Embrace Your Beauty

It’s Sunsational month again at Genesis! We are looking forward to and getting geared up for our 16th annual Sunsational Celebration Open House on May 18th. It’s hard to believe how many of these we have put on as a company. Every year we are so grateful to all who celebrate with us.

This year also marks, for me, 16 years of being a client of Genesis. As some of you know, Dr. Prasad and Barb are my parents, so I was exposed to great skincare products and sun protection from a young age. As I have grown up, and when I began my career at Genesis eight years ago, I tried even more of the services and products we offer. I can’t say enough how much they have changed my life. Everything I have tried has been fabulous, from vein care and Biote Hormone Replacement to routine facials and Botox. At 31, I feel younger than I used to and feel more confident in my skin than ever before.

I have grown up around a lot of my Genesis team, and we have added some newer faces as the years have passed. They are amazing! I feel privileged to work with such a solid and passionate group of people.

I think this place is pretty magical and you can feel it when you come through our doors. So, I invite you to hang out with us, meet the team, and experience all the fabulousness Genesis offers this month. Find something that will help you feel better or be more confident. You deserve it!

Have you ever wondered what CoolSculpting is? Or the more important question, does it really work? Lucky for you, I am here to answer your burning questions! I have had the good fortune to be on staff at CoolSculpting University for the past two years. During these trainings I get to share with new providers all the tips and tricks for getting the best client results. I am so passionate about CoolSculpting for one simple reason... it works! And I love teaching others about it.

So, what is CoolSculpting? CoolSculpting works by cryolipolysis, which is the freezing of fat cells. Once your fat cells are frozen, they become injured and can no longer survive, so they die! Bye-bye fat cells! Our body will then get rid of those dead fat cells through our waste. This process happens on its own, which means you don't have to do a thing! After your treatment, there is NO downtime! You will probably be a little sore, and tender to touch for a few days, but it shouldn't stop you from doing your normal activities.

I like to say that CoolSculpting is a five-month journey. You come in for round one of your treatment, and then eight weeks later, you will return for round two. Round two typically is the same as round one! After that last round, you will return in three months. At that point, we will take your final photos and you will see your final results!

Everyone always asks when will I start to see results... that is a tough question to answer because everyone is different! You may see results by the time you start your second round, but sometimes it takes a little longer. Let’s face it, we can be our own worst critics and looking in the mirror every day doesn’t help. As your body slowly takes its new shape you may not notice the full transformation until you see your initial photos in comparison to your end results.

So that is my teacher talk. Speaking from my own personal CoolSculpting, it just works! I was working out and still had those trouble spots that I just couldn't get rid of! After CoolSculpting, I was so happy with what I saw in the mirror!

If you are interested in learning more about this treatment, schedule a complimentary consult and let us educate you on the service and, more importantly, help you achieve your goals!

Is there anything that screams “summertime” quite like the smell of sunscreen? It takes me back to my childhood when my sister and I used to swim in my grandma’s pool. We would swim from morning until dark. We always took breaks and reapplied our sunscreen, but did we actually know (or care) what we were applying? Or how important it is to apply in cooler months as well as summer months?

The meaning behind the acronym SPF is none other than the light of your life – no, not your significant other or your kids, the other one. The SUN! SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor. But why do we need to be protected from the sun?

The sun emits different types of UV rays: UVA, UVB and UVC. These rays penetrate deep into the skin and rapidly age your skin, and can cause different types of skin cancer. The shorter rays cause immediate damage to the skin. Tan skin is sick skin. That’s where SPF comes in, to protect you from the sun’s harmful rays in all seasons.

One thing to remember is to reapply, reapply, reapply. Most sunscreens can only protect you for 90 minutes, so reapplying is just as important as your initial application. (Do you think I said the word reapply enough in this paragraph? Ha-ha!) Now that we have covered SPF and why we need to be protected from the sun every month of the year, let's jump into mineral and chemical sunscreens.

Chemical sunscreens will penetrate the skin and absorb UV radiation through chemical bonds. When reading that last sentence did the words chemical, absorb and skin stick out to you? They did to me. You probably didn’t expect to be soaking up anything other than sunshine, did you? Chemicals cannot only be harmful when absorbed into the bloodstream (especially years and years’ worth of applying; who knows how long this stuff hangs out in our system?) but they are harmful to marine life as well.

Mineral sunscreens work by providing a protective layer on top of the skin, deflecting the sun’s rays and dispersing the energy. It starts protecting immediately after it is applied. Colorescience mineral sunscreens offer beautiful and safe protection. The Sunforgettable Brush is formulated with zinc oxide and titanium dioxide for easy reapplication. The Total Face Shield collection is formulated with zinc oxide and makes the perfect initial application. This collection includes everything from glow to matte to bronze to light/medium coverage with the Flex series. It's a beautiful way to stay protected and not have the iconic white-covered lifeguard nose. The fact that this company can create such beautiful colors out of minerals that are safe for the skin and available to anyone deserves a round of applause. From sunlight to pollution to free radicals, Colorescience goes above and beyond!

For anyone who has struggled with weight loss, you have probably heard the term “insulin resistance”. Insulin is the hormone that helps our body regulate blood sugar levels when we consume carbohydrates or sugars. Insulin resistance also contributes to our body storing unneeded fat! Unfortunately, the prevalence of insulin resistance and obesity is increasing at alarming rates. For Americans, the endless supply of convenient foods, ultra-processed foods, and sugary drinks has contributed to this problem. Sedentary jobs and day-to-day conveniences such as online shopping and grocery pickups that make our hectic lives much easier have also contributed to a decrease in physical activity.

So, what is insulin resistance? It's exactly like it sounds, our bodies can become resistant to our own insulin, which in turn increases the amount of insulin needed to maintain healthy blood sugar levels. The more insulin we have, the more resistant we become, and this process continues in a spiral. Being insulin resistant does not mean that you are a diabetic, but it does increase the risk of diabetes and other metabolic conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and obesity.

Several new medications have become available in the past few years that are intended for the treatment of type 2 diabetes but also help with weight loss and are now being used for this sole purpose, even in non-diabetic patients. One of these medications is semaglutide, also know by the brand names Wegovy, Ozempic, and Rybelsus. Semaglutide, when paired with lifestyle changes of eating healthy and regular exercise, can assist in your weight loss journey and improve insulin resistance for a healthier future.

So, if weight gain or difficulty losing weight is a struggle for you, I encourage you to schedule an appointment with me. Let us help you evaluate whether insulin resistance or other hormonal imbalances may be contributing to your struggle with weight, take a deep dive into lifestyle habits, and see if semaglutide might be a good option for you.

I frequently get asked about varicose veins and pregnancy. Specifically, does childbirth make you more likely to get varicose veins and does it make it worse. The answer to both is YES. Those kids, the gifts that keep on giving!

When you become pregnant, one of the early changes that occurs is your blood volume expands. If you have more blood in your veins, it is like blowing air into a balloon. Remember that the basic problem in vein disease is that the walls are not as strong as they should be. Therefore, any varicose veins you already have will look bigger very quickly and you may notice new ones popping up.

As your baby gets bigger, it will occupy more of the space in your pelvis. Remember that your leg veins drain into the pelvic veins. As the baby gets bigger and bigger, it will press on the pelvic veins and cause the blood trying to exit the legs to back up. Also, the pressure inside the veins will increase. The result will be an increase in the size of the existing varicose veins, increased swelling in the legs, and new veins appearing on the surface of your legs.

Lastly, when you are pregnant, you will produce hormones that are designed to relax collagen. The reason for this is to allow a widening of the pelvis so your baby can come out safely. Unfortunately, these hormones have an effect on all of your collagen. So, if you have existing varicose veins, they will get worse. If you haven’t developed any, you will be more prone to getting them as time goes on. This effect gets worse with each subsequent pregnancy, so the more children you have, the more likely you are to develop vein disease.

The good news is that after the birth of your child, issues one and two go away! Unfortunately, issue three, the hormonal effect, is cumulative and stays with you. So, once you are pregnant, it would be beneficial to wear medical grade compression hose until delivery. The hose will reduce your leg swelling, reduce the risk of blood clots, and make the legs feel better. They will not reduce the risk of developing vein disease. However, once you have delivered, you should seek care to treat your varicose veins. We would love to see you at the Genesis Laser & Vein Center!

At the beginning of every year, the nightmare of the dreaded insurance deductible starts over for most of our clients at Genesis Laser and Vein. The deductible is the dollar amount your insurance won't pay, and that you, as a patient, are responsible for before your insurance starts paying its portion. In my experience with insurance and healthcare, this deductible has been on a steady incline for the last 15 years, right along with the cost of everything else around us. But I can tell you, as a wife and mother of six girls, meeting that deductible early in the year frees up the worry and dread of those healthcare costs throughout the rest of the year. It is no fun to procrastinate and put off the medical appointments and treatments for myself and my family until November or December, when that deductible is finally met. Those months are a time to focus on holidays and family, not squeezing in all the doctors' appointments and procedures we put off all year. The way I see it, that deductible money is coming out of my pocket sometime this year, so why not hit it head-on?

I have worked as a vein care nurse for 15 years. I can tell you that vein treatments are unlike having a knee or shoulder fixed, where you go in for one extensive procedure and a few follow-up appointments. Vein treatments are a process that takes several months' worth of small treatments to treat the bad veins that have developed over many years. Waiting to start vein treatments in November or December does not give Dr. Prasad and our staff at Genesis Laser and Vein the amount of time needed before the end of the year to adequately treat your current vein disease.

Every year I hear the same thing from many of our clients. In the first half of the year, patients tell me they have a new deductible, so they only want to schedule vein treatments once they have whittled down a chunk of that deductible. When they come in the spring, they may have the deductible well on its way to being met, but insurance companies often require a six-week to three-month conservative treatment trial, including compression hose. By then, it's vacation season, and they don't want to wear compression hose when it's hot! Most patients finally make it back in during the fall. However, that is the busiest time of year for a vein clinic. Medical providers only have so many appointments before the year's end. Remember, it took a lifetime to develop bad veins, so it will take several months to get those veins under control. Don’t procrastinate.

To make this initial cost easier we offer CareCredit, which can spread your deductible payments out over six to twelve months. It is offered as "same as cash" with no interest if paid within six to twelve months. This way, you can continue with treatment and pay off the deductible over a longer period of time instead of all at once. At Genesis Laser and Vein, having your consult or visit early in the year will allow you to meet your conservative management trial if your insurance requires it, submit for authorization, and proceed with treatment before the end of the year. Start now and wrap up that initial treatment plan in 2023. While you're at it, throw in those other healthcare items on your wish list this year while your deductible is met. Make 2023 the year you take care of you!