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Save Your Summertime Skin

summerNow is the time of year when the sun becomes irresistible. As tempting as it is to spend as much time as possible in the warmth of the sun, there are a few precautions to take to protect your skin from harmful rays.

Our skin is the largest organ in the body. It reflects our health and age. Today, there’s much concern about sunbathing leading to an increase in skin damage and skin cancer.

Excessive exposure to ultraviolet rays can increase the production of free radicals that can adversely affect the integrity of collagen in the skin. Over time, our skin becomes wrinkled, cracked, aged, and brittle. For smokers, the effects are multiplied.

Research suggests that skin cancer is cumulative over a lifetime. It begins with overexposure and serious sunburns during childhood.

We can’t live without the sun. Our bodies require sunlight in order to manufacture Vitamin D needed for calcium absorption, among other things. So, we shouldn’t hide from our shining star. Here are a few helpful tips and precautions to take when you’re soaking in the sun this summer.

Use sunscreen – Choose a sunscreen with a high SPF number for greater protection. Apply it onto your skin 15 minutes before you go outside. Don’t forget your nose, ears, and neck.

Time is key – Avoid sun exposure when the sun is at its highest peak in the sky, typically from about 11:00 am – 4:00 pm.

Gear up – Wear a hat with a wide brim, t-shirt, and sunglasses that filter ultraviolet rays.

Drink up – By keeping your body hydrated you can avoid dehydration and provide moisture for the skin to prevent dryness, cracking, and aging.

Pop a pill – Vitamins such as A, E, and some antioxidants help prevent skin damage from the inside. Cod Liver oil and Flaxseed oil have also been used to support skin health.

Brush it off – Before you take a shower, use a dry skin brush. This can open pores and slough off dead skin, allowing your skin to breathe easily and work more efficiently.

Keep healthy – Some medications we take may have reactions and side effects when we’re exposed to sunlight. Acupuncture may be able to provide an alternative to these medications, keeping you healthy, safely and naturally.

If you want to enjoy the sun this summer season and not worry later, practice good sun sense.

You and your skin deserve it!

How you go from engineering to acupuncture!

The question that I probably get asked the most is how I got into acupuncture. I thought this would be a good place to start for my first blog entry.

The adventure started back in 1992. My first child, Taylor, was born for all practical purposes allergic to this world. Taylor consistently vomited breast milk and within a couple of months was on formula. The conversion to formula turned out to be a troublesome trial and error experience. Based on my wife’s and my upbringing we first approached Taylor’s pediatrician. He did not believe allergies were the cause because of his age, but he could not provide any alternatives. At age 9 months, Taylor had his first glass of milk. After the initial sip, he immediately vomited, and his face became covered with hives. The doctor told us to avoid milk products, but he was too young for allergy testing. I personally went through my childhood getting allergy skin test and shots and knew what he was going to experience. Taylor’s reactions got more frequent and more severe. When he was two, we convinced the doctor to do a series of RAST tests. He was allergic to everything. The doctor’s answer was to eliminate additional foods and do more testing. At this point, we felt we could count the number of foods that did not get him sick on both hands. We continued the avoidance routine by cooking everything from scratch. We would not let anyone give him any food.Fullscreen capture 4182013 20213 PM.bmp At this time in my son’s life, a typical day consisted of eating only foods that we prepared, taking 3-4 Nebulizer treatments and taking several medications to control his asthma. My wife and I did not have a hopeful picture of his future.

When Taylor was four, the Nambudripad’s Allergy Elimination Treatment (NAET) was introduced to us. Both my wife and I have petroleum engineering degrees and found this technique unbelievable, but we were at the point where we would try almost anything. We started the treatments and immediately saw a positive impact. Our friends also began to see the difference in our son’s appearance and attitude. After the initial phase of treatments, we tried giving Taylor a danish. We were ready for a reaction, but nothing happened. Before the treatment, he would have gotten sick. My wife and I then knew the treatments were the answer to his allergies. We continued the treatments on a daily basis for about 3 months, then bi-weekly for about a year.

I also started the treatments for my allergies. My results were not as dramatic as Taylor’s, but I found them successful. I had significantly less seasonally allergy symptoms and noticed that I was not as congested after eating certain foods.

After 15 years as a petroleum engineer, I had the opportunity to change careers. I decided to learn acupuncture and became a full time student. In 2002, I received my Masters Degree in Oriental Medicine from the Dallas College of Oriental Medicine and opened my practice. I have found that my engineering background has led me to use several computer-based programs to aid me in treating my patients. Even though I studied Traditional Chinese Medicine, I am not a traditional practitioner. I use a combination of several energy balancing techniques (Zyto, NanoSRT Stress Reduction Therapy, Advanced Allergy Therapeutics (AAT), Nambudripad’s Allergy Elimination Treatment (NAET), AcuGraph) and nutritional supplementation. By applying the combination of these different techniques, I am able to address a wide variety of conditions from acute to chronic pain, symptoms due to allergies, symptoms due to hormonal imbalances, headaches, and many other disorders.

TaylorHomoky1As a matter of an update, Taylor will be 21 in a few weeks. You would never know how rough his first few years were. He continues to be athletic and plays on several sports teams. I have to admit that he still has an occasional reaction that requires some maintenance treatments, but I will take a 98% improvement while rarely taking any prescribed medications any day.

If you would like to watch the news report that was done about our story please click:

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Welcome to Acupuncture Solutions located in Plano, TX.

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