Do you want to surprise your loved ones with the perfect Valentine’s Day gift this year?

Let us help you find that perfect gift - a Skin & Wellness Center gift certificate. Imagine just how special your loved ones will feel after receiving a customized facial or a relaxing therapeutic massage from one of our highly trained medical estheticians.

Our gift certificates can be purchased for any amount and used towards a specific service or any of our skin care products or mineral make-up.

Stop by our office today, to purchase your gift certificates in time for Valentine’s Day. If you are unable to stop by, feel free to call us at the office, (617) 786-7600 and we can process your payment over the phone and mail the certificates to you. And, to show you our appreciation, when you purchase a gift certificate between today and February 14, 2008, we will give you a Valentine from all of us, good for $15 off your next product purchase or service.

Sincerely,
–Debbie, Kathy, Laura, Linda, Martha, Maureen, Tracey, & Dr. Samaha

Four things to remember in avoiding the sun’s harmful rays:

1. Wear Sunblock
2. Stay out of the sun when it is most harmful - between 10 am and 4 pm
3. Check the UV index each day and be especially careful outdoors on higher numbered days
4. Remember that beach sand, water and snow reflect the sun’s rays and increase radiation. Clouds only block about 20% of UV radiation, and being in the water does not offer protection since UV radiation can pass right through it.

The summer season inevitably brings trips to the beach, lying by the pool, working in the garden, riding bikes, and walking the dog. We need to remember the dangers of exposure to the sun without skin protection against both UVA and UVB rays. Telling patients to stay out of the sun is often advice not heeded, especially after a long, cold, New England winter. Wearing a hat and long sleeved clothing is also not always possible or desired. The use of sunblocks is a great and an effective compromise.

Most people have a basic understanding of sun protection factors (SPF). These provide a measurement of the UVB sunlight needed to produce redness on sunscreen product-protected skin as compared to unprotected skin. Higher SPF numbers are better. Newer to the market are sunblocks which block UV radiation of the skin by reflecting the rays, not allowing absorption. These physical blockers include titanium dioxide and zinc oxide.

Since the effects of sunlight on the skin include premature skin aging, skin cancer, and other skin disorders, we recommend using skin care products which contain sunblocks. These can be found in the makeup, skin care products, and sunblocks which we carry. By adding sunblocks to your daily skin care regimen, you protect your skin, keep its appearance more youthful, and avoid exposure to cancer-causing UV radiation.

Boston Plastic Surgery carries a full range of medical-grade skin care products, including Allergan, Avene, Boiron, Glytone, Kinerase, Neostrata, Nia24, Obagi, Person & Covey, and Vitamedica, plus Jane Iredale Mineral Makeup. Many of these products incorporate the sunblock components of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, thus providing the best protection available against UV rays. We also carry sunless tanning products in liquid and pad-infused forms, to help you get that healthy glow without subjecting your skin to sun damage.

If you are careful and safe when out in the sun, you will look beautiful for years to come.

As a Medical Aesthetician in the Skin Wellness Department of Boston Plastic Surgery, and someone with extensive experience with the Cutera laser system, I am often asked questions regarding laser treatments. The following are the most FAQs:

Who can be treated?
Women and men of any age and skin type who wish to improve their skin can be treated, even with a suntan.

What areas can be treated?
The most popular areas for treatment are the face and neck, but other body parts such as the hands, arms and abdomen, are also frequently treated.

What are the more common conditions that lasers treat?
Laser treatments very effectively tighten loose skin, reduce fine lines and wrinkles, even skin tone and texture, erase spots and blemishes, eliminate spider veins and laser away unwanted hair. These treatments can be an adjunct, or in some cases, a great alternative to surgical procedures.

What do the various treatments feel like?
LimeLight Facial and Photo Genesis deliver a series of pulses of light. When each pulse of light is delivered, you may feel a mild, brief pinching sensation. Laser Genesis treatments are gentle and soothing. During the session you will feel a series of warm pulses along your skin. With each Titan pulse, you will first feel cool, then a brief heating sensation followed by a cool feeling.

How many treatments will I need?
Each treatment regimen is different and customized to an individual patient’s needs. Most patients can expect between 2 and 6 treatments.

Are there any side effects?
The most common side effect is a slight redness or mild swelling in the treated area that disappears within a few hours.

When will I see results?
Immediate results are observed by some patients. More typically, you will see results in two to four weeks and improvements will continue for several months.

Boston Plastic Surgery is pleased to announce the arrival of Jane Iredale skin care makeup. Jane Iredale’s Skin Care Makeup combines the most up-to-date colors with skin-care benefits that conventional makeup can only envy.

Better known as The Skin Care Makeup, the Jane Iredale line is so safe and beneficial to use that it is recommended by Plastic Surgeons and Dermatologists throughout the world.

Skin care treatments and make-overs are rejuvenating, especially when they are designed to meet your specific needs. Our experienced estheticians will evaluate your skin and create a customized plan to provide maximum benefits to your skin’s health and well being-today and in the future.

If you call for a Jane Iredale make-over before February 16, 2007 and buy two Jane Iredale products, your make-over will be complementary.

Please call today for an appointment with one of our two estheticians:
Kathy Suppa-Antonowicz and Laura Whyte

Boston Plastic Surgery-781-331-3222