Dermatology Consultants Blog

Dallas Liquid Face Lift Sculptra Aesthetic®

Fri, 14 Oct 2016 18:11:00 GMT

If you want to look younger in 2017, now is the time to get started. Sculptra aesthetic® slowly builds collagen to lift your face. Sculptra aesthetic® is poly-l-lactic acid, an alpha hydroxy acid that is injected under the skin to stimulate collagen growth.

Unfortunately with age, skin cells, known as fibroblasts, produce an enzyme that actually breaks collagen down. Because collagen is being broken down we start to see depressions and wrinkles in our skin. Sculptra reverses that trend by stimulating those cells to stop breaking down collagen and start producing it again. The increased collagen makes the skin thicker, smoother and more youthful appearing. When placed strategically in the right locations it can actually give the face a lift.

Sculptra aesthetic® comes in vials as a powder. Sterile water is mixed in to the vials to create a solution which is drawn into syringes. Lidocaine, a local anesthetic, is added to the solution to make the injections more comfortable. Most patients over age 50 will need a minimum of four vials. These vials can not be injected all at once. Usually the vials are injected over three treatment sessions spaced one to two months apart. For example, at the first treatment session, two vials may be injected. Two months later one vial is injected and one month later another vial is injected for a total of four vials.

The injections are performed in the temples, cheeks and chin area. Sculptra aesthetic® is not used in the forehead or lips. Massage of the areas injected is recommended. The standard recommendation is to massage the areas five times a day for five minutes for five days. Massage prevents the formation of nodules which has been associated with Sculptra. While nodules are rare, if they develop they are usually deep, not visible and disappear with time.

Collagen growth develops slowly so that you start to look younger with age! The improvement peaks at about 8 months and lasts at least two years from the first treatment. After two to three years most patients will have another vial injected to maintain the improvement.

The following pictures show patients before and after Sculptra. The first patient is in her 50’s. You can see the difference in just 4 months but by one year she has a visibly fuller face and looks younger.

The second patient is in her late 60’s. Filling out the chin area can make you look younger by eliminating or at least reducing jowls that come with aging.

And the third patient is in her late 70’s and early 80’s. She has a noticeably fuller face as her skin has produced more collagen.

The results do not change your appearance but rather maintain or restore a healthy thickness to the skin. I find it to be the best anti aging cosmetic treatment for facial skin.

Treatments to make your neck look younger without surgery

Tue, 26 Jul 2016 20:40:00 GMT

“I hate my neck!”

How many times a day do I hear that complaint? The neck shows its age when the skin be-comes loose, wrinkled and starts to waddle under the chin. Jowls also show up as we age.

Improving the neck is difficult. The skin of the neck does not heal as well as the skin of the face. There does not seem to be any “home run” procedure for the neck like there is for the face.

Even my patients who have had a surgical neck lift are not always happy with the results.

Given that surgery is expensive, painful and with risks, what are the alternatives?

Improve Neck Wrinkles

Skin tightening devices such as Thermage®, Ultherapy® and Venus Freeze® are some of the nonsurgical skin tightening treatments. They all deliver heat to the deep layers of skin which contracts the collagen and creates tightening. Thermage® and Venus Freeze® use radio-frequency and Ultherapy® uses ultrasound. The results for these treatments are NOT dramatic. The older you are and the more aged your skin looks, the less improvement you will see. Not everyone is a candidate.

Why We like Venus Freeze in Dallas

If you are a candidate for Venus Freeze you will need to do the treatment on a regular basis. The goal of treatment is to tighten and smooth the skin of the jaw line and neck.

The three main reasons that I chose Venus Freeze for the neck over other devices are:

Its is painless, very safe and takes 20 minutes in the office.
There is no downtime, i.e. no swelling, bruising or persistent redness
It is relatively inexpensive compared to the competitors.

To get maximal results with Venus Freeze the procedure is performed every one to two weeks for six treatments and then maintenance treatments are performed every four to six months. While patients would ideally like a more permanent solution, the need for repeat treatments is no different than other cosmetic procedures such as neuromodulators ( Botox®, Dysport®, Xeomin® ) or fillers.

The patient is lying down for the procedure and a gel is applied to the skin. A four pronged hand piece with roller balls is rolled over and over on the skin of your jawline and neck, it feels very warm. The provider starts on one side of the neck and continues until the skin is heated to 40 ℃ (about 104 ℉ ) and treated for 10 minutes and then the other side is treated. There is some redness to the skin afterwords but it doesn’t last very long, maybe 15 minutes. There is usually some immediate tightening so it looks good if you have plans for that evening.

Combine Venus Freeze, Dysport and Kybella to eliminate the Turkey Neck

To achieve the best results for the neck we combine Venus Freeze with other treatments. An excellent combination to help smooth and tighten the neck is Venus Freeze with Dysport® (the lesser known botox). Dysport treats the platysma bands. Platysma is a thin muscle in the neck that causes the neck skin to hang in vertical pleats and the Dysport® flattens out those “pleats”.

We are seeing great results with Kybella® which was developed to treat fat under the chin. I am finding that even older women who do not have a lot of fat but loose skin under the chin are getting nice results with Kybella®.

It is definitely an exciting time as more and more safe and relatively easy treatments are being developed to help your neck. But whether you choose to have a treatment or not, the easiest, fastest, way to take attention away from your neck and lift your face is to…… Smile! 😊

Best treatment For Eye Wrinkles

Fri, 13 May 2016 15:31:00 GMT

Spring is here and that means longer days and more squinting in the sun. All that squinting causes more wrinkles under the eyes. The treatment that works best for smoothing out wrinkles around the eyes are neuromodulators such as Botox®. Dysport® is a lesser known Botox® that works the same but is a little less expensive. Since the treatments have to be repeated two to four times a year it makes sense to go with the least expensive.

(before and after)

The treatment for getting rid of wrinkles around the eyes is quick and easy. We use tiny needles to inject the skin around the eyes. The injections may smart a little bit but most patients do not find it to be that painful. The small amount of pain is worth the great results that you get with this treatment.

After treatment, there is no special aftercare and no downtime. You can go back to the office or home and resume your normal activities. In fact, you can reapply your makeup right after treatment and resume your skin care routine. Immediately after treatment, you may notice some redness and tiny marks where the injections were placed but those usually go away within an hour. Occasionally, a bruise may form but I have found with very careful placement this can usually be avoided. Concealer may be used to cover bruising. However, it is wise to schedule your treatment during a time that if you do bruise it won’t be the end of the world. In other words, don’t schedule the week before your daughter’s wedding, schedule about four to six weeks before the big occasion. Not only to avoid having to cover up a bruise but also to maximize your results for the occasion.

About one week after your treatment you will notice the wrinkles around your eyes diminish significantly. The maximum effect is usually at two weeks. The improvement will last three months at a minimum and often longer depending on the severity of the wrinkles to begin with. Patients who have treatment every three or four months for the first year or two may find that they need fewer treatments as time goes on. Twice a year is often good enough to maintain improvement.

Unfortunately, there is no eye cream that works as well as the neuromodulators. Protect your eyes from the sun with sunscreen, sun glasses and hats. Use a gentle eye makeup remover, an excellent one that is also very inexpensive is Albolene, which is found in any drugstore.

For the quickest improvement for wrinkles around the eyes nothing beats the neuromodulators.

Glycolic Acid

Tue, 12 Apr 2016 16:35:00 GMT

Glycolic Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid. Over the last twenty five years I have been recommending glycolic acid to my patients for the treatment of acne and to prevent aging.

Glycolic acid works in acne by exfoliating the skin cells that clog the pore. Glycolic acid works as an anti aging product by regenerating collagen production. The skin is rich with collagen in youth. This collagen is broken down with age resulting in wrinkles and skin that is loose and sagging. Glycolic Acid helps to reverse that phenomenon.

In fact, another alpha hydroxy acid that we use in anti aging is poly-L-lactic acid or Sculptra. Sculptra is injected under the skin and stimulates skin cells to produce collagen and stops the breakdown of collagen. Over time, patients who get Sculptra notice their skin get firmer and wrinkles improve. It is an excellent anti aging treatment.

We can also use glycolic acid as a chemical peel on the face. When we use glycolic acid as a chemical peel, a high concentration of acid is applied to the face for a short time. This causes the face to turn red and over the next few days the surface layer of skin will peel away.

You can achieve the benefits of glycolic acid with daily use. We formulated two types of glycolic acid products. The DC glycolic gel and the DC glycolic lotion. These products contain the highest concentration of glycolic acid found in a topical product. Both are applied to the face once or twice a day. Moisturizers, sunscreen and makeup can be applied over the glycolic acid. Typically, patients with oily skin prefer the gel and those with dry skin like the lotion.

Glycolic acid can make your face more sensitive to the sun. If you put a glycolic acid product on your face in the morning, then you should also put a product with sunscreen over the application of glycolic acid.

Tech Neck

Fri, 25 Mar 2016 17:50:00 GMT

What is "Tech Neck"? Although it sounds like the latest smart device to hit the market, it isn't. "Tech Neck" is a new term to simply describe the over use of neck muscles that occurs through repetitive viewing of smartphones, tablets and laptops. Every time you glance down at your iPhone or browse on your tablet, you are tilting your neck and essentially ruining its muscles and causing premature sagging and wrinkling. This is becoming a common problem for both men and women. Patients as young as 35 years old are starting to complain of wrinkled and sagging skin on their necks and wondering what the cause is, and more importantly, how to fix it. Although it is unrealistic to think that people will stop taking selfies or looking down at their phones, there is a solution!

The Venus Freeze is a revolutionary device that delivers deep-penetrating radio frequency energy and utilizes magnetic field therapy to stimulate new collagen. Through a series of 20 minute sessions, the Venus Freeze painlessly heats up the tissue and stimulates the cells called fibroblasts (responsible for collagen) and uses magnetic field therapy to direct the energy correctly, so it goes exactly where it needs to without damaging the outer layer of your skin.

Many patients say the treatment feels like a hot stone massage and is very relaxing. For optimal results, the average patient will require 6-8 treatments. To maintain those results a maintenance treatment is recommended every 3 months. Other important components of keeping the neck skin looking healthy and supple is avoiding direct sun exposure, wearing a daily SPF, and keeping the neck moisturized with a nightly application of glycolic acid or a peptide complex, such as our Regenerix Night Cream.

By Melissa Nolte Enos, LVN

Results of Kybella Treatment

Tue, 15 Mar 2016 05:00:00 GMT

Getting rid of double chin

This blog is a followup to the blog in August that introduced Kybella as a new treatment for getting rid of the double chin. The treatment was so new that we had no before and after pictures to share, mainly because it can take a couple of months before you can see results. Now that some time has passed I am happy to report that this treatment is a winner, patients are very pleased with their results.

Patient #1

Patient #1 had 1.5 vials of Kybella injected under her chin. She had some swelling that lasted about two weeks. She saw the most improvement after two months She was pleased with her result after one treatment and elected to have no more treatments.

Patient #2

Patient #2 had a total of three treatments and was extremely pleased with her results. She had two vials each treatment and swelling lasted about one week. She did not have as much swelling after the second and third treatment which is a common observation. We have noticed that all of our patients get a hardness or firmness under the chin that can be felt but not seen and goes away over time.

Patient #3

Patient #3 had a total of two treatments, six weeks apart, two vials per treatment. We have decided to wait an extra four weeks before deciding on a third treatment for Patient #3 since patients continue to improve over time.

Combining Kybella with skin tightening procedures, neuromodulators, and fillers could make 2016 the year of the Neck! Call the office to find out more about Kybella.

Congrats to Rhonda for her 20th year at Dermatology Consultants of Dallas

Fri, 19 Feb 2016 17:17:00 GMT

This month, Medical Assistant and Clinical Office Supervisor, Rhonda Troiani celebrates her 20th year working at Dermatology Consultants.

Congratulations to Rhonda! The following is a Q+A with Rhonda.

What do you like Best about your Job?
I work with a great group of people. And I love our patients, many whom I have known for a very long time.

What is your Favorite part of Dermatology?
Being able to help our patients

Which Procedure do you Like Best?
Sculptra

What are your Hobbies?
My grandchildren. Spending time baking and cooking.

What is your Favorite Color?
Green

What is your Favorite Food?
Eggplant Parmesan

What Three People (living or dead) would you invite to Dinner, if you could?
Jesus Christ, My Dad, My Grandmother

What is your Favorite Movie?
Angel Eyes

Favorite Song?
Take It All Away by Crosby, Stills, Nash + Young

Thank You Rhonda, for 20 Awesome Years

Congratulations!!!

skin routine at Dermatology Consultants of Dallas

Thu, 11 Feb 2016 16:56:00 GMT

My Favorite Skin Care Routine

At Dermatology Consultants we have researched the latest in antiaging skin care. While different products have come and gone over the years, one product has remained tried and true. That product is Glycolic Acid, which we think is one of the most effective antiaging and pore reducing products on the market. We prefer it to Retin-A because it is less irritating and patients are more likely to use it on a daily basis. Using a product consistently over a long period of time is one of the keys to success.

In the last ten years research has shown that peptides also offer antiaging effects. Two years ago we introduced a new peptide line that our patients are loving.

We have been slow to get on the antioxidant bandwagon, mainly because of the instability of antioxidants. We were not confident that the antioxidant was stable in the container. We recently added an antioxidant that has been shown by numerous studies to maintain efficacy.

So my favorite routine for mature skin to minimize wrinkles?

Morning:
1. DC Gentle Gel Cleanser
2. SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic serum
3. Elta MD SPF 40 Moisturizing or tinted
4. Makeup

Evening:
1. DC Gentle Gel Cleanser
2. DC Glyco-20 Lotion
3. ReGenerix MD night cream

If you like an eye cream, we recommend ReGenerix Eye cream which can be used twice daily.

Happy Valentine’s Day!!!

Youthful Looking Eyelids

Wed, 28 Oct 2015 14:31:00 GMT

A nonsurgical approach to eyelid rejuvenation

A study in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology (JDD) reports significant changes in the appearance of eyelids after using topical application of bimatoprost (Latisse®, Allergan, Inc, Irvine, CA). Bimatoprost is a prescription medication that is used to treat glaucoma and is the active ingredient in Latisse® (topical bimatoprost 0.03%). Latisse is used for eye lash enhancement, giving darker, longer eyelashes.

Deborah Sarnoff MD, the author of the study, discovered that after she began to use Latisse® the appearance of her eyelids improved such that people were asking her if she had had eyelid surgery. Her eyelids became tighter, she had less hooding of the upper eyelids and it improved the bags of the lower eyelids (decreased the fat under the eye lids).

Good or Bad

It turns out that Opthamologists had noted these side effects of bimatoprost for many years but since so many of their patients were only using the drops in one eye it was considered a negative side effect because of the asymmetry it produced. Dr Sarnoff argues that the treated eye appears more youthful.

The desirable side effects are:

Improvement of hooding and overhanging upper eyelids
Decrease in the fat (eye bags) surrounding both the upper and lower eyelids
Tightening of the lower eyelid skin.

Potential negative side effects are:

Darkening of the iris in green or hazel colored eyes that starts at the pupil and goes outward
Darkening of the eyelid skin

The change in eye color is irreversible or very slowly reversible over a long time. The darkening of skin is reversible upon discontinuation of the medicine.

Is Topical Eyelid Rejuvenation Right for Me?

The eyelid enhancing effects of Latisse occur when it is used as directed on the eyelid margin. The improvement can take as early as one week to detect, but may also take months or longer. And the effects may be different from one eye to another.

Patients who may not be candidates for this treatment are:

Those who already have deep set eyes and/or who have already undergone blepharoplasty or eyelid surgery with removal of fat pads.
People with green or hazel eyes, who are not willing to accept the possibility of eye color darkening.

Good candidates for eyelid rejuvenation with Latisse are:

Those with excessive upper eyelid skin with hooding
People with puffiness of upper and lower eyelids.

Getting Started

It is important to start Latisse under the guidance of your Doctor who can take "before" pictures and monitor your progress. When the desirable effects occur from daily use of Latisse it is recommended to reduce treatment from daily to 2-3 x per week. If rare complications are noted such as a lowering of upper eyelid (called ptosis) or too much lowering of lower lid (called scleral show) then discontinuation of treatment may be warranted.

While Latisse is available now, there are other new topical treatments being developed. A new ointment, known currently as XAF5 by Topkine Therapeutics, is being tested and looks to be very promising for reduction of excess eyelid fat or “eye bags”.

The future looks bright for anti aging, with the development of safe topical products. Check out all of our skin care products

The Skin Spots We All Get

Fri, 09 Oct 2015 19:35:00 GMT

Have you noticed spots forming on your skin? Some are flat and brown, while others feel rough and sometimes itch. Some are pink and others look grey or even black. Some look like warts.

Congratulations, your skin is informing you that you are officially over 50. One of my patient’s calls them her “old lady spots”. The official term is a seborrheic keratosis (seb-o-REE-ik ker-uh-TOE-sis) commonly abbreviated as an ‘SK’.

The most common skin growth associated with aging

Seborrheic keratoses are noncancerous growths found on every part of the body including the face. Everyone over 50 has at least one, and will continue to develop more over the rest of their life. Some have dozens of them and others may only have a few. No one knows why we get them with age or what causes them.

They are not dangerous and will not turn in to skin cancer, although they can sometimes look like skin cancer. A Dermatologist can usually tell the difference but if in doubt will perform a biopsy to confirm. They can itch and get rubbed by clothing or jewelry. Scratching or rubbing may cause them to bleed or scab. Sometimes the top will fall off and it will appear gone. Most people just do not like they way they look.

Can Seborrheic Keratoses be Removed or Prevented?

Seborrheic Keratoses can not be prevented. The most common way to remove them is to freeze them off with liquid nitrogen. This procedure is called cryosurgery and is performed by a Dermatologist. The liquid nitrogen is sprayed on the SK. This procedure burns and stings but the pain is short lived. The SK will turn red and swell over several days, it will then form a scab and fall off. The healing time depends on the location of the SK. If it is on the face, it will only take about one week to heal. If it is on arms, hands or trunk, it takes about two to four weeks to heal. If they are on the legs it can take four to eight weeks to heal.

They’re Back!

Here is the problem: They can grow back! And new ones continue to crop up. Therefore, it is impractical and

unrealistic to expect all of them to be removed, especially all of them on the trunk and legs. I am mainly removing them from the face for cosmetic reasons and patients who are prone to them will come in every few years to have them treated.

The fall and winter is a good time to treat them on the body since they do look worst before look-ing better and it takes time to heal. Since we are wearing turtle necks, long sleeves and pants in winter, the wounds from freezing can be covered up while healing.

So, don’t despair over Seborrheic Keratoses, everyone gets them and it is just a normal part of aging. As my patients like to say, growing older and learning to deal with the process beats the alternative! Who knows, maybe a year from now I will be able to tell you about a new cream or pill that makes them disappear but until then stay informed and be your best!

The construction is over!

Thu, 10 Sep 2015 05:00:00 GMT

GREAT NEWS!!!!!!
The LBJ Freeway is open after 5 years. Now we have easy access to our office again. Just take LBJ and exit on Webb Chapel, take the first right turn off the service road and you have arrived at our location on the Dallas Medical Center Campus.

Kybella is Here

Wed, 19 Aug 2015 16:22:00 GMT

Kybella is Here! Read All About It!

KYBELLA™ is a new, nonsurgical treatment to get rid of fat under the chin. Fat under the chin, referred to as a double chin can make a person look older and heavier. Until now, the only treatment that got rid of a double chin was liposuction. While we still offer liposuction at Dermatology Consultants, we now offer Kybella too!

In April, the FDA approved KYBELLA™ which is a synthetic deoxycholic acid. Deoxycholic acid is a naturally-occurring molecule in the body that aids in the breakdown and absorption of dietary fat. Using a tiny needle it is injected into the fat under the chin where, it destroys fat cells. At this time it is not indicated for other areas of fat, only under the chin.

Approximately 1,600 patients were treated with KYBELLA™ in clinical trials. Of those patients, 68% responded to treatment. While that does not seem like a large percentage, response to treatment was defined by very strict criteria in the study. A larger number of patients (79%) were satisfied with the appearance of their face and chin after treatment.

How Are Treatments Performed?

KYBELLA™ is a liquid that is injected under the skin using a tiny needle. Usually multiple small injections (average of 20 but no more than 50) are made in the pocket of fat under the chin. the area is numbed with a local anesthetic, such as lidocaine, before the treatment to eliminate any pain or discomfort from the injections.

After treatment the patient can use ice packs for 10 minutes every one to two hours the first day to help diminish swelling and bruising from the injections. Ibuprofen can be taken to help with tenderness after the local anesthetic wears off. Swelling, bruising and numbness were the main side effects. The swelling is worst the day after treatment and better after a few days. Bruising can be covered with makeup or scarf.

What are the risks of the treatment?

In the clinical trials, about 4% of patients developed an asymmetrical smile due to irritation of the nerve or muscle that controls the smile. This effect resolved on its own after an average of six weeks. Difficulty swallowing was another rare side effect (2%) that was temporary and re-solved on its own. These rare side effects can be avoided by proper dosing and placement of the medicine. It is important to have a physician who has been properly trained perform your treatment.

How Many Treatments Does it take to See Results?

It takes an average of two to four treatment (up to six) sessions to see the best results. The treatment sessions are usually spaced four to six weeks apart.

What About Loose Skin?

Loose skin under the chin, also known as skin laxity was not addressed in the clinical studies. At a recent meeting in Chicago, some of the original investigators relayed that skin looseness did not worsen and one physician stated there was a 25% improvement. There are nonsurgical skin tightening devices such as Venus Freeze and Thermage. It will be interesting to see if patients who have both double chin and loose skin could get an even better result with a combination of these skin tightening devices and KYBELLA™

How Long Do Treatments Last?

It appears that the treatments are very long lasting. The patients continue to see long lasting results from their original treatments for up to four years now, which is the longest amount of time since the original patients were treated.

Call the office to learn more about this exciting new treatment!

Most Effective Anti-Aging services

Thu, 30 Jul 2015 13:24:00 GMT

Microdermabrasion is one the easiest and most effective anti-aging treatments you can get. Its benefits are many: microderm soften fine lines and wrinkles, helps to smooth coarsely textured skin, decreases the appearance of scarring, decreases pore size, and reduces superficial hyperpigmentation, also known as age spots.

Microdermabrasion also makes it easier for high-tech skin care products, such as our featured skin care line by Regenerix, to penetrate into deeper layers of the skin and help build collagen, which gives its youthful appearance.

By Melissa Nolte, LVN

New Prevention for Skin Cancer

Mon, 06 Jul 2015 14:54:00 GMT

The most common forms of skin cancer are basal cell cancer and squamous cell cancer. Basal Cell Cancer and Squamous Cell Cancer are referred to as non-melanoma skin cancers. A recent study out of Australia showed that patients with a history of non-melanoma skin cancers who took nicotinamide twice daily for a year had a significant decrease in the number of new non-melanoma skin cancers compared to a placebo group.

Nicotinamide, also known as niacinamide, is available online.

Niacin, however, is not the same as nicotinamide and niacin can cause flushing.

If you or a loved one has a history of basal cell cancer or squamous cell cancer start taking nicotinamide twice daily.

And wear sunscreen.

Diminish wrinkles and age spots

Thu, 11 Jun 2015 05:00:00 GMT

Diminish wrinkles and age spots with sunscreen and supplements

Summer is officially here. The sun is shining and it is hot! We want to remind our patients to wear a sunscreen every morning like our Elta MD SPF 46 Clear. Ultraviolet radiation from the sun is the leading cause of wrinkles and skin cancer. There is some benefit in adding a supplement to help protect your skin from sun damage.

Polypodium Leucotomos Extract (Calaguala) — The Science

Polypodium leucotomos extract (PLE) has been shown to protect the skin from the damaging effects of ultraviolet radiation, which is the same radiation that is coming from the sun. A study of nine healthy adults were exposed to ultraviolet radiation both before and after taking the oral PLE supplement and skin biopsies were performed. There was less redness of the skin and the skin biopsies showed less damage on a cellular level after the volunteer had taken the supplement compared to before they had taken the supplement. (JAAD 2004;51:910-8). Other studies have found the supplement to be safe after 60 days.

How to take supplement

The supplement is available commercially as Heliocare®. Heliocare® can be taken once or twice daily. If planning to be in sun for prolonged period of time, take 30 minutes before going out and then take again after two to three hours. Heliocare® is rapidly absorbed and lasts about two hours. Heliocare® and daily moisturizer with SPF 30 are anti- aging and help to prevent wrinkles by minimizing the aging effect of sun rays.

We also carry Heliocare in the office for your convenience. Samples are also available so please ask for one next time you are in the office.

Consider taking Heliocare with tomato juice or V8 juice, read on to see why.

Lycopene

Lycopene is an antioxidant which may reduce the inflammatory response to ultraviolet damage. Cooked or processed tomatoes which are found in tomato juices and paste are rich in lycopene. A study from Great Britain showed that women who ate 5 tablespoons of tomato paste daily for 12 weeks had greater protection from the effects of ultraviolet radiation. Taking your oral supplements with plain or spicy tomato juice twice a day is a safe and healthy anti-aging routine that can be easily incorporated.

Don’t like tomato juice? Eat dishes that incorporate cooked tomatoes. Other lycopene rich foods are watermelon (great summer time dessert) guava and papaya. A Chinese fruit known as Gac, has the highest amount of lycopene but a short growing season so it is not readily available.

Anti-aging routine

As part of an anti-aging routine, wear your Elta MD facial sunscreen every morning, and take a Heliocare with tomato juice or V8. For those of you who have a history of skin cancer, stay tuned for more recommendations.