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My wife anticipated she would develop melasma after we found out she was pregnant with our first child. She is of Iranian descent, after all. Her mother also experienced severe cases after her pregnancy with my wife and her brother. Melasma is an unfortunately common consequence of pregnancy for many women, especially those of Latin America, Africa, Middle Eastern, and Asia descent (1). It is...

There are countless "best of" lists of LED light therapy masks intended for facial skin rejuvenation. These devices have become popular online. They are advertised as helping to: Treat aging skin (photoaging) Prevent photoaging Treat acne This blog post will discuss: The theory behind this treatment modality, called photobiomodulation (PBM) Evidence for the effectiveness of PBM Evidence for the...

Trends in facial plastic surgery can be fickle. The pendulum can swing towards or against almost any surgical or non-surgical procedure. Examples include: Toward or away from buccal fat removal surgery Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) versus follicular strip (FUT) hair restoration surgery A third example is the recent reported shift away from hyaluronic acid filler, also referred to as filler...

Picture a suspended animation capsule on a spaceship headed for a distant star. You have likely seen many iterations of this on film. The actor is frozen in a large cylinder, visible through a large glass window and surrounded by thick metal tubes and what appear to be rivets everywhere. This is not dissimilar to what you would witness at a hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) clinic. HBOT has been...

"That smells great, like pool water!" I hear this frequently during my injectables treatment sessions with my patients. This is because I use hypochlorous acid (HOCl) to clean the skin prior to placement of neuromodulators (e.g. Botox©) and hyaluronic acid filler. Widely used as a disinfectant in pools – hence, the strangely pleasant smell –, HOCl has more recently been formulated as a gentle...

Cold winter air retains less moisture than warm air. This, in addition to the use of air conditioners, can result in very dry air indoors. Dry air can damage the skin barrier, leading to a loss of moisture from the skin. Signs of dry skin include: Cracks/fissures Roughness Humidifiers can help with signs of dry skin. Humidifiers Can Help Maintain Optimal Humidity Levels An optimal humidity level...

Popularized on social media, skin "slugging" is a K-Beaty trend of moisturizing the skin during dry winter months. Slugging involves the use of a thick emollient applied to the face at night. An emollient (e.g. petrolatum) is an occlusive ingredient that holds moisture on the skin. The thicker the emollient, the more effective it is. However, thicker emollients tend to look and feel greasy on the...

Maskne is a term referring to symptoms experienced while wearing masks that started to trend at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when masks were worn more frequently and for longer periods by the public. Symptoms of maskne include: Redness Irritation Itching Acne breakouts These symptoms can be present on the skin from hours to days after wearing a mask. There Are Multiple Causes of Maskne...

One of the most common concerns people express about their face as they age is the presence of smoker's lines, or peri-oral rhytids, around the mouth. These stubborn lines are difficult to treat. It is important to seek not only a fellowship-trained but also a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon if you have aesthetic concerns about your face and/or neck. I Utilize a Dual-Pronged...

FDA-approved in 2004, Botox© for underarm sweating (hyperhidrosis) can be an effective treatment for those experiencing severe and persistent underarm sweating. Please seek a skilled and experienced injector in Cincinnati to help determine whether this is an appropriate treatment for you. It is important to seek not only a fellowship-trained but also a double board-certified facial plastic...