Here comes the sun and I say...It's alright!

As the summer draws to a reluctant close and everyone is busy preparing for the upcoming school year, hopefully we can all look back on the last few months with fond memories of beach trips, carnival rides, and backyard BBQ's with friends. The bronzed, glowing skin that most of us have acquired from days soaking up the summer sun will slowing fade as summer makes it's way into fall. And no matter how many advertising dollars are spent on warning us against the sun's dangerous rays, we will all return to the beaches next year for the annual "skin bar-b-que" that is the American summer past-time.

However, if you ever end up on the opposite side of the globe for your summer vacation, be prepared for a very different beach-going experience!  This photo depicts two women on a beach in China, both donning an aptly named "Face-kini" to protect their skin from the sun's rays.  Weird, you say?  Well, I would tend to agree!

In China, where fair skin is a symbol of wealth and beauty and a tan is associated with the peasant farming population , these masks were created to go above and beyond sunscreen and completely protect the wearer's face from harmful UV rays.  This is skin cancer prevention at it's best people!  And for a mere $3 dollars, you too could become a proud owner of China's latest beach fashion trend.  I would probably recommend going the distance and purchasing the full body sun protection suit, complete with gloves - never worry about a weird tan line again, ladies!

I'm sure Cindy, our esthetician, will have something to say about this skin care advice when she reads this post, and you all can weigh in too!  How far would you go to protect your skin?  Would you rock the "Face-kini"?

Meet the Staff: Replenish Employee of the Month

At Replenish, we are passionate about customer service.  We want our patients to walk through the door and feel right at home.  Our staff greets everyone that walks through the door with a smile and most of our "regulars" are greeted by name -- or nickname!  

But who are the people behind the desk?

Our new Meet the Staff series will acquaint you all with the various staff that are here to serve you at Replenish!  Our first pick is a veteran, tried and true for 11 years!!! You will see her in the front working the desk, in the back assisting Dr. Martini, and in her dungeon of tortu....I mean, the allergy room giving shots to her many faithful patients.  This month's employee of the month is.....Lanita!

Hi!  I'm Lanita - medical professional by day, farmer/mom-mom by night!  I enjoy being with my grandson whenever I can.  I am an avid gardener...I love my vegetable garden.  My house is very busy as I am a surrogate mom to my 5 chickens and 2 ducks.

Not all suncreens are created equal!!!

So while we are on the topic of sun protection for these summer months, I wanted to go into a little more detail about the different types of sunscreens and what they do.  For this I turned to Cindy, our wonderful and knowledgeable esthetician!

To start at the beginning we need to know what is in the sunscreens that we use. The active ingredients in a sunscreen are classified as Chemical or Physical.

Chemical sunscreen ingredients mainly work on UVB rays, which are the rays that cause a burn on the outer layer of the skin.  Chemical sunscreen ingredients also need to be applied to the skin at least 20 minutes prior to sun exposure and when the ultraviolet light penetrates the skin a chemical reaction takes place within the skin that neutralizes the uv rays.  Because the uv rays had to penetrate the skin prior to neutralization and because there was a chemical reaction within the skin that creates heat, these types of sunscreen ingredients are not normally recommended for sensitive skin.  The higher the concentration of chemical sunscreen ingredients the more irritating it will be to sensitive skin.  Examples of chemical sunscreen ingredients are Octylmethoxycinnamate, Avobenzone, Parsol 1789, Homosalate, Octylsalicylate, Octocrylene and Octinoxate; just to name a few. Years ago these were the only type of sunscreen ingredients they used in sunscreen lotions and they did not protect you much or at all from the ultraviolet rays that cause you to look older than you are.

Physical sunscreen ingredients are crushed up minerals- either Zinc Oxide or Titanium Dioxide.  They work by forming a physical barrier on the surface of the skin which reflects the uv rays and heat away from the skin.  These ingredients mainly work on UVA rays which are the rays that breakdown our dermal layer.  The dermal layer houses our collagen, elastin and everything that produces new healthy cells.  If this becomes damaged we will see fine lines, wrinkling, capillary damage (red pigmentation), hyperpigmentation (brown pigmentation), dehydration and an increase in sensitivity levels.  Physical sunscreen ingredients are non-irritating because they do not penetrate the skin making them the optimal choice for sensitive skin; however in some formulations they may be visible on dark skin. 

So what is the best choice for all over coverage??

A broad spectrum sunscreen product is a mix of both physical and chemical sunscreen ingredients and may be the optimal choice for most people, since it will provide excellent protection from both uva and uvb rays and be less visible on dark skin as well as less irritating then an all chemical sunscreen.

That gives you a general breakdown of the active ingredients in your sunscreen but that still leaves the inactive or base ingredients in the product formulation which will need to be evaluated to ensure you have one that will enhance your skin and not cause additional problems for your skin type and condition.  Skin care can be a slippery slope with many products out there that we see advertised that are actually causing more problems for our skin than we know!  For the best advice on what products would work for your skin an esthetician is the person you want to talk to.  Give us a call at the office at 410-398-3445 if you have any questions for Cindy about your summer skin care regimen!

Did your beach weekend leave your skin barbecued???

After a relaxing long weekend on the beach, it is always hard to come home and get back to work.  Concentrating at your desk is even harder when you have skin that is irritated and sensitive from too much time out in the sun! Nothing is more uncomfortable or unsightly than irritated skin, even people who continuously reapply their sunscreen can come home a little more crisp than they anticipated. Oftentimes, over the counter skin creams  don't seem to do much and can, in many cases, cause more irritation. Many of the so-called "skin soothers" on the market today are made with harsh, drying chemicals which defeat the purpose of trying to truly soothe your skin.


But here at Replenish we are introducing two new treatments for the summer that specifically target sensitive and irritated skin.  Our Vitamin C Calming Treatment will brighten and gently exfoliate sensitive skin and our Cooling and Calming Treatment is perfect for hydrating and healing sun-burned skin.


The best way to protect is to make sure your sunscreen has broad spectrum coverage that shields your skin from both UVA and UVB rays.  But if you do end up getting a little crispy this summer, stop on in for one of our soothing summer treatments to pamper your skin!

Teacher Appreciation Week!!!

The faces blur. The names, a lot of them anyway, are lost forever in a haze of science projects, book reports, and math problems.

But some will remain forever embedded in my mind, important fixtures in my life, for the lessons they imparted that often had little to do with the subject matter they taught.

Like Miss Kugler, my fourth grade teacher, who taught me to be compassionate to everyone and that a smile and a kind word go a long way .

Or Dave Lichter, the science teacher with a pet snake who ate a live mouse in front of the class every other Friday.

Or Barbara Reilly, my high school English teacher, who comes to mind whenever I use the phrase "my friend and me" - the grammatically correct term is "my friend and I".  Thank you Mrs. Reilly - oh, and I still love those clogs that you never gave me a demerit for junior year.  The dress-code rebel in me relished the frequent commentary on them.  And the little catholic school girl in me prayed everyday that you would keep that demerit pad in your desk so that I would never have to face my mom with the write-up and the shoes.

This is Teacher Appreciation Week, where teachers are supposed to get their due.  Now, let's face it, like any field not all teachers are due accolades. (I could go on about my acting prof in college who told us about a "great way to make money" freshman year at the gentleman's club down the street, but I think I’ll save you all from that story.) But there are game changers, life changers, who deserve whatever recognition they get.

What teacher or teachers from your life do you appreciate most, and why?

Eyelid Surgery...Is it right for me?

Eyelid Surgery, also known as Blepharoplasty, improves the appearance of the upper eyelids, lower eyelids, or both. It gives a rejuvenated appearance to the surrounding area of your eyes, making you look rested and alert.

Treatable Conditions:

Eyelid surgery can remove excess fatty deposits that appear as puffiness in the upper and lower eyes. Bags and shadowing under the eyes can also be corrected. Lower eyelid blepharoplasty can remove excess skin and fine wrinkles of the lower eyelids.

Is it Right for Me?

A blepharoplasty procedure is usually performed on adult men and women who have healthy facial tissue and realistic goals for improvement of the upper or lower eyelids. You should always undergo cosmetic surgery for yourself, not to fulfill someone else's desires or fit into a commercialized image. If you would like to look and feel better about yourself then a blepharoplasty might be right for you!
The decision to undergo elective surgery is important. We are here to support you and your decision for aesthetic care and surgery. Please call our office today to schedule your personal consultation with David V Martini M.D. We look forward to seeing you soon!


It's a marshmallow world in the winter!

So Punxsutawney Phil had his day in the sun!  His shadow scared him away and now we all have 6 more weeks of cold and snow (figers crossed that we can avoid the latter) to look forward to.  But here at Replenish we are thinking ahead to those warm summer days laying in the beach in our bathing suits!  We have some great specials for you to take advantage of that will make you beach-ready in no time!