Author Archive for carolyn

Improved Regenerative Medicine Results

Published by carolyn on March 2, 2012 in Newsletters and Treatments. Closed

Dr. Bowen has developed and is now using two new tools to improve results of regenerative medicine procedures at The Center: HI-DEF™ (density enhanced fraction) platelet concentrate and HEAL™ (high efficiency adipose lipoaspirate). These new methods offer an improvement over earlier techniques of processing a patient’s blood to produce a platelet concentrate and of processing a patient’s fat (adipose tissue) to concentrate adult stem cells.

Both platelet concentrate (or platelet rich plasma – PRP) and adipose-derived adult stem cells are being used in cosmetic regenerative medicine applications such as autologous (your own) fat transfer from areas of excess such as the abdomen, “love handles,” hips, or thighs to areas of deficiency such as the face, hands, breasts, or buttocks. There are also orthopedic applications including treatment for arthritis and cartilage and tendon injuries. Other applications currently in the investigational stage include possible treatments for congestive heart failure, diabetes, COPD, and wound healing.

Platelets contain growth factors, which are released after an injury to initiate a healing response. This response can be amplified by using an increased concentration of the patients’ own platelets. Currently available equipment for preparing PRP increase the platelet concentration by a factor of 1.5 to 2.5 times that found in whole blood.  Dr. Bowen’s HI-DEF™ technique increases the platelet concentration by a factor of 4 to 5 and therefore increases the quantity of healing growth factors available. This improves upon previous platelet concentration methods that also allowed white and red blood cells to mix with the growth factors, thus resulting in an increase in the inflammatory response including increased bruising and swelling of the treated area.

Previous methods of harvesting, processing and using autologous fat have had unpredictable results due in part to the loss of adult stem cells during processing. At The Center, improvement of this technique was achieved by isolating adult stem cells by an enzymatic process. This, however, requires special lab equipment and expertise and is not readily available in other facilities. The HEAL™ technique concentrates the adult stem cells by using just a centrifuge, which allows a faster and therefore less expensive procedure. This procedure could be duplicated in many other facilities making this technology available to a much larger population.

Amazing Results with Photofacial

Published by carolyn on February 17, 2012 in Newsletters and Treatments. Closed

A Photofacial is a laser light treatment that uses intense pulsed light (IPL) to treat a number of problems found in aging skin.

Tens of thousands have been treated with Photofacial in the United States since its inception. The first uses for this technology were the treatment of sun damaged skin (age spots) and also the treatment of changes to blood vessels resulting in redness, flushing and the appearance of small blood vessels. To this day there is no treatment that can compete with Photofacial technology to improve these skin problems.

The Photofacial was further improved with the evolution of the BBL (broad band light) laser device by Sciton and the number of skin conditions that can be treated has expanded to include:
• Acne
• Rosacea
• Large pores
• Scars

With the added benefits of:
• Improving skin health
• Delaying skin aging
• Preventing non-melanoma skin cancer

The Photofacial has no downtime (time for recovery) and does not wound the surface of the skin. The cost for this treatment is also very reasonable, often less than the cost of a year’s worth of over-the-counter lotions, which are of little benefit.

Photofacial treatment can also be combined with other light-based treatments (for example, ProFractional Therapy, DEKA-DOT laser treatment) to treat wrinkles and with cell-based treatments (the Vampire Facelift®, cell-assisted fat transfer) to further improve not only the appearance of the skin but also its health.

Skin is much more than just packaging for our bones, joints and internal organs. It has important hormonal and immune functions, which are likely to improve with improvement in skin health.

Also, improving the appearance of the skin has a positive impact on one’s self-perception and thus can enhance vitality and longevity.

For more information or to schedule your free initial consultation contact The Center today!

Dr. Robert Bowen – At the Forefront of Regenerative Medicine

Published by carolyn on January 18, 2012 in Treatments. Closed

You might not think of it when you think of Martinsburg, but this town is at the forefront of cosmetic regenerative medicine with help from Robert E. Bowen, M.D., Medical Director and founder of The Center for Positive Aging. Dr. Bowen is a leader in cosmetic regenerative medicine, including the use of adult stem cell therapy to create amazing aesthetic results.

“We have the materials we need to make our bodies and faces look and feel younger already inside us – in our own fat cells,” states Dr. Bowen. “Your own fat is a great source of stem cells that can be used to help you in a variety of ways.”

In this regenerative medical process, fat is removed from the body using a routine tumescent liposuction procedure.  This fat is then processed to concentrate the Adipose-Derived Stem Cells (ADSC’s). These concentrated stem cells from your fat enhance the formation of new blood vessels (called “angiogenesis”), improving the success of the fat grafting procedure. The fat is more readily accepted in its new placement, filling in wrinkled areas or areas that have otherwise lost volume, to provide a more youthful appearance.

“What this really means,” says Dr. Bowen, “is that you can use stem cells from your own body to regenerate your skin or face, and dramatically improve your appearance. Cosmetic medicine will never be the same.”

Call The Center today to schedule a free initial consultation to find out if this type of treatment may work for you.

6 Non-Surgical Ways to Diminish Fine Lines and Wrinkles

Published by carolyn on December 15, 2011 in Treatments and Uncategorized. Closed
1. Injectable Fillers
Hyaluronic-acid (HA) based injectable fillers such as Restylane®, and Perlane® can be used to plump out fine lines and folds such as the fold that runs from the corners of the nose to the corners of the mouth (called “the nasolabial fold”).
2. Dysport® and BOTOX® Cosmetic
BOTOX® Cosmetic and Dysport® are purified proteins that soften and diminsh lines around the eyes, on the forehead, between the brows and by the mouth through their muscle-inhibiting properties.
3. Microdermabrasion
Microdermabrasion helps to smooth and even out the skin’s appearance by removing its damaged outer layer so that a healthier new layer can come to the surface.
4. Laser Skin Rejuvenation
Sun-damaged and aging skin is characterized by: lines and wrinkles, discolorations such as excessive redness and/or brown spots, poor tone and texture and volume loss. The Center offers the most advanced laser skin treatments available to improve all these problems. We would be happy to explain the differences between the different laser treatments we offer and to answer any other questions you have about how we can improve the appearance of your skin.
5. NEOCUTIS® Skin Care
NEOCUTIS® is one of the most advanced and effective anti-aging skin care lines in aesthetic medicine.
6. Jane iredale – THE SKIN CARE MAKEUP®
The #1 makeup recommended by plastic surgeons, cosmetic dermatologists and aesthetic medicine doctors is the mineral makeup, Jane Iredale. Called “The Skin Care Makeup”, Iredale makeup reduces inflammation, covers redness, conceals and blends dark spots and dark undereye circles, and protects your skin with broadspectrum UVA/UVB natural sunscreen. And, it’s like silk to wear and adds a nice glow to all skin types!

Non-Aesthetic Benefits of Liposuction

Published by carolyn on December 14, 2011 in Newsletters and Uncategorized. Closed

At The Center for Positive Aging, we believe that, above all else, health is the most important aspect of anti-aging. Our goal is to help you look and feel your youngest. And one of our most popular procedures in getting our patients to this goal is through PureLipo™ tumescent liposuction. PureLipo is an in-office procedure that offers our patients better results than traditional liposuction with minimal downtime and no general anesthesia. Based on new research, liposuction may also have added benefits.

Below is an interesting article we found highlighting these potential benefits:

A new study shows liposuction may provide more than just aesthetic benefit to cosmetic plastic surgery patients. It may also reduce the risk of stroke, heart disease, and diabetes. The study, which was presented at the 2011 annual conference of the American Society of Plastic Surgery, revealed that liposuction patients experienced a decrease in triglyceride levels and white blood cell counts following surgery.Though triglycerides−a type of fat found in the blood which provides the body with energy− are important for good health, levels that are too high can increase the risk for heart disease.

The study documented the triglyceride and cholesterol levels of 322 patients who underwent liposuction and/or tummy tuck surgery (abdominoplasty). Those patients who had elevated triglyceride levels (greater than or equal to 150 mg/dl) before surgery experienced a triglyceride level reduction of 43 percent after surgery. This is about twice the effect that is achieved by one of the most commonly prescribed medications that is used to control triglyceride levels. For those who had normal triglyceride levels prior to surgery, levels remained unchanged.

The study also showed an 11 percent decrease in white blood cells following liposuction. An excessively high white blood cell count has been linked to medical conditions that include diabetes, hypertension, and coronary heart disease.

These finding led the study author, a Kansas plastic surgeon, to suggest that the fat found located just beneath the skin, known as subcutaneous fat, may have a greater correlation with diabetes and heart disease, than has been previously thought. Medical experts have long considered the deeper visceral fat that surrounds the organs to have the stronger link to these medical conditions.

Source: http://drmentz.com/new-study-liposuction.html

 

Click Here to learn more about PureLipo™ or visit LiposuctionWV.com.

Call today to schedule your FREE initial consultation.

 

The Latest BBL Training for Staff at The Center

Published by carolyn on September 12, 2011 in Uncategorized. 574 Comments

Director of Nursing, Nancy Benton, LPN, and newest staff member at The Center for Positive Aging, Ginna Reep, RN, recently completed training in laser skin therapies and the use of BOTOX®, Dysport™ and dermal fillers to enhance facial beauty. This training, held in Aventura, Florida was provided jointly by the Ageless Aesthetic Institute and the Aesthetic Anti-Aging Fellowship of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M). Dr. Bowen served on the faculty of this training.

Also on the faculty of their training was Patrick Bitter, M.D., of California, the physician who invented the “FotoFacial”, known generically as Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) or Broadband Light (BBL™) laser skin treatment.

Dr. Bitter shared his extensive experience (roughly 15,000 cases) of providing BBL™ treatments, noting that no supplement, drug, or cream has the effect, over time, of even one BBL™ treatment. Dr. Bitter has documented lasting improvement in skin appearance, the reversal of signs of aging and a reduced risk of non-melanoma cancer of the skin in patients treated with BBL™ therapy. In fact, skin biopsies have shown that gene expression from skin treated with BBL™ resembles that of the healthy skin of a 20 year old.

BBL™ is a minimal downtime procedure; the area treated feels warm and looks somewhat red for several hours, and abnormal skill cells flake away over the course of a week. Treatment is done in a series of 2-3 treatments over several months’ time, with treatments spaced several weeks apart. BBL™ effectively treats red and brown discolorations of the skin, which are associated with sun damage, aging, and conditions like rosacea.