Now that you know more about how your breathing works, let’s talk about why you need to take a deep breath or two right now:

1. Deep breathing is more efficient because it allows your body to fully exchange the outgoing carbon dioxide for the incoming oxygen. 
2. Deep breaths help to slow your heart beat and blood pressure.
3. Taking a deep breath can reduce the stress levels in your body.

To correctly take a deep breath, get comfortable, take a deep breath through your nose, let your stomach expand, and then exhale fully. Did you do it? If so, you might already be feeling a reduction in your stress levels and your muscles relax throughout your body. 

Taking time to breath deeply will help to long-term strengthen your respiratory system, as well as generally reduce the build up of stress hormones within your body! If you experience difficulty breathing, especially taking deep breaths through your nose, Dr. Barker might be able to help. As a facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon, with prior Head and Neck Surgery training, Dr. Barker is equipped to perform rhinoplasty focused on improving your ability to breath deeply! Call us today for a consultation.

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As great as exercise can be for your skin, and overall health, it is important to remember that outdoor exercise without sunscreen can lead to sun damage. So if you are planning on heading outside for a walk, run, or hike, make sure to apply sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher and reapply it at least every two hours. It’s also helpful to use a sunscreen that is oil-free and water-resistant to keep your pores unclogged and the sunscreen from dripping off your face while sweating.

It’s also important to remember that chafing and rashes can be caused by exercising, especially in warmer weather. It can be helpful to use a moisturizing ointment in any area that could chafe. After working out, make sure to dry off thoroughly to keep a rash, such as intertrigo, from developing. 

It’s also important to remember that if you suffer from rosacea, working out might exacerbate your symptoms. Exercising, especially working out outside, can cause rosacea to flare up because of an increased amount of blood flow. If you suffer from rosacea or think you are exhibiting symptoms of rosacea, we can help with some solutions and treatments!

Make sure that before hitting the treadmill or hopping on a bike to start your workout, remember to take off any makeup. If you work out with makeup, sweat can mix with the make-up and clog your pores. If you cleanse your skin before working out, you are more likely to avoid breakouts. It’s also important to shower after working out to keep breakouts at bay. Taking a shower and washing your face will remove the sweat that can build up on your skin during a workout. 

Even though exercising has some risks on the health and appearance of your skin, there are also many benefits of working out on your skin. Exercising regularly can help your skin look and feel healthier. Exercise gets your heartrate up, improves your blood circulation, and can help to deliver oxygen and other important nutrients to your skin. Also, getting your sweat on can help clear out your pores. The increased blood flow from exercise can also lead to a post-workout glow. Exercising has also been shown to reduce stress, and lowering your anxiety and stress levels can positively impact your skin’s appearance, as we’ve talked about in a previous blog. Reducing your stress levels can also reduce your likelihood of breakouts, eczema, and other skin condition flare ups. 

Bottom line – exercising regularly can positively affect your skin, but it’s important to keep the risks we’ve discussed in mind to keep your skin looking and feeling great! If you have any concerns about your skin, give us a call because we would love to help!

The post Exercise & Your Skin: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly appeared first on Daniel Barker, MD.

1. Nature helps reduce stress! Being out in nature improves your emotional and physical well-being by lowering your blood pressure and heart rate. It also helps your skin because stress and anxiety can change your hormone, which can result in acne, hives, itching, so the less stressed you are, the better your skin will look!
2. Nature helps your immune system! Studies show that spending time outside can increase your body’s white blood cells. You’re also getting a dose of Vitamin D from the sunshine, which boosts your immune system.
3. Nature helps you focus! If you’ve ever felt like your brain could use a break, get outside!  Our brains can get overstimulated and spending time in nature can give your brain a break and help you refocus.

In honor of National Park Week, take time to get outside for a hike or picnic! Here are a few local parks to check out:

• Moccasin Bend National Archaeological District
• Chickamauga 
• Point Park

Find more parks here!

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1. Get outside! – The sun is shining more, the weather is warming up, and it is the perfect time to spend time in nature. Whether it’s taking a walk with your dog, riding a bike with your family, or just sitting on your porch to read a book or newspaper, being outdoors helps to boost your spirits and brightens your overall outlook. One reminder though – make sure to use sunscreen to protect your skin from the sun while you are outside!
2. Grab some water! – Drinking more water is incredibly beneficial for your overall health. Spring is the perfect time to focus on your hydration. Aim for a minimum of 64 ounces of water per day to help your body stay hydrated, especially as the weather warms up. You can add some pizzazz to your water by infusing it with lemons, limes, oranges, or other fruit.
3. Get some rest! – With “Spring forward” falling on March 14th, right before Spring officially starts, focusing on getting 7-9 hours of sleep per night is going to be helpful for your overall quality of life, your ability to concentrate, and your mood. Nighttime is also a great time to treat your skin, so check out some of the products we have at our office that are specifically for use before bed.

Take some time to recommit to your overall health this spring by taking these 3 easy steps to improve your wellness. If you would like advice on what sunscreen or nighttime skincare products to use, give us a call at (432) 756-2773.

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• Work out, but do it outside! We all might know that working out helps us feel better and more confident, but according to recent studies, doing today’s workout outside can help boost your self-esteem more than just hitting the gym! So make a point to head outside at least once per week to log some workout time outside.

• Eat more veggies and fruits! This isn’t just for your waistline; adding 7 servings of veggies and fruits to your daily diet is scientifically proven to make you happier!

• Walk away from your screens! In today’s digital world, we always seem to have a phone, laptop, or TV screen in front of us. However, if you are feeling zapped, take time to put down your phone, unplug the TV, and walk away from the laptop. Adding some “unplugged” time to your weekly routine can enable your brain to have some downtime and get back to working at its optimized level.

• Read a book! Instead of adding one more episode to your evening Netflix binge, take some time before bed to read. Reading before bed has been connected to better sleep and higher levels of empathy.

• Laugh! Laughter truly is the best medicine. It has been linked to boosting your immune system and protecting against heart attacks, so find some time today to do something that makes you laugh, whether it’s watching funny YouTube videos or telling funny stories with your friends.

• Just dance! Dancing burns calories and helps you feel better about yourself and your day. But it also can decrease your risk of dementia! You don’t have to be a good dancer to experience these benefits, so get up and dance!

• Meditate! Taking some time each day to quiet your mind can help you reduce stress in your life and improve your compassion and emotional stability. Meditation has also been linked to a decrease in illness in recent studies, so sitting in silence and looking inward can help you stay healthier!

• Pay it forward! Whether it’s volunteering once a week at a local non-profit or just paying for the next person in the coffee shop line, paying it forward and being kind to others helps to boost your mood and outlook. It has also been linked to a longer life expectancy. Plus, it’s always nice to share a little kindness with others and make their day brighter!

Self-care isn’t just about how you feel; taking care of yourself can have a real impact on your overall health and wellness. We hope you will take some time this week to try out one of these 8 scientifically proven ways to take care of yourself!

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While all that might sound negative, the good news is that changing your diet is easier and more affordable than adding a new routine of serums, creams, or medical procedures! Instead of stressing over the products you’re putting on your skin, move your attention to what you’re putting in your body. Here are 6 foods to add to your diet to keep your skin glowing and healthy.

1. Tomatoes: This fruit is full of lycopene, which improves your skin’s natural SPF abilities by eliminating the skin-aging free radicals found in the sun’s ultraviolet rays. While most of the time we encourage you to eat raw fruits and vegetables, lycopene levels are higher when tomatoes are cooked.
2. Dark chocolate: Chocoholics rejoice! Your “guilty pleasure” food can help your skin from the inside out. As long as it is 72% or higher, cocoa flavanols have antioxidant properties that help hydrate your skin and improve circulation. But don’t overdo it! Adding 1 oz of dark chocolate to your diet helps you to reap the benefits of the antioxidants, without weight gain.
3. Grass-Fed beef: Not all beef is created equal, but true grass-fed beef contains omega-3’s, which reduces the inflammation in your skin. It also has nearly 30 grams of protein per serving, which is one of the building blocks of collagen and elastin tissues in your skin. These help keep your skin taut and wrinkle-free!
4. Sweet potatoes: These root vegetables are loaded with Vitamin C, which helps to smooth out the wrinkles and is essential to the production of collagen in your skin.
5. Dark leafy greens: Kale is one of the best sources in nature of lutein and zeaxanthin. These tongue twisters are actually nutrients that absorb and neutralize the free radicals in UV light. The folate in these veggies works to repair and maintain the DNA in your skin cells, which makes your cells more able to renew themselves. The water in these leafy greens also penetrates your skin cell membranes, making them plumper and your skin appear less wrinkled.
6. Carrots: We’ve all heard that carrots are good for your vision, but the vitamins in carrots make your skin look healthier and prevent the overproduction of cells in the skin’s outer layers. This means that your pores are less likely to clog.

While adding these nutrient-rich foods to your diet will make a big difference, it’s important to remember that it may take up to 6 weeks to see the full benefits of adding these foods to your meal plans. If you want to know how you can amplify the benefits of your diet with facial surgery or skin care products, give Dr. Barker a call to schedule a consultation!

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1. Add a Humidifier – It might seem like a small thing, but investing in a humidifier will add moisture to the dry air and help your skin be hydrated. A small personal humidifier like this one is great to take with you around the house as you work from home this winter.
2. Lower the Temperature – Drop your thermostat a few degrees – 68-72 degrees – can help keep the air from drying out and zapping the moisture from your skin. Also, showering for less time in a lukewarm shower can keep your skin from drying out. Also, make sure to not use too hot of water when washing your hands – if your skin turns red from the water, it’s too hot.
3. Adjust Skincare – If you have a tried-and-true skin care routine from the summer, you might need to re-evaluate your routine come winter. Our team can help you find gentle cleansers, toners, and moisturizers to incorporate into your skincare routine this winter. Also, make sure you don’t forget lip balm and hand cream; the fragile skin on your lips and hands need extra moisture during the winter.
4. Use Sunscreen – It’s not just for the summer! The sun’s harmful UV rays can cause skin damage in warm or cold weather, on sunny or cloudy days, so make sure to use a broad-spectrum sunscreen to your skin before spending time outdoors.
5. Stay Hydrated – Keep a water bottle by your side throughout the day to make sure you are helping your skin stay hydrated inside out.

We love winter – hot cocoa, fires crackling, and pine! But we don’t love dry, irritated skin. Try out these 5 tips to keep your skin healthy and hydrated all winter long. And if your irritated skin is severe, schedule an appointment to discuss your skincare routine, overall wellness, and sunscreen selections with Dr. Barker.

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The most common medical reason for a person to have rhinoplasty is to improve nasal breathing. Some patients who consider rhinoplasty do so because a nasal obstruction causes problems in their breathing while exercising or while sleeping. Many people who struggle with sleep apnea or snoring view rhinoplasty as an option because other medical treatments, like nasal spray or sleep apnea treatment, haven’t worked. One thing to remember about medically necessary rhinoplasty is that it is often covered by health insurance.

Another reason that a patient may have rhinoplasty is for cosmetic reasons. While this might be a simple “While you’re doing my medical rhinoplasty, can you also make other changes to my nose?” or a surgery specific to correcting a cosmetic issue that you would like to see resolved, such as reducing a nasal hump or correcting asymmetries. Again, this can be done in conjunction with a medically functional rhinoplasty or independently to make a cosmetic change you would like to see corrected.

If rhinoplasty is something you are planning on, here are a few things to know about the surgery. First of all, rhinoplasty is performed under general anesthesia. Secondly, a small incision is made, and it is not apparent after healing. During the surgery, the nasal passageways will be improved and reshaped through adjustments to the bone and cartilage in your nose. Finally, it important to answer the common question “Does rhinoplasty mean you need to break my nose?” Typically, the answer is no, unless there is significant prior trauma to your nose that requires the bones to be shifted during surgery. Bones may be smoothed down, especially in a cosmetic procedure like reducing a nasal hump.

After people have rhinoplasty, they are often able to head home the same day once they wake from the general anesthesia. However, patients should expect to take about a week off of school, work, etc. to recover. During their recovery, patients should rest, ice their nose, and perform the nasal cleaning regimen outlined by Dr. Barker and his medical staff.

After a week of recovery, Dr. Barker will remove the splint and casts. Around two weeks after the surgery, patients are back to their normal routines. After a month, a majority of the swelling will be gone. Full recovery may take up to a year, depending on the extent of the surgery.

If you think rhinoplasty may be a good option to correct a medical condition or a cosmetic concern that you have, give Dr. Barker a call to schedule a consultation.

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Botox has been around for decades, and at Wabi Sabi, we strive to incorporate the old benefits of botox with a newer focus on helping people look natural, while diminishing the signs of aging. Botox is a fairly quick injection process. Once you have a consultation with Dr. Barker, he will make a plan to determine which areas of your face should be treated with botox injections. Some of the most common facial areas are the forehead, around the eyes, lip line, and chin. It has also been proven to help people who suffer from migraines or tension headaches.

Botox works by relaxing the muscles that cause deep wrinkles in your face. It is different from fillers because it doesn’t add volume to your face. Results of botox are typically seen within a week, and the results last approximately 3-4 months. Botox is beneficial because it treats existing wrinkles AND has been shown to delay new wrinkles through regular treatments. Immediately after injections, you may experience redness or swelling, but it often fades fairly quickly.

The biggest benefit of botox is that it works with your facial anatomy to enhance your natural beauty. Patients who have botox often say that they feel lifted and refreshed! There is no pressure to achieve a “frozen” look. Dr. Barker can start with a fewer number of injections and a small amount of botox and add more next time, if needed, to achieve the overall look you desire.

If you are interested in meeting with Dr. Barker to find out more about how botox could work to enhance your natural beauty and slow down the signs of aging, please contact the office to schedule a consultation.

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Recent medical and psychological studies also show that good deeds can help your body stay healthier! Saliva in people who show compassion to others contain more immunoglobulin A, an antibody that works in your body to fight infection. Also, people that show generosity and kindness to others have better emotional health, with less stress and more calm. So doing good doesn’t just help who you are giving to, but it also can be beneficial to the giver.

It’s apparent based on all these medical and psychological studies that when you make a point to help someone else, you get a mental break from your own problems. Volunteering, giving, donating, or performing acts of kindness help you feel more connected, which has a positive impact on your mental, physical, and emotional health and wellness. So today, we encourage you to perform an act of kindness, small or large, to help others – and yourself! Whether it’s helping someone with their groceries, volunteering for a charity, or a spontaneous act like paying for the coffee of the person behind you, acts of kindness will provide a boost in your well-being!

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