Dr. Amelia Arianne Paré
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon Spring 2011 |
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Check out our website for Patient Registration forms, directions, and surgery options.
Thinking about having cosmetic surgery? Check out the
American Society of Plastic Surgeons website for great information and
procedure animations.
Great articles on current healthcare issues as well as links to other healthcare providers. |
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Get Your Skin Ready for Spring
Spring is finally here, which means that sweaters and coats are
out, and short-sleeved shirts and shorts are in. But is your
skin ready to greet the new season?
There are many ingredients that go into having beautiful skin,
and some of them start in your own kitchen, explained Amelia
Paré, a board-certified plastic surgeon. What we eat has a direct
correlation on how healthy the skin looks.
Dr. Paré recommends nutrient-rich olive oil, which is not only
a great moisturizer, but is good for the digestion as well. Other
recommendations include green and berry flavored teas, whose
polyphenols and antioxidants soak up damaging free radicals in
the skin and break up collagen. Pudding and fruit cups, made of
moisture-absorbing gelatin and pectin bases, help hold on to
skin’s moisture and nutrients and oatmeal helps to regulate a
body’s pH balance, added Dr. Paré. Tomatoes, either raw or
processed, contain lycopene, which is a hydrator and anti-oxidant. The doctor also recommends drinking six to
eight glasses of water a day.
It takes more than a good diet to make skin look healthy, however. A dull complexion can often equate to a
lack of exercise, said Dr. Paré. Adults need to get at least a half-hour of activity three to four times a week.”
According to Dr. Paré, only 5 percent of Americans get 2-1/2 hours of moderate exercise every week, despite
the fact that it reduces the risk of diabetes, certain cancers and obesity. Americans also don’t get enough sleep, with
only 40 percent of adults getting a good night’s sleep (nine hours a night), and 20 percent getting less than six
hours of sleep per night. Not getting enough sleep can increase stress levels, compromise the immune system, increase the risk of diabetes and obesity, and raise blood pressure, said Dr. Paré. While some people believe that napping ruins the ability to sleep,
experts agree that a 20-minute nap in the middle of the day won’t throw off the body’s
circadian rhythms.
Other issues that may affect a person’s ‘spring makeover,’ such as thinning hair, may
be affected by outside factors, such as anticlotting and blood pressure medications or
low levels of iron in the blood. While 90 percent of hair loss is genetic, if you think
there’s a problem, see an endocrinologist, said Dr. Paré. And for your overall health,
don’t slack on screenings; early detection of problems is the key to an early cure.
by Vanessa Orr
Amy Paré, M.D.
724-941-8838 |
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Losing Weight — and Keeping it Off —
Requires Lifetime Commitment
With every new year comes
resolutions, and one of
the most popular resolutions
is to lose weight. And while
many people can successfully lose
weight by reducing the calories they
consume and exercising more, for
the morbidly obese, it is not so easy.
Approximately 34 million Americans
between the ages of 20 and 75, or 26 percent, are overweight. And
while some people may have a genetic predisposition for weight gain, or
have conditions that contribute to weight gain like Prader-Willi Syndrome,
Carpenter Syndrome or Alstrom Syndrome, the number one cause of weight
gain is hyperphagia, or overeating.
Most often, people eat what’s easy, explained Dr. Amelia Paré, a board certified
plastic surgeon. Carbohydrates are the easiest to eat and the most
inexpensive to buy; it costs more money to eat healthy foods, and it requires
an active commitment to yourself to eat well.
Allowing one’s weight to go unchecked can result in a number of medical
issues including blood clots, pneumonia and tissue breakdown. Those with
severe obesity can also suffer from sleep apnea, heart failure, phlebitis and
arthritis and a shortened life expectancy.
For people who are severely obese, surgery may be the only option, said
Dr. Paré. Before undergoing any procedure, however, patients need to see a
cardiologist to make sure that their heart is healthy in order to make the
surgery as safe as possible.
Patients who are good candidates for weight loss surgery may choose to
undergo gastric bypass or gastric banding, though both have side effects
Because you are bypassing the normal aspects of the gastrointestinal tract,
the body is not absorbing the proteins or vitamins a person needs, said Dr.
Paré. Patients may also suffer from hair loss, dumping syndrome, diarrhea,
vomiting or electrolyte imbalances. Patients may
also have a large amount of skin redundancy after
weight loss, though the pannus (apron of skin)
can be removed, a procedure that is sometimes
covered by insurance.
It’s also important to note that a person who
has had gastric surgery can’t go back to eating the
way they did before, added Dr. Paré. They have
to eat healthy foods to make it work. They have
to maintain the commitment.
For more information, call Dr. Paré
at (724) 941-8838 or
visit www.amypare.com.
by Vanessa Orr
Amy Paré, M.D.
724-941-8838 |
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| Guide to Good Health |  Transmitted by Touch, Warts Fairly Easy to TreatBy Vanessa Orr
Despite
the old wives' tale that you have to kiss a toad to get warts, the fact
is, it's fairly easy to develop this common condition. The result
of human papillomavirus, or HPV, warts are often transmitted by
touch, and can form anywhere on the body, including on fingers, the
edge of the mouth and in private areas. "While
warts are very common, they tend to freak people out", explained Dr.
Amelia Pare', a board certified plastic surgeon. "Warts are
actually caused by a virus that tells your skin to make a
callous. Warts often occur more commonly in immunocompromised
individuals, but can occur in anyone." While
some warts will resorb into the skin on their own, there are a number
of treatments that tend to irritate warts and may cause them to
involute and go away. According to Dr. Pare', medical options
include the use of light topical acids, liquid nitrogen or
electrocauterization. Sometimes warts can even be surgically
excised. Dr.
Pare feels that health care providers need to be persistent in the
treatment of warts to help stop the spread to others and if one
treatment modality fails, try another until finally the warts disappear. |
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