Beautiful. Medicine.

Exciting News for Patients with Thinning Hair: With FUE, single Follicular units (that means groupings of 1, 2, 3, and sometimes, 4 hair follicles)  are able to be extracted individually from the donor area without a scalpel. This is great news for the patient, as they will not require any stitches and there is no remaining scar. FUE is a far less invasive procedure that heals faster and has less activity restrictions post-operatively.

NeoGraft works as an extension of the human hand to help harvest hair follicles efficiently from the scalp at a rate and speed that is significantly faster than manual extraction. Prior to NeoGraft, surgeons required significantly more time to get the same numbers of grafts as a traditional (linear or strip) harvest. For many years, only 500-700 grafts were able to be harvested per day with FUE. Today, the NeoGraft device has enabled surgeons to consistently harvest 1,500 + grafts during a normal procedure day.

There are several benefits of Follicular Unit Extraction. Patients walk out of the procedure with the grafts implanted in the ‘recipient area’ just like they do with a traditional procedure, but there are no stitches and therefore less discomfort. The tiny circular incisions will heal and become nearly invisible within a matter of days.

Dear Dr Fine,

I always seem to loose weight when I diet, however I also always gain the weight back within the next few months. Why is that and what can I do?

Leon
Boynton Beach

Dear Leon,

Weight loss is an internal process. Diets attempt to change what you eat while exercise affects your body’s strength and endurance. Unhealthy eating is the result of poor choices, therefore it is necessary to change our thoughts and learn to restructure our thinking. Everyone is different your best chances for success is to sit down with a specialist in Weight Maintenance who can individualize specific strategies. Success requires the right attitude in addition to the proper program.

Do you recommend keeping a weight loss journal and why?

Stephanie
Hialeah Gardens

Dear Stephanie,

Absolutely, If you are serious about making a lifestyle change a personal journal should be kept not only to identify what your eating but to identify how much your exercising and the motivating forces that influence your eating.

A Prosthodontist is a specialist in caring for adult patients who want a higher level of routine care, have high expectations, desire improvements in the appearance of their smile, or who need more involved dental problems expertly treated.

Our Cosmetic Dentistry team leads the way in the industry today providing optimal oral health and aesthetics. We offer outstanding dental care, using leading-edge procedures, while ensuring that patients are comfortable, properly cared for, and relaxed during their visits.

Every patient has a unique smile, set of requirements, and expectations, and we carefully attend to those needs and develop a customized treatment plan.

Our internationally-recognized team has the educational background, certifications and experience that put us in the forefront of the Cosmetic and Reconstructive Dentistry industry. Dr. Todd B. Barsky is currently the only board certified prosthodontist in private practice in Miami and he prides himself in performing to the highest standards of his profession.

Most dentists claim to be cosmetic specialists, but cosmetic dentistry is not a recognized specialty of the American Dental Association (ADA). A prosthodontist is a dental specialist, recognized by the ADA, who focuses on cosmetics and functional reconstruction and/or replacement of missing, broken, or discolored teeth and tissues with natural-looking substitutes such as crowns, bridges, veneers, denture and implant prostheses.

As we enter the second decade of our new century, we are living longer and more active lives. We maintain our bodies, eat well and exercise.  We want to feel healthy and look healthy too!  Lasers are now currently at the forefront of cosmetic technology - being used to remove unwanted imperfections along with smoothing and tightening the skin.

Wrinkles associated with aging and sun damage are caused by changes in the superficial (epidermal and dermal) layers of the skin. The most common areas of concern are the crow’s feet around the eyes and the lines around the mouth. These wrinkles are to be distinguished from laxity of facial tissues which in general requires surgery to retighten the underlying musculature and connective tissue. However, the fine lines in the skin are amenable to superficial treatments. Before lasers were introduced for this particular therapy, the two most common wrinkle removing procedures were dermabrasion and chemical peels. In dermabrasion a rotating, abrasive wire brush is used to scrape away the superficial layers of skin. Chemical peels use acids to remove skin layers. Both procedures can be painful and can damage the skin’s pigmentation and texture.

Lasers have been used for decades in other areas of medicine. New technology developed over the last few years now makes it possible to utilize lasers to lessen wrinkles on the face. Lasers are amplified light from one particular wavelength. The energy produced by lasers is thus powerful and because they are limited to a wavelength, there are certain properties associated with each of them. The gas or substance that produces the laser light used in skin resurfacing is carbon dioxide.

The newest version of the resurfacing lasers reduces untoward side effects by being distributed in a random fractional pattern and place in precise increments of time. With the help of a computer, one can control the laser’s on-surface time, density and depth. The lasers work by reacting with molecules of water, vaporizing precise areas of skin, thus smoothing out the wrinkles, and freshening the skin’s surface. The process requires only local and/or oral sedation.

It takes about 20 minutes to treat an area such as the eyes or mouth while a full facial treatment can take approximately 45 minutes. One of the advantages of the laser is the precise control of tissue penetration. Possible side effects of the laser include skin discoloration and scarring, but the risks are less than those associated with dermabrasion and deep chemical peels and older laser technology. Also, people with a propensity to developing cold sores should advise the doctor. Preoperative medication can prevent or lessen a postoperative outbreak of vesicles.

Postoperatively, the skin may feel as if you have sunburn but this dissipates quickly and pts report no pain. The facial skin may actually feel tight. Immediately afterwards an occlusive ointment is applied to assist in healing.  It is also important to avoid sun exposure because it can cause pigment changes. After it heals, the treated area will usually remain pink for anywhere from 1-2 weeks. This depends on the type of laser used and depth of treatment. This is easily covered with make-up. However, the sun should be avoided until the pink color resolves.

Anyone in good health can have the procedure. Those who are prone to heavy scarring should avoid it. Patients who commonly develop cold sores are given medication before the procedure. Patients with lighter skin color do very well. Those with darker skin are prone to discoloration of the skin; however, this is less frequent than with chemical peels and dermabrasion.

Nutritional changes and lifestyle changes not only lead to weight reduction but have the ability to improve your health as well as protect against future disease.

There are major obstacles to achieving your weight loss goals such as a busy lifestyle, the availability of convenience foods, lack of education as it relates to nutrition and fitness, medical conditions, medications and importantly our emotional relationship with food.

Before you start a weight loss program it is important to meet with your physician as well as a professional who can assess your beliefs regarding health, fitness, weight and your relationship with food. Since unhealthy eating can be the result of poor choices it becomes necessary to restructure the thoughts that create those habits that interfere and sabotage our success.

It’s not enough to follow a diet and exercise program for a few months. Losing weight does little good if you don’t learn to keep it off. In order to ensure success you must make a commitment to lifestyle changes. Professionals can identify the patterns that have lead to the weight gain as well as those behaviors that in the past prevented you from achieving your goals. In addition to developing individual realistic strategies a weight management program must also include guidance to ensure motivation as well as proper education.

Despite the statistics there are plenty of people who do succeed. The desire to lose weight must come from within. It takes a lot of mental and physical energy to change our habits. Changing our core beliefs serve as the foundation of a successful program. A personal weight loss maintenance program improves your chances for losing weight, keeping it off permanently as well as assisting you to make the positive lifestyle changes that will last a lifetime while bringing better health and increasing longevity.