Rejuvé Medical Monthly Newsletter January 2020

Happy February from Rejuvé!

As 2020 gets off to a quick start, we’d like to present some items and information worth your attention if your New Year’s Resolution has to do with feeling (and looking) healthy and well.

Rejuvé remains the premiere physician-inspired clinic in our community offering cutting-edge treatments when it comes to nonsurgical cosmetic services and skincare.

Dr. Tang is a double board-certified physician and Alexandra Tang RN are highly skilled licensed professionals who are most dedicated to providing their patients with the highest quality care in the world of health and aesthetics.

Volbella Lip Filler

Volbella Lip Filler is an FDA-approved injectable that is part of the Juvéderm family of dermal fillers. Volbella is a non-surgical lip augmentation treatment that is designed to enhance and augment the lips, not to mention minimize the appearance of fine lines that settle in around the mouth (also called perioral rhytids or perioral lines). Volbella offers patients longer results with a duration of up to 1 year. Volbella also provides patients with a natural look and feel without the next-day swelling.

Below is a Volbella Review from Chantalle D.

“I equate having fuller lips to having more real estate for lipstick. I didn't need to fill my thin lips with Juvéderm Volbella XC. I just wanted that extra amount of volume to try out all the new and exciting lipstick formulas out there. To do so, I visited… a New York City–based dermatologist. She used three syringes of Juvéderm Volbella XC, a filler made up of a stabilized form of hyaluronic acid, which is a sugar molecule that's naturally occurring in your skin. The needle she used was longer than a typical injecting needle, allowing her to thread the filler through a quarter of my lip at a time. This meant less poking and prodding — ultimately less pain — and a more even distribution of the solution.”

“[My Doctor] and I decided to use Juvéderm Volbella XC because it has serious staying power. As one of the longest-lasting injectables on the market, it can leave lips plump for up to 12 whole months. (Other lip fillers last about four to six months.) Juvéderm Vollbella XC also uses a special cross-link technology known as Vycross to hold a combination of both high- and low-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid together in a cohesive gel, which remains intact after it's injected into the skin. In non-plastic-surgeon speak, the mixture of high- and low-weight hyaluronic acid in the Vycross technology means it creates a more connected gel that can be molded, effectively lifting sunken skin sitting above it. Because it's more connected, you also get the most natural-looking results and less swelling. These benefits make Juvéderm Volbella XC a great fit for filling laugh lines, too.”

To learn more about how Volbella works, contact our office today and we’ll give you the rundown!

Alastin Face Cream

One of our products that we’re featuring this month is Alastin face cream.

Alastin is a Restorative Skin Complex that utilizes TriHex Technology®. Alastin is the flagship product of the Restore and Renew line and it’s a product that helps restore and maintain skin health -- which ends up giving users a more vibrant, youthful appearance. This emollient formulation has key ingredients that will help volumize and lift sagging and aging skin. These synergistic ingredients help combat a multitude of visible aging signs.

Alastin ingredients include TriHex Technology®, which helps support your skin’s ability to produce new elastin and collagen; Phosphatidylserine, which supports your skin’s ability to maintain healthy levels of collagen; Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5, which helps proteins maintain dermis and epidermis structure; Acetyl Hexapeptide-38 and L-Ornithine/Phospholipids/Glycolipids, which supports healthy adipose tissue; not to mention Phytoene, Phytofluene, and Niacinamide, which are helpful antioxidants that address skin pigment concerns. Alastin is also paraben free, cruelty free, and gluten free.

Alastin Benefits Include:

●   New, healthy elastin and collagen production/support
●   Restores volume, giving the skin a more plump and plush look
●   Improves the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
●   Potent antioxidants help protect the skin from future damage
●   Helps even complexion and skin tone

One of Alastin’s active ingredients that sets it apart from other products in its wheelhouse is called Trihex Peptide. This is the only known ingredient in the world that promotes elastin, which is a very important component/ingredient that helps promote healthy and youthful-looking skin. Other products available on the market will generally enhance collagen, but not elastin.

Contact Rejuvé today to learn more about Alastin and other products that will help you look years younger.

Leaky Gut Syndrome

Leaky gut syndrome is a condition that affects many and may be an underlying cause of mysterious health issues that have been plaguing you.

Leaky gut can cause a multitude of problems, from weight gain to skin problems, not to mention cause depression, autoimmunity, and food allergies. Even Hippocrates knew over two thousand years ago that “All disease begins in the gut.”

More on Leaky Gut

Leaky gut occurs when your intestines develop tiny holes in them which allow for their contents that should remain in the gut to slowly leak through the gut wall and penetrate into the body. Up to 70% of the immune system is located within the gut walls, and it’s the job of the human immune system to produce inflammation in response to any foreign invader that passes through the gut wall.

When leaky gut occurs, stomach contents are continually leaking out into the body, meaning that the immune system ends up in a continuous state of producing inflammation. Leaky gut eventually becomes chronic. Chronic inflammation underlies most of the major diseases of modern society, health problems like obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, depression, anxiety, autoimmunity, heart disease, cancer and much, much more.

Some patients with leaky gut syndrome don’t experience any digestive symptoms at all. However, manifestations of leaky gut can appear anywhere in the body.

Digestive issues can often be a sign of leaky gut, which might include symptoms of gas, constipation, diarrhea, bloating, cramping, bloody stool, abdominal pain, changes in bowel movements, smelly stools, IBD, SIBO, candida overgrowth, gastroparesis, dysbiosis, and more. When it comes down to it, pretty much any and all digestive symptoms and disorders could be contributed to leaky gut syndrome.

Recent medical research suggests that in order for autoimmune disease to be active, leaky gut syndrome must be present, and over 80 autoimmune diseases have been identified, including Celiac disease, Lupus, Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, Psoriasis, Crohn’s Disease, Alopecia, and Rheumatoid Arthritis among others.

Any disorder or disease that occurs in the body could potentially be related to having an underlying leaky gut, which can include (but is not limited to) cardiovascular disease, cancers, thyroid disorders, digestive disorders, urinary conditions, obesity, reproductive disorders, respiratory disorders, hepatitis, periodontal disease, and osteoporosis.

If that isn’t enough, skin issues may also be linked to leaky gut syndrome. There has been shown to be a connection between skin and gut health, and this has been well established. Conditions like acne, hives, psoriasis, hair loss, rashes, eczema, rosacea, dermatitis, and dry skin among others have been shown to have a connection to leaky gut syndrome.

According to research, nearly all people with food allergies, food sensitivities and food intolerances have to some degree an underlying issue with leaky gut syndrome.

Once the case of leaky gut has healed, many patients discover that their food allergies, sensitivities and intolerances improve along with other chronic underlying diseases they may be experiencing.

One of the common indicators of leaky gut is low trace minerals across the board, and it is typically accompanied by inflammation along the inside of the digestive tract. This inflammation makes it difficult for vitamins and minerals to be absorbed through the gut wall and into the body. This could be what causes further nutritional deficiencies.

Brain and mood disorders/conditions such as anxiety, depression, brain fog, chronic fatigue, headaches, migraines, mood swings, autism, ADD, ADHA, schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease and other brain related symptoms are also thought to have a connection to leaky gut syndrome at their roots. When people say they have a gut feeling, there’s more to that saying that meets the eye!

Body and joint pains have also been attributed to leaky gut and increased intestinal permeability, conditions like arthritis, muscle pain, muscle weakness, nerve pain, fibromyalgia and other musculoskeletal conditions.

Sugar cravings may be a symptom of an overgrowth of bad bacteria within the gut. This peculiar symptom (also called Dysbiosis) will often disappear once the patient has addressed the health of their gut lining and improve the natural healthy gut bacteria flora.

Many factors can trigger leaky gut syndrome but the most studied are diet, drugs, dysbiosis, infections, heavy metals, environmental pollutants, and poor oral hygiene.

Dealing with Leaky Gut

The 4R approach has been shown to help heal a leaky gut. This approach includes:

●   Removing all irritating foods and other toxins from the diet as well as the environment.
●   Replacing all toxic foods with those that support digestion and healing foods.
●   Repairing the intestines with nutrients needed to heal the gut wall and underlying immune system.
●   Reinoculating to restore a healthy balance of the gut’s microflora.

Removing all main dietary triggers for leaky gut will generally help with leaky gut. Stop eating legumes, dairy, grains, refined foods, processed foods, and put the focus on relaxing before, during, and after meals to help optimize digestion, especially while your leaky gut is healing. Stress is bad in general, and this is especially true when it comes to leaky gut. Stress of any sort, whether it be mental or physical, can certainly trigger leaky gut syndrome.

Diet, several drugs, and alcohol are all triggers that have been most studied when it comes to leaky gut. Imbalance in gut microflora, infections, and yeast overgrowth all contribute to an increasing intestinal permeability. The mouth is the beginning of the GI tract and thus research suggests that poor oral hygiene and dysbiosis in the mouth can also contribute to increased intestinal permeability.

That’s why it’s important to replace bad dietary habits with those that are healthy! Make sure that you consume nourishing, whole food. It’s also important to quickly identify individual food allergies and intolerances and immediately remove them from your diet.

While healing, the digestive system may need some additional temporary support. Hydrochloric acid, bile salts, or digestive enzymes might be needed. Often those with leaky gut have low stomach acid production that may benefit from taking apple cider vinegar or Betaine HCl before meals.

Glutamine amino acid is the main fuel for gut wall cells and healing supplementation has been shown to assist in restoring integrity. Additionally, vitamins A, C, E, D, B1-12, all amino acids, as well as the minerals zinc, selenium, chromium, manganese, and magnesium have also been shown to help enhance gut wall repair.

Mucilaginous botanicals have also been shown to help improve overall gut health by reducing inflammation, which includes slippery elm, marshmallow root, deglycyrrhizinated licorice, and aloe vera, among others.

N-acetyl-D-Glucosamine can help to strengthen connective tissues and has been shown to help repair intestinal permeability. EPA and DHA found in fermented foods, oily fish, ginger, quercetin, and turmeric all have also been shown to help repair leaky gut.

You may have heard about fermented foods and probiotics and how they help to re-inoculate the gut with healthy bacteria to restore a healthy ratio of gut bacteria. These foods are certainly worth exploring in order to help improve the health of the gut microflora. Eat a variety of healthy foods and fibers and avoid using antibacterial cleaners. Consume raw/live/unpasteurized fermented foods, and make sure to consume a range of probiotic and prebiotic foods. Keep in mind that it is possible to over consume one type of bacteria, making it recommended to get probiotics from a variety of fermented whole food sources.

If you suspect that you may have leaky gut, try not to stress too much about it as stress is another trigger. You can consult with Dr. Tang to see if you suffer from leaky gut.

The good news is there is much you can do to help heal your gut, which has the power to heal itself relatively quickly with a little TLC. The body uses over 20% of the energy derived from food to replace the gut wall every 1-4 days, meaning that you can start to feel like a new person after 4-6 weeks of making better dietary choices and the immune system has been able to reset itself.

Keep in mind that it may take several months before you are at 100% again, depending on your specific situation and how long you have been living with leaky gut. The good news is that the body (in most cases) is capable of healing itself, provided that you take the measures we advise in order to treat the condition. Contact Rejuvé today to learn more about how we can help with leaky gut.

1st Ever Rejuvé Giveaway Sweepstakes Results

We also just wanted to thank all the patients who entered our 1st Ever Rejuve Giveaway Sweepstakes!

We received an enormous amount of entries and read a lot of heartfelt stories that gave us a deeper connection to our patients. We wish that we could award everyone with the grand prize -- all the stories were touching and it was hard to choose our winners. We appreciate everyone who spent their time writing their stories and submitting their entries.

We are very proud to announce the Grand prize was given to Sarah and the other prize was given to Lilia. We will be sharing their results in the coming months, so be on the lookout for that.

We wish you a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2020. Contact Rejuvé to schedule your Q1 consultation. We’ll see you soon!

Schedule an appointment today (408) 740-5320