3 Ways to Prevent Dry, Flaky Skin This Winter

Posted on January 30, 2012 by newseditor

Here in New York City, the winter environment can be really harsh, especially for people who are prone to dry or flaky skin.

Fortunately, with a few skin care modifications, you can protect against the effects of winter weather and keep your skin as healthy as it can be.

1. Protect Your Skin’s Natural Oils

Winter air already contains less moisture than other seasons, so it’s important to protect your skin’s natural oils. Avoid hot showers and body soaps that contain detergents. Hot water can further dehydrate your skin, and body soaps that contain detergents can diminish protective skin oils.

2. Hydrate Properly

Hydration is important to the health of your skin year round, but it’s also essential that you moisturize the outer layer of your skin so that you can retain moisture underneath the skin’s outer layer.

People shouldn’t assume that drinking excess fluids will help dry skin, according to Dr. Alicia Zalka, associate clinical professor of dermatology at Yale. If your skin is already very dry, these extra liquids may just evaporate instead of retaining moisture within the skin.

To properly hydrate, remember to moderate your consumption of alcohol or caffeinated beverages. Alcoholic drinks as well as caffeinated beverages can affect your skin and body more during harsh, dry winter months.

3. Reassess Your Skin Care Regimen

Not all skin care products are designed to be used year round. Cleansers and exfoliators for example, should be milder in the winter than in the summer, while moisturizer should be a richer to protect your skin during winter weather. Also, don’t forget that daily sunblock application is just as important in the winter as it is in the summer.

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Allergan Issues Statement About Breast Implant Quality and Safety

Posted on January 15, 2012 by newseditor

The breast implant manufacturer, Allergan, has released a statement distancing itself from the Poly Implant Prosthese (PIP) breast implant controversy happening in France.

As maker of popular breast implant products such as NATRELLE, McGhan and CUI, the company is in no way affiliated with PIP and seeks to reassure patients and surgeons that Allergan products are of the highest quality and safety.

Allergan breast implants have been on the market for almost 50 years. The products are available in over 60 countries and are subjected to rigorous national and international quality control standards and practices.

Among the many products manufactured by Allergan every year, silicone gel-filled breast implants are by far the most favored among both patients and surgeons. The gel-filled implants have been placed in more than 1 million women worldwide.

As a result of hundreds of thousands of clinical trials, peer-reviewed journals and published reports, silicone gel-filled breast implants have become one the most studied devices in the world. Allergan’s gel-filled implants specifically, have set themselves apart from various competitors due to their more cohesive silicone gel and their stronger outer shells.

A recent report published by the U.S. FDA has again confirmed the safety and effectiveness of silicone breast implants when used as intended, however, it is important for patients to recognize that breast implants are not made for lifelong use.

Patients at some point in their lives may require a removal and replacement. Breast implants should be monitored regularly by a plastic surgeon.

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A Story of War and Its Impact on Modern Plastic Surgery

Posted on January 5, 2012 by newseditor

In London’s Hunterian Musem, a collection of medical archives is being gathered from World War I. “They are powerful testimony to the advances made by modern surgeons in the past 100 years,” writes Helen Briggs for the BBC, who writes a compelling article about the Gillies Archive and the ways in which war has driven innovation in plastic surgery.

“The war led surgeons to attempt ground-breaking procedures, which paved the way for modern plastic surgery,” said Dr. Andrew Bamji, former curator of the Gillies archive.

“The war led surgeons to attempt ground-breaking procedures, which paved the way for modern plastic surgery.”

- Dr Andrew Bamji

Named after plastic surgery pioneer Sir Harold Gillies, the archives include medical documentation, paintings, plastic casts, instruments and more.

The artifacts tell a story about war injuries and the surgical techniques that were developed to treat them.

You can read more about Dr. Gillies’ work on Wikipedia:

“The Queen’s Hospital opened in June 1917 and with its convalescent units provided over 1,000 beds. There Gillies and his colleagues developed many techniques of plastic surgery; more than 11,000 operations were performed on over 5,000 men (mostly soldiers with facial injuries, usually from gunshot wounds).”

Photo: Sir Harold Gillies by Simon Harriyott, on Flickr

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