|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
| Home > Healthy People > December 2001 |
|
|
|
 |
January - March, 2002 |
|
Skin deep? Body image important to self-worth
The beginning of a new year often signifies the beginning of another round of New Year's resolutions, which are often health and appearance-related.
St. John's facial plastic surgeon Keith LaFerriere, M.D., says the way we look on the outside affects both how we feel about ourselves and how others view us.
"Everyone wants to look good," LaFerriere says. "In our society to be able to compete effectively in the job market we have to look fresh and well rested."
St. John's plastic surgeon, Walter Gaska, M.D., feels that we perceive our body in a certain way.
"Any time our body changes, surgically or otherwise, we have to incorporate that into our body image, whether it is good or bad."
LaFerriere says the better you look the more confident you are in yourself.
"Everyone wants to look as good as they can and everyone wants to look as good as they feel," LaFerriere says. "Sometimes with aging we look older than we feel and sometimes older than we are."
LaFerriere and Gaska say there are several procedures to tighten and refresh the skin, but facial plastic surgeons must work with the patient to find appropriate treatments.
Microdermabrasion is a procedure that corrects superficial skin damage by reducing the appearance of poor skin texture, large pores or blotchy skin. The procedure smoothes the skin and gets rid of the finest wrinkles. For best results, the procedure takes about six treatments and has no down time. LaFerriere says one drawback to this procedure is that there is a little bit of redness in the skin but it will go down a little while after the procedure has taken place.
"There is some damage that is at a deeper level than others," LaFerriere says. "One has to know what they are treating to be able to accurately prescribe the right treatment for the right problem."
Gaska says that one way of reducing fine lines and wrinkles is through a Botox injection. It will paralyze the muscles behind your eyes and forehead softening fine wrinkles and if it is used long enough will present permanent effects.
If the skin damage is on a deeper level, LaFerriere says a medium-depth peel might be more of a problem solver than a quick fix. Recovery time for this procedure is about a week, LaFerriere says.
LaFerriere and Gaska recommend laser skin resurfacing or a chemical peel for patients who have skin pigmentation problems or very deep pores.
"The treatment you receive depends on what you are trying to change," Gaska says.
This procedure is more time-consuming and it could take about two weeks to get back to everyday activities afterward.
"You have to be realistic about what you want to accomplish," LaFerriere says. "Then you match the benefits with the treatment."
Procedures to reduce spider veins and skin blotchiness are also available. These usually result from previous skin irritation. Five factors are directly connected to the loss of elasticity and skin problems. LaFerriere says heredity is the No. 1 determinant for skin appearance, and while we do not have control over that, we do have control over the other four cigarette smoking, stress, diet and sun exposure.
"Sun in moderation is fine, but tanning will result in cumulative damage to your skin and it will look leathery," Gaska says.
Keeping skin moisturized and protected from the sun is very important in maintaining skin's elasticity and firmness even for men.
"Even in the winter sunscreen is very important," LaFerriere says. "The long ultraviolet rays are just as strong in the winter as they are in the summer. In today's world, sunscreen is available in many different makeups, so for women it is just a matter of doing their daily activities, but men need to remember to use sunscreen and moisturizers."
LaFerriere says while sun exposure damages the skin, "fake-baking" exposing skin to the synthetic rays of a tanning booth or bed is just as damaging, or even more damaging to the skin.
"Tanning produces a premature aging process," LaFerriere says. "You get the damaging rays, dry skin, as well as increase the risk of developing skin cancer. The tanned look is fine in your 20s or 30s, but the wrinkles start to appear very rapidly in your 40s and 50s. People who chronically tan tend to look very leathery and older than their actual age."
LaFerriere also says that the key is to look good. He compares it to clothing. The clothes that you like to wear and that fit you well make you feel good about yourself. This becomes the large part of the motivation that people have when seeking plastic surgery. "We are very fortunate that technology and safety has improved," LaFerriere says. "The development of our techniques has improved in that we can provide a service that carries a high benefit ratio as well as getting people back to their normal activities quickly."
Stress and diet also play a role in body image. St. John's Fitness Center Director Belinda Mercer says another way to work off pounds and stress is exercise. In September 2001, the fitness center became the first in town to offer the new Nitro Nautilus equipment, which is set up on a pin-select system.
Mercer says the new machines are designed for people who want to tone up but don't have a lot of time. She says the new machines are easy for people of all heights to use.
The fitness center also provides nutritional analyses, other classes and programs to members.
"Restricting your calories with exercise is a must," Mercer says. "But what people need to remember is your body is like a vehicle it needs gas to run and if you don't feed it, it won't run."
St. John's Fitness Center Nutrition Director Amy Tjoa says healthy eating isn't as hard as it sounds even for people who don't have a lot of time to cook.
"People make eating healthy harder than it has to be," Tjoa says. "Many people are in a hurry and run through the drive-through but they can balance a burger out with a healthy side dish such as broccoli at home."
Tjoa adds using the food pyramid is a great way to ensure proper nutrition.
"If you start at the bottom of the pyramid and pick something from every level, you will get a variety of nutrients," Tjoa says.
The ways people choose to become healthy vary as much as people do. The key is to find what's right for you.
"If it doesn't look natural it doesn't look good," LaFerriere says. "You want to walk down the street and have someone say to you,
"wow you look like a million dollars,' not "did you have your eyes done?'"
|
|
|
|
|