Cosmetic dermatology seamlessly blends science and artistry to enhance the skin's appearance while prioritizing its health and integrity. In this comprehensive exploration, we delve into the multifaceted realm of cosmetic dermatology, uncovering the innovative treatments, advanced techniques, and transformative possibilities that define this dynamic field.

Understanding Cosmetic Dermatology:

Cosmetic dermatology encompasses a diverse array of procedures and interventions aimed at improving the aesthetic aspects of the skin, hair, and nails. From addressing signs of aging and correcting imperfections to enhancing natural beauty and instilling confidence, cosmetic dermatologists employ a combination of medical expertise, technological innovation, and artistic skill to achieve optimal outcomes for their patients.

The Role of the Cosmetic Dermatologist:

At the heart of cosmetic dermatology lies the expertise of the cosmetic dermatologist. These highly trained medical professionals possess specialized knowledge in dermatology and aesthetic medicine, enabling them to assess each patient's unique needs and aspirations. Whether treating fine lines and wrinkles, reducing pigmentation irregularities, or sculpting facial contours, cosmetic dermatologists approach each procedure with precision, artistry, and a commitment to patient safety.

Innovative Treatments and Techniques:

Cosmetic dermatology offers an extensive repertoire of treatments and techniques designed to address a wide range of aesthetic concerns. From minimally invasive procedures like injectables and laser therapy to surgical interventions such as facelifts and liposuction, patients have access to a wealth of options tailored to their preferences and goals. Advanced technologies, including ultrasound, radiofrequency, and fractional laser resurfacing, further expand the possibilities, enabling dermatologists to achieve remarkable results with minimal downtime and discomfort.

Popular Cosmetic Procedures:

Several cosmetic procedures have gained widespread popularity for their ability to deliver dramatic improvements in appearance and self-confidence. Botulinum toxin injections, commonly known as Botox, are widely used to relax dynamic wrinkles and lines, creating a smoother, more youthful complexion. Dermal fillers, composed of hyaluronic acid or other biocompatible substances, restore volume, contour facial features, and enhance lip fullness with natural-looking results.

Laser and light-based therapies offer versatile solutions for addressing a range of concerns, including pigmentation irregularities, vascular lesions, and unwanted hair growth. Chemical peels, microdermabrasion, and microneedling are effective in revitalizing the skin's texture, tone, and clarity, while non-surgical body contouring treatments target stubborn fat deposits and tighten lax skin for a sculpted physique.

Combining Artistry with Science:

While the science behind cosmetic dermatology is rooted in medical principles and evidence-based practice, its true magic lies in the artistry of the dermatologist. A skilled cosmetic dermatologist possesses an innate sense of proportion, balance, and harmony, using their expertise to enhance natural beauty while preserving individuality and authenticity. By carefully evaluating facial anatomy, skin type, and aesthetic goals, they customize treatment plans to achieve results that are both striking and harmonious.

Safety and Patient Care:

Patient safety is paramount in cosmetic dermatology, and dermatologists adhere to strict guidelines and protocols to ensure optimal outcomes and minimize risks. Thorough consultations, comprehensive assessments, and detailed pre-procedure discussions are essential components of the patient experience, allowing dermatologists to address concerns, set realistic expectations, and tailor treatment approaches to each individual's needs.

Ethical Considerations:

In addition to delivering exceptional results, ethical considerations play a crucial role in cosmetic dermatology practice. Dermatologists prioritize patient autonomy, informed consent, and transparency, empowering patients to make well-informed decisions about their care. They also uphold principles of integrity, honesty, and professionalism, fostering trust and confidence in the doctor-patient relationship.

Conclusion:

Cosmetic dermatology represents the pinnacle of innovation, artistry, and patient-centered care in dermatological practice. Through a combination of advanced treatments, cutting-edge technologies, and personalized approaches, cosmetic dermatologists empower individuals to look and feel their best at every age. By marrying science with aesthetics and prioritizing patient safety and satisfaction, cosmetic dermatology continues to redefine beauty standards and transform lives around the world.

West Houston Dermatology has been providing cosmetic and medical dermatology since 1993.

With the right training and supervision, almost any dog can adapt to apartment living... but some dogs are just going to have an easier time than others.

Note that some dog friendly apartments have specific breed restrictions, but to the best of our knowledge, the dogs listed below dogs are accepted everywhere!

Beagle

Height: 11 to 15 in.

Size: Small

Weight: 20 to 30 lbs.

The beagle is a very popular breed due to their energy, eagerness, and sweet distribution. They are friendly and great with children. They have a short coat and require very little grooming.

Problems

The Beagle loves to bay, which does not endear them with neighbors!

Chinese Crested

Height: 11 to 13 in.

Size: Small

Weight: up to 10 lbs.

A happy, playful, and athletic dog who loves to climb. Good with older children. Requires little or no grooming.

Problems

May be nervous around young children or loud environments. Puppies should be exposed to a variety of sounds and busy environments.

Dachshund

Height: 5 to 9 in.

Size: Small (standard); Very small (miniature)

Weight: 16 to 32 lbs. (standard); Under 11 lbs. (miniature)

Lively, proud, bold, independent, and sometimes stubborn.

The short-haired variety (the most popular) requires little or not grooming. There is also a long-hair variety the requires brushing every few days.

Problems

May be a little snappish is not well socialized. The Dachshund also likes to bark, and their bark is surprisingly loud and deep for their size.

Labrador Retriever

Height: 22-½ to 24-½ in. (male); 21-½ to 23-½ in. (female)

Size: Large

Weight: 65 to 80 lbs. (male); 55 to 70 lbs. (female)

Although the Lab is much larger than most of the other dogs on our list, his easy-going disposition lets him adapt well to apartment living.

The Lab is handsome, friendly, and very intelligent. They are easy to train and great with children and other pets. They require very little grooming.

Problems

The Labrador Retriever has a tendency to get fat unless they get regular exercise. If you plan on keeping a Lab as an apartment dog, plan long walks and regular trips to the dog park to keep them in shape.

Japanese Chin

Height: 8 to 11 in.

Size: Very small

Weight: Averages 7 lbs.

The Japanese Chin is a dainty little spaniel with a soft, feathered coat. They are easy going, amiable, and very smart... they're great for learning tricks.

Problems

The Japanese Chin requires extensive grooming. The breed can sometimes have respiratory problems, and is prone to wheezing and snoring.

Bulldog

Height: 14 to 17 in.

Size: Medium

Weight: Averages 50 lbs (male); Averages 40 lbs. (female)

A tough, medium size dog with a compact body. It's characteristic rolling gait sometimes gives the Bulldog a comical appearance.

Loves everyone, and great with children. The Bulldog is not a barker, but does have a tendency to snore! Little brushing is required.

Problems

The Bulldog is prone to skin conditions and should be bathed regularly. Bulldogs also drool and are messy eaters.

Boston Terrier

Height: Averages 15 to 17 in.

Size: Small

Weight: 15 to 25 lbs.

The Boston Terrier is a gentle, well-mannered, very affectionate indoor dog. Good with children; responds well to positive training. Requires very little grooming.

Problems

Needs regular exercise, but can overheat if pushed too far. The Boston Terrier is very sensitive to extremes of temperature.

Basset Hound

Height: Up to 15 in.

Size: Medium

Weight: 45 to 65 lbs.

The Basset Hound looks a little like a low-slung version of a Bloodhound. They are affectionate and great with children. The Basset needs regular brushing.

The breed is not a barker, but may bay occasionally.

Problems

The Basset Hound has a tendency to put on weight. They need regular exercise, and care not to overfeed.

Affenpinscher

Height: 9-½ to 11-½ in.

Size: Very small

Weight: 6 to 9 lbs.

Nick-named the “monkey dog” because of their monkey-like facial structure and expression, this feisty toy terrier originated in Germany. The Affenpinscher is playful, devoted, and confident. Needs consistent, firm training. Regular grooming is needed.

Problems

The Affenpinscher is very sensitive to extreme temperatures. Some are difficult to housebreak.

Cairn Terrier

Height: Averages 10 in. (male); 9-½ in. (female)

Size: Small

Weight: Averages 14 lbs. (male); 13 lbs. (female)

The Cairn has been described as a “big dog in a small dog's body.” They are spirited, hardy, and self-assured.

The Cairn Terrier needs regular exercise, and regular grooming (brushing at least once a week).

Problems

Needs firm, but not harsh, training and discipline. Without attention and training, the Cairn can become destructive and/or bark excessively.

More Information

For more information on dog breeds, or to find your perfect match, try the Dog Breed Selector at GeorgiaPuppiesFromHeaven.com.

Over 30 million men in the United States suffer from erectile dysfunction. For the past 20 years, the “standard of treatment” has been a PDE-5 inhibitor drug (Viagra, Cialis, Levitra, or generic equivalents). These drugs are effective for about 60-70% of men, allowing them to achieve and maintain an erection.

While PDE-5 inhibitors are a viable treatment, they are not a cure for ED.

A new treatment, Low-Intensity Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (LI-ESWT), has shown promising results in reversing vascular problems – the most common cause of ED. Shockwave therapy uses high frequency sound waves to damage tissues and blood vessels at a cellular level. The resulting healing has been shown to generate new blood vessels – a process called angiogenesis. Shockwave therapy also breaks down plaque buildup that blocks blood vessels.

Clinical studies have shown good results, especially for men with mild to moderate ED. Some studies also show good results using shockwave therapy to treat Peyronie's Disease – a condition which causes painful erections and curvature of the penis.

Shockwave therapy is administered in a clinic, over a period of 6-12 weeks. The therapy is relatively expensive – $3,000 or more for a complete series of treatments.

With the rising popularity of shockwave therapy, home treatment devices have begun to appear on the market. One device, the Phoenix, was developed to meet the same specifications as clinical devices, and sells for less than $1,000.

For as long as people have been refining metal, they've understood that most metals corrode when exposed to air and moisture. This is particularly true of iron and steel, which rust easily. Some types of corrosion – such as the oxidation that forms on zinc – adhere tightly to the metal, actually slowing further damage. However, because iron oxides (rust) flakes away, fresh metal is exposed to further corrosion.

Corrosion is an electro-chemical reaction. In the first stage of this reaction, the metal gives up free electronics, or acts as an anode. This allows it to bind with oxygen.

History

Almost two hundred years ago, in 1824, this reaction was documented by a scientist named Sir Humphry Davy. At a meeting of the Royal Society in London, he proposed protecting metal from corrosion by attaching a metal that made a better anode.

The British Royal Navy tested this idea. To protect the copper-clad hulls of their ships, they attached blocks of iron or zinc. These metals surrender electrons more easily than copper, so they corroded and the copper did not. The attached blocks eventually corrode away and need to be replaced; they are sometimes called “sacrificial metal.”

This method was called cathodic protection, because it provided a strong anode (the sacrificial metal), causing the metal being protected to act as a cathode.

Cathodic protection with a sacrificial anode continued to be used for over 100 years. In the 1930s and 1040s, sacrificial iron blocks were used to protect steel pipelines.

In 1837, a French scientist named Stanislaus Sorel patented a process called galvanizing. Sorel coated steel with zinc. Although the zinc itself corroded, it formed a protecting coating on the steel, preventing it from rusting for many years or even decades.

Various other forms of coating have been used to protect metals from corrosion by preventing exposure to moisture. Coatings can be very effective. For example, the finish on cars can protect the underlying steel for decades. However, coatings are two expensive to many applications, or may wear away too quickly.

Impressed Current Cathodic Protection (ICCP)

A new form of cathodic protection, called ICCP, was developed in the 1950s. In this method, a DC electrical current is passed through the anodes. This allows the anodes to release electrons without binding with oxygen, so the metal is not sacrificed.

Advanced ICCP systems are commonly used to protect steel in industrial applications, such as pipelines, tanks, bridges and piers. Large scale projects use multiple “zones” with electronic controllers.

Cathodical Protection Engineering

For help with corrosion engineering and cathodic protection, contact Alisto Engineering Group.

The Northern California redwood forest was one of the first vacation destinations in the state, and is still among the most lauded.

When Californian families first started taking road trip vacations in the 1920s and 1930s, logging roads dating from the late 1800s gave access to the redwoods. The first “all year” highway into the redwoods (one that would not wash out in Winter) was completed in 1922.

The first tourists in the redwood country found unparalleled nature wonders. The California Coast Redwoods – sequoia sempervirens – are the tallest trees in the world; they can grow to more than 350 feet tall. The oldest redwoods are believed to be over 2,000 years old.

Narrow, twisting roads and hiking trails wind among the trunks of the great trees. The ground is covered with flowering sorrel, clover, and ferns. Hikers will come across the trunks of fallen giants, which may take hundreds of years to decompose, along with the blackened trunks of trees that have survived great forest fires, and even “chimney trees” hollowed by lightning.

In some places seedlings may grow around the base of a redwood. When the central tree eventually falls, it leaves behind a perfect circle of redwoods – a “fairy circle” or “forest cathedral.”

Several rivers pass through the redwoods, and there are many small tributaries that feed them.

Where to See the Redwoods

The redwoods once covered large parts of North America, but they can now only be found in a small stretch, roughly 40 miles by 450 miles, near the Northern California coast.

The greatest concentrations of redwoods, including old-growth trees, can found in the Richardson Grove State Park and the Humboldt Redwoods State Park, and the surrounding lands. This area begins about 3 hours drive North of San Francisco. There are several campgrounds in the state parks, as well as private campgrounds, RV parks, cabins and motels nearby. Reservations are usually require din the Summer.

There are many unforgettable sites in the area, but a few particularly popular hiking destinations include:

The Interpretive Nature Trail at the Richardson Grove State Park Headquarters features signs pointing out unique sights and information about the redwoods and other native species of plants and animals, as well as the history of the area.

The Giant Tree at Bull Creek Flats. The tree is 354 feet tall and 54 feet in circumference, and is considered the most massive known redwood. (The tallest tree called Hyperion, is 380 feet tall. It’s located about an hour further North, on a steep slope in a remote part of Redwood National Park.)

The Founders Tree on the Dyerville Loop Trail is 346 feet tall and has been listed as the fifth tallest tree in the world. Its name honors paleontologist John Campbell Merriam, attorney Madison Grant, and geologist Henry Fairfield Osborn, who founded the Save the Redwoods League in 1918.

The California Federation Women’s Clubs Grove is a day use / picnic area with easy access to the Eel River for swimming. The major attraction of the grove is the Hearthstone, a magnificent four-sided stone fireplace designed by famed architect Julia Morgan, designer of the Hearst Castle. The Hearthstone is built of native stone and redwood. It was built in 1933 to commemorate the Federation’s role in saving the park’s old-growth redwoods.

Touristy Stuff!

In addition to the natural wonders of the redwoods, visitors can still see many of the tourist attractions, souvenir stands, and cabin camps that sprang up during the 1920s, 30s, and 40s. These nostalgic attractions are found chiefly on the highway through Richardson Grove, and on the Avenue of the Giants. The Avenue is a 310mile stretch of winding two-lane roads that was bypassed with US Route 101 was rerouted in 1960.

A few of the most notable attractions include:

Confusion Hill, which was built in 1949, features the “World Famous Gravity House,” a miniature train ride, and the World's Tallest Redwood Chainsaw Carving, as featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not.

One Log House, built from a single hollowed out log in 1946. The inside is 7′ high by 32′ long, and features a seating area, dining table, kitchen and bedroom. It's located a little south of Richardson Grove.

The Chandler Drive-Thru Tree, located at Leggett, CA, and the Shrine Drive-Thru Tree, located on the Avenue of the Giants.

Plan Your Trip – You Won't Regret It!

Whether you're looking for outdoor recreation, family-friendly fun, or just a place to relax and unwind, a vacation in the redwoods is an unforgettable experience; many people return year after year.