and can sometimes leave a white film. As these types of sunscreens are becoming more and more popular this is certainly improving though. We think overall it is a small price to pay for less wrinkles and decreasing your chances of getting skin cancer.

4. The highest SPF I can find is the best, right?
This is actually not true. High SPFs above 50 should actually be avoided. The majority of these high SPF sunscreens are only boasting protection from UVB rays (the rays that cause burning) but not from UVA rays which can actually penetrate deeper into your skin causing a lot of damage. Instead of searching for the highest SPF you can find, try to find something that has broad spectrum coverage for both UVB AND UVA rays. SPF 30 is actually fine to use (never go below SPF 15), but make sure you are putting enough on and making sure you are reapplying frequently. The higher SPFs tend to give a false sense of security leading to spending more time in the sun and not re-applying enough. As a rule, reapply every time you get out of the water or every 1-2 hours.

5.  I still have some sunscreen left over from last year, can I use it?
If you are using your sunscreen correctly, meaning applying enough of it, applying it EVERY day and reapplying frequently when spending a lot of time in the sun, you should have used up all of your sunscreen from last summer! But, if on the chance you did not, it is probably best to toss it and buy a new one as it is not guaranteed that after sitting on a shelf for the last year they will still be as effective, especially against those pesky UVA rays. Some sunscreens will also have expiration dates which should always be followed!

We hope this helps shed some light (hehe) on the truth about sunscreens! Please comment below with any additional questions you might have. And remember, the BEST sunscreen is the one you will actually wear, so pick one you LIKE! 

UNDERSTANDING FAT REDUCTION

Last week our Tuesday Trivia was:

TRUE OR FALSE

When losing weight, the amount of fall cells in the body decrease in number. 

The answer to this is FALSE! When losing weight we do not actually lose fat cells, but instead our fat cells shrink in size. And, of course the inverse is true as well, when we gain weight our fat cells increase in size.

Although we do not lose fat cells with weight loss, we can actually add more fat cells with a significant amount of weight gain.Unfortunately, if someone has been significantly overweight and added more fat cells, if they do lose weight the amount of fat cells will still not decrease in number, only in size. 

So, what happens when fat is lost through liposuction or nonsurgical forms of fat reduction such as Coolsculpting? Liposuction is performed by sucking fat out with an instrument called a cannula. This gets rid of approximately 70% of fat in an area by actually removing fat cells. Coolsculpting works by freezing fat cells down to 15 degrees celsius which causes the fat cells to actually die. These cells are then metabolized through your liver and excreted out of your body. This actually gets rid of about 20-22% of fat cells in the treated area. Basically, this means that fat reduction procedures effect how MANY fat cells you have. 

The question all of our patients want to know regarding fat reduction procedures, is, what will happen if I gain weight? Will I gain fat in areas that have never been fat before? The truth is, because fat cells were actually removed from an area, this area will not gain as much weight as it previously had since there are less cells to deposit the fat into. The areas that were not treated still have the same amount of fat cells. If someone were to gain a significant amount of weight it is possible that areas that were not treated could become larger than they were prior to the procedure. It is also possible that the area that was treated could have the fat cells that remain multiply again. What is important to remember is that this would require significant weight gain, not a normal 5lb here and there!

In conclusion, the ONLY way to permanently remove fat cells is to have a fat reduction procedure such as liposuction or coolsculpting performed, but diet and exercise is still important following these procedures to maintain your results and to obviously maintain a healthy life!! 

If you are interested in learning more about fat reduction procedures call our office to set up a consult with Dr. Brooks at 413-565-4400. 

Check out our website for more information and before and after pictures

www.drglenbrooks.com

NANO Laser Peel

It has been a LONG winter here in New England and we are all ready to shed our layers in exchange for something a little lighter and a little less bulky. Now that we are officially into March, many of us are beginning to think about spring time and may even be starting some early spring cleaning. While we are focused on getting our houses and our wardrobes ready for upcoming warmer weather let us not forget one very important thing, our SKIN! 

During these long brutal months of winter our skin has experienced much abuse from the bitter cold temperatures to the whipping wind and the dry air. So, how can we easily strip off these outer layers of damaged skin to debut a more youthful and healthy appearance to go with our sundresses and capris? The answer is the NanoLaserPeel!

A NanoLaserPeel is performed using our Sciton laser. This is a minimally invasive procedure performed at our office by our Physician Assistants, Leah and Julia. This procedure does not require any prescriptions, local anesthesia injections or topical anesthesia! The procedure in and of itself takes approximately 5-10 minutes to perform and unlike our more aggressive laser peels, this procedure has almost no downtime!

So, how does this laser actually work without having a lot of downtime? The trick is in the precision of our Sciton laser. This laser is able to remove the very top layers of skin at a level that accelerates the skin renewal process and stimulates messenger proteins. This in turn helps to create a more youthful appearance to the skin by creating a smooth and even complexion.

Check out the link below to watch Leah on Better Springfield doing a LIVE demo of the NanoLaserPeel!!


Spring SKIN!

To book your NanoLaserPeel or a consult to learn more please call our office at 413-565-4400

TOP TEN THINGS YOU WILL NEED FOR COSMETIC SURGERY

1. Prescriptions: The most important you will need when recovering from surgery are the prescriptions that are given to you at your pre-operative appointment. It is a good idea to get these filled prior to your surgery so that you will not have to worry about running to the pharmacy on your way home from the hospital. These prescriptions usually include a pain medication and possibly an antibiotic.

2. Ice Packs: Icing is an important part of your recovery for the firs 24-48 hours. In this period of time icing will help to decrease the amount of swelling you will experience. After this time icing can also be used for comfort. For example, icing after liposuction helps greatly to decrease the amount of pain experienced. Making your own ice packs is quite easy. Take a heavy duty freezer ball and fill with 3 parts water and 1 part rubbing alcohol. This mixture will get really cold, but will not harden!

3. Ointment: Most cosmetic surgeries (but not all) will require you to use ointment of some kind on your incisions. It is a good idea to have both an antibiotic ointment such as Neosporin as well as a non-antibiotic ointment such as Aquaphor or Vaseline. We will instruct you on where and when you should use these ointments for your specific surgery.

4. Liquids: Hydrate hydrate hydrate!! This is very important for both before and after surgery. We recommend that the day prior to your surgery you up your fluid intake. You must not have ANYTHING to eat or drink after midnight the night before your surgery, but up until that point we ask you to push those fluids. After surgery, you will be able to eat and drink anything you can tolerate, however, some patients are not able to tolerate solid foods right away so having a lot of different liquids to choose from is a good idea as it is so important to keep hydrated.

5. Proper Undergarments: Depending on what type of surgery you are having you may need to purchase new undergarments to aid in your recovery process. If you are having breast or abdomen surgery you will be given a compression garment at the time of your surgery to wear for at least the beginning of your recovery process. You most likely will need to purchase something else to get into for the end of your recovery process. For example after breast reduction surgery you will wear the breast binder provided for the first one to two weeks, but following this most patients will wear a sports bra, cotton bra without under wire or a tight tank top with a shelf bra in it until you are 6 weeks out from surgery. Some patients also find the abdominal binder we provide them with to be bulky under clothing. It is usually necessary to wear this for the first 4 weeks to ensure you are getting enough compression, but after this time when patients are going back to work they usually are able to get into some kind of shape wear that is more sleek under their clothes. Make sure to ALWAYS ask us if what you want to wear is okay. It is a good idea to bring the garments you have bought (with the tags on, so you can return is necessary) to one of your appointments for us to approve.

6. Comfy Clothes: Being comfortable after surgery is key! Make sure you have plenty of comfortable sweatpants, fuzzy socks and slippers and big sweatshirts for after surgery. If you are having breast surgery it is easier in the initial recovery period if you have shirts that either button or zip up the front.

7. Gauze and Hypoallergenic Skin Tape: You may not end up needing gauze depending on the surgery you have, however, it is a great idea to have it in case you do. We recommend using tape as sparingly as possible to avoid extra irritation to your skin. Typically placing gauze over your incisions and then applying your breast or abdominal binder over it will keep the gauze in place. Having some tape at home in case you need it is a great idea too though.

8. Gloves: Make sure you have gloves in a size that will fit whoever is taking care of you after surgery. If you have drains that need to be emptied or need help with dressings it is a good idea for whoever if helping to wear gloves while they are helping you. Make sure that they wash their hands before after they help you even if they do wear gloves!

9. Antibacterial Soap /Hand Sanitizer: We will ask you to use antibacterial soap in the shower starting a few days before the surgery. After surgery hand sanitizer will come in handy for your caretaker as they will be doing a lot of hand washing!

10. Pillows: Make sure you have plenty of extra pillows for use after your surgery. It sometimes difficult to find a position that is comfortable after surgery, but pillows can help to fix this dilemma. We recommend that after surgery you sleep with your head elevated. This can be achieved by sleeping in a recliner for the beginning of your recovery period, however, not everyone has a recliner! So, you can fake it by propping yourself up with pillows. You may also want to put some pillows on your sides so you don't roll over while sleeping and under your knees.

The last thing that did not make the official list but is also important to have on hand is our phone number! (413) 565-4400. If you have questions or concerns after surgery we are always available to help! Our trained receptionists are able to answer many questions and of course Dr. Brooks, Leah and Julia are also available if they cannot answer your question! We are here to make your recovery process as comfortable as possible!

INTRODUCING, JUVEDERM VOLUMA

The newest filler, Juvederm Voluma, recently received it's FDA approval for injection to the midface. This new filler is the third in the line of Juvederm products. It joins Juvederm Ultra and Juvederm Ultra Plus. All three of these fillers are Hyaluronic Acid (HA) based fillers. Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring sugar molecule in your skin that helps with hydration.

Voluma is formulated to help add volume to the cheek area. Voluma has a greater lift capacity than the other Juvederm products and therefore helps to lift and add volume to the midface/cheek area in order to restore contour to the face creating a more youthful appearance!

 If you are interested in learning more about Voluma or other fillers and to see if you are a good candidate, call our office for a consultation with Leah Kenney, PA-C or Julia Boucher, PA-C at 413-565-4400.

Save on Botox & Juvederm by doing your Holiday Shopping!

Most of our Botox and Juvederm patients have already heard of Brilliant Distinctions, a reward program through Allergan (the manufacturer of Botox and Juvederm) where the patient is able to rack up points for future treatments, which can be used to create coupons. Up until very recently the only way to accrue points was to get treatments of Botox or Juvederm. Each syringe of Juvederm or unit of Botox is equal to a certain amount of points. Each time a patient came to our office to have a treatment our receptionists would bank the appropriate points into the patient's account and then, before their next treatment, they could log on to their account to see if the points they had were high enough to create a coupon. This point system still exists, however, Brilliant Distinctions now offers a brand new way to get points!!

Introducing....the Brilliant Distinctions MALL!!

Now, when patients log on to their BD account they have the options of earning points by shopping at the Brilliant Distinctions Mall. Before you read further if you have not yet signed up for Brilliant Distinctions, go to Brilliant Distinctions and SIGN UP NOW! 

So, how does this Mall really work? Once you click on the Shop at the Brilliant Distinctions Mall Link on your BD home page you will be taken to a page that looks like this:

 

This page not only gives you access to TONS of stores that offer BD points, but it also informs you about any specials deals that are being offered! How convenient is that??? 

 You can search for your favorite store either by category or through the search bar at the top of the site. If you aren't sure what you are looking for simply browse through the deals or popular retailers!

Once you find a store that you would like to shop at, you can click on the icon of the store and it will take you to a page showing you how many BD points you will earn per dollar and showing any deals that are being offered. Here are some examples:

 

Now, you are ready to SHOP!

Click the SHOP NOW purple button and it will bring you right to the store's website where you can shop your heart out! 

It's a simple as that! Do your Holiday Shopping through Brilliant Distinctions from the comfort of your home and earn points for your next Botox or Juvederm treatment! 

Now, go SHOP!

Mommy Makeover 101

After giving birth many women experience a significant change in their body. Both the abdomen and breasts can change dramatically, leaving women feeling as though they no longer recognize their body.

During pregnancy the rectus abdominis muscles in the abdomen spread to allow room for the growing uterus. In some women these muscles don't come back together the way that they were prior to pregnancy. This, along with loss of tone of these muscles leads to a bulging rounded appearance to the abdomen. Many women complain of still looking pregnant even after spending countless hours in the gym. Unfortunately there is no amount of diet and exercise that will completely fix this issue. Other complaints in the abdomen from postpartum women include sagging stretched excess skin and stretch marks. While this is partly related to the amount of weight gain or multiple pregnancies, genetics also does play a part in the degree of severity. Unfortunately it's not just the abdomen that is affected following pregnancy, the breasts also can change. Most women complain of droopy, deflated breasts following pregnancy and breast feeding.

While these changes are well worth it in exchange for creating a human life, it doesn't mean women are condemned to live with them forever. So, what can be done to give these women back their pre-baby bod? This is where the "Mommy Makeover" comes into play. This is a term coined to refer to the different surgeries that can done to correct the changes occurring following pregnancy.

Most classically a Mommy Makeover involves an Abdominoplasty or "Tummy Tuck". This can be either a Mini Tummy Tuck or a Full Tummy Tuck. The Mini Tummy Tuck involves correction of the diastasis recti along with a small excision of skin. Women who have a small amount of excess skin below the umbilicus (belly button) only and a diastasis recti qualify for this procedure. Most women require a Full Tummy Tuck which corrects excess skin above the umbilicus, hooding of the umbilicus, excess skin below the umbilicus and diastasis recti. Liposuction of the flanks or "love handles" is usually performed at the same time as a Tummy Tuck if there is excess fat. Usually liposuction alone is not an option, but if there is truly only excess fat in the abdomen and no excess skin or separation of the muscles, this could be an option.

 Breast surgery as part of a Mommy Makeover typically includes a Breast Augmentation, Breast Lift or combination of the two. Many women coming into the office believe they need a Breast Lift as they complain of sagging droppy breasts. This may be true, but many women do not actually have true ptosis (drooping) of the breast, but have lost the volume in the breast and have that deflated balloon look. A silicone or saline implant is used to best correct this by filling up the breast to what it was prior to pregnancy or larger if the woman so desires. True ptosis involves the position of the nipple as depicted in the picture below. A Breast Lift will correct the position of the nipples bringing it back up where they should be pointing forward instead of towards the floor. This will also remove any excess skin. Sometimes the issue is both the position of the nipple and a loss of volume. For this an Augmentation and Lift could be performed together.

 
These procedures are typically performed in the hospital as day stay procedures under general anesthesia. If both an abdomen and breast surgery is desired, these can usually be performed at the same time. Recovery from procedures such as these is typically between 4-6 weeks. Just like any surgery, these procedures do have risks associated with them which can be discussed in detail at a consultation visit.

To learn more about the Mommy Makeover or to find out which specific surgeries would be right for you call the office to set up a consultation with Dr. Brooks. 413-565-4400