Common questions I am asked  on Botox and Chemical Peels:

Hello everyone, over the years I seem to get some similar questions on the topic of botox or chemical peels that are really important to my patients. So I wanted to share them with you with some of my answers:

What is a chemical peel, will It make me red?
Chemical peels have an interesting reputation. People either think that it will make them red and peeling. Like the episode of Sex in the city where Samantha's face was bright red!  Or they have had some type done in the past, and didn’t see a difference. Well, the fact is, there are so many varieties  of chemical peels, some are very mild and some are much stronger. Some have no peeling and no redness,  and others peels can have a longer down time. While some of the milder peels are done in spas, and are very low strength, many Doctors do all varieties of peels. Before I do a peel in my office, I  speak with my patient, see what their needs are and customize a peel to their skin type. Generally, I recommend a program,  a series of peels, where the peel strength is increased over a number of sessions. Same, as you would increase your intensity of workouts over time. This way, the skin can get stronger and rejuvenate over a few peel sessions, without the redness and peeling. But even with one peel, you should be able to feel softer and smoother skin right away.

Is a chemical peel the same as a facial?
NO, chemical peels and facials are totally different. Facials are a spa procedure.  Peels work on a different level to retexturize your skin and dissolve dead, damaged skin. Because of this, they improve the appearance of  sun damage, sunspots, acne, acne scars, fine lines and wrinkles. The chemical peel works very quickly, and generally are not left on the skin for an extended period of time.

Botox-
where does it work? Botox is generally used on the upper part of the face.  The crows feet, the area that wrinkles between the eyebrows and the wrinkles of the forehead are the three typical places. Its a very quick procedure that takes as little as 10 or 15 minutes. Many of my patients can run in then head back to work  during their lunch hours.

How long does it last?- it lasts approximated 4 months.  But you may not see the wrinkles come back right away. I generally tell people that they need to maintain it by getting it done 2 or 3 times a year.

When do I start- am I too young?-  I have a lot of patients ask me if they are too young to start, or how do they know when to start. Look at it this way, if your expression lines are  making fine line or wrinkles when your face is at rest, that is a good time to think about botox. This is a good time to begin it as a form of PREVENTION.  In addition, if you are a smoker or sunbather, then your wrinkles will be deeper at an earlier age, even as soon as your twenties!!!

Will it make my face frozen? Botox gets a bad reputation, because there are so many examples of people who have foreheads that don’t move. This makes botox seem as if it will be a bit severe for the average person.  The truth is, Botox can be done so that it softens the lines, and not look frozen or severe.

For more information, click on the “services” section of the website where you can read more on chemical peel and botox.

Why Do Celebrities Lie about Plastic Surgery?

Award season is upon us! When the gorgeous stars step onto the red carpet for the Golden Globes and the Oscars, they'll be talking about who designed their fabulous gowns, jewelry, handbags and shoes. But, they are definitely not going to talk about the people who may have had a huge role in creating their picture-perfect looks- their plastic surgeons and cosmetic dermatologists.

With the recent wrapping of the Golden Globes and with Oscars night around the corner, it is busy season for cosmetic doctors. Doctor’s offices have been packed in recent weeks with big-name actors and actresses willing to spend thousands to look younger, flawless and perfect.

As Madonna, once said, "Money makes people beautiful. "

We all know the suspects — the stars who protest that they've never had plastic surgery. Or even that they've never had any work done. But these days, plastic surgery does not just mean a facelift. That they have never had any work done is a tricky statement because it implies not having anything done— no Botox, no fillers, no lasers, no peels…

This fascination of who has done what, will always be a hot topic. Read any celebrity blog or tabloid magazine, and you'll notice that people are always trying to determine who in Hollywood has had plastic surgery, and who has not. There are even before and after picture of the celeb's, trying to determine the same. Because the stars are not likely to admit to having anything done, this fuels the fire curiosity.

Why is it so top secret? Because if they do admit to anything, they are subjected to criticism and ridicule. If they do not say anything they get attacked for lying about it. If they say they have done something and didn't like it, then are we supposed to believe they are a better person for it?.

Some celebrities do not mind speaking publicly about plastic surgery, like Joan Rivers, Janice Dickinson, Pamela Anderson, and Kendra Wilkinson's.

And then there are celeb's like Kim Kardashian and botox, doing it on her show and then saying she could never do it again because she was allergic. Then we see photos of her surface with a newly enlarged lip.....Hummm?

The response Kim Kardashian recently gave when asked about her recently swollen lips was: “I never had plastic surgery, I’m the first one to talk about anything that I do. It really pisses me off that all of these plastic surgery rumors are always linked to me… I have the flu. I’m puffy and swollen and I have no makeup on. Why would I just do my bottom lip?”.

Obviously, the general public is very interested in did they or didn’t they? We want to know who has done what, when and where! Well, guess what, the celebrity jet set is also obsessed. They are obsessed with their appearance of perfection.

Lets try and look at it from the viewpoint of the Hollywood elite for a minute.

Pressure: Stars are supposed to be genetically perfect and how can they be perfect if they have to get work done? Most celeb's are not upfront about what they have had done because it would spoil their image in the publics eye. Maintaining their looks are integral to their career. and that maintenance often includes cosmetic procedures. Their looks make or break them.

Under a Magnifying lens: TV cameras and photographers are relentless and will magnify any small detail and turn it into a flaw, so the pressure to be perfect is like a boulder over their head. They are photographed with lenses that can zoom in on a single hair strand on their head. They work in an industry each new star is younger than the next. (hello Willow Smith!) With all this pressure to look perfect, it is no surprise that these star are running to the Doctors now for little procedures that can prevent that dreading thing called aging.

Everyone IS doing or HAS done it: Just know that most celebrities have tried something at one point or another. While some choose to continue, others may not. That being said, if these celebrities start going overboard, and start looking like cartoon versions of their former selves, then it give a negative impact on them and on cosmetic procedures. The public starts to think, that everyone who get anything done will look unnatural. I think the public is smart enough to realize when a celebrity is doing something, however, most people don’t realize the ones that are still doing it, but subtly enough that they just look amazing.

That is where I believe the Doctor plays a HUGE role, I often times have been in a position when I have said NO MORE to my patients. It is my responsibility with my eye and my experience to know when enough is enough. It has become far to common for cosmetic procedure to look fake and unnatural, and I am telling you this is not normal and not OK.

Not every procedure looks plastic: All my first time patients who come to me are always scared or weary of the results looking unnatural because they see it that way on celebrities. I want to tell you that its only after numerous procedures that one gets to the point of it looking unnatural, or over done. This is why I cant state strongly enough that you need to have a dialogue with your Dr and trust that S/he will tell you when enough is enough.

Have I treated celebrities and models? Thats not for me to tell. The fact is, a lot more people are doing it, more than you realize. My opinion is, if they did, and most likely they did. its their business and their choice to keep it mum.

It is also important to remember, NOBODY is perfect, not even hollywood. Unless you have peace of mind and heart, nothing you do to your face or body will make anything better except that area you just treated....

Back to Madonna, She was quoted saying something like, 'I'm not against plastic surgery, I'm just against talking about it.'

That about sums up Hollywood !

FIVE Super foods for Super SKIN beauty-

Get out a pen and get ready to add these to your grocery list.

The amount of education on skin care is increasing.  The number of cosmetic and plastic surgery procedures have been on  the rise over the past years, in both men and women. From everything from skin care,  botox, fillers , chemical peels and  face lifts. People want to feel good and LOOK amazing.

You already know that what you eat can effect how you feel. However,  did you know what you eat can also help with your looks?

Today I will discuss five super foods for super health and super beauty!
These are five key ingredients everyone must have in your diet.

From wrinkles to redness to dry skin, you may able to help the effect of creams and procedures  with certain foods !So get your pens out, and add these to your  grocery list to help keep you gorgeous. Think of these food that when you eat, can help your skin from the inside out.

Here are five super foods for super beauty.

Q: Which food protects skin from sun damage?
A: Pink Grapefruit !
Just a half of grapefruit a week is a great start!
Reason:  Pink Grapefruit is  full of lycopene, which is a powerful antioxidant that shields our skin from UV damage. UV exposure creates free radicals, and those free radicals cause our skins DNA to break down. NOTE, this is NOT a substitute for sunscreen, but a great internal nutrient that will help add the powerful Lycopene antioxidant from inside.
What are  free radicals? Think of them as little bullets that break the skin cells and DNA bonds that hold the skin together. Causing all sorts of ugly skin damage, and wrinkles and even cancer.
The antioxidant, such as that in lycopene, strengthen the bonds in cell and protects DNA.

Q. which super food help prevent wrinkles?
A: Red Peppers !
Reason: Red peppers are RICH in vitamin C.  They have TWICE the vitamin C as an orange and a third of the calories. A half cup of Red peppers only have 20 calories!!
Why is vitamin C important? Vitamin C helps to  rebuild collagen fibers which our skin needs to keep it thickness and texture.  As we age, collagen fibers become loose and that is the cause of wrinkles and saggy skin.
Imagine collagen as a rubber band, as it breaks down, the rubber bands become brittle and breaks, instead of being bouncy and resilient.  This shows up on your skin surface as wrinkles, crinkles and sagginess. Vitamin C binds the collagen together and keeps them strong. Keeping the skin surface smooth.

Q:  which super food prevents Acne?
A:  collard greens!
Reason: its contains a load of vitamin A. Vitamin A is the most successful prescription skin treatment for acne, its is in retin-A, and medications like Accutane. The higher levels of vitamin A in your blood, the less your acne symptoms.
You need about a half cup of collard greens to get this benefit.

Q. which super food prevents DRY SKIN?
A: TROUT !!
Reason: ITS HAS NATURAL OMEGA 3 FATTY ACIDS THESE CAN HYDRATE YOUR SKIN FROM WITHIN.
1-2 average slices a week. You have probably already heard eating Salmon and mackerel is healthy and contain much Omega 3 fatty acids. Yes, this is all true, however trout is a great alternative. Especially,  If you are getting tired of  Salmon and want to mix it up, try trout. Trout is also less expensive than Salmon.

Q. which super food reduces redness and inflammation?
A. CAPERS !
Reason: The contain an ingredient called quercetin.  Quercetin has a two fold effect, it act as a natural antihistamine, and  it also has an anti-inflammatory benefits.  This can really help to  de-puff and decrease inflammation and redness on the face. Eating a small amount of capers, a table spoon twice a week will help.


SO there you have it. Add all these foods to your grocery list.  Please remember these foods help from the INSIDE, so they are NOT alternative to topical sunscreens and antioxidant creams or dermatologic procedures,
but they are definite nutrient powerhouses that will help along with a good skin care regimen


DR Mir

Loving the cooler weather.......But The bad news is that your skin feels really dry

This dryness is a big reason people come see this  this time of year.
The  cooler weather brings uncomfortable dryness to the skin of the face, hands,  legs, elbows and feet. For some people, the problem is much worse  than others !
That’s the bad news, but, the good news is that it is  one of the easiest conditions to fix.   

Why this time of year?
As the  weather outdoors gets cold and windy,  we also loose the humidity of summer. To make it worse, as  soon as you turn the heat on indoors, that also  saps out the moisture in your skin.
One of the  jobs of your skin  is to provide a barrier and hold in moisture. The the outermost layer of skin produces lipids ,  natural oils that moisturize and limit loss of moisture on the skin. When  cold windy  outdoor air, and dry  heated indoor air strip away the lipid barrier, moisture escapes, and this causes the dryness you feel.  

Here are some simple tips  to put an end to dryness, itching, flakiness, and tightness:

Humidify your air: Even if you drink a lot of water each day, you can still have dry, sensitive skin. With dry air and low humidity levels,  cold windy temperatures outside, combined with dry indoor heating systems,   all suck moisture out of the skins surface like a wick. This is a good time to invest in a humidifier, especially in your bedroom, to help humidify the air and your skin as your sleep.

Turn down the temp on long, hot showers – We tend to turn up the water temp this time of year when showering or washing hands.  But even just a 10 minute hot shower can  wash away skin-protecting oils!   You would think that water moisturizes your skin, but the truth is hot water showers, washing your hands, or baths will strip the skin of it lipid layer, this will make skin dryer in the winter.    The best solution is to  use luke warm water to wash, rather than hot showers. Try not to use soaps that contain ingredients like sodium lauryl sulfate, or antibacterial soaps, as they can strip you skin of hydration. One of my favorite body washes is Dove Nutrium Moisture noursihing body wash for sensitive skin . After your wash,  PAT yourself dry don’t rub. Rubbing can irritate your skin and remove more moisture. Apply a rich skin moisturizer immediately after bathing. If you apply a moisturizer while your skin is still damp, it will help seal in the water as well as your body’s natural oils, one I recommend for the boday is Nivea essentially enriched moisture lotion. And one of my favorite hand moisturizers is Curel hand and cuticle cream.

Medications/ topical creams are secret culprits- The very same medications you use year round can make your skin more sensitive in the cold weather. Certain prescription drugs, such as antihistamines, can also cause dry skin. acne treatments, Topical creams containing retinoids (wrinkle-and acne-fighting vitamin A compounds) are culprits. If you use any of these, or  use glycolic creams or lotions, you may want to used them every other night instead of nightly.

Hydrate at night - Ive already suggested keeping a humidifier next to your bed to add moisture to your environment and your skin. But, this is also the best time for a moisturizer. Natural humectants such as vitamin E, Hyaluronic acid are preferred over petroleums and mineral oils. I love my MirSkin ultra Moisturizer mixed with my hydrating eye serum. Its a mega moisture boost to skin, day and night !

When to see an EXPERT : If you have tried everything but dont see any improvement, see a dermatologist.  dryness could be a symptom of a more serious medical condition, like eczema or psoriasis.


Some products the best products I have found are:

* MirSkin Hydrating eye serum- made of hyaluronic acid a susbstance that holds multiple times  it weight in moisture.  Hyaluronic acid is  found naturally in the body to lubricate.   I love it and  I don't just used it my eyes, I also used it on my lashes and I mix some into my moisturizers.
* Dove Nutrium Moisture noursihing body wash for sensitive skin
* Nivea essentially enriched moisture lotion
* Aquaphor ( especially for lips, cuticles and dry feet)
* Bio-oil - Bio-Oil helps replenish the skin’s natural oils that have been stripped away, It also  Helps reduce the appearance of both new and old scars.  ( www.drugstore.com/bio-oil)


Some Make Up Tips:
I Spoke with up Make up artist,  Erin Williams   <http://www.erinsfaces.com>  , and asked her what she could suggest for hydrating make-up.

Erin added Some of her Favorites
“I love Awake sign revolution eye cream,  Mally's concealers, Dior's perfecting hydrating concealers and tinted moisturizer from Hourglass as it hydrates with hyaluronic acid but is oil, fragrance and paraben free.  “

For more information on Erin www.erinsfaces.com

So hopefully you are feeling softer and smoother already :)

Dr Mir

MUST READ- What IS in your food? Disturbing Secrets of the Food Industry


May people read the front of food labels and see such things as heart healthy, low fat, organic, lowers cholesterol, good source of vitamins. But do you REALLY know what it all means? How many of you know that much of the food industry  makes inflated claims and are allowed certain leniency's that are perfectly legal and totally disturbing.

Here are  some of the ways the food industry  misleads the consumer, the facts are frightening and hopefully will make you more aware of the way you eat.

HEART HEALTH LOGO CAN BE MISLEADING:
Food companies pay an administrative  fee  to the American Heart Association (AHA) to test the nutritional content of their foods.  This is in order to get the AHA heart healthy logo out on their packaging . The problem is, the AHA tests  all the ingredients in said food  EXCEPT for sugar content!!!! this is why sometime sugary foods can have the AHA seal of approval.
Sugar content in foods are is NOT measured by the AHA!
Its well studied that the excess sugar you eat is converted by your body to FAT.  This is not to mention all the additional risks of high sugar diet.
CHECK the label of the foods you buy, you should use the following guidelines per serving.
ALWAYS LOOK FOR:

• Fat 4 gram or less
• Sodium 480mg or less
• Fiber 2g or more
• Sugar 4g or less

DRINKS ARE MAKING FALSE HEALTH CLAIMS:
Many food  such as those with Pomegranate, Acai,   like brands such as, but not only,  POM, Cheerios,  Activia, tropicana - Have boasted such claims  as they prevent heart disease, lower cholesterol, lower the risk of cancer and even improved erectile dysfunction. The FDA has  gone after these juice companies to curb such claims, but the companies continue to make these claims. Isn't it pretty outrageous that juice company can make claims similar to DRUG companies?? And not even the FDA has been able to stop them?

vitamin/sports drinks- these are one of the biggest ways we are duped as a consumer. These items are basically expensive sugar water!!  Think of a jelly bean, you cannot fortify a jelly bean with vitamins and call it a nutrient can you? The answers is no. Think of this with vitamin/sports waters.  Astonishingly, some of these vitamin water drinks have as much as  33g of sugar in every 20oz bottle, this is the same as TWO scoops of ice cream!! *
When looking at juices, in order avoid added sugar look at those that say they are  100% juices with no added sugars.  

MEAT LABELS CAN BE DECEPTIVE:
This is because nobody know what these labels mean. you have probably seen all of the following:
100% grass fed, USDA certified organic, natural, pasture raised, grass-fed.
BUT which of these are the most important ones to look for?
well its actually USDA certified organic- which means the animal is allowed to go into the pasture and eat, and is NOT given hormones. Second  best is the label 100%grass fed.

BUGS ARE ALLOWED IN FOODS !!!!!!
and its totally legal in certain levels under FDA rules!!!!!! This is such a disgusting fact, that a certain amount of bugs are allowed in foods. And the biggest two offenders are maggots and rodents!   (My stomach is turning and I swore I would never eat again after I read that!) Flies can get on ANY foods, lay eggs that turn into maggots this can happen in every type of food from vegetable to meats. 10 fly eggs are allowed in ever 3.5oz of tomato juices according to the FDA food defects handbook!!!!*

Also Rat hair and feces are legally allowed in certain levels from every food from pastas to peanut butters.
5 rodent hairs are allowed and ‚ considered “safe" to eat in a 17oz jar of peanut butter, the FDA handbook says bugs are rodents parts in foods unavoidable when  dealing with natural food products*

Are you nauseated yet?

We need to crack down on this. just recently there was a recall with Baby foods infested with beetle parts!

But you can do something today.  Instead of just waiting for reform, we have the ability to do the following. When you are grocery shopping look at the products labels, the ones with the FEWEST ingredients in them  have LEAST chances of contamination, because there are less steps in making it. So less chances of exposure to bugs and rodents  This is something we can do every time we shop.  

So now, what's  for dinner tonight ?

Dr Mir

*stats from the Dr Mehmet Oz program and Fda food defects handbook