Originally approved for wrinkles and furrows or smile lines (the lines from your nose to the corner of your mouth), LaVív can also be used off-label to inject fine lines and wrinkles on most areas of your face and potentially other areas such as chest/décolleté and the back of your hands, etc. may be treated.   LaVív has been used very successfully to treat various types of facial acne scarring and it is being studied for other types of scars.  Results are natural and long lasting.  Unlike some other skin rejuvenation procedures, LaVív can be used on skin of any color.  LaVív is not a volume filler, so results occur over time and produce a natural, youthful appearance, but it also does not require the continual maintenance that current fillers which need repeat injections at periodic intervals.

A new anti-aging cream made from an extract produced by your own cells during their growth and multiplication is expected to become available this summer so that you can apply a personalized cream to complement your treatment with LaVív.

One of the many exciting things about LaVív is that you are using your body’s own cells to heal and rejuvenate your skin.  I have specialized for most of my career in providing treatments which produce a natural appearance and youthful beauty to your skin with minimal or no downtime and I was privileged to help with 4 of the clinical studies before the FDA approval of LaVív.  We were one of the first few centers in the country (and the first in Virginia) to offer LaVív after its FDA approval.  We are also helping to train physicians around the country for the injection techniques for LaVív.  Please call if you would like to discuss if LaVív might benefit you – we would be happy to teach you more about this exciting new product.

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This new research study, though, demonstrated rather convincingly that eating white-fleshed fruit such as apples and pears (and also things like cauliflower, bananas and others) may significantly reduce the risk of stroke.  The study from Dutch researchers looked at data from over 20,000 people from age 20 to 65 years old and examined their diet for an entire year.  None of these people had known heart disease or stroke when this study began.  They found that for EACH 25 gram daily ingestion of these white fruits and vegetables there was a 9% decrease in the risk of stroke.

FYI, a whole apple is about 120 grams or nearly 5 times this 25 gram dose – so truly even “an apple…” that is one apple per day may have very profound impact on this type of health risk.   So while the study relied on people’s memory of their diet and those kinds of studies can have problems, the results of this study are still pretty compelling.

Personally, I usually eat about half an apple per day, and I now think that I will try to increase that a bit. So for those of you who have attended some of my lectures, you will know that I usually advise to have a daily intake of “brightly colored fruits, berries and vegetables”, and now you should add the “white fruits and veggies” to that list!

Note: this study was published online before print in the medical journal Stroke, DOI:10.1161/STROKEAHA.110.611152

Estimates are that 10 minutes in a tanning bed (for fairer skin) have about the same cancer-causing effects as 10 minutes in the midsummer Mediterranean sun (and I might add without enjoying the beautiful scenery and water).

Studies show that indoor tanners are about 75% more likely to develop melanoma–the deadliest form of skin cancer–than those who didn’t use tanning beds.  They are also 2.5 times more likely to develop basal cell carcinoma-not to mention the increased probability of wrinkles and saggy, leathery skin. So be safe and please avoid using tanning beds!

If you are determined to keep that summer glow, self-tanning lotions are now available in many forms and spray tan is an option (FYI, I suggest not inhaling spray tan mist!).

What does this mean to you?

Well, beginning in June, if you see the words “Broad Spectrum”, you can be confident that you have both UVB (burning ray) and UVA (aging ray) protection–which is what I recommend for both skin cancer prevention and anti-aging.  Even skin of color patients will benefit from the broad spectrum sunscreen.

Sunscreens which have some water resistance will be labelled “water-resistant” and specify resistance to either 40 or 80 minutes o f swimming or sweating.  Also, sunscreen companies must prove if their product provides sun protection more than two hours without reapplying.

That is a common question I receive these days and there is a lot of misinformation about this subject.  While there is debate about what is the optimal level of Vitamin D (recall that some guidelines recommend levels to prevent disease rather than levels needed to produce optimal health… two different goals!) there is general agreement I believe on some basic issues.  Research suggests that 2-8 minutes of summer sunlight daily (at the latitude where I practice) to unprotected skin is generally sufficient and also should carry most people through the winter when the sun is less intense or clothing covers your skin (recall that Vitamin D is stored by your body).

It is possible that some people are not, for various reasons, producing enough Vitamin D from sunlight for their body’s needs.  However, that does NOT mean you need to top wearing SPF or buy a tanning bed membership!  It just means that you need either dietary source or dietary supplement (typically this would be D3… good dietary sources of Vitamin D include such foods as salmon, sardines (I know, but they are great for your health in many ways), eggs, and fortified foods like some juices and breakfast cereals… so check out these and other dietary sources to help you achieve your desired Vitamin D levels.  And check with your family doctor about whether you need to have your Vitamin D levels checked and also the number of units to take daily if you need a supplement-but please do not overexpose yourself to sunlight or tanning beds to get your Vitamin D-this will accelerate aging of your skin as well as possibly increasing your risk of skin cancer.

If we don’t have your email yet, please take a moment to register with us HERE as we will have specials on cosmetic services and products appearing throughout the year that are in addition to our newsletter or seasonal specials…..and we will also be sending updates on breaking news, FDA approvals of new treatments and exciting new skin care products that we will email you as they occur.  Finally, watch in the months ahead as we unveil the new Anti-Aging University.  It will have sections for patient/consumer level as well as for physician/scientist level from myself, our team and from some of our internationally known ‘guest faculty’ who are leading authorities in the world for cosmetic surgery and skin rejuvenation.

So stayed tuned….visit us often…and THANKS from all of us for your support over the years.   We wish you and your families a wonderful rest of the summer.

–David H. McDaniel, MD