Photofacial – Anti-Aging Skin Care Treatments For Removal of Age Spots and Blood Vessels

Photofacial skin care treatments, also called IPL, short for Intense Pulsed Light, are very effective, no down time, safe methods for removing pigment, or brown spots, and excess or broken blood vessels from the facial skin. Browns spots, broken blood vessels around the nose, chin and cheeks are classic signs of sun damage and aging of the facial skin. Brown spots, often called age spots are caused by pigment that is produced by the skin to protect the skin from the harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays of the sun. New blood vessels grow into the skin in response to skin injury, first to wash out damaged skin debris and later to bring in healing factors. As our skin ages, the brown spots and broken blood vessels are left behind on the skin after the inflammation or skin injury has passed. These pigmented and red vascular spots create an aged variegated appearance to the facial skin which is called dyschromia, and is a sign of facial aging. Photofacial skin care treatments are the treatment of choice for benign facial skin pigmentation, age spots, brown spots and broken blood vessels and small red spots called telangiectasia on the face. Photofacial treatments are now preferred over laser treatments for these specific pigment and vascular lesions.What Causes Age Spots, Sun Spots, Red Blotches and Broken Blood Vessels on the Face Neck and Décolletage?Browns spots and broken blood vessels around the nose, chin, cheeks, neck, hands and Décolletage are classic signs of sun damage and aging of the skin. Brown spots, often called age spots are caused by pigment that is produced by the skin to protect the skin from the harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays of the sun. New blood vessels grow into the skin in response to skin injury by the sun. This process of new blood vessel growth is called inflammation.The new blood vessels bring blood into the facial skin first to wash out damaged skin cell debris and later to bring in skin healing factors.As our skin ages, the brown spots and broken blood vessels are left behind on the skin after the inflammation or skin injury has passed. These pigmented and red vascular spots create an aged variegated appearance to the facial skin which is called dyschromia, which is a sign of facial aging.Photofacial skin care treatments or IPL treatments are the non-surgical anti-aging skin care treatment of choice for benign facial skin pigmentation, age spots, brown spots and broken blood vessels, the small red spots called telangiectasia, on the face, hands, neck and Décolletage. Photofacial treatments are now preferred over laser treatments for these specific pigment and vascular lesions.How Do Photofacial or Intense Pulsed Light Non-surgical anti-aging Skin Care Treatments Work?Photofacial or IPL anti-aging skin care treatments use a bright flash of visible light, like the light of a camera flash to remove pigment and blood vessels non-surgically from the skin. This pulsed or flashed light is very different from a laser and in most instances, less powerful and less dangerous that laser light.I use a Photofacial IPL machine called the LuxGreen IPL made by Palomar Medical Laser Company in Burlington, Massachusetts. Palomar Medical is the premier manufacturer of Aesthetic Laser and Light therapy machines in the world. The LuxGreen Photofacial is the best Photofacial technology I have ever used. The LuxGreen Photofacial IPL machine is very effective and is the most comfortable for you the patient of any IPL device available.Photofacial skin rejuvenation works by passing a flash of bright light through a filter that only allows a specific color of light in the flash to pass through the filter and hit the skin. In the case of the LuxGreen Photofacial, only light with a wavelength of 550nm (nm=nanometers or one millionth of a meter and is the measure of the green light wavelength in the visible light spectrum) to pass through the IPL filter and hit the skin.The LuxGreen IPL 550nm light is selectively absorbed or taken up by the brown pigment in an age spot or the dark reddish brown color of blood in a blood vessel. When the Photofacial light energy is absorbed by the pigment or blood vessel, the heat from the Photofacial or IPL light destroys the pigment or blood vessel by heating it.This process is called Target Specific Photothermolysis. A specific target, that is a color, is heated (thermo) with a light (photo) beam and dissolved or destroyed (lysis).Using color filters placed in front of the Intense Pulsed Light beam, a wide variety of colors can be allowed through to treat many different skin conditions including hair removal (LuxRed), acne (LuxViolet), and others.What Will My Skin Look Like Immediately After a Photofacial Skin Care Treatment?Unlike lasers, which can cause the skin to peel and possibly leave scars, the Lux Green IPL treatments are very gentle on the skin. The pigment in the brown spot or age spot will darken very slightly, and the treated blood vessel will also darken a bit. However the skin will be intact. The treated areas may also be slightly pink for a few hours.We place ice or a cool pack on the treated area immediately and this also may make the skin pink. However, the pinkness may be covered with makeup immediately. You may return to work. And your skin will be nearly normal the next day.Does An Intense Pulsed Light Skin Care Treatment Hurt?There is minimal discomfort during an IPL care treatment. Anesthesia or numbing medicine is not required. When the IPL flash hits the skin you will feel a small snap or sting, but this is easily tolerated by all of my patients.How Many IPL Skin Care Treatments will I Need?Usually 3 IPL skin care treatments are required spaced 4-5 weeks apart for the best results. Multiple treatments are the price for gentle treatments that are not painful and do not injure the skin.Technically enough power can be used to remove the brown spot or blood vessel in one treatment, but this energy level would be painful, blister the skin and possibly leave a scar. This is what happened with old time laser treatments, and the new IPL is designed to remove pigment and blood vessels painlessly and with no trace or scar left behind. To accomplish this we need to stage the removal in 2-3 treatments 4-5 weeks apart. The results are well worth the wait.How Soon after My Intense Pulsed Light Skin Care Treatment Will I See a Result?Generally you will see the results of your IPL skin care treatment at 4-5 weeks. The brown spot will be lighter or gone and the red spot or blood vessel will be much smaller. Some patients with thin skin and very light pigment or small broken blood vessels will see complete removal after one treatment.However most people see definite improvement 5 weeks after the IPL treatment and require 2 more treatments for complete removal.How Many Intense Pulsed Light Skin Care Treatments Will I Need?If you have very fair thin skin with minimal sun damage and very light pigment or very tiny blood vessels you may only need one IPL treatment. However most people need 3 treatments scheduled 4-5 weeks apart for a complete result.Who Should I Consult For My Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) Skin Care Treatment?The best IPL machines are found in a physician’s office. Less powerful IPL machines are allowed to be used in Spas, but results are not as effective with these downgraded machines. In my experience patients do not get the results that they want in a spa, and often come to my practice for repeat treatments with the LuxGreen IPL after having already spent money for IPL in a spa.The other benefit of having your IPL treatment in a physician’s office is that you will be examined by a doctor who can properly diagnose your skin condition. Some brown lesions are dangerous and require medical evaluation and should not be treated with Intense Pulsed Light. If you have Rosacea or larger blood vessels on your face, a different therapy is required. These are medical treatments and should be done in a doctor’s office. Your skin will be evaluated for more serious skin conditions, and you will receive more effective Intense Pulsed Light skin care treatments.How Do I Find a Good Doctor to Do My Intense Pulsed Light Skin Care Treatment?Light based and laser non-surgical skin rejuvenation treatments are best done by a doctor who is well trained and specializes in anti-aging skin treatments. Your safest bet is to seek consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon or dermatologist who has experience in laser and light based therapies such as Intense Pulsed Light.I am of course prejudiced because I am a board certified plastic surgeon. However, a plastic surgeon is trained and capable of providing the full range of non-surgical and surgical skin anti-aging procedures and can customize your skin treatments to your unique face. Doctors who cannot provide all treatments are tempted to “fit your unique face” into the particular skin treatment they offer, and that is not the best situation for you.Good sources of honest objective information about choosing a physician are available at the following links:American Society of Plastic surgeonsAmerican Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons

Shoe Repairs And Several Other Things When I Was 7

Shoe Repairs And Several Other Things When I Was 7
My Dad repaired most of our shoes believe it or not, I can hardly believe it myself now. With 7 pairs of shoes always needing repairs I think he was quite clever to learn how to “Keep us in shoe Leather” to coin a phrase!

He bought several different sizes of cast iron cobbler’s “lasts”. Last, the old English “Laest” meaning footprint. Lasts were holding devices shaped like a human foot. I have no idea where he would have bought the shoe leather. Only that it was a beautiful creamy, shiny colour and the smell was lovely.

But I do remember our shoes turned upside down on and fitted into these lasts, my Dad cutting the leather around the shape of the shoe, and then hammering nails, into the leather shape. Sometimes we’d feel one or 2 of those nails poking through the insides of our shoes, but our dad always fixed it.

Hiking and Swimming Galas
Dad was a very outdoorsy type, unlike my mother, who was probably too busy indoors. She also enjoyed the peace and quiet when he took us off for the day!

Anyway, he often took us hiking in the mountains where we’d have a picnic of sandwiches and flasks of tea. And more often than not we went by steam train.

We loved poking our heads out of the window until our eyes hurt like mad from a blast of soot blowing back from the engine. But sore, bloodshot eyes never dampened our enthusiasm.

Dad was an avid swimmer and water polo player, and he used to take us to swimming galas, as they were called back then. He often took part in these galas. And again we always travelled by steam train.

Rowing Over To Ireland’s Eye
That’s what we did back then, we had to go by rowboat, the only way to get to Ireland’s eye, which is 15 minutes from mainland Howth. From there we could see Malahide, Lambay Island and Howth Head of course. These days you can take a Round Trip Cruise on a small cruise ship!

But we thoroughly enjoyed rowing and once there we couldn’t wait to climb the rocks, and have a swim. We picnicked and watched the friendly seals doing their thing and showing off.

Not to mention all kinds of birdlife including the Puffin.The Martello Tower was also interesting but a bit dangerous to attempt entering. I’m getting lost in the past as I write, and have to drag myself back to the present.

Fun Outings with The camera Club
Dad was also a very keen amateur photographer, and was a member of a camera Club. There were many Sunday photography outings and along with us came other kids of the members of the club.

And we always had great fun while the adults busied themselves taking photos of everything and anything, it seemed to us. Dad was so serious about his photography that he set up a dark room where he developed and printed his photographs.

All black and white at the time. He and his camera club entered many of their favourites in exhibitions throughout Europe. I’m quite proud to say that many cups and medals were won by Dad. They have been shared amongst all his grandchildren which I find quite special.

He liked taking portraits of us kids too, mostly when we were in a state of untidiness, usually during play. Dad always preferred the natural look of messy hair and clothes in the photos of his children.

Kissimmee Florida Hotels Near Disney World

Kissimmee Florida is a well loved tourist destination in the US. It is not just popular because of Florida’s stretch of fascinating beaches; it also has a lot of theme parks and natural landscapes to boast of. Popular attractions in Florida include Disney World, EPCOT, Sea World and Universal Studios among others.When planning on a trip to either Orlando or Kissimmee in Florida, it is best to prepare months in advance and to make the necessary arrangements in the hotel. This is because hotels get fully booked during holiday seasons. Here are some of the finest hotels in Kissimmee Florida that are near the famous Disney World Theme Park:Vacation Village at ParkwayKnown as Oprah favorite resort-hotel, Vacation Village at Parkway is located at 2949 Arabian Nights Boulevard Kissimmee, Florida. Aside from a Disney ticketing booth, this is just a few minutes away from Disney World. The hotel offers handicap facilities, free parking and a 24hr frond desk.Each room at this hotel is equipped with AM/FM alarm clocks, coffee makers, sofa sleepers, air conditioners and kitchenettes among others. Some rooms even have Jacuzzi tubs along with very large TVs, and furnishings. The hotel also has a pool, shuttle services to the major theme parks, restaurants, business center and exercise facilities as well as Wi-Fi, in-room washer and dryers.Other facilities and amenities include a full-sized fridge, large bathroom, cleaning services, free local calls, hair dryers and safe deposit boxes; plus Cable TVs and parking areas.Wyndham Palms Resort and Country ClubThis hotel is situated at 7900 Mystic Dunes Lane Kissimmee, Florida. It is located with more than 600 acres of amazing tropical Florida landscapes. The hotels features a game room, shuttle services to the airport and area attractions as well as bath amenities, banquet facilities, bike rentals, concierge services and Color TVs with VCRs. They also guarantee meeting facilities, parking areas, daily newspaper, express check-out and a fitness facility along with full kitchens, dining areas, whirlpools and game rooms among others.Onsite restaurants include Clubhouse Bar & Grille, The Caddyshack Bar & Grille and Pizza Hut Express. This is the ideal place for social events, gatherings and wedding celebrations.Best Western LakesideThis hotel is situated at 7769 West Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway Kissimmee, Florida. It is just outside Walt Disney World, featuring Mediterranean-styled settings. Set up with 15 2-storey buildings along with 24 tropically landscaped areas, Best Western is really the ideal destination for those who want a taste of the real action in Kissimmee, Florida.This very spacious landscaped hotel assures its guests with a relaxing stay. Aside from Walt Disney World, it is also near various other well-loved theme parks like Universal Studios and Sea World. For those who want to experience the beach, it is just 20-30 minutes away.Amenities and facilities include free parking, a fitness center, babysitting services, 24hr front desk, lounge and bar as well as alarm clocks, coffee makers, a Business Center, express check out and free local calls. They also provide handicap accessible facilities, non-smoking rooms, onsite restaurants, safe deposit boxes and a pool. This is along with their banquet and meeting rooms, modems, hair dryers and very helpful staff.Kissimmee is truly the heart of everything Florida can offer. It is not just a haven for kids but for couples as well. From its many theme parks to luxurious hotel accommodations, Kissimmee can promote lasting memories for the whole family.