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.

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!

“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.

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.

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.

People with fair skin tend to be effected by rosacea more than others, and it appears to be hereditary, but the exact cause of rosacea is not known. It is not caused by alcohol abuse, as commonly thought, but symptoms can flare with alcohol use. It also seems to flare when doing anything that causes blood vessels in the face to expand, such as exercise, contact with heat or hot water, eating spicy food, or stress.

Symptoms of Rosacea May Include:

• Redness on the face and pimples on the cheeks, nose, mouth, chin and forehead.
• Spider veins visible on the face.
• Red or swollen eyelids, with dry or irritated eyes.
• Burning or stinging of the skin on the face.
• Sensitive facial skin.

 Treatments for Rosacea may Include:

The Center offers Neocutis®, a powerful line of skin care products. These products heal and nurish the skin, restore skin radiance, clarity and luminosity, hydrate the skin, and can improve skin texture and tone.

The Levulan® Photodynamic Therapy System is a two-part process that utilizes both the Levulan® Kerastick® topical solution and a BBL (broadband pulsed light). This combination of Levulan® and BBL smooths skin texture, reduces acne, and helps to create a more even skin tone.

Sciton BBL™ Photorejuvenation is a cosmetic treatment that treats vascular redness and the appearance of rosacea. The use of the broadband light therapy (an advanced version of IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) can improve acne breakouts common with rosacea and repair damaged skin, evening skin tone and texture. BBL is the gold-standard in treating rosacea.

The Center offers jane iredale® skin care makup®, perfect for after a laser treatment or to use as a cover-up. It is non-irritating, allergy and safety tested, and hypoallergenic.

Does it sound like you may be experiencing rosacea? You’re not alone. Rosacea is very common, and treatments are available. Please contact The Center today to learn more about rosacea treatments.

You are not alone. Estimates are that up to 30% of women and 20% of men ages 20 to 60 suffer from acne as adults. The numbers don’t make it any less embarrassing, though.

Causes of Adult Acne

The causes of acne in adults are similar to what causes it in younger people; sebum, an oily substance produced by your sebaceous glands, gathers and clogs pores, attracting bacteria and becoming inflamed. This can be heightened by a hypersensitivity to male hormones or an imbalance in estrogen. This is why women often suffer from acne during pregnancy, perimenopause and menopause. Makeup can also add to the development of acne.

Treatments for Adult Acne

There are a number of ways to treat acne in adults:

1. Keep your skin clean:  Just as when you were younger, use a good cleanser and scrub your face. This helps loosen dead skin and remove oils in the skin, keeping acne symptoms from spreading or getting worse.
2. Use over-the-counter creams and lotions:  There are a variety of retinol products that can be purchased at your local pharmacy or grocery to treat adult acne. To treat active acne, use products that include benzoyl peroxide to kill bacteria.
3. Vibradermabrasion:  The Center for Positive Aging offers Vibradermabrasion, a procedure similar to microdermabrasion, to gently remove the top layer of old skin, leaving newer, smoother skin beneath. Vibradermabrasion can help to reverse either excessive dryness or oiliness of the skin, reducing pore size and creating a more uniform look to the skin. It also helps to stimulate collagen. Vibradermabrasion is a quick, easy, inexpensive and non-invasive way to treat adult acne.
4. The use of Leuvlan® Photodynamic Therapy is very effective in treating adult acne. Levulan® Kerastick® topical solution is applied to the skin, and then broadband pulsed light in the blue spectrum (called BBL) is shone on the skin. The Levulan® topical solution makes the skin more sensitive to light. Then the BBL light is used to attack the bacteria. This procedure kills the bacteria in the skin that causes pimples and cripples the sebaceous glands, helping to alleviate acne problems.
5. Cystic acne can be treated with Sciton’s SkinTyte technology. While not originally designed for this use, Dr. Bowen noticed that patients with acne get an improvement in their painful breakouts after treatment with SkinTyte. By safely but deeply heating the dermis, sebaceous glands which are overactive are crippled and acne breakouts decreased.
6. To cover adult acne without exacerbating the blemishes, use jane iredale® Liquid Mineral™ foundation. The lightweight coverage gives the appearance of a clean and clear complexion without clogging pores, and its anti-inflammatory ingredients calms and soothes irritation.
7. Acne scars, whether new or old, can be effectively treated at The Center as well. ProFractional Therapy™, the latest in laser technology, can aggressively treat a whole host of problems and involves less downtime and discomfort than traditional laser treatment. Not only will ProFractional Therapy™ do wonders to improve the skin’s cosmetic appearance (reducing fine lines, wrinkles and sun spots; improving skin clarity; decreasing pore size), this remarkable laser treatment is capable of remodeling and improving even deep acne scars (and other scars as well). SOFT™ is the trademarked name of the process developed by Dr. Bowen to treat burn and acne scars.

Conclusion

Being 40 and still having acne doesn’t make you feel any younger…pimples are not fun at any age. But luckily, there is something you can do about it. If you are interested in learning more about treatments for your adult acne, call The Center today to schedule a consultation.

Not surprisingly, aging itself is a factor that contributes largely to wrinkles. Collagen, a substance that provides support in the upper layer of the skin, decreases about 1% per year after the age of 40.  Furthermore, sun exposure and lifestyle habits such as smoking and drinking alcohol accelerate the aging process by breaking down collagen fibers which results in accelerated wrinkle formation.

Treating the Aging Face

To slow down the process of aging, it is important to address as many of the aforementioned wrinkle-causing factors as possible.  This can be done through both internal and external treatments.

Internal treatments include taking vitamins, antioxidants and supplements; smoking cessation, limiting alcohol consumption, eating a healthy and nutritional diet, a positive lifestyle and stress management.

External treatments include: Dysport®, BOTOX®, Restylane®, JUVEDERM®, Radiesse®, other dermal fillers, chemical peels, MicroLaserPeel™, ProFractional laser treatment, BBL light/laser treatment, medical-grade skin care, and sun protection.

The Center for Positive Aging offers these external treatments and can customize a skin treatment program that will slow down the aging process of your skin.  Take preventative measures today, and call us for a consultation at 304-264-9080.

Fortunately, age spots are treatable with the following procedures:

Vibraderm – Microdermabrasion: Proven to safely and effectively remove layers of old, discolored skin, this treatment can reduce the visibility of sun damage at its early stages.

Sciton MicroLaserPeel™:  Using an Erbium laser, this procedure is a minimum downtime laser peel that is ideal for vaporizing undesired, sun damaged skin and improving the skin’s overall texture and tone.  The MicroLaserPeel™ is ideal for the face, neck, chest, and hands.

Sciton BBL™ Photorejuvenation: Commonly referred to as photofacial, this cosmetic treatment uses BBL therapy – an advanced version of Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) – and is designed to reverse the signs of aging and sun damage by treating the pigmented brown spots, skin texture, and collagen structure all at once. Photorejuvenation is an ideal way to treat age spots (as well as other forms of hyper pigmentation) with no downtime, little discomfort and optimal results using a series of treatments.

NEOCUTIS® Skin Care Products: The Center offers this medical-grade skin care line that combines Processed Skin Cell Proteins or PSPs, Human Growth Factors and other ingredients with anti-aging properties that reverse visible signs of aging.