Dr. Shehla Ebrahim thanks her clients for their support at Mount Everest’s base camp (17,300 feet above sea level) in April. Dr. Ebrahim donated partial proceeds from Afterglow over the last 18 months to the Central Asia Institute

She’s back! Congrats go to Dr. Ebrahim for climbing past Base Camp (to 18,500 ft.) and for helping to save a life en route. In our previous post, we told how Dr. Ebrahim planned on climbing to Base Camp, and donating part of the profits from Afterglow to Greg Mortensen’s Central Asia Institute.  Not only would the donation support schools for poverty-stricken girls in Pakistan, “It would also be a nice way to say thanks to Afterglow clients—the men and women who have made my business successful and my climb possible,” says Dr. Ebrahim.

“It was so hard to breathe,” she continues. “Every step required a monumental effort but I felt  incredible power and determination, which enabled me to press on.  Afterglow has a mandate for social responsibility and I do believe in giving back. In North America, we are so blessed and it is a good thing to be able to provide for others who may not be similarly blessed.”

The Everest mission is Dr. Ebrahim’s third major humanitarian journey. In 2002, she travelled to Tibet with a group of physicians to provide free medical care to the nomads that inhabit the eastern reaches of that country.  In 2006, she climbed Kilimajaro and helped raise $50,000 for Children’s Hospital.
And what about the life she helped save on her latest mission?
“At 14,000 feet above sea level, a woman staggered into our camp. She was short of breath and her sherpa guide planned to take her down 1,000 feet however, she appeared to have high altitude cerebral edema,” Dr. Ebrahim explains. When a person has this condition, he or she must be taken down to a low altitude immediately or death will quickly follow, but it was already 7 p.m. and unlikely that the sherpa could get the woman down far enough before nightfall.  Fortunately, Dr. Ebrahim’s team was carrying a gamow bag—a pressurized cylinder that simulates an altitude close to 4,000 ft. below where it is used. With careful monitoring, the woman survived the night and was flown out by helicopter. She survived thanks to Dr. Ebrahim’s diagnosis and quick action.
“I felt like I was meant to be there at that time,” says Dr. Ebrahim, adding that the whole experience has galvanized her desire to perform more humanitarian work in the years to come.

Dr. Ebrahim’s journey was also covered in a detailed news story in the North Shore News, which you can read here.

Season's Greetings from Afterglow Medi-spa!

Dr. Ebrahim and the staff of Afterglow wish all their special clients and friends a truly wonderful Festive Season and a New Year filled with much joy, good health, and youthfulness!

Stay tuned for more tips on looking as young as you feel (or feeling as young as you look!). Remember to drink one glass of water for every half glass of alcohol, get enough sleep, and watch the sugar when partying. Your skin will thank you for it when 2010 rolls around…

SILKPEEL™ DermalInfusion™

Afterglow is excited to be able to provide you with fabulous new SILKPEEL™ DermalInfusion™

This innovative procedure gently exfoliates your skin and infuses it with customized solutions to bring out youthful glow and clarity. If you have a skin condition such as melasma, acne, sun damage or dryness, your skin can be treated with highly effective ingredients that address the specific condition.

For example, Lumixyl™ (a safe lightening agent) is used to treat melasma, vitamic C and peptides are helpful for a dry and/or aging skin, and acne is treated using glycolics. All skin benefits from the use of vitamin C and moisturizing agents.

Here are some of the questions commonly asked about SILKPEEL™:

Q. What exactly is SILKPEEL™?
A. SILKPEEL’s™ “wet abrasion” exfoliates the skin and simultaneously infuses a topical dermaceutical, addressing your specific skin condition and stimulating new cell growth to give your skin the revitalization you want.

Q. Is it Safe?
A. Yes. SILKPEEL™ is a safe, comfortable treatment. You are no longer exposed to the hazards of particulate dermabrasion with SILKPEEL’s™ crystal-free technology.

Q. How long does the procedure take?
A. Procedures typically last about 20 minutes. Since the SILKPEEL™ delivers a dermaceutical during treatment, your post-treatment protocol is quick and easy.

Q. Will there be any pain or discomfort?
A. The exfoliation may cause a mild tightening of the skin. Combined with the cool, moisturizing effect of the topicals, your skin will feel healthy and smooth.

Q. What will my skin look like after a treatment?
A. Your skin will have an immediate, radiant glow that leaves you looking healthy and renewed.

Q. Will I miss work or have to alter my social schedule?
A. SILKPEEL™ is considered a “lunch hour” procedure so you can promptly return to your normal activities.

Q. What do I need to do after a treatment?
A. Dr. Ebrahim or a member of Afterglow’s professional skincare team will customize a post-care regimen which may include moisturizers, cleansers, serums and sunscreens to enhance and maintain results.

Q. Do I have to do anything before a treatment?
A. Not normally. The exception is when Dr. Ebrahim recommends Lumixyl™ (a skin-lightening peptide) as part of your customized treatment for melasma or hyperpigmentation. In this case, you will be requested to apply Lumixyl™ twice a week for two weeks, followed by a SILKPEEL™ dermal infusion every two weeks for a period of 3 months.

Q. How long does it take to see results?
You will enjoy visible results after the first treatment and will achieve optimal results after 4 – 6 treatments spaced 7 to 10 days apart, supplemented by a daily post-care routine. A monthly maintenance treatment will help your skin stay healthy.

SILKPEEL™ and Melasma

If you wish to address melasma or hyperpigmentation of the skin (including “age spots”), Lumixyl™ will be infused into your skin. Lumixyl™ is a skin-lightening peptide that improves the appearance of mild to moderate hyperpigmentation.

Lumixyl™ works by inhibiting the enzyme that causes cells in the skin to produce dark pigment (melanin). One of the benefits of using Lumixyl™ over the traditional hydroquinone in the treatment of melasma/hyperpigmentation is that it does not cause hypopigmentation (lighter patches of skin) in darker skin types.

Combined therapy with SILKPEEL™ and Lumixyl™ provides simultaneous exfoliation and delivery of Lumixyl™ deep into the epidermis. Results are optimized and maintained by the post-treatment home use of Lumixyl™ topical brightening cream twice daily.

To learn more about about SILKPEEL™ DermalInfusion™ or treatment for melasma/hyperpigmentation, or if you have any questions, please call us at Afterglow…

The Aging Face: The Cheeks

High, prominent cheekbones are one of the facial features most frequently associated with youthful beauty. As we age and gravity plus skin laxity take their toll, the malar (cheek) fat pads move downward and inward. This results in an older “apple shaped” face and emphasizes the naso-labial folds.

This aged appearance can be reversed with the use of injectable fillers, carefully placed over the cheekbone area, and in the naso-labial folds if necessary. The added volume over the cheekbone area has the effect of lifting the face, and restoring youthful contours. (The effect of this procedure is similar to having cheek implants, but is temporary. The treated areas are “topped up” as necessary.)

Using the new Juvéderm with lidocaine ensures that the injections are relatively painless, making this a “lunchtime” procedure with no downtime.

If you would like to learn more about how Dr. Ebrahim can enhance the contours of your face, please give us a call to schedule a free consultation.

All About Fillers

Injectable fillers, as the name suggests, fill in the indentations and folds that develop as the face ages. They may also be used to fill in scars caused by acne, or to enhance the shape of the chin, jawline, cheekbones, or nose. So effective are fillers in rejuvenating the face, that their use is sometimes referred to as a “liquid face lift.”

The most common places where fillers are injected are the nasolabial folds (the folds that develop from the nose to the sides of the mouth when the cheek fat decends under the effect of gravity), the marionette lines (folds that run from the outer lips down to the jawline), and in the tear troughs at the inner corners of the eyes, to reduce the appearance of dark circles. These fillers are also injected into the lips to restore the fullness of youth or enhance the appearance of naturally thin lips.

There are three categories of injectable filler: temporary, semi-permanent, and permanent. Dr. Ebrahim uses both temporary and semi-permanent fillers to enhance the features and/or restore a youthful appearance to the face.

Temporary fillers last on average from three to six months, and include Restylane, Juvéderm and Teosyal. They consist of non animal-based hyaluronic acid that is completely compatible with the skin’s own hyaluronic acid. Using a very fine needle, Dr. Ebrahim carefully injects the filler into the skin, causing it to plump up. The effect is immediate. Prior to treatment, a numbing cream will be appplied to your face, minimizing or eliminating discomfort during the procedure but, if you are sensitive, a topical anaesthetic may be injected to numb area being treated. This is more common with lips, which are more sensitive than other areas of the face. Juvéderm is now available with an anaesthetic, ensuring comfort during the procedure.

Semi-permanent fillers may remain in the skin for a year or more and include Radiesse® and Evolence.™ Radiesse contains hyaluronic acid and calcium-based microparticles which have the added benefit of stimulating the skin’s production of collagen. Evolence contains a highly refined form of collagen that, unlike other forms of collagen, requires no skin test.

One of the advantages of dermal fillers is the “lunchtime treatment” aspect, meaning there is no downtime and no one need ever know what you have done to make yourself look – and feel – so much better!