Dr. Lorrie Klein’s Blog

Coming Soon!  Lumilash

As reported in the news and several financial analysts’ reports, hopefully sometime in 2009 Allergan will receive approval to market its eyelash enhancing product Lumilash (note, this is the proposed name and has not been finalized.)  Lumilash contains the patented prescription medication Bimatoprost, currently approved as Lumigan, an ophthalmic eye drop for the treatment of glaucoma.  Lumigan is currently being used off label by thousands of my patients to grow their eyelashes longer and thicker.  It is applied to the base the eyelashes, on the eyelids, rather than in the eye, and has proven itself to be safe and 100% effective in all of my patients who have used it.  As I have never seen any drug be 100% effective, in my 23 years experience in medicine, these results are extraordinary to me!  I have even seen it grow lashes in patients who have lost them due to chemotherapy and alopecia areata (a disease that causes loss of scalp and sometimes facial and/or body hair.)  Patients who have had sparse lashes their entire lives, as many of my patients of Asian descent have, are especially thrilled with their longer and thicker lashes.

Within weeks of daily use, lashes grow longer and thicker, and will continue to grow until use of this medication is reduced.  In fact, many of my patients have to trim their eyelashes at this point.  They sometimes grow so long they look like extensions.  We recommend that daily use is reduced at this point to two to three times weekly for maintenance. 

We have over 1000 patients on it now and they love it!  I personally will continue to use it too!

I didn’t have any exciting or funny stories at my office this week, so I will share with you instead a great way to tighten up the skin of your eyelids.  Many of you have heard of Fraxel Laser Treatment, it rejuvenates your skin, improving texture, wrinkles and scars.  A new application for this laser is to tighten and rejuvenate eyelids.  With a typical Fraxel Laser Treatment we can get close to the eyes but we don’t treat directly over the eyelids, as this could hurt the eye.  Now we are able to treat eyelids quickly and easily by using special eye shields (they look like metal contact lenses) which protect the eye and enable us to safely and effectively treat the lids.  This new way of using the Fraxel Laser is now available in our office.  You can add it on to a full face Fraxel Laser Treatment or add it to a treatment around the eyes only.  You also can just treat the lids themselves, if you have already had Fraxel and don’t need the rest of your face done again yet.

Fraxel Eyelid Tightening Special - print and bring in this page and receive $50 off your first Fraxel Eyelid Tightening Treatment.  Offer expires 10/15/08.

Neostrata Lotion Plus is my #1 recommended product for dry, scaley skin on the body, especially the feet.

Neostrata Lotion Plus is an extra strength lotion with 15% AHA (glycolic acid) can improve the visible signs of aging, even skin tone, relieve dry skin and improve overall texture when used as part of a daily skin care regimen.  It is especially good for smoothing out the dry, scaley skin we get on the bottoms of our feet!  Use twice daily for especially scaley skin.  Once your skin is soft and silky, use Neostrata Lotion Plus once daily after your shower or bath, or several times a week.

Summer Special - Save on-line or at our spas and dermatology office: just $22.50 (normally $34.00).  You must bring in this page to receive this discount in our spas or office.  This special valid until 8/31/08.

See this week’s Skin Care Tip to learn more about foot care.

“I thought Dr. Klein might like to see this picture and her ‘work in action’ during my recent class reunion. I won the hottie award as well as got comments like:

“you look 12 years old!”

“You haven’t aged a day!”

Not bad for 58!  Thank you a ton, Dr. Klein (and a little bit of mother nature, too). ”

Barbara L.

Barbara, you are beautiful anyway, with or without my help!  Dr. K

READERS, SEND ME A COMMENT WITH YOUR REUNION PHOTOS and/or STORY!

IS Clinical Brush-on Sunscreen is my favorite product this week. This IS Clinical loose powder with a built-in brush serves as both a powdered mineral makeup and a sunscreen.  It may be brushed on over foundation or used by itself.  This product is perfect also for when you need to apply a sunscreen anytime of the day but you already have foundation on.  It is only available from physicians and exclusive spas. We carry it at my dermatology office and at both Euro Day Spa (Golden Lantern) and Euro Day Spa, Salon & Laser Center (La Paz Road).  Print this page and bring it with you to receive 20% off!  This offer expires 8/31/08.

See my skin care tip of the week here.

I know you all know now to use sunscreens whenever you are outside, but if you got too much sun in the past (before you knew better) and are now developing brown and red spots years later, there is help.  Besides lightening agents such as Obagi Condition and Enhance , you can also have treatments in our office.  IPL (Intense Pulsed Light), also called Photo Facial, can lift those brown and red spots right out of your skin with minimal-to-no down time.

We decided to only treat one side of this patient’s arm, which happened to be the most sundamaged side.  Can you tell which side was treated? This is only after 1 IPL treament, although usually it takes 2-4 treatments.

We have IPL at both my office and my Euro Day Spa, Salon & Laser Center, located on La Paz Rd in Laguna NIguel.  These treatments and Laser Hair Removal are also available on Saturdays at this location.

We are pleased to announce that Julie R. has won our Ugly Bettie Contest. Julie’s hard work of raising a family for 20 years plus multiple stressful events in her life had begun to show on her face.  She is preparing to go out into the workforce again after being a stay-at-home mom for many years and needed our help.  Julie is a beautiful woman who could use some tuning up to bring back a more youthful look.  We chose Julie because we saw in her an amazing transformation waiting to take place and for her heart-felt story.

After my consultation with Julie we decided to treat her to a series of photo-facial treatments (IPL, or Intense Pulsed Light), a Liquid Face Lift consisting of Radiesse wrinkle treatments and cheek enhancements, Juvederm injections to define her lips and Botox to treat her frown lines and crows feet.  She also received a Vivite Skin Care System of skin care products to start her at-home skin rejuvenation.  Julie’s transformation should be complete sometime in November.  We’ll share her before and after photos with all of you then.

My story of the week was prompted by several patients I saw this week whom I had treated with Botox, Juvederm, Radiesse, Artefill and cosmetic lasers relating their stories to me about how their family and friends can’t guess why they look so good.  Some say, “did you cut your hair?”, others say “did you lose weight?”  Another common comment when they can’t pinpoint why you are glowing is “that is a GREAT color you’re wearing, it really makes you look good!”  This is EXACTLY what we want as a result of great cosmetic treatments.  When I treat my patients with BOTOX, Juvederm, Radiesse, Artefill and lasers, such as Fraxel Laser, I create a very natural look.  I’ll never give a patient fish lips for example, but I can use Juvederm to create subtly fuller (if they desire) and/or younger looking lips!  Nor will I give them frozen faces, but I can use BOTOX Cosmetic to lift brows, smooth frown lines and erase crows feet.  The biggest compliment I can receive is when a patient comes back to my office, after his or her Restylane, Botox or other cosmetic injection treatment, and tells me that she or he got lots of compliments but no one could guess what they had done.

Remember, up to 90% of your results from these treatments is from the technique and artistry of the physician or medical provider performing your BOTOX, Juvederm, Radiesse or Artefill treatment.  Choose wisely, not by price!

Check out this page for more information.