Summer Sun Good for Psoriasis Sufferers, Gottlieb Dermatologist Says
Sun exposure is usually discouraged due to harmful rays that can cause skin cancer and premature aging, but for the 7.5 million Americans who have psoriasis, the sun is a natural medication.
“The sun is one of the best treatments for psoriasis, so in summer I encourage my patients to sit out on the deck and give their affected areas a good sun bath,” said Julie Moore, MD, dermatologist at Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, part of Loyola University Health System. She said 20 to 30 minutes is enough to improve skin. “You do not need to sit out for hours, and you do not want to burn,” she said. The ultraviolet rays in the sun are beneficial to the inflammatory skin disease.
Psoriasis is caused when the immune system mistakes normal skin cells for pathogens and reacts by creating an overproduction of skin cells in response. “Psoriasis is the most prevalent autoimmune disease in America,” Moore said. “There is no cure for psoriasis and it is a life-long condition that flares up and calms down due to stress, illness and unknown factors.”
Total direct and indirect health care costs of psoriasis for patients are calculated at $11.25 billion annually, with work loss accounting for 40 percent of the cost burden, according to the National Psoriasis Foundation. Approximately 60 percent of psoriasis patients missed an average of 26 days of work a year due to their illness.
“Psoriasis is much more than a cosmetic concern; it is often painful, difficult to heal and can be disfiguring,” said Moore, who has practiced dermatology for more than 20 years in the Chicago area.

Moore shared the following information about psoriasis:

• Psoriasis can occur anywhere on the body from the scalp to the bottoms of the feet and even in fingernails and toenails.
• Psoriasis is often the most stubborn on hands and feet. One of Moore's most troublesome cases was an older man. “He had severe psoriasis on his thumb and the top of his index finger, exacerbated by regular use of a lighter when igniting his pipe,” Moore said. “Hands and feet are in constant use and subject to friction from movement, which aggravates psoriasis even more if present in these areas.”
• “Although it is natural to want to 'pick' off the scaling or rough patches caused by psoriasis, this is actually one of the worst things you can do,” Moore said. “There are many creams that can be used to dissolve scales and promote healing.”
• Contrary to popular belief, psoriasis does not usually itch.

The National Psoriasis Foundation reports that psoriasis has a strong genetic link and if both parents have it, the child has a 50 percent chance of having it. If one parent has it, the child has a 10 percent chance of having psoriasis.
In addition to sunlight, treatment includes medication, creams and exposure to artificial light.

http://loyolamedicine.org

Botox an Effective Treatment for Facial Nerve Problems, Loyola Physician Says
Botox is best known as a cosmetic treatment for frown lines, but the drug also effectively treats the aftereffects of Bell’s palsy and other serious facial nerve problems.
Bell’s palsy results from damage to the facial nerve that controls muscles on one side of the face. Dr. Matthew Kircher, an Ear, Nose and Throat surgeon at Loyola University Medical Center, is giving patients Botox injections to treat facial nerve disorders that sometimes occur after Bell’s palsy, including unwanted facial movements known as synkinesis.
Botox injections work by weakening or paralyzing certain muscles or by temporarily blocking the nerve input into the muscles.
Facial synkinesis is the involuntary movement of one set of muscles when the patient tries to move another set of muscles. For example, when the patient blinks, the mouth smiles or grimaces.
Botox can improve the symmetry of the face and reduce muscle contractures and spasms. Botox also is effective for platysmal banding – vertical lines that develop in the neck as a result of muscle contractions.
Kircher said he starts out conservatively by treating patients with diluted doses. After seeing how well the patient does, Kircher will adjust the dose if necessary.?Botox is not a cure. The drug wears off after three or four months, so patients need repeat injections.
“While we can never make the face perfect, we have found Botox to be extremely effective,” Kircher said. “It can make a huge difference in patients’ lives."
http://loyolamedicine.org

SABINSA ON WHEELS (3 of them!!)
“This is our premier scientific seminar event where Sabinsa showcases the latest and greatest science we have on our selected ingredients”, Shaheen Majeed, Marketing Director of Sabinsa, declared: “ We have many speakers, on different ingredient topics and even guest speakers with their topic of choice”. In prior years, the event was held in several places around the globe. Last year it was in South Korea while this year it touched three major states in USA: Utah (September 17), California (September 19) and New Jersey (October 8). “Fun times, but also extremely busy for me, but that is ok, I am grateful to be always busy at work” continued Majeed.
America's Finest, INC. is Sabinsa's finished line of dietary supplement products. Shaheen Majeed: “we have not focused on it in the past but I see the need for it as we mature into the marketplace. Our ingredients, sometimes on average takes 2 years before hitting it well in the marketplace. This is not due to a lack of science or tests, clearly Sabinsa has an advantage in those areas - it is also not due to the manufacturability of these new ingredients, as we own the manufacturing sites that we produce these ingredients in…so what is it? I see how the marketing companies work, and in most cases, it's going with the flow of the marketplace (e.g. if green tea is popular for weight loss, other marketing companies will jump on that, and not necessarily innovate and standout); all while, America's Finest (AFI) has the complete ability to be first in the marketplace with the latest and greatest of Sabinsa ingredients. There is a lot of work to be done in this area and it's one I am keen on”.
Finally, speaking about Sabinsa Manufacturing (Payson, Utah Facility) Shaheen Majeed explained: “We are now NSF certified and my last couple of meetings where we met customers, they gave me great insight as to what they would like. This type of conversation happened, because the parties at the table had an open mind to business, wanted business to happen, was willing to open up and share the difficulties on both sides - and as I walked away from those meetings, I took with me some great insight to help both Sabinsa and our customers. Therefore, the work behind the contract manufacturing, from engaging clients on new projects, to set them up on our private label business opportunities, all will strengthen in the very near future”.
www.sabinsa.com

CLARIANT OIL SERVICES ANNOUNCES NEW CENTER OF EXCELLENCE LAB IN MALAYSIA
Clariant has announced that it will open a new Centre of Excellence lab for its Oil Services business in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The lab, located in the hub of oil and gas operations in Southeast Asia, will include state-of the-art equipment, and will feature standard and manual testing processes which model global Clariant Oil Services laboratories in North America and the United Kingdom.
www.clariant.com

NIVEA CELLULAR ANTI-AGE
NIVEA CELLULAR ANTI-AGE contains three active ingredients that help to counteract these signs of ageing: Magnolia extract, hyaluronic acid and creatine. Dr. Fey reports: "The care series brings together the virtues of effective anti-ageing ingredients. Short chain hyaluronic acid improves the skin's own ability to bind water, magnolia extract increases cells' resilience to oxidative stress and creatine improves the energy system of cells”. In order to prevent premature skin ageing as a result of sun exposure, the NIVEA CELLULAR ANTI-AGE Day cream also contains SPF 15 and a UVA filter system.
www.beiersdorf.com

THE COLOMER GROUP
The Colomer Group is the distributer of Revlon in Spain, Portugal and Andorra. Revlon, one of the brands that founded modern cosmetics, offering innovative, high quality facial treatment and colour products with cutting-edge formulas that help women be beautiful.
www.thecolomergroup.com