September 03, 2010
Posted by: Dr. Thomas Wright : Category:
Treatment,
Varicose Veins,
Veins
Is there a difference between PAD and varicose veins, and are there tests to confirm? Also can you have Venous closure surgery if you have PAD?
Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) usually refers to atherosclerosis in the walls of arteries, causing blockage which can manifest as pain in walking, fatigue in the calves with walking, poorly healing wounds, leg uclers, or severe pain in the feet.
Varicose veins and venous insufficiency are very different problems. A skilled physician usually can differentiate venous disease from arterial disease very quickly with a patient history and clinical exam. Some patients will have both arterial and venous disorders and some arterial testing may be in order.
Sometimes the arterial testing is measurement of blood pressures or flow at different levels in the legs. At other times, arterial ultrasound studies may be of value. VNUS Closure procedures and LASER procedures can be done on patients withe arterial occlusive disease as long as the blood flow is adequate for healing, but should be perfomed only after a careful evaluation of the patient for adequancy of arterial blood flow to the tissues.
- Dr. Wright
September 03, 2010
Posted by: Dr. Thomas Wright : Category:
Botulinum,
Cosmetic Derm,
Dermal Fillers
I’ve read about injecting Botox to cause muscle atrophy around the jaw lines hence making your face to appear slimmer or less square. How effective and safe is the procedure?
I do not perform Botox in this region. Best person to check with would be a plastic surgeon.
- Dr. Wright
September 02, 2010
Posted by: Dr. Thomas Wright : Category:
Cosmetic Derm
I just got a facial, my last one was over 6 years ago. Should there be a regularity to how often I get a facial? Also, what kind of facial is best for overall skin health?
You can have facials as often as you like as long as they are not irritating your skin.
It would probably not be best to have them any closer together than 7 days as you may risk skin irritation. As all alternative to weekly facials, you may want to consider getting on a healthy exfoliating skin care product like a glycolic acid based wash or pad. Glycolic acid encourages exfoliation, which means that your skin cells reproduce more quickly and your skin generally feels softer and smoother.
- Dr. Wright
September 02, 2010
Posted by: Dr. Thomas Wright : Category:
Cosmetic Derm
I have very fair skin with freckles, and would like to get a chemical peel to lighten the freckles and even out my skin. What particulat peel or chemicals should I look for?
With fair skin, one has to be careful with peels. Lighterpeels will be OK in experienced hands. Sometimes, certain parts of the face (below the eyes for example) should not be peeled at all. get a consultation first to discuss your goals and skin type with an experienced provider before starting any chemical peels.
September 02, 2010
Posted by: Dr. Thomas Wright : Category:
Cosmetic Derm
What can I do to help with the side effects of this condition?
Any scar can be hard to treat. Some peels and bleaching agents can be helpful to lighten the scar.
- Dr. Wright
September 02, 2010
Posted by: Dr. Thomas Wright : Category:
Cosmetic Derm
How can I tell if spots on my face are Sun Spots or something else?
Most likely theses spots are sun spots. There are flat, darker than your normal skin color. They will vary in size. They won’t have any scaling. Borders are round. They are uniform in color.
Ones to be concerned about:
1. Irregular borders
2. Within the same spot there is an area that is much darker
3. Sudden change is color or size or shape
- Dr. Wright
September 02, 2010
Posted by: Dr. Thomas Wright : Category:
Cosmetic Derm,
Laser Hair Removal
There are many variables that determine how many sessions one needs.
Here are some of them:
1. Type of laser
2. Patient tolerance to treatments – if one can’t tolerate a higher setting then it will take many more sessions.
3. Individual response to laser
4. Skin color – the darker the skin the more conservative you will have to be to avoid burns
5. Color of Hair – the darker the hair, the more the laser will affect the the hair follicle.
6. Skill of operator
7. Area of the body – facial hairs are usually less stubborn, pubic areas require more
8. Gender – males often will need more treatments
It is always best to get a consultation to have at least an estimate of the number of treatments. It is a must ask for the type of laser, the experience of the center and the person who will perform your treatments.
September 02, 2010
Posted by: Dr. Thomas Wright : Category:
Botulinum,
Cosmetic Derm,
Dermal Fillers
The corners of my mouth look turned down, like I’m frowning or unhappy, when I am not showing any expression. Can lip injections help turn the corners of my mouth up?
Both dermal fillers and Botox can flatten the corners of your lips and get rid of the down-turned mouth.
- Dr. Wright
September 02, 2010
Posted by: Dr. Thomas Wright : Category:
Cosmetic Derm
The freckles on my face multiplied and have now formed what looks like a very large freckle, while I was pregnant, and it didn’t go away. What is this and is there anything I can do?
What you are describing sounds like melasma which is an unique pigment condition that is hormone driven. Melasma once activated is unfortunately not curable and can only be controlled. Lasers such as the Fraxel refine can be beneficial up to a certain point but they do run the risk of increasing the pigment. You can try Cosmalan which bleaches the pigment or other bleaching agents that contain Hydroquinone.
- Dr. Wright