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Allergan, a leading global pharmaceutical company, recently announced that it has acquired Anterios, Inc., a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing a next generation delivery system and botulinum toxin-based prescription products.  Anterios has developed a proprietary platform delivery technology (NDS) that enables local, targeted delivery of neurotoxins through the skin without the need for injections, topical botox.

What does this mean for you? Botox is currently only available as an injectable. It  is a prescription medicine that is injected into muscles and used to temporarily improve the look of both moderate to severe crow’s feet lines and frown lines between the eyebrows in adults. It is also being used to treat excessive sweating and is helpful for patients who suffer from migraines. Allergan was the company that pioneered the development and commercialization of BOTOX®, the market-leading neurotoxin used in both medical aesthetics and therapeutic areas of medicine. This acquisition will showcase their ability to apply tremendous scientific leadership in neurotoxins by advancing a new delivery system and formulations that are appealing to both patients and physicians.

Ethos Spa is dedicated to learning and using the latest technologies with our patients to enhance the treatments we perform. We promise to keep you updated on the latest news and cannot wait until a topical Botox product is ready for use. Contact us here to learn more about our treatments for Botox, laser hair removal, dermal fillers, laser tattoo removal and more.

Polycystic ovary syndrome or PCOS is a common hormonal disorder that affects 5%-10% of women. The diagnosis of PCOS is made when a woman has two of the following three characteristics: 1) inability to release an egg from the ovaries on a regular (monthly) basis (chronic anovulation), 2) increased male hormone levels and/or an increase in hair in the midline of the body (hyperandrogenism), and 3) polycystic-appearing ovaries on ultrasound.

Most women who have been diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome experience excessive hair growth. The excessive hair can grow anywhere on the body, but is especially unwanted on the face. The hair is usually coarse and stubby and tends to grow in dark. This can take away women’s confidence and make them feel masculine.

Enter laser hair removal! Laser hair removal is the perfect treatment to deal with excessive hair growth.  Laser treatments may be used on large areas of the body as well as the face. During laser hair treatment, a beam of light is passed through the skin to the hair follicle to destroy it. People with light skin and dark hair usually achieve the best results with laser hair removal.

Laser hair removal can be moderately painful, depending on the area of skin being treated, and multiple treatments usually are required. A numbing creme may be applied before treatment to help with the mild discomfort. Laser hair removal is very effective in removing unwanted hair.  Give our office a call today to schedule your first appointment or learn more about how laser hair removal can help you remove unsightly hair from your body.

Do you have an uneven skin tone, brown spots(melasma) or deep pigment issues on your face? Chemical peels are a great way to help even out skin tone and reduce fine lines and wrinkles. Peels accomplish this with ingredients like glycolic acid, salicylic acid, lactic acid and resorcinol. Today we review the Melanage  Minipeel and its many benefits.

The Melange skin lightening system is a superficial peel that is designed to improve the texture and appearance of hyperpigmented skin which involves a medicated masque and an at-home regimen.

Hyperpigmentation can be caused by sun damage, inflammation, acne or other skin conditions.  The mélange masque is compounded in the office by a licensed professional to ensure the potency. It is then applied to the patient and the patient leaves with the masque on the face. The patient will then remove the melanage minipeel later with an easy-to-follow, but strict, at-home regimen included with the treatment. It will include everything needed to care for the skin in the following weeks. The full Melange peel may only be required every 12 months. The Melanage™ minipeel may require a series of 4 treatments that will be scheduled 3 weeks apart for best results.

Patients report peeling skin after the treatment. Peeling generally starts on day 2 or 3 and starts to lesson after the first 3 days. The skin may feel tight and dry, similar to a sunburn, but it is not reported as painful. Redness may be present for 1 to 2 weeks after the treatment. For best results, the patients will want to avoid heat and sun exposure after the treatment. It is very important to use sun block and reapply every 2 hours while in the sun. Patients also report a significant improvement in the appearance of pigmented areas. Dark spots will lighten and skin texture and tone will improve.

Give us a call to schedule your appointment or learn more about the mélange minipeel and benefits.

What does your home skin care regimen look like? It is very important to continue good skin care at home after any procedure done in a professional setting.  Let’s take a look at the best skin care products to use every day to keep your skin looking young and refreshed.

 

      1. Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA’s)

Alpha hydroxy acids include glycolic acids and lactic acid. They increase exfoliation of the outer layer of skin, unplog pores, and function as a humectant to hydrate the skin. Other benefits include: stimulating collagen and elastin production in the dermis, improving mottled pigmentation, fine lines, surface roughness, freckles  and treat actinic and seborrheic keratosis.  The best way to use AHA’s is at night after cleansing. They should not be used with retinoids/retinol and should not be used after a vigorous scrubbing of the face. Be sure to use sunscreen when using AHA’s as they make skin more sensitive to the sun.

 

        1. Retinoids – Retin-A, a prescription topical treatment containing a derivative of vitamin A, was first used as an acne treatment. After using the product patients started to report a decrease in the appearance of wrinkles and smoother skin. The active ingredient in Retin-A, tretinoin, received FDA approval for anti-aging and anti-sun damage properties. Retinoids are effective in preventing and treating the collagen loss caused by photodamage. Regular use of retinoids will help slow the process of aging as well as help with acne.  Use retinoids at night only, in small quantities after cleansing and do not use in conjunction with AHA’s. Prescription retinoids should be applied after moisturizer.  Do not use after a vigorous scrubbing or wasing or with benzoyl peroxides as they may deactivate retinol ingredients.  As with AHA’s, use this product with sunscreen as retinoids make your skin more sensitive to the sun.

 

          1. Antioxidants – The body defends against free radicals (one of four major contributors to skin aging) with antioxidants like vitamins C and E. Antioxidants do this by stopping free radicals from ripping electrons off of other molecules. The body does not produce or ingest enough antioxidants to neutralize all of the free radicals, which come from processes that are both within the body, such as human metabolism and outside the body, from pollution, smoking, alcohol, and UV radiation, amongst other sources, free radicals accumulate a great deal of damage within the body over time.  As a result, many experts recommend use of antioxidants and sunscreen to prevent UV-induced free radical damage. Topical vitamins, such as C and E, have been proven to stimulate collagen synthesis and are really good for protecting against sunlight.  Use antioxidants in the morning, after cleansing, before sunscreen. One may also use them at night in conjunction with hydroquinone and either retinoids or AHAs. Use with sunscreen as antioxidants boost the protective capacity of sunscreen against UV-induced free radical damage. Do not use vitamin C with alpha hydroxy acids as the two acidic ingredients can irritate the skin.

 

            1. Sunscreen – The most important part of your daily skincare routine should be sunscreen. UV exposure has been linked to almost every known cause of aging, from free radical release to DNA damage, and ultimately, to signs of aging that include sunspots, wrinkles, and collagen loss. Sun exposure is responsible for almost 95 percent of wrinkles. It is the single most preventable cause of aging. Use sunscreen every morning after cleansing. If you use chemical sunscreens, apply to bare skin. If you use physical sunscreens, apply over moisturizer. To clarify, chemical sunscreens include Helioplex (a combination of avobenzone and oxybenzone), avobenzone, oxybenzone, PABA, and Mexoryl. Physical sunscreens include zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. Use antioxidants underneath your sunscreen as antioxidants enhance your sun protection.

 

All of these products can help achieve clearer, younger looking skin. Be sure to check with your dermatologist or skincare provider if you have any questions or concerns about any product you may not be familiar with.

 

Getting married and want to remove your old girlfriend’s name from your arm? Looking for a new job and you don’t want your tattoo from Spring Break freshman year to hold you back? R20 tattoo removal is a quick way to get rid of your unwanted tattoo.

What is R20 Tattoo Removal?

The “R” stands for Repeating or Rapid while the “20 “stands for 20 minutes. The R20 Method will use a single pass of the laser every 20 minutes, up to 4 passes in one session. This is essentially 4 removal treatments in one session. A 20 minute wait period is required because each pass of the laser produces very small nitrogen bubbles that look like frost on top of the tattoo. The laser cannot penetrate through this frost until approximately 20 minutes have passed. After 20 minutes another pass of the laser can be performed.

What Are The Benefits of R20 Tattoo Removal?

With R20 most people get their tattoos faded out after a couple of sessions. They also cause the least permanent injury to the skin although some short term scabbing and injury should be expected. R20 is a non invasive procedure and does not cause permanent scarring like the surgical options of skin grafting and excision.

Does R20 Work on all Colors of Ink?

Many different colors of laser light are required for R20 Tattoo Removal.  Different lasers of varying wavelengths will be used to tackle different pigment colors. For multicolored tattoos, two or more laser wavelengths will be required. R20 works best on black, blue and red inks but green and yellow inks and other fluorescent colors might require more laser wavelengths and may be harder to treat.

Always do your research before starting any new laser procedure. Be sure to read the reviews of the physician performing the laser treatment and ask to meet for a consultation prior to treatment.

 

Summer is around the corner and we all start thinking about one thing… hair removal! Beauty companies are always coming up with new ways for women (and men) to remove unwanted hair from their bodies. If you have watched any TV lately, you have probably seen the infomercials for at home laser hair removal systems. They promise permanent hair removal – at home.

Laser treatments work by killing the hair follicle, which absorbs heat from the laser when the hair is in an active growth cycle, thus preventing the hair from regrowing.  The hair removal is technically permanent, but the problem is that every single hair grows in a different cycle, which is why you need to do multiple treatments — you can’t kill them all at once. Hormones also play a role in hair removal.  Some patients are happy with the hair being thinned and take care of the rest with a razor.

The at home procedure is much less powerful than medical powered lasers. They come in different settings and only work on patients who have the ideal skin and hair tones. The at home treatments are much more painful than in office procedures. Numbing cream can be used at home, but it may affect the treatment because the lasers are not as powerful. The treatments are recommended to be performed every two weeks for optimal results and depending on the area being treated can take twice as long as professional procedures.  Patients have reported hair thinning, but also report giving up after 4-5 treatments because of the pain and time it takes. The at home devices may be less expensive, but do the results justify spending $$ on a device that may or may not provide the lasting results you are looking for?

Visit us and we can discuss whether you are an ideal candidate for laser hair removal. We offer complimentary consultations for all of our patients. Get ready for summer today.

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