Meet our new Fellows, Drs. Bonati, Quatrano and Sadeghpour
It’s this time of the year when we welcome three new Fellows to SkinCare Physicians’ Teaching and Training program. Drs. Lauren Bonati, Nicola Quatrano and Mona Sadeghpour will be with us for a year, during which they will be exposed to all aspects of cosmetic and dermatologic surgery, as well as laser medicine.
Dr. Lauren Bonati grew up in the Philadelphia region alongside one older brother. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in Music Theory and Composition and received her M.D. from the University of Miami in Florida. She completed dermatology residency at Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine in New York City and served as chief resident during her final year. With her husband and 2-year-old daughter at home, Lauren loves to play the piano, sing, and attend concerts and musical theatre whenever possible. She enjoys skiing, snowboarding, playing tennis, and reading historical fiction. Lauren is thrilled to join the team at SkinCare Physicians and looks forward to a fun and memorable year!
Dr. Nicola Quatrano born in Springfield, MA and grew up in northern Connecticut. She graduated from Boston College with a B.S. in Biochemistry and a minor in Studio Art prior to heading north to attend medical school at Dartmouth. She completed her residency in Dermatology at NYU and served as chief resident during her final year. Nicki enjoys oil painting, drawing, water sports, and snowboarding. She is looking forward to joining SkinCare Physicians and returning to her old stomping ground in Chestnut Hill!
Dr. Mona Sadeghpour graduated with honors from University of Texas at Dallas and received her Doctorate of Medicine from Yale University School of Medicine. She completed her dermatology residency at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, where she served as chief resident. Though she grew up in Texas, she has lived in 5 other states in the past 10 years, including Connecticut, Washington, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and now Massachusetts. When she is not at work, you can find her playing tennis, working out, dancing, hiking the great outdoors, or scavenging for the next best tea or coffee shop. She is grateful for the opportunity to join the SkinCare Physicians family and further her ability to deliver excellent patient care.
You asked, we took action: Digital appointment reminders are here
Time is valuable and many of our patients have been asking us to remind them of appointment via email or text. This more convenient, less intrusive appointment reminder method allows them to confirm their appointments immediately, or later when they can, no matter where they are.
For your convenience and to further improve your satisfaction with SkinCare Physicians, we recently deployed the Solutionreach appointment reminder software platform. Our scheduling staff can now strategically deliver personalized reminders of upcoming appointments based on your personal preference for email, text or phone call. You then can easily confirm your upcoming appointments via email and text, and/or call the practice to reschedule if the appointment time reserved for you no longer suits you.
Do not fret, you can still receive your tried and true reminder phone call from Manny, the most famous voice at SkinCare Physicians! Simply request a reminder from Manny, and you will receive a phone call five days prior to your appointment’s date.
Katie Brodt, FNP-BC lectures nurses on skin disorders
Earlier this week, SkinCare Physicians’ family nurse practitioner, Katie Brodt, gave a lecture on “Disorders of the Skin: What Nurses Need to Know” at the 12th annual Clinical Nursing Conference organized by the Massachusetts Nurses Association. Her talk was part of a continuing nursing education program.
Katie provided her enthusiastic audience with essential information about widespread skin conditions, including psoriasis, rashes, acne and rosacea, that she treats daily. She also gave a fascinating overview of skin cancers – melanoma, basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma – and discussed detection and treatments. She finally shared her expertise on the latest advancements in cosmetic treatments.
If you missed her well-received presentation, do not worry! She is scheduled to give another course next December for the Cape region.
Is your screen time aging your skin?
SkinCare Physicians’ Dr. Robin Travers talked to Boston 25 Morning News about the effect of high-energy visible or “HEV” light from screens and devices on the aging process of the skin. Dr. Travers shares what is known about this light now, and a few ways we can protect ourselves. The average American looks at their phone 46 times a day, and that number doubles for millennials! Over-exposure to screen light may be prematurely aging our skin. Watch her interview.
ASLMS 2017: An inspiring conference
Last weekend, many doctors from SkinCare Physicians participated to the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery (ASLMS) Annual Conference, Laser 2017, in San Diego, California. They were Drs. Arndt, Dover, Kaminer, Morton, Sikora, and Rohrer, our three fellows Drs. Ibrahim, Haimovic and Lee, and our research staff, Kathleen Petrell, Joanna Depina and Sarah Ionta. Most participated as directors and faculty in courses and plenary sessions, research presentations and scientific advisory board meetings.
Examples of topics addressed by SkinCare Physicians’ dermatologists included:
Non-invasive body contouring.
Neck tightening & submandibular fat reduction
Combo of fractional lasers and drugs for rejuvenation.
Attracting patients and keeping them.
Accelerated tattoo removal facilitated with acoustic wave device.
Top 10 laser/light/energy complications.
Laser pearls.
Among those who played a prominent part at Laser 2017, were an incredible number of former SkinCare Physicians Fellows many of whom are shown in the photos. These dermatologists were trained at SkinCare Physicians and now practice throughout the US.
This year, Dr. Jeffrey Dover also received a Presidential Citation in appreciation of his fundraising leadership, which allowed enhancements to the 2017 program and scholarship funding for ASLMS members in need.
SkinCare Physicians’ RNs present miraDry project
SkinCare Physicians’ registered nurses (RN), Colleen Gaffney, Sheila Taldon and Stefania Ruscito presented the results from their miraDry Quality Improvement Project at the Dermatology Nurses Association’s 2017 Annual Convention in Orlando. Our three RNs are trained in the use of miraDry, a treatment for excessive underarm sweating, also called axillary hyperhidrosis. Their goal was to study patient satisfaction with and effectiveness of the miraDry non-invasive procedure. Congratulations to our talented nurses!
Dr. Nicole Lee presents trial results of new therapy for Keratosis Pilaris
Congratulations to SkinCare Physicians’ Fellow, Nicole Lee, whose late breaking research abstract was one the 40 selected, out of 180 submissions, to be presented at the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) 2017 annual meeting! She shared the clinical trial results of a novel topical therapy with Ammonia Oxidizing Bacteria for Keratosis Pilaris. Keratosis Pilaris is a common and harmless condition which appears as tiny bumps on the skin. The clinical trial was a collaboration between SkinCare Physicians and AOBiome, the company behind the new treatment. Here she is with Spiros Jamas just before her presentation at AAD last week in Florida.
Dr. Kaminer’s eHealth Radio interview on Cellfina for cellulite
Last week, Skincare Physicians’ Dr. Michael Kaminer was the guest of Eric Michaels on eHealth Radio and the Dermatology Channel. He discussed Cellfina, a treatment for cellulite, and answered the following:
What is cellulite?
How can cellulite be treated?
Who is the ideal candidate for Cellfina?
How does Cellfina work?
Based on the patients treated, how long does it take to see results after the Cellfina treatment?
How long will the Cellfina results last?
Listen to or read the interview:
Presenter: This is the eHealth Radio Network, your source for health advice on demand. And now your host, Eric Michaels. EM: This is Eric Michaels, and once again you have tuned into the eHealth Radio Network and the Dermatology Channel. Don’t forget we’re also streaming on demand 24/7 on TuneIn Radio and the TuneIn Radio app for your listening convenience. Today we are speaking with Boston-based cosmetic surgeon Dr. Michael Kaminer, to talk on cellulite and how to treat it. Dr. Kaminer, a pleasure to have you with us today on the show. MSK: Eric, thanks for having me. EM: You’re welcome. So, for starters, tell our listening audience what is cellulite? MSK: You know, it’s an interesting question, because I think our definition is changing. There’s probably two ways to define it. One is what do we all see when we look at cellulite, and I think everybody knows what it is. It’s sort of that rippled or bumpy or dimpled appearance that almost exclusively women have on the backside, and back of the thighs. But what’s been interesting is what we’ve learned about what’s going on underneath the skin, which is I think, redefining what causes cellulite, and therefore, in the end, how we treat it. EM: And Dr. Kaminer how can cellulite be treated? MSK: Well, for years, it’s been troubling, right? Women have been using all sorts of over-the-counter and topical and massage-based treatments. And those treatments have been stubborn. And I think women have been frustrated. Interesting data shows that most people can get about 10 to 20% improvement that’s temporary, and last about a month or two. And the reason why we believe that’s the case is previous treatments targeted the fat, which is what we thought was the cause of cellulite. And when we developed this new technology called Cellfina, what we decided to do was go at the other target that may be caused cellulite, which are what are called fiber septae or collagen bands that are underneath the skin. And we designed experiments that in the end proved that these little collagen bands, these fiber septae, they literally pull down the surface of the skin and create that dimpled appearance sort of like what would happen with a button and a mattress. And so by treating those fiber septae, rather than the fat, we are now able to treat the root cause of cellulite. And in addition, the other benefit is the results are very long lasting in terms of years. EM: And who is the ideal candidate for Cellfina? MSK: Typically, the patients that do best are on the younger side, so 20s to 30s with just a few either cellulite dimples on the backside, or little linear ridges or dimples on the outer or sides of the thighs. But which now we have learned that we can treat a lot more extensive assignment we can also treat women well into their 40s and 50s. So the sort of rule of thumb is if you have less than you have great skin tone, you’ll do spectacularly. But if your skin is you know maybe not doing as well as it used to be or you tend to have a little bit more cellulite, we can still treat those women effectively. And the data is really compelling 99% of the people that we treat with Cellfina will get a noticeable benefit. And the FDA has recently cleared this technology for at least three years. And in my personal experience. I think these results last even longer on the orders of five years or more. EM: And that is certainly good news. Today we are joined by dermatologist Dr. Michael S. Kaminer MD, a known leader, innovator and talented skin cancer and cosmetic surgeon in the Boston area. He is also one of the three founding partners of SkinCare Physicians here on eHealth Radio’s Dermatology Channel, a part of the eHealth Radio Network. Now, Dr. Kaminer, taking it a little further, how does Cellfina actually work? MSK: Well, when we made these little discoveries in the beginning, which turned out to be somewhat bigger than we thought, we found that these little collagen bands, these fiber septae that are under the skin and everybody has them. What’s interesting is women develop these basically, in utero, men do not. And these little fibers band as women go through puberty start to become more pronounced. And when they get sort of to their mature stage, late teens into the 20s, and 30s, they pull down on the surface of the skin. What Cellfina does, is use this tiny little tool that goes under the skin, after we put just a drop of local anesthesia in, and the tool when it gets under the skin enables to release that fiber band that’s pulling on the under surface of the skin, sort of like a rope pulling down under the skin. And this little tool simply releases the rope that allows the skin to float back up. And the result is a smooth appearance. So the procedure is relatively simple. And I think that’s one of the things that we know in medicine is if you can come up with something that’s a simple concept, in the end, patients will benefit pretty quickly and importantly with Cellfina, very predictably. EM: Also, based on the patients that you have treated, how long does it take to see results after the Cellfina treatment? MSK: You know, amazingly some of our patients say that they see results as soon as three or four days out from treatment that’s somewhat unusual. The average patient about three to four weeks out really starts to see that the cellulite has improved. And again, the statistics are somewhat staggering for a new technique. I get 99% of the women that we treat, will get a benefit. When I asked my patients on a 1 to 10 scale, what, what’s the quality of the benefit, 10 being the most you can hope for, the average patient says it’s about an 8 or 9, and that 8 or 9 usually comes by one to three months after the procedure. So again, 99% of people will benefit. The results are pretty compelling in terms of the quality of the result. And by three months, just about everybody seeing benefit, and interestingly, those results seem to get better over the course of a full year. And so our patients for the year out are even better than they were even a couple months out. EM: Excellent. And how long will the Cellfina results last? MSK: Yeah, that seems to be the next big question we’re going to answer. We know based on what the FDA has cleared that it lasts at least three years. So, the quality of the result that we get with Cellfina, the treatment of cellulite, maintains its level of improvement and the quality of improvement for at least three years. And again, is that 99% of patients will see a benefit. Interestingly, of those, 96% at three years still feel that they still have the same amount of result. Now I’ve been treating people in my practice for as long as seven years when we did the research, seven eight years. And we feel that these patients are still maintaining the results. So officially from the FDA three years, unofficially in practice probably six or seven, and it’s likely going to be longer. I think we just have to wait and see. EM: Interesting information Dr. Kaminer and very informative and we really appreciate your covering cellulite and how to treat it. Where can our listeners find your practice online and how could they be in touch? MSK: Well, there’s two ways I can appreciate you having me on: one is at my practice’s website, which is SkinCarePhysicians.net. And if people want to find out more about cellulite and Cellfina they can go to the company’s website, which is Cellfina.com. EM: Easy enough. Well, Dr. Kaminer we certainly have appreciated you’re joining us here today on eHealth radio and have a great rest of your day. MSK: Thanks Eric, you too. EM: We have been speaking with dermatologist Dr. Michael S. Kaminer MD, a known leader innovator and talented skin cancer and cosmetic surgeon located in the Boston area. He is one of the three founding partners of SkinCare Physicians and the website of reference and for contact it’s Cellfina.com. And this has been alright Michael and you’ve been listening to eHealth Radio in the Dermatology Channel, a part of the eHealth Radio Network and we do thank you for listening. And until next time, enjoy. Presenter: Thanks for tuning in to the eHealth Radio Network. For more information or to subscribe to this podcast, visit ehealthradionetwork.com
Drs. Sikora and Kaminer lectured at Hawaii Dermatology Seminar
SkinCare Physicians’ Drs. Brooke Sikora and Michael Kaminer attended the 41st Hawaii Dermatology Seminar organized by the Skin Disease Education Foundation, where they lectured on various fascinating dermatology topics.
Dr. Sikora gave terrific talks and expert advice on Botox and how to successfully incorporate cosmeceuticals into practice.
Dr. Kaminer, who was the co-chair of the Aesthetic and Procedural Dermatology sessions, participated to a great panel on pearls from the masters-fillers & toxins cases, skillfully moderated a live filler injection session, and gave a captivating talk on the latest tattoo treatments. More on the conference
Our aesthetician loves SkinMedica Retinol Complex
Meredith, one of SkinCare Physicians’ aestheticians, highly recommends to all her clients that they use a retinol in their beauty regimen. As part of our product video series, she shares her favorite retinol product: SkinMedica Retinol Complex. Her video reveals why she loves this unique retinol.
Dr. Lauren Bonati grew up in the Philadelphia region alongside one older brother. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in Music Theory and Composition and received her M.D. from the University of Miami in Florida. She completed dermatology residency at Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine in New York City and served as chief resident during her final year. With her husband and 2-year-old daughter at home, Lauren loves to play the piano, sing, and attend concerts and musical theatre whenever possible. She enjoys skiing, snowboarding, playing tennis, and reading historical fiction. Lauren is thrilled to join the team at SkinCare Physicians and looks forward to a fun and memorable year!
Dr. Mona Sadeghpour graduated with honors from University of Texas at Dallas and received her Doctorate of Medicine from Yale University School of Medicine. She completed her dermatology residency at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, where she served as chief resident. Though she grew up in Texas, she has lived in 5 other states in the past 10 years, including Connecticut, Washington, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and now Massachusetts. When she is not at work, you can find her playing tennis, working out, dancing, hiking the great outdoors, or scavenging for the next best tea or coffee shop. She is grateful for the opportunity to join the SkinCare Physicians family and further her ability to deliver excellent patient care.
Time is valuable and many of our patients have been asking us to remind them of appointment via email or text. This more convenient, less intrusive appointment reminder method allows them to confirm their appointments immediately, or later when they can, no matter where they are.
Earlier this week, SkinCare Physicians’ family nurse practitioner, Katie Brodt, gave a lecture on “Disorders of the Skin: What Nurses Need to Know” at the 12th annual Clinical Nursing Conference organized by the Massachusetts Nurses Association. Her talk was part of a continuing nursing education program.
Last weekend, many doctors from SkinCare Physicians participated to the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery (ASLMS) Annual Conference, Laser 2017, in San Diego, California. They were Drs. Arndt, Dover, Kaminer, Morton, Sikora, and Rohrer, our three fellows Drs. Ibrahim, Haimovic and Lee, and our research staff, Kathleen Petrell, Joanna Depina and Sarah Ionta. Most participated as directors and faculty in courses and plenary sessions, research presentations and scientific advisory board meetings.
Congratulations to SkinCare Physicians’ Fellow, Nicole Lee, whose late breaking research abstract was one the 40 selected, out of 180 submissions, to be presented at the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) 2017 annual meeting! She shared the clinical trial results of a novel topical therapy with Ammonia Oxidizing Bacteria for Keratosis Pilaris. Keratosis Pilaris is a common and harmless condition which appears as tiny bumps on the skin. The clinical trial was a collaboration between SkinCare Physicians and AOBiome, the company behind the new treatment. Here she is with Spiros Jamas just before her presentation at AAD last week in Florida.
SkinCare Physicians’ Drs. Brooke Sikora and Michael Kaminer attended the 41st Hawaii Dermatology Seminar organized by the Skin Disease Education Foundation, where they lectured on various fascinating dermatology topics.