Hey everyone….

Does your life just seem to fly by sometimes? I don’t know if it’s because it is fall or what…. but it seems like yesterday was Tuesday and now it’s Sunday! Whoa… I am starting a New Year’s resolution early… trying to enjoy moments in the day. Just taking a minute to breathe and appreciate what I have in life….which is, thankfully, a lot!

There has been a lot going on lately…. I co-chaired a fundraiser for Sooner Golden Retriever Rescue and we raised $20,000! Yay for the Golden Retrievers! Fundraising in this economy is… well…. challenging! But those golden faces make it a little easier! Like, seriously hard to say no!

Skincare is crazy because most people have spent the summer in the sun and are ready to repair! Tis the season… and I am happy to see all my little summer lake lovers back… and I think they listened and wore their sunscreen!!!

SOOOOOOO…… on the off time…my new… ok, not so new, diversion from most responsibilities of life involve visual stimulation and a good Cabernet… or Pinot… or blend…. basically it’s “red” weather and daddy is happy!

And fall also is fun for this little bundle of love… who happens to really be fond of leaves… BIG piles of leaves are his absolute fave! Reminder: I need to buy stock in doggie shampoo…. those leaves are a little funky!

So… This is my favorite visual for all seasons…. This woman’s blog Velvet and Linen… can be found in my blogroll…. she has the taste and sophistication that makes for great design. She sends these posts out and they inspire me beyond words. The following photos are from her posts…. three words, De-li-cious!

Bully for Bolos…… Definitely doing this somewhere!

My mother was on these Trophies about two years ago… I thought she was a little crazy… and now I think I’m in love…. love the look with the background color…

Love the light mainly…. but love the chair too… and the color of the books….

You really can find inspiration in many places…. these photos were taken on a trip to High Point. My only real complaint about High Point is that because EVERYONE goes there…. they really know what they have… I like to collect these kinds of things in random fleas and markets where they don’t know the value…. the only word I love more than Vintage… is bargain!

Ta-ta for now…. get inspired and go hunting…. and if not… pile up some leaves and JUMP!!!!!!

While ALL of that sounds yummy… when it’s referencing your complexion, it isn’t so appetizing.

Have you noticed that your skin looks a little darker in places since the last time on the boat or since you have winterized the pool? Or… did you used to have these darling little freckles that have now merged together to look something more like a land mass rather than a bunch of little angel kisses? Well… it has a name…. hyper-pigmentation. What is it and how do you deal with it? These are two of the most asked questions in our office. There are a few correct answers and you just have to figure out which is the best for you!

Hyper-pigmentation is usually caused by factors such as sun damage, hormonal changes (pregnancy or menopause), or P.I.H.  (Post Inflammatory hyper-pigmentation), which happens after some sort of trauma to the skin… like acne, for example.

There are many treatments that help patients deal with the issue. Most commonly and in my opinion the most effective method involves hydroquinone at 4%. This is a prescription pigment regulator that is used to even the skin tone and prevent the melanin from building back up in the skin once it has diminished. For stubborn pigment there is the use of a laser-like procedure (IPL) that will basically heat up the pigment and cause the body to eliminate it. This is used often for women that deal with post menopausal hyper-pigmenting on the neck, for example.

Have you noticed the ladies that have the white strip of skin that goes from just underneath the chin to the chest? People come in all the time wanting to fix that… when actually that is the healthy skin… it has been shielded from the sun and the sides of the neck, have not! They are what needs to be addressed!

Prescription strength Retin-A Peels and our new “Signature” Peel are two options for treating a more acute form of this discoloration, once a patient has begun a Retin-A and Hydroquinone regime! There are some cases that are what our elders used to call “liver spots”….. these are just very concentrated pockets of melanin that are usually a little more stubborn to remove. Dr. Manduano usually has to treat those with a TCA solution that will “spot treat” the affected area. Depending on the situation… we can tell you what is the most effective method of treatment for you.

Hyper-pigmentation is probably one of the most underestimated causes of “old, tired looking skin” that we see. Even lines appear less obvious once pigment is regulated…. that peaches and cream isn’t as far off as you thought… leave the brown sugar for your sweet tooth!

Great, now I gotta have somethin’ sugary…