What are dermal fillers + how different it is from botox?

Dermal fillers are an artificial or naturally-derived material used for directly injecting into the skin. These soft tissue fillers are used with the aim to restore your facial appearance to address issues related to facial aging. Depending on the kind of filler that you opt for, the effects can vary from 6 months to 5 years. Nonetheless, they are used for a number of problems associated with facial aging such as:

  for smoothen out and add volume to creases known as laugh lines

  for enhancing thin lips

  for providing shape and fullness to cheeks so as to provide a youthful appearance

  for enhancing the under eye areas to the point that depressions or hollows are no longer visible

  for merging scars from chicken pox or acne with surrounding skin

  for adding volume to your temple or lower cheek area when shifting of fat pads (masses of tightly packed fat cells) underneath your skin surface occurs.

How are these fillers different from botox?

Even though both these procedures involve the use of injections, they are completely different from one another. Botox or botulinum (a purified, natural protein) works by numbing muscles that contract to create facial lines. It is mostly used around the eye and forehead areas for stopping the movement of muscles that cause wrinkles to form. Moreover, it treats active lines, which are visible when you smile, frown or squint.

Dermal fillers, on the other hand, treat wrinkles that are very deep and static, which you can only be seen when the face is in a restful state. Furthermore, it serves to enhance the skin while lightly swapping the collagen (a protein that helps connective tissue in the body to remain strong) that gets lost as you age. When it comes to swelling and bruising, botox reports minimal effects and dermal fillers a certain amount of swelling and bruising that disappear within 7-10 days.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'consult'.
Related Tip: 6 Face Washing Mistakes that are Damaging Your Skin, Every day!

For Your SKIN: What are Dermal Fillers + How Different it is from Botox?

Three Ways to Protect Your Knees

The knee is known as the largest and one of the most complex joints in the human body, and also one of the most vulnerable, as it supports the weight of the entire body. The knee joint is made up of several elements including the knee cap, meniscus, connective tissue, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and muscles. Damage to any part of the knee can cause chronic pain. So how can you protect your knee from damage and injury? Take a look at these three points!

Dealing with Load: Weight is a big one. Carrying around extra pounds and kilograms can be detrimental for your knees in the long run. Your knee is not equipped to handle the excessive weight. It already supports three to five times your weight when you get up and walk around or indulge in some mild jogging. One must be careful of those extra pounds to take the load off the knee and keep it from falling prey to damage.

Exercise: Moderate to intense exercise is prescribed for one and all. This, of course, depends on one's overall health and age. If you are already suffering from joint pain, then you may want to go easy on the exercise with a focus on building muscle strength and foundation. If you are healthy, then some amount of daily exercise as a routine will keep those knees in prime working condition and well lubricated as well. Inactivity and a sedentary lifestyle can affect the knees very badly.

Do not Ignore: Warning signals such as chronic or acute knee pain should not be ignored. Remember to see a doctor or an orthopaedic specialist to find out if you have contracted an infection or if you may have suffered a fracture due to an injury. Also, it is important to take a bone density test regularly, especially after the age of 40 or for women going through menopause, as this will point to any deficiencies and even warn you in case there is any trace of osteoporosis.

Rest, exercise, and food should be kept in fine balance for a healthy body. These are a few measures that one can take to keep knee pain at bay. Yet, it is also advisable to speak with a doctor at length regarding measures to protect your knees.

Remember to ask us for a private consultation today!

Three Ways to Protect Your Knees

The process of breast augmentation, popularly known as breast enlargement or implants, effectively increases the size of the breasts through insertion of silicone gel implants or saline implants. It is known to be popular among women and is frequently done and shows quite satisfying results.

Why do women opt for breast augmentation?

Some women opt for implants to enhance their figure
Others opt for implants, when they experience some sort of sagging or alteration to their breast after a pregnancy or after losing some weight and even due to old age.
Some women also choose enhancement surgery, if they feel that one breast is smaller than the other.
What does a breast augmentation procedure involve?

Breast augmentation surgery is generally performed, while the patient is under the influence of general anaesthesia. In case of enhancement with the help of implants, an incision is made in the breast tissue and a pocket is created to place the implants. Once these implants are successfully placed the incision is closed and is allowed to heal.

What sort of implants is available?
There are basically 4 types of implants that are recommended on the basis of the body type:

Saline filled breast implants: These implants contain sterile water and are either pre-filled or filled during the surgery.
Silicone filled breast implants: These implants contain soft elastic gel and come prefilled. These types of implants also require an incision which is longer in size.
Cohesive gel silicone implants: Commonly known as 'form stable'implants, they contain cohesive gel that is more firm and thicker than normal silicone implants.
Autologous fat transfer: It consists of fat that has been removed through liposuction from a part of the body, like the abdomen or thighs. The fat is then refined and injected into the breasts. However, implants done through this method is not very common and is currently under research.
Breast implants are generally supposed to last for life, but on occasions they may need replacement. Thus regular check ups are essential, so as to monitor the condition of the implants.

All About Breast Augmentation

As we are all aware that there is an explosive outbreak of H1N1 swine flu infection in India. The high risk groups are pregnant women, people above 60 years of age, infants and children. I would recommend you the following to keep yourself protected and also help in stopping the spread of infection:

1) If you have fever and cough, seek immediate treatment. Insist on testing for H1N1 and take Tamiflu as per results.

2) Use handkerchief when you cough. Cover your mouth and nose to prevent spread to others.

3) Isolate those patients who are positive for H1N1.

4) Eat healthy food and exercise daily to keep your immunity intact.

5) Vitamin C is a good immunity booster for viral infections.

6) Avoid travel to areas where there is an outbreak.

7) Use N95 mask for protection - especially nurses and other health care workers who deal with positive patients.

8) Get yourself vaccinated with influenza vaccine - especially those who are in the high risk group.

If you have any more questions, please contact me.

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Act before swine flu strikes you down!

Ayurveda is a very old system of medicine, which originated in India. Using herbs found in nature to cure various illnesses, knee pain can also be permanently cured with this method indigenous to India. It reduces knee pain caused by various illnesses including arthritis, inflammation of the cartilage and wearing of the patella among others. Here are some common Ayurvedic remedies, which help reduce knee pain:

1. Alfalfa: Alfalfa is medically known as Medicago Sativa. Alfalfa is excellent for making sure that your joint pain reduces, when taken in liquid form four times a day.

2. Ashwagandha: Ashwagandha is medically known as Withania Somnifera. In the West, Ashwagandha is popularly known as Winter Cherry. Also, it has a lot of therapeutic properties, which include reducing joint pains. 

3. Banyan: The Banyan tree's medical name is Ficus Benghalensis. It has a sap very similar to the form of rubber known as latex is derived from the Banyan tree. The Banyan tree's sap is externally applied over the joints and the pain usually disappears after a few regular applications. 

4. Bishop's weed: The medical name for Bishop's weed is Trachyspermum Ammi. The oil extracted from this herb is usually applied to the knees to reduce the intensity of such knee pains.

5. Celery: The medical name for celery is Apium Graveolens. Celery is not only an effective treatment for rheumatoid arthritis and associated pains in the knees, but it is also helpful in treating gout. It is usually agreed upon that this particular treatment is usually long lasting because of its alkaline nature.

6. Dandelion: Dandelion's biological name is Taraxacum Officinale. It is rich in magnesium and is crucial for the correct mineralization of the bones. This mineralization allows the bones to become stronger and also prevents knee pain.

7.  Garlic: The medical name for garlic is allium sativum. Five to six cloves eaten everyday has proved to reduce knee pains.

8. Ginger: Ginger is biologically called Zingiber Officinale. These can be easily included in your diet and go a long way in curbing knee pain.

Ayurveda and Knee Pain

The uneasy feeling in our abdomen, feeling inflated or growing in size is a common problem faced by people anywhere in the world. Medical professionals refer to this as  bloating,' i.e., a feeling of a full, tight, abdomen. The abdominal system includes organs such as the stomach, liver, pancreas, gallbladder, intestines, etc. It is when the gastrointestinal tract is filled with gas, pain due to bloating arises. Such bloating brings pain in different parts of the body (which would be continuously shifting) along with a feeling of a swollen tummy (though not physically swollen actually). 

This article shares the common causes of bloating and tries to help its readers find a solution.

Overeating: Many of us can recall exactly how many times we have ignored the level of consumption in a particular meal and then felt an irritable stomach pain. Overeating refers to the consumption of food more than the amount of energy an organism can produce in one process. Along with weight gain and obesity, bloating might also result from overeating. The fact is, overeating is completely voluntary, and hence, a person can choose to avoid over-consumption of food and thereby, the pain from bloating.
Lactose intolerance: The terminology might not be familiar, yet over 65% of the global population is lactose intolerant. It varies with age and gender, and anyone has either of the four different types of lactose intolerance   primary, secondary, developmental, and congenital. Though lactose intolerance does not cause damage to the gastrointestinal system, inability to digest thesugar in milk (lactose) can cause abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, etc.
Irritable bowel syndrome: People with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are yet to know what caused it in the first place. Though the exact causes of IBS are yet to be known, many doctors blame the miscommunication between the brain and the intestinal tract of a person which causes abnormal expansion and contraction of the intestinal walls. This results in irritable pain and abnormal bowel movement. 
Two cases might arise due to IBS

The abnormal movement of the intestinal walls might speed up the excretion process and hence, the passage of stool   diarrhea.
The spasms might slow down the excretion process resulting in constipation.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can occur over the years, and the absolute cure is yet to be found. Additional symptoms of IBS are   bloating and excess gas, pain in the lower belly, mucus in stools, etc.

Solutions to bloating
Bloating can be easily taken care of if the person is ready to implement certain dietary changes. For example, avoiding gassy foods such as cabbage, broccoli, lettuce, reduces the formation of gas in the stomach. Limiting the amount of fatty foods and foods with high fiber content, quitting milk products (if lactose intolerant), can help a lot. A diet plan, getting active and regularly exercising can help to eliminate the problem of gas and bloating.

Conclusion
Even though bloating can be uncomfortable and painful at times, it is not a cause for concern. Bloating can be remedied quite easily with a proper diet chart and routine exercise.

Bloating - Why It Happens?

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