Latest posts
Steps to Enjoying Better Skin
7/20/2009 7:09:00 AM
Skin is the body's largest organ. In an adult weighing 150 pounds, the skin comprises nine of those pounds. The skin offers amazing protection for our muscles, bones, nerves, and blood vessels, preventing harmful microorganisms from entering our bodies. Skin also protects body tissues from injury, maintains blood and water levels, regulates temperature through perspiration, and protects us from damaging ultraviolet rays of the sun.
The soles of the feet have the thickest skin, and the eyelids have the thinnest skin. This is why thousands of men and women over the age of 35 turn to the cosmetic eye procedure known as blepharoplasty to refresh the appearance of the eyes.
Overview of Skin Structure
Skin has three layers:
- The epidermis - outer layer, providing tough protection
- The dermis - contains blood vessels, nerve endings, hair follicles, sweat glands and oil glands. It also has a collagen and elastin matrix which supports the skin surface and gives young skin its elasticity. The matrix degenerates as we age and less collagen and elastin are produced. This contributes to wrinkle formation.
- Subcutaneous tissue - contains connective tissue, fat cells and blood vessels. It helps us stay warm and shields the body from injury.
Most of us never think about our skin until we begin to grow older and notice the first signs of wrinkling. Along with reduced collagen, other factors contributing to fine lines and wrinkling are sun exposure, pollution, stress, tobacco use, poor nutrition and hormonal changes.
At Filer Eye Surgery and Cosmetic Center in San Francisco, California, Dr. Robert Filer offers the leading prescription-strength home skincare regimen known as the Obagi Nu-Derm System. For individuals who wish to reverse skin changes caused by aging and enjoy younger, smoother looking skin, the Obagi Nu-Derm System reduces wrinkles and brown spots and increases collagen production. This gives a smoother, rejuvenated appearance. Future skin damage is easily managed with a companion system, the Obagi Healthy Skin SPF 35.
If healthier, younger looking skin is important to you, please contact us today to discuss the benefits of the Obagi system during your free consultation with Dr. Filer.
Choosing Your Best Cosmetic Surgery Option
6/18/2009 11:44:00 AM
Interest in cosmetic surgery has grown at an astounding pace. Once a perk of the rich and famous, today anyone can access affordable, professional cosmetic enhancements to look and feel younger, more attractive and healthier.
Sagging skin and a tired appearance motivates older men and women to seek procedures like dermal fillers and BOTOX® injections. Such quick and effective procedures smooth the skin out and reduce fine lines and sagging.
Among the most popular cosmetic surgeries is eye surgery. It truly creates "face value," because the eyes are an important and highly expressive area of the face. When the thin skin around the eyes begins to droop, sag, or become puffy, we look older, more tired or even unwell when we are not. Every year, thousands of men and women over thirty-five years of age choose eyelid surgery, medically known as blepharoplasty, to remove excess skin and fat, refresh the eyes, and rejuvenate the entire face with a renewed vibrancy that helps you look as young as you feel.
In San Francisco, California, Dr. Robert Filer applies his knowledge and training to facial cosmetic surgery. He uses innovative technology and surgical techniques to ensure a superior outcome at his comfortable office at San Francisco’s Filer Eye and Cosmetic Surgery.
If your eyes are not expressing your youthful vitality, please schedule a free consultation to discuss your best cosmetic surgery options.
Cost Considerations for Your Cosmetic Procedure
5/19/2009 9:24:00 AM
Cost can often be the defining factor in selecting a cosmetic procedure. Cosmetic surgeon fees vary according to the patient's needs, the surgeon's experience and geographical location. Other costs related to the procedure, such as those for the consultation, anesthesia, operating room fees and medications deserve consideration. Since insurance does not usually cover the cost of cosmetic procedures unless they also have a medical reason, most cosmetic surgery practices accept credit cards and cash, and some can direct you to affordable financing options.
Beyond Cost
Other considerations are equally, if not more, important. At Filer Eye and Cosmetic Surgery, Dr. Robert Filer and his professional team offer comprehensive eye care that addresses both eye health and cosmetic enhancement. Patient education is ongoing, and every effort is made to fit each procedure to your desired outcome. The initial consultation is always free, and Dr. Filer will listen to your concerns and your wishes to ensure the most successful outcome. After the best course of action is determined, visits to Dr. Filer’s office are conveniently arranged to fit your schedule.
Cosmetic procedures offered at Filer Eye and Cosmetic Surgery include blepharoplasty, Botox®, Restylane® and tailored skin care solutions like the Obagi Nu-Derm System. The Obagi system is a leading prescription-strength home skincare regimen designed to create younger-looking skin. It reduces wrinkles and brown spots, smoothes the skin and increases collagen production.
Whether you need treatment for an eye disease, are wishing for the beautiful results that can be achieved with the most cutting-edge cosmetic eye procedures, or simply need a new pair of glasses, the technology and service available at Filer Eye and Cosmetic Surgery in San Francisco, California is unsurpassed. Schedule your free consultation today for more beautiful eyes tomorrow.
What Are Cataracts?
4/24/2009 8:57:00 AM
Behind the colored part of your eye is the lens. Similar to a camera lens, the eye’s lens captures light as it enters your eye and focuses it onto the retina at the back of your eye. As the eyes age, proteins inside the lens begin the clump together. It is not known specifically why this happens, but this cloudiness of the lens, known as cataracts, prevents light from reaching the retina, causing visual impairment.
Aging is not the only cause of cataracts, although it is the most common cause. Other causes include medications, trauma, diabetes, genetics, and exposure to ultraviolet light.
Cataract Symptoms
If you have cataracts, blurred vision may be the first noticeable symptom. Others are:
• Nighttime glare
• Double vision
• Eyestrain
• A yellowish discoloration in your field of vision
Cataracts begin small and if they do not interfere with vision may not require surgical removal. When cataracts grow larger and affect daily activities like driving and reading, cataract surgery may be indicated. Cataract surgery is a very safe and successful surgical vision procedure. Dr. Filer’s patients routinely report appreciating the opportunity to see much more clearly within 24 hours after surgery than they have seen in years.
A number of different cataract removal techniques exist. Dr. Filer specializes in clear corneal cataract surgery, considered the most advanced method of cataract removal because no sutures are used, visual recovery is more rapid, and the potential for inducing astigmatism is reduced. Patients enjoy minimal downtime and can return to regular activities, including work and driving, the day after surgery.
When the lens is removed from the eye to treat cataracts, it must be replaced so you can see clearly after surgery. Dr. Filer uses the ACRYSOF® intraocular lens, offering the most advanced technology and materials to ensure long-term safety and excellent results.
To have your cataracts evaluated, please contact our office to schedule a consultation with Dr. Filer in San Francisco, California.
How Can I Get Rid of Baggy-Looking Eyelids?
3/20/2009 1:31:00 PM
Because the skin around the eyes is the thinnest skin on the body, it is one of the first areas to show signs of aging. Add in heredity, smoking and overexposure to the sun and baggy-looking eyelids may result, causing a tired, sad look that does not match how you feel on the inside.
Blepharoplasty, or eyelid surgery, is a very common facial plastic surgery sought by thousands of men and women each year to combat baggy eyelids. Blepharoplasty removes excess skin and fat around the eyes to restore a more youthful, well-rested appearance.
Blepharoplasty surgeon Dr. Robert Filer performs eyelid surgery on an outpatient basis under local anesthesia. Both the upper and lower eyelids can be treated. For the upper eyelids, an incision is made in the natural eyelid crease. Excess skin is removed, and puffiness is reduced with graded fat excision and sculpting. Dr. Filer then addresses the lower lids with transconjunctival blepharoplasty, an advanced procedure that uses a tiny incision inside the lower eyelid, to sculpt and remove excess orbital fat. Dissolvable sutures close the incisions to reduce the potential for scarring.
Dr. Filer is a board-certified ophthalmic surgeon with advanced training in treating eye and eyelid disorders. His extensive training and comprehensive experience make him uniquely qualified to perform cosmetic eyelid procedures. Please contact Filer Eye and Cosmetic Surgery in San Francisco, California to learn more.