To explain why certain claims made by the "cosmetic industry" do not work (see the last two previous blogs) one just has to acknowledge that to affect a change in our tissue a change in the makeup of the tissue has to occur. In organic terms that means some form of trauma and its resultant healing process.   We all have fallen in love with... read more »

Many people come up to me and place their hands on the  cheeks lifting the skin back and up saying, "I want to look like this but without surgery".  The quick and true answer is "not possible". Each procedure has a personal price that it exacts. The depth of involvement determines the degree of the outcome. The old saying, "you get... read more »

With more and more phantasmagoric ads claiming incredible results with no downtime, surgery or pain, the more it seems that we are back in the dark ages... There are treatments that offer "freezing," "melting" of fat with eventual (3-4 months!) disappearance... Lasers that leave no mark but have results a half a year later... Skin care products with rare earth elements including gold... read more »

Every element and structure on earth has some component of "leakage"; but the word itself when used in relation to breast implants has taken on the meaning of  not just weeping outside its original confines but actually traveling distances to other parts of the body. This simply does not happen. The implants have a "gummy bear" silicone consistancy within a... read more »

In an article in the NY Times of Jan 12, 2013 a report was made that NY City hospitals will assess doctors performances  to the quality of care delivered. The evaluation will be based on number of tests (services) ordered as well as how well doctors communicate with patients, readmission of patients with pneumonia and heart failure,speed of emergency patients admitted... read more »

In the search for new and relevant knowledge on any topic we sometimes find ourselves seduced by phrases that convey ideas that we hope are true. Some times these words come close to the reality but fall short. Sometimes certain people take advantage of their existence and popularity for personal gain at the expense of misguiding or “bending” the real... read more »

I have explained in past blogs that our organs, including skin, have lost the ability to regenerate due to the specificity and complexity of  our organ cells. I mentioned how scars (which is our only form of healing using collagen) mature from a red, hard, raised appearance to a mature more normal color, soft, flat state. Why the initial scar... read more »

A recent survey of  5000 doctors revealed that 90% would not recommend medicine as a career. The reasons are multiple and include liability, ever increasing documentation, and burdening regulations. These maladies are certainly discouraging, but most physicians I know, and associate with, are brave souls that take heart and pride in their patient care and relationship. Direct patient contact and communication... read more »

Now that I got your attention I want to talk about real reform, which means clinical improvements in the doctor-patient relationship. The electronic data doctor era has further promulgated the distancing of  patient and doctor from each other. The physician unwittingly has contributed to this situation by needing to divide his time between care and documentation. How many people have... read more »

In the journey known as "progress in medicine" there have been many twists and turns in the road in an attempt to speed improvement. Some have been entirely taken for the sake of political correctness and governed by liability. Better checking and re-checking is necessary and laudable; but physicians have been performing these type of tasks naturally, carefully and automatically... read more »