WALTHAM, MA: Dr. Sonal Pandya, co-director of the Lahey Lexington Center for Plastic and Laser Surgery of the Lahey Health, will lead a seminar on “Non Invasive Anti-Aging and Body Contouring and Aesthetic Rejuvenation of the Face and Body” at the upcoming Health & Wellness Expo 2014 on April 20 at Burlington Marriott Hotel in Burlington, MA.

Dr. Sonal Pandya
“Over the last decade there has been a universal explosion in cosmetic surgery compounded by a dramatic increase in media coverage and retail advertising,” said Dr. Pandya. “This heightened awareness has led to increase in acceptance of plastic and cosmetic surgery, but has also resulted in increased misconceptions among patients.”

Dr. Pandya said that surgery was the mainstay of treatment up until 10 years ago. However, the trend has now shifted to less invasive and relatively inexpensive procedures. According to the 2012 data from the American Society of Plastic Surgery, 1.5 million surgical procedures were performed annually, compared to nearly 13 million minimally invasive non-surgical procedures, a greater than 100 percent increase from 2000 to 2012—and still rising.

“Non-invasive anti-aging and fat reduction procedures have become the new rage,” said Dr. Pandya. “My presentation will discuss various cosmetic options, clarify myths and misconceptions and provide an insight into the mind boggling array of non surgical anti-aging and fat reduction procedures that are now available.”

Dr. Pandya is a board-certified physician by American Board of Plastic Surgery and General Surgery. She has been in practice as a plastic surgeon at Lahey Health for over 10 years and serves as co-director of the Lahey Lexington Center for Plastic and Laser Surgery.

“I will discuss the basic “hows” and “whys” of aging. Most importantly I will focus on prevention- as it is never too late to start taking care of your skin as small measures do go a long way in maintaining a youthful look,” Dr. Pandya said. “I will present the myriads of non-invasive options which are currently available, including skin products, prescription creams for wrinkles and brown spots, and basic skin care; and then describe injectables such as botox and dermal fillers for volume augmentation.”
Dr. Pandya said she will also talk about various indications, the pros cons for using lasers including hair removal , brown spots, wrinkles, acne scars, surgical or traumatic scars and their use in overall improvement of skin tone and texture.

“There has been a surge in demand for non-surgical skin tightening for sagging skin-the so called non-invasive face lift, which I will also discuss,” added Dr. Pandya.

“Finally, I will talk about the huge interest and demand for no-surgical fat reduction. Many companies have developed devices and techniques which apparently eliminate fat non-surgically. These procedures are painless, involve no knives, no suction hoses, no needles, no downtime, no scars and claim to reduce inches of your body. But do they really work or are they too good to be true?,” said Dr. Pandya. “I will describe the procedures that target certain stubborn areas of fat deposition which will not go away despite diet and exercise, focusing on those non-invasive procedures that are clinically proven and FDA approved to reduce fat by a targeted cooling process and freezing prior to elimination. And yes, in the right candidate these do work.”

This session will be moderated by Dr. Seema Arora, who is an internist at Elder Service Plan of the North Shore. In addition, she trained in aesthetic rejuvenation.

For more information about the Health Expo and to register for free, visit: www.IndiaNewEngland.com/healthexpo.

Words from the Chair of Health & Wellness Expo:

The Health & Wellness Expo is chaired by Dr. Manju Sheth and organized by INDIA New England News. It is a free event for the community & will be held on April 20, 2014 at Burlington Marriott in Burlington, MA. Dr. Sheth is a Board certified internist at Lahey Health and President of Indian Medical Association of New England 2013. She is very dedicated to women’s causes and education of community in health related issues, especially those specific to South Asian population.

Dr. Manju Sheth
Says Dr. Sheth: “Our first free Mega Health Expo in 2013 was a huge success and we are honored to bring it back for the community on a bigger scale this year. We are excited that some of most renowned experts in our area will address important medical issues and update us with the latest guidelines. This will also include problems which are more prevalent in South Asian population. Our distinguished speakers will address important topics related to heart disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis of knee and hip, anti-aging and mind and body medicine to name a few. This year we are also thrilled to include by popular demand dental, holistic and alternative medicine and also stimulating workshops related to overall health, fitness, Indian diet and weight loss. All these sessions will be conducted by an expert group of moderators. We are looking forward to a great event.”