Out with the old and in with thread lifting, physical therapy, and smile rejuvenation

by Samantha Faragalli Younghans

STRETCH GOALS
Aches and pains every single day? It might be time to turn to physical therapy to regain the ease of mobility you once had. Increasingly, therapists now approach such treatment as a valuable form of preventative care rather than just post incident recovery.

“There’s such a misconception in the market that you have to have major surgery or an injury to participate in physical therapy,” noted Dr. Daniel Reizis of Advanced PMR. “But that’s simply not the case.”

In addition, the Licensed Physical Therapist, Certified Orthotics Practitioner, and National Academy of Sports Medicine Personal Trainer believes in the importance of such therapy working hand in hand with other treatments to boost all around wellbeing.

“We have chiropractors, acupuncturists, and medical doctors a full perspective of the whole body,” he said, adding that “[the goal is] a maintenance plan to treat things right away, as opposed to letting them get worse and worse until you eventually need surgery.” 46 Newman Springs Road, Red Bank, advancedpmr.com

BRIGHT FUTURE
While it’s impossible to avoid aging, there are ingenious ways to masque it. As years go by, our teeth lose length, brightness, and shape, with some people also experiencing gum recession. It’s possible to also lose firmness and elastin properties in the musculature of the mouth and lips. “Most people come in and say, ‘I hate my smile; make it look like it did like I was young,’” Dr. Anthony Vocaturo of NJ Smile Center said. That turns out, happily, to often be an achievable goal, thanks to a process he describes as “smile rejuvenation.”

There is a myriad of procedures available, he explained, to get a more youthful grin back, including veneers, laser whitening, laser gum recontouring, porcelain laminates and crowns, micro hybrid composite laminates, micro enamel abrasion, as well as Botox and fi ne fillers. “We envision what teeth used to look like, and then just recreate and fix them to get back to that,” he said. Laser treatments at the practice have been shown to be of applicability in a range of issues, such as placing dental implants, reshaping gum tissue, and removing areas of tooth decay. 317 NJ 34, Suite 203, Colts Neck, njsmilecenter.com

SUNSET OF THE TRADITIONAL FACELIFT?
According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, there were 121,531 facelifts performed in the U.S. in 2018, down 3% from the previous year and down a stunning 37% from 2000. In part this reduction is attributable to less intensive treatments becoming available, among the newest of which is thread lifting. Performed on the eyebrows, cheeks, jaw line, neck, knees, and other areas, this procedure lifts the skin using absorbable sutures that dissolve in just six months. It facilitates the formation of new collagen, increases small blood vessel size, improves skin texture and elasticity (yes, that means fewer wrinkles and less sagging), and breaks down fat cells surrounding the sutures. Dr. Rada Shakov, board certified gastroenterologist at The Youth Fountain, explained that thread lifting “can provide very nice results and without any downtime.” The best part? It lasts on average two to three years, which, Shakov said “is longer than typical procedures like Botox or dermal fillers.” 501 Iron Bridge Road, Suite 9, Freehold, theyouthfountain.com