Pacific Dermatology and Cosmetic Center

Skin Cancer on the rise in young adults…On the Today Show

pacificdermcenter — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:03:57 +0000

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May is Melanoma Awareness Month

pacificdermcenter — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:40 +0000

If you’re like us, you had a blast frolicking in the spring sun this weekend — but you didn’t love coming home with your first ever-so-mild sunburn of the year. Oops!

Perhaps it’s no coincidence then that the first Monday in May is known as Melanoma Monday (and the month of May is Melanoma Awareness Month).

Melanoma Awareness Month is an an effort by the American Academy of Dermatology to raise awareness about the deadliest form of skin cancer — and remind us that early detection is crucial.

Read on for a few more melanoma prevention tips:

Detect and reflect: Grab this cute, awareness-raising bracelet for only $5, and make sure to wear it frequently — the light pink band turns to dark pink/purple when exposed to harmful UV rays. Safe and stylish!

Screen regularly: Visit your derm for a full-body screening at least once a year and follow her advice carefully, whether she suggests you have photos taken of suspicious moles or asks you to come back in just a few months. Better safe than sorry!

Slather it on: Use sunscreen every day, cloudy or bright, with at least SPF 30. If you’ll be in direct sunlight, apply and reapply a broad-spectrum SPF that blocks both UVA and UVB rays, every 3-4 hours (even more frequently if you’re in the water!).

Check yourself: Scan your own moles and freckles every 1-2 months. “If a mole has been changing in size, shape or color, it needs to be checked right away,” says dermatologist and melanoma survivor Dr. Elizabeth Tanzi. “Skin cancer detection is best done as a team between you and your dermatologist.”

For a whole month’s worth of great tips and information, check out melanomamonday.org.

The physicians at Pacific Dermatology & Cosmetic Center have years of experience in diagnosing and treating skin cancer; if you’ve yet to come in for your first skin check or you’re seasoned at looking for spots and find something suspicious. Call us today and schedule an appointment, you will be seen within 48 hours, its best to be proactive, you can prevent a life-altering event.

Its Melanoma Monday: 4 Summer Skin Tips you should know

pacificdermcenter — Mon, 14 May 2012 23:41:07 +0000

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Lift, Firm and Tighten with Ultherapy! Join Us To Find Out More!

pacificdermcenter — Mon, 14 May 2012 15:17:11 +0000

An Evening With Ultherapy

Learn how you can firm, lift & tighten with a single treatment and no downtime. Ultherapy is an

FDA approved treatment that uses safe Ultrasound Energy.

Thursday, May 31st from 5:00-7:00

This will be an informational session with a “Live” Demonstration

Call Us Today to Reserve Your Space–206.859.5777

Pacific Dermatology & Cosmetic Center

11011 Meridian Avenue N, Suite 102. Seattle. 98133

pacificdermcenter — Tue, 08 May 2012 21:44:06 +0000

Q: Greetings, I had a question if there was any treatment for a small raised scar (color is white) on my the left tip of my nose that was caused by acne a few years back. I was wondering if there is some kind of treatment to help flatten it. Thank you for your time and assistance.

A: Thank you for your email inquiry.

For scars like you are describing, the options would include doing whats called a “dermabrasion” – which is a sanding down of the scar tissue to make it blend better in with the surrounding skin. For this type of dermabrasion, I usually just use a topical numbing cream for about 30 to 40 minutes and then use a medical grade sand-paper to smooth out the scar. The result is what looks like a “rug-burn”, and lasts about 5 to 10 days.

Other options would include laser procedures, such as the Fraxel Restore, or the Fractional CO2, Total FX laser. These lasers would be used to achieve the same results, and it will really depend on what the scar looks like. Vbeam can be used for newer scars that have redness in them as it will improve redness and also cause scar remodeling.

It sound like, in your case, that a surgical revision would be a less likely option, and finally, if there is any portion of a scar on the nose that is indented, we can use a tissue filler, such as Radiesse, to fill in the indentation. It is helpful if we know what caused the scar and how old the scar is in order to help best determine the course of treatment.

I would very much like to see you in consultation, please call my office at your earliest convenience to schedule an appointment.

Thank you, Dr. Jennifer Reichel

Great Beauty Finds for Mom

pacificdermcenter — Mon, 07 May 2012 23:11:24 +0000

Finding the best gift for mom is no easy task, but look no further! We have identified some of the best beauty finds for Mother’s Day this year. These aesthetic products and treatments will help mom look even younger and more beautiful than she is today and make for the perfect gift. Here are our top picks.

In-Office Options: Some of our most popular anti-aging treatments are Photofacials and glycolic peels. Each can soften fine lines and wrinkles, help smooth textured skin, decrease the appearance of scarring, reduce pore size, and reduce those age spots. These are great gifts to help mom rejuvenate and re-discover that younger looking skin. If you think mom might need a little extra help to turn back the clock, injectables like Botox^® and Restylane^® have little to no downtime and are great ways to reduce those lines and wrinkles. Mom will instantly erase a few years off her appearance after one of these treatments.

At-Home Options: There are several new anti-aging products on the market today to smooth fine lines. Skinceuticals has an award-winning line of serums, CE Ferulic and Phloretin CF, as well as A.G.E. Interruptor that are formulated to help repair aging, damaged skin caused by daily sun exposure, irritants and pollutants while shielding the skin from damaging ultraviolet light. A great product to help exfoliate and deep cleanse the skin is the Clarisonic^® Sonic Skin Care System (this is the same company that developed the Sonicare tooth brush). The electric skin brush can remove 6x more makeup and 2x more dirt and oil than a wash cloth and will make mom’s skin look and feel beautiful.

Let Mom Choose: Gift cards are a great option if you aren’t sure what direction to go. Make it even more enjoyable for mom and see if one of her friends might want to join in. Our office can customize a great package to meet your needs. If you have questions about any of these gift ideas call us at 206.859.5777 or email us at info@pacificdermcenter.com

Spring Renewal

pacificdermcenter — Mon, 07 May 2012 21:24:30 +0000

I think everyone in the Pacific Northwest is finally feeling the warmth of the sun and sense of renewal that spring brings to our lovely area. Many of us are ready to begin a process of skin renewal as well! This time of year also includes making plans for summer celebrations of graduations, weddings, and family and friend reunions. We offer many skin rejuvenation treatments to help you look and feel fabulous! Please give our clinic a call at 206-859-5777 to schedule a comprehensive Cosmetic Consultation.
Ultherapy Unveiled We are thrilled to offer Ultherapy, the remarkable ultrasound treatment for the non-surgical intervention for lifting, tightening and toning of the skin. The treatments are quick, effective, safe and no downtime!

And, Ultherapy buzz continues Thursday, May 3 when New York dermatologist, Dr. Pat Wexler will showcase Ultherapy “live” on the TODAY Show while Kathie Lee Gifford gets treated! You can also come to a “live” demonstration and information session here at Pacific Dermatology & Cosmetic Center on Thursday, May 31 from 5:00pm-7:00pm. If you prepay for your Ultherapy procedure that night, you will receive 15% off!

Sculpted By Summer

Dr. Reichel specializes in tumescent Liposuction with skilled body techniques and a keen, diagnostic eye. She ensures each and every patient receives a completely customized treatment designed with his or her specific goals in mind. Dr. Reichel says, “I enjoy the technical aspects this specialty demands. Every procedure presents a unique challenge that motivates me to give my patients my very best, every time”. Please come in for a Free Liposuction Consultation by calling 206-859-5777.

May is Melanoma Awareness Month

Please call for a skin check if you have a personal or family history of skin cancer or if you have any new or changing lesions. It’s not surprising how we begin to see new moles or suspicious spots once the weather changes since we finally get to wear less winter clothing! Always remember to wear sunscreen such as the great products made by Skin Ceuticals, Skin Medica and Obagi which we carry in our clinic.
Coming Soon…
In honor of our growing male patient population, we will soon have a Men’s Corner on our website!

Provider News

Dr. Reichel will be attending the Las Vegas Cosmetic Surgery conference this coming June. This international symposium will highlight the latest advances and treatments available in cosmetic surgery. This month Dr. Jacobson is attending the annual ACMS (American College of Mohs Surgery) meeting in Chicago. This group includes those dermatologists who have completed an extra year of Mohs surgery fellowship training and is a great opportunity to see old colleagues, obtain updates on skin cancer treatments and learn about new reconstruction techniques.

Laser Treatments for Liver Spots

pacificdermcenter — Sun, 06 May 2012 20:15:53 +0000

Dear Dr. Reichel,

Do you layer IPL and Fraxel Dual during the same visit to treat liver spots on face? If so, what would be the price range per visit?

Thank you for your inquiry. That is a good question. To start a good response, I should let you know that there are two types of “liver spots” that one can get (on the face, or elsewhere). In younger patients (under 40), most of the pigmented spots on your face are sun freckles (called solar lentigines in medical terms). These can be treated with either the IPL, or with the Fraxel Dual. I usually recommend a maintenance schedule with topical medications such as Retin-A, and hydroquinone to keep the sun freckles from returning.

The other type of liver spot, is called a seborrheic keratosis (SK). SK’s can come in many different shapes, sizes, and colors. SK’s are actually very hard to treat with lasers, but are very susceptable to liquid nitrogen treatment, or freezing.

Regardless of what type of liver spots you have, we definitely have all the technology availabe here to treat you. I don’t usually layer the IPL and the Fraxel Dual over each other as I am concerned about it being too risky and might result in a burn to the skin. However, if you have the SK type of liver spot, I will often freeze these at the same time as the laser treatment – at no additional cost.

The best thing to do would be to make a cosmetic consultation appointment for me to evaluate your skin and see what would be the best treatment regimen for you. Prices vary based on what we decide, treatments costs can range from a few hundred dollars, all the way up to a few thousand.

I would be so happy to see you, and, if possible, we can often do treatments at the same time as consultation if wanted. Please call my office at your earliest convenience, to schedule an appointment. I look forward to meeting you.

Dr. Jennifer Reichel at Pacific Dermatology & Cosmetic Center

PDCC has Ultherapy…As seen on the Today Show

pacificdermcenter — Sun, 06 May 2012 16:14:04 +0000

FDA approved Latisse for Longer, Thicker Eyelashes

pacificdermcenter — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 04:22:49 +0000

Ask an Expert: Your Latisse Questions Answered

The days of skimpy, barely there lashes are over, thanks to the recent boom in eyelash lengthening and thickening products. And while many of these products really do work, the one that seems to get the most attention is Latisse. With celebrity spokesmodels that have included Christina Hendricks, Claire Danes and Brooke Shields, it’s no wonder that this serum stands out. But do luscious lashes come at a cost?

There were so many questions about Latisse in response to our video about eyelash extensions, we decided to make it the topic for this week’s “Ask an Expert.” Beverly Hills, CA, plastic surgeon Leslie H. Stevens, MD, is here with the answers.

First, Latisse works by prolonging the growth cycles of your eyelashes, making them longer, thicker and darker over time. Noticeable results typically occur after six weeks, with full results after 14 weeks.

Kristen asks, What are the side effects of Latisse and what is the percentage of women who usually see these side effects? I’m very interested, but worried about potentially changing the look of, or causing damage to my eyes.

According to Dr. Stevens, there are very few side effects. “Transient irritation of the skin or pigmentation of the skin that is reversible are the most common. There is a very, very small chance (less than 2 percent) of permanent darkening of the iris in people with green or hazel eyes.”

Another question comes from Melissa who asks, Is Latisse something you have to continue to use forever if you want to keep long, full eyelashes? Or do you use until you get your lashes where you want them to be, and then stop?

Unfortunately, if you stop using the product, your lashes will slowly return to their previous state. “Just like eyelash extensions, one needs to continue using the product to maintain the results.”