Tag Archives: muscles

Pro Football Player Comes Down With Bell’s Palsy « Carolina Facial Plastic Surgery

Green Bay Packers player, Jarius Wynn, was at dinner when all of a sudden his eye began to water and soon after he was not able to close his eye.  Wynn was diagnosed with Bell’s palsy.  Bell’s palsy is a paralysis or weakness of the muscles on one side of the face.  In Bell’s palsy patients, damage to the facial nerve occurs that controls muscles on one side of the face, which then causes that side of the face to droop.  An individual’s sense of taste, production of tears and saliva may also be damaged.  It is very common that the condition comes on suddenly, often overnight.  Dr. Babak Azizzadeh, facial paralysis specialist, and my fellowship director, commented on Wynn’s diagnosis. he stated that it is imperative that patients be treated immediately, begin medication, and that their eyes are protected, as is Wynn’s.  Luckily it sounds like Wynn’s doctors are doing a fantastic job treating his condition.

Bell’s Palsy Cannot stop A Sack!

As a Charlotte area facial paralysis-Bells Palsy expert, I treat patients with facial paralysis.  Facial paralysis, or the loss of muscle tone on one half of the face, has significant functional, aesthetic, and emotional consequences.  To address this, there are many treatments to improve eating, breathing, eye protection, and symmetry of the face.  Improvement of the function and appearance of the face can have a profound impact on the patient’s psyche. Facial paralysis is a very complicated condition and should only be treated by an expert. Doctors who do not have extensive knowledge in facial paralysis can misdiagnose the cause of the paralysis, which may be detrimental to a patient.

The most common form of facial paralysis is Bell’s Palsy, which is caused by inflammation of the facial nerve.  This inflammation causes the nerve to swell and prevents the nerve from passing signals between the brain and the facial muscles.  The exact cause of the inflammation is not known, but most people believe it is from a virus.  The onset of Bell’s palsy is very abrupt and reaches its peak within 48 hours. many patients report that their face suddenly feels stiff or pulled to one side.  The prognosis from Bell’s palsy is relatively good.  85% of patients suffering from Bell’s palsy will completely recover without any signs of facial asymmetry, 10% of patients will have an incomplete recovery with lingering facial weakness, and 5% of patients will have complete facial paralysis or significant synkinesis.

Call for more information, schedule a consultation if you are considering this procedure, etc.

Next, read

Tags: , ,

Pro Football Player Comes Down With Bell’s Palsy « Carolina Facial Plastic Surgery

Abdominoplasty Surgery – The Tummy Tuck

Tummy tuck is a procedure that is used to reshape and firm up the abdominal area. known as abdominoplasty surgery, tummy tuck involves removing unwanted fat and skin from the lower abdominal area in order to tighten up the abdominal walls. A tummy tuck is usually performed on people who have abdominal fat that do not seem to respond to diet and exercise.

A full tummy tuck procedure is done by performing an incision across the lower abdomen – from one hip to the other. the incision is shaped like a ‘V’ with a flat bottom that cuts across the top of the pubic area. then, another incision is made surrounding the navel to free the skin. the skin is then peeled away from the abdominal area to reveal the fat and muscles below. once the unwanted fat is removed and the muscles tightened, excess skin is trimmed off the remaining skin is stitched into place. A new hole is cut to form the navel.

It is best to have a thorough medical checkup if you do plan to go for a tummy tuck procedure. Seeing as how tummy tuck is a major surgical procedure, it is best to know your current state of health to minimize complications during and after surgery. the doctor in charge can also advise if a tummy tuck is really the best way to go to firm up your lower abdomen.

If your abdominal fat problem is not too bad, then a mini tummy tuck might be the way to go. for the mini tummy tuck, only a small, straight incision is performed above the pubic area. Excess fat is then removed and the wound would be stitched closed. some doctors would also perform liposuction together with a mini tummy tuck for better results. there are even doctors that would perform a mini tummy tuck plus liposuction immediately after performing a caesarian baby delivery.

As with any surgery, there will be some recovery time that would need to be observed. A mini tummy tuck will not take too long to recover compared to a full tummy tuck. after a full tummy tuck, you lower abdominal area would most likely be swollen. the doctor would place a tube running out of your abdomen temporarily to drain off excess fluids accumulated during surgery. Getting up out of bed would be challenging for a few days, as would be going to the toilet. Avoid lying prone in bed all the time as this could retard your healing. when you feel that you can, try and move about to gets the blood circulation going.

Expect the surgery scars to last from 9 months to a year after a full tummy tuck. also be aware that these scars might never really disappear although surgeons will often ensure that the scars are easily hidden under a bathing suit. If you want to, you could go for a plastic surgery procedure to remove the scars from your tummy tuck.

Abdominoplasty Surgery – The Tummy Tuck

Cosmetic Surgery: An Overview

Cosmetic surgery is an increasingly frequent way for individuals to improve their appearance in a way that may well otherwise be impossible. Cosmetic surgery is not to be mistaken with plastic surgery, although the two can be quite comparable. Plastic surgery is employed to repair deformities, or correct appearance from following an accident or injury. Cosmetic surgery is concerned with improving the look of an otherwise perfectly healthful person.

The science behind cosmetic surgery has continued to advance, and an remarkable assortment of distinct procedures are obtainable. Botox is a well-known treatment for each males and girls, minimizing wrinkles and tightening the muscles in the face to enhance youthful look. This treatment became widespread in the United States in the course of the 2004 election with John Kerry, although it is a practice among politicians, the wealthy, and motion pictures stars.

There are many other cosmetic surgeries for the facial area, as properly. anything from a face lift, to rhinoplasty (nose job), laser eye lid surgery, lip augmentation (for those ladies searching for the beautiful Angelina Jolie appear), facial minisculpture, or the excellent 1 for middle aged guys: hair transplants. Nearly any facial feature can by altered or modified in a way far more pleasing to the person. the possibilities are wonderful, and data is easy to locate.

Beyond the face there are all varieties of procedures. Sharon Osborne, wife of popular rock singer Ozzy Osborne, is very open about the multiple cosmetic surgeries she has had, and is an excellent instance of a now typical celebrity practice. for the body there is liposuction, butt lifts, breast lifts, breast augmentation, and breast reduction (which is also available for weighted males unhappy with upper physique flab). there are so many procedures that can be undertaken that it can be intimidating to somebody just beginning to look about.

If every little thing seems overwhelming, just take it 1 step at a time. Which trait would you most like to see changed? Lips? Stomach? Nose? Decide on the 1 feature you would like to take care of 1st and meet with a cosmetic surgeon to see what your choices are. with how common cosmetic surgery has become, the procedures are safe and done by expert medical doctors who typically specialize in even just the one particular therapy. This is a field exactly where there is a thing for everyone, but consider your options carefully. Like acquiring a tattoo, operate could be reversed, but it might lead to more headaches than you care for. still, if its time for a modify, the options are all there at your disposal, and your happiness at an improved appearance might be a phone call away.

For more, please go to: click here

Cosmetic Surgery: An Overview

Image can be everything to a teenager

Over 88 percent of the girls aged 15 to 25 in our country would change something to their body if that was easily feasible. the share amongst boys is slightly lower, but still strikingly high (73 percent). the body parts girls are least happy with are their belly (46 percent), thighs (29 percent), bottom (19 percent) and breasts (18 percent). Boys would love to improve their belly and muscles (18 percent), chest, mouth and cheeks (14 percent). But not all of them would consider plastic surgery. an InSites Consulting survey revealed about 15 percent of the US youth consider doing so.

Girls in the US get the most pride out of their eyes (48 percent), hair (36 percent) and breasts (18 percent). Only 7 percent are proud of their entire body. Three times as many boys (21 percent) are proud of it all, but most of them are mainly proud of their eyes (34 percent), hair (22 percent) and skin (14 percent).

The 16 countries international results show that the US scores slightly below average. About 23 percent of the girls and 16 percent of the boys in the 16 countries across the world consider plastic surgery. in almost all areas the same body parts are a problem to the youth. in China and India young women attach less importance to their belly and breasts. the skin, the eyes and the hair are the main points of attention. in Brazil girls focus less on the thighs and pay more attention to belly and breasts. another level where Brazil is different internationally is that about half the young women (47 percent) and 34 percent of the young men would consider an aesthetic operation.

“The current generation of youth is often referred to by scientists as the most narcissistic group ever,” said Joeri Van den Bergh, Gen Y expert at InSites Consulting and author of the book How cool Brands Stay Hot. “Therefore it is not surprising that looking good is so important. But this definitely is not only valid for youngsters and is a broader scientific fact. Just think of the increased importance of product and packaging design, or of the increased care given to interior design,” he said.

Seven out of ten youngsters think they are unique 

Clothing, profession, hobbies and music are part of the uniqueness

About 69 percent of the US youth think to be unique or even very unique. This US youth score puts them in the less modest group in the word. in countries such as Brazil, Romania, Russia, India and Italy no less than 7 to 8 youngsters out of 10 considered themselves to be unique.

US youngsters mainly want to be different for what they tell others (53 percent), for their clothing (51 percent), their hobbies (51 percent), their professional activity (50 percent) and the music they listen to (50 percent). the cities and countries they visit also represent important differentiating ways to youngsters (46 percent). the majority of youngsters does not want to differentiate by where or what they eat nor by their political ideals. the latter is deducted from the InSites Consulting survey as being important only in Italy and the BRIC countries. Body and looks are used relatively more frequently in Brazil, India and Eastern Europe as means to be unique compared with other youngsters.

“The most striking thing to me in these results is that the company you work for and the job on your business card contribute a lot to the extent to which youngsters consider themselves to be ‘unique.’ so it’s not just the tailor who makes the man. I think many employers–who are wondering today how to engage and motivate these Millennials or Generation Y–do not think enough about this. ‘Why would working for that company and having that function be a unique experience differentiating me from other youth’, that’s the bottom line,” Van den Bergh said.

More than 1 out of every 3 youngsters uses brands to be unique

About a third of the US youngsters (36%) try to buy unique brands in order to be different. apart from brands such as iPhone and Apple, other so-called ‘badge items’ (i.e. products which give you a certain identity towards others, such as mobile phone, shoes, clothing, drinks away from home) are also in the top 10 of most unique brands. But how can today’s brands be unique in a world where the competition copies innovations within a few months, or where they imitate campaigns?

“The bottom-line is often that they build their brand around a unique value or a view of the world, rather than around the product itself,” Van den Berghsaid. “We should be able to summarize a brand’s uniqueness in 1 or 2 words. For Apple those would be ‘design’ and ‘user-friendliness.’ both Diesel and Levi’s are quoted as unique by about 1 out of every 3 US youngsters, whilst both being jeans brands. But for Levi’s this uniqueness equals affordable quality with a tradition, whereas Diesel stands for character, personality and style,” he concluded.

Youngsters want to be remembered as a good friend

Three out of ten youngsters in the US want to be remembered as a ‘good friend.’ other characteristics such as friendly, honest, warm and smart (quoted by 1 on 5) are also considered to be very important. About a fifth of the 15-to-25-year olds also want to be remembered as a ‘zealous worker.’ the US youth clearly score higher on work ethics than the other 15 countries included in the survey. They think it less important on the other hand to be remembered as cosmopolitan (1 percent), famous (2 percent) or popular (3 percent).

About the survey

This press release’s facts and figures are based on a global research organised by InSites Consulting amongst 4,065 respondents aged 15 to 25 (Generation Y) in 16 countries: the USA, Brazil, Russia, India, China, the UK, Germany, France, Sweden, Denmark, Poland, Romania, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and Belgium. the sample is representative for the Gen Y population of each country. http://www.slideshare.net/joerivandenbergh/why-im-unique-by-generation-y-around-the-world.

Image can be everything to a teenager

Never too young for Botox

Carly Roberts’s forehead is smooth as a baby’s bottom.

The skin around her blue-green eyes is equally wrinkle free.

Sure, she’s just 25 years old. but there’s something else going on, too.

“I’m Bo-jacked,” the Vancouver sales associate said. Roberts has been unapologetically using Botox – a widely used drug, made famous by youth-seeking Hollywood stars and certain reality-show housewives, that weakens or paralyzes muscles – to fend off wrinkles and skin creases for two years now.

Along with injections between her eyes and forehead, she also regularly uses Botox under her arms to reduce sweating.

Is such devotion to a drug excessive at such a young age?

Roberts doesn’t think so. “I still have a little bit of expression left. not huge – but my face isn’t frozen or anything like that,” she said.

Roberts is part of a growing number of B.C. women in their teens and 20s who say they are turning to the procedure to pre-empt signs of aging, despite the financial cost and health concerns around its use.

“I see 20-year-old women not wanting to have wrinkles,” said Dr. Warren Roberts, Carly’s father and an oral surgeon who is licensed to administer Botox in the province.

Roberts said the majority of his patients tend to be women between the ages of 35 and 60, but estimated roughly 25 per cent of his clients are teenage girls or women under 30.

“I couldn’t give an exact amount, but it’s increasing,” he said.

Botox procedures among teenagers in the U.S. increased nearly 800 per cent between 2008 and 2010, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Among women in their 20s, injections increased by more than 11 per cent to 78,000 in 2010 alone.

Statistics for Canadian procedures are unavailable publicly. in 2008, B.C. became the first jurisdiction in Canada to permit dentists and oral surgeons to administer Botox for cosmetic purposes, allowing greater access to the popular drug for patients of all ages.

Physicians, surgeons, and even registered nurses – if a supervising doctor is on site – are also authorized to administer Botox in B.C. Professionals must complete a course, generally an hour and 15 minutes long, by an instructor approved by Allergan inc., the California-based pharmaceutical company that makes the drug.

Botox is used mainly to reduce unwanted wrinkles around the eyes and forehead, but also to relieve symptoms in patients with cerebral palsy as well as migraines and chronic sweating.

Over the last five years, Dr. Roberts said he’s seen an increasing number of teens come to his office, a sleek downtown Vancouver studio with pebbled glass panelling and white leather chairs, for upper lip injections following orthodontic treatment.

Many worry about having gummy smiles.

“They smile and they have these beautiful, straight teeth and all you can see is this big band of pink tissue on the top,” Roberts said. “With Botox, $24 of treatment would decrease the hyper-mobility of that lip and put it exactly where it’s supposed to be.”

Not everybody gets off that easy. Patients usually dish out between $300 and $1,000 per treatment, depending how much of their foreheads, eye creases, mouths and necks they care to submit to the needle’s touch.

The muscle-numbing effects last three to four months before a top-up is needed.

Botox, a trade name for bot-ulinumtoxin a, is a protein complex produced by a bacterium containing the same toxin that causes food poisoning, or botulism.

Botox users often rave about its results, but the drug is not without controversy.

A 2008 Health Canada review cited “the potential risk of serious adverse effects of muscle weakness remote to the site of injection.” These include pneumonia and difficulty speaking or breathing.

The same year the federal health agency launched a probe into the deaths of five people who had been injected with Botox, and serious reactions in another eight cases.

All the deaths involved people who were treated for such medical conditions as neck and muscle spasms. two occurred in children with cerebral palsy, including a nine-year-old boy who was given Botox for drooling – a condition for which the drug has not been approved.

Botox requires parental consent for use on under-18 patients, but has no other age restrictions.

The reactions in all cases suggest the botulinum toxin may have spread to other parts of the body beyond where it was injected, according to Health Canada.

Health Canada found that spread of the toxin and other serious side effects were very rare in cosmetic procedures, however, while the danger increased when Botox was used in larger doses to treat medical conditions involving muscle spasticity.

More common complications that arise from botched cosmetic injections include pain or bruising, headaches and eye swelling, skin rashes, muscle weakness and an irregular heart beat, according to Health Canada. Droopy eyelids and swallowing difficulties are also possible hazards.

Dr. Roberts said he’s never had any problems, but added clients should be mindful of where they get the procedure done.

“I hear from doctors from around the world through my LinkedIn account who obviously don’t know what they’re doing,” he said.

Nonetheless, Botox injections remain by far the most popular “minimally invasive procedure” in plastic surgery, beating out chemical peels and collagen injections, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

For some, plunging a Botox-filled syringe into a young woman’s skin poses more emotional risk than physical, and speaks to an insidious undercurrent of superficiality coursing through West Coast culture.

“At age 13, what is it preventive of?” asked Dr. Gayle way, a Vancouver-based psychologist. “The big fear is that, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m going to turn 30.’ Is it happening more in B.C. because we’re kind of the California of Canada? could be.”

Vancouver clinical counsellor Iona Monk said self-esteem issues and self-image concerns can be aggravated by cosmetic procedures.

“Because they don’t realize that they have an inner self that they can work on … the only way they see to feel better about themselves is to improve their appearance,” she said. “They’re desperate to look as great as they can at a ridiculously early age, even though they don’t need it.”

Monk points to celebrity culture and an accompanying obsession with appearance imprinting itself on girls.

“Celebrities are getting plastic surgery younger and younger, and young women are seeing that in magazines, on TV, in the movies, and they’re associating their glamorous lifestyles with plastic surgery,” she said.

Dr. Roberts, on the other hand, feels cosmetic treatments have the power to make patients feel better about themselves.

“Our patients that we use Botox on between the eyes and particularly in the forehead become less anxious and have less anxiety and depression,” he said. “It makes my day.”

Dr. Elizabeth Hall-Findlay, an Alberta-based plastic surgeon who happily uses Botox herself, said using the drug can help young clients keep their skin looking younger by pre-venting the formation of deep creases.

But, she said, staying out of the sun would probably do them more good. Carly Roberts has no regrets about her own cosmetic choices.

In addition to using Botox to preserve her youthful skin, she said it also relieves headaches and skin breakouts. To her, injections are as common as a pedicure or a salon visit.

And she’s not alone. a similar attitude prevails within her circle of friends.

“Let’s see, one, two, three, I’d say like 10 of my friends get it done, probably more.”

creynolds@vancouversun.com

© (c) CanWest MediaWorks Publications inc.

Never too young for Botox

Tummy Tucks for Patients with Major Weight Loss

For patients recovering from major weight loss, the tummy tuck is often performed to remove accumulations of excess fat and skin around the midsection. this unsightly side effect of significant weight loss may not always be treated by diet and exercise.

For many patients, the standard tummy tuck procedure with a hip-to-hip incision will be sufficient to smooth their midsection and accent the results of their successful weight loss. However, for some cases, particularly those who have lost more weight, the tummy tuck procedure may be customized with a belt lipectomy to provide a greater reduction of excess skin and fat deposits, according to the popular and trusted plastic surgery website RealSelf.com.

The traditional tummy tuck procedure involves an incision made across the front of the stomach from hip to hip, generally underneath the bathing suit line. Excess fat, skin and tissue are removed and the muscles are secured. The skin is pulled down for a smoother appearance. In some cases, the navel is repositioned.

For patients with more significant weight loss, another incision may be made vertically up the center of the stomach, in order to remove additional skin. this is less common, as the resulting incision line is more visible.

For major weight loss patients, the horizontal incision does not stop at the hips, but wraps all the way around the body. The procedure is expanded to treat the back and sides in the same manner as a traditional tummy tuck. an entire belt of fat, skin and tissue is removed, resulting in the “belt lipectomy” procedure name.

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, additional procedures that may be incorporated for patients with major weight loss include an arm lift, breast lift and thigh lift.

Tummy Tucks for Patients with Major Weight Loss

Cosmetic Facial Procedures: Fillers, Injectibles and Peels, Oh My!

iStockphoto/Thinkstock

According to many article’s I’ve read, the early to mid-40s are when it’s time to get a little help in maintaining a youthful face, if it’s something you’re interested in.

For those who aren’t interested in surgery, there are injections and fillers and other options that can fill in lines, puff out the face and plump up thinning lips.

There are options for just about every correction that someone feels they’d like to see.

One of the most popular cosmetic procedures that women (and men) try is Botox. This substance is made of the paralyzing toxin botulism that has been FDA approved in its changed form, for cosmetic use).

Botox is injected in various areas like around the eyes and forehead, to relax muscles and paralyze them so that they don’t show when a person is laughing or frowning, or even straight-faced.

The only cosmetic procedure I have had done was Botox and had it done some time back to just see how it was. I was generally unimpressed.

Granted, I only used a very small amount around my eyes to eliminate laughter lines and I did see some improvement but I think I’ll take a pass for further treatments as no one even noticed a thing and it didn’t give me any kind of “boost” as I was pretty happy with the way things were.

I suppose I was just curious.

The procedure for both sides of my eyes cost me $295 and took one or two minutes to complete, and didn’t really hurt.

I bruised afterwards, despite using lots of ice and the bruising lasted two weeks. I looked like I had a minor black eye on one side. it lasted for three or four months.

It was worth a shot (pun intended) and I know some women swear by it but I’ll keep the real me!

Restylane is another option to ease the look of lines and plump up thinning lips. Restylane is known as a “filler” and is different from Botox in that its ingredients are placed inside the lips or lines.

Women like them for the parenthesis lines that curve around each side of the mouth and for the lines that form over the lips from aging. It’s a gel-like substance that contains hyaluronic acid to plump out skin and lips.

Cosmetic Facial Procedures: Fillers, Injectibles and Peels, Oh My!

Suffering From Backache? A Breast Reduction Could Help Says Cosmetic Surgery Resource

MANCHESTER, UNITED KINGDOM–(Marketwire – July 13, 2012) - Breast reduction surgery can cure a number of physical ailments says Cosmetic Surgery Guru – an online resource which provides information and advice regarding both surgical and non-surgical procedures.

According to the website, removing fat, glandular tissues and skin from the breasts has many health benefits and has been known to alleviate problems such as back pain, neck problems, poor posture, excess sweating, skin infections and rashes, painful bra straps and the inability to partake in sports.

Isabella Franklin, a spokeswoman for the site said: Carrying a lot of weight upfront can lead to aches and pains all over the body and is surprisingly restrictive. Those with a large bust often find that their back becomes extremely sore and this can affect their day-to-day life.

She continued: Breast reduction surgery gets rid of a lot of that heaviness and takes the strain off tired muscles. it allows people to move around easier and helps them to up their exercise intake if they want to become fitter. Running, skipping and even walking can be challenging with an ample chest, so going under the knife can be wonderfully liberating.

Figures released by The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) also reveal that breast reductions are on the rise. The number of women having the procedure rose by 6.7 per cent from 2010 to 2011 and the number of men rose by seven per cent. it was the third most popular procedure for males and females combined in the UK with 4,986 people in total having their chest reduced – a rise of 4.8 per cent.

Commenting on the BAAPS statistics, Isabella Franklin said: With the obesity epidemic in full swing, it seems more and more people are turning to cosmetic surgery. Breast size alters with body weight, so perhaps well see numbers increasing even more as the population gets bigger.

If you want a smaller chest, book a mammoplasty with a reputable surgeon for the best results, states Cosmetic Surgery Guru.

Suffering From Backache? A Breast Reduction Could Help Says Cosmetic Surgery Resource

Turning up the heat for workouts

NEW YORK (Reuters) – when it comes to exercise, some like it hot, some like it hotter, and some like it under the air conditioner.

Experts say heat can be help to your workout, boosting circulation and increasing flexibility, but it’s a relationship that can also turn nasty.

“Your body is engineered to exercise in the heat,” said Michele Olson, Ph.D., professor of exercise science at Auburn University at Montgomery, Alabama. “This is why we sweat.”

Olson, who is also an expert with the American College of Sports Medicine, said it’s actually the evaporation of sweat from the skin that cools our bodies to maintain our normal body temperature.

Heat also speeds up the heart rate, increasing the circulation of blood around the body, including the muscles, decreasing friction and making it more comfortable to stretch, she said.

“This is why we warm up before exercise,” she explained.

But heat-related illnesses that strike during a sport or recreational activity send nearly 6,000 people in the United States to emergency rooms every year, according to a report released in 2011 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Sometimes the problem is really not the heat, but the humidity.

“If it is too humid, sweat cannot evaporate and this can prove dangerous, causing a heat injury, such as dehydration, heat cramps or heat stroke,” Olson said.

Dr. Cedric X. Bryant, chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, said it’s usually a combination of the two.

“With humidity the environment is not conducive to evaporation, so the body stores more heat, the core temperature goes up, and your physical performance in negatively impacted,” he said.

When ambient temperature is 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) or more and the humidity is 60 percent, he said exercise should be indoors.

At 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) and 30 percent humidity you’d still be able to exercise safely, he said, depending of the intensity of the workout, which determines how much heat is produced.

“Generally speaking if temperature is 80 degrees Fahrenheit (26.6 degrees Celsius) and humidity is below 50 per cent, that’s going to be pretty comfortable,” Bryant said.

Acclimatization, the gradual adaptation to environmental changes such as heat, can also reduce risk of injury, according to Bryant. The body usually takes 10 to 14 days of heat-exposed exercise to adapt.

To beat the heat, adequate hydration before, during and after exercise is a must, Bryant said.

He recommends drinking copious amounts of fluid 30 minutes before exercise, drinking at least six ounces every 20 minutes during exercise, and drinking beyond thirst after exercise.

“Water is generally best,” he said. “But consider a sports drink if you’re going to be exercising for more than an hour.”

During the dog days of summer, Bryant suggests working out in the morning, before the day heats up, and protecting skin and eyes with sunscreen and sunglasses.

When Kay Kay Clivio teaches her hot yoga class at Pure Yoga in new York City, she likes to keep the room between 95 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit (35 to 37.7 degrees Celsius).

“Heat has a healing, therapeutic aspect,” she said. “The hot room opens your muscles more and makes you more flexible.”

Students in her hot class are encouraged to drink plenty of water and take breaks as needed.

“It’s not usual to get nauseous in the first classes. Heat turns up a lot of toxins. like steam cleaning a carpet, it really dredges stuff up. so the body reacts,” Clivio said. “A lot of the benefit is that you’re detoxifying.”

For her non-hot yoga classes, Clivio likes to set the thermometer at 75 degrees Fahrenheit (23.8 degrees Celsius).

“If you have people in the room, the heat will come up,” she explained. “I don’t ever think the air conditioner should be on.”

Besides flushing toxins and increasing flexibility, Clivio said heat can reduce stress and even sharpen the mind.

“It pushes you out of your comfort zone,” she said.

Sadly, one thing exercising in heat cannot do is burn more calories.

“You do not burn more calories by sweating, per se,” said Olson.

She said the energy cost of walking a 15-minute mile is the same, whether the temperature is balmy or sweltering.

“The idea that a hot room or area to work out and increase sweat results in increased calorie burning is a myth,” she said. “Sweating is a passive process.”

Turning up the heat for workouts

New Body Cosmetic Surgery Los Angeles Blog: The Avelar Tummy Tuck

A relatively new procedure that we have performed is the Avelar tummy tuck. this form of tummy tuck provides a significant decrease in discomfort and/or complications experienced after the procedure. the incision used is similar to an ordinary tummy tuck, but in this new technique, sewing together the muscles is usually not done or not done as aggressively. first we use liposuction to thin the area prior to the removal of the skin, so as to loosen the skin, rather than just making a large hole between the muscle and fat and pulling the skin above the navel down. by using liposuction before the procedure, attachments to the skin are largely left intact, so blood circulation is in theory preserved, despite the removal of a large amount of skin from the lower abdomen. an alternative to the Avelar tummy tuck is a simple dermolipectomy. this is a fancy name for removal of much of the skin of the lower abdomen without interference with the belly button area or the upper abdomen. These areas can then be reshaped with liposuction. the Avelar tummy tuck, on the other hand, does involve manufacture of a new belly button and stretching the upper abdominal skin all the way down to the upper groin area. Latina patients benefit greatly from these procedures, because their skin often tends to be thinner, which can result in a less-than-perfect skin recovery after childbirth, with some stretch marks and looseness. we prefer to recommend the more conservative or less invasive procedures rather than more invasive, more risky, and more costly procedures, which can also involve more scarring. For example, we usually recommend the dermolipectomy more than the Avelar tummy tuck, and recommend the Avelar tummy tuck more than a normal tummy tuck. the risks, the scars, the cost, and the other problems are just not worth the extra investment of time and the more difficult recovery for these more complicated procedures, even if they are considered the “traditional approach.” in fact, Dr. Yoho often recommends simple liposuction, and with his technique, the “no scalpel tummy tuck,” in many cases no skin removal is necessary at all, and the skin will shrink to fit. Sometimes a little loose skin is left above the belly button, but this is a small price to pay for not having a scar that extends from hip to hip and avoiding a very difficult recovery of perhaps a month or more, the pain and aggravation of more anesthesia and more surgery, and a higher price. _______________________ Robert Yoho, M.D.

New Body Cosmetic Surgery Los Angeles Blog: The Avelar Tummy Tuck