What is Board Certification and Why Does it Matter?

It happens fairly frequently that patients attend their consultation with us with a bit of confusion about board certification. You probably know that doctors attend 4 years of medical school to earn a medical degree (MD), after which they must pass an exam to be licensed to practice medicine. Each state has its own standards and exams for licensing physicians, and a doctor can be licensed in more than one state.

You may not know that in order for physicians to specialize in an area of medicine, such as cardiology or plastic surgery, they must further their education after medical school with a residency of 3-7 years that focuses exclusively on that specialty. Many specialists go even further to participate in a fellowship after residency, in which they practice under the supervision of older, more experienced physicians in their chosen field. These physicians can then choose to become board certified in their specialty. This means that they have taken specific exams and passed explicit qualifications to be accepted into their specialty.

It may surprise you to know that here, in the United States, any licensed medical doctor can perform plastic surgery, whether they are truly qualified to do so or not. Naturally, this creates confusion for consumers who seek a qualified plastic surgeon to perform their procedure.

How did this come about? At one time, all surgical procedures were performed in hospital operating rooms. The hospitals restricted use of the operating rooms to doctors who were trained to perform the surgeries they requested. For example, a general surgeon could schedule OR time for an appendectomy but not for a facelift. However, once physicians began to build their own onsite operating suites, everything changed, leading to much of the current confusion about who is qualified to perform cosmetic plastic surgery.

How can you find the most qualified surgeon for your plastic surgery? It’s simple: ask about their board certification, which should be in plastic surgery. They may be board certified in general surgery or in another field, but if they are not board certified in plastic surgery, then they have not received the same training undertaken by a board-certified plastic surgeon.

Both Dr. Wolfe and Dr. Vath are board-certified plastic surgeons with vast experience in the procedures patients desire. You’re in excellent hands here, based on skill and training, with board certification as the proof of that training.

To find out more about board certification, go to www.thecenterforcosmeticsurgery.net/board-certification.cfm.

Health and Fitness Tips from Heather at Armbrust Gym

Heather and Dylan Armbrust are dynamic fitness experts who routinely compete in Colorado and across the nation in fitness competitions. Heather has graciously agreed to offer readers her best health and fitness tips.

The Influence of Your Body's Ph Balance on Your Weight

There are many maxims about weight loss and longevity, but the body changes that result from products like sugar, alcohol, cigarettes, saturated fats, caffeine, and other drugs can contribute to difficulties losing weight.

The ideal pH balance is between 6.5 and 8, with 1 being the most acidic and 14 being the most alkaline. However, the nature of what we sometimes eat and our environment can easily disrupt this. So how does this relate to excess weight? When we consume high-acid foods our bodies store the excess in our fat cells. Eventually, it goes to the joints and organs. This is why someone with a slightly higher body fat content may be healthier than someone with lower fat storage—the acid is stored in the fat, instead of flowing throughout the body. One of the first steps towards alkalizing should be eliminating stress. It and other disruptive states of mind contribute to making us more toxic and thus, more susceptible to weight gain and poor health. Becoming less acid can make weight loss easier.

In order to be a successful competitive bodybuilder, I have to watch what I eat. I confess, when it's over, it's time for some junk food and margaritas, but I pay the price! The bad stuff tastes the best, but it can take me 3 weeks to fight to get back to a non-toxic state. Sometimes longer. And in the meantime, I feel sick, stiff and out of sorts.

How do you remedy this and help yourself lose weight?

• Water is number one. Drink up! Green tea or green drink powders are good as supplements. My personal favorite is Mega Greens by ReNew Life. I carry this in our supplement store.
• Reduce caffeine, alcohol, and other drugs.
• Eat green: spinach, cucumbers, broccoli, celery, Brussels sprouts, wheat grass.
• Raw almonds
• Use healthy fats like borage oil, evening primrose, flax oil and olive oil.
• Apple cider vinegar on salads.
• Add lemon when you can—to anything: water, salads, etc.
• Work out!
• Stay away from carbonated drinks, hydrogenated fats, sweets, fast food and excessive amounts of meat.
• Relax more. Learn to mediate, jog, find an artistic outlook to relax.

Best of luck! You are on your way to being a healthy body at your best! This small change in your lifestyle will change everything in a matter of weeks.

For more detailed information please contact me.

Heather Armbrust
IFBB Professional Bodybuilder
CO Owner of Armbrust Pro Gym
www.heatherarmbrust.com
www.armbrustprogym.com

Notes from our July Event: Your Body of Work

On July 30, Drs. Wolfe and Vath teamed up with Heather Armbrust of the Armbrust Pro Gym for an informative evening of fitness and cosmetic enhancement. From breast augmentation to barbells, tummy tucks to total body workouts; no question went unanswered. Two lucky attendees went home with fabulous door prizes: a three-month membership to the Armbrust Pro Gym and a Rejuvenate! Skin Care basket. See what great prizes we have at our "Your Beautiful Breasts" seminar in September.

Help! I am too old to be breaking out! DeDee Hollenbeck, Aesthetician

Have you noticed that the acne you had when you were a teenager has returned in your thirties? Rest assured you’re not alone. One in five women between the ages of twenty-five and forty suffers from adult acne. Hormones, diet and stress are contributors to this condition. Acne starts with blackheads, which occur when oil and dead skin cells get trapped in a pore. This blocks the pore and causes bacterial overgrowth. When blackheads become inflamed red pimples may develop. If the pimple becomes infected, it develops a pustule, or “whitehead”. It is these pustules which can rupture and leave a raw area which fills in with scar tissue.

What treatments are available for adult acne?

There are a variety of treatments available at Rejuvenate! to help control adult acne. Depending on the severity of the acne, some of the options are chemical peels, microdermabrasions, facials, and IPL (Intense Pulsed Light). We recommend a series of treatments combined with a homecare program of pharmaceutical-grade products designed personally for you by our clinicians.

What products should I use?

At Rejuvenate!, you will consult with one of our highly-trained clinicians who will design a custom skin care regimen based on your individual needs. Some effective products for adult acne are:

• Topical benzoyl peroxide - kills bacteria and helps to prevent pimples
• Topical antibiotics - kill bacteria and have anti-inflammatory qualities
• Topical retinoid - helps stop the formation of pimples and accelerates cell turnover

Do cleansers really make a difference?

Yes! Cleansers are designed for individual skin types, and are pH-balanced to match your skin’s natural acidity. The outer layer of the skin contains a protective oil layer called the acid mantle. If the pH of this layer is too high, the barrier function of the mantle breaks down and exposes the skin to bacteria and other contaminants, resulting in acne flare-ups. At Rejuvenate!, your clinician will help you choose a facial cleanser based on your individual skin type: normal, oily, dry, combination, or sensitive. Cleansers designed for drier skin conditions leave a thin layer of moisturizer on the skin as they cleanse, whereas cleansers for oily skin work by removing pore-clogging dead skin cells and surface oil.

Do I need to cleanse my face morning and night?

For healthy skin, we recommend cleansing both morning and night. Your skin is exposed to pollutants, dust, and dirt, and becomes oilier throughout the day. For cleansing the face, use a pharmaceutical-grade cleanser, and massage for 60 seconds in a circular motion before rinsing with warm water. For the optimum cleansing experience, we recommend using the Clarisonic Brush. This brush removes six times more makeup than cleansing with your hands alone. The Clarisonic Brush is remarkably gentle for all skin conditions and is an excellent way to keep breakouts at bay.

Schedule your appointment in September and get 15% off a Clarisonic Brush!