FALL October-December 2006  | |
 Dear patients, friends and colleagues,I know we are all sorry to see summer go, but back to reality and school! We want to thank you for putting up with our dust- our expansion is complete. We are hoping the extra space will allow us to serve you more efficiently. We are really excited to welcome Fern Dembo, RN, to the clinical staff. She has over 20 years of experience working at Rush North Shore Medical Center. She is the new Director of the Clinical Division who is responsible for leading and organizing our clinical staff. She will also be an important part of our triage team, attempting to answer your phone calls throughout the day in a timely and effective manner. Sally Touraif has also joined our team of administrative staff. With over 20 years of experience in the administrative roles, management and marketing, she will add her expertise to our practice as we continue to grow the administrative area. We are hoping you will join us for our Open House on October 19th. Drinks and hors d'oeuvres will be served. Medical and cosmetic treatment information will be provided by our staff and directly from representatives of the pharmaceutical and device companies. If you are curious about all we have to offer or just want to celebrate our expansion completion with us, please join us form 6–8 pm. I had a wonderful time in Vancouver, Canada where I was invited to be part of an international panel reviewing the state of photodynamic therapy. If you have never been there it is a world class beautiful city which I highly recommend for a visit. There were physicians from France, Sweden, Germany, England and Canada as well as myself and another representative of the US. Finally, we would like to announce the addition of the Fraxel II Laser to our practice. As some of you may remember, I chose not to get the Fraxel when it first came out, as I didn't feel it offered significant benefits beyond the equipment we already had. Now the device is improved and upgraded, and we are amongst the first 11 practices in the country to offer this new version. We feel and also know from the published medical literature that it is a safe and effective treatment method that can give superior results for acne scarring, pigmentation and texture problems on the arms, legs, chest and neck as well as face. It also has significant benefits for improving melasma of the face and sun damage/ aging of the face. Come to the open house to find out more, or call the office for information and a consultation. We look forward to seeing you on October 19th!  Best regards, Amy Forman Taub, MD And the Staff of Advanced Dermatology, Skinfo and SKINQRI | |
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August 11-13, 2006 -Suzanne Lombardo and Erin DeVita, CST, CMLSO, CCRC attended the Allergan Aesthetics University, MBA Program at Allergan Headquarters in Irvine, CA. August 24-27, 2006 -Dr. Taub attended the International Society for Photodynamic Therapy in Vancouver Canada and presented on "Combination Therapy with PDT". September 2006 -Dr. Taub's paper, co-authored with Dr. Eliot Battle and Dr. Gregory Nikolaides entitled "Multi-Center Clinical Perspectives on a Broadband Infrared Light Device for Skin Tightening" was published in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology. September 11, 2006 -Shannon Morrow, PA-C performed a Skin Cancer Screening on over 80 patients at Good Shepherd Hospital. October 6-8, 2006 -Helene Kramer will be attending the Clinical Research Coordinators Meeting for the RESPONSE study in Washington DC. October 8-10, 2006 -Suzanne Lombardo will be attending the Association de Pharmacie Galenique Industrielle (APGI) Skin and Formulation 2nd Symposium in Versailles, France. October 27-29, 2006 -Dr. Taub will be attending the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS) in Palm Desert, CA and is presenting "Comparison of 3 Light Sources for Acne Therapy with Photodynamic Therapy." November 3-5, 2006 -Sandra Elkhouly, PA-C will be attending the Society of Dermatology Physician Assistants (SDPA) in San Diego, CA. | |
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October 4, 2006 – 7:00 pm Pediatric Derm Shannon Morrow, PA-Cpresents dermatology basics for you and your children. Topics covered will include rashes, warts, molluscum, acne, moles and more. Learn how to best prevent and care for your children's skin health concerns. October 19, 2006 – 6pm to 8pm Open House In celebration of our recent expansion, we invite you to join us at our Open House! The evening will include treatment and product demonstrations and information on the latest technology available. Drinks and hors d'oeuvres will be served. Everyone who attends will also have one chance to spin the Wheel of Rejuvenation – prizes include free skincare products, cosmetic consultations, BOTOX® Cosmetic,Injectable Fillers and much more. Please RSVP by October 12th to 847-459-6400. October 25, 2006 – 7:00 pm Advancements in Cellulite Reduction and Body Contouring What are the most effective cellulite treatments available today? How well do they work and for how long? How do I improve the shape of my waist, hips, thighs and buttocks? Find out these answers and more at this seminar hosted by Erin DeVita, CST, CMLSO, CCRC. November 2, 2006 3-D Structure of the Face Non-surgical technology to tighten, contour, volumize, and lift the skin tissues has advanced significantly over the last year. Multiple new treatment devices and injectable fillers have gained FDA approval with promising clinical results. How do you choose which are best for you and how exactly do they work? Attend this seminar hosted by Dr. Taub to learn about these new options and finally get the information you have been searching for. November 30, 2006 Hair Removal Laser is the fastest growing method for hair removal today.Erin DeVita, CSTand Laser Safety Officer, will be presenting the science behind Laser Hair Removal, and revealing the truths and myths about the results, the longevity, the discomfort and more! Join us as we discuss, demonstrate and dive into the world of Laser Hair Removal. December 6, 2006 Wrinkles and Fine Lines Radiesse™ and Juvéderm® are new comers to the fillers market which allow for greater options in treatment customization to be able to accurately augment or correct areas of concern in a more natural aesthetic result. Advanced Injector,Shannon Morrow, PA-Cwill discuss how these fillers work, appropriate areas of treatment, and expected results. December 12, 2006 Rosacea Rosacea is a chronic disease that can be treated in many different ways.Sandra Elkhouly, PA-C will educate on the etiology of rosacea, traditional methods for treatment, and new therapy options. All Seminars will be held at Advanced Dermatology. Light refreshments will be served and complimentary skincare samples will be provided. Please call to sign up for the seminars at 847-459-6400. Thank you! | |
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BOTOX® Cosmetic Benefits Program Allergan has developed a benefits program for BOTOX® Cosmetic patients to gratify those patients who have been loyal to their product and to their lead physician providers. Under this program, every time that you receive BOTOX® Cosmetic, you will be rewarded $25.00 to your next BOTOX® Cosmetic treatment provided it is within 3-6 months of your previous treatment; after 6 months, the reward expires. The reward card is activated when you receive your next BOTOX® Cosmetic treatment at our office. The discount is redeemable at the office at which the BOTOX® Cosmetic Benefits card was originally activated for you. You may combine Allergan's benefits program with Advanced Dermatology's BOTOX® Cosmetic Rewards Program where you will receive 10% off your BOTOX® Cosmetic treatment provided it is within 3-4 months of your last treatment! Juvéderm® Approval Juvéderm®, a highly cross-linked hyaluronic acid dermal filler, to be distributed by Allergan, was approved by the FDA in June. The FDA approved three forms of Juvéderm®: Juvéderm® 24HV, allows for more versatility in contouring and volumizing of facial wrinkles and folds; Juvéderm® 30HV, a more robust formulation for volumizing and correction of deeper folds and wrinkles; and Juvéderm® 30, for subtle correction of facial wrinkles and folds. Juvéderm® will provide another option in addition to Restylane™ for volume and line correction with the possibility of lasting longer due to its high concentration of hyaluronic acid. Allergan has not released the product as of yet for market use, however it is expected to be available within the next few months. We will keep you posted on this and other exciting injectable fillers coming to the market. Medicis is telling us Perlane™, another type of filler in the Restylane™ family, may be available soon too but there is no official word on FDA approval yet. Fraxel II We are now offering Fraxel II otherwise known as Fraxel 1500. The Fraxel has been an effective treatment method for treating pigment and texture irregularities including scar revision. The Fraxel II Laser Treatment has been upgraded from its original design to allow for an increase in energy density, a more focused beam for more aggressive treatment and with reduced discomfort associated with the treatment. This upgrade will allow for more advanced results, with less discomfort, in comparison to the original Fraxel® Laser Treatment. Visit our website or call for more information about this treatment. VelaSmooth™ Updates After great anticipation, the VelaSmooth™ is now available for treatments of the arms, calves, and neck, in addition to the hips, thighs, buttocks and abdomen. In addition to cellulite reduction, it is effective for body contouring and sculpting. In fact the VelaSmooth™ has proven to be the most effective treatment for cellulite reduction and body contouring at Advanced Dermatology to date. Find out how this can enhance your current VelaSmooth™ program or how you can benefit from this treatment by speaking with a Cosmetic Coordinator at 847-459-6400. Hand Rejuvenation A rejuvenating hand treatment is a great way to get your hands looking their best and prepare them for the winter months ahead. Our hand rejuvenation treatment consist of a gentle cleansing, followed by a sonopeel exfoliation, a moisturizing and anti-aging mask and is finished off with moisture sealing cream. Each hand treatment is customized based upon your hands needs. So if your hands are in need of a little pampering and repair book a hand rejuvenation treatment in conjunction with your next aesthetic treatment. Facials Beginning in November  Advanced Dermatology's aesthetics department is pleased to now offer you a wide array of new facials and treatments to help you to attain your optimal skin health. Our newest facials will help to introduce you into the world of medical grade skin care, educate you on the importance of good skin health as well as the latest advances in the skin care industry.We will be offering more than 14 new treatments ranging from teen facials to back treatments, and something in between to suit your needs. For more information, please visit our website or call to have a new menu mailed to you. Call the office at 847-459-6400 to book your facial. | |
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 Left before treatment. Right after 3 Photorejuvenation treatments for rosacea. | |
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Psoriasis Therapies There are some new medications for patients living with psoriasis that may be more convenient to use and more effective than older versions. For mild-moderate psoriasis, Taclonex ointment combines a high potency steroid with Dovonex ointment in a single tube to give once a day dosage for patients, better results and fewer prescriptions. For those patients with moderate-severe psoriasis, the biologic medications available allow patients to have clearer skin with a safer side effect profile than the traditional oral medications that have been used over the years. Biologic medications are either administered via subcutaneous injection by the patient in their home or in the physician's office depending on which medication is chosen. Enbrel is one of the biologics that is administered at home and they have now made the injections even easier for patients by designing an auto injector that you press down on the thigh, push a button and the medication is dispensed into the subcutaneous fat layer. This technology is wonderful for those that are "needle-phobic"! Raptiva is another biologic that we have found to help many of our patients suffering from this disease. These are just some of the many new medications that are geared to be more convenient, more effective and much safer for our psoriasis patients. iPledge Update The iPledge Program has now been in full swing since March 1, 2006. As many of our accutane patients know, it has been a challenge for us to familiarize ourselves with the new program. I can assure you that our staff has spent many hours trying to educate ourselves with the program in order to better care for our patients. A toll free number has been set up to help assist patients in working out problems associated with iPledge. A Few Helpful Reminders:
Getting ready for dry skin Through the fall and winter the ambient humidity drops drastically. Since our skin is moist and the air is dry, the air literally pulls the water out of our skin. There are a couple of strategies you can take to prevent this. First of all, use soaps that aren't drying or contain a lot of fragrance. Fragrance contains irritants that will tend to exacerbate dry skin. There are many on the market such as Olay Body Wash or Olay Ribbons (fragrance-free variety), or else just use a bar soap that is nondrying like Olay fragrance-free, Aveeno or Purpose. If you have problem skin, actually get scaly skin, have a tendency toward eczema or psoriasis, or want a medical grade solution, then you should try Mavena Shower Gel (available in Skinfo). You should also make sure you moisturize immediately after your shower or bath. Leave a few water droplets on the surface of the skin before you do. Moisturizers can protect the skin from the evaporation of moisture. Moisturizers that contain alpha-hydroxy acids (such as Skinfo Soft and Smooth Body Lotion or Skinfo Vita Body Lotion (15% Glycolic Acid or GA), and Eucerin Plus lotion (5% AG), available at local pharmacies, exfoliate the scaly top and thicken the water containing part of the skin. In addition to these easy steps, consider putting a humidifier or a pot of water in your bedroom to sleep at night for really dry days. For your hands: Try not to wash your hands so frequently! Use a hand sanitizer at work and moisturize liberally at night. Try TheraSeal™ to put a seal on the surface of your hands that isn't greasy for the daytime and consider MD Forte Hand and Body Cream or Mavena Special Care Crème for nighttime repair. If you develop redness or scaly patches despite all of these precautions, please call or make an appointment! Dysplastic Nevi Dysplastic nevi or precancerous moles are moles that are more likely to turn into melanoma.  Photo provided by American Academy of Dermatology Having multiple DN's, or Dysplastic nevus syndrome increases your risk for melanoma as does having a family history of DN's or melanoma. So what does a DN look like? A DN can be Asymmetric, have an irregular Border, abnormal Color, and/or have a change/larger Diameter (<6mm). Research has also shown that Evolving moles are also a big concern. This is what we refer to as the ABCD E's of melanoma. If you have moles that have these qualities or have never had a skin exam before, it is important to have them examined promptly and have removed if necessary to prevent malignant melanoma. By performing monthly self exams and having annual skin exams in our office, we can prevent and treat skin cancer early to keep your skin happy and healthy for years to come! | |
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Psoriasis Study You may qualify for this study if you have been diagnosed with chronic moderate to severe plaque psoriasis by a medical doctor and are currently being treated with Raptiva or another biologic psoriasis treatment. Qualified participants will receive studyrelated medical evaluations at no cost. No medications will be provided as part of the study – all participants will continue with their current drug therapy. Reimbursement for your participation will be provided. Psoriasis Study If you are age 18 or older and have moderate to severe psoriasis, you may be eligible to participate in a new research study using Enbrel®, a drug that has been approved by the FDA that can be administered at home to treat the symptoms of psoriasis. Cellulite Study If you are 18 years or older you may be eligible to participate in a study evaluating a device for the treatment of cellulite on thighs, hips or buttocks. Eczema Study This study is enrolling patients ages 2-17 years old with atopic dermatitis (eczema) who have used Elidel for at least 6 weeks in the past 6 months (they do not need to currently be using Elidel). Participants will complete a short survey which will be mailed to your home every 6 months for the duration of the study. No office visits are required. Reimbursement for your participation will be provided for every completed survey. Eczema Study Do you have eczema or atopic dermatitis? Have you used Protopic (tacrolimus) Ointment before you were 16 years of age to treat your eczema? Would you be interested in participating in a long-term program that will monitor your health? You may be eligible to participate in an observational research study. Please call us if you would like to learn more about this important program. Rosacea Study This study is completely enrolled. Subjects are in the process of receiving five monthly treatments with the Aurora laser and will be followed for three months after the last treatment. Watch our website and future newsletters for the results! Thermage Upper Arm Study This study is completely enrolled and subject received their treatment on May 9-11. They will be followed for six months to monitor the progress. Watch our website and future newsletters for the results! Acne PDT Study We have completed our PDT acne study. We compared 3 different light sources for the treatment of acne with photodynamic therapy, the XeoCoolglide Intense Pulsed Light, the Aurora SR Pulsed light with Radiofrequency and the Blu-U blue light. We found that the Xeo worked best, with a clearance rate of 73% of lesions at 3 months after 3 treatments performed 2 weeks apart. This compares favorably with rates of clearance of oral antibiotics. However, this may be a better long-term solution than antibiotics, as the results lasted for a full 3 months without any additional therapy. Dr. Taub is going to present this research at the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery Annual Meeting in Palm Desert, CA in October. Thank you to all who participated and helped us make this study a success.  Click here to fill out your information on SKINQRI.com. | |
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New Products by skinfo® Intensive Moisture Concentrate Intensive Moisture Concentrate is for extremely dry and sensitive skin and contains a unique formulation, Multi- Lamellar Emulsion (MLE), combining traditional moisturizing ingredients with Pseudo-Stratum Corneum Lipids, mimicking the natural skin-care system, creating a healthy skin barrier function which seals damaged skin while essential lipids and ceramides allow the skin to repair and heal itself. This process will restore the skin's natural protecting and moisturizing function. Intensive Moisture Concentrate is great for psoriasis, eczema, atopic dermatitis, sunburns, dry, itchy inflamed skin or skin rash, insect bites, and rosacea and is safe for adults and children. Vital Foot Repair Vital Foot Repair is a soothing medicated cream containing 20% urea and 20% glycolic acid, incorporated into a petrolatum base. Its highly emollient ingredients help to soften dry, calloused skin while glycolic acid exfoliates dead surface cells. It also contains 2% miconazole nitrate to soothe and protect skin barrier function. Comfy lips This unique lip formula hydrates and soothes the lips. It is excellent for dry and cracked lips. Eye Complex This all purpose, pH balanced eye cream is packed with highpotency anti-oxidants, hydroxy acids and peptides. Vitamin C ester (5%), vitamin E (2%), acetyl hexapeptide-3 and green tea extract improve fine lines and wrinkles. Glycosaminoglycans & chondroitin sulfate improve the appearance of dark circles. Hisperidin and willow herb extract improve puffiness. Cholesterol, ceramide-3, linoleic acid and DMAE lactate treat dry skin. Acetyl hexapeptide- 3, a short chain synthetic peptide that inhibits muscle neurotransmitters, is responsible for cutaneous muscle contraction. Such inhibition results in muscle relaxation and smoothing of dynamic skin wrinkles. Clear Pore Gel A Microencapsulated retinol treatment benefits the skin by increasing collagen production, improving skin texture, reducing hyperpigmentation and sebaceous production, thus helping to reduce and heal acne breakouts. The micro-encapsulation significantly enhances the stability of retinol by isolating the molecule in the core of a microscopic acrylic matrix, thus protecting it from light and oxygen. This matrix then acts as a sustained-release retinol delivery system which reduces skin irritation characteristic of retinoids. Clear Pore Gel comes in a 2x, 5x and 10x strengths and is a light weight silicone based gel with glycerin and petrolatum, appropriate for combination to oily skin. Vital Repair PadVital Repair Pads combine 4% hydroquinone with kojic acid, salicylic acid and vitamin C. This unique hydroquinone pad is the first clinically effective treatment for melasma and hyper-pigmentation that is available in a pad form. These pads are easily applied to the treatment area(s) of concerns such as the face, arms, and chest. These prescription strength pads are dispensed by compounding at skinfo® and then dated with a 60 day expiration. Clear Skin Companion Stick Clear Skin Companion Stick comes in a portable package with a dabber applicator and can be used to spot treat throughout the day. This two in one product helps to rapidly dry and resolve active acne lesions with a unique two-step process. An astringent vehicle containing 2% salicylic acid reduces inflammation, while concealer containing 5% sulfur and 2% resorcinol helps to cover and dry active lesions. Soft and Smooth Heel and Elbow Buffer Soft & Smooth Heel & Elbow Buffer is a high potency AHA and urea treatment to reverse excessive dryness. This cream contains 29.5% glycolic acid to exfoliate dry calloused skin in an emollient base of urea, glyceryl stearate and ceramides. | |
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In this Fall newsletter, we are featuring makeup tips... gloFace primer This silicone based primer that can be used with or without makeup, helps diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and minimizes large pores. Make up goes on smoother and stays on longer, controlling oil and shine. gloHighlighter This head to toe silky formula reflects light and adds shimmer. gloHighlighter can be added to foundation for a dewy finish, or mixed into moisturizer for an all over glow. The perfect finishing touch! GloMinerals goes Glamorous with vintage Hollywood style. Deep shades of burgundy and wine for the lips, subtle sheer cream blushes and a polished, defined look for the eyes is a sophisticated and elegant look to kick off the new season. Focus shades: Vino gloPrecision Lip Liner with Bordeaux gloLip Stick and Fig, a subdued and natural gloCream blush. Try Coffee gloEye shadow trio with Espresso gloCream eyeliner for a subtle but defined look for the eyes, and don't forget to frame the face with an emphasis on shaping the brows with gloBrow Duo powder.  | |
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