Putting Your Best Face Forward

The Arizona hot weather has arrived!! We remember to drink more water in the heat, but it is also a good time to think about taking care of our skin. The most important thing you can do for your skin is to protect it from the sun.  You do not need extra time in the sun to make vitamin D—in fact, your risk of getting a melanoma from sun exposure is much higher than ever having a vitamin D deficiency from lack of sun exposure! Sun block should be applied every 2 hours when outside (that includes when you are in your car—the UVA rays, which cause skin cancer, still penetrate through car windows). Sun block that is in makeup or lotions are not present in high enough concentrations to provide adequate protection.  A separate sun block should be used. SPF 50 or higher is recommended.

Other skin care products can also help with aging skin or protecting against the effects of the environment:

·      General moisturizers that have petroleum based ingredients make a waterproof barrier and will help minimize loss of moisture from the skin.

·      HA products such as TEOXANE add water to the skin and hydrate.

·      Products with glycolic help to gently remove the dead skin cell layers, allowing the other ingredients to more easily penetrate the skin.

·      Plant based ingredients such as chamomile help calm and sooth irritated skin. 

·      Other antioxidants, when used regularly can help the skin repair sun damage and prevent some future damage.

Ask Dr. Bash and her staff for recommendations and TEOXANE specials!
Visit www.bashmd.com for more information

New FDA Warning for Facial Fillers

This weekend the FDA posted a new warning for both the manufactures of facial fillers, and for practitioners who inject the products. New labeling will include the following notice:

Warning: One of the risks with using this product is unintentional injection into a blood vessel. The chances of this happening are very small, but if it does happen, the complication scan be serious, and may be permanent. These complications, which have been reported for facial injections, can include vision abnormalities, blinds, stroke, temporary scabs, or permanent scarring of the skin. If you have changes in your vision, signs of a stroke, (including sudden difficulty speaking, numbness or weakness in your face, arms, or legs, difficulty walking, face drooping, severe headaches, dizziness or confusion) white appearance of the skin, or unusual pain during or shortly after treatment, you should notify your health care practitioner immediately."

Dr. Bash does all of her own injections--she does not have her staff injecting, specifically for this reason. Yes, it may cost a little more that at a medispa (and many nurses who do the injections do a wonderful job). BUT--can they recognize and TREAT a complication??

Make sure you know who is doing your injections and what their qualifications are. Who is the medical director? Where are they? What is the medical director's specialty? Can the medical director treat a complication? Be a smart consumer!!

Who is really qualified to inject Botox® and fillers?

Have you ever wondered why prices vary so much on Botox®? Have you ever wondered why your less expensive Botox® didn’t last very long? Neurotoxins such at Botox can only be purchased from the manufacturer or a licensed distributer.  Very inexpensive product can be purchased over the internet from foreign countries (which is illegal) and may be counterfeit.

Prices are usually higher if the plastic surgeon is doing the injections. The board certified plastic surgeon has the most training and expertise to handle any problems that could occur.

In the state of Arizona, the following licensed professionals may inject Botox® or dermal fillers:

• MD
• DO
• Naturopathic physician (NMD)
• Nurse Practitioner (NP)—does not require supervision by a doctor

Per the Arizona Board of Nursing, a licensed RN in Arizona may inject if:

• The can show they have taken a course on injection and have adequate training
• They have immediate access by phone with the supervising MD or DO 
• AND that supervising physician is available in person within 4 hours when requested by the nurse or the patient. 

If you are having injections done in a med spa by someone who is not a physician, always ask who is doing the injections (RN, NP, etc.) and ask about their qualifications. Who is the medical director? What is the medical director’s specialty, and what is their board certification? Does the doctor also do the injections? Can the medical director handle any complications?

Be safe.  Be smart. Ask.

What does "Board Certified" mean?

As a board certified plastic surgeon, it is always frustrating when I see a patient who has had surgery "elsewhere" , and they are sure the surgery was done by a plastic surgeon. However, when I look up the credentials, the person is definitely NOT a plastic surgeon!!  How can there be such confusion?

When a person graduates from medical school and has the MD degree (or if they graduate from an osteopathic school with a DO degree), they can choose to call themselves anything they want--I could call myself a brain surgeon if I wanted to, even without any training!  In most states, there isn't a law that says I can't.  I could open my own surgery center in my office, and do all the brain surgery I wanted without anyone telling me that I couldn't.

So what does it mean to be a board certified plastic surgeon, certified by THE AMERICAN BOARD OF PLASTIC SURGERY?  It means that after 4 years of medical school, I completed 2 years of plastic surgery training in an accredited program after 3 years of general surgery. Additionally, I completed a one year burn fellowship that was run by the plastic surgery department of the university hospital. After completing the residency, I took a very, very extensive written examination.  A year later, I took an oral examination that lasted 2 days (and yes, I passed).  The examination is very rigorous, and about 20% of examinees fail on their first attempt.

The American Board of Medical Specialties is the governing body that looks at residency programs to make sure that the training is adequate.  Each graduate must meet certain requirements. The boards that are recognized are pretty typical--pediatrics, internal medicine, family medicine, OB/GYN, orthopedics, neurosurgery, ENT, urology, plastic surgery, general surgery, dermatology,  and a few more.  Each one of these specialties has a very rigorous examination process.

There are some "boards" that are not approved or regulated by the American Board of Medical Specialties.  This includes anti-aging, "cosmetic board", liposuction board, and many other sound alike names.

Isn't it funny--no one  pretends to be a brain surgeon without the training. But many physicians try to be a plastic surgeon without the training.

Do your homework. Find a plastic surgeon who is certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery.  Be smart. Be safe. www.abplsurg.org

Beauty of Bras

The Huffington Post just posted an article about the benefits of wearing a bra even for flat chested women. Take a look when you get a chance. It is a fun and interesting article!

 

 

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/13/why-women-wear-bras_n_4774248.html?1392297742

Exciting Discounts Coming Soon!

Dr. Bash will be offering amazing discounts this summer. She is having Mother's Day special through the month of May and a Father's Day special through the month of June for her very deserving clients. A 10% discount will be awarded on all surgical and injectable procedures. Yes, that includes Botox and Juvederm too!

Call today to schedule your appointment. We look forward to seeing you!

Happy New Year!

Start the new year off right with reinventing yourself and your look. Come into Dr. Bash's office to  see what she can do to create a new and improved you! Call now to schedule an appointment and a complementary consultation with Dr. Bash herself. (602)792-5789