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Can Sunscreens Cause Skin Cancer?

“According to that study, nearly half of the 500 most popular sunscreens may actually increase the speed at which malignant cells develop and spread skin cancer such as melanoma.

Why? Because they contain Vitamin A, an ingredient that was added to sunscreen formulations because it’s an antioxidant that slows skin aging.

This isn’t necessarily new information….as some studies suggest “that vitamin A might have some phototoxicity.”

Source: health.msn.com/health-topics/skin-and-hair/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100260739

Take it easy folks. One study on the effects of Vitamin A on skin cancers in animals does not invalidate sunscreen use. We don’t really need Vitamin A in sunscreens though. We need good blockers of UVA and UVB at an SPF of at least 30.

*This blog post was originally published at Truth in Cosmetic Surgery*

Another Fake Plastic Surgeon Victim Surfaces

We posted previously on Oneal Ron Morris, a transsexual charlatan who has been injecting clients with his own home brew of filler agents resulting in disastrous consequences. A victim of his facial services has surfaced:

lumps and bumps

The lumpy cheeks, misshapen chin and ballooning upper lip are still visible on Rajee Narinesingh’s face; more than two years after she says she received a backroom cosmetic procedure from a man police say performed numerous, botched, unlicensed procedures. “I had to end up going to surgery, to get me even to this point,” Narinesingh told CBS4′s Gary Nelson Monday, pointing to the disfigurement she still is trying to have reversed. Narinesingh is among multiple alleged victims of Oneal Ron Morris, a transsexual who is alleged to have performed cosmetic procedures in homes and apartments.

Source: miami.cbslocal.com/2011/11/28/new-victim-reveals-fake-docs-alleged-work/

Rajee Narinesingh apparently met Oneal Ron Morris via referral in the transsexual community. She Read more »

*This blog post was originally published at Truth in Cosmetic Surgery*

Can Plastic Surgery Repair A Stretched Belly Button Following Childbirth?

Pregnancy, Piercing and Hernia Repair Changed This Belly Button Question:

When I was pregnant, my daughter pushed against my belly button the last couple of months and stretched it out. Then I ended up having two hernias which also stretched it out. Unfortunately I pierced my belly button when I was 15 and the skin above my belly button is now extremely loose. Can you fix this?

I am 26 and had my baby in Sept of 2010. I gained 30 pounds (healthy) and immediately had the two hernias. I think they were a result of the pregnancy or labor. I had them repaired in Jan of 2011. I am planning on having one more child. If it’s not a boy, then we’ll be having another one. Lastly, no I am not a fitness model. I’d like to be!

Belly button plastic surgery is usually referred to as umbilicoplasty. It is a routine part of tummy tuck operations as it becomes necessary when moving the position of the umbilical opening. As you have discovered,

Read more »

*This blog post was originally published at Truth in Cosmetic Surgery*

When Are Pain Pumps Useful Following Plastic Surgery?

About ten years ago plastic surgery had a nice little advance- the advent of the disposable pain pump. Breakthroughs in medicine are far fewer than advertising copy would have you believe, but this one is real. Unfortunately some practices use them like a marketing ploy in all cases and really don’t spend the time to make them work well or minimize their risk. Others don’t see the benefit and don’t use them at all.

Pain pumps are quite useful in some cases when used correctly. Plastic surgery is a technical specialty and some surgeons are more adept at making things work than others. There are risks with them and cases in which the benefit is harder to measure.

How Does a Pain Pump Work? Read more »

*This blog post was originally published at Truth in Cosmetic Surgery*

Husband Disapproves Of Wife’s Decision To Get Breast Reduction Surgery

Jeanette’s story:

For as long as I can remember my nickname has been ‘Jen Big Boobs’. Friends joke that the first thing they see when I walk through the door is my chest. I know they mean no harm – just as ­­I know that my husband, Steve, adores them ­­– but it’s reached the point where they have ­­got to go. They simply dominate my life. Whether I’m trying to get comfy in bed or walking down the street I can’t forget them for a moment. They are always there, getting in the way of everything I do. In primary school I was the first in class to wear a bra. So when my pals changed in the classroom for PE, I’d change in the loos. Big boobs weren’t a huge surprise – they ­run in my family. But it was embarrassing and ­I didn’t like being different. They’ve singled me out for loads of attention. Buying bras has always been and still is a nightmare. I have to order specially-made ones that are ugly and cost up to £50. By the time I was 20 I’d already gone to see ­my GP about a reduction operation. He was ­sympathetic but said I was too young for ­surgery.

Steve’s story:

I love my wife’s big boobs and don’t want them reduced. I don’t mind admitting that Read more »

*This blog post was originally published at Truth in Cosmetic Surgery*

Latest Interviews

The Surprising Economic Burden Of ADHD (Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)

If you can read this you need to download a more recent browser It is estimated that as many as million U.S. adults have ADHD Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder A recent research study publication-pending suggests that the economic burden of ADHD on America could be as high as billion annually. I…

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Is The Adderall Shortage A Harbinger Of Future Drug Supply Problems?

If you can read this you need to download a more recent browser Today most- if not all- Doctor’s offices are strained by the shortage of some prescription medication or vaccine. A month ago President Obama signed his executive order directing the FDA to take steps to reduce drug shortages…

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Latest Book Reviews

Book Review: The First Step To Improve Health Care Is A Close Examination Of How It’s Delivered

My friend and former Chair of the CFAH Board of Trustees Doug Kamerow has written a book that I think you will like. Besides being a mensch and witty as heck Doug is a family doctor and a preventive medicine specialist. In his new book Dissecting American Health Care Commentaries…

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“Your Medical Mind” Explores Factors That Influence A Patient’s Medical Decisions

Recently I had a conversation with Shannon Brownlee the widely respected science journalist and acting director of the Health Policy Program at the New America Foundation about whether men should continue to have access to the PSA test for prostate cancer screening despite the overwhelming evidence that it extends few…

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Book Review: Food Truths, Food Lies

Food Truths Food Lies written by family physician Eric Marcotte M.D. may be the most refreshingly evidence-based diet book of the decade. You will not find a single mention of super-foods magical berries or supplement must-haves in the entire book. What you will find is the cold hard truth about…

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