Archive for July, 2011

4 Easy Ways to Get Younger, Healthier Looking Skin

Published by Bowen on July 29, 2011 in Newsletters and Uncategorized. 115 Comments

With this summer bringing extra heat, the higher temperature means cooler, skin-baring clothing such as shorts, tank tops and swimsuits. Make sure you’re stepping out with your best skin ever with our 4 simple tricks to getting younger and healthier looking skin.

1. Eat the right foods.

Berries such as strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries are the perfect seasonal fruit to get your skin glowing. Packed with antioxidants, these “super foods” will protect your skin from free radicals, prevent wrinkles and produce collagen, giving you more youthful looking skin. Add more berries to your diet by blending them with Greek yogurt and honey for a delicious and satisfying smoothie, or sprinkle them on top of your breakfast cereal or granola for the perfect morning meal.

Carrots are not only a great source of vitamins A and C, they also contain carotene, a pigment that is found to give skin a natural glow and radiance. In fact, studies have found that people who eat more of this sweet veggie have a more attractive complexion compared to tanning in the sun or tanning bed. Incorporate more carrots into your meals by replacing your usual salty snack with baby carrots or adding shredded carrots on top of your salad for a crunchy texture.

Eating healthy fats from nuts, avocados and fish keeps your skin hydrated, reduces the appearance of fine lines and makes you look younger and healthier. Add more Omega-3 in your diet by replacing your chicken entrée with salmon or ordering chips and guacamole as an appetizer with tonight’s Mexican cuisine.

Drink more water and green tea. We often forget to drink water when enjoying ourselves in the warm sunny weather, but staying hydrated is key to maintaining youthful skin. Imagine the difference between plump grapes and dried raisins. Make sure you drink at least the recommended eight 8-ounce glasses of water. Swap your usual coffee with green tea. Green tea has been proven to reduce sun damage, and it has powerful antioxidants that can slow down the signs of aging.

2. Get active.

Play with your kids. Your kids are home during the summer, so make the most of your time together and plan something that is both fun and requires some physical activity. Exercise increases circulation in the body resulting in healthy skin. So take them to the park or the community pool. Just don’t forget the sunscreen.

Sweat it out. It can be tempting to stay indoors where it’s nicely air-conditioned this time of year, but nothing makes the skin glow quite like breaking a good sweat. Sweating detoxifies your body and removes impurities from the skin. Take a hot yoga class or go for a morning run so you have that rosy complexion all day long.

3. Choose the right products.

Exfoliate your face and body. The heat and humidity can cause product build-up that can lead to clogged pores. Exfoliating removes dead skin, dirt, and excess oil from you skin, leaving behind smoother and younger-looking skin. It also helps sunscreen absorb into the skin and makeup better adhere to the face. Try Neocutis’ NEO-CLEANSE Gentle and Exfoliating Skin Cleanser for fresh skin that glows.

Make sure to always apply sunscreen before leaving the house. You know that regular exposure to the sun will have a damaging effect on your skin, leading to wrinkles and age spots. Be sure to protect your face and body with a physical sunscreen like jane iredale’s® Powder-Me SPF™ daily.

Use self-tanner. We’ve already learned that suntanned skin is damaged skin that can lead to visible signs of aging such as age spots, but if you insist on having that beachy, sun-kissed look, fake it with self-tanner. Try jane iredale’s® Tantasia™ which naturally hydrates and moisturizes the skin. Also, the streak-free formula builds color overtime, so you have complete color control. Apply it on your shoulders, shins, and décolleté for a warm glow.

4. Let The Center help.

Varicose and spider veins tend to become more visible as we age, and their unsightliness will keep your shorts and bathing suits tucked away at the bottom of your drawer. This summer, battle varicose and spider veins with the help of The Center for Positive Aging. The Center offers the Sciton 1064 Nd: Yag laser treatment to zap facial and spider veins so you can confidently wear your summer shorts.

Not surprisingly, the more sun exposure we get the more damaged our skin becomes, resulting in hyperpigmentation, commonly known as age spots or sun spots. These freckle-like spots tend to show up on the face, chest shoulders, and even hands. The Center for Positive Aging offers several treatments depending the severity of the sun damage that will combat these blemishes, including; Sciton MicroLaserPeel™, Sciton BBL Photorejuvenation, and ProFractional Therapy™. Get the smooth, even complexion you’ve always wanted with help from The Center.

Sunscreen, sweat and oil from skin can lead to clogged pores that cause breakouts on the face and body. Get rid of acne or acne scars for good with the help of The Center for Positive Aging. The Center offers the Levulan® Acne Treatment Therapy System that combines Levulan® Kerastick® topical solution and BBL broadband pulsed light to treat acne, sun damaged skin, and oily skin.  And, Dr. Bowen has developed an effective treatment approach (Selective Objectional Fractional Technique or SOFT) using ProFractional Therapy to reduce acne scars (and other scars, such as burn scars.)

Put your best skin forward this summer with these easy tips. All it takes is the right foods, a little bit of exercise, effective skin care products, and maybe a little help from The Center. Call today for your  consultation: 304-264-9080.

 

The Center for Positive Aging Welcomes New Employee Adrienne Asam

Published by Bowen on July 29, 2011 in Uncategorized. 5 Comments

Get to know Adrienne in her own words.

Originally from New Oxford, PA, I have been living in Shepherdstown, WV for the past 15 years.  I graduated from Shepherd University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.  While creating art, I always have had a fascination with the workings and sculptural beauty of the human anatomy.  This led me to obtain an additional degree as a Registered Medical Assistant in 2010.  I returned to my alma mater to work in the student health center, as I found I was really able to make an impact on the decisions and health awareness of the student body.  Dr. Bowen and the Center for Positive Aging have enabled me to take my passion for art, and blend it with my knowledge and keen interest in the medical field.  Physical beauty of an individual often allows that person to have their true inner beauty be brought to the surface.  I hope to be a well-versed guide and a sense of comfort and professionalism for all of Dr. Bowen’s patients.   It is certainly a big decision to have any procedure performed, and I hope to be a positive and informative factor to help in every step along the way.

Look Younger with Scientifically Advanced Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine

Published by Bowen on July 18, 2011 in Uncategorized. 3 Comments

Anti-Aging Medicine is the branch of medicine that treats the decline in physical and mental abilities that accompanies aging through vitamins, antioxidants and hormone replacement.   Regenerative Medicine is an emerging, revolutionary approach to treating degenerative conditions that occur with age by harnessing the body’s ability to heal itself.  Disease states currently being treated with Regenerative Medicine include:  diabetes, congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and multiple sclerosis (MS).  However, these therapies are available only in experimental trials or overseas.  Still, Regenerative Medicine to treat the appearance of aging is available today at The Center for Positive Aging.

The sources for treatment with Regenerative Medicine are found in our own bodies.  Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) is obtained by drawing a small amount of the patient’s blood and isolating a high concentration of platelets.  Platelets, in addition to their function as clotting agents, also secrete growth factors that activate resting stem cells and promote healthy tissue healing (versus scar tissue formation).  This process has been used in orthopedic surgery to treat shoulder, heel, knee and elbow injuries.  At The Center for Positive Aging, we have been using this process to treat the signs of aging on the face and hands. The Vampire Facelift® is one procedure we offer that uses this technology.

One of the most exciting discoveries in all of medicine is that our own fat is a rich source of Adult Stem Cells.  Adult Stem Cells are isolated from fat obtained from a “mini liposuction” procedure.   Many more cells can be obtained from fat than can be isolated from the same volume of bone marrow and most of us have plentiful “donor sites” (fat pockets).  These Adult Stem Cells are distinguished from Embryonic Stem Cells that are controversial on moral and ethical grounds.   There are also scientific and practical considerations as Embryonic Stem Cells must be grown in a laboratory (very expensive), and as yet, scientists do not fully understand how to encourage these cells to form the type of tissue desired, for example, skin tissue instead of muscle, bone or cartilage.

At The Center for Positive Aging, we are utilizing these Adult Stem Cells from fat (Adipose Derived Stem Cells or ADSCs) for rejuvenation of the face and hands.  Fat is harvested from an area where less fat is desired, such as the stomach or “love handles,” and re-injected into areas where the patient has lost volume (fat), such as the face or hands.   This powerful combination releases growth factors in large numbers that become a “personalized drugstore for your own body.”   As these cells and growth factors are isolated from your own body, there is virtually no chance of allergic reaction or side effects.

In addition to the clinical procedures of the Vampire Facelift®, autologous fat grafting, also known as fat transfer, augmented with stem cells and/or PRP for face and hands, The Center for Positive Aging and Dr. Bowen are active in research in the areas of combining adult stem cells and PRP with laser treatments, improving methods for isolating stem cells, and treating medical conditions such as congestive heart failure, limb ischemia, wound healing, COPD, diabetes mellitus, MS, macular degeneration and Parkinson’s disease in conjunction with one of the leading hospitals in Latin America (Hospital Angeles, Mexico).

Ask Dr. Bowen or his staff about these clinical procedures or how to participate in a research trial.

Dr. Bowen is a member of several international organizations of doctors and scientists using and researching these techniques, including the American Cosmetic Cellular Medicine Association , the International Federation for Andipose Therapeutics and Science, and the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery.  He also has been a featured speaker at the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M), teaching other doctors these principles and techniques.