The Aesthetics industry needs a makeover. Biomedical approaches to Aesthetics are focused on using toxic ingredients and injections to create the illusion of health and beauty while neglecting and often worsening the underlying process.
As a doctor trained in Biomedicine, I can appreciate the value of these interventions for their usefulness, even if they appear shortsighted in the larger context of Integrative and Regenerative Medicine. Over the past 8 years, I have been working with patients to address the underlying causes of common medical, orthopedic and aesthetic problems and have developed programs for addressing these from the root as well treating the resulting effects with great success.
As an Integrative Medicine physician, I’ll often counsel patients on avoiding sources of exposure to toxins and immune stimulants that in the end cause more damage and inflammation in the body. The Aesthetics world is rampant with these chemicals, which are acknowledged and used regardlessly. Just like a Podiatrist may have to perform surgery or make intensive braces or orthotics to compensate for a problem originating from the hip or knee that they are not trained to evaluate, a Dermatologist or plastic surgeon may have to use excessive amounts of filler, botox, laser, hydroquinone, or perform surgery in order to achieve the intended effect when the problem is really stemming from imbalances in the microbiome, hormones, nutrition or other more systemic conditions.
Integrative Medicine is about taking the best of both worlds by looking at the system in which medical, orthopedic or aesthetic conditions arise, using a functional medicine approach as well as understanding and utilizing the best that modern medicine has to offer. For any problem, I start with the same broad survey of the patient’s sleep, lifestyle, and digestive, hormonal, and nutritional health. From here, I take things down to a more granular level to look at the symptoms and conditions we are hoping to treat.
In the Aesthetic world, I have a 4 part approach.
1) Evaluation
Evaluate and address systemic lifestyle, hormonal, digestive and nutritional imbalances.Evaluate Aesthetic conditions and their known underlying causes.
2) Replace
Replacing deficient nutrients and hormones is the only way to correct the symptoms of their deficiency. I utilize a number of high quality supplements, both oral and topical, as well bio-identical hormones when appropriate.
3) Regenerate
Regenerate problem areas to reverse the effects that have resulted from the underlying causes that we diagnose and treat in steps 1 and 2.
A) Advanced Wavelength technology
B) Regenerative injections
4) Maintenance
Maintenance involves preserving the work that we do to treat problem areas. This can entail proper skin care such as sun block or topical growth factors and anti-oxidants to meet the demands of the continual stress on skin. The products that I use for maintenance are all pre-screened for the toxins that are common to most products advocated in biomedical aesthetic practices. Maintenance also means maintaining a healthy diet and microbiome as well as optimal levels of nutrients and hormones.This Holistic approach to Aesthetics means treating the person as well as the condition. In order to do this effectively, you need the training in functional medicine as well as knowledge of modern day Biomedical aesthetics technology. At the San Francisco Institute for Integrative and Regenerative Medicine, we are dedicated to advancing the field of Aesthetics to be truly anti-aging and free of toxic ingredients that are no longer necessary to achieve the results that patients expect. The focus is on understanding and addressing the underlying causes of the problems we are trying to treat as well as knowing how to regenerate the damaged areas to achieve long lasting and sustainable results.
Services
Platelet Rich Plasma
One of the most popular means of facial rejuvenation uses the growth factors from a patient’s own blood. A small amount of the patient’s blood is drawn and put into a sterile container in a centrifuge, which spins the blood in order to separate the different components. The plasma that contains the growth factors is drawn into a syringe and used as the solution for injecting into specific areas for rejuvenation.
Dream Facial
The Dream Facial involves amniotic membrane derived growth factors to stimulate regeneration the skin, collagen and subcutaneous fat. Amniotic membrane is unique in that it contains a connective tissue matrix and hyaluronic acid that helps to provide a biologic scaffolding for intra-dermal and sub-dermal growth.
Biocellular Facial Rejuvenation
Biocellular Facial Rejuvenation utilizes adipose derived stem cells and growth factors to regenerate collagen and restore volume that has atrophied with age.
Broadband Light Therapy
Broadband Light Therapy (BBL) is the most advanced form of Intense Pulsed Light Therapy (IPL) available today. IPL utilizes various wavelengths of energy to stimulate regeneration of healthier skin in areas with age spots, enlarged pores, abnormal blood vessels and other signs of aging skin.
SkinTyte
SkinTyte is a revolutionary new technology that can tighten loose skin that develops as the collagen layer loses it’s elasticity. Using infrared wavelengths, SkinTyte raises the temperature of the collagen layer of the skin to 41 degrees C.
Oxygen Facial
The Oxygen Facial involves the use of hyperbaric oxygen to deliver both nutrients and oxygen deeper under the skin. This gives an instantaneous freshening effect and can be used to administer many of the same nutrients as in Mesotherapy but without the need to penetrate the skin.
Lipotherapy
Around the world, the use of phosphotidylcholine and deoxycholate has been common practice for decades. In the United States, this only recently caught on once a pharmaceutical company patented a specific formulation as the drug Kybella, which is indicated for removing submental (under the chin) fat.
