November 9th, 2011 by John Di Saia, M.D. in Health Tips, Opinion
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It seems that DIY plastic surgery as a theme is becoming popular. A month or so ago I was contacted by a producer in the UK about submitting images of some DIY plastic surgery types who found their way into my office. Assuming, like much of my mainstream entertainment bits, that they don’t end up on the cutting room floor, they should be featured in a show sometime in the future.
Now the OC Register’s “In Your Face” blog is reporting on some new reality television shows looking for some fresh DIY plastic surgery talent…meaning you. A pretty scary post for Halloween.
This topic begs the question (scariness aside) as to whether or not there is ever any safe DIY plastic surgery?
The answer, of course, is conditional like most things in life: Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Truth in Cosmetic Surgery*
October 5th, 2011 by ChristopherChangMD in Research
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Though one should always use an EpiPen that is not expired, it is better to use an expired EpiPen to treat anaphylaxis than to do nothing at all.
Some Canadian researchers studied expired EpiPen auto-injectors 1 to 90 months past the expiration date.
What they found was that the older the EpiPen, Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Fauquier ENT Blog*
October 2nd, 2011 by Harvey Simon, M.D. in Research
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Kicking the cigarette habit is one of the best things that smokers can do for themselves. Nicotine replacement products, prescription medications, and counseling can all help. What about the newest tobacco substitute, the electronic cigarette? Despite the appeal of so-called e-cigarettes, we don’t know enough about their safety or effectiveness to give them the green light.
Electronic cigarettes come in a variety of shapes. Some look like cigarettes, pipes, or cigars, while others are disguised as pens or other more socially acceptable items. Whatever their shape, they all are built around a battery-operated heating element, a replaceable cartridge that contains nicotine and other chemicals, and an atomizer that converts the chemicals into an inhalable vapor.
A study published this spring in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine concluded that electronic cigarettes may help smokers quit. Whether they are a safe way to quit is another question—preliminary studies from the FDA, New Zealand, and Greece raise some concerns.
There are three reasons to worry about electronic cigarettes. First, Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Harvard Health Blog*
August 28th, 2011 by John Di Saia, M.D. in Opinion, Research
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The FDA has granted a license to the maker of laViv which is said to improve the appearance of smile lines without freezing the muscles of your face. Have you heard of this new drug? Does it work like it claims? Are there any side effects that are worrisome?
Source: dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2028456/New-biological-wrinkle-cure-touted-alternative-Botox-frozen-face.html
Maybe.
As we have discussed before, FDA approval is not a stamp of approval that a drug is effective. It just means that as far as current studies show, it is not harmful. Some drugs are FDA approved for years until later the FDA reconsiders and removes them from the market. Look at the relatively recent removal of Darvocet from the market after many years of FDA approval.
LaViv is an interesting concept. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Truth in Cosmetic Surgery*
August 3rd, 2011 by Jeffrey Benabio, M.D. in Health Tips
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Yes, laser hair removal is a common and effective way to permanently remove hair. It is safe, but remember these tips:
- Hair removal lasers target the pigment in hair (that’s how they work). Hair lasers can damage darker or pigmented skin as the laser will target both the hair and the skin, burning it. This can lead to permanent skin discoloration.
- Tanned skin is dark skin, and laser hair removal should never be done on people with a tan.
- Laser hair treatments hurt. Some people Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at The Dermatology Blog*
