I want to tell you about a new peel we tried out a few weeks ago-- the Vi Peel fron the Vitality Institute Skin Care System. It is very similar to a TCA chemical peel in that it takes about a week for it to completely peel, but it seems to have some definite advantages. But first what is it for? It improves the tone, texture and clarity of the skin. It reduces agespots, freckles and hyperpigmentation and it softens fine lines and wrinkles. It can also stimulate collagen and help some acne conditions.

The peel takes about 20 minutes to do and requires virtually no down time. But the real advantages are:
* minimal discomfort with the application (far less than with a TCA peel)
* in addition to the face, the neck, hands and decollete can be treated
* all skin types oily to dry, fair to dark or olive can be treated
* the price is almost half of the price of a TCA peel

The peel comes with good care instructions and aftercare products. No pre-peel preparation is required.

Cindi, my office manager, was the first to try it in our office. I was impressed with her results and lightening of pigmentation. I will have her write about her experience soon.

October 22, 2009

I wanted to share my thoughts on this beautiful October day. The weather is spectactular and life is good. I had a wonderful morning doing one of my favorite things-- surgery. It is so gratifying to be able to help people achieve their goals while really enjoying the art and science of the process. I love working with the surgery center staff and anesthesiologists - they are a great group of people who are not only highly skilled but really care about their patients.
Back to work, hope to start writing more regularly and getting my staff involved as well.

I was recently creating a new practice brochure and had a little space for a quote. I really couldn't find a suitable quote about beauty so I wrote a little poem. I ended up not using it at all, but for you, dear reader, my little haiku:

Lovely spring blossom
Become your inner beauty
Quiet confidence

I recently visited the site awfulplasticsurgery.com. It was very entertaining and very sad at the same time. Being in my own small corner of the aesthetic medicine world, I was reminded that there is a large segment of patients choosing to do outlandish, unnatural looking things to themselves and a large group of trained and untrained doctors and nurses of all types of backgrounds doing surgical and nonsurgical treatments to people with unpleasant intentional and unintentional consequences. Of course, board certified plastic surgeons, while not all good, have long emphasized the need for proper training and certification for doing a host of cosmetic procedures. It turns out that the scope of people doing cosmetic procedures has widened far beyond well-trained and sensible plastic surgeons, dermatologists and facial ENT surgeons.
With that said, and taking into consideration physician and patient spectrums of what is considered natural and attractive rejuvenative enhancements of the physical form, I make a plea for restraint and tastefulness. It is the physicians responsibility to say to "no" to an insistent patient when they are requesting procedures that will be detrimental or damaging to their countenance. No matter how persuasive ( or moneyed) that person might be. Case in point, Michael Jackson. People who are requesting services that are harmful must not be placated and taken advantage of - they need psychological counselling.
Unfortunately there will always be professionals who possess less than desirable skills and aesthetic judgment. Always ask to see photos of your doctor's work. It will be a good indicator.
Plastic surgery does not come with a guarantee of results- there are a lot of variables between physician/procedure/and a patient's individual anatomy, healing qualities, genetics, etc.
It is important to optimize all factors and have as an important goal to not look operated on.
Strive for natural, freshening results. Being extreme can lead to very unpleasant outcomes.
And as we all learned in medical school- Primum non nocere (First, do no harm)

8/31/09 Launch!

Hello, all!
I've never thought of myself as a potential blogger, but here I am launching my very own blog. In recent years, I've found so much more of my practice involving communication via email, website and internet. I feel that perhaps between my website www.centerforbeauty.com and my other procedure related sites, facebook and this blog I can perhaps enhance my dialog with patients- former, present and future. I hope to be more available and more real-time with my interactions. I plan on blogging on topics that are of current interest to me, but I also hope that readers will comment and request information and discussion that I may offer opinions, thoughts and perspectives based on my expertise and experience in the plastic surgery field.
Best to you
Dr. Sardo