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Be My Botox Valentine

While men can be tricky to buy for when it comes to Valentine’s Day, the perfect gift may not be what you’d first expect. According to last year’s spending trends, facial enhancements and plastic surgery are on the rise for both women and men. It appears that couples are striving to look as good as they feel – together.

In the American Society of Plastic Surgeons’ 2010 report, Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Demographic Trends, American men accounted for 1.1 million of the country’s cosmetic procedures, up two per cent from the previous year. Traditional stigmas of plastic surgery being reserved for the fairer sex are being replaced by the increasing desire for males to sport the same youthful glow as their female counterparts.
While male pedicures and facials have become accepted as common practice in today’s society, we’re now witnessing the same shift in thinking when it comes to facial enhancements and plastic surgery for males.

A growing number of men are regularly benefiting from treatments such as Botox®, Dysport®, Radiesse®, Sculptra®, and laser treatments, as well as face-lifts like the Image Lift Experience, to enhance and restore their looks.

In the hands of a board certified facial plastic surgeon, couples can help reverse the effects of aging. Looking your best often leads to feeling your best, a gift for your loved one that is certain to last much longer than a dozen roses!

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Ageism and the Image Lift Experience

Many of our patients admit to being overlooked, dismissed, or even made to feel inferior by younger, more tech-savvy generations, based on the way they look. At Image Lift®, we fight against the effects of “ageism” with age-appropriate rejuvenating treatments. When it comes to facial aging, you can expect sagging, loss of elasticity, and volume loss (cheek hollowing), but you certainly don’t have to live with it!

The Image Lift Experience™ is designed for those seeking a younger looking appearance without the high costs, risk of general anesthesia and heavy time commitment associated with old-fashioned face-lifts. At Image Lift, we live to help our patients regain the confidence and power they deserve!

Image Lift procedures by board certified facial plastic surgeons have helped thousands of people look younger who never thought that they could.

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Do Your Homework

At Image Lift®, we believe knowledge is power. One of our goals is for each patient to complete their Image Lift® consultation with assurance and excitement about what’s to come.

When considering any cosmetic procedure, always do your homework. Conduct research on your plastic surgeon and his or her practice. When meeting with your surgeon, make sure to bring a list of questions and be prepared to take notes about your desired procedure. Lastly, it’s essential that the surgeon’s bedside manner is the right fit for your needs and that he or she is board certified.

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Facial Plastic Surgery After 65? Of Course!

We love living in Florida and experiencing the beauty and excitement that this great state has to offer. Most Florida residents are incredibly active and love to stay fit and look their best. And there’s no exception for Florida’s senior community.

A growing number of men and women over the age of 65 are incredibly active in their communities. Whether it’s re-entering the dating scene or looking for a new job opportunity, it comes as no surprise that many of today’s seniors are looking for a way to refresh their image.

While major life changes at any age can be daunting, if you don’t feel you look your best, it’s easy to shy away from truly seizing new opportunities. Gaining an age-appropriate rejuvenated appearance can give any person the boost they need to enjoy life to the fullest – going out more often, making new friends and attending more social events.

While every person’s goals are unique to them, we’re confident that the Image Lift® Experience is ideal for those in search of natural, age-appropriate results with less cost, hassle and risk compared to traditional face-lift procedures. Our Image Lift® patients leave feeling rejuvenated and confident, ready to tackle new challenges and opportunities with a new lease on life!

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The Eyes of Winter

It’s not your imagination. When the days get shorter those dark, baggy circles under your eyes do in fact appear to intensify. While some underlying causes of dark circles are associated with aging, (thinning skin, loss of fat and collagen which reveal the reddish-blue blood vessels under the eyes), it is also the paler winter skin that provides a starker canvas.

Like those dark circles we feverishly work to conceal and the drier winter air our skin must combat, there can be even more serious conditions associated with the lack of prolonged exposure to sunlight with winter’s shorter days.

The Great Outdoors
Studies have shown that men who have jobs which keep them indoors and out of natural sunlight do not get the full spectrum of the sun’s benefits believed to protect against non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, prostate cancer and kidney cancer. Women seem to have a higher instance of developing endometrial cancer in winter while additional disorders like pre-eclampsia and increased occurrences of schizophrenia and epilepsy have been attributed to inadequate exposure to natural sunlight.

Sunshine in a Bottle
The absolute best solution for Vitamin D deficiency is not to be found in Aisle 5 of your drug store. There is no over-the-counter sunlight; our bodies may actually need the specific wavelengths found in sunshine. Overall, the amount and type of any nutritional enhancements should be based on your gender, your age, your health and your individual deficiencies.

Besides consulting with a doctor, what’s our best advice? Take a walk and get your cardio fix in the great outdoors. Despite the somewhat cooler temperatures and the tendency of Floridians to exercise indoors during the winter months, smooth on that sunscreen and enjoy a brisk saunter around the neighborhood. It’ll put you in the holiday spirit and you’ll absorb some of Mother Nature’s pure goodness.

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‘Tis the Season

Along with the cookies and cakes and puddings and pies, the holidays are notorious for a modern-day version of hibernation. It’s a time of year when you think you’ll get to relax a bit, however the stress can show…on your face.

There Goes the Sun
Even in beautiful Florida, the amount of sunlight in a winter’s day is less. Since our skin tone tends to be lighter this time of year, we can look older because those tiny blood vessels in the under eye area appear more prominent.

During the holiday season we also tend to indulge in food and sometimes additional cocktails; the alcohol can have a bloating and drying effect on the skin.

To top it all off you add in the shopping and merry making and working against the crunch of the holiday milestones and your face may not necessarily be looking its most rested and festive.

Vitamin D and Sunlight
Overall, as we are indoors a bit more (celebrating and shopping!) we are out of the sun more than usual. Since the pituitary gland in our brain is stimulated by sunlight; a decrease in sunlight results in an instinctive urge to build up fat stores and be a little lazier. This is supported by the decreased action of leptin, the hormone that tells our brain when our stomach is full — it is a response to a decrease in sunlight.

So if you have been acting more sluggish and feeling more ravenous than usual and notice that your face is filling out a bit, you can cut yourself a little slack; it’s not all your fault. It seems we are wired this way. You’ll have to just put down the eggnog, step away from the mall and make an extra effort to talk yourself for a walk after dinner or a run outside in the morning. It’s a wonderful way to get some holiday color back in your cheeks!

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The Laws of Attraction

We at Image Lift specialize in self-assurance. Beauty is about confidence, and when you are confident it is incredibly attractive. When your reflection in the mirror returns results you don’t recognize (is that really me?), we are happy to discuss what options are available to look your best! However, there are some improvements you can make yourself. You just need a little attitude.

Image Lift logoYour body language conveys a great deal about how you feel regarding your appearance. Fortunately there’s a whole lot of appeal you can turn on with your smile, your stride and your silhouette.

Wear It!
A brilliant smile is your first and best facial transformation. An unsuppressed smile makes you feel better inside and shines that wattage out into the world. You’ll more easily win friends and influence clients when you can convince yourself and others how good it feels to smile. Try it!

Walk It!
Stooped shoulders express a non-verbal that translates into a reluctance to socialize. Your stance and your stride may even convey shyness or insecurity. Walking instead with your head high accompanied by a self-assured saunter will make you stand out in a crowd. You’ll exude assurance and poise; both traits that beckon success. Ever seen Superman walking with slumped shoulders? Don’t treat yourself any less than the best, hold your shoulders back and head high and celebrate who you are.

Work It!
Many of us have body issues; we dislike certain physical features or are unhappy with our dress size. Consequently, if you are feeling overweight you may opt to wear oversized clothing. The downside of that fashion choice is you’re likely hiding some glorious curves. Plus-size clothing lines have come a long way baby! You can now boldly style your silhouette instead of hiding your body in a shapeless garment.

Mindset over matter is transformative. You can liberate your inner beauty simply by celebrating your unique qualities. Today’s women are real and powerful. They embrace alternatives offered by surgical and non-surgical enhancements and they look to themselves for that extra oomph that makes each endlessly beautiful.

Go for it! You deserve the best, and you might as well go and claim it.

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Some Like it Hot

SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor and is the rating assigned to products that help to shield and protect us from the sun’s harmful rays. If you know your sunscreen, you’ve seen them available in sprays, lotions, tinted moisturizers, and make-up. A newer fashion market even exists with sun protective clothing produced from fabrics rated for their ultraviolet (UV) protection. These garments have proven an excellent supplement to liquid sunscreen for runners and outdoor lovers.

At the center of the booming SPF industry are the sun’s ultraviolet A (long-wave) and ultraviolet B (shortwave) rays. Both UVA and UVB pierce the earth’s atmosphere and stealthily and steadily age skin prematurely, damage the eyes (including the promotion of cataracts), and generate deadly skin cancers. These rays also suppress the immune system, reducing your ability to fight off these and other maladies.

What’s the Right SPF for You?

There’s a loosely-based formula about the strength of SPF you can take into consideration: a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 will basically allow a person who would burn in 10 minutes to instead succumb to sunburn in 150 minutes. However, there are more than mere mathematical factors that must guide you! The SPF you use, the frequency with which you apply it, the length of sun exposure, the time of day, that day’s weather and where the sun lover is geographically located!

The best rule of thumb: wear sunscreen whether you’re fair or dark skinned. While we recommend you consult with our professionals or your dermatologist for the best SPF and protection type for your skin and your family history, the list of negative (and potentially deadly) concerns makes sunscreen essential for everyone.

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The Science of Skin

Your skin is a living, breathing organ. Unless you’ve experienced any kind of dermatological issues that affect your health or well-being, it sort of gets taken for granted. It is also hard to be objective about your skin and its changes; because you live in it! Environmental conditions, a host of over-the-counter products and the summer sun can take their toil whether you readily observe them or not.

As we roll into fall, it is time to take stock and work on reversing the harsh damage and drying effects from all the fun in the sun, be they visible or invisible…

While over-the-counter products have become more sophisticated, we always recommend a consultation with a board-certified physician for a complete selection of products designed to work together.

For the summer time, as vigilant as you are about using your sunscreen (and nothing should stop you from using it!) sunscreen clogs your pores. Therefore, using a Glycolic acid product can restore your face’s luster; remove clogging and dead cells and help to plump up fine lines. An antioxidant solution can go a long way in working to address those sun-induced free radicals. A pharmaceutical-grade skin lightening cream with hydroquinone to bleach any patches of unwanted color and fade those newly acquired brown spots can be a nice finishing touch! In addition to a hearty moisturizer, pamper the sensitive areas under the eyes and your lips with super-rich emollient eye cream and lip balm.

We still recommend you use that faithful sunscreen every day and you will want to keep up with the effects of the summer season while warding off any new damage. Put your best face forward!

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Skin for All Seasons

Regardless if you live in a tropical climate or one where the seasons are sharply delineated, there are changes the Image Lift® medical team recommends incorporating into your skin care regimen depending on the time of year.

In fact, we’ve got several simple suggestions to keep you looking your best all year round while making season-specific adjustments!

  1. We had a client who used her garbage pick-up schedule to remind her it was a day to exfoliate! When she woke up and saw the empty trash cans in front of her home twice a week, those were the days she would exfoliate. It’s funny and it makes a whole lot of sense; it gave her regime consistency!
  2. With the cooler and colder months approaching we recommend using more cream based cleaners and shower soaps instead of gel-based ones; they’re a bit more indulgent on drier skin.
  3. Use sunscreen despite the season or your length of exposure
  4. Even though we’re all about necks and faces, many may argue feet are pretty important too. Be “sandal-ready” regardless of the time of year. A good pedicure does much more than enhance your toenail color; it keeps your nails trimmed and healthy and makes you conscious of foot care while keeping them smooth and soft.
  5. Moisturizers – There’s an infinite variety of them on the market; get recommendations on the ones that work best for your skin type and use them – day and night.
    • Make sure your day cream has the SPF factor you require and that your night cream addresses your unique
    • needsUse a rich cream on your body when you step from the bath; it will lock in moisture
    • Buy a decorative pump bottle for your nightstand and fill it with your favorite rich hand cream to indulge in before you go to sleep
    • Keep hand sanitizer and hand cream in your briefcase or car. After you leave a meeting and a round of hand shaking you can sanitize and moisturize.
    • During the colder months you may want to use a cuticle oil to target their care between manicures

While the age of your skin and the condition it’s in is always a consideration; winter, spring, summer and fall puts different types of wear and tear on your precious skin.

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