Put your Best Face Forward

 

Ways to improve your visage

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

PHOTO BY ISTOCK

It’s no surprise that many self-improvement procedures and products focus on changing or correcting flaws and discomforts of the face and head. Feeling good and looking good are both reflected in your face. And first impressions do, of course, count.

For both health and beauty reasons, the face and head offer an amazing canvas for a skilled practitioner to improve on what nature gave you, as well as to relieve the pain and discomfort exacted by time and life experiences. Today, one can easily get hair coloring and hair transplants to turn back the effects of aging; use makeup to enhance your I best features; get contact lenses or, better yet, have laser eye surgery and get rid of glasses; try cosmetic dentistry for a better and healthier smile; and, for increasing numbers of the bolder and braver, go for one or more of the ever-growing and dazzling array of nonsurgical and surgical cosmetic procedures.

For many people, getting rid of glasses is about looking their best, but for others, the hassle of wearing glasses for sports, reading and other visual activities cramps their work and leisure lifestyles. Lasik, the best-known of laser eye surgeries was developed in 1991. The options available for patients today have greatly expanded.

“We are one of the few places in the state to offer a broad choice of different refractive and cataract procedures under one roof,” says Dr. Alan Faulkner, of Aloha Laser Vision, LLC, the new name for the Faulkner Eye Care and Surgery, one of Hawaii’s oldest and most recognized practices.

Offering patients full-service ophthalmology care, including cataract surgery and lens implants for cataract patients, Aloha Laser Vision’s name change reflects an emphasis on the practice’s new laser eye-surgery facility. Faulkner pioneered the use of Intralase FS (femtosecond) solid-state laser in Hawaii four years ago. The high-precision, computercontrolled solid-state laser offers a smoother procedure, with less trauma and complications.

Faulkner is the only physician in the state certified to perform one of the newest corrective vision developments, the Visian ICL™ implantable Collamer Lens® for near-sighted patients unable to do Lasik surgery or who prefer an alternative.  Thought of as implantable contact lens, Visian does not alter the eye structure and is removable. “It is a versatile alternative to Lasik and offers a wider range of myopia prescriptions than Lasik or the original laser procedure, PRK,” says Faulkner.


Being at the forefront of advances in eye care improvements and providing caring, personalized service is a family tradition for Faulkner, whose father, Gerald, a pioneer in cataract surgery, founded the prestigious Faulkner Institute and Aloha Laser’s predecessor, Faulkner Eye Care and Surgery.

While many people are now looking to simply improve their facial appearance, it’s important to seek help for pain in the face, head, neck and mouth, which can detract from even the best healthcare routine and the finest cosmetic procedures.

According to Dr. Mark Tasaki of the Tasaki TMJ Headache Center, one in three people suffer symptoms of TMJ (temporomandibular jointdisorder), an inflammation of the joint that connects the lower jaw to the skull. It can cause headaches, as well as jaw, neck, shoulder, muscle, nerve, tendon, tissue and teeth pain. For one in 10, the pain is severe.

TMJ is usually the result of stress, says Tasaki of the often-misdiagnosed disorder, which often results in the clenching of the teeth that exacerbates the pain for TMJ patients. The disorder afflicts predominantly women, from child-bearing age to senior citizens.

As the only dentist in the state to obtain a doctorate in the field, in addition to 17 years of experience in dentistry, Tasaki recommends seeing a dentist immediately when experiencing pain in the jaw area. When he first started his TMJ practice, patients on average came to him after seeing 11 other kinds of specialists. “Now the average is three others. Dentists can actually fix the problem, not just relieve the symptoms,” he says.

Offering the peace of mind of medical expertise also distinguishes Medical Spa & Skin Care, which is owned and operated by Dr. Michael Dimitrion. At the forefront in Hawaii of the growing national trend of medical aesthetics, Dimitrion and his staff of licensed aestheticians provide medical-grade treatments, using state-of-the-art equipment, to rejuvenate the face and body in a spa-like setting.

“We value our relationships with our patients and aim to educate them by providing followup to treatments to help maintain freshness and vitality,” says Dimitrion, who has more than 30 years of experience.

Focusing primarily on improving the tone and texture of the face using the latest noninvasive treatments, MedicalSpa & Skin Care provides a wide range of doctor-directed, antiaging procedures, including laser/AFT treatments, advanced facial treatments (including microdermabrasion and acne treatments), and Botox and fillers, such as Restylane. Body sculpting services also include body peels, cellulite treatment, spider veins and waxing.

One of its newest skin care offerings is the all-natural Green Peel®, a medically developed, biologically based method of skin rejuvenation, which uses a special blend of natural plant and herb ingredients.

The bottom line? Feeling your best with proper medical care to alleviate discomfort or pain goes hand-in-hand with looking your best.