I found this interesting text on Postgradmed site and I tought it might be quite interesting.
Cosmetic antiaging treatments
Over a lifetime, skin gets damaged by the sun and normal aging. For some people, the wrinkles and discoloration are hard to take. If you feel this way, you may be tempted to try some of the cosmetic antiaging treatments now being marketed to help you look younger.
What cosmetic antiaging treatments are available?
Various chemical treatments and procedures are available to ease the signs of age on the face, neck, arms, and hands.
Creams and lotions: Products with hydroquinone, a bleaching ingredient, can tone down blotchiness or blemishes. Some hydroquinone products also contain vitamins, herbs, or other chemicals, but it isn't clear whether these additional ingredients make the product more effective.
Products containing alpha-hydroxy acids, salicylic acid, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E), or copper may improve skin texture, but they haven't been proved to work. Retinoic acid, which has undergone extensive testing, has been shown to modestly improve skin texture. However, neither of its relatives, retinol and retinaldehyde, appears to provide the same results. In fact, the makers of the retinoid treatments tretinoin emollient cream and tazorotene cream (Avage, Tazorac) must state in bold print on the packaging that these medications "do not remove or prevent wrinkles, repair sun-damaged skin, reverse aging due to the sun, or restore more youthful skin."
Creams with ingredients such as kojic acid, lavender, olive leaf, bearberry, thyme, ubiquinone (formerly called coenzyme Q), or peppermint are billed as improving the appearance of skin on the face. However, these claims have not been proved.
Microdermabrasion: A procedure called microdermabrasion uses tiny crystals to buff the skin's surface. A special tool hurls the crystals at the skin and at almost the same time vacuums them and dead surface skin cells away. Microdermabrasion offers a fast and relatively inexpensive method to improve the skin's texture and reduce blemishes. It is painless, typically produces only mild redness, and allows a patient to return to work right away. Multiple treatments usually are needed.
Chemical peel: This procedure consists of applying a mild acid, such as glycolic acid, salicylic acid, or lactic acid, to the skin, then allowing it to soak in before wiping it off. Results vary depending on the type and strength of the acid used. After a typical superficial peel, a mild sunburn-like reaction occurs and the skin peels within days. Regular treatments are necessary to maintain the benefit. Peels of any type that do not redden or inflame the skin generally don't have a lasting effect.
Botulinum toxin: Botulinum toxin type A (Botox Cosmetic) and the shorter-acting type B toxin (Myobloc) make some wrinkles and expression lines less visible. The toxin is injected into muscles in the forehead and between the eyebrows as well as into the skin at the outer corners of the eyes ("crow's feet"). This treatment provides obvious improvement within days, requires little recovery time, and lasts 3 to 4 months.
Dermal fillers: Injected collagen from cows (Zyderm, Zyplast) can help "fill in" wrinkles and creases. A single series of injections lasts about 3 or 4 months. A supposedly longer-lasting material combines bovine collagen with tiny beads of a substance called polymethylmethacrylate. This combination is sold under the trade name Artecoll. Dermal fillers are often used in combination with botulinum toxin.
Intense pulsed light: Methods that use intense pulsed light, which is often incorrectly referred to as a laser, can help clear up red blood vessels on the skin surface and even out blotchiness and blemishes. In general, three to five sessions are needed. Redness after the procedure usually lasts less than 24 hours. This treatment is often used with botulinum toxin injections and microdermabrasion.
How much do these treatments cost?
Costs for treatments differ. For example, it is not uncommon to spend $100 to $200 for a botulinum toxin treatment or $75 to $250 for microdermabrasion. Generally, these costs are not covered by insurance.
Do antiaging treatments really work?
The results of these treatments vary. Make sure the doctor who provides or supervises the treatment is skilled and comfortable with the mate-
rial or treatment you choose. The best advice about antiaging products remains "let the buyer beware." Plain, old-fashioned petrolatum (Vaseline) has withstood the test of time, is inexpensive, and may be just as good as or better than more expensive products.
It's never too late to start protecting your skin
No matter what your age, there are a number of practical ways to help keep skin looking young.
* Stay out of the sun, especially between 10 AM and 3 PM, when the sun's damaging rays are strongest.
* Wear a daily moisturizing lotion with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15 and preferably 30.
* If you have to spend time in the sun, use a sunblock with an SPF
of at least 30, and reapply it often.
* When in the sun, wear dark-colored clothing, which absorbs the sun's ultraviolet rays better than light-colored clothing.
* Don't smoke.
* Eat a healthful diet and drink lots of water.
This information is not a substitute for medical treatment.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Plastic surgery
Lot's of attractive women with big breasts and perfect noses, oldies looking 20 years younger and many other good looking people may say thank you to plastic surgeons.
Let's see how it begun...
The history of plastic surgery reaches back to the ancient world. Physicians in ancient India including Susrutha were utilizing skin grafts for reconstructive work as early as the 8th century BC. His work Sushruta Samhita describes rhinoplasty and otoplasty. This knowledge of plastic surgery existed in India up to the late 18th century as can be seen from the reports published in Gentleman's Magazine (October 1794)
The Romans were able to perform simple techniques such as repairing damaged ears from around the 1st century BC. In mid-15th century Europe, Heinrich von Pfolspeundt described a process "to make a new nose for one who lacks it entirely, and the dogs have devoured it" by removing skin from the back of the arm and suturing it in place. However, because of the dangers associated with surgery in any form, especially that involving the head or face, it was not until the 19th and 20th centuries that such surgery became commonplace.
Up until the techniques of anesthesia became established, all surgery on healthy tissues involved great pain. Infection from surgery was reduced once sterile technique and disinfectants were introduced. The invention and use of antibiotics beginning with sulfa drugs and penicillin was another step in making elective surgery possible.
The U.S.'s first plastic surgeon was Dr. John Peter Mettauer. He performed the first cleft palate operation in 1827 with instruments that he designed himself. The New Zealander Sir Harold Gillies developed many of the techniques of modern plastic surgery in caring for those who suffered facial injuries in World War I, he is considered to be the father of modern plastic surgery. His work was expanded upon during World War II by one of his former students and cousin, Archibald McIndoe, who pioneered treatments for RAF aircrew suffering from severe burns. McIndoe's radical, experimental treatments, lead to the formation of the Guinea Pig Club.
The first President of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery was Irving B. Goldman, 1964.
Reconstructive surgery
Common reconstructive surgerical procedures are: breast reconstruction for women who have had a mastectomy, cleft lip and palate surgery, contracture surgery for burn survivors, and closing skin and mucosa defects after removal of tumors in the head and neck region.
Plastic surgeons have developed the use of microsurgery to transfer tissue for coverage of a defect when no local tissue is available. Tissue flaps comprised of skin, muscle, bone, fat or a combination, may be removed from the body, moved to another site on the body and reconnected to a blood supply by suturing arteries and veins as small as 1-2 mm in diameter.
There is an overlap between reconstructive and cosmetic surgery. Many of the techniques of cosmetic surgery are utilized in reconstructive surgery to improve cosmesis.
Cosmetic surgery
Cosmetic surgery is a very popular form of surgery; as an example, 11.9 million procedures had been performed in the U.S. alone in 2004. As for any operation, cosmetic procedures involve risk, and should therefore not be undertaken lightly. Within the U.S,. critics of plastic surgery note that it is legal for any doctor, regardless of speciality, to perform "cosmetic surgery", but not "plastic surgery". It is thus important to distinguish the terms "plastic surgery" and "cosmetic surgery": Plastic Surgery is recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties (the only official entity overseeing physician certification in the United States) as the subspecialty dedicated to the surgical repair of defects of form or function -- this includes cosmetic (or aesthetic) surgery, as well as reconstructive surgery. The term "cosmetic surgery" however, simply refers to surgery that is designed to improve cosmetics, or appearance. In several countries including Australia, many doctors who are not qualified as surgeons also perform cosmetic procedures.
Let's see how it begun...
The history of plastic surgery reaches back to the ancient world. Physicians in ancient India including Susrutha were utilizing skin grafts for reconstructive work as early as the 8th century BC. His work Sushruta Samhita describes rhinoplasty and otoplasty. This knowledge of plastic surgery existed in India up to the late 18th century as can be seen from the reports published in Gentleman's Magazine (October 1794)
The Romans were able to perform simple techniques such as repairing damaged ears from around the 1st century BC. In mid-15th century Europe, Heinrich von Pfolspeundt described a process "to make a new nose for one who lacks it entirely, and the dogs have devoured it" by removing skin from the back of the arm and suturing it in place. However, because of the dangers associated with surgery in any form, especially that involving the head or face, it was not until the 19th and 20th centuries that such surgery became commonplace.
Up until the techniques of anesthesia became established, all surgery on healthy tissues involved great pain. Infection from surgery was reduced once sterile technique and disinfectants were introduced. The invention and use of antibiotics beginning with sulfa drugs and penicillin was another step in making elective surgery possible.
The U.S.'s first plastic surgeon was Dr. John Peter Mettauer. He performed the first cleft palate operation in 1827 with instruments that he designed himself. The New Zealander Sir Harold Gillies developed many of the techniques of modern plastic surgery in caring for those who suffered facial injuries in World War I, he is considered to be the father of modern plastic surgery. His work was expanded upon during World War II by one of his former students and cousin, Archibald McIndoe, who pioneered treatments for RAF aircrew suffering from severe burns. McIndoe's radical, experimental treatments, lead to the formation of the Guinea Pig Club.
The first President of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery was Irving B. Goldman, 1964.
Reconstructive surgery
Common reconstructive surgerical procedures are: breast reconstruction for women who have had a mastectomy, cleft lip and palate surgery, contracture surgery for burn survivors, and closing skin and mucosa defects after removal of tumors in the head and neck region.
Plastic surgeons have developed the use of microsurgery to transfer tissue for coverage of a defect when no local tissue is available. Tissue flaps comprised of skin, muscle, bone, fat or a combination, may be removed from the body, moved to another site on the body and reconnected to a blood supply by suturing arteries and veins as small as 1-2 mm in diameter.
There is an overlap between reconstructive and cosmetic surgery. Many of the techniques of cosmetic surgery are utilized in reconstructive surgery to improve cosmesis.
Cosmetic surgery
Cosmetic surgery is a very popular form of surgery; as an example, 11.9 million procedures had been performed in the U.S. alone in 2004. As for any operation, cosmetic procedures involve risk, and should therefore not be undertaken lightly. Within the U.S,. critics of plastic surgery note that it is legal for any doctor, regardless of speciality, to perform "cosmetic surgery", but not "plastic surgery". It is thus important to distinguish the terms "plastic surgery" and "cosmetic surgery": Plastic Surgery is recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties (the only official entity overseeing physician certification in the United States) as the subspecialty dedicated to the surgical repair of defects of form or function -- this includes cosmetic (or aesthetic) surgery, as well as reconstructive surgery. The term "cosmetic surgery" however, simply refers to surgery that is designed to improve cosmetics, or appearance. In several countries including Australia, many doctors who are not qualified as surgeons also perform cosmetic procedures.
Mesotheleoma - the vicious illness
Maybe you heard lately of a Mesotheleoma, or Mesothelioma? If you ever worked in environments which contained asbestos or its derivatives it might impact you.
I've done some research on the web and find very interesting website:www.mesothelioma.com from which the following texts are taken:
Exposure to Asbestos While Working at a Shipyard?
Navy ShipyardWorking in shipyards could have caused you to be exposed to asbestos fibers. Insulation, pipe coverings, gaskets and turbines, and other asbestos products have caused shipyard workers and military men to be exposed to large amounts of asbestos which can cause mesothelioma.
What is mesothelioma?
Malignant mesothelioma is the most serious of all asbestos-related diseases. Although uncommon, mesothelioma is no longer considered rare. Mesothelioma is a cancer that is particulary difficult for doctors to diagnose and one that does not respond well to therapy.
The chest cavity, abdominal cavity, and the cavity around the heart are surrounded by a a layer of specialized mesothelial cells. Most other internal organs are also covered by these cells. The tissue formed by these cells is called mesothelium.
A special protective lubricating fluid that allows organs to move around is produced by the mesothelium. This protective fluid helps the lungs to move without resistance inside the chest cavity while breathing. The medical name for the mesothelium of the chest is the pleura and the medical name for the mesothelium of the abdomen is the peritoneum. The mesothelium of the "sac-like" space around the heart is called the pericardium.
A malignant (cancerous) tumor of the mesothelium is called a malignant mesothelioma. As most mesothelial tumors are cancerous, malignant mesothelioma is often simply called mesothelioma. Tumors of the mesothelium can also be benign (noncancerous) but benign mesotheliomas are much more rare.
Mesothelioma was recognized as a tumor of the pleura, peritoneum and pericardium in the late 1700's. However it was not until much later, in 1960, that this particular type of tumor was described in more detail and even more importantly, its association with asbestos exposure was recognized. The first report linking mesothelioma to asbestos exposure was written by J.C.Wagner, and described 32 cases of workers in the "Asbestos Hills" in South Africa. Since than the relationship between mesothelioma and asbestos exposure has been confirmed in studies around the world.
The incidence of mesothelioma in the United States remains very low, with 14 cases occurring per million people per year. Despite these numbers the noticed threefold increase in mesothelioma in males between 1970 and 1984, is directly associated with environmental and occupational exposure to asbestos, mostly in areas of asbestos product plants and shipbuilding facilities.
Although the disease is much more commonly seen in 60-year old men, it has been described in women and early childhood as well. The cause of the disease is not so well understood in these latter two groups, but there is some evidence of possible asbestos exposure for some of these cases as well.
Malignant mesotheliomas are divided into three main types. About 50% to 70% of mesotheliomas are the epithelioid type. This type has the best prognosis (outlook for survival). The other two types are the sarcomatoid type (7%-20%), and the mixed/biphasic type (20%-35%). Treatment options for all three types are the same.
About three-fourths of mesotheliomas start in the chest cavity. They are known as pleural mesotheliomas. Another 10% to 20% begin in the abdomen. These are called peritoneal mesotheliomas. Pericardial mesotheliomas, those starting in the cavity around the heart, are very rare. The covering layer of the testicles is actually an outpouching of peritoneum into the scrotum. Mesotheliomas that affect this covering of the testicles are quite rare.
I've done some research on the web and find very interesting website:www.mesothelioma.com from which the following texts are taken:
Exposure to Asbestos While Working at a Shipyard?
Navy ShipyardWorking in shipyards could have caused you to be exposed to asbestos fibers. Insulation, pipe coverings, gaskets and turbines, and other asbestos products have caused shipyard workers and military men to be exposed to large amounts of asbestos which can cause mesothelioma.
What is mesothelioma?
Malignant mesothelioma is the most serious of all asbestos-related diseases. Although uncommon, mesothelioma is no longer considered rare. Mesothelioma is a cancer that is particulary difficult for doctors to diagnose and one that does not respond well to therapy.
The chest cavity, abdominal cavity, and the cavity around the heart are surrounded by a a layer of specialized mesothelial cells. Most other internal organs are also covered by these cells. The tissue formed by these cells is called mesothelium.
A special protective lubricating fluid that allows organs to move around is produced by the mesothelium. This protective fluid helps the lungs to move without resistance inside the chest cavity while breathing. The medical name for the mesothelium of the chest is the pleura and the medical name for the mesothelium of the abdomen is the peritoneum. The mesothelium of the "sac-like" space around the heart is called the pericardium.
A malignant (cancerous) tumor of the mesothelium is called a malignant mesothelioma. As most mesothelial tumors are cancerous, malignant mesothelioma is often simply called mesothelioma. Tumors of the mesothelium can also be benign (noncancerous) but benign mesotheliomas are much more rare.
Mesothelioma was recognized as a tumor of the pleura, peritoneum and pericardium in the late 1700's. However it was not until much later, in 1960, that this particular type of tumor was described in more detail and even more importantly, its association with asbestos exposure was recognized. The first report linking mesothelioma to asbestos exposure was written by J.C.Wagner, and described 32 cases of workers in the "Asbestos Hills" in South Africa. Since than the relationship between mesothelioma and asbestos exposure has been confirmed in studies around the world.
The incidence of mesothelioma in the United States remains very low, with 14 cases occurring per million people per year. Despite these numbers the noticed threefold increase in mesothelioma in males between 1970 and 1984, is directly associated with environmental and occupational exposure to asbestos, mostly in areas of asbestos product plants and shipbuilding facilities.
Although the disease is much more commonly seen in 60-year old men, it has been described in women and early childhood as well. The cause of the disease is not so well understood in these latter two groups, but there is some evidence of possible asbestos exposure for some of these cases as well.
Malignant mesotheliomas are divided into three main types. About 50% to 70% of mesotheliomas are the epithelioid type. This type has the best prognosis (outlook for survival). The other two types are the sarcomatoid type (7%-20%), and the mixed/biphasic type (20%-35%). Treatment options for all three types are the same.
About three-fourths of mesotheliomas start in the chest cavity. They are known as pleural mesotheliomas. Another 10% to 20% begin in the abdomen. These are called peritoneal mesotheliomas. Pericardial mesotheliomas, those starting in the cavity around the heart, are very rare. The covering layer of the testicles is actually an outpouching of peritoneum into the scrotum. Mesotheliomas that affect this covering of the testicles are quite rare.
Hi there folks
On this blog i won't write what i have done today, what is doing my cat or stuff like that. I just want to share every day problems with you folks, and if I can, to show you how to handle your problems. Since I'm a doc I'll be writing among other things about troubles with health, how to stay beauty, how to enjoy in life and preserve your health. Of course there will be politics talk, small advices and anything that cross my mind. I hope you'll find this blog useful.
greetings
Dr. Frank
greetings
Dr. Frank
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