Skin Cancer Alert!

Are you of the generation that never heard of sun block when you were a teenager?  Back in the "day" we used to smear on crisco oil or baby oil and lay out on the roof to see just how burned we could get.   The browner the better.  Well, now we sun worshippers are paying the price for our foolishness.   Studies say that skin cancers now are often a result of a sun burn 20 years previously.   So, the most important thing you can do is be vigilent.   Routinely study or analyze your moles and skin.   Do you have a mole that's changing color or shape?   Do you have one that itches?    Do you have a new "thing" on your skin that has just appeared recently?  Do you have a sore that just never seems to heal and cracks and bleeds constantly?   If you have any of the above you should see a dermatologist soon.    Let him analyze your skin and see if there's anything troubling to him.   Don't just wait until it becomes a huge problem.    Catching skin cancers early leads to easier cures.   Don't put it off.    Patrol your moles today!

Have you sunscreened today?

There are many different factors  that can affect our skin--pollution, humidity , genetics, lifestylle, bad habits.   But the one thing that is a common element for all of us is damage from the sun.  The most important thing you can do for you skin is use sun screen daily.    Don't look at the cloud cover to determine whether you'll wear it or not, just put it on every day.   Think of it as medicine.   Protecting your skin from both UVB and UVA rays will pay huge dividends in the texture of your skin.   You're never too old or too young to start.   There are some great ones now that are made to put on under makeup.   They don't cause your makeup to slide off your face like the old kind did.  If you haven't been a sunscreen wearer in the past get started today.   It's truly the kindest, smartest thing you can do for you skin for now and the future.

Surgery for the Soul!

A patient came in the other day for her final check up.   She  had a body lift and liposuction of her torso 6 months previously.  In visiting with her it was very obvious that she was not only dramatically different physically, but that she had changed just as much mentally.   She spoke, walked and interacted with much more confidence that she had in the past.   In fact, each of us in the office mentioned that she seemed like an entirely different person than the one we met on her first visit.  She says that it's been a life changing experience for her.    She loves her "new" body,  but even more enjoyable is the new confidence and appreciation that she has for life.   She is comfortable exercising now.  (She has even signed up at a local gym and has her own personal trainer--something that she would never even considered before).   She feels more attractive and outgoing.   She now feels comfortable speaking to people that she might have avoided before.  And her relationship with her husband was good before, but great now! This patient is not an isolated example, either.    Many of our patients report similar changes.    If you've ever thought about cosmetic surgery, at least come see Dr. Sellers and explore your options.   Time will continue to pass whether you do something or not.   At least find out what's out there!

The Physiology of FAT

How are the results from liposuction different from diet and exercise results?     When we diet and exercise we loose weight from all over our bodies.   Exercise can help to firm up the muscles under the fat.   It is a misconception that exercising one part of the body can make you lose weight from that part of the body though.   There is no amount of leg lifts that will make you lose weight from your thighs if you are genetically pre-disposed to put your weight there.   Most of us have found that when we do lose weight we still maintain the same shape we started with.    For instance, if you are a "pear" shape (genetically programmed to put your extra weight on your thighs and lower body)  even if you lose weight and weigh 110 pounds you will probably still be a basically a "pear" shape.  The marvelous thing about liposuction is that when you remove the fat cells from a certain area they are gone!   We do not make more fat cells we only fill and empty the ones we have throughout our lives. So, if you take a few million fat cells out of an area, you can never regain that same previous shape because the storage units are just not there.   Liposuction can actually "fool Mother Nature". 
It is also a falacy that you have to be very close to your ideal weight before you should have anything done.   Lets face it.   Most of us (statistically speaking) will not be successful in the long term with our weight loss.   Studies prove that 95% of the time, within 3 years, people have put back on the weight they have lost--plus more.  Sad statistic, but true.    If the fat cells are gone, though, they can't be re-filled with fat.  
If you've wondered about liposuction and how it might help you meet your goals, come see us and get some answers.  At least find out what options are available to you.

Babies and Breasts

Having a baby is one of the greatest events in a woman's life.    But, your breasts really pay a price.    Usually, a woman's breasts get larger during pregnancy and larger still while nursing.  After nursing, the breasts most commonly shrink in size to their pre-pregnancy size or more commonly smaller.   There are many exceptions to this rule.  Whatever the size, though, the location has often headed south.   Many women find that their breasts are an okay size, but they are very droopy and unattractive.   Whatever the situation is though, there is a surgery that can help.   Breasts can be lifted, augmented, reduced and made symmetrical.   There are many, many options.    One would be right for you.   Visiting with a Plastic Surgeon trained in all kinds of breast reconstruction procedures can open up a whole new world for you.    Don't wait.