All of our services are supervised by a physician. The following page should answer questions regarding Hormone Therapy, Lipo-Ex, permanent hair reduction, intense pulsed light therapy, and botulinum injections. Please feel free to call us if you have further questions (252-969-0025).

Bioidentical Hormones

What are bioidentical hormones?
Bioidentical hormones are hormones made from soy and yam and have the same exact chemical structure to that of human hormones. This is important because your body recognizes bioidentical hormones as opposed to synthetic hormones, that which are not bioidentical and cause a significant number of dangerous side-effects. If one gets side -effects from bioidentical hormones, they are usually the result of too high a dose and can easily be adjusted.
In addition, bioidentical hormones are generally specially made for an individual since they are compounded. Synthetic hormones are mass produced and have stronger side-effects than those of the bioidentical nature. They are made from the urine of animals and have a different molecular structure to that of bioidentical hormones. In fact, this is critical because the body may see them as a foreign substance.
Why do I need bioidentical hormones?
In our 20’s and 30’s, hormones start declining. In addition environmental changes, poorer diets, decreased fitness, greater stress levels and increased numbers of hysterectomies
are changing the hormone balance of men and women. Men are suffering from andropause and women are suffering from perimenopause or menopause. The results are millions of people complaining of poor energy, weight gain, depression, poor libido, hot flashes. The list goes on. Bioidentical hormones help a whole host of symptoms but also improves your cardiac function, immune system, bone health ( osteoporosis), brain health, skin health and your overall health.
What is andropause?
This is a result of a decline in testosterone ( androgen) in men. This hormone is important in building protein, maintaining sexual drive and stamina, bone formation, liver function, immune function and a number of critical metabolic functions. Symptoms include:
low sex drive
lack of energy
difficult getting erections
depression
irritability and mood swings
increased body fat
loss of strength
What is menopause and what are the symptoms of menopause?
Menopause is the time in a woman’s life when her menstrual periods stops permanently. At this point she will no longer be able to bear children. The time before this, is perimenopause. During both perimenopause and menopause, women’s hormones fluctuate and may cause the following symptoms:
hot flashes
night sweats
disturbed sleep
urinary problems
moodiness
vaginal dryness
problems focusing and learning
hair loss
increased abdominal fat
difficulty losing weight
When should I consider bioidentical hormones?
Many men and women start taking bioidentical hormones in their 30’s. However if you are symptomatic, it is best to get tested and treated. Otherwise hormones should generally be checked at 40 or earlier if there are symptoms of menopause or andropause.
What is the Women’s Health Initiative?
This was a study conducted by the NIH in 1991 that looked at common causes of death, disability and impaired quality of life among postmenopausal women. The study was designed to establish the health benefits of synthetic hormone therapy to prevent cancer, osteoporosis and heart disease in postmenopausal women. Unfortunately they had to stop part of the study due to serious adverse effects of the synthetic hormones. Sadly many people were fearful of giving women hormones due to this study’s results and hormones. They did not use bioidentical hormones.
How come my doctor has not mentioned bioidentical hormones before?
There is extra training outside of medical school and residency that is required to understand bioidentical hormones and so many physicians do not have the time, training or exposure to understand it.

Permanent Laser Hair Reduction/Treatment

Am I a candidate?

There is no one laser ideal for all skin types. Currently we have two permanent hair reduction
machines, the Lumenis Lightsheer and an Alma Harmony .  We are able to treat brown or black hair however we are not able to treat red or blond hair or people with significantly dark pigmentation.

What kind of safety precautions do you use?

We use a patented cooling device so that we can give you the most comfortable treatment without any anesthetic. In addition, we protect your eyes by giving you eye shields to wear during our procedures.

What areas can I have done?

We can treat the face, chest, back, bikini area, legs, arms, underarms and buttocks.

How many treatments does it take?

Everyone’s hair grows differently so some people take more and some people take less treatments. We recommend at least 4-6 treatments which will be at least a month apart.

Do you have free consultations?

We offer consultations to see if you are a good candidate and to go over your needs. We will get your medical history and inspect the area you are interested in. We will most likely do a spot test the day of your consultation so we ask that the area is clean and shaven.

What should I expect?

Patient must be clean shaven in all treatment areas. A charge of $50 will be added if our technician needs to shave the area.

Patient cannot have bleached, waxed or plucked the hair in areas to be treated within two weeks prior to appointment

No depilatory (cream, gel or foam hair removal product) can be used for 2 weeks prior to appointment

Patient must avoid intense sun exposure ( including tanning beds) 14-30 days before and after treatment depending on which machine is being used

Patient cannot have taken Accutane within the last year

Patient cannot have used prescription topical Benzoyl Peroxide Medications or Retinoids  in the area to be treated

What is the cost?

The cost varies for each treatment site.

Botulinum Injections

What areas can be treated?

We can do botulinum injections for facial wrinkles, hyperhydrosis of the underarms ( excessive sweating) and spasticity.

What can I expect?

We will do a consultation to discuss your needs and pictures and a brief history will be taken. We will cleanse the area, apply anesthetic if necessary and then inject botulinum in the area of interest (Glabellar, Frontalis, Lateral Canthal Rhytids, Nasalis, Perioral, Chin)

Intense Pulsed Light

What is IPL and how does it work?

The IPL system uses light energy to target pigmentation in your skin to rejuvenate your face, hands, decolletage.  In this way we can reduce the brown spots sometimes referred to as sun spots or liver spots as well as the redness and broken capillaries in Rosacea. We are proud to offer the Alma Harmony IPL system.

Is the IPL right for me?
Our technology works on most skin types however there is a higher risk of skin hypopigmentation among those with dark skin. If you have have burns, significant discoloration from continued tanning or a skin disorder, you may not be a candidate. All clients fill out a questionnaire and speak to a consultant before treatment starts.

How many treatments are required?

It depends on how much skin damage you have. In general most people with moderate skin damage require at least 3-4 treatments.

Is there any downtime?

This is a comfortable procedure and requires no downtime. You can return to regular activities and or apply make-up immediately after the procedure. We do ask you to wear sunblock and/or decrease your sun exposure between treatments.