Q: What are stem cells? A: A stem cell is an undifferentiated cell which has the capacity, in the right circumstances, of forming any other tissue. When we look at your body, we see it is made up of many different tissues such as skin, fat, muscle, bone, and so on. How did we get from a sperm and an egg to all these different tissues? The pluripotent cells formed after the union of the egg and sperm have the ability to differentiate into any of the root tissues of the endoderm, mesoderm, or ectoderm (the inner, middle, and outer layers of the tissues in the body). As these groups of cells develop into the various tissues of the human body, some of the regenerative cells loose the ability to create other types of cells. Stem cells, however, continue to have the capacity to generate other tissues well into adulthood. [Read more...]

You need to look good, because it increases the chances of passing on your genes! Beauty is all about biology after all!

I think most people are now aware of how sun exposure can cause skin cancers as well as wrinkles. If you are going to go outside, try to do it in the morning. Here’s why… The basic mechanism is that ultraviolet light (aka UV radiation) causes damage to your skin’s DNA. I have already posted previously on the dangers of using tanning salons that promote UV exposure, and that this artificial UV light is a risk factor in melanoma(1) (a very serious type of cancer, sometimes lethal), as well as non-melanoma skin cancers(2). This is especially a problem in young people, who are at greater risk. Your body does have a DNA repair process, that scans for and repairs errors, much like a disc checking program might check your hard disc for errors. The problem is that our bodies do not work at peak efficiency during the entire day: our [Read more...]

Who would ever consider getting someone who is completely untrained to inject unknown substance(s) into their bodies? Apparently, quite a number of people! Some of them have even died! Although these illegal injectors have been charged with all sorts of crimes, it does not magically bring their victims back. Some of these victims will have ill effects for life, and suffer the horrible deformities from years of chronic wounds and open draining sores on their bodies. But hey, they got a bargain, right? Here are some examples: Police in Philadelphia arrested Padge Victoria Windslowe on Feb 29-2012. She allegedly administered illegal “butt-enlarging” injections which may have caused the death of a 20 year old British woman (Claudia Aderotimi). In a separate case, Oneal Ron Morris was arrested in Florida for injecting cement, glue, and tire sealant. Wait, there are more… Whalesca Castillo was arrested for injecting liquid silicone into the [Read more...]

Hyaluronic Acid (HA) Although the name is scary, hyaluronic acid (HA) is actually the name given to a natural compound found practically everywhere within the human body. It was first described many years ago by Meyer and Palmer, examining the jelly found inside the eyeball. The jelly like substance in the eye is primarily composed of hyaluronic acid, after which it was named (hyalos means vitreous in Greek, and thus the vitreous humor in the eye was named for this). It is also found in the skin, and its function there is to maintain the softness and moisture in the skin, and in the cervix, where it forms the mucous plug that must be penetrated by semen to effect pregnancy. In fact, hyaluronic acid has many functions in the human body apart from its physical properties of maintaining and bonding water. That is why we often recommend treatments with HA’s [Read more...]

Please note that I have NEVER used PIP brand implants on my patients, ever!

Question: I have old breast implants in place but I have bilateral capsules. I am going to get my breasts re-done, and I am not sure whether I should have a new pocket done or just use the existing breast implant pocket. What is your advice? Answer: Breast Implant Re-Do: Which Pocket After Fixing Capsular Contracture? The standard textbook advice for capsular contracture is capsulectomy followed by site change and device exchange(1, 2). That means taking out the old implant, as well as the surrounding scar, closing the pocket, followed by making an entirely new pocket opposite to the original (under the muscle if the original was over the muscle) and using a new implant. There are as many option I have tried using medications (such as ACCOLATE®- aka Zafirlukast) on a few patients to alter the tightness of early capsules (3, 4), but the results have been disappointing. Surgery [Read more...]

Breast Lift with Breast Augmentation (Mastopexy-Augmentation) Many women will experience significant changes in their breasts following lactation and pregnancy. The skin of the breast will actually increase over time due to the gradual distension of the breast tissue (parenchyma) that develops vital milk for your baby. When lactation ends, the breast tissue, previously engorged, reverts to its dormant state, usually resulting in a rather dramatic decrease in volume. Some women have experienced as much as a two or three cup decrease in the volume of their breasts. So, what happens to the skin during this process? The skin is programmed in a very special way, so that when ever certain stretch is applied to it over a long enough period of time, it actually makes more of itself. You have no doubt seen this yourself in your own body- no matter how big you get, you never seem to run [Read more...]

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released an advisory on January 26, 2011 regarding a small number of cases of a very rare type of lymphoma (anaplastic large cell lymphoma, ALCL) reported in women with breast implants. The data is poorly documented, and critical information is simply not available. Despite the risk of unnecessarily frightening people, I have decided it is prudent to tell you everything we know as soon as we know it because it is the right thing to do. I have prepared the following summary and I have also included links to the primary sources of data on the FDA website. Also, we are making extra office hours available for any of my patients who are worried about this and want to be checked by my team. Over the past several years, there have been a very small number of case reports of ALCL in women [Read more...]

Aging is a natural process and every stage of life has its rewards. Why not make the most of whatever age you’re at? Dr. DeLorenzi can help you look your best with a personalized Filler-Lift™ makeover. The Filler-Lift™ procedure combines the use of Juvéderm™ dermal filler with a cosmetic injectable to instantly refresh your look in a single treatment. As you age, your body’s rate of cell renewal slows down. With less collagen and elastin to support it, the skin thins out and wrinkles and volume loss occurs. Juvéderm™ is a dermal filler that uses hyaluronic acid, a sugar that occurs naturally in the body, to smooth wrinkles and bring back lost fullness. A cosmetic injectable softens and relaxes lines, such as crow’s feet, forehead lines and frown lines between the brows. Looking your best at any age is easy with Dr. DeLorenzi’s Filler-Lift procedure. Iolanda’s Filler-Lift™ Treatment: First, her [Read more...]