Hangers&Hangers

Old Age Begins at 27!  Many people tell us that Anti-Aging Medicine or Age Management is certainly not for them!  They’re not that old yet.  By the time you’re “that old” you’ll be too old to fully benefit from the medicine.

Many people, especially women, begin to experience ‘issues’ with their health in their 30’s.   By their 40’s, most people are already starting to experience natural hormone balance decay.  When ‘old age’ finally hits you, it is NOT a slow process.  We hear repeatedly “within just 2 years I went from young to old!”  “I saw the changes in my face happen almost overnight!”  Scientific evidence indicates that when parts of your DNA stop functioning, they just stop.  No slow, drawn out process.  It may be different things in different people at different ages but it consistently seems to happen within 2 years.

The sooner you catch it, the better the outcome.  Dr. Cantrell bases her treatments on re-balancing your hormones to levels that someone in their 30’s would have.  That doesn’t mean you’re going to be a 30 year old again but your body will at least be working with ideal chemistry. However, it does mean that if you start younger you already have a lot to work with (that you can keep) rather than having little left to save.

So, if you want to maintain your youthful lifestyle longer and later into life, you’re going to want to start the process before you’re That Old!

Many patients come to me confused about Botox.

What is Botox and can it improve your life?

Botox is a highly purified protein.  It does NOT contain bacteria!  The protein comes from a bacterium called C. botulinum.  Botox is made by Allergan and it is F.D.A. approved to relax frown lines, (the “11’s” between your brows.)

Botox has been used to treat over 1 million people worldwide for over 11 years.  We’ve used it over 4 years in many different facial areas.  I’ve injected it into myself (usually the forehead and frown areas).

How can Botox improve your life?  If you have moving wrinkles like the frown lines (the 11’s), the horizontal worry lines going across the forehead, or “crow’s feet” lines around the eyes, Botox can help you look and feel better.

Using Botox will:

*Prevent future wrinkles
*Preserve youthful skin and reduce the wrinkles you have (when used regularly)
*Help sinus or tension headaches
*Help depression
*And, you’ll still have plenty of facial expressions.

To see if you are a good candidate for Botox, just give me a call to schedule a free consultation.  When you have an area treated, I will inject it 3-5 times using a very tiny needle.  Voila!  Process complete!

Gradually, over the next 3 to 10 days, only the muscles treated will relax.  So, if your frown is treated, you will be able to make all sorts of facial expressions…just NOT that ugly frown!  Some patients feel that their sinus headaches or tension headaches are improved.  In fact, a recent study showed that using Botox to “stop the frowning!” worked just as well against depression as an anti-depressant!

How long will the results last?  Usually, the 1st treatment will last 3 months.  If you continue to keep the same area “Botoxed,” future treatments can last up to several months.

Now what about $99 Botox?  Is it safe?
Your guess is as good as ours.  We can’t speak to the safety or lasting effectiveness of a $99 Botox treatment.  What we DO know is this:  There’s only enough Botox in 1 vial to treat an average of 4 areas.  Charging $99 per area would not even pay for the Botox.  Although we can’t possibly know how other establishments operate, there are only so many possible ways to profit from a $99 Botox treatment:

*Buy real Botox at a much lower price (unlikely.)
*Losing money on Botox, but up selling you additional, more profitable services.
*Injecting less than the recommended dose per area.
*Diluting the Botox beyond the manufacturer’s recommended specifications.

Just remember:  ‘Buyer Beware.’  I personally make up and inject all of the Botox at Med Spa Plus.  So, at Med Spa Plus, you will always get the proper dosage of Botox, diluted to the exact specifications recommended by the manufacturer so that you can be sure of optimum, long lasting results from your Botox therapy.

D.L. Cantrell, M.D.

“The Botox isn’t working like it used to.”   “Are you using a different kind of Botox?”  “This last treatment didn’t work like the last times, what’s wrong?”

It’s an epidemic.  Three patients this week.  Two last week.  Four the week before.   WHAT’S GOING ON?!  Well, it’s the economy, stupid.     WHAT??!!    Yep.  Believe it.

No, there is nothing wrong with the Botox and we haven’t changed our uniquely, specialized, highly proprietary treatment technique either.  We’ve noticed many patients have been putting off and delaying their regular Botox treatments, because of the economy, trying to get the extra week, 2 weeks, or even an extra 2 months out of the last treatment.  Well, if you’ve been treating regularly and finally have worked up to a reduction of units and/or extended your regular treatment intervals by a couple of weeks you might think you can keep those great results even a little longer.  And you can/did.  ONCE.  Very unlikely twice.  Dr. C gave an example of working out in the gym.  It takes a lot of work over many weeks to get yourself in shape and you’re able to start lifting, let’s say, 50 lbs.  You’re lifting 50 lbs. quite easily now several times a week.  Then you go on vacation.  Two weeks later you’re back lifting 50 lbs.  You maybe a little sore after and maybe you don’t want to do it again for a couple of days but then the kids are sick and you miss a few days at the gym.  By the time another week goes by, the 50 lbs. is turned back to 45 lbs., with effort.

The first time you get Botox, it’s really working hard to relax muscles that have strengthened themselves over years to the point of displacing collagen and creating wrinkles and deep lines.  It will take weeks to get the full effect of first time Botox and it will start to wear off early.  With regular treatment, those muscles start to ‘give it up’ and the Botox effect will start to last a little longer.  A few more treatments and maybe you can use fewer units.  But, as soon as you break the cycle those muscles start to come back.  You won’t see them initially because they’re masked by the new collagen you’ve rebuilt in the wrinkles; but, these stronger muscles are already starting to displace the new collagen and your next ‘reduced’ unit or ‘late’ treatment won’t be able to keep up with momentum already created by the strengthened muscles.  You’re starting over.  :-(   Sorry, can’t help it.  Can’t predict it well either.  Dr. C has to ’see’ the muscle reaction to be able to adjust.  (You probably wouldn’t want us to use electrodes to measure the muscle strength.)

So, there you have it.  When a medicine gives the definitive results that Botox does, not using it also gives definitive results.  That being said, these are trying times and we’re all trying to stretch our dollars.  If longer times between treatments are necessary then by all means do it.  Prioritizing your cosmetic needs may also help.  When things improve, remember, the results can too.  The Botox is the same.

Orlando Sentinel’s community blog did a nice little article that included a presentation Dr. Cantrell did last Monday.  Our very own Simone was also there as an instructor.  Check it out.

I have patients telling me all the time that they’ve tried Laser Hair Removal and it doesn’t work.  They have friends that have tried Laser Hair Removal and it doesn’t work.  They’ve gone 10, 12, 15 times and don’t see much in the way of results.  Some say they’ve seen it go away then come back later.  Friends in California say it doesn’t last very long and after a few years it’s all back.

So, why doesn’t Laser Hair Removal work?  Well…there are several reasons.  The first 3 reasons are going to surprise a lot of people and irritate many more.  They sure did upset a few Doctors when they found out.

I was in a conference of Plastic Surgeons, Cosmetic Surgeons and Dermatologists last year when one frustrated physician jumped up half way through the lecture and fumed “You mean to tell me that the thing I spent $60,000 on and have been using for 2 years now, ISN’T EVEN A LASER!!??!”  That’s right.  The majority of people doing “laser hair removal” don’t even own a laser; and, probably don’t even know it themselves!    One of the largest Laser Hair chains in America does not use a laser for their treatments (oh, THEY Know it).  Do you think that could have a little bit to do with the problem….?  Yah think maybe?!

Now, lets say someone really is using a laser for treatments.  What kind of a laser?  (Note:  Reason one is already beyond at least a few well educated Doctors.  Reason two gets much more complicated.)  How much energy, of what wavelength, does it put ON the patient and at what depth and for how long?  Laser pointers used in lecture halls (and to make cats crazy) are real lasers but most people wouldn’t expect them to be very effective in removing hair.  Like wise, lasers used for hair treatments can vary in power by a factor of 10 and there are multiple wavelengths to choose from.  If you read the manufacturer’s literature you will find that each of them says that “…as everyone knows [our wavelength] is the most effective wavelength for removing hair.”  At this point, many doctors would opt to go back to brain surgery.

Ok, you’ve miraculously started your first treatment of laser hair removal with a real laser having the right combination of power, wavelength, pulse width, duration, etc.  Congratulations.  What are your specific treatment parameters going to be?  Say what?!   Yep.  Even the best lasers have the ability to perform a treatment that is so comfortable, safe and quick that it wouldn’t even hurt…a hair follicle.  I’m sorry, but several people have been asking me why laser hair removal doesn’t work.  These are just some of the reasons.  Bet you didn’t know that the FDA has never certified a laser for hair removal did you?   Please, don’t EVEN make me go There!

How about asking me if laser hair removal ACTUALLY DOES WORK?  You don’t get a billion dollar industry that is now even being put in OBGYN offices, dentist offices and even Urologists’ offices that specialize in erectile disfunction (not kidding here) without there being some good science and clinical data to support the concept.  Yes, ‘marketing’ has had more than just a little to do with it too.  But with the right combination of Doctor and equipment (not much different than other procedures if you think about it) results can be outstanding.  And these results can last until one’s hormones decide it’s time to start growing hair in places that Never had hair to begin with.

So how do you find that right combination that will assure you that your money is well spent getting the results that you are expecting?   I’m sorry, I see our time is up.  We’ll have to deal with that issue next time…

The makers of Botox have just gotten FDA approval for a medication that will grow longer, darker, thicker eyelashes. Once a day, less than four months = naturally long dark lashes.

You’d think that after the problems Florida had a few years ago that this kind of thing would not still be happening, but it is. We’ve had patients describe treatments that didn’t sound like the Botox reconstitution was done correctly and some with results that don’t make sense from our experience with the product. We’ve also seen prices that are below what Allergan charges for the product (and no, they don’t discount it to anyone!). We’ve heard of solicitations from Canadian companies (next to China, we’ve been told Canada is one of the world’s largest counterfeiter of products) to sell Botox at discounted prices. They say “it’s really made by Allergan just with different labeling”. Like they say, you’ve got to trust your source and pay the price.

I see it everyday, here in Florida. Patients who years ago swore off their ‘baby oil and iodine’ days, who whisper about “laying out” in the sun as if it deserves a confessional…
Yet, they come in perplexed, brown and red, with visible strap marks and brown splotches where the sun has kissed them too much. “I don’t understand. I used a 70.”
Aha! And that’s the problem! Although the F.D.A. has allowed SPFs to be rated up to 30+, it can’t squelch the power of marketing. The marketing Gods want us to believe that an SPF of 70 is twice as good as an SPF of 30. It’s NOT.
And no sunscreen can live up to its SPF (Sun Protection Factor) unless YOU reapply, reapply, reapply.
Let’s go back to how S.P.F. is determined. In a lab, a thick coating of sunscreen (2 mg per square centimeter of skin) is applied. This is a HUGE amount. In real life, most of us use only ½ to 1/4th of this. The skin is exposed to UV radiation, and observed for the tiniest flush of pink. The dose of radiation that turns the skin pink is the MED (minimal erythema dose.) ‘Erythema’, you see, is the medical term for ‘redness.’
So, if a person’s skin turns pink after 10 minutes, then an SPF of 15 should prevent this from happening for 10 X 15 = 150 minutes.
The problem is, this is a LAB, not a BEACH. Some people who just start turning pink in 10 minutes at the beach at 10 a.m. will be roasted lobsters in the same 10 minutes at 1 p.m.
Meanwhile, in real life, other things are happening. You are sweating, and the sun itself is breaking down your sunscreen. Worse, scientists now believe that even more esoteric things are happening—that the chemical sunscreens absorbing the sun’s energy are getting into your skin. When they are overburdened by the energy they can no longer absorb, they release this energy in the form of free radicals right into your skin, causing cancer.
But the good news is, ALL of these problems are prevented by reapplying!
So, I see scorched people who put their SPF 70 on only once. Worse, they’ve been fooled into thinking that a 70 is twice as good as a 30. An SPF of 30 blocks 5% more UVB than an SPF of 15. An SPF of 50 blocks only 1% more than an SPF of 30. Don’t be fooled by marketing. Most Caucasians in Florida should be using a 30+.
The next comment I hear form the “accidentally tanned Floridian” is, “Of course I use sunscreen, when I go out in the sun.” These people are usually quite fit, sporting a tank top and shorts. They’ve had a long day of dropping the kids off, buying groceries, and other errands…without applying sunscreen. How do they do this without “going out in the sun?” We don’t have subways in Florida.
What about UVA? The SPF is designed to rate protection against UVB—the burning rays. And for years, only UVB was vilified for causing cancer—by causing Thymine bases in DNA to cross link. Well, now UVA, able to penetrate glass (think about driving) may cause cancer too, by penetrating deeper into the skin and generating free radicals.
Well, the FDA will soon be adding a four-star rating system to reflect UVA protection. Until then, the words “Broad Spectrum” let you know that the product offers some UVA protection. And, it is essentially impossible to have an SPF of 30+ without some UVA protection.
So, go to the beach…or shopping. But use SPF 30+ 15-30 minutes before sun exposure. Reapply either 15-30 minutes after arrival or after any activities (swimming, sweating.) Reapply again before 2 hours have elapsed. And don’t forget the broad-brimmed hat. And remember to use sunscreen under the swimsuit—don’t stop at the fabric edges. That’s how you don’t get burned using sunscreen.

Diane Cantrell, M.D.

Feel Beautiful… Feel Secure!
Welcome to Med Spa Plus. We believe that everyone is entitled to look and feel their best, regardless of age. Our practice, located in Oviedo, offers the latest in laser and cosmetic surgery procedures in a safe, caring environment. Dr. Diane Cantrell, M.D. is a Board Certified Physician specializing in Non-Surgical Cosmetic procedures and Anti-Aging Medicine. Our primary focus is providing you with the safest, least invasive, most cost effective procedures available to achieve your goals.  Click Here to visit our main website.