Category: BLOG

After 2022 introduced us to several interesting self-care and wellness trends, we became used to new and revolutionary medicine techniques. We can say that much more interesting and better treatments, products and innovations are to come in the next years. Whether it’s about our physical features, being fit or just boosting our immune system before the flu season, Beauty Woman talked to an industry expert to find out what will be the biggest trend in and beauty and wellness in 2023.

Dr. Rayna Stoyanova is a specialist in the field of endocrinology, metabolic diseases and dietetics and is part of the team of Regina Life Clinic Sofia. Dr. Stoyanova is the creator of “Regina Life Champion”, a method patented in Europe, which helps professional athletes quickly regain good shape with proven clinical results.

Over the past year, IV therapies have received a lot of interest from a number of well-known public figures due to their effectiveness. Maria Silvester, Dilyana Popova and Alexandra Bogdanska are just some of the big names in Bulgaria who use “vitamin cocktails” to keep themselves fit and healthy while sharing their results on social media. While intravenous therapies have become the new usual thing to treat a hangover or weak immune system, in 2023 Regina Life Clinic introduces an exciting new generation of vitamin cocktails that work on all levels of our health, including our physical beauty, reveals Dr. Stoyanova.

INFUSION THERAPY – THE FUTURE OF MEDICINE

Infusion therapy is used to treat a variety of health problems, nourish “from within” and simply hydrate the body by intravenous infusion of precisely dosed diluted mixtures containing important vitamins, drug molecules, antioxidants, micro- and macroelements and/or nutrients. The solution is tailored to the individual needs of the patient, and direct infusion into the bloodstream ensures complete and efficient absorption of the ingredients by the body.

The therapy is also popular for treating health complications after COVID-19. It restores imbalances in the body and provides the necessary amount of essential vitamins and minerals, reaching the bloodstream directly for more effective and rapid healing. Whether you want to boost your immunity, hydrate your body, fight fatigue and stress, recover quickly from muscle aches or even a hangover, lose excess fat, detoxify, and help your skin glow, IV therapy can be formulated to be the solution to it all.

REVOLUTIONARY SOLUTION FOR RADIANT SKIN

Infusion therapy is the next trend making its way up in beauty and wellness. In addition to boosting immunity and treating various ailments, this type of treatment is also improves the skin and fights aging.

BEAUTY FROM INSIDE OUT

Eating healthy, staying hydrated and resting are the key to feeling energetic and having great skin. But nowadays, it’s getting harder and harder to get all the nutrients we need from food alone.

After a mandatory medical exam and laboratory tests, experts in the field will create a personalized health cocktail of essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Therapy can provide a number of health benefits such as flushing toxins from the body, boosting energy levels and tone, restoring metabolism, and reducing excess weight easily and effectively.

LOOSING WEIGHT IN A HEALTHY WAY IS POSSIBLE

Losing weight can be a slow and difficult process. IV weight loss therapy is an innovative way to lose weight and help you reach your goals faster. The therapy helps speed up metabolism, drain the body and suppress cravings for sugary foods. In addition to speeding up the metabolism, IV therapy provides the body with a full range of vitamins and minerals to prevent deficiency of any of them, which is a common side effect when following highly restrictive diets.

HORMONAL BALANCE IN NO TIME

IV therapy can be part of the hormonal imbalance treatment for PMS, which often leads to night sweats, mood swings, sleep problems, depression, appetite changes, headaches, etc. In addition, such therapy could alleviate the unpleasant side effects of menopause and andropause in women and men. The only thing needed for this treatment is a consultation and a blood test that will show your current hormone levels and objectify your condition.

Achieving a glowing appearance can be slow and hard. By addressing medical trends and helping its patients improve their quality of life, Regina Life Clinic offers special health packages for 2023. They include primary and secondary examinations with various specialists – endocrinologist, clinical nutritionist, cardiologist, gastroenterologist, orthopedist, psychologist, in combination with the design of a diet plan, personal treatment and follow-up of all therapy.

If you are looking for a natural way to respond to your body’s needs, turn to industry experts for a professional opinion. They will show you the right way to achieve a balanced and healthy lifestyle in order to become a better version of yourself.

Dr. Rayna Stoyanova, endocrinologist at Regina Life Clinic in Sofia, gave a lecture on “Acne as a Symptom of Endocrine Diseases” at the Acne Master Class organized by Beauty Woman magazine.

She directed the audience’s attention to an in-depth presentation of acne caused by hormonal changes, presented the hormones that increase sebum secretion from the sebaceous glands, and noted what provokes their imbalance. She gave guidance on what aestheticians can do in such cases and the importance of finding out the real cause of acne. Otherwise, it will reoccur regardless of cosmetic care.

When and why is acne a symptom of endocrine diseases?
The word “acne” was first used in the 6th century by Aetius Amidenus, a physician in Constantinople who called ionthos (or “acne”) the lesions appearing on the face during puberty. The disease occurs in about 79-95% of the adolescent population. It is expressed by comedones, papules, pustules and nodules. It appears in the sebaceous gland-rich areas of the face.
Although it is strictly a dermatological problem and does not threaten life directly, its social significance is great – it can worsen the quality of life, cause social isolation, mental disorders. It is most common for people aged between 10 and 20 years, but in recent years acne has also developed in adulthood in patients aged 30-40 years, in whom it can be very severe.

The forms of acne are: Acne Comodeonica – multiple open and closed comedones, located mainly in the forehead, cheeks, nose; Acne Papulopustulosa – most often the comedones are accompanied by inflammatory changes such as papules and pustules; Acne Conglobata – severe form, in which together with the comedones, papules and pustules, characteristic of ordinary acne, the skin develops various sizes of nodular and cystic changes.

The appearance of acne is influenced by internal and external factors. One of the internal factors is the change in hormonal balance. It is with hormones, and specifically those that provoke the production of sebum by the sebaceous glands, that endocrinology is concerned.

ACNE AND HORMONES
– Androgens (male hormones). In order to function properly and be healthy, the female body also produces androgens. The production of sebum by the sebaceous glands is controlled mostly by hormones – testosterone, androstenedione, androstenedione and DHEAS. Increased levels of these hormones lead to increased secretion of sebum and to the formation of comedones. Acne usually worsens in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle (second phase) when progesterone levels rise. This is why some authors believe that it is this hormone with its androgenic effect that plays a role in the pilosebaceous unit. We as endocrinologists do laboratory tests on patients, used as a screening method to prove or exclude androgen overproduction. These include testing serum levels of total and/or free testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), androstenedione, and 17-hydroxy-progesterone (to rule out late-onset congenital adrenal hyperplasia).

ACNE AND ESTROGENS
– Estrogens have a beneficial effect on the skin and its appendages, administered systemically as medications, they reduce the production of sebaceous secretion, since by suppressing ovulation, ovarian production of androgens is reduced.
– While in men hormones stabilize with years, in women they continue to fluctuate. Specifically, between the ages of 20 and 40, and then again during menopause, women are particularly prone to hormonally induced acne.
– The main three factors are menstrual cycle, pregnancy, menopause.

ADRENAL HORMONES
– The adrenal glands are a major site for the production of other steroid hormones vital to the human body – cortisol and gestagen.
– Cortisol, or the so-called stress hormone, is involved in the body’s adaptive responses to stressful situations. It controls water-salt balance in the body, carbohydrate metabolism, protein metabolism, bone metabolism, nervous system, immunity.
– Gestagen is a steroid hormone, an intermediate metabolite in the synthesis of adrenal cortex hormones.

THYROID HORMONES AND ACNE
T3 and T4 play a leading role in all body processes. Тhey contain iodine in their structure, and its inadvertent intake can change the function of the gland. Therefore, provoke the appearance of acne.

POLYCYSTIC OVARY SYNDROME
The clinical definition of PCOS has changed in recent years but now includes some of the basic criteria of the dermatological manifestations of hyperandrogenism, mainly acne vulgaris and androgenetic alopecia. Acanthosis nigricans, a cutaneous sign of hyperinsulinaemia, may also be present.

These dermatologic features can provide early clinical clues to recognize SPCJ, and treatment of these skin conditions can improve the patient’s quality of life and psychological well-being. Treatment modalities may include hormonal therapy designed to modulate the production and action of androgens, as well as non-hormonal therapies targeting specific dermatological conditions.

ACNE AND NUTRITION
There are foods and food products that are bad for our skin and cause it to secrete more sebum, which in turn clogs the pores and leads to the spread of pathogenic bacteria. Such foods are, for example, those with a high glycemic index (GI), that is refined carbohydrates and sugars. They cause a sharp rise in blood sugar in our body, from which more insulin is secreted by the pancreas. The insulin intensifies the action of the sebaceous glands and leads to the development of cells that clog the pores and lead to the so unpleasant acne.

In a study conducted in 2007, Austrian teenagers followed a carbohydrate-only low GI diet. They found that after 2 weeks their acne noticeably improved.

My recommendation to patients is: trust proven specialists and follow their recommendations, but don’t forget that lifestyle, stress, lack of sleep, lack of happiness in life have a huge impact on our skin condition.

On 11 October, we celebrated World Obesity Day with an Open Day where the clinic provided free medical consultations with an endocrinologist and registered dietitian.

The specialists at Regina Life Clinic dedicated their entire day to patients and provided them with a medical consultation, InBody test (accurate analysis of water balance, muscle mass, fat and more..), lab test, and personalized recommendations for a healthy and balanced diet.

“Today, obesity is a serious health problem that continues to be overlooked. Overweight and obesity are major risk factors for a number of chronic diseases. It is of utmost importance for our clinic to be of help to our patients and that is why we have decided to dedicate October 11 to people with a weight problem. And this is just the first step of a bigger initiative,” said Dr. Rayna Stoyanova, endocrinologist at Regina Life Clinic.

Overweight and obesity can also be determined by body mass index (BMI). It is determined by dividing weight in kilograms by height in square meters (kg/m2). You can access the Regina Life Clinic health calculator here.