A new treatment for facial redness and spider veins and the most complex word you’ll pronounce today.

By The Refresh You Staff   Category: Face & Body, Refreshing Experts

Clear skin really IS possible with advanced techniques that go far beyond department store counters.

Try this word on for size:

Telangiectasia. Pronounce it like this:
Tell Angie “Eck STAYzhuh.”

That seriously complex word is the medical description for a very common problem—small red spider veins typically found on the nose, cheeks and chin.

They usually develop in adults between 18 and 35, get worse, and peak somewhere between age 50 and 60.

What causes these red spider veins to appear? A lot of things.

Factors such as age, gender, pregnancy, prolonged daily sitting or standing, acne rosacea, use of oral contraceptives, environmental damage from the sun, prolonged exposure to cold temperatures, chemotherapy, alcohol use and topical skin treatments have all been linked to the condition. (Prolonged listening to Lady Gaga albums is surprisingly absent from the list, but you can never be too careful.)

Time for school, time for you, time to reset.

By The Refresh You Staff   Category: Face & Body, Refreshing Experts

With the lazy days of summer behind us, you’re probably packing lunches for school, helping with homework and coordinating after-school activities. Things can get a little crazy this time of year, but there are some great ways to handle it.

A common challenge for parents is balancing commitments and responsibilities with quality time and activities for yourself. So as the school rush starts, don’t forget to take some time out for YOU. Taking time to recharge your batteries is rejuvenating, keeping you relaxed and focused on enjoying life!

Follow a few of these tips below and start the school year off right!

Focus on a happy and healthy lifestyle. Find some new, tasty and healthy recipes by frequenting a health-oriented cooking website. (We love Cooking Light.) Start a family fitness challenge. Grab some fresh produce from a farmer’s market and enjoy a picnic with your family. Check out our Comprehensive Weight Management Program if, once and for all, you’d like to lose that extra weight. And don’t forget to soak up the last days of wonderful weather because it ain’t gonna last.

Spend time with yourself. Read a book, take a quick nap, hit some trails for a long walk or find a favorite bike path. Take time out to listen to your body, your mind, and prioritize what’s important. Find some quiet. Remember that thing you’ve always wanted to do, but couldn’t find the time? Carpe diem! Care of the self is an important part of healthy daily life.

Get that glow. When was the last time you treated yourself to a professional facial? (It’s a great way to relax while helping you achieve a clear complexion and glow.) With plenty of options to choose from at our Essentials Skin Care locations, you’ll feel and look refreshed and ready to take on the world–or walk the red carpet! You’ll get some amazing makeup recommendations, too, and maybe even some time-saving application tips.

Get some much-kneaded relief. When your schedule is packed, an hour-long massage can do wonders. There are lots of benefits to massage therapy. From de-stressing to finding out what complete relaxation feels like, mark your busy calendar for a much-needed massage.

Update your look. It’s amazing how one accessory or beauty product can make us look, and feel, like a million bucks. What about those glasses you’ve been eying for a few months? Or that beauty product you’d like to try? Now’s the time to indulge in something just for you.

Sclerotherapy: What we overheard this morning.

By The Refresh You Staff   Category: Face & Body, Refreshing Experts

So there we were, hanging out in the Dean cafeteria, enjoying a few JoDeen-approved healthy snacks (and a few that decidedly weren’t) and just happened to stumble into this conversation at the table right behind us. We couldn’t help but lean in a little, but we pretended we weren’t listening.

Dean Dermatologist:
You know, our department does a great job for patients who have a medical need for sclerotherapy. The results we’ve achieved for our patients with varicose veins and spider veins have been remarkable.

Dean Aesthetic Surgery Person:
No question. We’ve seen your work. Quite impressive. In fact, I wanted to talk to you about that. I’ve got an idea. What if we…

Dean Dermatologist:
We were thinking the other day maybe we could offer sclerotherapy to other patients, too. You know, for those who would like to reduce or eliminate varicose veins and spider veins. This would have to be a fee-based thing because it’s not medically necessary. But considering the experience we have with this, well, it just makes sense.

Dean Aesthetic Surgery Person:
Yes. Definitely. The results are…

Dean Dermatologist:
You see, sclerotherapy involves the injection of a sterile solution into the veins, using a very fine, thin needle.

Dean Aesthetic Surgery Person:
Right. I know what it is. But my idea is that…

Dean Dermatologist:
This solution irritates the vein lining and as a result it undergoes a process called fibrosis. Eventually, the vein shrinks and is no longer visible.

Dean Aesthetic Surgery Person:
Sure. Like I said, we’ve seen the results and they’re very impressive. So here’s what I’m thinking…

Dean Dermatologist: Sometimes our patients need several treatments, but that’s normal. And we can inject multiple veins in a single session. The procedure can produce mild discomfort, but it’s usually controlled with Tylenol. Sure, you can’t exercise for the remainder of the day, but normal activities are fine on the very next day. The results can be seen in four to six weeks.

Dean Aesthetic Surgery Person:
Right. Exactly. I was thinking maybe we could…

Dean Dermatologist:
What if we booked some time at your place, say, Thursdays. You’ve got such a nice facility over there. Very relaxing. It’s almost like a spa.

Dean Aesthetic Surgery Person:
Thanks, that’s true. We thought maybe…

Dean Dermatologist:
We’d work with the ASC staff and do very thorough consultations for $60 instead of the $100 the other places charge. And we’d do very accurate estimations of the treatment cost and explain the types of results our patients could reasonably expect. Some places promise miracles, but that’s not our style at all.

Dean Aesthetic Surgery Person:
Right. And then…

Dean Dermatologist:
Oh, and we’d do longer procedure times, too. The results would be better and our patients wouldn’t feel rushed. We’d have your plastic surgeons and our dermatologists cooperating on the whole thing.

Dean Aesthetic Surgery Person:
Exactly. So if…

Dean Dermatologist:
And we’d make the whole sclerotherapy experience just nicer and better than some of those other places…nicer facility, impressive medical credentials and a great staff. And the outcomes! Have I told you about the outcomes?

Dean Aesthetic Surgery Person:
That’s the key to it. It’s really…

Dean Dermatologist:
We’d have interested patients call the Dean Aesthetic Surgery Center at (608) 821-4000 to make an appointment for a sclerotherapy consultation.

Dean Aesthetic Surgery Person:
Perfect. I’m glad we had this discussion.

Is it finally time to do something about those spider veins? For more information about sclerotherapy, or for an initial sclerotherapy consultation at the Dean Aesthetic Surgery Center, simply call (608) 821-4000.

Spider veins have met their match: Sclerotherapy is now available at the Aesthetic Surgery Center.

By The Refresh You Staff   Category: Face & Body, Refreshing Experts

As part of comprehensive medical care, the Dermatology department at Dean offers sclerotherapy to treat spider veins. In these cases, because of leg pain or blood flow problems, sclerotherapy treatments are medically necessary.

But what about the far-more-common cases where veins are simply unsightly and not a medical problem?

Combining the resources of Dean Clinic Dermatology and the Dean Aesthetic Surgery Center, patients can now receive cosmetic sclerotherapy from the same experts who perform the procedure when it’s medically necessary.

Sclerotherapy is a safe, proven, and effective nonsurgical treatment for veins of all sizes that can be performed in the office.

During the treatments, a tiny needle is used to introduce a sclerosing solution (typically a saline solution or a mild detergent) into the target vein. This solution displaces the blood in the vein, causing it to immediately fade or appear lighter in color. Second, the solution irritates the vein lining and causes the vein walls to adhere together, preventing the vein from filling with blood again. The blood is then redirected to healthier veins and circulation improves. Typically, a few weeks after treatment, the treated vein is absorbed by the body and disappears.

If you have spider veins that only require cosmetic (not medical) treatment, consider the benefits of cosmetic sclerotherapy:

• It is performed in the office during a routine office visit.
• No anesthesia is necessary.
• There is very little discomfort.
• Patients can resume normal activity soon after treatment.
• The results can be remarkably good.
• There is no pre-treatment preparation.
• There is no post-treatment scarring.
• Most patients require several treatment sessions. The greater the number of veins present, the more sessions that are required.

For more information, or for an initial sclerotherapy consultation at the Dean Aesthetic Surgery Center, simply call (608) 821-4000.