Defining the differences between various types of skin care treatment that use lasers.

Here I only want to provide unbiased, simple explanations of what some of the different options are when it comes to laser skin resurfacing and how they work.

There have been significant advances in facial skin care and the use of lasers for the purpose of skin rejuvenation. What seems to be getting a lot of attention these days is Fraxel or fractional non-ablative skin type of skin resurfacing. That’s a mouthful isn’t it? Once those words are understood it is becomes quite clear. So let’s start with fractional. What that means here is that only a portion or fraction of the skin in the treatment area is receiving the laser in very thin slice like beams. This method penetrates quite deeply and leaves microscopic areas untouched while simultaneously penetrating the skin in these slices. The next word, non-ablative, is best understood by understanding ablative of course. Ablative means to surgically remove, so here we’re talking about no removal of tissue. Basically then this procedure uses microscopic laser beams to make multiple shallow slices into the skin. The purpose then is to damage the skin to stimulate a healing response and therefore promote collagen formation resulting in plumper skin and less wrinkles.

Another type of laser facial skin care, or skin resurfacing is laser ablative resurfacing. Since we know ablative means to remove, what this procedure does is essentially remove the top layers of the skin, thus injuring the skin, with the result being replacement of these top layers with new skin. This type of skin care treatment probably sounds painful, and make no mistake it is, plus recovery time can be lengthy.

The next type of laser skin resurfacing would be a method using a little of both of the previously mentioned methods. This is called fractional ablative where microscopic slices of the top layers of the skin are removed. This method is used to cause less of the skin to be damaged making it less painful and shorten recovery times.

Acne Solutions – Choosing Your Ideal Acne Solution

There are so many acne solutions to consider when want a smoother and fresher-looking skin. You may choose to use home treatment approaches with herbs and other natural products, or prefer the aid of a professional using more advanced and technological methods. Going to a skin doctor for acne solutions also tend to be more expensive; but remember, there is no single absolute cure for pimples and you have to find the best way that works for you.Acne is a type of infection so the most simple acne solution is to keep it clean to help prevent further spread and skin damage. Wash your face with baby soap and water, rinse thoroughly and pat dry. Never prick and scratch at your pimples using your hands or any other device to avoid permanent scarring. They should reduce in size and disappear after a few days. You may also want to use a mild cleanser and facial scrub to exfoliate dirt and old skin cells and unclog skin pores. It is only a myth that eating certain foods can aggravate the condition. The main idea with foods is to keep grease and oil from coming into contact with your face since these can enter skin pores and cause breakouts.Professional help will come in useful for more severe cases of acne. Experts will first observe the type of acne you have in order to recommend the best acne solutions. You may be prescribed astringents, creams or ointments which help reduce inflammation as well as keep your skin clean and dry. Other dermatologic procedures may also be done which incorporates laser beams, injections and other surgical techniques for a more direct approach and immediate fresh and new skin cells. Choose the acne solution that well suits your skin type and budget.

Lasik Eye Surgery And Your Retina

Depending on the job, vision difficulties can seriously impact worker productivity. Hence, companies want to employ people who have excellent vision. But companies can not control the occurrence of eye diseases and defects. Correcting these problems sometimes requires surgery. The lasik eye surgery is a very popular operation for specific problems related to vision. The procedure is widely marketed on billboards everywhere.

One Lasik provider in Maryland told me that the surgery is done with lasers. ‘Laser’ is actually an acronym for ‘light amplification of stimulated emission of radiation.’ You may wince at the thought of laser beams so close to your eyes, but the procedure is really very painless.

In order to find out the actual level of pain involved in this type of surgery, you could ask any number of eye surgeons and ophthamologists. Every eye doctor will tell you that this is a safe and painless procedure, as will numerous patients who have found a cure using this surgery.

People who are leery about this type of surgery simply aren’t armed with all the facts. Usually their fears are based on irrational ideas, incorrect assumptions, or misinformation. But put to the test with the actual facts and history of lasik eye surgery, you cannot help but be convinced of its effectiveness.

Many eye diseases, including myopic and visions diseases related to myopia can be cured with laser technology. This surgery can be done in just one sitting, and afterward patients may not even need to wear glasses any longer. Another condition that be cured by lasik eye surgery is one in which the retina turns opaque.

This surgery can take a skilled physician no more than sixty minutes and cause only small areas of numbness on a temporary basis in terms of pain. To complete the procedure, the doctor focuses rays from a laser onto the patient’s retina. Slowly the eye’s opacity melts away and the doctor removes it. The procedure is finalized when the doctor replaces the original retina with a man made replacement that will function identically in its place.

Biologic therapy has revolutionized our approach to the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Less than 10 years ago, the best we could hope for was to “modify disease” or slow it down and also help with symptoms. Now the goal is to not only control symptoms, it is to get RA into complete remission. Biologics are protein-based medicines that are synthesized in a laboratory. They act like laser beams to target the immune abnormalities that are felt to cause RA.

First generation biologics such as etanercept (Enbrel), infliximab (Remicade), and adalimumab (Humira) are known as TNF-inhibitors and have done wonders for many patients. Second generation biologic such as rituximab (Rituxan) which acts against B cells and abatacept (Orencia) which works on T cells are both welcome additions to the arsenal of weapons available to combat RA.

Cimzia (certolizumab) is an investigational TNF-inhibitor. It differs from the current crop of TNF-inhibitors since it is “pegylated.” This means that a substance called polyethylene glycol has been attached to the molecule. This pegylation lengthens the half-life of the drug- meaning the drug stays in the system longer. Cimzia also has had a piece of protein removed from the molecule. The piece of protein that has been removed contained a small amount of mouse protein (yes… these drugs are often created using mouse proteins). By removing the piece of mouse protein, it is hoped that Cimzia will cause fewer adverse reactions.

A recent presentation on June 14, 2007 at the annual meeting of the European Congress of Rheumatology (EULAR) described data on Cimzia.

The team studied 2 dose regimens, which patients received subcutaneously as add-on therapy to methotrexate.

In a phase 3, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study, the investigators recruited 992 patients with RA who received either the study drug or placebo. The investigators wanted to know the rate at which people had a 20% improvement, as defined by the American College of Rheumatology criteria (ACR 20).

The patients, who had previously been treated for at least 6 months with methotrexate, were randomized to treatment with either pegylated certolizumab or placebo. Those on treatment received 3 400-mg doses every 2 weeks, followed by 200 or 400 mg doses of certolizumab pegol every 2 weeks. The patients continued methotrexate as usual. The investigators assessed the efficacy and safety parameters at 2-week intervals.

In an early analysis at 24 weeks, the investigators found that 581 patients completed the study: 259 of the 397 on 200 mg of the drug, 278 of the 394 on 400 mg, and 44 of the 201 on placebo. The ACR20 response rate was 59.2% in the 200 mg group, 61.2% in the 400 mg group, and 13.5% of those who received methotrexate and placebo. The proportion of patients who experienced a significant side effect was 74.0% in the 200 mg group, 76.1% in the 400 mg group, and 57.7% in the placebo group. The majority of adverse events were mild to moderate.

“Pegylated certolizumab adds significant benefit in reducing the signs and symptoms of RA in combination with methotrexate, compared to using methotrexate alone,” said lead investigator Edward C. Keystone, MD, professor of medicine at the University in Toronto, and director of the Rebecca MacDonald Centre for Arthritis and Autoimmune Disease, in Ontario.

Bottom line: Pegylated certolizumab works like a TNF blocker and appears to treat the signs and symptoms of RA. Whether it’s better than the TNF blockers that are currently available is still no known. It is better than placebo.