Month: November 2015

Arnica montana, is a European flowering plant in the sunflower family which is noted for its large yellow flower head. The main constituents of are essential oils, fatty acids, thymol, pseudoguaianolide sesquiterpene lactones and flavanone glycosides.

Arnica montana has a history of medicinal use dating back to the 1500s and patients have been using Arnica to help reduce post-surgical swelling and bruising. It is postulated that Arnica’s actions may be due to two chemicals called helenalin and dihyrdohelenalin.

In plastic surgery where bruising and swelling can be more apparent the widespread use of arnica has often been recommended even though the evidence has been somewhat contradictory.  

A recent randomized, placebo-controlled trial study from Holland has evaluated arnica and its effect on patients undergoing blepharoplasty surgery. The authors evaluated patients who had undergone bilateral upper blepharoplasty patients into two study arms: One received arnica ointment 10% and the other a placebo ointment. The periorbital area of the treated side received either arnica or placebo ointment, whereas the opposite periorbital area received no ointment and served as an internal control. The overall periorbital appearance was assessed by a medical and nonmedical panel using light photography at 3 days, 7 days and 6 weeks. Swelling, pain, ecchymosis (bruising), erythema and patient satisfaction with recovery/outcome were also assessed.

The study found no significant differences between arnica and placebo justifying the conclusion:-

“Our study demonstrates that the use of topical arnica after upper blepharoplasty does not reduce postoperative ecchymosis, erythema, swelling, or pain of the eyelids, nor does it increase patient satisfaction with postoperative recovery or outcome.”

As the authors suggest this study should provide guidance to patients and clinicians about the role of arnica in postoperative recovery.

Mr Ross believes that patients should be empowered to make their own decisions regarding the use of Arnica Montana and does not routinely recommend its use within his plastic surgery practice.

Reference:

Van exsel DC, Pool SM, Van uchelen JH, Edens MA, Van der lei B, Melenhorst WB. Arnica Ointment 10% Does Not Improve Upper Blepharoplasty Outcome: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2016;138(1):66-73.

Recent research from The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) found that ‘tweaked, not tucked’ has become the new ideal for many. Research has shown that there has been an increase in the number of people over the age of 60 undergoing plastic surgery treatments.  Additionally, research from The Independent Pensions Advisory Service (TPAS) found pensioners have been informing their advisers they would like to spend the money on cosmetic surgery such as breast enlargement, face lifts, and dental implants.

The reason suggested behind this increase in the over 60s undergoing cosmetic treatments is that many people are looking for a little extra help to match how they feel with how they look.  People are living longer and are in better health, many older adults are exercising on a regular basis and tying to stay fit. All of us want to look as good as we feel, and this may mean a nip and tuck here and there. 

Another factor affecting the increase in patients over the age of 60 has to do with people working longer these days. Many older adults are not fully retired and want to spend their pensions and extra cash on themselves to make them feel happier in their body. An article on Real Self interviewed an elderly lady who was shocked by her aged appearance and wanted to change her exterior to match the age she felt inside.  This notion of wanting to look as good as we feel seems to be the driving factor behind older adults undergoing plastic surgery, and many are feeling much better having done so. 

There have been questions raised surrounding older adults undergoing elective surgery at their age, but many professionals have addressed these questions. As with any surgery, it is important for the patient to be in good health before undergoing an operation, and just because a person is older, doesn’t mean they’re in poor health.  How healthy a person is doesn’t always depend on physical age, as long as the person leads a healthy lifestyle then being over 60 does not mean that they are at an increased risk during surgery. 

Vitamin D is a vital part of a healthy lifestyle due to its many health benefits. Vitamin D is important for growth and development of healthy bones and teeth, and is suggested to protect us against diseases such as cancer and diabetes. 

New research into the sources of vitamin D has found that the winters of Britain do not expose us to enough sunlight in order for our bodies to synthesise this and produce the vitamin D that we need. 

This research means that in the UK, we can’t rely on sunshine to meet our vitamin D requirements. The likely effect of this will be an increase in vitamin D supplements across Britain as we can’t get our entire vitamin D requirement solely from food. 

It is important that we lead a healthy lifestyle and as this new research has shown that many of us are likely to suffer a vitamin D deficiency in the winter months, we must look to other ways of meeting our vitamin D requirements. Taking Vitamin supplements and consuming food rich in vitamin D can help to increase a person’s daily intake of vitamin D and aid them in living a healthy lifestyle. For example, Marks and Spencer recently became the first retailer to fortify their complete range of bread products with vitamin D, increasing a person’s vitamin D intake from consuming these products. 

These lifestyle choices are important in the winter months when we may not be synthesising enough vitamin D from sunlight in order to meet our daily requirements.

With summer starting to show its presence, we will be swapping our winter boots for those summer time heels, but does wearing high heels damage your feet and cause any long-term damage? 

According to research, wearing high heels all day and having to walk around in them for long periods of time can cause and even worsen common conditions such as bunions and neuromas. 

We have listed a few warning signs to be aware of if you do wear heels often and for long periods of time:

• Pain in the ball of your foot or toe joints
• Shooting pains or numbness in the balls of your feet
• Bleeding underneath your toenails

According to research, it is safe to wear high heels for a few hours a day, like at work for example, or for a night out. It is advised that a broader heel is better than a thin, pencil type heel as a broader heel is more stable and reduces the pressure to your feet. 

There are plenty of options available to reduce stress levels and leave us looking good and feeling great, from wrinkle treatments to meditation. Below we look at some of the key factors that cause us to age and the ways you can combat these and start to feel more relaxed and rejuvenated inside and out.

Alcohol

– Alcohol dries out the skin, so reducing your alcohol intake is the simplest way to minimise the impact this has on the appearance of your skin. Make sure your keep your skin hydrated by drinking plenty of water.

Water Intake

– Increasing your water intake can drastically improve your skins appearance by increasing its radiance and healthy glow. Hydrated skin looks fresh and healthy and will drastically improve the effects of ageing.

Smoking

– Lines caused by smoking can be tackled with dermal fillers which plump out and fill lines. This is a particularly effective treatment for lines around the mouth.

– For deeper lines Botox can be used to ease deeper wrinkles around the mouth and eyes.

Lack of sleep

– Sleep tracking apps and devices will help you define your sleeping habits. These devices can recommend personalised sleep schedules, give you reminders of when it’s time to go to bed and tips for improving your night time routine.

– Meditation is a well-known way to reduce stress and anxiety, but did you know it can also improve sleep? One study showed that 58% of insomniacs showed significant improvements in sleep by practising meditation. The easiest way to drift off to a better night’s sleep is with a guided meditation app with features designed to ease you into sleep.

Increasing your hours of sleep will help your skin to appear less tired and will rejuvenate your facial appearance.

What Is An Abdominoplasty?

An abdominoplasty is also called a ‘tummy tuck’ and is an operation designed to rejuvenate the abdominal area and remove excess fat and skin. It is often performed on patients who have either lost a lot of weight or to remove the excess loose tissue following childbirth. In most cases it restores weakened or separated muscles creating an improved abdominal contour.

Who Is It Suitable For?

For those of normal stable body weight who have developed excess skin and / or fat. The common causes are pregnancy, weight loss, aging, genetic or due to prior surgery.

Who Is It Not Suitable For?

A patient who has been encouraged to improve their contour by others is not a good candidate for surgery as they may not actually be comfortable going ahead with surgery. Patients with unrealistic expectations are also not good candidates for surgery as they will never be happy with the results they achieve if they expect perfection or unrealistic outcomes. Patients who smoke or have a significant past medical history are also not ideal candidates for surgery. Those who plan to have more children should consider the pros and cons of an operation.

How Much Does A Tummy Tuck Cost?

This depends on what is required. After a consultation with Mr Ross you will be given a quote for surgery. This will include the surgeon’s fee, hospital fee and anaesthetic fee and will include all the benefits of the BMI’s options package.

What To Expect During Your Consultation?

The success of the consultation depends on your openness and honesty in relation to what troubles you and your expectations of surgery. You will be asked questions about your health, desires and lifestyle. Different operations can be tailored to your needs and the potential outcomes and the risks and complications will be discussed with you. The operation removes excess tissue from the abdominal area and the type of abdominoplasty needs to be tailored to the individual. Various types of abdominoplasty procedures are available and may be combined with liposuction. It may involve lifting the whole abdominal skin, repositioning of the belly button and tightening of the abdominal muscles. For patients following significant weight loss other adjunctive procedures may be required. A consultation regarding the risks and limitations of surgery will help you to choose a procedure that will meet with your expectations.

Preparing For Tummy Tuck Surgery

The majority of abdominal rejuvenation procedures on the abdomen require general anaesthetic. Your health is of prime importance and any cosmetic surgery should be postponed if you are unwell for any reason. It is important that if anything changes with your health that you make contact with us. You should ideally stop smoking 6 weeks prior to surgery and stop taking aspirin, anti-inflammatory drugs and herbal supplements before surgery, you may need preoperative tests prior to surgery, which we will arrange if required. You will generally experience abdominal discomfort following the surgery and should aim to be off work for at least 2 weeks depending on the type of work you have done.

When going on holiday, everyone usually remembers to pack sun cream. This check list will help you make sure you’re picking the right sun cream and making the right decisions, and also give you some top tips to avoid sun burn.

1. There’s a difference between UVA and UVB

UVB rays are the burning rays that cause sun burn; they damage the superficial layers of the skin.

UVA rays however penetrate your skin much deeper, and these are the rays which can cause skin cancer. 

1. You need a ‘broad spectrum’ sun cream 

This means that you need to check the UVA star system which can be found on your sun cream bottle. The star rating ranges from zero to five, and this measures how much of the UVA rays are absorbed by the sun cream. So it’s really important that you use a sun cream with a high UVA rating to get full protection – a UVA rating of 4-5 is considered a good standard, coupled with an SPF of at least 30.

1. A higher factor doesn’t always mean a higher protection

Higher SPF’s do not always offer greater protection than the lower SPF’s, and this can lead people into a false sense of security. For example, SPF 30 offers a 97% protection from UVB rays, and SPF 50 protects against 98% UVB rays, so there isn’t much in it, that’s why it’s important to always re apply and keep an eye on your skin.

1. You must reapply your sun cream  

Even if your sun cream states that it is water resistant, you are only protected for a certain amount of time once wet, so you will have to reapply your sun cream after getting wet. When on holiday in the sun you also sweat a lot, and this also affects the level of protection your sun cream provides as the sweat breaks down the sun cream, so again, even if you just lie on the sun bed and don’t move for hours, you must reapply your sun cream every couple of hours to maintain protection.

1. Spray sun creams aren’t always the best option

Aerosol sun creams can include a lot of alcohol, and this can dry out your skin and hinder the protection your sun cream gives. This means when buying sun cream, check the label for alcohol in the list of ingredients. If the sun cream does include alcohol, then go for a different option as this cream is likely to dry out your skin and increase your risk of sun burn.