More skin cancers were found on the left sides of the faces of the 1047 patients studied. The findings showed that more men than women have cancerous melanomas on their left sides, possibly because women are often the passenger of a male driver.

52.6% of men and women had skin cancers on the left side

47.4% had skin cancers on the right side

More malignant melanomas occurred on the left (74%) than on the right (26%)

82% of skin cancers occurred on sun-exposed areas of the head and neck

92% of skin cancers occurred on sun-exposed areas of the arms and hands.

The study warned that a people should wear sunscreen that blocks both the UVA and UVB rays. Non-laminated clear glass on automobiles blocks UVB rays but allows 63% of UVA rays to pass through to the people inside the car.

Read the label of your sunscreen to ensure that it blocks both type of damaging rays, says Dr. Jeffrey Raval who recommends patients use a sunscreen that’s rated 30 or higher.

Jeffrey R. Raval, MD FACS added his new online store to his two websites Dec. 15, 2009 just in time for the holiday season. It’s a move to make holiday gift giving a beautiful experience. From now until Dec. 31, 2009, online shoppers can buy a $100 gift certificate for products and services at Raval Facial Aesthetics and Rocky Mountain Laser Aesthetics and PAY ONLY $75. That’s a $25 savings.

Raval Facial Aesthetics and Rocky Mountain Laser Aesthetics are located at 250 Steele St., Denver, CO 80206. Besides gift certificates, facial plastic surgeon Dr. Raval has added his own name-brand prescription-strength line of skincare products to his online store and live location.

Essential night cream with antioxidants vitamin C and A is sold under the Raval Rx label. An enhanced medical grade Essential Night Cream is available to existing patients and the formulation includes Retin A and Hydroquinone. The ingredients in this new beauty product are designed to contradict signs of aging, especially at a high altitude.

The price of this Night Cream is surprisingly inexpensive—the 40g container is only $100 for the basic Night Cream and $120 for the prescription-grade cream enhanced with Retin-A and Hydroquinone.

“We’ve added our online retail presence because we recognize that our patients and prospective patients have less and less time for themselves,” says Dr. Raval. “Everyone is working harder days and longer hours to keep up in this economy. We want to make it exceedingly easy for our patients to continue their cosmetic beauty regime without fear of running out of product. Plus our gift certificate program is the gift that a woman (or man for that matter) can use at will while saving on product and treatments.”

Dr. Raval has had an online presence for the nine years he’s been in practice in Denver, Colorado. Over that time, he’s grown to be known as The Nose Doc for his rhinoplasty surgery, particularly for revision nose jobs, correcting the surgeries other doctors have performed. As a American Board certified head/neck surgeon, Dr. Jeffrey Raval is also board certified as an Ear/Nose/Throat surgeon also called an otolaryngologist.

To purchase a gift certificate online, visit www.ravalmd.com or www.rockymountainlaser.com.

Call Dr. Raval at 303-381-FACE (3223).

At the Rocky Mountain Laser Aesthetics we only use lasers meant specifically for tattoo removal versus lasers that are more effective for other cosmetic improvements, like hair removal or wrinkle removal. For tattoo removal we rely on the MedLite® laser, a Q-Switched laser Nd: YAG laser, which is top of its class for this purpose. With this laser, virtually any tattoo can be significantly lightened or completely eradicated. The Medlite laser breaks the ink particles down so they can be flushed through the body’s system naturally and the best part is, it leaves the surrounding tissue virtually untouched. The tattoo reduction procedure takes anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour depending on the size, location and color of the tattoo. Since not all colors respond the same, multiple lasers may be used for optimal results.

While I was blessed with Mediterranean skin, eyes and my grandma’s prowess in the kitchen, I also have her unsightly abundance of body hair. During the summer when my wardrobe is barer than normal I become extremely self-conscious of the hair on my lower back. Is there a painless solution to hair freedom?

At Rocky Mountain Laser Aesthetics, we use two different forms of laser to customize a flawless hair reduction treatment depending on your specific skin’s color and needs. With these two forms of laser hair removal as well as electrolysis at your disposal, you’re guaranteed smooth, silky skin.

Recent advances in hair removal technology ensure a safer, gentler and faster solution to unwanted hair. Using the Cynosure laser, the medical technician passes a gentle beam of energy through the skin and into the hair follicle. The energy is then transformed into heat which damages the hair follicle and prevents it from future production of hair. This unusually effective hair removal treatment is used on all parts of the body except the area immediately around the eyes. Fair skinned patients with dark hair are ideal candidates as this particular treatment is unresponsive on those with darker skin.

A second hair-reduction removal laser used at Rocky Mountain Laser Aesthetics is the Apogee Elite Laser. This laser has all of the fast-acting perks of the Cynosure laser and as well removes small facial veins and spider veins. It also works on all skin types, even dark and tanned skin.

A third hair removal alternative is Electrolysis. Our electrolysis expert at Rocky Mountain Laser Aesthetics has perfected this procedure, having performed it for nearly two decades. We provide her with the finest hand-held electrolysis equipment on the market. Electrolysis kills the papilla and loosens the hair shaft for easy removal and ensuring that hair will never be able to grow in that area again. Internationally, electrolysis has been proven to be the only truly effective total hair removal technique on the market today.

Jessica Santi, Clinical Director for Rocky Mountain Laser Aesthetics, reports that men and women make appointments for hair reduction and hair removal at the clinic, especially before swim season, so make your appointment soon by calling the clinic at 303-985-8520.

After years of squinting in the sun I have noticed small wrinkles developing around my eyes. I know wrinkles are supposed to be the mark of wisdom but to me they scream my age. Is there a way to tastefully remove these pestering smile lines?

With Botox, your bothersome smile lines can be diminished. In a simple 10-minute treatment, a series of injections are administered around your trouble spots with results lasting up to four months. Botox is the only treatment of it’s kind to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The Botox is injected into the muscle tissue to the wrinkles that can be perceived as anger, stress or age in both men and women.

Botox is a simple treatment without any anesthesia or downtime. Slight inflammation, bruising and tenderness may occur with the injection but all side effects should subside within 3-4 days.

We all know what dry skin and sunburn look like. If you’ve experienced sunburn, there’s likely sun damage to your skin even if it doesn’t show up immediately.

Actinic keratosis, on the other hand, is a medical word not used in everyday conversation. This symptom of sun damage shows up as a small bump that feels like sandpaper or a persistent patch of scaly peeling skin that may have a jagged or even sharp surface and is pink, yellow, red or brownish in color. Sometimes actinic keratosis itches or is slightly tender.

Damage to the skin’s collagen causes fine lines, deeper wrinkles, a thickened skin texture and easy bruising on sun-exposed areas, especially the back of the hands and forearms.

The expert medical aestheticians at Rocky Mountain Laser Aesthetics can confirm if you’ve had sun damage by examining the area of concern. If you’re experiencing a patch of actinic keratosis, your doctor might recommend a biopsy to rule out skin cancer.

Rocky Mountain Laser Aesthetics can also measure the amount of sun damage to your skin with our Visia Digital Skin Analysis. Then we can customize a treatment for you to treat your sun damaged skin.

Q. What is Visia Digital Skin Analysis?

A. VISIA™ Digital Skin Analysis is a revolutionary innovation that uses a multi-spectral imaging to create a map of your face, thus identifing problem areas of your complexion and establishing a basis of your skin’s condition and/or damage compared to other women of your same age.

Not only does the Visia Digital Skin Analysis detect surface damage to your skin, but it also identifies and measures subsurface epidermal irregularities and pigment conditions including:

• Fine lines and wrinkles
• Hyperpigmentation (age/dark spots)
• Enlarged pores
• Skin tone evenness (color variation)
• Porphyrins (evidence of bacterial growth)
• Sun damage (UV spots)

Visia is a painless treatment, a sort of mapping or photograph of your face and it’s cellular irregularities.

Q. If I am diagnosed with sun damage, what do I do next?

A. Aside from prevention (read further down in this column), Rocky Mountain Laser Aesthetics has a number of treatments that can turn back time for your sun-damaged skin. Our highly trained paramedical aestheticians can advise you on which treatments will be most effective to correct the sun damage you’ve suffered. See our Services Section of our website, or link to any of these services offered at Rocky Mountain Laser Aesthetics:

• Sciton MicroLaser Peel
• Parisian Peel Microdermabrasion
• BOTOX
• Restylane
• Hylaform Plus
• Captique
• Customized Medical Facial
• FotoFacial (IPL)
• Light Chemical Peels
• Photodynamic Therapy
• Photodynamic Acne Treatment (BLU-U)
• Laser Facial with the Cynosure Laser
• Collagen Rebuilding Treatment with the Cynosure Laser

Q. How do I prevent sun damage in the future?

A. You can help to prevent sun-damaged skin by taking the following steps:

•  Apply a sunscreen before you go outdoors. 30 SPF and above is recommended. And be sure to read the label because you’ll want to use a sunscreen that protects against both UVA and UVB rays as both are damaging to the skin.
• Use a sunblock on your lips too. Your lips are skin and therefore need protection just like the rest of your face. Again, read the label. A SPF of 20 or higher is recommended.
• Limit your time outdoors when the sun is at its peak (from about 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in most parts of the continental United States).
• Wear sunglasses with UV light protection.
• Wear long pants, a shirt with long sleeves and a hat with a wide brim when you are in the sun.
• If you are taking medication or using certain skin care products that can accelerate the sun’s damage on your skin, be particularly aware of the time spent in the sun.
• Avoid sun tanning beds altogether.

Also, if you have a mole or patch of discolored and/or scaly skin on any part of your body, please see your physician to diagnose if you have skin cancer. At our elevation in Colorado the rate of skin cancer is much higher than in other low-lying parts of the country or world.