December 13th VITAHL & DOCARE Fundraiser

As many of you know, once a year I participate in the DOCARE medical trip to a small town in Guatemala, called San Andreas Iztapa. It’s a great feeling to help people in need, and with DOCARE, physicians and medical professionals come together for a week to provide much needed medical attention to some of the world’s poorest people in remote locations. We set up our clinic and local villagers walk for hours to talk with our doctors about their ailments. For some of the patients who are too ill to walk to our clinic, we make home visits. We provide free medical services and free medications. The people from these remote areas do not have the access to medical care that we are accustomed to having, and many of the 500 patients we treat each day have never seen a doctor.

This year, DOCARE celebrates 50 years of service to the medically underserved, and finally in 2011, DOCARE has been able to set up their first year-round continuity clinic. Opening this clinic will have a profound impact on the health and lives of the people of San Andreas Iztapa. With the help of DOCARE, the clinic is being updated to meet US standards and will be open year-round. VITAHL is proud to be a Founding Member of the DOCARE International Continuity Clinic.

We at VITAHL embrace the beauty of giving. Sometimes we all need to be reminded that true beauty isn’t just about our appearance but it’s also about what’s inside. While it’s our goal to help you be beautiful on the outside, we encourage the cultivation of your inner beauty too. Join us on December 13th for DoGood DOCARE, The Beauty of Giving. Your donations will go to help the medically underserved receive much needed care.

To learn more about DOCARE click here.

Warm Regards,

Will XEOMIN BE THE NEXT "LIQUID GOLD?"

First there was Botox, then Dysport, now XEOMIN, and VITAHL is proud to announce that we have been hand selected by Mertz Aesthetics to be an investigational site for the early release of Xeomin.

As the newest FDA approved Botox alternative, Xeomin will be launched in the US in 2012 for cosmetic use. We are ecstatic that we will be receiving Xeomin in November 2011, three months before its release to other medical offices. Xeomin (incobotulinumtoxinA) is indicated for the temporary improvement in the appearance of moderate to severe glabellar lines, or what we like to call your 11's. It has been used since 2005 in Europe, and results are shown to be comparable to those seen with Botox. While Dysprt is also an alternative to BOTOX, Xeomin's profile is more closely related, making it more of a "Coke-Pepsi" equivalent in the fight against wrinkles.

Our patients will be among the first in the country to compare Xeomin for themselves. We wonder, what will you prefer for eliminating unwanted wrinkles? We are excited to find out!

MANAGING MELASMA

If you have Melasma, also known as the "pregnancy mask," you understand the difficulty of managing and eliminating this chronic skin condition. Melsama appears as dark, irregular skin discolorations, usually on the upper cheek, nose, lip, upper lip or forehead. You don't have to be pregnant to get Melasma, but hormones do play a role. Once you have Melasma, it not only flares from the sun, but also from heat. It can be a reoccurring condition for years to come.

At VITAHL, we tackle Melasma with several combined treatments, including topical creams and peels. For some patients, we also use lasers to treat Melasma. Unfortunately, there are no treatments that can cure Melasma, so our goal is to control it as best we can. For some, being on a home care regime with iS Clinical White Lightening or a prescription combination of Hydroquinone and Retin-A will suffice, but for many patients, we need to get more aggressive. At this point, we recommend the Melanage peel, Jessner peels or lasers. Of these, our treatment of choice is Melange, because it can be used on all skin types. Melanage is a revolutionary, non-invasive treatment that has been proven to improve Melasma and sun damage while improving skin texture. The treatment begins in the office, and is supplemented by comprehensive home care products that amplify and extend the peel benefits. We are currently in the process of evaluating new treatments for Melasma. As we continue to see results, we will pass on the information.

If you have or think you may have Melasma, the first step is to call for a complimentary consultation. With perseverance and patience, your Melasma can be improved. Just remember that the most critical step in managing your Melasma is to strictly avoid sunlight and heat, because sun and heat only make this skin condition worsen. If you're going outside, wear your hat and put on your sunscreen!

VASER Shape a Hollywood Favorite for getting Red Carpet Ready!

Body Contouring is all the rage in Aesthetics. At VITAHL we proudly offer VASER Shape a non invasive alternative to liposuction. Treat unwanted fat and cellulite with this non surgical fat blaster! Call VITAHL to schedule a consult to see if VASER Shape is right for you 303.388.7380

Industry Buzz

With the expansion of aesthetic technology and associated aesthetic procedures, there has been a parallel growth in office-based procedures being completed by non-surgically trained physicians. In many cases, this may be acceptable per their board certification, but in some cases, the envelope is being over zealously pushed, which has had an extremely negative effect on patient safety and surgery outcomes. Whether the motivation of the involved physician is financial, personal or professional, ethical consideration must be applied to physicians who are conducting procedures when they have had no formal residency or fellowship training. Clearly organizations exist that will train physicians to perform a specific procedure. These are almost always weekend courses that are not recognized by the physician’s professional board or their malpractice insurance carrier. More concerning is the fact that there is no selection process that allows only the most well trained and competent physicians to perform these procedures. This is in glaring contrast to the training of plastic surgeons, who are board certified with respect to cosmetic procedures.

Consider Dr. Jason Martin, a board certified plastic surgeon who has now joined the VITAHL family. His training consisted of 7 years of post medical school surgical training at some of the most prestigious medical facilities in the United States. Specifically, he completed a general surgery residency and plastic surgery fellowship training at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois. He then was selected for post fellowship training in cosmetic surgery at Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital in New York City. He furthermore is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. This is an arduous process that involves multiple tests and evaluations over a 3 year period after training, and also has a greater than 50% failure rate for first time applicants. When considering the disparity in training, it is hard to imagine why a patient would willingly choose a non-surgically trained physician for a cosmetic procedure. Even the desire to save a few dollars does not outweigh the risk. Come in to meet Dr. Martin and see how his expertise can help you meet your surgical goals.

DO YOUR RESEARCH

Previously, I shared a story about a 35 year-old Florida woman who had a negative outcome from surgery after she chose a good deal on liposuction without checking on the expertise of the provider. Had she done more research, she would have found that the surgeon had been disciplined by the state on multiple occasions. The other day I read about another woman who chose price over expertise, and again had a negative outcome. This fatal breast implant surgery was performed by a certified family physician. While this doctor was board certified, he was not a plastic surgeon, but he was performing cosmetic surgery. This story not only saddened me, but also reinforced the need for good medicine when it comes to cosmetic treatments.

As the aesthetic industry has grown, the view of cosmetic treatments as medical treatments seems to have become lax. There are physicians who are not trained in surgery performing surgery. There is BOTOX being injected in hair salons while customers are sitting in chairs waiting for their hair dye to process. There are lasers being purchased and run without the oversight of a physician. These are medical treatments with real benefits; but there are always potential complications, and the procedures needed to be taken seriously. The State Medical Board does not limit the practice of cosmetic surgery to plastic surgeons. In reality, any doctor with a medical license can perform surgery. It is then the responsibility of the physicians to work within the scope of their training. At VITAHL, we take training and board certification seriously. I am board certified in Internal Medicine. I am trained to treat medical conditions that affect any organ of the body, including the skin, our largest organ. I am not trained in surgery, but if I wanted to, I could purchase a liposuction machine, take a weekend course, and perform surgery. I feel this would be irresponsible on my part, so when we decided to add liposuction and surgery to the treatments available at VITAHL, I partnered with a board certified plastic surgeon. I feel that it is my responsibility to offer the best medical care to my patients, and personally, I feel this is achieved when cosmetic surgery is performed by a plastic surgeon.

So what can you do as a patient to make sure your physician is practicing responsible medicine? I recommend doing your research. The lowest price is probably low for a reason. Find out why someone is willing to perform surgery at prices well below the industry norm. Know who is performing your surgery, know how they have been trained, and ask about their clinical outcomes. In our industry update below, you can find out more about this topic as well as more about Dr. Jason Martin, our board-certified plastic surgeon.

Sincerely,
Dr. Humes

HERE WE GROW AGAIN

We are only 1 month away from our 6-year anniversary. Thanks to all of you, we are busier than ever, growing like crazy, and loving every time we get to see each one of you. I wanted to update you on all of the growth you have made possible.

Staff - Over the past year we have welcomed three new staff members to the VITAHL family: Jessica, Hannah, and Kristi come to us with years of knowledge and expertise. Look for bios and introductions to the new and seasoned staff in upcoming newsletters.

Treatments - On a daily basis, the staff at VITAHL is researching the latest and greatest in aesthetic treatments. Over this past year, not only have we partnered with Board-Certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Jason Martin, but we have also added VASER Shape, our non-surgical body contouring device. Both have been great additions to VITAHL. This past month we added tattoo removal to our treatment menu. There is a stigma that tattoo removal is not for professionals, but most of us have a friend or coworker who has one of those "spring break" tattoos they regret, and now we can help them. We are excited to have the newest and most powerful tattoo laser on the market. What is even more exciting is that our new laser does more than just tattoo removal, it also treats sun damage, stretch marks and melasma. In future newsletters we will be bringing you details on all of these treatments.

Partners - VITAHL routinely partners with other businesses to introduce our patients to other services offered in Denver. Every few months we will be highlighting these partners in our newsletter. Check out our favorite Acupuncturists in the article below.

Thank you again for all you do for us. We would not be growing if it were not for our amazing and loyal patients. For those of you who have voted for us on Denver's A List, we greatly appreciate it! For those of you who haven't, it is not too late. There is still time to vote us the number 1 'Medical Spa' in Denver. Click Here

Sincerely,
Dr. Humes