Welcome to my blog!   I am the director of cosmetic services at Balcones Dermatology Associates, and this site is exclusively dedicated to the discussion of skin care and cosmetic topics.  I try to post an article on a skin care topic every month or two.  They will be archived under the “SkinSense” tab above.  I will also post random thoughts, commentary, and links to articles of interest here. Feel free to add your comments!  To receive my newsletters, as well as periodic updates and unadvertised specials, sign up for my free mailing list.(see button on left side.)  This site is informational only; nothing written here should be construed as medical advice.  Thanks for reading!

Kathy Farady

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Here’s a link to an article I wrote on dry winter skin.  It’s that time of year again!  Click here to read!

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Happy 2012, everyone!  My New Year’s resolution is to keep my blog up to date.

But speaking of resolutions, if you are determined to get your skin looking its best, i.e. getting rid of those brown spots and broken facial veins, we have good news!  Due to popular demand, we have continued our laser and IPL special through January.  This means 20% off any treatment, and an additional 15% off if you have multiple areas treated.  The best part is that if you start your series of treatments this month, we will continue the discount through your entire series.

Call 786-3498 for details and scheduling!  And have a great year!

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The Austin American Statesman published an article today on the benefits of the Paleo diet.  I’m very happy to see this idea get more exposure.  I’ve been preaching this way of eating for several years now.  The idea is to eat more like our stone-age ancestors; i.e. no grains, no dairy, no sugar, no legumes, and no processed foods.   The nutrition community is gradually coming around to the concept that refined grains and sugar are at the root of most modern diseases:  obesity, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and inflammatory disorders.  We deal with plenty of inflammatory disease in dermatology:  psoriasis, eczema, lupus, rosacea, and acne, just to name a few.  Ingestion of sugar (or refined carbs, which the body essentially sees as sugar) results in spikes in our insulin levels.  Too much circulating insulin leads to inflammation, weight gain, and eventually, insulin resistance (as the receptors wear out) and diabetes.  Once your insulin receptors quit working, all that sugar in your blood cannot be cleared efficiently and the sugar starts doing direct damage to your arteries and other tissues in a process called “glycation.”  This sppeds up the development of heart disease and general aging.  (and that includes wrinkles!)

I adhere to a modified Paleo diet myself:  no wheat, very few grains, very little diary.  No, I’m not perfect and I indulge in the occasional sweet treat.  But I have felt better and have no trouble with my weight.  Give it a try!  Check out the article here.

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This is the time of year when our patients start coming in for fillers to get ready for the holidays.  The makers of Radiesse have started a new rewards program that is pretty cool.  You get points each time you come in for a Radiesse treatment and the points can be turned into a Visa card, which can in turn be used in our office towards either more Radiesse or another cosmetic treatment.

They are rolling out the program in two markets right now:  San Francisco and Austin.  You may have seen the television ads running here if you live in Austin.

Radiesse is one of my favorite fillers for cheeks/midface and for nasolabial folds (smile lines.)  So, this could be a good time to try it out!  For more information, check out this link here.

For scheduling, call 786-3498.

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If you’ve been wanting to get rid of those unwanted brown spots on your face, chest, and hands, or have issues with facial redness or broken blood vessels, this is a great time of year to take care of those problems.  We are offering a 20% discount on all IPL treatments (Intense Pulsed Light) during the month of October.  And because we realize that there is usually a series of treatments involved, we will extend that discount through the end of your series.

Yes, this discount also applies to IPL hair removal as well!

Call us at 786-3498 (cosmetic line) or 459-4869, ext 19 (nurse’s line) for details!

Happy Fall!

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Part II of my article on summer rashes is now available to read on the Flourish over 50 site.  To read it, click here.

Here’s hoping that summer is almost over!!

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We had a winner in our drawing for a $300.00 voucher towards either a Botox® or IPL treatment!  The lucky lady said that she had never won anything before!  She is currently deciding how to use her voucher.  Thanks to all of you who entered!

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Everyone loves SilkPeel!  If you’re not familiar with this treatment, it’s a very gentle microdermabrasion, combined with an infusion of one of four therapeutic solutions designed to address skin issues such as acne, discoloration, dehydration or sun damage.  This thirty minute procedure leaves you with extremely smooth and clean skin.  (gentle vacuum cleans out all the dirt, residual makeup and dead skin cells.)  Our patients leave the office glowing!

We have been asked when we would do a special on SilkPeel, so here it is:  First, our price for SilkPeel has gone down from $125.00 per treatment to $90.00.  But, if you receive a treatment during the month of September, you will get it for only $75.00!   You will also receive coupons for two more treatments at the same price, to be used before Dec 31.  You are free to use them yourself, or give them to a friend.

We are excited about this deal and think it will make this wonderful treatment available to more people.  Call us at 512-786-3498 for details and scheduling!

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Hey, I just got another article published on the Flourish Over 50 website.  This one is about heat related rashes; apropos for the weather we’ve been having!  The bottom line is, try to stay cool and wear loose clothing.  What a brilliant insight!  

To read the article, click here.

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Just what we need for the dog days; a really cool cosmetic special!  We’re going to have a drawing on Sept 6 for a $300.00 voucher towards either a Botox® treatment, or an IPL (photofacial) treatment.  All Facebook fans will automatically be entered.  If you’re on Facebook but not a fan, go to my FB page here, and click the “Like” button.

You can also get entered by coming in for a Meg’s monthly maintenance treatment between now and Sept 2.  To find out more about this awesome treat, click on the “Cosmetic Services” tab above.  To schedule, call 512-786-3498 or 512-459-4869.

Yes, this means that it is possible to get entered twice!

If you are on my email list, you’ve already gotten this info.  To subscribe, click over there on the left.  

Stay cool, ya’ll!

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