Dear Patients and Friends,
The New Year has arrived! Despite the significant surge of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus infections, we have many reasons to remain hopeful for new beginnings in 2021.
COVID-19 vaccine rollout is ramping up in the state of Washington. By now, many healthcare providers who can and wanted to be vaccinated, have already received or are scheduled to receive both doses of the Moderna or Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. We anticipate that the vaccination plan will be available to high-risk individuals very soon.
In the past year, I have learned the true meaning of teamwork. I have been blessed to work with my dedicated and tireless team who understand that together, we are stronger. At this time more than ever, we realize how important it is to take care of our tribe. We are so grateful for our relationship with you. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to be of service to you.
We will not forget that it is only with a loving heart, that we find determination, and with determination, there is nothing we cannot accomplish. We will continue to work together with optimism and confidence toward our common goal: ensuring the best possible health and quality of life for our patients.
Wishing you and those you love good health and happier days ahead.
Sincerely,
Alison Young, MD PhD
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Product & Service of the Month
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"VBeam Prima is the most advanced and complete vascular platform to treat vascular lesions ranging from rosacea, broken capillaries, sun damage, facial veins, birthmarks, spider and cherry angiomas and deep blue veins. I love it because of its effectiveness, versatility and minimal downtime. I often combine different spot size and settings to treat multiple different types of vascular lesions on the same patient during the same visit because most of time, we encounter more than one type of vascular lesions on the same patient. I am no longer limited by the technology I can offer because VBeam Prima can target all of them"
- Dr. Young
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"Vivier's Grenzcine Serum. This is the one serum that offers potent antioxidant properties in sun protection in addition to thickening the dermal epidermal junction in repairing aging and sun damaged skin."
- Dr. Young
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What You Need To Know About The COVID-19 Vaccine and Dermal Filler Swelling
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While the majority of 15,184 COVID-19 vaccine recipients in Moderna’s phase 3 trial experienced very mild side effects (headache, fatigue, and injection-site pain), three participants with dermal hyaluronic acid (HA) filler experienced localized facial swelling at the site of the filler, after receiving the Moderna vaccine. Two of the patients had cheek filler injections six months prior to the vaccination, while the third had lip filler injection two days after vaccination.
For all three participants, the reactions were temporary and either resolved without intervention or required simple treatment. In the case of the patient who received lip injection two days after the vaccine, it is unclear whether the inflammatory response was the result of the vaccine or simply the normal swelling that accompanies the injection of water-binding hyaluronic acid (HA) gel filler.
What is causing the reaction?
COVID-19 antibodies formed by the body in response to the COVID-19 vaccine do not fight or attack dermal fillers. Instead, the vaccine triggers a Type IV hypersensitivity reaction to the HA filler. Type IV hypersensitivity reactions are delayed allergic reactions to any foreign substance in the body. Many triggers can induce the late-onset response (this is not unique to COVID-19 vaccine) — including the flu vaccine, common cold, bacterial skin infection, sinus infection, dental abscess and certain medications — and it can happen several months to even a year after dermal filler injection. This inflammatory response is not necessarily brand specific. Delayed hypersensitivity reaction associated with HA fillers may be easily managed.
While dermal filler patients should be aware of the possibility of a localized late-onset inflammatory response to the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, these cases are rare and the effects are self-limiting and readily treatable. The risks associated with receiving the COVID-19 vaccine have thus far proven to be very low and do not outweigh the benefits of delaying or not receiving the vaccine. If you have any questions about potential side effects, please contact me immediately.
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Dr. Young is excited to partner with Fullscript to give her patients access to high quality supplementations from the safety of their own homes. Look out for the Cyber Monday sale coming soon.
Fullscript is a smart, easy way to access supplements and meet wellness goals – from anywhere. You can pick your favourite supplements from your preferred device, and supplements get shipped right to your front door. Plus, getting started is completely free! It’s that simple.
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Dr. Young's Tip of the Month
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Non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is the most common form of cancer in the United States. Behavioral changes, such as the use of hats, protective clothing, and sunscreens are effective and well-known means for preventing skin cancer. When used in conjunction with topical antioxidants and sunscreens, oral antioxidants further potentiate sun protection.
The prevention of common skin cancers and precancers is possible by taking oral vitamin B3 supplement (also called Nicotinamide or Niacinamide). Nicotinamide reduced the rate of new squamous-cell and basal-cell skin cancers by 23% compared with placebo after 1 year among patients at high risk for skin cancer. Nicotinamide also reduced the risk for developing actinic keratosis, a common precancer of the skin.
Polypodium leucotomos is a South American species of fern in the family Polypodiaceae. Clinical research has shown that it has antioxidant and photoprotective properties and taken orally provides protection against the harmful effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun by enhancing the activity of our own antioxidant systems responsible for blocking the formation of reactive oxygen species.
For Skin Cancer Prevention Regimen, I recommend:
- Nicotinamide (included in Heliocare Advanced®) 500mg twice daily
- Polypodium leucotomos (included in Heliocare Advanced®) 240mg twice daily
- Apply an antioxidant serum containing vitamin C prior to application of sunscreen (Vitamin C neutralizes oxygen radicals generated by UV and visible light)
- Apply a sunscreen with SPF 50 or higher (Isdin Eryfotona AK-NMSC contains DNA repair enzyme photolyase and has been shown in studies to reduce the recurrence of actinic keratoses after 3 months of continuous use)
- Wear hats and sun protective clothing
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