Hi and welcome! This the first issue of what will be a monthly newsletter. The purpose of this section of the newsletter will be just to inform you on the latest in beauty and health out there. If you have any topic ideas or have any questions regarding anything you can email them to me on the “Contact Us” page on the website. Thank you.

Ultrasound Helps Target Varicose Veins –article published in Medical Spa Report
Unsightly spider or varicose vein can now be treated using high-tech, ultrasound-guided machines, which provide a visual window to tissues beneath the skin. Ultrasound-guided sclerotherapy (UGS) combines the use of a ultrasound –guided machine and sclerotherapy- an injection of medication into the problem vein. The procedure, first developed in 1993, has recently come of age with improvements in ultrasound techniques.
Unlike surgery, where the vein is removed using a technique known as surgical stripping, UGS destroys the vein in place and the body breaks it down, like the healing of a bruise. First, the patient’s venous system is mapped with ultrasound. Then, the doctor determines the root cause of the varicose veins. Using ultrasound as a guide, a tiny needle is placed into the problem areas, and the veins are shut down with medication.
The treatment eliminates even large varicose veins without surgery, surgical scars, or side effects, according to Charles Mok, D.O., and medical director of the Allure Medical Spa in Shelby Township, MI, who uses the procedure in his facility. Patients need no downtime for recovery and can resume activities immediately. “Women are amazed they can permanently remove their varicose veins with no scars and wear shorts and skirts again,” says Mok.

The Cellulite Solution – article published in Medical Spa Report
Howard Murad, M.D., promises natural, non-surgical tips to increase skin firmness by 78 percent and reduce the length of stretch marks by 47 percent in his new book, The Cellulite Solution: A Doctor’s Program For Losing Lumps, Bumps, Dimples, and Stretch Marks (St. Martin’s Press, 2005). The book offers techniques for reducing dimpling and improving stretch marks through nutritional and lifestyle modifications and combined with topical treatments.
“Cellulite is not the result of too much fat in your body,” says Murad, a Los Angeles-based board-certified dermatologist, trained pharmacist, and associate clinical professor of dermatology at the University of California-Los Angeles. “The actual cause of cellulite is water damage and weakening of the skin cells and connective tissue, allowing the buoyant fat cells to push into the dermis, the middle layer of the skin, and show through the surface, resulting in cellulite.” This condition affects approximately 90 percent of women who have gone through puberty, according to Murad. (800) 33-Murad: www.murad.com