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3700 Joseph Siewick Dr., Suite 400 • Fairfax, VA 22033 (703) 620-4300 • www.eyeplasticmd.com
SEPTEMBER 2021
HOW I LEARNED THE IMPORTANCE OF LABOR Plugging Swimming Pool Leaks and Shingling Roofs
Having recently celebrated Labor Day, I enjoyed a moment to reflect on both the importance of the work performed by my amazing office staff and the importance of work in general. I’m grateful I learned the value of labor when I was young by working during the summers from the age of 10–21. I learned many lessons there that I’ve carried with me throughout my life. Yes, you read that right — I started working at the age of 10. Back when I was growing up, employers didn’t pay much attention to age. Coming from a family of six kids, if you wanted pocket money, you had to earn it yourself. I was good at working in the yard with my dad, so I thought I could use those skills to make a bit of cash over my summer vacation. My friend and I decided to start a handyman business. We printed up business cards so we could look professional as we went door-to-door asking our neighbors if they needed help with any odd jobs. As soon as we got the cards printed, my partner bailed. That was my first lesson in business! I had to cross out his name on every business card before I handed it out. Inevitably, people receiving the cards would ask what happened to my partner, and I always responded, “I think he decided he liked summer play more than summer work.” I started getting odd jobs, and Jerry Lockwood — administrator for the local summer camp at the Old Mill swimming park in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey — heard about me through the grapevine. It seems I got good reviews from my customers, and it lead to my being hired to keep the Old Mill Park clean. I worked at the park for several years and then worked for the Department of Public Works. At the
DPW, I did whatever needed to be done. One year, I even painted the entire police station! In total, I worked for my home town for 12 summers before heading off to medical school.
so I went to the library and found a handyman magazine that laid out the whole process. I read about how to line up the shingles with a snap line and how to create a watertight seal, and I thought it looked pretty straightforward — so I replaced the roof. Whenever there was a job I had no experience with, I would always just said yes and then learned how to do it. (I should note that this is not my approach to eyelid surgery! I’ve been well- trained on every procedure I perform.) As an adult, I have such appreciation for the fulltime DPWworkers who labored alongside me. They worked hard every day and were willing to share their time and experience with me. The determination and perseverance I learned from them would help me throughout college, medical school, ophthalmology residency, and oculoplastic fellowship training. Many years later, I’m lucky enough to have my own practice, and I work with a great team every day. Four staff members work in the office with me, and they all contribute immensely to the quality of care we are able to deliver to our patients. I feel blessed that I work with such an amazing team, and I’m so appreciative of their kindness and the superb care they deliver each and every day.
My proudest accomplishment was the year I fixed a leak at an Olympic-sized pool in the park. No one could find the source of the leak, and thousands of gallons of water were being lost weekly. Luckily, I had both a scuba diving certification and an idea. I thought I could use scuba gear to swim around the entire pool and check every seam with food coloring. I’d squirt the food coloring near the seam and see if the color disappeared into the walls. If it did, I’d fill the seam with putty until it no longer sucked the food coloring away. My bosses had nothing to lose and let me try it — and it worked! The pride I felt in repairing the pool was worth all the hours in cold water with no wetsuit. As a kid, I felt like I could take on any job. Once when I was 14 and still running my handyman business, a woman asked if I could put a new roof on her garage. I said “sure,” but I had never put down a roof. In those days, we didn’t have Google,
Finally, I’m grateful for your labor, too! Whatever you do, thank you for working every day to help us enjoy our lives and make the U.S. a great place to live. Happy belated Labor Day!
—Dr. Kevin Scott
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Why You Should Cry
THE SCIENCE BEHIND SAD AND MAD TEARS
Ronda Rousey is tough. She was the first American woman to earn a medal in the Olympics for judo, and she was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame to commemorate her six titles. Rousey is noted for her physical and mental toughness, so it might surprise you to learn that she loves a good cry. “I really cry all the time … Everything [makes me cry]. Especially during fight week,” she told the Huffington Post. While crying is more often associated with weakness than strength, the science of the tears we shed when we’re emotional — including feelings of anger, sadness, and stress — shows that crying actually makes us healthier. MORE THAN JUSTWATER Before you cry, you may feel a welling up of tears in your eyes that makes them appear watery. While tears of all types are mainly made up of water, scientists say that they are distinguished by their chemical makeup. Biochemist Dr. William H. Frey
produced foundational scientific research on the science of crying. He collected tears from research participants who cried while watching a sad movie and compared their tears to participants who cried because of a cut onion. Frey said the emotional tears were not only unique to humans but that they’re also a “unique kind of tear.” Their unique chemical makeup has both a detoxifying and stress-reducing effect. Emotional tears have higher levels of ACTH, a stress hormone released by crying. They also have higher levels of endorphins and oxytocin, which are known to reduce both stress and pain. CRYING AND YOUR HEALTH The benefits of crying have been explored by everyone from ancient philosophers to modern- day scientists. While philosophers noted the cathartic effects of crying, scientists have filled in the knowledge gaps about why crying feels good and how it’s actually good for us.
The stress-reducing benefits of crying don’t just feel good in the moment. There are several secondary benefits such as:
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Lower blood pressure, which keeps your heart healthy and helps you avoid stroke, heart failure, and dementia Lower manganese levels, which helps decrease anxiety, irritability, and aggression
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Decreased risk of ulcers and other digestive issues Decreased risk of tension headaches and migraines
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Finally, crying serves an important social role. Tears elicit sympathy, signal that something is wrong, and facilitate connection during hard times. If you find yourself having chronic or uncontrollable bouts of tears, something else may be going on and you should seek professional help. But if you find yourself crying when stressed, angry, or sad, embrace your tears, knowing they’re helping make you healthier both mentally and physically.
Is Your Phone a Superspreader? 3 Ways to Keep Your Phone Clean As your children return to school and in-person instruction, the routine once lost to COVID-19 and summertime fun seems to have returned. Everything seems “normal” again — right down to the return of fall sniffles, colds, and flus.
DON’T SHARE DEVICES This one will take a little practice. Think about all the places our phones go: up to our faces, into our hands, onto counters, into our purses or backpacks — you get the picture. Now think about where our hands go and how many of those germs are then transferred onto our phones and tablets. Do you really want a stranger’s — or dozens of your child’s closest friends’ — germs on your phone? They will surely get on your hands, against your face, and sit on your kitchen counter. Don’t share devices outside of your immediate family, unless it’s an emergency, and consider alternatives. For example, offer to place the phone call yourself if a person needs to use your phone. Also, remind your child to think of their phone like a toothbrush: It’s theirs and theirs alone. JUSTWASH YOUR HANDS You’re sick of hearing about it, but proper hand-washing techniques can protect you from the transmission of germs and infections. Plus, when you wash your hands consistently, you remove the possibility of transferring those bad germs onto your phone, where they can linger.
To avoid the “back-to-school plague,” as many professionals call it, you would hope that recent insistence on hand-washing, sanitizing, and staying socially distanced would remain a habit, but we all know how kids can be. And as more children and teens use cellphones, their risk of spreading germs increases, too.
This back-to-school season, keep some of our dirtiest devices clean — cellphones and tablets — with these doctor-recommended tips.
WASH YOUR PHONE REGULARLY This feels like a no-brainer, but many of us don’t wash our phones enough. Short of dunking the device in a tub of bleach, the easiest way to eliminate germs from your phone is to use an alcohol wipe or sanitizing cloth. Simply sanitize the phone lightly throughout the day. There are even eco-friendly products, like Zagg’s UV sanitizers and cleaners, to make cleanliness even greener! These products use light to zap away germs!
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Introducing Our Latest Treatment REDUCE FINE LINES WITH SUBNOVII
Eye Plastic Associates is excited to offer a new service called Subnovii. Subnovii is a non-surgical advanced plasma treatment that helps tighten multiple areas on the face and neck, resulting in younger-looking skin. It delivers excellent results on crow’s feet, upper and lower eyelids, the forehead, the jaw and neckline, around the mouth, and on most other facial fine lines. Subnovii works by delivering plasma energy directly into the skin. After an application of a numbing cream, the Subnovii plasma pen is used to deliver a fine point of ionized gas into targeted facial tissue. This creates a small, self-sealing wound that both immediately tightens the skin and stimulates the bodies fibroblast to make more collagen.
will have small brown dots on the treated area. These are the immediate tiny scabs that form to protect the rejuvenation taking place below in the dermis of the skin. These small scabs will fall off over 5–7 days on the face or 10–14 days on the neck. Some reduction in fine lines will be immediately apparent after the procedure, but improvement will continue for up to six months after treatment. Subnovii is performed in the office as an outpatient procedure. Once the numbing wears off, your skin will feel almost like it has a sunburn. You should keep the area dry and out of the sun for 2-3 weeks and make sure to apply the aftercare cream provided by our office. The most important thing to remember is to not rub the dots on your face — we promise they’ll fall off on their own! When they do, the skin underneath will look pink, but the redness will fade.
Subnovii isn’t for everyone. Due to the risk of hyperpigmentation on dark and medium complexions, the procedure is only recommended on more fair-skinned individuals. If you’re not sure whether your skin tone is a good fit for Subnovii treatment, we’ll be glad to help you with an assessment. If Subnovii sounds like a good fit for you, please call Eye Plastic Associates today to schedule a consultation. Younger-looking skin could be in your future.
As with many other cosmetic procedures, the immediate results may look a little off-putting. You
Inspired by ShaneAndSimple.com Easy Vegan ‘Cheese’ Sauce
Level up your game day nachos with this cheesy, vegetable-packed sauce!
A referral is the highest compliment our patients can give! Welcome to our new patients, and thank you for the six referrals this month! Do you know someone who might need Dr. Scott’s care? Pass this newsletter along to them!
INGREDIENTS
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2 cups potatoes, peeled and chopped 1 cup carrots, peeled and diced
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1 tbsp lemon juice
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1 tsp garlic powder
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1 tsp onion powder
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Salt, to taste
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1/4 onion, chopped
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1/2 cup warm water
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1/2 cup nutritional yeast
“The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.” –Vince Lombardi, Hall of Fame NFL Coach
DIRECTIONS
1. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add potatoes, carrots, and onion, then boil until soft, 15–20 minutes. 2. Drain vegetables. Using a blender, combine vegetables and remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth and creamy, adding additional water as necessary. 3. Drizzle sauce over nachos and dig in!
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3700 Joseph Siewick Dr., Suite 400 • Fairfax, VA 22033 (703) 620-4300 • www.eyeplasticmd.com
Inside This Issue
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How Dr. Scott Learned the Importance of Labor
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The Science of Crying
Clean Your Phone — And Other Hacks to Prevent Spreading Germs Introducing Our Latest Treatment, Subnovii
Easy Vegan ‘Cheese’ Sauce
Get a Jump on Winter Blues With Fall Exercise
GET A JUMP ON WINTER BLUES
And Exercise Through the Fall
Less sunlight can have a negative impact on your mental well-being, and as you head into the darker, chillier months, worsening weather and shorter days can make staying in shape more of a chore than a joy. But that doesn’t mean you’re powerless. With a few tricks, you can thrive through the cold season. Finding ways to stay active while cooped up inside has never been easier. Thanks to the pandemic, online exercise courses, at-home workouts, and remote Zumba classes grew in popularity and are still going strong. If you embraced these for your summer workouts to avoid the heat, you can continue that routine this fall and winter and keep up your exercise, mixing it up if one course gets stale.
Similarly, winter provides a great time to focus on a new type of fitness goal, like building muscle in an indoor facility or taking martial arts classes at the gym. It doesn’t matter what you do; what matters is that you do it. Stay active! While it’s a bummer that you can’t go trail running or biking, any exercise is better than none. And don’t wait to get started: Add that “winter workout” into your weekly routine now. Not only will it help make the transition a little easier when you can’t go for your morning run, but also, if you’re trying a new sport, activity, or exercise, it gives you a buffer in case you decide it’s not for you after all. Don’t let bad weather or fewer daylight hours be an excuse for less exercise. Your brain will thank you, and who knows? You might actually have fun too!
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