Dermatology, Cosmetic Surgery, Mohs Micrographic Skin Cancer Surgery & Laser Surgery

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Monthly Archives: May 2011

SUPRISE GIVEAWAY: MediShave

Can you believe it’s almost summer time already? What better way to kick off the summer season than with a surprise skin care giveaway! This package includes:

  • MediShave Skin Clarifying Shaving Cream
  • RosaCleanse Foamy Anti-Redness Foaming Cleanser
  • Saturday Night Brightening Exfoliator Pads

HOW TO ENTER:

Post a comment here telling us your favorite skin care tip.

Giveaway ends Tuesday, May 31st at midnight PST. Winner is chosen randomly and will be announced Wednesday, June 1st. Good Luck!

…but a tan makes me look 10lbs thinner

Who doesn’t love the first warmth of the summer sun after that cold winter chill? While our winters in Southern California usually only run in the 60°s we love our warm summer weather too. With Memorial Day coming up this weekend many people will be spending time outside. Being sun smart doesn’t mean that you have to lock yourself indoors. Check out these tips for how to protect yourself while still enjoying your summer:
  1. SUNSCREEN! SUNSCREEN! SUNSCREEN!– did you need me to say that again? Regular use of a good sunscreen is key to preventing skin cancers and sun damage. SPF (sun protection factor) which is what we all look for in sunscreens, only refers to our protection against UVB rays, but we now know what UVA rays are just as dangerous to our skin. We recommend a sunscreen with broad spectrum coverage (i.e., blocks both UVA & UVB rays). UVA rays penetrate deeper into the skin and cause wrinkling and skin cancers. Look for ingredients such as zinc oxide or titanium dioxide to be assured that you are properly protected.
  2. PHYSICAL PROTECTION- UV rays are at their strongest between 10am-4pm. If possible try avoiding direct sunlight during these hours. Enjoy the warm summer days while sitting under an umbrella or cabana while sipping your beverage of choice. Unable to seek shade during the day? Choose a fabulous wide-brimmed hat, a pair of large sunglasses and a light weight cover-up for extra sun protection.
  3. FAKE IT TILL YOU MAKE IT- Sunless tanning has come a long way. No need to worry about looking like Snooki when you step out of the spray booth. Mystic Tan, a popular spray tan machine, offers a very light formulation perfect for spray tan novices. Also, tanning lotions are great because they allow for a gradual natural looking glow.

So remember…


“Botox Mom” is a hoax… we could have told you that

I’m sure you’ve heard the recent story splashed all over the news… the extremely disturbing story about the mother who says she gives injections of Botox to her 8-year old daughter so that her daughter could more effectively compete in beauty pageants.  Child and mother were featured on Good Morning America and Inside Edition, and were mentioned on most local and national new broadcasts.  The story has received tremendous attention and authorities wanted to investigate the mother for child endangerment.  This negative press likely caused the mother to retract  her story and she now claims that she was being paid to make up the whole thing, and she insists that she never administered Botox to her daughter.

Well, I can sure tell you that as a dermatologist, watching the initial story, I knew from the get-go that this mom likely did not give her child Botox.  Any physician provider who administers Botox Cosmetic and watches the video of the mom allegedly administering Botox could tell you there are holes in her story!

Medical professionals who regularly administer Botox to patients (who are over 18 years old, of course!), only need to watch the story once to know that mom wasn’t telling the truth.  She was obviously NOT administering Botox to her child, and I’ll tell you how I know this.

If you look at this picture, it shows that mom has used a black marker to show where she is injecting Botox.  She has placed these black marks very evenly spaced over her daughter’s entire face!  Well, this makes no sense at all!   Remember, Botox injected into a specific muscle works by temporarily preventing that muscle from flexing.  For example, most popularly, we inject it in very minute doses into the muscles between the eyebrows to prevent these muscles from flexing and creating the furrows, or “11’s” between the eyes.  If this mom was injecting Botox into her daughter’s lips as she has marked in the photograph, her daughter wouldn’t be able to purse her lips, or drink out of a straw!  If her mom was injecting Botox into her daughter’s cheeks, her daughter wouldn’t be able to smile! The video shows her daughter speaking well and smiling often, so this is proof that she did NOT get Botox in those areas.  In fact, her daughter appears to be smiling, frowning, and speaking as any 8 year old girl would, except unfortunately, psychologically, she may have endured major permanent damage knowing that her mother convinced her to lie about getting Botox on national television.

I find fault in the news organizations that didn’t even do a simple fact check.  If they had interviewed any dermatologist or plastic surgeon who regularly administered Botox, holes would have immediately been apparent on the story.  It’s fortunate this story can’t be true because the pageant world would indeed have sunk to a new low!!

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