Allure Blog

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, tummy tuck procedures have increased 70% over the past twelve years, which means that there are many people who are satisfied with the results they have seen in themselves as well as their family and friends. But there’s another procedure available, called the CombiTuck, a combination of liposuction and a tummy tuck, that offers a much shorter recovery time and lets patients go back to normal life in as little as a week.

When skin is looking tired, blemishes are out of control, or your skin just needs a pick-me-up, a chemical facial peel can be the solution to your skin’s cry for help. If you are new to the skincare process or are curious if the treatment may be right for you, you may be wondering how it all works. Skincare professionals can help you determine your skin’s needs and provide you with a treatment plan, and our guide below serves as a closer look at chemical face peels.

Most women choose to get breast implants with the goal of increasing the size of their breasts. Deciding exactly how much to increase the size can be a complex process: the majority of women want to see a significant increase in size while also appearing natural, although some do prefer a more obviously enhanced look. Many considerations, including body type and personal preference, should be taken into account when determining the right cup size for your body. Your doctor will determine what is best.

With each warmer day, we are dreaming about time at the beach, long walks outside and picnics. But all that fun in the sun can definitely take a toll on our skin, leading to unsightly wrinkles, age spots and, potentially, skin cancer. We all know the basics – wear your sunscreen and reapply every couple of hours. However, this is really just the beginning. There are additional steps we all need to take to ensure that our largest organ – our skin – is well taken care of and stays as healthy as possible.

Allure Medical has been offering Botox since 2004. We have been recognized as a top 10 practice in the USA for Botox and Filler from Allergan for several years. You can feel confident in the hands of our experienced and knowledgeable staff with Botox treatments for several cosmetic concerns. We have collaborated with our own Dr. Charles Mok D.O., to address our customers' concerns and most frequently asked questions regarding Botox.

The health and safety of our patients and staff has always been of utmost concern at Allure Medical. We always take the cleanliness of our offices seriously, but now it is more important than ever.

Menopause is no joke. It’s not all in our heads, and there are real treatments available to help with the symptoms. Hormones have always been good at messing with us, whether it’s coming from moody, confused teenagers, or crabby, overweight, spaced-out adults with a low sex drive.

I first heard about Coolsculpting when it burst onto the scene a few years back. I was skeptical because it was new, and seemed too easy. Shed the unwanted pounds in a matter of a few hours? I had a lot of questions.

The fabulous fungi you’ve enjoyed in countless soups, salads, and pastas is a nutrient-rich superfood that forward-thinking nutritionists are suggesting their clients enjoy every morning.

Due to the perceptions created by different people, there is a debate on whether workouts alone or diet can be best for the body. Various experts recommend using one or the other, depending on the needs of an individual.

Are you visiting a lake this year? Beware of swimmers itch! This unpleasant rash is caused by an allergic reaction to microscopic parasites picked up while swimming. The parasites associated with swimmer’s itch are the larvae of flatworms, which normally live in a host, such as waterfowl. The waterfowl excrete the worm which gets picked up by snails that tend to live close to the shore.

What does it mean to have “ugly legs”? We use the term “ugly legs” because this is the stage at which a patient’s veins start to physically alter the appearance of their legs. At the C4 classification, we start to see visual changes to the skin like eczema, dermatitis, brown spots or other discoloration.

Lectins, of which gluten is the most well-known, are proteins that bind to carbohydrate (sugar) molecules inside the body and alter the way those molecules are processed by the digestive system. According to Dr. Gundry’s research, these alterations lead to serious inflammation, autoimmune disorders, and gastrointestinal problems.

I often hear patients complain that they “have TMJ”. We all have TMJ, because it is a joint located in your jaw. Saying you have TMJ is like saying you “have an arm”. What you likely are suffering from is teeth grinding and clenching that is causing discomfort and damage to your TMJ and surrounding muscles.

Hormones pellets are tiny implants (about the size of a grain of rice) that are implanted just under the skin. They slowly and consistently release your hormones providing optimal therapy.

Have you been living with big, ropy leg veins? Maybe you’ve noticed the skin texture of your calf has become more and more scaly and discolored over time. If you have been living with these leg issues because you think they’re just “cosmetic” problems, you couldn’t be more wrong.

Varicose veins aren’t fun. They aren’t fun to look at, and they aren’t fun to live with. But for millions of Americans across the country, varicose veins are an unpleasant, everyday reality.

I’m pleased to announce that I’m now the Broadcast and Publicity Producer for Allure Medical – a thrilling challenge at this point in my career!

Though unsightly and itchy, Keratosis Pilaris is a common skin condition that can improve with age, but might never completely go away. Here are five things you need to know if you, or someone you know, suffers from this condition.

In 2018, many dietitians, nutritionists, and weight loss experts are pushing their clients to explore a low-FODMAP diet. So, what is a low-FODMAP diet and how can you get started with one? As a Nutritionist at Allure Medical I’d be happy to tell you…

Cold sore flare ups can be triggered by illness, cold weather or even stress. You can take an antiviral pill or use a topical antiviral medication to reduce the duration and severity of the outbreak. Keep in mind these options are more effective if used early before a blister forms.

In the 5:2 diet, you eat normal for 5 days, and fast for 2. This was compared in clinical studies to going on a very low calorie diet, such as 1200k calorie a day. The participants lost more fat in the intermittent fasting diet, and maintained lean bone and muscle mass. Whereas the people who were on the traditional low calorie diets lost less fat and they also lost lean muscle weight.

Atrophie blanche is a dermatologic finding characterized by white-or-light- colored patches of skin in regions with darker discoloration. This is a result of necrosis and the replacement of necrotic tissue with fibrin deposits and collagen.

In the battle against age, most men know they need to exercise and eat right if they want to look (and feel) young. But what most men don’t know is they need to make changes to their diet and lifestyle in order to keep their testosterone levels up. What happens to men when testosterone levels drop?

Venous insufficiency is a progressive disease. In a paper titled “Progression and Venous Pathology” the authors found that 58% of all patients with venous insufficiency had progression over time, worsening at a rate of about 4.3% per year over 13 years of observations. The most significant predictors of the progression of varicose veins towards leg ulcers were corona phlebectatica, skin changes, popliteal reflux, and obesity.

EMSCULPT is the only procedure to help both women and men build muscle and sculpt their body. In addition, EMSCULPT creates the world’s first non-invasive buttock toning procedure. Dr. Mok put Emsculpt to the test and shared his experience in the video below!

We firmly believe in the power of education—that by helping people better understand what varicose veins are and what causes them, we can help them live a happier and healthier life. Here is our latest article discussing how varicose veins and diabetes are related…

Many women have difficulty finding their G Spot, because its size, dimension, and location vary from woman to woman. The G Spot is an area approximately the size of a dime, and is very sensitive because it is made up of nerve tissue. The G Spot is often thought of being part of the urethral sponge.

How do you know if you have a blood flow problem? Your doctor can perform an Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI) test. An ABI test compares the blood pressure of your ankle with the blood pressure of your arm. In the case of patients who have symptoms of PAD, a healthcare professional is looking to see if there are blockages in their arteries as well.

The CEAP score is a classification used by most specialists who treat venous insufficiency. It’s not universal, only about 60% of practitioners use it, but more and more third-party payers are adopting the language. CEAP is a classification of chronic venous disorders, not varicose veins.

If you are obese or have concerns regarding weight gain, consider testosterone replacement therapy. There is conventional wisdom that testosterone needs to be extremely low before a man is treated, but this is nonsense. There is no predictable laboratory value that predicts which men will respond to testosterone therapy and which will not.

The obesity and overweight trend that has developed over recent years is an alarming public health concern. About 13% of Americans were overweight between 1960 and 1980. Between 1980 and about 1998, the rates of obesity almost tripled.

Are you tired of all the fad diets, so-called magical weight loss pills and empty promises? Are you ready to make a lifestyle change and become a “new you” in the New Year? At Allure Medical, we offer the ORBERA® balloon, a weight loss procedure that averages a 3x weight loss when compared to diet and exercise alone.

Hormone replacement therapy for women entering menopause was pretty much the standard of care in the 1980s, ‘90s and early 2000s. Then the Women’s Health Initiative Trial (WHI) cast doubt on the safety of artificial hormone drugs by reporting there was a slight increased risk of heart disease and breast cancer in women who started on hormone replacement 10 to 15 years after the onset of menopause.

Lower eyelid bags can make you look older and more tired than you actually are. These bags and shadows are usually caused by lower eyelid fat pouches that are bulging in combination with hollowing of the upper cheek in an area called the “tear trough”.