When you've decided to do something as personal as having your varicose veins fixed, you want to be sure you're choosing just the right vein doctor.  Remember to ask yourself this:  how do you feel now that you've interviewed the vein doctor?  Here are some important questions to help you work through the decision process of selecting an appropriate vein specialist: 1. Do you feel at ease when you visit the vein clinic or center where the vein doctor practices?  Do the facilities look clean and professional?  This is an important occasion for you and, even though you're not going into a hospital, you should feel the same level of confidence about the place where you'll have this work done. 2. Are you satisfied with the vein doctor's credentials? (see more about vein doctor certifications here).  Be aware that many doctors may claim to be able to fix veins even though they may not be specially trained in vein treatment techniques.  Not everyone who claims to be an expert in these procedures has the kind of medical training or expertise you would expect a vein doctor to have.  You deserve the best. 3. Most importantly, are you comfortable talking to the vein doctor? You don't want to be in a position of having this important work done to your body without feeling comfortable that you can ask as many questions as you like–and be completely satisfied with the answers you receive. ...read more

Our veins can cause trouble in many areas of your body, but by far the most common reason people visit vein doctors is for problems with the veins in their legs.  The reason is simple—the veins in our legs do a tremendous amount of the work.  They have to fight gravity constantly to keep pumping blood back up to our hearts.  They use an ingenious system of valves to keep blood from flowing back down into our legs—where gravity keeps pulling it.  And sometimes, as your vein doctor will explain, the valves can wear out, slow down, or even stop working entirely. These weak or faulty valves can be an inherited trait and are more common in women than in men.  The government reports that up to 55% of American women and 45% of American men will suffer with vein problems in their lifetime, and varicose veins affect one out of every two people over 50. Today's vein doctors are treating a growing percentage of those afflicted. Vein doctors have powerful technology-guided diagnostic tools like ultrasound to discover underlying causes.  And your vein specialist will be skilled in a number of minimally invasive procedures that can dramatically improve not only your comfort but often the appearance of problem leg veins as well.  And today's treatments don't require taking off work, result in only minimal discomfort, and quickly improve how you feel. ...read more

Did you know that if you are fair skinned, you are more at risk for facial spider veins? As you certainly know, people with fair skin have a higher tendency for their skin to be more damaged by the sun than their darker skinned friends. Sun damage can cause a variety of harmful skin issues, the most immediately noticeable of which are sunburns. Repeated sunburns cause damage the skin, and skin damage caused by the sun can lead to facial spider veins. So yes, sunburns and spider veins can go hand in hand (sometimes). Spider veins can be completely unrelated to sun exposure, however, so if you have spider veins already, they may well not have been caused by too much fun in the sun. What can you do to protect your skin against facial spider veins? I'd say your number one defense is to wear daily sunscreen with a high sun protection factor. You should probably be doing this anyway if you are frequently exposed to strong sunlight, as it can prevent a plethora of other medical complications in the future. If you have already noticed spider veins on your face,the Veinwave may be an option to eliminate them.Veinwave involves radiowave pulsed on the vein to close it so you don't have the visible spider veins anymore. Luckily, facial spider veins are usually more of a cosmetic nuisance than a painful medical problem, as varicose veins can be. Your doctor can help you determine whether or not your spider veins are a substantial problem, or merely something you wish to be rid of for aesthetic reasons. ...read more

Why go to a vein clinic instead of a hospital for varicose vein treatment?  Hospitals have come a long way since the 1600s when this print was made, but the answer is simple. Today all modern vein treatments are done mainly in vein clinics (sometimes called vein centers).  Not only is it less complicated to go there than to a hospital–you don't have to be "admitted" and you won't have to pay hospital overhead charges–but you'll still have a fully qualified physician performing or overseeing your procedure with all the latest equipment and instruments.  You'll be covered by insurance the same as if you were in a hospital.  And often it's easier to get to a vein clinic than to a hospital. Why go to a vein clinic instead of a hospital for varicose vein treatment?  Hospitals have come a long way since the 1600s when this print was made, but the answer is simple. Today all modern vein treatments are done mainly in vein clinics (sometimes called vein centers).  Not only is it less complicated to go there than to a hospital–you don't have to be "admitted" and you won't have to pay hospital overhead charges–but you'll still have a fully qualified physician performing or overseeing your procedure with all the latest equipment and instruments.  You'll be covered by insurance the same as if you were in a hospital.  And often it's easier to get to a vein clinic than to a hospital. When you have varicose veins you don't need to go to a hospital to get the most advanced diagnosis and treatment options.  Vein specialists generally do all their diagnostic work and perform all their procedures right in their vein clinics.  Treatment options at reputable vein clinics may include sclerotherapy, endovenous radiofrequency [VNUS] or laser closure, ambulatory phlebectomy, and vein stripping (rarely done today).  . Worried about your varicose veins?  When you go to a vein doctor who is certified specifically in vein treatments, you'll have the same–and sometimes more–treatment options and the same protection against any potential risk for complications.  Find a reputable vein clinic in your area and get some answers.  Why continue to live with a life-long problem when you might find relief? ...read more

A couple of Interesting things happened this summer in St Peters. Bessie the cow on Mid River Mall Dr got a fan page on Facebook and quickly became very popular . In a short time from May to September 1, she collected over 11,000 fans. That seems like some kind of record at least for St Peters. I know a little something about virtual connections. During the same period of time I have been the Merchant Circle Mayor of St Peters , this is the title given to the business member with the most connections with other merchants. Although the number of connections is not near the 11,000.  What does the popularity of the cow on Mid River say about St Peters?  I can remember when much of St Charles County was farmland. That may have something to do with the popularity. However I think it has much more to do with whimsical and friendly nature of the people of St Peters. We show our friendliness when we befriend the cow as well as sense of humor when we make her a star with her huge popularity. So to all who dont get to drive on Mid River Mall Dr as I do every day on my way to  Laser Lipo and Vein Center.Bessie say a big Hello. Or for those who are used to the formal bovine greeting Bessie the cow extends an official milk shake!..Become a Fan of Laser Lipo and Vein Center @http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Saint-Peters-MO/Laser-Lipo-And-Veins/134438313242671Become a Fan of Bessie @http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/The-Cow-on-Mid-Rivers-Mall-Drive/128138233877922?ref=ts ...read more

There are several ways to get rid of wrinkles.  The treatment depends on the type and cause of the wrinkles. For wrinkles in the superficial layer of the skin Retin -A and related medications can be quite effective. For wrinkles cause by muscle contractions Botox and similar medications are effective.  For more extensive wrinkles laser resurfacing and surgery may be needed.  It is always important to use sunscreen to help prevent additional wrinkles.  For more information contact www.LaserLipoAndVeins.com ...read more

The answer appears to be "YES".   According to a study presented this February at the annual meeting of the Society for Personal and Social Psychology, Dr David Havas people who were treated with Botox responded more slowly to sad and or angry statements.  Havas studied 40 first-time Botox patients before and after their treatments, and both times had them read happy, sad, or angry statements. They then had to push a button, indicating they had understood what emotion the text elicited. The results showed that the patients who had undergone the treatment still understood happy sentences as quickly as they had before; but when it came to angry or sad sentences, they took a little bit more time to comprehend the emotion. "Normally, the brain would be sending signals to the periphery to frown, and the extent of the frown would be sent back to the brain. But here, that loop is disrupted." According to this study, by paralyzing the frown muscles that ordinarily are engaged when we feel angry, Botox recipients took more time to process angry or sad statements. Thus it seems that Botox short-circuits the negative emotion itself. It's a version of the classic finding in psychology that facial expressions can produce the very emotion they usually reflect. Called the facial feedback hypothesis, it implies that forcing your lips and cheeks into a smile can make you feel happy and scowling can make you feel annoyed, at least a little. Sure, Botox can banish crows feet, smooth those wrinkles, and lift those frown lines, making the us look more youthful. However, the popular treatment for wrinkles on the face may actually have a more significant effect beneath the skin. The study gives us some insight into how our facial expression actually effect our mood.  Wearing a smile on your face may not only affect how you are perceived by others but also how you perceive others. ...read more

Can Vein Disease Cause Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS)?   Symptoms of RLS and Venous Insufficiency The symptoms of venous insufficiency are almost identical to the symptoms of restless leg syndrome. RLS is common. Up to 3-10% of the population has symptoms of RLS[1]; whereas, venous insufficiency is also common occurs in 25% of the population[2]. Both cause symptoms which include: abnormal sensations of creepiness which is only relieved by moving the legs, irresistible urge to move legs, persistent leg movements during sleep, sleep difficulty, tingling, burning, aching, and numbness. The symptoms of both RLS and vein problems are relieved by movement of the legs. RLS and vein disease are usually noticed with change in position, such as lying down and standing. RLS symptoms tend to be more noticed when first lying down; where as, vein disease symptoms tend to be more noticed when standing.   Restless Leg Syndrome and Venous Insufficiency Restless leg syndrome (RLS) is considered a sleep disorder. Venous insufficiency is a circulatory disorder. The cause of RLS is unknown but it appears to have multiple causes. Some cases are associated with iron deficiency, peripheral neuropathy, Parkinson's disease, and other neurological disorders. However, it is clear that some RLS is caused by venous insufficiency. Recent medical research shows that 22% of patients with RLS also have venous insufficiency[3]. In addition, the treatment of venous insufficiency can cure the symptoms of RLS. In fact in patient with RLS and venous insufficiency, 98% had relief of their symptoms of RLS by treating their venous insufficiency and 80% of patients the relief was long term[4][> 2ys]. Thomas Wright MDwww.LaserLipoandVeins.com[1]Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Krapenlinstrasse 10, D-80804 .[2], Ho E. Denenbery JO, Fronek A, Allison M, Criqui MH. Relationships Between Symptoms and Venous Disease: The San Diego population study, Arch Intern Med.2005.165:1420-1424.[3]of ,[4]Vein of , ...read more

The preliminary autopsy report is that Billy Mays died of a pulmonary embolism, which is a blood clot traveling up from the legs to the heart and lungs. Billy Mays, most commonly known for his OxyClean infomercials, died at the age of 50 following a 2.5 hour flight from Philadelphia to Tampa on 6-29-09. May's death occurred during a break in the filming of his newest show, Pitch Men, and came as an unexpected shock to many. While many are unaware of the potential fatality of pulmonary emboli, approximately 30% of all emboli which dislodge and travel to the heart and lungs result in sudden death. Although pulmonary embolism is relatively rare, it occurs in approximately 149 out of 100,000 people a year. Billy May's death illustrates many important risk factors for developing blood clots and subsequent pulmonary emboli. May's death illustrates one of the most important and preventable risk factors for pulmonary emboli, air travel. Due to the prolonged sitting in a confined space where movement is severely limited, air travel significantly increases the risk of clot formation. We have long suspected this to be an important risk factor, and for the first time, research published in The Annals of Internal Medicine this week [7-07-09] showed that prolonged air travel longer than 2 hours triples one's risk of pulmonary embolism. Harvard researchers announced that, "For each two-hour increase in air travel time…the risk of developing a clot…increased 26 percent,". These results are based on a review of 14 previous studies including 4,055 cases, making this study of the association between long travel and blood clots the largest and most comprehensive one to date. Other factors that played a role in the death of Billy Mays include age, with risk increasing significantly after age 50, turbulent flights, which prohibit movement during air travel and an enlarged heart, which is associated with decreased cardiovascular flow. Approximately 100,000-300,000 people die annually from pulmonary embolism, all of which are preventable. Because pulmonary emboli start as blood clots in the legs, and if they are detected early with a simple ultrasound test, they can be treated with blood thinners, preventing serious complications and death. Further studies conducted by Darius Mozaffarian, predict, "Given that by 2010 an estimated 2.5 billion passengers across the globe will be traveling by air alone, the researchers noted that any connection between risk of deep vein thrombosis and travel could have an impact on a vast segment of the population". It stands to reason that walking around during long travel and hydrating may reduce this risk, and is recommended for air travel, especially those lasting over 2 hours. Though tragic and unexpected, Billy May's death brings to light an increasingly common and often overlooked risk factor for pulmonary embolism. Increased awareness and prevention as a result of his passing may help prevent other unexpected and premature deaths. T. Wright, P. Kennedy. LaserLipoandVeins.com ...read more

        & CHANGES Med Spa and Laser Lipo and "Special Invitation Open House"  Wednesday, December 10th 3pm-8pm   The staff of Cosmetic Laser Center & CHANGES Med Spa and & Invite you to theirfirstHoliday Open House! Join us for an evening of appetizers and wine to celebrate the holiday season. There will be raffles, door prizes, and discounts on EVERYTHING! No one will leave empty-handed! Just a few things you don't want to miss out on:   All Packages will be discounted by 15%that evening.   EVERYTHING will be 15% off, this includes: packages, products, glominerals™makeup kits, gift baskets, AND gift certificates!  Discounted Restylane®and Botox®treatments that day! (Due to these products being pre-ordered, please RSVP at least two weeks in advance if you are interested in receiving these treatments onthis date)   636.397.4012          & CHANGES Med Spaand Laser Lipo and"Special Invitation Open House" Wednesday, December 10th3pm-8pm  The staff of Cosmetic Laser Center & CHANGES Med Spa and &Invite you to theirfirstHoliday Open House!Join us for an evening of appetizers and wine to celebrate the holiday season. There will be raffles, door prizes, and discounts on EVERYTHING! No one will leave empty-handed!Just a few things you don't want to miss out on:  All Packages will be discounted by 15%that evening.  EVERYTHING will be 15% off, this includes: packages, products, glominerals™makeup kits, gift baskets, AND gift certificates! Discounted Restylane®and Botox®treatments that day!(Due to these products being pre-ordered, please RSVP at least two weeks in advance if you are interested in receiving these treatments onthis date)  636.397.4012   ...read more