Skin cancer affects one in five Americans, and more than 1 million new cases are diagnosed each year. Of these cases, more than 65,000 are melanoma, a cancer that claims nearly 11,000 lives each year. Studies have confirmed that sun exposure is responsible for the development of at least two-thirds of all melanomas. To minimize your exposure to damaging rays:

• Avoid outdoor activities between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. when the sun’s rays are the strongest;
• Seek shade whenever possible;
• Wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 15 or higher;
• Wear sun-protective clothing and accessories, such as wide-brimmed hats and sunglasses; and
• Follow the “Shadow Rule” – if your shadow is shorter than you are, the sun’s damaging rays are at their strongest and you are likely to burn.
• Avoid the harmful UV rays in tanning beds

My SPF-40 Lotion Mist Sun Block contains clear Zinc Oxide and is the only high SPF protection in a spray-lotion form. It’s broad spectrum protects skin against UVA and UVB exposure and helps prevent sun induced damage. It also contains antioxidants to help repair and rejuvenate skin.

The Daily Moisturizer with SPF- 30 is the ultimate daily moisturizer containing lipoic acid, vitamins A & E- powerful antioxidants for softer, more supple skin, all while providing sun protection.

Don’t forget to protect the lips with my Lip Protector with SPF 15 contains a unique blend of powerful antioxidants and moisturizers to prevent cracking and dryness. Repeated use results in soft and moist lips and erases fine lines around the lip line. And, the SPF protection makes it a great product to use year-round.

It’s possible to have a healthy glow without exposing yourself to harmful cancerous UV rays with my Sunless Tanning Bronzer. It is the only sunless tanning product with SPF-15, antioxidants and vitamins to leave your skin smooth and supple. You can achieve radiant skin within an hour that will last approximately one week.

With warm weather approaching, I hear from patients who don’t look forward to the summer and more revealing clothes that come with it. One area many women are frustrated by are the calves and ankles. Diet and exercise don’t seem to help this area and for many women, “cankle” liposuction can make a world of difference.

Vast improvements in liposuction techniques have made this surgery effective and increasingly popular. I can re-sculpt the area by using fine laser beams (Smart Lipo) and cannulas that allow fat to be removed through very small incisions providing improved contour to the ankles and calves. This is a more complex liposuction technique which should be performed by a board-certified plastic surgeon who performs this procedure frequently. The procedure is performed under “twilight” anesthesia and patients are walking within a few hours, and able to wear short skirts in a few weeks.

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States and a leading cause of serious long-term disability. Although most strokes occur in people aged 65 years or older, strokes can occur at any age. Knowing the symptoms of stroke and calling 9-1-1 immediately if someone appears to be having a stroke are crucial steps in getting prompt emergency medical care for a stroke. New treatments are available that can reduce the damage caused by a stroke for some victims, but these treatments need to be given soon after the symptoms start.

The American Stroke Association notes these five major signs of stroke—

• Numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body.
• Confusion, trouble speaking or understanding.
• Trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
• Trouble walking, dizziness, or loss of balance and coordination.
• Severe headache with no known cause.

Mother’s Day is May 13th! Give the gift of great-looking skin from Dr. Copeland Skin Care to a mom.  Our gift to you is BUY ONE GET ONE FREE on selected gift sets and items through Mother’s Day. And don’t forget FREE shipping on all orders over $75!

Dr. Copeland is proudly  supports Multiple Sclerosis research and has donated a gift basket of Dr. Copeland Skin Care products to be featured at the Holy Name MS Spring Fling Silent Auction.

Affecting 50 to 70 million Americans, sleep disorders are a major health and economic drain, but especially so for women. Sleep problems are more widely reported in women than men, and women are 1.4 times more likely to experience insomnia than men. To address the specifics of sex differences in sleep disorders, the Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR) hosted the congressional briefing, “Sleep Disorders and You: How challenges to sleep impact every aspect of your life” on April 11.

Lack of sleep causes cognitive impairment, difficulty focusing, impaired memory, delayed visual reaction time, and impaired motor function. Men and women should set aside the requisite 7-9 hours for sleep to maintain high cognitive function and motor abilities. Exercise, maintaining a regular sleep schedule, and other healthy lifestyle habits are critical to help fall and stay asleep. In addition, there are gender differences in how drugs prescribed for sleep  disorders interact, and must be considered when prescribing. Understanding the science of sleep and the influence of sex differences will lead to healthier and more effective treatments for all.

Dr. Copeland supports SWHR’s efforts to support women’s health through research on gender issues in medicine.

Daily Cleanser? Rewind Reparative Night Serum ? Rewind Eye Formula? – check your list and make sure to stock up. 30% off sale ends today – use code APRIL12 at checkout.

Don’t let the rain and clouds drive you to a tanning salon in hopes of getting some color before summer swimsuit season. The dangers of tanning beds are well documented, and even a little suntan can increase risk for skin cancer in addition to aging skin. It’s possible to have a healthy glow without exposing yourself to harmful cancerous UV rays with my Sunless Tanning Bronzer. It is the only sunless tanning product with SPF-15, antioxidants and vitamins to leave your skin smooth and supple. You can achieve radiant skin within an hour that will last approximately one week. Here’s a tip to achieve a smooth, even appearance: use AHA Body Smoothing Lotion to exfoliate prior to applying Sunless Tanning Bronzer.

And remember to always use sunscreen!

While people will go to extremes to lose weight before their weddings, we have better, safer ways to lose inches before that important day. Although diet and exercise are the keys to losing weight, there are cosmetic procedures that can help brides look better than ever in time for the wedding day. Non-surgical Zerona is an FDA cleared alternative to liposuction, which reduces inches with no pain, no surgery and no downtime. Patients are losing  between 3.6 to 5.5 inches and many are seeing even greater results when combined with a sensible diet and exercise program  And  best of all there is no recovery or downtime so you can resume all your normal activities immediately after each treatment.

As we reported earlier in the week, chin augmentation has skyrocketed among men and women of all age groups — a phenomenon which appears, in part, to be sparked by increased usage of video chat technology, an aging baby boomer population and a desire for success in the workplace. Chin augmentation grew more than breast augmentation, Botox® and liposuction combined in 2011. The procedure skyrocketed in both women and men, as well as in all patients over the age of 20, with the largest increase seen in patients age 40 or older.

Chin Augmentation By The Numbers:

I offer chin augmentation, usually a combination of a chin implant with neck lipectomy, to patients of all ages. As I’ve followed up with them, they uniformly report a boost in confidence in their appearance, and that carries through in their success at work and socially. It’s a procedure that can be done with little downtime and patients are often back to work within a few days

Although the results are dramatic, the procedure itself is not – the surgery requires only small incisions and can be done as an outpatient without the need for general anesthesia. Implants today are more natural looking than ever and we can often tighten the neck at the same time. Patients often tell me their only regret is not having it done sooner!