THE SUN – FRIEND OR FOE?
The sun is our friend but also our worst enemy. Aging and many skin disorders are caused or exacerbated by the sun. Therefore, from birth, everyone should wear sunBLOCK, not sunSCREEN, daily, particularly on the face, neck, chest, hands, arms and shoulders, even with clothes, everywhere when sunbathing and that protects against UVA, B and C. Sun and X-ray are equivalent, cumulative, cause inflammation, DNA damage and disease. SunSCREENS do NOT protect against this damage and contain inflammatory chemicals. SunBLOCKS contain Zinc and/or Titanium.

As for Vitamin D and sun-you can take Vitamin D3 (it has to be this form ONLY otherwise you are wasting your time and money) and obtain therapeutic blood levels of Vitamin D BUT getting ANY amount or time of sun does NOT guarantee that you will obtain a therapeutic level of Vitamin D. Getting sun causes increased aging and skin cancers, taking Vitamin D3 does NOT. Everyone should have their blood levels of Vitamin D done whenever they have their blood drawn, even children. Most everyone should take at least 2000 mg of Vitamin D3 at least 5 days a week at minimum to be safer as Vitamin D helps to protect against breast, colon and prostate cancers, heart attacks and strokes, osteoporosis and some skin diseases. When you get your blood level of Vitamin D3 done then you can adjust the amount of Vitamin D3 you are taking. People with skin of pigment and color, people who live in areas of the world where they stay totally covered, people who live in any area of the world above Los Angeles generally need to take more Vitamin D3 sometimes more than 10,000 mg per day but even people who are sunbathing regularly rarely have therapeutic Vitamin D3 levels. Have your blood levels checked which can be done at any lab. Vitamin D3 is a fat soluble vitamin which means that if you take too much it can damage your liver so get your blood levels checked but taking 2000 mg at least 5 days per week for anyone over 90 pounds is a safe amount until your levels are checked. This is VERY important for your health. Getting sun is no guarantee and sun has side effects.

SKIN AGING, WRINKLING AND LAXITY
The overall result of age-related structural changes is an increase in skin dryness, roughness, wrinkling, fine lines and laxity, and a decrease in skin elasticity. The overall result of age-related functional changes is a decline in skin barrier function against hydration loss and disease protection, mechanical protection, sensory perception, wound healing, immunologic responsiveness, thermoregulation, and vitamin D production.

Skin aging begins at birth due to different environmental and internal factors that, with repeated exposure, affect the skin's function, strength and elasticity. The extracellular matrix (outside the cells) of human skin is comprised of collagen, elastic fibers (elastin is a major component) and macromolecules such as proteoglycans, glycosaminoglycans, fibronectin and laminin.

If you want strong, youthful, elastic skin, you need to keep healthy collagen and hormone levels, as damage and disease will affect the skin, destroy elastin and fibroblasts, which produce collagen and existing collagen. Proteoglycans and Glycosaminoglycans are sugar chains or carbohydrate complex molecules linked to proteins or free standing and are responsible for binding and holding water within the skin. This hydration from within contributes to skin's elasticity and resilience. The proteins in the extracellular matrix and intracellularly are particularly susceptible to increased blood and tissue sugar from eating and drinking sugars (includes alcohol and some juices) and carbohydrates, because the sugars bind to the proteins and damage them which causes glycation resulting in enhanced and earlier aging and wrinkling.

As skin is damaged and inflamed, both internally from foods, stress, hormone disruption, nutrition deficiencies, disease, medication and externally through photoaging, (solar radiation damage), radiation, pollution, inflammatory skin, hair and nail products- the aging process is manifested on the skin. The development of collagen and elastin and moisture holding molecules is reduced. In addition to skin cells and melanocytes losing their functioning, numbers and density, melanocytes clumping, pores enlarging, abnormal blood vessels and redness appearing, the foundation of the extracellular matrix deteriorates, making the skin appear dryer with fine and deeper lines and lines at rest, weaker-susceptible to infection, slowly healing, less resilient and to start rippling and losing its flexibility and resistance to gravity. At the same time blood flow to the skin epidermis and dermis is decreasing, which is why the skin also turns more yellow with age, lacks imperative nutrition to function youthfully and energetically and the required delivery of ingredients is lacking and needs, for which it has receptors and can recognize with the correct chemical form, through the skin (transdermally) as well as internally.

Aging is a natural process-life leads to death- but there are many things you have control over and can do to delay, minimize and avoid the signs. Genetics play a role, which can be mitigated, as can smoking, amount and type of alcohol, sugar and carbohydrate intake, sun exposure habits, diet, exercise and even facial mannerisms. Preferably never start but stopping smoking of cigarettes and anything which has inflammatory smoke, tars and chemicals which cause inflammation, and protecting yourself as much as possible from harmful sun exposure can greatly reduce premature skin aging, abnormal pigment formation, rosacea, enlarged pores, lines, wrinkles, laxity and symptoms of photoaging.

Ultraviolet and many types of radiation lead to aging changes in the skin and penetrate to cause DNA mutations, cancers, skin diseases and cellular death in some cases. Photo damage results in wrinkling, loss of thickness, increased fragility and premature aging. The changes in the skin are normally slow but persistent and begin to take place as a child and at doses of UV-irradiation that do not show up as redness on the outside, such as sun through the windows of your car, home and office. The damage is hardly noticeable in the early stages. Photo damage is harmful to the skin because it releases collagenase enzymes, which break down good collagen fibers. This is a natural response of skin to photo and radiation and inflammation damage.

Inflammatory disorders incite the development of collagenases, but at the same time, excessive collagenase causes irritation. It's a vicious cycle. Research groups have documented these mechanisms many times. Since slight irritations occur very frequently or are permanently present, the positive actions of collagenase enzymes get out of balance with the bad and contribute to the breakdown of imperative connective tissue and the production of hyaluronidases, enzymes that destroy hyaluronic acid (HA), one of the most abundant glycosaminoglycans in the skin anatomy. Collagen is present in every organ of the body so its breakdown contributes to joint issues, cellulite, prolapse of the bladder, uterus, and urinary incontinence for example.

Hyaluronic acid is a major component of the extracellular matrix and plays an important role in tissue repair. It is present in a variety of body tissues including the skin, eyes, synovial fluid of joints, and many other parts of the body. HA is a carbohydrate. In its natural form it is hydrophilic (water loving) and can absorb large quantities of water to maintain tissue hydration levels

HA is imperative in the normal wound healing process, which comprises a series of sequential events including inflammation, granulation, re-epithelialization, and remodeling. In the early stages of wound healing, levels of HA are high and decline thereafter due to the effects of hyaluronidase. The degradation or destruction of collagen and hyaluronic acid results in the signs of skin aging, visible in the formation of wrinkles and decreasing elasticity. By prompting the breakdown of hyaluronic acid, hyaluronidase reduces the density of hyaluronic acid, thereby increasing permeability of connective-tissue membranes which increases the likelihood of allergens and infective agents penetrating the skin barrier, delaying wound healing and causing and exacerbating acne and any skin inflammation.

The older we get, the dermis and epidermis of the skin is disorganized and chaotic. Cells are no longer perfectly synchronized and lose their ability to communicate and function effectively.

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Solutions: PARADIGM OF TREATMENT is designed to prevent, minimize, reverse as much as possible and treat aging problems and skin disorders and address your skin and body’s unique needs. It creates and maximizes healthy bodies and healthy, beautiful skin in a “wholistic”, anatomically and physiologically correct method, addressing the skin from the inside and out. The Action Plan combines an individually prescribed plan of essential “what does your body need, want and not want” supplementation, nutrition, exercise, and bio-identical hormones, with therapeutic, anti-inflammatory, non-toxic products, peels, laser and tightening procedures. Skin Fitness Plus utilizes customized to your body’s needs, scientifically correct, continually optimized, best tool for the job treatments, assuring the most visible and perceived results with longevity of result and optimized overall health, prevention of disease and the internal and external signs of aging as the side effect.

Everyone is always looking for a magic cure or product or laser or therapy or technology that is immediately going to cure acne or aging or brown spots or whatever he or she wants to cure. Everyone always believes some doctor or practitioner or company has that “magic”. That is why marketing is so effective because it is playing to this hope that somebody has or has found the magic cure. The body just doesn’t work like that because curing and treating and repairing and healing requires the time it takes the body to complete its cycles of repair and stimulation. MANY organs and chemical processes are involved in those cycles in men and women and it takes time. That is why an ounce of prevention is worth a lifetime of cure, the earlier you start the better and stop shopping for magic that doesn’t exist. If you are seeing a continual progressive result then what you are being treated with is working and that is the best, state of the art that science has to offer in today’s world. Remember also that in today’s world product chemistry is sophisticated and many times it doesn’t mix so stop buying everything on the shelf that is full of promises. I assure you there is NO product or combo of products, no ingredient nor laser nor peel nor medication nor technology nor practitioner that has magic that cures or treats most any internal or external problem immediately. Everything takes time. And just because advertising or the side of the box or a brochure says it does something does not mean it does or can. We are awash in a sea of products and technology in today’s world and most are just separating you from your time and money. Find a practitioner you trust, who gives you solutions for varying budgets and continual, progressive results and you have found the magic.

SKIN CANCER
Skin cancer, the abnormal growth of skin cells, most often develops on skin frequently or easily exposed to the sun. The chest in men and women is where the sun hits first so don’t forget to always wear sunBLOCK there as well. But skin cancer can also occur on areas of the skin not ordinarily exposed to sunlight. There are three major types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma. Basal and squamous cell carcinomas are slower growing and highly treatable and curable, especially if found early. Melanoma is the most serious and challenging form of skin cancer. It affects deeper layers of the skin and has the greatest potential to spread and quickly to other tissues in the body. Most skin cancers can be prevented by limiting or avoiding exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation and by paying attention to suspicious changes in your skin. If caught early enough, most skin cancers can be successfully treated. Parents should be particularly careful to minimize sunburn in babies and children including eyes and scalps.

Solutions: Correct skin exfoliation, products, medications, peels, laser technology can generally destroy early (superficial) nonmelanoma skin cancers and actinic keratoses. Biopsy to correctly diagnose and excision can also be part of treatment.

ENLARGED PORES
Pores play a vital role in skin physiology. After all, without them we’d have nowhere for hair to grow out of, no method for skin oils to reach the surface, protecting skin from environmental dehydration. Why do pores enlarge? Genetics may certainly contribute. Barely visible on those prone to drier skin, individuals with oily, thicker skin, which includes men, due to testosterone, tend to have larger looking, more noticeable pores.

Anything that causes inflammation internally and externally is another cause. Aging from all the causes and whether premature or normal, due to skin function stagnation, causes the epidermis to thicken with dead cells and a rim of these cells are more likely to collect around individual pores. While microscopic, these rings exaggerate pore diameter. These pores are then more visible, which can simply be due to inadequate exfoliation. Too much surface oil and naturally shed, dead skin cell debris, collect around the edges of pores and over the entire skin surface, making the skin appear dull and inhibits penetration of therapeutic ingredients the skin needs and lacks.

Blackheads, enlarged pores and acne, often go hand-in-hand. Blackheads can either expand pores from the thick, oxidized oil, which the pore cannot cleanse and expel, or simply focus attention on them.

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Solutions: PARADIGM OF TREATMENT, ACNE, HEALTHY BODY FOR MEN and HEALTHY BODY FOR WOMEN

AGE/BROWN SPOTS
Also called liver spots, hyperpigmentation, seborrheic keratoses or solar lentigines, age spots are flat, raised, thickened or soft, gray, brown or black spots. They vary in size and appear everywhere but moreso on areas most exposed to the sun. Though age spots are very common in adults older than age 40, they can affect younger people as well. Ultraviolet (UV) light accelerates the production of melanin. Melanin is the dark pigment in the epidermis that gives your skin its normal color and protects against UV penetration. The extra melanin produced to protect the deeper layers of your skin creates the darker color of a tan. Age spots develop when the extra melanin becomes "clumped" or can no longer protect against accumulated photodamage. In addition to sun exposure, low thyroid function and fungal overgrowth, are primary causes of melanin clumping, skin tags and seborrheic kerotsis, growth and poliferation due to chronic damage and inflammation and skin and body function stagnation.

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Solutions: PARADIGM OF TREATMENT, HEALTHY BODY FOR MEN, HEALTHY BODY FOR WOMEN and BIO-IDENTICAL HORMONES & SKIN

PHOTODAMAGE
Changes that occur to the skin due to exposure to the sun. To prevent photodamage, use sunBLOCK every day, whether or not you're going to be in direct sunlight and regardless of the time of year. Unlike UVB rays that cause the skin to tingle and turn red, UVA rays can't be seen or felt, are present year-round, penetrate deeper into the skin, damage DNA and cause 80% of damage sustained by skin. We're exposed to UV indirectly, such as through windows of cars and buildings.

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Solutions: PARADIGM OF TREATMENT, HEALTHY BODY FOR MEN, HEALTHY BODY FOR WOMEN and SFP APPROVED PRODUCTS

ROSACEA (abnormal blood vessels)
Rosacea is a chronic disorder primarily of the facial skin, but often seen in the neck called poikiloderma and on the chest especially of women, often characterized by flare-ups when drinking alcohol, being nervous, embarrassed, sweating, exercising, having hot flushes, eating spicy foods. It typically becomes bothersome any time after or around age 30 as redness on the cheeks, nose, chin, forehead, neck and chest. It generally increases once begun so rosacea must be treated. There is controversy as to what causes it, but it is greatly enhanced by anything which causes inflammation in the body and skin including low thyroid and fungal overgrowth. It is most frequently seen in skin with little pigment although it is increasingly seen in skin of pigment but lighter pigment and it is seen in people living in cold as well as sunny climates. Failure to treat rosacea can result in some people in bumps and pimples from a collection of blood vessels, and the nose may grow swollen and bumpy from excess tissue. Rosacea treatment helps reduce the symptoms and their severity. Although rosacea can affect all segments of the population, individuals with fair skin who tend to flush or blush easily are believed to be at greatest risk. The disease is more frequently diagnosed in women, but more severe symptoms tend to be seen in men -- perhaps because they often delay seeking medical help until the disorder reaches more advanced stages.

Primary Signs of Rosacea

• Flushing
• Many people with rosacea have a history of frequent blushing or flushing. This facial redness may come and go, and is often the earliest sign of the disorder.
• Persistent Redness
  Persistent facial redness is the most common individual sign of rosacea, and may resemble a blush or sunburn that does not go away
• Bumps and Pimples
  Small red solid bumps or pus-filled pimples often develop due to the skin being chronically and increasingly inflamed by the proliferation of abnormal blood vessels. While these may resemble acne, blackheads are absent and burning or stinging may occur.

Visible Blood Vessels
In many people with rosacea, small, discrete blood vessels become visible on the skin as well as the meshwork of blood vessels, which are the hallmark.

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Solutions: PARADIGM OF TREATMENT, HEALTHY BODY FOR MEN, HEALTHY BODY FOR WOMEN, BIO-IDENTICAL HORMONES & SKIN and MAINTENANCE are available to control and reverse its signs and symptoms. The essence of minimizing rosacea is to avoid inflammation internally and externally, by what you eat, lifestyle, hormone optimization, stress and environment management and using no skin, nail or hair products which contain inflammatory ingredients, for example, glycolic acid. Also avoid microdermabrasion, which is too severe for sensitive skin with rosacea and peels such as TCA, Jessner’s, and Glycolic. Many people don’t realize that rosacea is a very sensitizing skin condition and it is very important to keep your skin protected from common triggers that cause flare-ups. Some of these flare-up causing triggers include the following:

1) Sun exposure- always wear a sunBLOCK or SPF30 for greater-reapply every 2-4hrs. daily. Sun causes inflammation, which throws gas on the fire.
2) Intense activity especially that causes sweating. Exercising is great for your health but it can cause rosacea to flush, so drink cold water and put some ice on the rosacea area to cool it down a bit.
3) Eating spicy foods. Avoid MSG particularly.
4) Stress-causes inflammation. As much as possible find a way to manage not internalize stress in life because it will indeed age and disease you. Exercise, humor, clear communication, always help.
5) Alcohol-dilates blood vessels so the redness temporarily appears enhanced. Everything in moderation, take antioxidants and drink water.

The symptoms of rosacea can be minimized so no one notices and your skin is healthy, use correct skin products that are not inflammatory and desensitize the skin, and lasers which specifically close and destroy the abnormal blood vessels without harming the skin.

HYPERPIGMENTATION
Hyperpigmentation is a common condition in which patches or spots of skin become darker in color than the normal surrounding skin. This darkening occurs when an excess of melanin, the brown pigment that produces normal skin color, forms and deposits in the skin due to all the causes of inflammation. Hyperpigmentation can affect the skin color of people of any race.

Melasma or chloasma spots are similar in appearance to age spots but are larger, irregular patchy areas of darkened skin that appear most often as a result of hormonal changes combined with inflammation. Pregnancy, for example, can trigger overproduction of melanin when inflammation is present that causes the "mask of pregnancy" on the face and darkened skin on the abdomen and other areas. Women who take birth control pills may also develop hyperpigmentation or melasma because their bodies undergo similar hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy and inflammation is concomitantly present. The birth control pills should be stopped and changed or another method of birth control should be considered and the causes and treatments for inflammation should be addressed.

Changes in skin color can result from skin diseases such as acne, which may leave dark spots as and after the condition clears-especially in pigmented skin heritages. Other causes of hyperpigmentation are injuries to the skin, including accidents, surgeries and certain lasers, skin treatments, inflammatory skin products. Freckles are small brown spots that can appear anywhere on the body, but are most common on the face and arms. Freckles are generally an inherited characteristic.

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Solutions: PARADIGM OF TREATMENT, HEALTHY BODY FOR MEN, HEALTHY BODY FOR WOMEN, BIO-IDENTICAL HORMONES & SKIN and MAINTENANCE are available to control and reverse its signs and symptoms. Freckles, age spots, and other darkened skin patches can become darker or more pronounced when skin is exposed to the sun. This happens because melanin absorbs the energy of the sun's ultraviolet rays in order to protect the skin from exposure and damage. The usual result of this process is skin tanning, which tends to greatly darken areas that are already hyperpigmented. Wearing a sunBLOCK is a must. It must block both UVA and UVB and reflected rays. A single day of excess sun can undo months of treatment.

MELASMA
Melasma is also referred to as chloasma; mask of pregnancy, although it is found in women who are not pregnant. It is a dark skin discoloration found on sun-exposed areas of the face and neck. Melasma is a very common skin disorder and though it can affect anyone, young women with brownish skin tones and pigmented skin heritages are at greatest risk. Melasma is often associated with internal and external inflammation combined with the female hormones estrogen and progesterone. It is especially common in pregnant women, women who are taking oral contraceptives ("the pill"), and women taking synthetic hormone replacement therapy during menopause. Sun overexposure is also a strong risk factor for melasma and is particularly common in tropical climates. Inflammation is the exacerbating or generating factor.

Melasma doesn't cause any other symptoms other than skin discoloration but may be of great cosmetic concern. A patchy brown color is usually seen over the cheeks, forehead, nose, temples or upper lip. It is most often bilateral (on both sides of the face). Avoiding inflammation internally and externally, optimizing hormone function and health, the sun and using sunBLOCKS are key to treating and helping prevent melasma. Melasma often fades somewhat over several months after stopping oral contraceptives or synthetic hormone replacement therapy or after delivering a child. It may return with additional pregnancies or use of these medications.

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Solutions: PARADIGM OF TREATMENT, HEALTHY BODY FOR MEN, HEALTHY BODY FOR WOMEN, BIO-IDENTICAL HORMONES & SKIN and MAINTENANCE
Daily sunBLOCK use helps treat melasma. Externally there are several treatments that can over time exfoliate the melasma away including correct, non-inflammatory, therapeutic skin products, peels, exfoliation methods and laser therapies. External vitamin C treatments fade and exfoliate pigment over time, though it needs to be a bio-identical form with a very high concentration administered correctly. We suggest that women look for a powder form. There are also other nutraceutical lighteners that over time synergistically fade, exfoliate and cure. Hydroquinone is inflammatory and has many side effects so is not recommended. To cure hyperpigmentation and melasma first requires curing the cause of the inflammation otherwise the abnormal pigment production is perpetuated as attempts are made to exfoliate and purge the pigment out of the skin. Then every method that is non-inflammatory and stimulates new collagen and skin component production, enhanced exfoliation and normalization of melanocytes, methodically purges the excess pigment from the skin. This requires time because that is the way the skin and body work. There is no magic bullet but it can be cured and the symptoms made to disappear.

ECZEMA AND PSORIASIS
Eczema – Sometimes referred to as Dermatitis this is an inflammation of the skin that produces scaling, flaking, thickening, color changes, and, often itching. Sometimes the skin may also develop fluid filled blisters that ooze and crust over. Itching can be due to the skin inflammation, fungal overgrowth, precipitating allergies, and impaired liver function or over exposure to chemicals or sunlight. Internal and external inflammation and inflammatory ingredients in skin and hair products, hypothyroid, perfumes, cosmetics, medicated creams, heavy metals such as mercury (especially after it is removed from the teeth improperly) gold, tin and silver may be linked to eczema outbreaks. Chemicals in soaps and lotions may also be linked to outbreaks of eczema. Some with eczema are very sensitive to sunlight. Chronic stress and tension can cause, exacerbate and lead to the spread of eczema. The principal cause of eczema is genetic with other family members also suffering with it.

Psoriasis – Psoriasis appears as patches of silvery scales or red areas on the legs, knees, arms, elbows, scalp, ears, and back. The overly rapid growth of skin cells is the primary cause of lesions associated with psoriasis. In some cases skin cells grow four times faster than normal. Toenails and fingernails may develop ridges and pits. Psoriasis often follows patterns of flare ups then remission. This disease usually starts in the teenage years but has been reported with infants. Tension, stress, illness, hypothyroid, alcohol and drug abuse, cuts, injuries, bacteria, viruses and poison ivy, anything which increases inflammation, internally and/or externally, are also known culprits that can contribute to enhancement of this disease.

Very often the appearance of eczema and psoriasis can be explained by genetic coding. In other words, if one member of a family has one of these conditions, the odds are very good that at least one other member will suffer as well. Frequently checking for new information from the National Psoriasis Foundation is one way to stay current on the latest developments.

Another common thread among those affected by the skin disorders is ethnic background. Researchers also believe that climate and environment may have something to do with the appearance of eczema and psoriasis. People of color are less likely to be bothered by the symptoms and appearance of these skin conditions.

It appears to primarily strike people of Caucasian descent. People who live in tropical climates have a lower incidence of psoriasis cases as well. Both skin diseases are worse in the winter and with dry heat.
Men can definitely be affected by eczema and psoriasis, but women have a higher rate of occurrence. For people of either gender, psoriasis often begins in the adolescent years.

Solutions: PARADIGM OF TREATMENT, HEALTHY BODY FOR MEN, HEALTHY BODY FOR WOMEN, BIO-IDENTICAL HORMONES & SKIN and MAINTENANCE
Eczema and psoriasis are inflammatory skin diseases, which are made worse and often caused by anything, which increases internal and external inflammation. All the solutions in the links help limit and decrease and treat both diseases so they often are easily controllable. The goal is to cure the symptoms if not the disease, mitigate the genetic propensity, rather than just chase symptoms. Steroids, coal tars and pharmaceuticals for these diseases have undesired side effects, especially if used chronically so their use should be minimized ideally. Acupuncture definitely helps. Maximizing skin and body health in my experience control if not cure the diseases.

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