Plastic surgeon Robert Buchanan gives lecture on ‘Turning Back the Clock’

Monday, September 3rd, 2012

Below is the text of an article appearing in the Highlands Newspaper and the Highlander the week before Labor Day.

Everyone wants to stop aging or at least, prevent the visible signs of aging. Although there are no miracle creams or magic drugs that will stop the body’s internal aging process, living a healthy “optimal” lifestyle can limit or slow the inevitable,” said Highlands-Cashiers Hospital’s Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Robert Buchanan.

Earlier this month, Dr. Buchanan presented “Turning Back the Clock – Anti-Aging Secrets” to nearly 50 community residents, providing education and tools to live a healthy and long life.

“Proper medical care and body modification are proven strategies that can improve and extend our life, improve our looks or both,” said Dr. Buchanan. “Most importantly, diet, regular exercise, stress control and the avoidance of negative influences can reduce and sometimes eliminate the development of chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers. Eating a moderate calorie balanced diet of no more than 40% carbohydrates and the rest lean protein with good fat and minimal salt can maintain healthy blood pressure and prevent insulin spikes, allowing the body to burn already stored fat, reducing the waistline.”

Dr. Buchanan stressed that healthy eating plays a large role in anti-aging as does the commitment to live a healthy life style. “We all have to change our “taste,” change our mindset, train our brain and body to crave natural healthy foods and avoid sugar, salts, and bad fats. Sugar substitutes can do as much damage as the real thing and also prolong the body’s dependence on sweets and sugary foods. Modifying your lifestyle should be a gradual process in which diet and negative lifestyle habits are slowly changed over the course of weeks or several months. Your body and brain will accept the new routine and the willingness to continue will grow. Dieting with sudden change in habits is the cause of “yo-yo” weight loss and regain.” Dr. Buchanan offered helpful eating tips listing “things to have in your frig” which included: 1% or 2% milk, fresh fruit, fresh herbs for flavor instead of sugar or salt, organic eggs with yolk, greens, and water. A list of “things to have in your pantry” included: nuts, dark chocolate, legumes, seeds such as flax, steel cut oatmeal/barley, dried herbs and peanut butter. And a list of “things to have in your medi- cine cabinet” included: baby aspirin (recommended 2 per day), omega 3, vitamin D, multivitamins, and calcium. He noted to avoid vitamin E, which can cause increased bleeding, and most over the counter supplements.

Dr. Buchanan also advised the audience on the importance of exercise and how daily/weekly schedules of both aerobic and anaerobic activities can promote health, disease prevention and longevity. “Exercise is crucial; studies show that walking just one mile per day can help you lose 10 lbs. per year and walking 2 miles per day can reduce your chance of death from all diseases by an incredible 50%. Three hours a week can reduce a woman’s chance of developing breast cancer by 30%, and just one additional hour can reduce her chances of breast cancer by 60%.”
“Along with a healthy diet and exercise, sun screen with UVA and UVB protection should be applied each and every day to reduce skin damage. Limiting one’s alcohol intake to one glass per day or less, avoiding smoking and others who smoke will boost one’s optimal health.”

Dr. Buchanan ended the lecture by explaining how cosmetic procedures performed these days have age defying, long lasting results. Minimally invasive treatment such as a rejuvenative skin care routine prompts new skin cell growth and reduces the appearance of wrinkles. IPL (Intense Pulsed Light), an in office procedure, can remove brown age spots as well as red discolorations/blotches on the skin’s surface. The Zerona^® laser can melt fat without pain, incision or downtime.

“We are using better injectables such as Botox, which reduces muscle function and, thus, wrinkles and others that fill in soft tissue including Juvéderm^®, Radiesse^® that offer immediate results, reducing lines, wrinkles or contour deformities,” said Dr. Buchanan. “And these are now administered with less discomfort.”

As for surgical procedures, Dr. Buchanan explained how various “lifts” can markedly reverse the outward effects of aging. “Today’s Facelift”, the facelift technique performed by Dr. Buchanan, maintains facial fat and achieves a more natural result. The technique, unlike older facelifts, prevents the pulled or “windswept” look leaving the neck and face looking refreshed, rested, and healthy.