BEATING THE CLOCK

They say growing old is better than the alternative, but aging certainly is not for the faint of heart. By the late 30s to early 40s, fine lines and wrinkles begin to appear. Changes in skin texture, volume and appearance, pigmentation problems, broken capillaries and dullness become more pronounced with every birthday. We cannot stop the hands of time, but knowing the factors involved with aging can lead to an understanding of what we can and cannot influence when striving to look our best.

First, the basics – the skin has three layers: the epidermis, the dermis and a deeper subcutaneous tier. The epidermis is the outer layer and its role is protection. This layer loses lips (fat-like substances), making the skin dry. In your 30s it will shed itself every two months. The dermis is the skins inside layer, responsible for texture and elasticity. This is the home of collagen and elastic fibers that break down over time. The subcutaneous inner layer is composed of fat and connective tissue and allows us to maintain constant body temperature.

Intrinsic Aging: Changes that happen within the body.

• Fine lines and wrinkles
• Thin and transparent skin
• Loss of subcutaneous layer attachment to bone, resulting in sagging and folds
• Thinning of underlying fat, leading to hollowed cheeks and eye sockets and loss of firmness on the hands and neck
• Drying of the skin
• Gray hair and hair loss 

Extrinsic Aging: Skin changes due to external factors:

• Sun exposure, resulting in age spots, loss of elasticity, fine lines and wrinkles
• Facial expressions: Repetitive facial movements actually lead to wrinkles, often referred to as “character lines”
• Gravity: Our skin gradually ceases to “snap back” due to gravity
• Sleeping positions: Resting your face on the pillow in the same way every night can contribute to the development of facial folds
• Smoking: People who smoke regularly are more likely to develop wrinkled, leathery skin, especially wrinkles around the mouth.

Prevention + Treatments: We cannot stop the aging process, but we don’t have to surrender quietly. Signs of aging can be corrected with fillers, lasers or ultrasound. Pharmaceutical-grade skincare products can further repair damaged skin. 

• Avoid deliberate tanning, including use of indoor tanning devices. 
• Apply sunscreen year-round. Sunscreen should be broad spectrum (offers UVA and UVB protection) and have a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 30 or higher. Using an effective sunscreen, such as Enza Essentials Advanced Protection SPF 30, on a daily basis will make a big impact on the skin and help prevent future damage. 
• Consult with Dr. Rucker and his staff. We have developed a skin treatment program that has been used by over 1,000 patients. Let us discuss personal options that will fit your lifestyle and priorities.
• Tri-Peptide Cell Activator: Dr. Rucker’s exclusive wrinkle-reduction serum formulated with Resveratrol, Tripeptide-3, and Swiss apple stem cells, clinically proven to reduce signs of aging. 

For more information, please contact our staff at 800-456-8222 or email us at info@ruckermd.com. Check out our website at www.ruckermd.com.

How to easily treat Marionette Lines

Marionette lines are long, vertical lines that start at the corners of the mouth and extend downwards towards the chin. They are visible on a person's face as landmarks for general expression. However, for some, these lines deepen or turn downward and may create a cosmetic concern. To improve these lines, I would recommend a filler introduced in the following manner: 

1. A direct placement of the filler of your choice in two planes beneath your marionette lines will diminish the problem

2. I would also place a small amount of filler on the underside of the upper lip near the corner. This will roll the lip up nicely to produce more of a smile while also reducing the deepened marionette lines. 

3. This is a 5 minute procedure with minimal to no downtime. 

Pellevé®: A Breakthrough in Anti-Aging

It’s an inevitable evil, and it happens to us all: with each increasing year come new wrinkles. We’ve tried it all- creams, medications, even surgeries in hopes of minimizing wrinkles and reducing age. However, Rucker M.D., Enza Medispa has taken initiative and began using a new procedure in their offices: the Pellevé® Wrinkle Reduction System. Here we look to introduce and explain this new procedure and why it is important to the Rucker M.D., Enza Medispa and its patients.

What is Pellevé®?

Pellevé® is a unique wrinkle reduction system with various benefits including minimizing wrinkles, tightening and smoothing the face, and creating a younger, brighter complexion. Pellevé® does this through a non-invasive and nonsurgical treatment.

How is Pellevé® different from other wrinkle remedies?

Dr. Joseph Rucker M.D. describes what he sees as the top three benefits of Pellevé® that no other wrinkle reduction treatment can offer:

1.   An appreciable wrinkle reduction

2.  A painless procedure

3.  No downtime

What can I expect to experience while undergoing the procedure?

Rucker M.D., Enza Medispa patient feedback will tell that the Pellevé® experience is calming and enjoyable. “It feels like a warm facial, and when it gets too hot for me, they move on. It’s never too uncomfortable. It’s relaxing; I even dozed off a few times.”

How long until I start to see the effects of Pellevé®?

Immediately- Rucker M.D. Patients have expressed their surprise at how quickly they could feel the treatment working on them. “It was immediate and the results were amazing. I loved the tightness and I loved the fullness.” “My face had this healthy glow; [it] felt tighter and firmer. I noticed around my eyes right away that the crow’s feet weren’t noticeable.” And when combined with Enza Essential’s topical wrinkle reduction serum, the Tri-Peptide Cell Activator, your immediate results will be enhanced.  

With your immediate results, you may notice a slight depletion of tightness a few days following treatment. This is normal. With time and follow-up treatments, you will begin to feel a permanent re-tightening of the skin.

What are the side effects?

One of the benefits of Pellevé® is that there are very few side effects to this procedure. As mentioned earlier, it is a non-invasive treatment, meaning no downtime is necessary. You will be able to go out in the sun, apply make-up, and get back to your daily routine immediately following treatment. Some patients may experience mild swelling and redness; however this typically goes away within 2 to 24 hours.

Is it effective?

Dr. Joseph Rucker, M.D. stands by his efforts to ensure patient comfort and satisfaction by incorporating Pellevé® into his practice. Pellevé® successfully passed all of his following criteria:

1.   Research shows its benefits

2. A waiting period to review the long term effectiveness of the technology

3.   My own personal use of the technology

For more information or to set up an appointment for a Pellevé® treatment, please call our offices: 715-832-1774. All inquires are welcome and can be answered by an experienced Rucker M.D. staff. 

Can You Imagine BOTOX Results without the Needles?

Anti-wrinkle procedure, needle injections —these daunting phrases associated with using Botox as a wrinkle reducer may be no more. New preliminary research suggests that a gel based topical Botox called RT001, could help reduce facial wrinkles—without the pain of needles.

A few facts on RT001- Topical Botox:

•  Has been shown to produce significant improvement in the crow’s feet wrinkles in 89% of the 553 patients already treated
•  Similar to the injectiable form, the gel relaxes the muscles responsible for causing skin wrinkles beneath the skin
• Is not yet FDA approved and therefore will not be available until 2013 or 2014
• Preliminary results are significant and exciting, but not quite as successful as traditional injectable Botox
• Results of topical Botox have proved to last up to three months 

After reviewing the results of the studies on RT001, Dr. Rucker is hopeful it will deliver as promised. He has many patients that want the results of Botox, but refrain from it due to needle phobia. In the meantime, he strongly recommends Tri-Peptide Cell Activator as an effective alternative. Where Botox relaxes the muscles that cause wrinkles, the Tri-Peptide Cell Activator stimulates collagen production to plump the fine lines and creases. So if you are wary of needles, the Tri-Peptide Cell Activator just might be your new best friend. 

Botox™ at RUCKER MD's Enza Medispa

Looking for the best deal on Botox™? Look no further than RUCKER MD's Enza Medispa!

Because we believe everyone should be able to feel comfortable in their skin, we would like to share a few tips to note when searching for the best Botox™ deals. One of the most common questions we get is about pricing. When price shopping for Botox™, always ask yourself: does this price seem too good to be true? Here are some clues that it just might be:

•     The place is really using and off-brand, not Botox™. The Enza Medispa uses ONLY Botox™, directly from Allergan.

•     The Botox™ may be diluted. A vial contains 50 mL of Botox™. Some places will water it down in order to make it go further. This results in a Botox™ treatment that doesn’t last long or isn’t as effective

•     The product may be expired. At the Enza Medispa, we always use FRESH Botox™ and never save any left-over Botox™. Each application is from a brand new vial. 

We hope this helps you when deciding where to go for Botox™ and whom you can trust!

Profiles Fall / Winter 2012

The NEW Profiles is here! Click below to see our online edition.

• 1st Annual Pink Ribbon Charity Golf Classic Recap
• Giving Mother Nature a Boost
• Saying Good-Bye to Wrinkles
• Tips for Luscious Lips
• Eating Healthy for the Holidays
• Botox Blunders

Also check out our specials on the back-page for the Enza Medispa.

Watch your mail-box or check out these newspapers for your own copy:
Nov 7th: Pioneer Press, New Richmond News, River Falls Journal, & Hudson Star Observer
Nov 10th: Leader Telegram
Nov 11th: Chippewa Herald

Open publication

What is the Best Way to Permanently Remove Under Eye Wrinkles

Crepey, lower eyelid skin can be improved, but in my opinion it can't be removed permanently. The recommended treatment plan would depend upon the patient's age and the degree of wrinkling in the lower eyelid skin.

1. For the older patient with significant lower eyelid wrinkling, I recommend a more aggressive approach:
1. Laser Resurfacing of the lower lid and an aggressive skin care maintenance program including a Tri-Peptide Wrinkle Reducing Serum. In most cases this approach can improve the wrinkles of the lower lid by 40 to 70%.
2. For the younger patient with less eyelid wrinkling, I would recommend a less aggressive approach. One should expect a 30 to 50% improvement with this approach.
1. Profractional Laser or Pellevé three times per year
2. Microlaser Peel once per year
3. Enza Essentials™ Tri-Peptide Cell Activator/wrinkle-reducing serum twice daily

Since aging and permanent wrinkle-removal is non-avoidable, maintenance is the key to avoiding and reducing unwanted wrinkles.
For more information, please visit my websites www.ruckermd.com and www.enza.com. Feel free to leave any comments and questions below.

Facial Wrinkle Reduction

New Anti-Aging Skin Serum Reduces the Effects of Father Time: A Dermatologic Plastic Surgeon, Dermatologic Pharmacologist and their Aesthetic Team have spent the last 20 years in the extensive study of anti-aging and anti-wrinkle research and treatments.This research has resulted in the development of a clinically-tested product to drastically reduce skin wrinkles by tricking aged human skin cells into regenerating themselves by replacing old damaged skin collagen with newly reformed collagen. Dr. Joseph Rucker, a board-certified plastic surgeon has developed the Tri-peptide Cell Activator, which also embraces stem-cell technology. This serum has been tested in clinical trials and has demonstrated an ability to:

• Significantly reduce skin wrinkles                            
• Improve skin texture
• Reduce pore size
• Produce a healthy, youthful glow

before                                         after

This exclusive formula developed by Joseph W. Rucker M.D. F.A.C.S contains:

• Palmitoyl Tripeptide-3 (a powerful collagen cell activator)
• Stem Cell: rare swiss Apple extract
• Resveratol: One of the most powerful anti-oxidants available
• A pH balanced formulation to improve penetration and performance

“After utilizing, testing and formulating multiple wrinkle-reducing formulas, this product has significantly surpassed my patient’s and my own expectations.”  Joseph Rucker M.D. F.A.C.S

Testing of the Tri-Peptide Cell Activator was done with the assistance of a carefully chosen patient group under the strict guidelines of usage and follow-up evaluation. All patients tested noticed a significant improvement in skin texture and wrinkle reduction. Below is the experience of one of Dr. Rucker’s patients.

“I was a trial patient for the wrinkle-reducing serum. I used the serum for four months and came in every three weeks to have pictures taken to document the results. I was very happy with the results, especially after seeing the “before and after” pictures! I received many compliments - even questions about “going under the knife”! However, the trial ended and Dr. Rucker indicated the product would not be available for four months. After I stopped using the product, I began noticing quite a dramatic increase in wrinkles on my face (especially around my eyes)!  I went into Dr. Rucker’s office to see if the cream was available. The staff looked at me and almost gasped at the increase in wrinkles and general haggard look around my eyes.  I am using another product from Dr. Rucker and am hoping to be the first one to purchase the incredibly effective wrinkle-reducing serum when it becomes available.”

Sandy Hume

January, 2012

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For more information and to purchase the Tri-Peptide Cell Activator visit enza.com

What to Know About Facelifts

Patients can be confused by the different procedures offered. Just the word "facelift" can be intimidating, because it implies that the whole face is lifted. In the majority of limited-facial procedures that I have performed the main objective has been to produce a more natural result. My goal is to make the patient look like a younger version of themselves. It is imperative that the patient not look done after the procedure.

It is important to consider:

• The specific areas that you want to improve

• How much time you have for recovery

• Your expectations for post-facelift appearance

Types of Facelift Surgery

Lower (Standard) Facelift: Rejuvenates the lower third of the face; tightening the face’s underlying structures that slacken with age, forming jowls and a fleshy neck. The procedure trims excess skin, smoothing it to eliminate facial creases, giving a visual lift to the bottom third of the face.

Mid Facelift: As people age, the cheeks and eyelids tend to sag. This procedure restores a youthful, rested look to the lower eyelids and cheeks.

Mini ’Weekend’ Facelift: Performed quickly with a shorter recovery period, the procedure enhances key facial areas. However, the ’weekend facelift’ is a minor surgical procedure. Results are much less impressive than a standard facelift.

Thread Facelift: This approach is much less invasive. and has come under criticism for not producing the results as promoted. I do not offer this technique because of the questionable level of improvement.

Non-surgical alternatives to surgical facelift: These include laser facelift, dermal fillers, liposculpture of the face and neck and the products in our Enza Essentials skin care line that firm and tone the skin.

For more information, please visit our website at www.ruckermd.com. Feel free to leave a comment and visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ruckermd.