• you have really impressd me. I am going to vegas sometime in the fall. When you treat a patient for the 1st time for your anti aging treatment, what is a aptient to expect. Do you do cell testing? How affordable is your treatment and can a person follow through on a long distance basis? I am always tired, diabetes runs in my family. I have been told I have chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia. My sister has tested positive for lupus and raynolds disease. I am forty seven and otherwise healthy. I let myself become about 30 pounds overweight. i just lost 20 lbs, and working to shed the rest. I took out all white and processed foods from my diet including sugar. I feel a little better, but still get quick tired. I think I would like to come and see you.

  Answer:  follow though can be done long distance, the testing we due is usually basic blood test the majority of the time but if someone has special interests or concerns we can do additioanl testing to satisfy those issues. Please feel free to make an appointment and we can see you and then determine where to go form there. Hope to see you soon. JG 7.28.06

• Dr. Is Nonni juice really good as they advertise it? I would like to try it if it doesn't have any side effect.

  Answer:  no it is not, but it won't hurt you. JG 7.18.06

• Hi Dr. Garcia, I suffer from hair loss and previously you had suggested using Progesterone cream to increase my progesterone levels. However, I checked my levels before doing that and since my Dr. switched me from Desogen to Ovcon, my Progesterone levels I think are very hig now. It was 1.47 ng/ml and this was like the 3rd day of my period. Is this the mid-follicular phase? Is it too high? Is Ovcon ok because I hear a lot of bad things about Ovcon and I wasn't sure if I should switch back to Desogen because my hair loss is still very bad. Thanks for your help

  Answer:  normal levels vary from lab to lab but mid-follicular time is 2 weeks after the end of the menses. As to the products they put you on, they are synthetic progesterone, called progestins and they behave more like a testosterone at times than natural progesterone, you need progesterone USP, called Prometrium, or a transdermal cream, not the ones you are on.That should help. JG 5.2.06

• What do you think about ultrasound technology being used to screen for abdominal aortic aneurysm, peripheral arterial disease and stroke. Thank you.

  Answer:  very good technology, worth the money. JG 4.5.06

• What is your take on Grape Seed Extract? I've read reports that is better than Vitamin C for the skin. Do you recommend this supplement?

  Answer:  has some apparent benefits taken orally, jury still out on topical, I don't think there is any good evidence that it is better than vitamin C, mostly claims by companies that sell it. JG 3.19.06

• I just found your column, it's great. I have been getting consultations for help with loose skin and cellulite above my knees. Of course I have seen and priced the Titan and Thermage but one office had something new called Accent by Alma and they said it was still in test phase but they could do it on my thighs. Apparently it is a bipolar laser. They claimed it was quite a bit more powerful than the Titan or Thermage. Do you know anything about it?

  Answer:  thanks for the kind words. I think they are all unreliable and do not get an effect in all patients. JG 3.19.06

• My concern is if I could get Hayflick limit with those mandelic acid products (using them daily, cleanser, serum 10%, toner, night lotion

  Answer:  Hayflick limit is a theory,never proven, makes a lot of sense, but has never been measured in a clinical sense and not all cells may have the same limit. JG 3.16.06

• I can't tell you how wonderful it is to have a doctor to communicate with and get advice on products/procedures that we might otherwise waste our time or money on. You are invaluble!

  Answer:  I appreciate your comments. Please check my sister website at www.lvcosmeticsurgery.com for an even larger message board and archive of questions. JG 3.7.06

• Can you buy everything in the GeneF20 supplement separetly and get more effect or are their ingredients useless?

  Answer:  I feel they are not effective in doing what they claim to do. JG 3.7.06

• and can it detect if you could have a possible tumor causing the coarse hair?

  Answer:  possibly, but most likely there is no tumor. JG 3.2.06

• Can a blood test check to see if your adrenal glands are functioning properly?

  Answer:  yes. JG 3.2.06

• Is the progestin desogestrel more dangerous due to possible increase in the occurance of blood clots?

  Answer:  most birth control pill increse blood clot risks. JG 2.28.06

• Regarding the Russian nootropic drug Picamilon ( combination of GABA and niacin chemically bonded), any info you have regarding its safety as it is a weak MAOI, i am concerned about cheese effect/tyra

  Answer:  I think the risks are mostly hypothetical, I have not used that drug but have used others similar and have not had any adverse effects with the cheese products. JG 1.17.06

• Hi Dr Garcia, happy new year! I love reading your q&a, I always seem to learn something new even if some questions seem strange. I have two of my own. My son is 24yrs old and his hair is starting to thin. His dad and my dad were both prematurely bald so his genes are working against him but I'm wondering what you would recommend. And also I see you advise dmae cream, what is it exactly? That may seem like duhh but when I went to your site to buy (and other sites as well) it doesn't really specify what the cream is, just so many to order! And why mix it with retin-a and vitamin c? Thank

  Answer:  For the hair, I suggest ScalpMed, available at www.ScalpMed.com. As to the DMAE cream, it is a cream to help slow or reverse some of the damage from sun and age, it works by stabilizing membranes and helping cell walls heal. It already comes with Vitamin C. One can use Retin-A with it although it is not needed, in severe cases you can use both. JG 1.10.05

• do you offer supplements that boost up the immune system and helps with sinus allergies from site? if not what would u suggest. tired of taking claritin and everything.i am a single parent and have two adolescent boys with loads of enrgy and i have none with the allergies.

  Answer:  Japanese Mushrooms seem to help the immune system. JG 1.6.06

• Does mesotharapy tightens the skin and are the results worth it? how wmany treatments are requires for skin typw IV?

  Answer:  waste of time and money, does not work. JG 12.5.05

• I have heard of lipodissolve injections lately? are they effective in really taking the fat out?How long do the results last?

  Answer:  there are not reliable in fat removal, no one knows how it works and no one knows if it is permanent. I do not recommend it. JG 12.01.05

• What do you reccomend for hair, health and growth

  Answer:  products availabale at www.ScalpMed.com I use it for my patients. JG 12.01.05

• Hi Doctor...I had one treatment of Lipodissolve in my lower abs and then one week after the treatment I found out I was pregnant. Are you aware of any problems that can occur? They are telling me everything is fine, but I would like a 2nd opinion. We had been trying for 15 months with no success or I would not have started the procedure. In the consultation I told them we were trying and had been trying for some time they said there is no problem because it is more topical than anything. They are there to sell a product. Thank you so much for your time!

  Answer:  I don't think they can say that with any certainty as it has never been studied to determine if it is safe. I think you are probably OK but there is no way to know 100%. Mesotherapy is not topical at all, it is injected and then absorbed into your entire body. JG 11.17.05

• Dr. Garcia, I am 46 and my face is half the size it was than a few years ago. I'm quite distressed about this and am wondering if fat transfer will fix it or is it not fixable? Thank you for your gr

  Answer:  I think fat transfer is a good option to regain the fullness in your face you have lost. JG 11.14.05

• will the product sta-tight work

  Answer:  I seriously doubt it. JG 11.11.05

• I am a healthy female. I have fat loss under my eyes. I am considering Sculptra.In looking through various websites, I cannot find any pictures of before and after for under eyes. Is this procedure not recommended for under eye fat loss? When it desolves in my system, will the new collagen remain, so it is of benefit even after the obvious results are gone? I have read in your archives a lot about bumps and skin drooping. It that typical, are they obvious bumps. I trust your opinion, please help me make the right decision.

  Answer:  it is being done but is not approved for that use so posting pictures will be rare to see. When it dissolves, it is all gone. Bumps are rare with Sculptra in the cheeks but in thin skin they are more likely. I think below the eyelids may be OK but into the eyelid skin itself I would stay away I must say. JG 11.11.05

• Is Gaba effective for anti-aging when taken by mouth?

  Answer:  it helps to get to sleep and that allows you to rest and recuperate so in a round about way, yes. JG 10.14.05

• Hi Dr. Garcia, I recently starting taking Yasmin b/c pill about 2 mos ago and I am noticing thinning hair in the front of my scalp. Could the pill be causing this? I am freaking iut because I have great thick curly hair! Thanks!

  Answer:  It can because some birth control pills have drugs which are chemically similar to testosterone and it can then turn to DHT and cause hair loss in susceptible females. JG 10.14.05

• What do you think of Idebenol facial cream by Sovage?

  Answer:  no medical claims to back up anything they say. JG 10.10.05

• I keep seeing where you suggest people have their sylavia tested as a way of seeing if there hormones are okay in order to reduce sagging skin. Is that something you do in your office. In other words, I live out of state, could I send it to you and you would tell what products I need to use?

  Answer:  Yes, we can send a kit to you to have the levels checked but I cannot prescribe hormone supplementation until I see the patient live and in person. I could give you only OTC product advise. JG 10.10.05

• I am anxious to hear your opinion on the product now being advertised by Dr. Lewis Feder. It is called sta-tight and is on the web with a study from the International Journal of Cosmetic Science. Do you think this may work?

  Answer:  Total waste of time and money. The pictures he shows are done so blatantly dishonestly with different lighting to exagerate things that he should be ashamed of himself. JG 9.25.05

• What do you think of Hypnotherapy for Breast Enlargement?

  Answer:  waste of time and money. JG 9.21.05

• Also, what about Wendi Friesen and hypnotherapy?

  Answer:  not familiar with her, sorry. JG 9.20.05

• Does MSM help promote collagen and connective tissue?

  Answer:  reports are that it helps the building of collagen. JG 9.17.05

• Does Lipo-dissolve combined with meso therapy work?

  Answer:  Nope. JG 9.13.05

• Hi there – I have been asking about the lumps that formed under my eyes from sculptra. Tonight I have a consult with a doctor who does a lot of bump removal using kenalog. This doctor says that he will inject only enough to break up the lump and that if any surrounding area is damaged it will be the collagen that was built, not my permanent tissue. My questions are – 1. how hard is it to inject kenalog so that it doesn’t cause atrophy and 2. Is the eye area so delicate that it is totally out of the question for injecting? I am NOT letting him do it to me today but might consider it in the future. Thank you for all your advice! 9.1.05

  Answer:  He can think whatever he wants but what he claims to be able to do is false and misleading. I would strongly suggest you not do it and go see someone else becasue he is obviously a great self-promotor but he is promising things that are impossible. JG 09.1.5

• What are some ideal supplements that anyone could take for maintaining their health and youth?

  Answer:  It depends on their personal medical history, their family history and their personal habits. Testing can also guide us. JG 8.2.05

• Greetings. What is your opinion on usage of retinol products (over the counter types found in face creams and foundations -- like L'Oreal and ROC) while breastfeeding? Have there been any significant studies indicating the need to avoid these products? Or are they OK to use?

  Answer:  I think they are good, mild, but good. There have been no studies to examine their safety during pregnancy, but the strength is low enough that the risks are probably small. JG 7.24.05

• Hi Dr.Garcia, Can I please ask if you know about a product being advertised called Longevity and whether you have heard positive or negative feedback. The site which advertises and sells the product states that the product contains two main ingredients called 2-AEP and HGHR. It says that the benefits of 2-AEP were developed by Dr. Nieper after many years of research and clinical tests. In relation to the HGHR it states that the main ingredient in HGHR is a bovine extract taken from the world's healthiest cows, and that it is the best and safest way to increase-stimulate the pituitary gland to produce more HGH. They claim that after taking the product for a period of 1-3 months you will start to see a noticeable improvement in many areas i.e. skin, hair, weight etc. My main concern is that I have heard that it can be dangerous to take products which use extracts from animals (such as bovine) especially given problems like Mad Cow disease. If they process and sterilise the product properly during manufacture is this risk removed. Regards G.H. 16JUL05 (Sydney, Australia) Sorry, I put this question in previously on 10JUL05 but due to work commitments didn't get a chance to check for answer until today and have missed your answer.I checked the archives but couldn't find anything.

  Answer:  I doubt the product has Mad Cow Disease, but I think it is a waste of time and money. JG 7.24.05

• Hi doctor I'M a black twenty eight year old male turning twenty nine in august. I have grays hairs mostly in one area. At the top of my head towards the front.I first noticed gray hair visible on my head when i was 18yrs old. AT that time the gray hair started to come in on only at the top of my head all over. I tried remedys berfiely, but stopped in frustration. Even though i stopped trying to get rid of the gray it some how stop growing all over the top of head to just one scetion mostly. The spot were the gray hair is has gotten more noticable because the gray hair in the area is taking over as the years have gone by i notice more gray growing in this area only, and like only one or two grays hairs on my beard and also one or two gray hairs on each side of my head tworads the front close to my hair line.I'm finally at the point where i want to try to see if i can reduce or get rid of the gray hair. I been looking at a few product that say there good at getting rid of gray if it is in mostly one area. Melancor is one product and healthy hair plus, these products claim to give results for grayhair in small area. Of cousre results vary but i was wondering if it's worth spending some money. Also my father had gray hair when he was 18yrs old. SO it mite genetics and stress adding to the gray growth. I'm a very stressful person, becasue i have had boils on my hip, underarm,forearm, and on my back. I have been to a doctor to get a blood test to see if anything was wrong with me. the results were good since then i haven't had a boil. But when i did have a boil i would go away after a but before its gone a new one would appear before or after. the scars from the boils are rasied keliods and very dark compared to my skin complexion.I was also wondering if there anything i can do or use to get rid of the scar mainly on my hip. finally i think i'm done now.with all the information givin can you help me with these problems to get rid of them or to lessin there appearance. Also I was wondering would cleanig out my system help.IF what do i need or take. sorry so much on my mind please respond to at aleast one of my many questions thank you very much

  Answer:  I do not think the products you mention would make a substantial improvement. I think you may need to color your hair if it bothers you that much. I do not think a detox will help much either. As to the keloids I would suggest either kenalog injections or 5FU injections. JG 7.12.05

• Dr. Garcia, Can I please ask if you know about a product being advertised called 'Longevity' and whether you have heard positive or negative feedback. The site which advertises and sells the product states that the product contains two main ingredients called 2-AEP and HGHR. It says that the benefits of 2-AEP were developed by Dr. Nieper after many years of research and clinical tests. In relation to the HGHR it states that the main ingredient in HGHR is a bovine extract taken from the world's healthiest cows, and that it is the best and safest way to increase-stimulate the pituitary gland to produce more HGH. They claim that after taking the product for a period of 1-3 months you will start to see a noticeable improvement in many areas i.e. skin, hair, weight etc. My main concern is that I have heard that it can be dangerous to take products which use extracts from animals (such as bovine) especially given problems like Mad Cow disease. If they process and sterilise the product properly during manufacture is this risk removed. Regards G.H. 10JUL05 (Sydney, Australia)

  Answer:  I think you should save your money, it does not work. There is no way to sterilze a product of Mad Cow Disease, there is no sterilization method that can kill the prion that carries the disease. It is basically only a good protein source. JG 7.10.05

• Doctor, thank you very much for the quick reply. i would like to remimd you that mail comes regard my lip peeling problem. The problem started almost 8 years ago when i have done self-medication erithromycin from then started the problem for my inner line of my lip which keeps peeling off regularly. The mucus layer of the lip is becoming dry,thick and has lost attachment. It is intolerable to water becoming swollen white line forming when contacted with water and is falling layer after layer just like an onion.During the early days of the problem i have neglected, after my marriage i have gone my dermatalogist where he prescribed Diprovit G'external mild steroid application and tricot tablets two per day. After application of Diprovit G overnight it has worked like a miracle and a more deep layer came out. The problem has become worse than before after application of Diprovit G'. Later my doctor priscribed 'Lactic Care' ointment but i didn't use. Thank God that the color of the lip has not been changed but due to peeling for years it has lost its thickness and light line formed in the inner line of the lip. I have also used homeopathy for a month as it has no side effects. I am really frustrated with the allopathy ointments as they have more side effects than benefits. How to get rid of deep penetrated drug allergy for years. Or am i allergic to some other food items as the problem is only on the inner line of the lower lip and center inner part of the upper lip. Please reply. I am very much worried about the craky white lined lip looking very ugly for others. I really want my old beautiful sexy lip back.

  Answer:  Well, we may also need to consider maybe a reaction to the mercury fillings in your teeth along with allergies. It is a diffcult problem to be sure. I would suggest some squalene oil in the meantime to see if the flakyness can be controlled, it is found in most good quality health food stores, apply it as frequently as needed. JG 6.5.05

• I am a Black woman 47 years old. The problem that I have is that part of my bottom lip has turned color. It is like the corner part of my lip is lighter that my entire lip. My lip looks like people lips who drink alcoholic beverages or liquor. What can I do to get my lip the same color. Covering it with lipstick only helps temporary. I just want to get my lips back to a natural color without wearing the lip stick. JM May 5, 2005.

  Answer:  I am unsure of what can be done to repigment that area, you could try asking your dermatologist, they may want to try a medication called trisoralen to see if the color comes back. JG 5.5.05

• Hi -thank you for this service. I emailed before re. Sculptra and its safety. You wrote that it was safe except around the eyes where it might form lumps. I am still concerned about these lumps. I read an article that said that these lumps were caused by improper injection. But then I read another article that said that these lumps may be due to a true allergic reaction. That is what I find a bit unnerving since we have no long term data on this product. Any thoughts and again thank you for your time.

  Answer:  True allergic reactions have not been reported. Initially there were some patients that got what was called a granuloma formation which was exhuberant scarring, but not a true allergy. It was with a product similar to Sculptra used in Europe. It is true that there are no long term studies, especially on thin areas like the eye skin so I would stick with Sculptra only in the thicker skinned areas for now. There are no long term studies on any filler for injections around the eyelid skin JG 4.29.05

• Dr. Garcia I want to finish that question it did not come up properly at the end. I'm having my 2nd Newfill in 3 weeks and want to know can it make my face fuller again like it was when I was 41. I have lines either side of my mouth and want to know a realistic outcome - will I look better? 29th March 2005

  Answer:  I think you will look better but I cannot predict how many injections of the NewFill it will take to refill the lost fat from your face. JG 3.28.05

• About 3 months ago, I was diagnosed with blepharitis. Since then, I have noticed undereye bagging and the appearance of fine lines under the corner of my eye next to my nose. Could this be from the eye infection? Also, would a non-invasive laser procedure help this since I don't have deep lines or would something like Retin-A applied directly under the eye area help?

  Answer:  Once the blepharitis is resolved, Retin-A would be a good way to start. I would try that for 3-6 months ands see what occurs. It may be enough. If not, then you could advance to a laser or other more invasive procedure. JG 11.25.04

• Dr.i had gotton sick over the winter with somthing like the flu.doctors said i was fine when tested but i felt no where near fine.somthing had slowed down in my brain function and my hearing got worse as did my eyesite.if i was to try to get better what would you suggest for optimon brain function and my senses to correct themselves.it almost feels like i had a minor stroke in my brain.anyway,something feels wrong.Please help.

  Answer:  Without looking at your tests results, it would be difficult to figure out. Also, an in person consultation would be ideal to garner more relevant inofrmation. If you can, call the office and the ladies can schedule you for an office visit.

• how many skin tests needed for collegan injections

  Answer:  Human collagen requires no testing. Bovine collagen requires at least one test, and a waiting period of one month. Some doctors will test a second time, athough most test only once.

• I am 22 years old and have exhausted every solution (and doctor) with this hereditary hormonal imbalance I have been struggling with. I have gained 35 lbs in the last year and have sever swelling periodically throughout my body. Is any of your homone treatments a possibility for me? With much hope.... CS 7-11-03

  Answer:  Please call the office and make a confidential consultation so we can discuss your issues. If you can bring a copy of your blood tests from your doctor that would expedite our analysis very much. I am sorry you are so frustrated and although I cannot guaranatee results, I believe I may be able to make some sense of it for you so we can find a solution for you.

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