The first time you come in to The Gillian Institute you will be busy looking around, taking our office in.  Then you will walk past one of our exam rooms and see a funny-shaped object that resembles a huge egg or a space capsule.  The SpectraMED^TM L2000 Color Therapy System combines aromatherapy, sound therapy, light therapy, dry heat, and vibratory massage.   It provides all the mood-altering benefits from natural sunlight without the harmful damaging rays of the sun. 

A SpectraMED^TM treatment is terrific way to treat nervousness prior to surgery, insomnia, stress, and chronic pain.  The SpectraMED^TM has been clinically proven to help individuals with fibromyalgia, lupus, and SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder, or depression) as well as hypertension.  The capsule is also used to treat patients with skin disorders such as eczema, psoriasis, or severely dry skin.  In addition, the SpectraMED^TM treatments can help to lower blood pressure, stimulate the immune system, decrease cholesterol, and even increase the efficiency of the heart. 

Prior to a massage, the SpectraMED^TM increases circulation and warms tissue and muscles for a more effective manual manipulation.  After a massage, the warmth and comfort of the SpectraMED^TM helps prolong the beneficial effects of the massage.

Due to pregnancy, childbirth, weight gain, and weight loss our skin is exposed to all the changes our body goes through in our lifetime.  Although we would never exchange our children for the flat tummy we once had before their births, the same goes for the condition of our skin.  Some people inherit very tolerable elastic skin and can have five children and not one stretch mark.  Others may have one child, average size, and have stretch marks on both abdomen and thigh areas.  Individuals vary in skin and body, as well as stretch marks.   Some women have lighter, thinner stretch marks, while others have deep stretch marks with a dark color to them.

Therefore, we have spent a lot of time at The Gillian Institute experimenting with several different types of stretch mark treatments and have developed a  treatment program that we have found to be the most effective in time, cost, and results.  These treatments are individualized for specific patient needs.  

Our clinical studies have proven the need for the use of Retin-A during the treatment program.  We have also found that prepping the area with Retin-A two weeks prior is ideal.  Retin-A helps increase blood flow, reduce pigmentation, and aids in collagen remodeling.  This at-home treatment cream should be used on a daily basis to aid our microdermabrasion treatments.  At The Gillian Institute we keep a variety of Retin-A formulas on hand so we will have one for your skin type.

Alpha Lipoic Acid a new treatment serum has made its way to the forefront in skincare as both a water and lipid soluble antioxidant.  This product has nine different patents on it, and we have seen great results with Alpha Lipoic Acid combined with Retin-A.

Along with these at-home treatment products it is extremely effective to combine a manual exfoliation of the skin’s outer layers with microdermabrasion.  However, due to irritation caused by combining these treatments with Retin-A there may be some redness and irritation for 48-72 hours following the procedure.  During this time you should discontinue at home products and resume in 72 hours.

A more extensive peel may be needed which Dr. Short or her skincare specialists will assess after 4-6 weeks of continuing this regimen.  A 10% TCA peel is often performed to boost the treatment’s effectiveness and may be performed in conjunction with microdermabrasion for a deeper penetration of the acid.

This treatment program has proven itself to be very successful for patients.  Patients should be aware that due to the deepness of the stretch marks it will take multiple treatments to see a lessening in the appearance of stretch marks.  An assessment of an approximate number of treatments may be given at a consultation, although this number depends on how well your stretch marks respond to these treatments. 

Dr. Short is specifically detailed in incision placement and tries to go beyond the limits of hiding surgical incisions in inconspicuous places.   As a patient of Dr. Short’s you must feel comfortable proceeding with surgery and obviously feel the result would outweigh your new incision.

The Gillian Institute feels that we should pass along our scar treatment secrets with you.  This treatment regimen will allow your incision to heal and fade at a more rapid rate.   Keep in mind that incisions should ultimately be given one year in duration to heal and fade.  Although these scar management tips will help speed your recovery, please be advised that during healing time and certain treatment creams may keep your skin sun-sensitive and that you should protect your scar from the sun to avoid hyper- or hypo-pigmentation problems.

These are the treatment suggestions The Gillian Institute has found to be the most effective. With treatment creams please apply them in a manner that will give you enough “slip” to massage the scar.  Studies have shown that massage alone can increase blood flow and breakdown scar tissue at a much faster rate.  Specific products are recommended for treatment of the scar at different times during your post-operative healing phase. 

• 2-8 wks. Dr, Hankins Scar Treatment Kit:   Dr. Hankins' Scar Treatment Kit combines a scar cream, designed to enhance oxygenation while decreasing inflammation, with silicone gel therapy, known to improve the appearance for hypertrophic, keloid and acne scars.  This scar treatment kit, which can be used for all skin types and color, contains all the products needed to help improve the appearance of a new and pre-existing scar.  Combining a soft, pliable, silicone formulated strip with a cream containing a live yeast cell derivative, aloe vera gel, allantoin, an unsurpassed natural healing agent for the skin that has the ability to help heal wounds and to stimulate the growth of healthy skin cells, and tocopheryl acetate to neutralize the scars color, flatten the raised scars and making the scar tissue soft and smooth.
  
• 8-12 wks. Post-op PSBM.   This is Dr. Short’s exclusive formulation of Retin-A, hydroquinone (a bleaching agent), and hydrocortisone.  This cream is started around 8 weeks.  It is especially helpful for discoloration of scars because of the bleaching properties.  If use of this product is started too early, you may see irritation.  All incisions should be healed completely before starting PSBM.  There are other strengths of this formula that may be discussed with any of our skin care specialists.  This product is also excellent for the facial skin to promote collagen production and diminish fine lines and improve uneven pigmentation.  This may be layered over the Primacy C+E above once per day and can be used up to two times per day alone.
  
• Mederma is a scar treatment cream that can be found over the counter at your local pharmacy.  It is touted for improving the redness of scars and may be substituted or added at certain steps in the protocol. 
  
  These treatments should be continued through your sixth month visit.  Dr. Short will assess the progress of healing of your incision at that time.   Please feel free to contact one of our Licensed Aestheticians at The Gillian Institute 317-913-3260, if you have any questions.

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