Rejuvalife Vitality Institute
Beverly Hills CA

It’s a New Year—Will it Also Be a New You?

It’s a New Year—Will it Also Be a New You?

Welcome to 2012! What will you do this year to make yourself healthy and beautiful inside and out?

Resolutions are notoriously difficult to make and keep. This year make a resolution you’ll never regret – resolve to achieve and maintain self-confidence through keeping good health and beauty routines. Feelings about ourselves determine how we perceive our lives, and in turn, determine how others see us. Caring for yourself properly, from the outside in, and from the inside out, can make huge changes in your overall well-being. This year resolve to increase your self-confidence by taking care of YOU. You’re worth it.

Don’t go through 2012 feeling less than your best! We are experts, and we’re eager to help you take a holistic approach to your well-being. We believe in a multifaceted approach that includes looking at a person’s mind, body, and spirit for areas of improvement. You can also make small changes every day in your current habits to get going. This includes getting better quality sleep, exercising more, and making changes in your diet to kick start weight loss. When you’ve given attention to the inside, you’re ready to get started on the outside. Rejuvalife can help you with both. We’re proud to offer a variety of services to help you meet your goals, whether they be stress managment, weight loss, facial rejuvenation, or non-surgical body contouring, the experts at Rejuvalife are ready to help.

What’s New at Rejuvalife for 2012

Natural Breast Augmentation + BodyJet™ Liposuction
Getting the breast shape you desire without invasive surgery or using saline or silicone implants is now a viable option. Natural Breast Augmentation uses your own fat cells to create natural looking breasts with increased volume. The process is two-fold. Using a gentle saline solution, fat cells are harvested from the thighs, hips, or abdomen then used to sculpt breasts. You’ll be able to go up one to two cup sizes! Call our office for more details on this exciting new procedure, 310.276.4494.

Xeomin®
We are proud to announce the addition of FDA approved Xeomin®, a new additive-free formulation of Botulinum Toxin Type A, the same active ingredient found in Botox® and Dysport®.  As an elite office, Rejuvalife is offering special introductory pricing for Xeomin at $7.50 per unit all through the month of January. Cost-effective and FDA-approved, Xeomin® is a natural and equally effective BOTOX® alternative.

Stay in the Know
Follow Rejuvalife on Facebook and Twitter for the latest updates and tips on health and beauty topics and the Youtube channel for in-depth answers to your health questions by Dr. Berger.

Join Dr. Berger on his BlogTalk Radio show for instant answers to your questions. The next radio show is January 24 at 4:30pm and the theme is Low Testosterone Levels. Call the Rejuvalife office at 310.276.4494 to reserve your spot on the show to get answers.

All of us at Rejuvalife would like to wish you a happy and healthy New Year!

The Unexpected Benefits of Exercise

As if being able to fit into your jeans from college isn’t enough of a reason, sufficient exercise can bring a wide variety of serious health benefits. Besides the obvious weight loss, improved muscle and cardiovascular function, as well as increased longevity, exercise brings with it a host of unexpected benefits. In general, those who exercise regularly are actually “biologically younger” than those who do not exercise regularly, therefore, they are at lower risk for age-related disease and physical decline.

A new study suggests a strong link between exercise and eye health. The study suggests that regular exercise can lower the risk of macular degeneration resulting from age by up to 70%. Physical activity reduces inflammation in the blood vessel walls the results from the disease.

Exercise can significantly increase how quickly you fall asleep, and improve the overall quality of your sleep. As your metabolism becomes more efficient, your body is able to make the downgrade from awake to asleep faster. In other words, your body does not to remain active as long to maintain your metabolic balance. Not only that, but exercise allows you to wake up faster and feel more rested, even if you got a little less sleep than normal.

Exercise is also great for your skin. Healthy skin requires sufficient water and oxygen to look and feel it’s best. The heavy breathing and increased heart rate associated with exercise increase your circulation, which carries oxygen throughout the body, including the skin. Increased muscle mass and reduces fatty deposits can also result in tighter, smoother feeling skin, as the skin is literally being pulled more tightly over the muscle.

Sports involving small, fast moving objects like tennis can improve your general ability to focus. In addition to improved concentration, your eyes will actually physically focus faster. A strong link has also been shown between exercise and memory and other cognitive functions. Exercise also significantly improves balance, which can have positive effects in many different areas.

Don’t sweat! People who exercise often tend to sweat less when not working out than those who don’t exercise regularly. The body uses the exercise time to sweat out toxins and excess water. In addition, regular exercisers have lower resting heart rate, which keeps their bodies from heating up and sweating during regular tasks, like climbing stairs.

If taking care of yourself isn’t enough, then do it for your kids. Studies show that parent who have healthy exercise routines and diet are more likely to raise kids with the same habits. Not to mention if you live significantly longer, you will have more time with your loved ones.

So how much do you need to exercise? Adults should do a minimum of 2 hours and 30 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity. Health benefits increase significantly at 5 hours per week. Adults should also do exercise to strengthen their muscles using all major muscle groups at least 2 days per week.  While it’s less than ideal, recent studies have found significant health benefits from exercising only 15 minutes a day.

Exercise is one of the most important components of an anti-aging lifestyle, along with nutrition, sleep, and stress reduction. In addition to looking and feeling great, exercise provides an incredible amount of health benefits. Rejuvalife Vitality Institute offers comprehensive fitness and nutrition programs, as well as medically supervised weight loss, to support your overall health, beauty, and well-being.

Listen to Dr. Berger on Blog Talk Radio

Dr. Berger discusses the use and benefits of fat-derived stem cells in fat transfer procedures, and the future implications of stem cells for cosmetic and anti-aging medicine.

The Age of “Boytox” – Male Cosmetic Procedures on the Rise

Move over ladies! Women aren’t the only one’s rushing to the doctor’s office for cosmetic procedures anymore. The number of men seeking cosmetic treatments has skyrocketed over the past decade. Specifically, there has been a steady increase in minimally invasive cosmetic procedures, such as botox and filler injections, with a 45% increase in overall procedures. In contrast, the percentage of men seeking more invasive surgical procedures such as Rhinoplasty has actually decreased, dropping 48% between 2000 and 2010.

And what’s topping the list? If you guessed Botox, you’d be right. In 2010, 336,834 men made their way to a doctor’s office for their injections. Still, men are only accountable for a mere 6% of all procedures, with women having a total of 5,379,360 procedures in 2010, but the number of Botox injections for males has increased 258% since 2000, prompting the media to coin the term “Boytox.” In addition to wrinkle removal, men are also seeking Botox injections to reduce excessive sweating, contributing to some of these numbers.

What other procedures made the top 5? In 2010, 164,536 men had Laser Hair Removal procedures as part of their “manscaping” regiments, and 158,268 got Microdermabrasion. In fact, men account for nearly 1/5 of patients for each of these procedures. 78,472 received Soft Tissue Fillers, including Radiesse, Juvederm, Sculptra, and Artefill, as well as Fat Transfers. Lastly, 90,297 men received Chemical Peels. All of these procedures showed a dramatic increase since 2000, with the exception of Chemical Peels, although their popularity of has resurged sharply in the past few years as newer methods have been introduced.

The rise in cosmetic procedures among men can be attributed to several factors. The overall landscape of public opinion has changed dramatically in recent years, with the media emphasizing a youthful appearance for men as well as women. Just like the women who seek procedures, male patients want their outward appearance to reflect their inner youthfulness and health. The image of a more polished man, who is concerned about their health and appearance, has become more accepted. The “metrosexual” craze of a few years ago comes to mind. In addition, women are also much more likely to discuss their procedures today than in years past. There isn’t a stigma about cosmetic procedures anymore in the way there used to be, and this trend seems to be carrying over to men. I believe that as the number of men seeking procedures continues to rise, any stigma of cosmetic enhancement seeming “unmasculine” or solely the domain of women will continue to diminish.

There are other strong factors underlying the rise in procedures for men. Due to the aging of the baby-boomer generation and the economic recession, there is more pressure for older men to compete with a younger generation for jobs and romance. With fewer jobs available and more competition, many men seek cosmetic enhancement to give them an edge in landing a job, or keeping the one they have, in the face of a workforce becoming increasingly dominated by younger workers.

Men want to look youthful and attractive just as women do, and like women, men who undergo procedures may experience a boost in their self-esteem and confidence levels. This can empower them to pursue romantic and career opportunities they may not have before.

The Dangers of Silicone Breast Implants

Think twice about going under the knife! A recent report by the US Food and Drug Administration warned women with silicone breast implants that they most likely will not last forever, and may need to be removed or replaced within a decade of implantation. The study reported that about 20 percent of women with silicone implants for breast augmentation will develop problems that require removal. In addition, about half of breast cancer patients who had implants for reconstruction will develop problems requiring removal. Problems that can develop include hardening, rupturing, asymmetry, wrinkling, scarring, pain and infections, any of which can require additional surgery to fix. Research has shown similar risk associated with the alternative saline implants, which about half of implant patients choose over silicone.

Most breasts with silicone gel implants will become harder over time, a condition known as capsular contracture. Just as the tissue around a splinter gets harder, the body’s natural response to foreign objects is to encapsulate it until it is removed. If left untreated, capsular contracture in the breast can result in pain and disfigurement.

The most serious risk of silicone implants is the risk of rupturing. Edward Melmed, a surgeon who has performed thousands of silicone implant procedures, commented on the risks in a recent LA Times article. “In the last 14 years, I have removed implants from almost 1,000 women. I have found roughly 50% of their implants have ruptured within 10 years, and more than 70% have ruptured within 15 years. We are still not sure of all the places where the micro-droplets of silicone end up, though I have found it in lymph nodes.”

Another danger to implant patients is an increase in risk of developing an extremely rare type of lymphoma in the breast, called anaplastic large-cell lymphoma. The cancer normally occurs in only 3 in 100 million women, but the FDA has identified 60 cases in 10 million implant patients. Although the overall risk of developing the cancer is incredibly small, the dramatic increase in incidence among implant patients raises some major red flags.

With a growing body of information about the dangers of silicone implants, women need to strongly consider if the aesthetic benefits are really worth the risk. Recently, a new (and much less expensive) option has emerged for women seeking breast augmentation who don’t want to go under the knife, or deal with all the long term risks associated with silicone or saline implants. Natural Breast Augmentation involves harvesting the body’s own fat cells, which are then injected into the breast to increase volume. Because the procedure uses the body’s own material, there is no risk of capsular contracture that occurs with foreign implants. This procedure can be enhanced with use of the body’s own stem cells. Stem cells help to grow new blood vessels to nourish the fat, release natural anti-inflammatory agents to aid healing, and generate growth factors to tighten and rejuvenate breast skin. Natural Breast Augmentation is gaining attention as an effective way to increase breast size up to two cups, while minimizing risk, discomfort and downtime. Click here if you would like to learn more information about Natural Breast Augmentation.

Scientists Discover How to Differentiate Stem Cells with No Cancer Risk

Although still in its early phases, stem cell research is producing some of the most promising advances in modern medicine, and the potential it may have for disease treatment in the future is simply astonishing. Research indicates that stem cells may be integral in treating a wide variety of diseases and medical conditions, including stroke, brain injuries, learning defects, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injuries, arthritis, baldness, blindness and deafness, myocardial infarction, muscular dystrophy, diabetes, and several types of cancer.

A new breakthrough in understanding how stem cells differentiate may be one of the most significant contributions toward advancing this field in years. Scientists believed that stem cell differentiation was controlled by multiple, highly specific and complex chemical systems, each capable of producing only a limited variety of cells. The results of a new study say otherwise.  A research team from the Genome Institute of Singapore, in collaboration with the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, discovered that the type of cell that a stem cell will eventually turn into is actually controlled by a single communication system. Using this system, called the Nodal/Activin pathway, scientists will be able to control the eventual type of tissue the stem cells will develop into, simply by adjusting the cell’s chemical environment.

Prior to this discovery, controlling stem cell differentiation often involved direct genetic modification of the cell, which came with a significant risk of the cell becoming cancerous. The new method will eliminate this risk, marking a major victory in advancing research in this field.

Dr. Kian Leong Lee, who led the study, says this finding “paves the way for advanced studies in cell regeneration and tissue repair, which could ultimately lead to its use in personalized medicine, where stem cells from the same patient could be manipulated to make other types of cells that are genetically matched to the donor.”

In addition to its potential applications for disease treatments, stem cells are now being recognized for their benefits in aiding cosmetic procedures. At Rejuvalife Vitality Institute, Dr. Berger uses a patient’s own fat-derived stem cells in fat transfer procedures to promote the viability and longevity of fat grafts. Since this process uses the body’s own materials, it also completely eliminates the risk of allergic reaction. Click here to learn more about how Rejuvalife uses a patient’s own cells to perform these remarkable procedures.

Want that beach body? Learn About Lipo

If you’ve been considering liposuction, you’ll be pleased to know that with today’s technology there are minimally invasive non-surgical options that won’t interrupt your lifestyle.

Liposuction is one of the most popular cosmetic procedures for removing fat and has been used for decades.   Beverly Hills’ Dr. Berger’s advanced awake liposuction techniques have replaced harsh and outdated methods. Dr. Berger has pioneered many of today’s fat loss and body contouring techniques and technologies that he uses, instead of the old, aggressive traditional methods. With newer liposuction technologies such as Liposculpture, Smartlipo™ and BodyJet™, you can get the results you want without the risks of cutting, general anesthesia and IVs associated with traditional liposuction.

Advantages to the patient

• Dr. Berger uses only minimally invasive non-surgical techniques
• Your Procedure is done while awake, so no general anesthesia is necessary
• Little or no pain during procedure
• Results are noticed almost immediately
• We never use general anesthesia, No IV’s, No Cutting
• Your recovery is faster & easier with little to no downtime
• There are no unsightly scars, no stitches, minimal bruising
• Refined techniques & expertise result in greater skin tightening for all ages
• Combination treatments are more comprehensive & achieve optimum results
• Advanced methods replace old aggressive, traditional lipo surgery
• Gentle techniques & excellent skills achieve permanent, superior results!
• Our patients walk-in for treatment & they walk-out after treatment

Advanced Liposuction options:

• Liposculpture is a minimally invasive procedure which uses local tumescent anesthesia to permanently remove body fat with suction. Liposculpture is less traumatic on the body than traditional liposuction because there is no general anesthesia or IV sedation used. Learn more
• Smartlipo™ Laser Lipo is a breakthrough body sculpting technique in Los Angeles which uses laser energy to melt fat and tighten the skin. Smartlipo™ is particularly effective in treating small areas such as the jawline, neck, chin, knees, bra fat, and more. It is also ideal used in combination with Liposculpture or BodyJet for added skin tightening and for correcting contour irregularities, which can occur after liposuction surgeries. Learn more
• BodyJet™ Liposuction uses water to gently loosen and remove fat cells. The gentle method and precision instruments allow for remarkably accurate results with far less recovery time and bruising than any other liposuction method used in Beverly Hills today. Learn more
• Fat Transfer is a procedure which can correct skin defects and other depressions on the face and body. Fat is removed from an area where there is excess, such as the abdomen, and then used to naturally plump up other areas like the hands, face, calves, buttocks or other areas. Learn more
• Fatdissolve is a an injection lipolysis method for reducing or eliminating smaller localised fat deposits. This innovative treatment for dissolving small deposits of fat involve no significant downtime, and is non-invasive without the side effects that are commonly associated with liposuction. Learn more

If you live in the Los Angeles or Beverly Hills area and would like to explore your options for body contouring or schedule complimentary consultation you can contact Rejuvalife Vitality Institute at 310-276-4494 or Click Here.

Weight Loss May Add Years to Your Appearance

Sometimes, skinny isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Often times for those 40 and above, losing too much weight in the face can actually add years to your appearance! Think sunken eyes, droopy skin and large dark circles under your eyes. And the number one effect, emaciated cheeks! According to New Beauty Magazine:

When weight is lost from face, the cheeks are almost always affected. In order for the cheeks to have definition and be prominent, they need fat. A lack of fat makes them look gaunt and sunken. Furthermore, as fat is lost near the cheeks, it causes deep folds between the nose and mouth.

But don’t jump on the pizza train just yet, there are ways to reverse the effects of too much weight loss on the face. Volume loss can be corrected non-surgically with injectables, fillers, collagen stimulators and other non surgical procedures such as fat transfer.

VIA

In Focus: Hand Rejuvenation

Another question came to me from Twitter a few days ago. This time, the lovely Candy from @ArtOfTheSpa asked me the following: “Hi Dr. Berger! I have terrible bulgy veins on the backs of my hands. Not sure what would be best course of action.”

First of all, let me just say that this is a very common problem. Very often, your hands will give away your age even more than your face. The fatty cushion that used to be present beneath your skin inevitably diminishes over time, causing your veins to become more visible – or bulgy, as you say.

One approach to this concern at Rejuvalife Vitality Institute is to offer a fat transfer procedure, and here’s how it works:

Fat is removed from an excess area like the saddlebags, lower abdomen, love handles / muffin tops or inner thighs (how convenient, you might say!) and after it is purified, it is re-injected into the hands to restore fullness and make the skin more plump, which results in your veins becoming much less apparent. What’s fantastic about this is that there is no risk of allergy or rejection since the filler, in this case, is completely natural: it comes from your own body. No stitches, and in less than one to two hours, your hands will look ten years younger! Most importantly, results from fat transfer should last for about a year… if not more.

Another approach is the injection of Radiesse, which rebuilds the skin’s foundation by stimulating collagen renewal, providing volume replacement for up to two years!

Read more about the Fat Transfer Rejuvenation Procedure and Radiesse.

Solutions for Acne and Chickenpox Scars

Anyone who’s suffered with scars as a reminder of teenage acne, chickenpox or measles, knows the  embarrassment those scars and pock marks have upon them as adults.  Facial pits are the pits but modern skin laser and filler treatments can help them disappear or, at the very least, fade.

These kinds of scars can be filled with dermal fillers or smoothed down with microdermabrasion or laser resurfacing, depending upon the scar’s depth. The laser that I use the most, the Pixel, is very effective for acne scars and pock marks, as well as a variety of fillers. A combination of laser treatments and fillers provide an excellent solution with minimal or no downtime involved.