Dr. Rose's Blog

What to expect in a CoolSculpting consultation

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Rose Jeans) — Sat, 17 Oct 2015 08:10:00 -0700

I met with a woman for the first time yesterday for a consultation about CoolSculpting. I'll call her Jane. After we had gone through everything, she shared that she had had a consultation at a different clinic and that it had been a completely different experience. In fact, it was so different that I feel compelled to let people know what should be included in a consultation.

Here is what Jane experienced at the other place:
She was given something to read about CoolSculpting. She mentioned that she had watched a video about it on the internet at home. She was ushered into the office and the person meeting with her (a nurse? a doctor? a salesperson? we don't know) took one look at her (clothed) and said "I see you have a fair amount of fat to be removed so you should have the package of 10 treatments. You have to buy that package today to get the sale price."

Hmmm, no pressure there, eh?

Here is what should happen in a consultation:

You meet with a healthcare professional. We review your health history and discuss anything that may be pertinent to your ability to tolerate the treatments and get excellent results.

You receive a thorough explanation of how CoolSculpting works, including how the treatment is administered, the common and rare side effects and the sort of results you can expect. All of your questions should be answered to your satisfaction.

The area the you want treated is properly assessed, including manually feeling the thickness of the fat. The CoolSculpting templates are applied to the area to plan the treatment.

You review the planned treatments and the cost of the treatments. You might ask about different options such as proceeding with only part of the plan.

At Advanced Rejuvenation, planning the treatment includes making markings on the skin (with washable marker) to show where the templates would go and then we take a photo of the markings so we have a record of what was planned. We give you a copy of the plan.

It is unacceptable to tell someone how many treatments they need without examining them unclothed. A big belly could be due to fat under the skin but it could also be due to excess fat in the body cavity, under the abdominal wall. CoolSculpting only treats the fat under the skin so you need to feel the skin and the fat to be certain that the treatment will be effective.

It is not uncommon for me to meet with someone who is interested in CoolSculpting and determine that another treatment is much better suited to the problem that they want to address. For instance, if the person is actually more concerned about skin laxity than fat, I am going to recommend skin tightening instead.

In medicine, informed consent means that the patient is advised about the treatment, how it works, how it will be administered, the expected benefits, the expected side effects, the possible complications and the alternatives available. When you sign the consent form for the treatment, you are indicating that all of this has been explained to your satisfaction and all of your questions have been answered.

Clearly none of this occurred with Jane in her first consultation.

You shouldn't accept anything less than a thorough consultation. You should feel that all of your questions were answered before you decide to proceed with the treatment. Your consultant should be assessing the whole you before determining that the treatment is appropriate for you.

And don't let yourself fall for the whole pressure sales thing. If you are not ready to purchase, hold off and address whatever needs to be addressed. It is better to pay a little more and be in a safe, caring and professional environment than to commit to a rock-bottom price in the wrong environment.

Wrinkles? Sagging skin? eDermaStamp is the answer

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Rose Jeans) — Wed, 30 Sep 2015 10:34:00 -0700

You look in the mirror and see a new wrinkle. Your jawline has lost the tautness it used to have. What's happening?

Year by year, the amount of collagen in your skin is declining. As it declines, the firmness of the skin softens and the skin starts sagging into folds, wrinkles, jowls and bags. A number of things can make this process happen faster -- excessive tanning, smoking, severe illness -- but it feels like nothing slows it down.

I'm a huge fan of doing regular skin-tightening treatments -- treatments that build up the collagen in your skin -- in order to prevent progression and reverse the wrinkles and sagging that you already have. My favourite skin-tightening treatment is the eDermaStamp (eDS for short) and we do a lot here at Advanced Rejuvenation to make it really effective.

eDS falls into the category of microneedling. The key thing that you need to know about microneedling treatments is that there is a huge range of quality in the products being used to provide this treatment. We use the genuine device and supplies made with German precision by the German company Dermaroller GmBH. There are lots of imitators made in Asian countries but they are not made with the same quality and attention to detail.

How does microneedling work?

The needles are on the tip of a pen-like device that is motorized to make the needles go up and down. As we move the pen over your skin, the eDS is making little punctures in your skin (don't worry! you're completely numb before we start!). The punctures turn on all of your healing mechanisms, stimulating your skin to make collagen and new cells.

We apply our growth factor serum, TNS Recovery Complex, to your face during the treatment to help you heal faster. At the end of the treatment, we put a collagen mask on your face for 10 - 15 minutes to soothe and calm your skin.

How we take special care with your treatment

Our medical estheticians are highly trained: they must use advanced aseptic techniques to avoid infection, make the treatment pain-free and give you excellent results.

We customize the length of the needles for the type of skin we are working on. For instance, for the delicate skin around the eye, the needles are shortened; for thicker skin, the needles are lengthened.

We can treat all parts of the face, including around the eyes. To work around the eyes, we have to stay on the bony rim so we pull your skin up at the forehead or down at the cheek to get the skin of the eyelid onto the bony rim. I feel that this treatment is safer around the eyes than doing laser skin tightening. No eye protection is required.

Your needles are only used once and then discarded. I have heard of some clinics saving the dermaroller used on you the first time and reusing it on you for your subsequent treatments. As the former Head of Infection Control and the Hamilton Civic Hospitals, I have grave concerns about this practice. I strongly recommend using a new set of needles each time.

The picture above shows the single-use needles. It also shows how the needles have a little bit of flexibility side-to-side so that, as the pen moves over the face, the needles slide cleanly out of the skin without any dragging or tearing. A lesser quality microneedling device can leave your skin looking like a slab of raw beef, bleeding and bruised (eew!). With Dermaroller's eDS, your skin may look a bit reddened afterwards but otherwise normal.

Here is a video showing how the treatment is done: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFsw22MqoSg The model looks quite red during the treatment. The redness calms down a lot while the collagen mask is in place. For the majority of our clients, by the time they exit the treatment room, you can barely see any redness from the treatment.

About 3 weeks after the treatment, you will notice fine lines smoothing out, deep lines softening and an overall lift to your face so you have less sagging. Your skin is also smoother, your pores more refined and you have an increase in the overall radiance. You will continue to make new collagen for about 8 weeks after your treatment.

The eDS is excellent for reversing signs of aging. It is also highly effective against scarring.

The number of treatments that you need will depend on how advanced your problem is. If you have lost a lot of collagen in your skin, meaning you have a lot of wrinkling and sagging, I may recommend that you do 6 treatments in a year. For the average person in their 40s or 50s with average wrinkling and sagging, 3 treatments is enough for the first year.

After the first year of intensive treatments, maintenance will be 1 to 3 treatments per year, depending on what your skin is like.

Here are some Before and After pictures:

Newly published study: Botox better than Xeomin

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Rose Jeans) — Sat, 23 May 2015 06:05:00 -0700

Botox is the original wrinkle-buster. It relaxes the muscles where it is injected so they can't form the folds in the skin that lead to wrinkles. Now Canadians have access to 2 more muscle relaxants: Xeomin and Dysport.

These 3 agents differ from each other in their composition, leading to differences in onset of action, ability to diffuse (move) through tissues and duration of action. As each new agent was introduced, there was confusion about how the dosage would need to be adjusted to give the same results as Botox.

This new study answers these questions. It is a well-designed study published in a peer-reviewed journal, The Journal of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

They took 45 women and treated one side of the face with Botox and the other side with Xeomin. Both the injectors and the patients were blinded to which side was treated with what agent. The same dosage and location of injections was used on each side. Patients were treated in the frown area, forehead and crow's feet.

Patients were assessed and photographed at baseline, and at 3 days, 2 weeks, 3 months and 4 months after treatment.

The photographs were assessed by 3 physicians independently. The physicians were blinded to the treatment, meaning they didn't know which side was Botox and which was Xeomin. They all used the same rating scale and gave each area a score for the degree of wrinkling still present. The assigned scores were used for the statistical analysis of the results for the 2 agents.

KEY FINDINGS: they found that Botox performed slightly better than Xeomin for dynamic wrinkles. The degree of wrinkle reduction was slightly higher and the duration of the effect was slightly longer with Botox than with Xeomin. These differences were statistically significant.

One reason that may explain why Botox performed better than Xeomin in this study is that the dosages were relatively low. A total of 50 units was used to treat 3 areas (frown, crow's feet and forehead). The investigators cited scientific reasons for using Xeomin in a 1:1 ratio with Botox but other experts recommend 1.5 units of Xeomin for every unit of Botox. Underdosing can result in an insufficient degree of muscle relaxation and a shortened duration of action.

My recommendation if you are going to a clinic that offers Xeomin or Dysport instead of Botox is to make sure that your injector has lots of experience with these agents. Otherwise you may find that you are not getting the results you're used to seeing with Botox.

Is "Botox in a bottle" for you?

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Rose Jeans) — Sat, 9 May 2015 09:09:00 -0700

The hot thing right now is a product that you apply to your face to instantly banish wrinkles and bags under your eyes. It goes by names like Instantly Ageless.

Here is what I understand about the basic principle of these types of products:

As we age, we lose the collagen and elastin in our skin that gave us the smooth firmness of youth
These products are polymers that act like collagen and elastin to firm up the skin. I think of them as stretchy fibres making a web across the skin. If your skin was like a layer over fabric lying over the framework of your face, these polymers are like adding a layer of Lycra to make the skin fit tighter and smoother.
These polymers are temporary, lasting only until you disrupt them (like rubbing your skin) or wash them off.

I had a look at Amazon where there were 108 reviews. The average rating was 2 stars. Most people were saying that the product works but only briefly. People found that the polymers could feel like a layer of glue on the skin, and could look whitish. They had difficulty applying makeup over top and found that the product could be disrupted very easily.

In my clinic, we are all about building the collagen and elastin in the skin through treatments and skincare so that you have smooth, firm, glowing skin all of the time. For me personally, I like getting up in the morning and knowing that my skin looks good without having to apply something.

I think these polymer products have their use if it's the last minute before a big event and you haven't had time to restore the collagen in your skin. I would use them with caution, finding out what makeup to use, keeping facial expressions neutral, and like Cinderella, leaving the event before the product starts flaking off.

However for the long term, I would strongly recommend having the rejuvenative treatments to build collagen and elastin in the skin and smooth out bags under the eyes so that you can be confident about your appearance all the time, with no restrictions.

A filler that teaches your skin to redensify? Now that's smart!

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Rose Jeans) — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 09:25:00 -0800

Teosyal has taken hyaluronic acid fillers to a new level with the Redensity I and Redensity II products.

They have added vitamins, minerals and amino acids to the fillers in a combination that has been scientifically proven to stimulate your body to make new collagen in the injection areas. That means long-lasting rejuvenation: your skin will be smoother and tighter, lines will be softened and volume will be restored to thinning tissues.

I am particularly excited to use these products in those delicate areas that require a lot of care, like around the eyes, the tear troughs below the eyes and the lines around the mouth. I have even used Redensity in the lips themselves to create a softly plump lip and to boost hydration of the lips.

Redensity II is a little bit stiffer than Redensity I so it is used to fill wrinkles and restore volume. If people keep asking you why you look so tired, imagine getting rid of the dark hollows under your eyes and smoothing out your crows feet. You will look refreshed and rejuvenated.

Redensity I is used to rejuvenate the skin itself and is injected into the outer layers of skin. Redensity I is an excellent product for rejuvenating the neck and the skin of the face. It changes dull, dry, thin, lax skin into firm, hydrated and radiant.

In 2014, both Redensity I and Redensity II won Anti-Aging and Beauty Trophies, Best Injectable Skin Revitalizer and Best Filler, respectively.

What's in a name?

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Rose Jeans) — Sat, 20 Sep 2014 06:57:00 -0700

I remember feeling so disillusioned when I discovered that the name of a product was just that, a name, and didn't necessarily describe the quality of the product.

For example, if you see Tree Ripened Oranges, it doesn't mean they were ripened on the tree. The brand is Tree Ripened.

I always think about that when I buy hot dogs for my husband. If they're called All Beef Weiners, does that mean they're only made from beef meat? Not necessarily, if All Beef is the brand name. And not to mention that hot dogs are where all the bits and pieces of the animal go that aren't suitable for the table so everything gets ground up, guts, gristle and all, and made into hot dogs.

Sometimes I like to play a little game of guessing what the name really means. For instance, I got an email from Sephora this morning that touted Josie Maran Argan Black Oil Mascara. The copy in the ad states that it contains 100% Pure Argan Oil (sic). Does that mean Pure Argan Oil is a brand name? I'm not sure. The use of capitals could indicate a brand rather than the generic ingredient since the rest of the copy was capitalized.

And why do they call it Argan Black Oil? Argan Oil isn't black and they state that they add iron oxides to make the mascara black. Maybe the name is supposed to make you picture yourself applying black oil to your lashes? That doesn't appeal to me, sorry.

The copy on the website implies that this mascara is made of argan oil, bamboo extract and iron oxides -- just like the Egyptians used to use! (The Egyptians also used cow dung cosmetically but let's not go there.)

Here's the ingredient list:

Water, Beeswax, Sucrose Stearate, Propanediol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Rice Bran Wax, C18-36 Acid Triglyceride, Acrylates/Ethylhexyl Acrylate Copolymer, VP/Eicosene Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Myrica Pubescens Fruit Cera (Myrica Pubescens Fruit Wax), Silica, Panthenol, Organic Argan Kernel Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Laureth-21, Glycerin, Bambusa Vulgaris Leaf/Stem Extract, Potassium Sorbate. May Contain: Iron Oxides (CI 77499).

Organic Argan Kernel Oil is in there, at #15. Myrica pubescens fruit wax comes before argan oil. (Myrica pubescens is a fruit tree in the bayberry family.) So why didn't they call it Myrica Black Oil Mascara?

Bamboo comes in at #19.

The listing of the iron oxides is weird. Why does it say May Contain: Iron Oxides last? Being last implies that it is the ingredient in the lowest concentration. Wouldn't that make your lashes grey instead of blackest black? I don't see anything else on the ingredient list that looks like a black pigment so I presume the iron oxides have to be present.

This mascara may be completely fine and safe for your lashes but it certainly isn't the compound that the ad copy touts it to be. The benefits of the product may well be due to the other ingredients rather than the argan oil and bamboo extract. Silica and panthenol (vitamin B5) are nutrients that improve hair, after all.

What I like about the products that I offer here at Advanced Rejuvenation is that they all have science backing them up. I am given the scientific data with the concentrations of the star ingredients and data on the effects of the products in real people. Because the products are medical-grade, they fall under the supervision of Health Canada and are required to contain clinically-effective concentrations.

Less hype, more proof. That's why I like.

Do Your Hands Look Old?

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Rose Jeans) — Sat, 12 Jul 2014 08:58:00 -0700

Our hands age just as our faces do. The key is to look at our hands and determine what is making them look old or unattractive.

If the tendons and veins are getting too prominent, you are losing the softening layer of fat on the backs of the hands. It is easy to inject a dermal filler under the skin to create last softness in the back of the hands.

The dermal filler that I think is ideal for hands is Radiesse. Radiesse is composed of microspheres of calcium hydroxylapatite, which is a compound found naturally in the body. The calcium microspheres are gradually broken down in the weeks after the injection and replaced by new collagen made by your tissues. Radiesse is really good for creating a smooth layer of softness under the skin and filling in the indentations between tendons. Generally one syringe of 1.5mL is sufficient to do both hands. The results last about a year.

Another effect of age on the hands is the accumulation of brown spots, also called liver spots. They are generally caused by sun damage and are usually accompanied by roughness. The best treatment for getting rid of brown spots is the Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) treatment, also called the photofacial on the face or photorejuvenation. However a series of 5 to 8 treatments may be required so I like to combine IPLs with chemical peels to get better results with fewer treatments.

The chemical peels exfoliate the outer layers of pigment (brown spots), allowing the light to penetrate deeper. When we do a shot of IPL light on the surface of the skin, the light only penetrates until it hits pigment and then it is absorbed and can go no deeper. Thus it makes sense to use a treatment that is comfortable and well-tolerated on the body like a chemical peel to remove the outer layers of pigment so the more intense treatment is more effective. The chemical peel will also improve the texture of the skin.

You will see improvement from the very first treatment and need a series of treatments to significantly reduce all of the brown spots. The results are very long-lasting unless you continue to expose your hands and arms to the sun. I strongly recommend the use of sunscreens and protective clothing to avoid the recurrence of brown spots.

Skincare products are very helpful in making hands look more youthful. I'm not talking the pump of hand lotion that we used to use. The old hand lotion was essentially an emulsion of oil and water that gave a temporary effect of smoothness that was more about making the skin slippery than improving the actual health of the skin.

I like to use good exfoliants on my hands, such as SkinTx's Exfoliant Forte, to remove dead skin and reveal younger-looking skin. For brown spots, a lightening agent such as Vivier's SeeQuin, which is a combination of medical-grade Vitamin C and Hydroquinone will block pigment production in the brown spots. It has the added benefit of increasing collagen production in the skin (Vitamin C is essential for collagen production) making the skin firmer and tighter. It will generally take 6 to 12 weeks to see the full effects of these products on the body and around 6 weeks on the face.

If you would like to make your hands look younger and feel smoother, please contact us at 905-340-0401 to find out what products and treatments would help you.

We are doing a special promotion on hand rejuvenation treatments until August 16, 2014.

I never get emails from you any more!

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Rose Jeans) — Thu, 26 Jun 2014 12:44:00 -0700

If you've stopped getting our electronic newsletters and mailings, here's why: Canada's new Anti-Spam Legislation goes into effect on July 1st, 2014. That means that Canadian businesses can no longer send out newsletters and emails to friends and clients for marketing purposes without confirmation that the recipient desires to be on our mailing list.

We sent out an email a few weeks ago asking you to confirm your preference to remain on our mailing list. If you didn't reply to that request, we can't email you. If you would like to continue receiving email from us, you can click on the button in the upper right hand corner of this page to subscribe to our mailing list. You will get an email asking you to confirm your preference to be on our list -- this is called a double opt-in.

You can also stay up to date with us by liking us on Facebook.

We look forward to continuing our conversation with you!

Permanent fillers can mean permanent problems

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Rose Jeans) — Sat, 18 Jan 2014 06:27:00 -0800

Stacey Hohn, 41, shared with the Daily Mail her disfigurement following permanent fillers.

I have seen a few other women in my own practice with similar problems following permanent fillers. Permanent fillers include such products as Dermalive and DermaDeep, Artecoll and Artefill. Dermalive in particular is notorious for causing disfiguring nodules and it can be reactivated by any procedure. The general advice to cosmetic physicians is not to do anything to someone who has had Dermalive injections, as any treatment may cause nodules to develop.

Surgery may not even provide the solution in some cases. It can be difficult to excise every little bit of Dermalive because it has a tendency to spread through the tissues. Any residual product left behind after surgery can cause nodules to develop again.

The other reason to not choose permanent fillers is related to how our faces change over time. Our facial bones actually shrink and change shape as we age so a filler that looks perfect now may not be in the right place in 10 years.

My recommendation is to use fillers that may last anywhere from 1 to 5 years. Avoid permanent fillers. Go to the most skilled injector you can find. If you have a friend who looks amazing, ask her quietly and privately if she knows of a good medical spa.

Sore eyes?

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Rose Jeans) — Sat, 9 Nov 2013 08:00:00 -0800

Did you know that most mascaras contain tar and alcohol? I didn't, until recently. gloMinerals Makeup has changed their mascaras to eliminate tar and alcohol from their formulas. I recently started using glo Lash Boosting Mascara (they also have a water-resistant formula) and I'm finding that I don't have the chronic mild irritation that I used to live with. Obviously, not every case of eye irritation is caused by mascara. However, if your eyes are otherwise healthy but you have some degree of soreness, you might try changing to a non-tar containing mascara.

Why I chose CoolSculpting

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Rose Jeans) — Sat, 7 Sep 2013 08:31:00 -0700

I am excited and proud to announce that we are now offering CoolSculpting at Advanced Rejuvenation.

CoolSculpting harnesses fat's response to cooling. Fat freezes at 12C -- a temperature that won't damage other structures like skin, nerves, muscle or bone. When you cool fat and keep it cold for at least 50 minutes, programmed cell death is triggered and you lose the fat cells and only the fat cells. Studies have shown that you lose, on average, about 25% of the fat cells in a treatment area.

I have been doing fat-melting treatments with injections (Lipodissolve) for many years and I'm adding CoolSculpting because it is superior to Lipodissolve in many ways. I could only treat a 15cm x 30cm area every 8 weeks with Lipodissolve. For someone who sought treatment in several areas, it would take a long time to treat all of the areas adequately. After the treatment, you had 3 - 5 days of swelling and the potential for low blood pressure and fainting so treatments had to be timed carefully to fit into your work and social schedule. If you didn't alter your diet, the fat seemed to return fairly easily.

With CoolSculpting, I can treat an unlimited number of areas in a short timeframe and there is little or no swelling afterwards. I am really excited about this because I can give my clients true transformation in a relatively short period of time. Results appear as early as 3 weeks and improvement continues for 3 or 4 months. Results last for years, even with weight gain.

The actual treatment is nearly pain-free. You feel some initial pulling when the handpiece is first applied as the vacuum draws the tissue into the handpiece. For me, this pulling sensation was eye-watering for less than a minute; as soon as the cooling kicked in, the sensation waned and I was numb for the rest of the treatment. After the treatment, the skin is numb for a few weeks and there is a deep ache that is only noticeable with certain movements or contact. None of these sensations affected my work or play activities.

CoolSculpting is approved in Canada for treating anywhere from the neck down.

The consultation process includes mapping the treatment areas with templates that determine which of the 4 handpieces will fit best on your body. This gives us a good idea of how many treatments will be needed. By the same token, if the template doesn't fit an area, we will know in advance that we cannot treat it.

CoolSculpting is a safe and effective method of getting rid of unwanted fat deposits. If you have fat that you want to get rid, I invite you to come for a complimentary consultation to find out how CoolSculpting can help you.

Seeing is believing? Or not...

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Rose Jeans) — Sat, 27 Jul 2013 09:58:00 -0700

Personal trainer Andrew Dixon shows how before and after pictures for a fitness program can be faked in about an hour. And there's no photoshop required! Have a look: Food for thought.

Kelly's Progress: 2 weeks

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Rose Jeans) — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 15:14:00 -0700

Before starting SkinTx

After using SkinTx for 2 weeks

Kelly has been using the SkinTx system for 2 weeks.

SkinTx includes 4 programs: Rejuvenation for dry skin, Rejuvenation for combination or oily skin, Hyper-pigmentation and Acne.

Kelly is using the Program 2, Rejuvenation for combination or oily skin.

The first change that Kelly noticed was that the skin around her eyes got softer.

What I see is an overall brightening of her complexion and a softening of the lines and wrinkles in her face.

Before

After 2 weeks

Some people find the first 2 weeks of using SkinTx can be challenging. You go home with a bag of products and it seems overwhelming at first to use the products in the correct order. We give you a form that lays out how to use the products and in what order. In addition, the products are numbered and coded with symbols for morning or evening use. I recommend that you stand the products on the bathroom shelf in number order and stick the form on the wall or mirror so you can see at a glance what product to use next and how to use it.

The first phase of using SkinTx, the Skin Rescue phase, can last up to 6 weeks but is usually the worst in the first 2 weeks. In this phase, the skin can be reddened, itchy, flaky or sensitive. Wrinkles and acne can actually appear worsened in this phase. It is important to stick with the products through the Rescue Phase, in order to reap the benefits of beautiful skin down the road. We have lots of tips for helping you get through the Rescue Phase.

Kelly experienced only a little bit of dryness and sensitivity in a small area of her face. And as you can see, her skin improved a lot in just 2 weeks.

Take the SkinTx Challenge!

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Rose Jeans) — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 12:36:00 -0700

Think skincare doesn't really make a difference to the quality of your skin? We're going to prove that medical-grade skincare really works!

Meet Kelly, 38, who recently joined our team at Advanced Rejuvenation.

As an esthetician, Kelly has always practised good skincare. However her love of spending time outdoors means that sun damage has taken its toll.

Kelly's skin looks dull and mottled. The mottling comes from the brown sun spots dotting her face. We know from studies that the appearance of sun spots can add 7 years to your appearance.

The dullness comes from the roughness that is beginning to develop. Left untreated, it would continue to get worse over time, leading to leathery skin.

You can see that Kelly is still having trouble with the occasional blemish as well.

I didn't think that the textural changes to Kelly's skin showed up in the above picture so I included this detail from her forehead.

Here you can see that Kelly has some wrinkles -- the "11's" between her brows and the horizontal forehead lines. I could smooth these lines out pretty easily with some Botox but I would rather show you what good skincare can do for them.

She also has a network of fine lines. These lines develop into the crepiness that we see so often in older women.

Kelly is starting on a regimen of SkinTx, the advanced skincare line from Vivier. SkinTx can truly transform skin with advanced signs of aging, hyperpigmentation or severe acne.

Ingredients include Vitamin C, an essential building block for collagen formation and also useful for lightening pigmentation, Vitamin A for improving texture, exfoliating and reducing blemishes, Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs) for exfoliation and improving texture, Hydroquinone for reducing pigmentation and botanical ingredients that support healthy skin.

I'm going to be posting articles on this blog to show Kelly's progress every 2 weeks with SkinTx. Why not come in and talk to her yourself?

If this doesn't make you use sunscreen, nothing will

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Rose Jeans) — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 12:34:00 -0700

Check out this photo of a 68 year old truckdriver. For 28 years, the left side of his face was exposed to UVA rays through the window of his truck.

See the difference?

The left side shows extreme wrinkling, puckering and sagging. The right side looks much smoother.

UVA rays are in sunlight. They penetrate glass and clouds. They don't cause sunburn so you can't tell when you're being exposed to them but they definitely do cause damage over time.

The SPF rating of a sunscreen specifically measures the time to develop sunburn with the sunscreen compared to without the sunscreen. (So if you normally burn in 5 minutes without sunscreen, an SPF of 15 would mean you could be in the sun for an hour and a quarter before you would burn.)

But sunburns occur because of UVB rays, not UVA so the SPF rating doesn't tell you whether you would be protected from the kind of damage that this man has developed.

You need to use a sunscreen that protects against UVA rays. And you need to use it every day, whether you're playing outdoors or just travelling to and from work. UVA rays are hitting your skin in the height of summer and the depths of winter.

Look for ingredients like zinc oxide (also called micronized zinc), titanium dioxide or avobenzone to ensure protection against UVA. The concentration should be at least 4%.

When you're 69, would you rather look like this?

Or like this?

This photo was originally published in the New England Journal of Medicine. It was reprinted in the Daily Mail.

Beware of "free" trials on the internet

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Rose Jeans) — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 10:15:00 -0800

The Daily Mail is reporting that women signing up for a free trial of "Hollywood's secret to looking young" are finding themselves with hundreds of pounds in credit card charges.

Apparently, when you sign up for the free trial, you have to give a credit card number and then you find yourself receiving monthly shipments of product that you have to pay for. It is reported that it is then very difficult to cancel the payments.

And on top of all of that, the claims of efficacy for the actual product are misleading. "42% decrease in lines and wrinkles" "36% increase in skin moisturization" "28% collagen production increase" It's easy for advertisers to make claims like these on the internet but where is the evidence to back them up?

British watchdog the Advertising Standards Authority has upheld complaints against the company about both the reliability of its claims and the difficulty in cancelling payments.

Don't get caught in this sort of internet scam. If you want skincare that really works (and there truly are amazing products out there!), buy from a reputable source.

Thinning hair: New pain-free laser treatment

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Rose Jeans) — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 14:45:00 -0700

Hair loss is an issue near and dear to my heart. My hair has been thinning since my early 30s and it got much worse a couple of years ago.

I keep looking for solutions... and now I have something really revolutionary.

Introducing the Illumiwave 180 -- Laser Biostimulation for Hair Rejuvenation!

Let me explain:
The Illumiwave uses low-level laser to stimulate metabolism in the scalp, setting off a chain reaction of cellular events, increasing protein synthesis, cell division, tissue regeneration and micro-circulation to the scalp.

What does this mean for you?

In US studies, 100% of men and women experienced stabilization of hair loss.
A lot of people who are losing their hair say that if only they could stop losing any more, they would be happy.

Hair regrowth occurred in 75 - 96% of individuals studied, depending on gender and the location of hair loss.

The degree of hair regrowth was around 25 - 40%.
If your hair is thinning, how happy would you be to have 40% more hairs growing out of your scalp?

The growing hairs are also thicker, stronger and healthier.
If your hair is breaking easily or has regressed to peach fuzz, wouldn't you like to see it returned to strong, healthy strands?

Advantages of Illumiwave 180 Laser Biostimulation

This is not painful, expensive surgery. The laser treatment is completely pain-free. And some hair transplantation clinics are using laser biostimulation in conjunction with surgery to improve results.

There are no pills to take and no messy lotions to apply to your scalp.

There are no chemical or hormonal imbalances associated with laser treatment. In fact, low-level laser is useful for healing wounds and treating certain medical conditions.

Note: Laser biostimulation does not work if you are completely bald or have certain medical conditions. If you are losing your hair but not bald yet, it is best to start this treatment sooner rather than later.

What would a transformation mean to you?

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Rose Jeans) — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 11:02:00 -0700

When we first consider a 10 years younger type of transformation, a lot of us imagine that it is purely a vanity thing. And a lot of us imagine it would be embarrassing or shameful to exhibit our vanity so blatantly on our faces.

What I have discovered after years of transforming people's faces is that vanity is the smallest fraction of what the 10 years younger transformation is all about. I'd like to share with you in a series of blog posts the comments from our previous 10 Years Younger in Burlington transformees on how the process affected their lives.

Here are the words of Celeste, who was 47 last year when she entered our program:

Words are limiting to describe emotionally what has transpired this past year. Being introduced to Advanced Rejuvenation spa was a spring board BACK to 'living life on purpose' for me. I can say that there isn't an area of my life that hasn't been affected in a positive way!

The procedures I had done, and the knowledge of knowing other ones were available to me - brought 'hope' back to me. The procedures were symbolic to me - showing me that I didn't have to accept the status quo. There were options to 'all or nothing' (meaning surgery or nothing).

The skin procedures rejuvenated my skin - the rejuvenated skin then rejuvenated my spirit. Dr. Jeans and her staff also lifted my spirits every time I walked through their doors. They create a warm, safe and professional environment at the spa, easy to relax and trust. The procedures gave me a glimpse of what I used to be. I didn't have to accept or submit - I could take control - there were options - I had a choice. IT WASN'T TOO LATE. With the additional help of the system (Dr. Jeans' Nutrition and Weight Control System -- ed.) I lost 30 lbs., reclaimed a career for myself and am now living a fulfilled life - everyday! I have not looked back!

This was a new beginning for me. On an emotional and personal level the procedures have given me back who I was and who I thought I had lost. Pretty cool!!!

Come and join us for a great evening

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Rose Jeans) — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 08:32:00 -0700

Thursday September 23 7pm: Come and join us when we reveal Gini, Lorraine and Rose after their 10 Years Younger in Burlington transformations.

You will be treated to a Fall Fashion Preview, featuring Mia's Boutique, Livingston Furs, Mirella's, Savvy Couture, The Oyster and What a Heel.

Every attendee will receive a gift bag of goodies and will be entered to win valuable door prizes.

And if all of that weren't enough, by attending this event you are supporting a really worthwhile cause: Danielle's Place, a charitable organization, established in 2004, which provides eating disorder support services to anyone whose life has been affected by an eating disorder.

Please come and share the fun and excitement of 3 women undergoing an amazing transformation. Call 905-340-0401 for tickets.

10 Years Younger in Burlington is back!

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Rose Jeans) — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 08:15:00 -0700

Our 2010 10 Years Younger in Burlington program is well underway!

We are transforming 3 amazing women -- Gini, Lorraine and Rose. I can tell you that they are already looking beautiful and that is before seeing the full package with hair, makeup and clothing.

Here they are:

First is Gini -- short for Georgina. Her nickname is the only short thing about her (so says the 5'2" vertically challenged one).

Gini, 56, has always been a high achiever with success as a nurse, a model and a fitness instructor under her belt.

However her sense of herself was shattered by a bitter divorce. As the single mother of 4 children, she is looking to rebuild her self-esteem and improve her chances in the job market.

Lorraine at 48 is the youngest of the group. She feels youthful on the inside but finds that the image staring back at her in the mirror is "overweight, tired and sluggish."

"I notice that I have the "11" indentations between my brow and my eyes are heavy with dark circles and my jowels are starting to sag. So, although I am not in dire despair now I think it is vitally important at my age and stage of aging that I manage aging and all that comes with it NOW."

And Lorraine is really motivated to get her outer appearance matching her internal exuberance.

Rose, 63, also feels younger inside than she feels that she looks on the outside. Rose has the energy of a much younger woman.

As a life-long tanner, Rose has sun damage, wrinkling and tissue sagging adding years to her face.

She wishes the years had been kinder to her appearance and wants to start feeling better about herself. We are very pleased to give her the opportunity to erase years of damage.

These three ladies have already started their transformation journey and already we are seeing the increased confidence that goes along with it.

We have a wonderful evening planned when we will reveal Gini, Lorraine and Rose looking at least 10 years younger and I think they will knock your socks off!

Please come and join us on September 23rd for delicious food, a fall fashion preview, goodie bags stuffed with treats and of course Gini, Lorraine and Rose. Call 905-340-0401 for tickets.

Risky anti-aging treatment: Would you do it?

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Rose Jeans) — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 10:07:00 -0700

The other day, Coral* came to see me. A health professional who works in the aesthetic industry, Coral has a youthful, volumized face in keeping with a woman who has access to all of the best anti-aging treatments.

On this visit, I can see that she is healing from a fractionated laser treatment (see our Pixel -- one of my favorite treatments). Coral tells me that she had a very aggressive laser treatment and followed it up with a hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) treatment about 24 hours later.

"I loved the hyperbaric treatment. It made me feel energized and my face healed really quickly."

OK, that sounds interesting to me.

I should share with you here that in my former life working at the hospital, I was a consultant for the HBO service at the Hamilton General Hospital so I have treated a lot of patients with HBO and reviewed a lot of scientific papers on the use of HBO for a variety of conditions.

HBO is the treatment that divers go through when they have the bends. You are placed in a chamber that can be sealed so that the contents (meaning you and the air in the chamber) can be pressurized to 1.5 to 3 times the normal atmospheric pressure. It is like diving down 33 feet (double normal pressure) or more. You will definitely feel the pressure in your ears, and possibly other places.

Then Coral said "I loved the hyperbaric so much that I am planning to have a treatment every month. I think it is a great anti-aging treatment."

Whoa! This healthy, youthful-looking 40 year old is going to have HBO treatments every month?

I asked her if they had fully explained the risks and benefits of the treatment.

"Oh yeah, I filled in a consent form. It mentioned air embolism (a bubble of air in the circulation which can block blood flow) and pulmonary embolism (a blood clot in the circulation of the lung)."

I explained to Coral that there are 2 main groups of side effects from HBO treatments -- barotrauma which means damage caused by the increased pressure of the treatment, and oxygen toxicity which is an effect of the high oxygen concentration in the blood achieved by the HBO treatment.

Some of the side effects of the treatment are self-limited: for instance, you may develop seizures from oxygen toxicity and the seizures stop when you return to a normal oxygen level. Others can cause permanent damage such as scarring of the lungs, called pulmonary fibrosis, from exposure to high oxygen levels.

This case really illustrates the importance of informed consent and the principle of risk vs. benefit.

RISK
Every treatment has some risk associated with it. In thinking of risk, we consider how likely it is that the side effect will occur, how serious the side effects are and how difficult it is to treat the side effects.

For something like cosmetic botox, the risk is that the botox will affect a muscle we don't want -- usually the eyelid so that the eyelid droops. This is annoying but not life-threatening or vision-threatening and will wear off naturally in time. There are eye drops that can help minimize the eyelid droop.

Overall, the likelihood of a botox-induced lid droop is very low (but it varies depending on the provider), the severity of a droop is low and it will wear off naturally. Overall, this sort of risk is very acceptable for an elective, cosmetic procedure, right?

In contrast, HBO has some very serious potential side effects, including ruptured ear drums, heart failure, seizures, shortness of breath and changes in vision. I agree that these side effects are less likely in healthy people but they still can occur in them. The treatments range from stopping the HBO treatment (seizures) to prolonged healing times and needing medications, all the way to needing life support.

BENEFIT
HBO therapy increases the oxygen levels in your blood and tissues. For instance, HBO is used to treat conditions associated with oxygen deprivation to the tissues such as carbon monoxide poisoning, cyanide poisoning, compartment syndrome (where traumatized tissues become so swollen that the blood flow to an area is compromised) and radiation necrosis (where radiation treatments for cancer has caused scarring and shrinkage of blood vessels).

In certain conditions where tissues are compromised from insufficient oxygen levels, HBO can make the difference between tissue survival and tissue death. I am not aware of any studies showing that HBO has anti-aging benefits in healthy people. I think that someone has made the leap from HBO's effect in compromised tissue to thinking it will benefit healthy tissue.

I definitely think that HBO is a worthwhile treatment for a serious medical problem like the ones I mentioned above but as an anti-aging treatment, it is another story. We don't know what sort of benefit you can expect from HBO as an anti-aging treatment. Unless you are a Hollywood star whose fortune depends on remaining youthful-looking, I would think that the risks of HBO are unacceptable for an elective anti-aging treatment.

INFORMED CONSENT
Coral had not been informed of all of the risks of HBO therapy. If she had known all of the possible side effects, she would not be considering having a treatment every month.

The moral of the story is to make sure you read the consent form when you are having cosmetic medical treatments (or any other medical treatment, for that matter). If you are having a treatment that is considered new or for a new or unusual indication, do your own research online to find out what the risks are. It helps to ask a doctor to put the risks into perspective for you.

You are the best judge of how much risk you are willing to take for the expected benefit of the treatment. Make sure that you are getting a good sense of the expected benefit of the treatment based on evidence.

And always ask whether there is another safer way to get the same benefits.

*Name changed to preserve anonymity.

Botox is going to destroy society as we know it

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Rose Jeans) — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 06:32:00 -0700

How To Lose Friends: Botox

Botox Can Leave You With Broken Relationships

Botox can make you less empathetic

Botox injection 'leads to rejection'

Wow! Who knew that a little botox to relax your frown muscles was going to leave you alone, friendless and a social outcast?

Let's backtrack: where are they getting the idea for these articles?

It all goes back to some research that was presented on January 29th of this year. PhD candidate David Havas wanted to determine whether a botox treatment to the frown muscles would have any effect on how quickly an individual could read angry, sad and happy statements.

"To test how blocking a frown might affect comprehension of language related to emotions, Havas asked the patients to read written statements, before and then two weeks after the Botox treatment...Havas gauged the ability to understand these sentences according to how quickly the subject pressed a button to indicate they had finished reading it...The results showed no change in the time needed to understand the happy sentences. But after Botox treatment, the subjects took more time to read the angry and sad sentences. Although the time difference was small, it was significant, he adds."

The interpretation that the above articles are putting on this research is this: your friends will notice if you are a fraction of a second slow to respond when they are angry or sad. They will immediately interpret this very slight hesitation to mean that you are not as empathetic to them and they will shun you.

Think about this for a second -- your best girlfriend is telling you about the death of her grandmother. You are getting all kinds of cues from her -- what she is saying, her body position, tears, tone of voice and so on -- and you are reacting on so many levels, including remembering what has comforted your friend in the past, hugging her, grabbing the box of tissues. Do you really think that there will be any perceptible hesitation in your response to her? Of course not.

I can tell you from personal experience with botox in myself and in many people around me that we have not been turned into antisocial, unsympathetic loners.

What is even more interesting is a scientific article about this research suggests that botox will make you happier. And that will probably make you more socially successful.

"There is a long-standing idea in psychology, called the facial feedback hypothesis," says Havas. "Essentially, it says, when you're smiling, the whole world smiles with you. It's an old song, but it's right. Actually, this study suggests the opposite: When you're not frowning, the world seems less angry and less sad." [Emphasis mine.]

Hmmm. Botox has been around for 20 years and hasn't torn the fabric of society asunder yet. Maybe the writers of these articles should stick to what they know rather than making outrageous postulations.

Carla Bruni: It's a laser treatment

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Rose Jeans) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 13:53:00 -0700

This picture of France's First Lady Carla Bruni is all over the internet this week. Various bloggers and news outlets are scolding her for having plastic surgery.

When I look at this picture, I see evidence that Carla Bruni is recovering from a fractionated laser treatment, such as the Pixel laser we have here at Advanced Rejuvenation. The texture of Carla's skin looks rough. Plastic surgery would not do this. It could possibly be makeup over a microdermabrasion treatment but why would she undergo microdermabrasion when she could have increased smoothing and tightening of her skin for the same amount of downtime with a Pixel laser treatment. Carla's eyes are a little puffy suggesting that her face is dealing with increased inflammation.

What is especially ironic for me is that my face looks very similar this week. I had a Pixel laser treatment two days ago. My eyes are puffy. My skin feels rough to the touch. I can cover it with makeup but if you get close enough to me you can see the fine bumps resulting from the fractionated laser. Overall, my face feels kind of stiff.

In a few days, I will be completely healed and my skin will look bright, smooth and radiant. My pores will be almost invisible. My brows and jawline will be lifted. A Pixel laser treatment makes you look air-brushed.

I use the Pixel laser now to maintain the collagen levels in my skin where they were around 10 or 20 years ago. Our collagen levels decline as we age, leading to skin laxity and wrinkling. Stimulating the skin to make more collagen restores the skin's firmness and means that you don't need plastic surgery.

This photo shows Carla Bruni at a state function at the beginning of March. I am sure that the photos that will be taken of her next week will show her looking flawless and glowing again.

I think Carla Bruni is wise to stay looking youthful and beautiful with non-surgical treatments.

Still tanning? Hollywood stars know it is not worth it

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Rose Jeans) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 11:38:00 -0700

This March Break, are you planning to go somewhere warm and bake your skin?

Maybe you'll even try to justify it by naming all the Hollywood stars that sport a sun-kissed look?

Don't do it! A week of sun tanning really roughens the texture of your skin and increases the number of lines and wrinkles.

I have seen it time and again. We do laser resurfacing with the Pixel and get a woman's face looking smooth, bright and radiant and then she goes on holiday and comes back with rough, wrinkled, tanned skin.

Here's an example of the rough texture that occurs after just one week in the sun:

And what is really ironic is that the stars we are trying to emulate stopped tanning long ago. They are in the business of looking young and they know that having sun exposure would add years to their skin.

Remember '80s supermodel Stephanie Seymour? This is what she looks like on the beach nowadays. Talk about a whiter shade of pale.

Stephanie knows that sun damage will age her quicker than anything.

Still not convinced?

Sharon Stone is one of those stars that often appears sun-kissed.

This picture of her was taken when she was in character for a role in Law & Order: SVU but I think her skin tone here is exactly what I expect for Sharon.

She looks like she has a nice, even tan, right?

But Sharon is another one who wants to look as young as possible. No way is she going to risk prematurely aging her skin or reversing the benefits of all her anti-aging treatments by tanning.

Have a look at what she looked like before she sat in the makeup chair. Another example of very fair skin.

So if you want to keep your face looking as youthful as possible, avoid the sun.

Wear a high quality sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 30 (50 - 60 would be preferred).

Wear a hat when you are outdoors.

And now that I have brought to your attention how fair all the Hollywood stars are these days, you are going to start noticing that very few leading ladies ever look tanned.

Gift Idea for the Stressed Out Person

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Rose Jeans) — Sat, 5 Dec 2009 08:28:00 -0800

Does he grind his teeth? Look angry or anxious all the time?

The treatment that relaxes these facial expressions can also reduce the emotion behind them. Imagine giving the gift of relief from stress, depression or irritability.

The theory is that when we no longer look angry or stressed, people respond to us more positively and we feel better. The observations of one of my clients supports this idea. Martha told me that after she had Botox, strangers found her more approachable, and would, for instance, ask her for directions or strike up a conversation.

I think there is also a component of internal feedback. When you no longer have the aching jaws from tooth-grinding or an aching forehead from frowning, you feel more relaxed.

But whatever the exact mechanism for the effect, improved mood has been observed in a number of different studies and settings.

"The Botox patients scored much lower on measures of depression, anxiety and irritability," explains Michael Lewis, a psychology professor at the University of Cardiff and lead author of the study. "Crucially, there was no significant difference in how much their treatment made them feel attractive from those who had other treatments, suggesting that [the mood boost] wasn't just down to a boost in self-confidence."

Reduction of teeth-grinding (bruxism) is particularly beneficial.

"And it's not just relief from jaw pain, tension and headaches, that our patients experience. Some are also noticing a dramatic change in the appearance of their lower face. The square, severe look softened into a more normal and aesthetically pleasing jaw line.

"Some patients have also reported a marked reduction in their general stress level as their grinding gradually comes to a halt. Breaking the habit of Bruxism allows patients to relax and enjoy life."

Maybe you can buy happiness after all.