Functional Medicine - A Whole Systems Approach

We always advocate for a holistic approach to youthful skin. Achieving this goal involves a healthy diet, optimal hydration, balancing hormone levels, optimizing detoxification pathways and achieving robust gut health, a healthy effective skin care regimen, and protecting the skin from sun exposure. This is always where we recommend beginning your journey to longevity. Remember, a truly healthy lifestyle has many components. 

Aesthetics in Functional Medicine

Over and over again my female patients have shared with me that they were receiving Botox and fillers. I initially cautioned them about using these products because it felt toxic and artificial. I realized however, that no matter what I said, they were still going to get these procedures. Why was that? 

We can't stop aging from occurring. While it’s a natural part of life, there is something to be said about how it can impact us emotionally. Our self-image is powerful to say the least, and can impact our confidence and emotional well being. 

As I aged, I too felt like I was losing the “battle” with age and wanted to achieve my own optimum self-image. I wanted to turn back time or at least pause it for a bit. So after doing everything I could to care for my skin, I researched Botox and dermal fillers. 

What I found is that it is actually an effective, non-surgical, minimally invasive way to enhance our natural features and enrich youthfulness as well as improve self-confidence. By assisting our patients in choosing and utilizing scientifically validated and safe methods, we can support the safe use of these products. 

Our functional medicine office supports the body's detoxification pathways, reinforces our own ability to regenerate healthy cells, and maintain the highest degree of health. We carry these goals directly over into our aesthetics work as well. 

We administer Botox and cosmetic dermal fillers using minimally invasive injections in an office-visit setting. We make recommendations about pre-visit steps to prepare the body and minimize bruising, trauma to the skin, and other adverse effects. 

Botox

Botox is a highly purified neurotoxin initially developed to treat spastic muscles, but was found to reduce the wrinkles associated with expression lines. It works by temporarily paralyzing the muscle tissue in the target area. We use a highly purified botulinum toxin, preservative free sterile saline, aseptic techniques, and the most minimally invasive equipment. ‍

Dermal Fillers

Here at The Fork, we use hyaluronic acid dermal fillers. These are the most non-invasive methods of filling lines and reducing the appearance of wrinkles. 

Hyaluronic acid occurs naturally in the body and is a natural complex of sugar that is found in all living organisms that creates elasticity and volume in the skin. The product is a clear gel substance made of a biodegradable non-animal stabilized hyaluronic acid (NASHA). 

The process used to naturally ferment the product reduces the risk of transmitting disease or of eliciting allergic reactions in patients who are sensitive to common foods, such as beef, chicken and eggs because it is free of animal products. The bacterial fermentation process stabilizes and purifies the product making it a biocompatible, totally non-animal, product. 

We almost exclusively use Allergan’s product Juvederm. Juvederm is currently the only approved hyaluronic acid dermal filler that has been demonstrated to be safe and effective in patients of all skin types and colors. Juvederm was also developed using a proprietary, technologically-advanced manufacturing process that results in a malleable smooth gel that flows easily into the skin, creating a smooth, natural look and feel… it is the only one of its kind. The Juvederm family of products offers the highest concentration of cross-linked hyaluronic acid available in a dermal filler, which results in a long duration of effect and may be attributed to the majority of patients not requiring touch-ups following their initial treatment. We prefer a long lasting product resulting in the need for fewer applications. The consistency of Juvederm we feel helps to minimize the discomfort that can sometimes occur during the injection procedure, and unless there is an allergy or request otherwise, we use the XC line of fillers that contain Lidocaine in the product to additionally reduce discomfort. 

It’s important to note that we have been using hyaluronic acid safely and effectively in health care for over 20 years in conditions associated with the eyes and joints. 

All injections are administered by experienced, licensed, and certified health care practitioners who have obtained advanced certification in the administration of Botox and dermal fillers. 

In an effort to be transparent, up to date research references are available for all procedures and products. Often, several techniques may co-exist which achieve the same results and we will inform the patient of those techniques. Patient safety and the lowest complication rate possible are highest priority. We will inform you of the choices of the interventions available.

Additionally, we offer and recommend the Nash and Jones line of skin care products. If you read our Hormone Series Part 3: Estrogen Dominance, you know how I feel about contamination and the effects on our health from topical products. 

In the blog we talked about the importance of cleaning up xenoestrogens.

“This is a big one in today’s world. The average woman is exposed to hundreds of chemicals and pollutants every day. They easily absorb into your body from personal care products and makeup, from your food and even the air you breathe and water you drink. Xenoestrogens are man-made chemicals that act like estrogen in the body. They bind to estrogen receptors, contribute to estrogen dominance and place additional stress on the body. The best strategy here is to limit exposure by controlling what you can.” 

Cosmetics and skin care products are an important part of our health. 

We appreciate the Nash and Jones paradigm of: 

“What we put on our skin is what we put into our skin and our bodies. Our skin craves healthy ingredients the same way we need healthy food to properly fuel our bodies. We believe in nourishing skin with ingredients from the earth without chemical preservatives or fillers added.”

Our goal is to support our patient’s journeys towards living their best life on all levels.

Contact us today to find out more.