Make-up for women has been around since the days of the pharaohs. It is used to enhance the beauty of the face, hide "blemishes" and in general look more "presentable". I have always been surprised and even performed a " double take" when I see my patients for the first time without make-up. Most look at least 10 years younger!... read more »

The inevitable march of progress does not necessarily mean improvement. The arrival of computer generated collation and order certainly has made it easier to have all data at the physician's fingertips; but at a price. Writing orders, discharging patients, transferring patients and documenting in the electronic record has slowed down the delivery of good practical health care.  For example: Patients cannot... read more »

It all depends on how we treat our immune system. Granted that immunology is very complex and beyond the scope limits of the blog, but certainly several main points need to be expressed and possibilities, based on these points, considered for thought. Our immune system provides protection from the outside world. It is made up of many different cells that... read more »

There are many new procedures, machines and spa skin aesthetics that everyone is bombarded with on a daily basis. Most turn out to be completely bogus or at the very least, disappointing. It is the responsibility of the physician to make some logical sense, based on science and data outcome, and guide, advise patients. Once in a while a technique... read more »

The United States leads the world in law suits,entertainment, and marketing. This installment deals with the last endeavor. We are inundated with the latest popular phrases (crazes) such as "gluten free", "organic", "free range", "immunity blend", "immune system support", "contains vitamins", and of course "stem cell". These are but a few of the many buzz words that the consumer encounters with the... read more »

Lately a trend has developed to group everybody involved with patient care under the title "Provider". While this is all nice and lends a feeling of esprit de corps as well as equality, the final arbiter and decision maker is the physician. The responsibility ultimately lies with the doctor. As it should. Many years of training and learning takes place before the... read more »

The latest "buzz word" in medicine has been "stem cell" treatments for many debilitating diseases. The process of stem cell treatments is in its infancy and that is almost a hopeful stretch when one examines the progress in this area. Stem cell research is just beginning and our knowledge is still very limited. We know that certain cells ( so far... read more »

No. That is utterly silly! Smoking does diminish blood flow to the skin via the constricting effects of nicotine on blood vessels. This in turn can magnify the aging process of skin where loss of thickness is partly due to poor nutrition as result of decreased blood supply. One can argue that thinner skin will fold more easily like an accordion and indeed... read more »

Recent media attention to the relatively new reconstructive procedure of major facial transplantation for total or near total destruction of the human face has raised interesting points worth teaching. First, as most people realize, this surgery is not cosmetic! The purpose is to reconstruct a face that bears as much resemblance to facial features as possible. Once the initial transplant is successful,... read more »

Yes it does remove hair permanently. The important fact that everyone has to keep in mind is that, like many other treatments of our body, it takes more than one procedure to accomplish this task. Hair exists in multiple phases at the same time. Some are in a growth phase, some in sleep, and some in a normal shedding. There are... read more »