Effective &  Compassionate Care for Women!

Effective & Compassionate Care for Women!

Targeted Health Care Services for Women

From the onset of the menstrual cycle in young teens to menopause and after, Ridgeline Medical provides women with comprehensive care for diagnosing, preventing, and treating female-specific health issues. Our health screenings, annual exams, and other services offer you a compassionate and effective choice for your personal care.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month! According to the American Cancer Society, when breast cancer is detected early and is in the localized stage, the 5-year relative survival rate is 99%! Monthly breast self-exams, regular clinical breast exams, and mammograms are essential for early detection. Here are some symptoms to watch out for when giving your self-exams:

1. A change in how the breast or nipple looks or feels. Tenderness, a change in the texture, or a lump should always be reported to your healthcare professional.

2. Any unexplained change in the size, shape, dimpling, unexplained swelling, recent asymmetry, or scaly, red areas should be reported.

3. Any nipple discharge when not breastfeeding should be checked by your healthcare professional.

Ridgeline Medical offers annual exams for women including pap smears and breast exams to help you stay on top of any health issues and in the best health possible. Some of the other services and treatments we offer for women are:

  • Vaginal health & discomfort treatment
  • Birth control
  • Contraceptive management
  • General women’s health care
  • Hormone management and pellet therapy
  • Sexual health improvement
  • Low libido
  • Weight loss
  • Chronic disease management

Ridgeline Medical also recently added several new procedures for women to the Aesthetics department. Services include:

Ridgeline’s team consists of highly qualified medical professionals who strive to give the highest quality of care to women of all ages. Contact Ridgeline Medical for all of your healthcare needs. If you haven’t had a breast exam in a while, schedule your appointment today. Early detection is key to a positive outcome!

Some content provided by nationalbreastcancer.org.

 

Easy Skin Care Routine for Healthy Skin

Easy Skin Care Routine for Healthy Skin

With so many skin care products, how do you know what to use?

What’s Your Type?

The Best Skin Care Regimen for Any Skin Type

How to Choose the Right Epionce Products

The Epionce skin care line addresses common skin concerns using simple products. Choosing the right Epionce regimen depends on your skin type, individual skin conditions or aesthetic goals. One of the benefits of Epionce is that your regimen can be curated to your unique skin care needs. From dry and sensitive to problem skin, there is a perfect skin care regimen for you.

An Epionce Regimen by Skin Type

An Epionce regimen starts with your skin type. General skin type categories are dry to sensitive, normal to combination, and oily to problem. Certain Epionce products are marked with dots to help decipher what skin type they may be best suited for. This system is a general guide to help you find the best products to fit your skin needs based on the characteristics of each.

  • For dry/sensitive skin, select one dot products. Dry skin lacks moisture or can be easily irritated and sensitive. Often red, cracked or tight and dry feeling. It can be challenging to find skin care products that won’t cause irritation.
  • For normal/combination skin, select two dot products. Normal skin is typically hydrated with few blemishes or excess oil. A basic daily skin care regimen helps maintain healthy skin.
  • Oily/problem skin? Three dot products are best. Oily skin is often characterized by blemishes, excess oil production and enlarged pores. Gentle but effective products are key to reducing surface shine and breakouts without stripping the skin of oils necessary for healthy skin.

How to Choose A Skin Care Regimen

It is best to start with the foundation of the Epionce line and philosophy – Renewal Facial products. A Renewal is a powerful, multitasking moisturizer that works to improve visible signs of aging and overall appearance. Therapeutic botanical ingredients provide barrier-boosting oils the skin needs to be healthy. Hyaluronic acid helps retain moisture in the skin.

Depending on your skin needs, products from all four Epionce steps can be added for a complete skincare routine. This includes Cleanse & Prepare, Correct & Boost, Renew & Fortify and Protect & Prevent categories.

The following regimens are general guidelines to help get you started. Your Epionce professionalwill make more specific recommendations based on a skin assessment. Remember, a great skin care regimen always uses  sunscreen in the morning!

Skin Care Regimen for Dry/Sensitive Skin

Dry/sensitive skin requires products with the right amount of oil and moisture necessary for skin health.

  • Milky Lotion Cleanser is a rich, creamy cleanser that leaves skin feeling hydrated.
  • Balancing Toner adds a boost of botanical humectants for dewy skin.
  • Lite Lytic Tx is the gentlest Lytic formula to smooth the visible appearance of skin texture and brighten skin tone.
  • Renewal Facial Cream is the richest and most moisturizing of the Renewal formulas and includes hyaluronic acid to improve the visible appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and firmer skin.

Skin Care Regimen for Normal/Combination Skin

Maintain healthy-looking skin by using a consistent daily skin care regimen.

  • Gentle Foaming Cleanser is the go-to for normal or combination skin with a light lather to wash away impurities without stripping skin of natural oils.
  • Balancing Toner gently clears away traces of dirt and makeup from pores and leaves skin calm and hydrated.
  • Lytic Tx is a moderate-strength formula that cleans out pores and reduces visible imperfections.
  • Renewal Facial Lotion contains the same anti-aging benefits of Renewal Facial Cream, but in a lighter formula.

Skin Care Regimen for Oily/Problem Skin

Caring for oily/problem skin is possible with products that help nourish and support skin health.

  • Lytic Gel Cleanser is a NewBeauty® Beauty Choice Award winner for ‘Best Gel Cleanser’ because it calms and refreshes skin, dissolves dirt and oil and doesn’t dry out skin.
  • Purifying Toner has gentle astringent properties and uses Willow Bark Extract to help control surface shine and clean pores of dirt, oil and makeup.
  • Lytic Plus Tx or Lytic Sport Tx are maximum strength formulas to help unclog pores, diminish blemishes and smooth skin texture.
  • Renewal Lite Facial Lotion lightly hydrates but has the same nourishing benefits found in other Renewal Facial products.

Skin Care Regimen for Anti-Aging or Mature Skin

Help slow visible signs of skin aging with a clinically proven daily regimen.

  • Gentle Foaming Cleanser is a go-to for mature skin. The lightly foaming cleanser washes away impurities while protecting natural hydration and oils.
  • Balancing Toner infuses mature skin with humectants that draw in hydration.
  • Lytic Tx and Renewal Facial Cream are clinically proven to have better anti-aging benefit than retinoids in the visible improvement of fine lines, wrinkles and skin clarity.
  • Intensive Nourishing Cream is one of the best anti-aging moisturizers for mature skin that delivers powerful complexes to target signs of aging, hydrates and visibly rejuvenates skin on face, neck and décolletage. It also makes a great night cream.
  • Intense Defense Serum is a cosmetically elegant anti-aging serum that helps reduce fine lines and wrinkles and brighten skin tone without triggering irritation.

Acne Boosts

Skin care products for acnework synergistically with an Epionce regimen and won’t irritate the skin or strip it of healthy oils.

Anti-Aging Boosts

Enhance an anti-aging regimen with these additional steps.

  • The ultra-hydrating Enriched Firming Mask nourishes dry, dull skin and improves the visible appearance of elasticity and firmness, so skin immediately looks more radiant and youthful.
  • Renewal Eye Creamis made specifically for the delicate skin around the eyes to reduce the visible appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, puffiness, and dark circles.

Boosts for Dark Spots

  • botanical-based solution for unwanted dark spots, MelanoLyte Txis a twice-daily product to help improve the visible appearance of uneven tone.
  • MelanoLyte Pigment Perfection Serum is a hydroquinone-free nighttime serum that works with MelanoLyte Tx to brighten skin tone and help reduce the visible appearance of unwanted dark spots.

Finding the Right Fit

Epionce products were created for all skin types and are customizable based on your needs. It’s important to consult with an Epionce Professional to help tailor a regimen unique to you, and who can explain the correct order to apply products. Whether a specific skin concern like acne, signs of aging or simply maintaining the appearance of healthy skin, you can feel confident you’re getting the most benefit from your daily Epionce routine.

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Why Botox?

Why Botox?

Why Botox?

Why do people get Botox?

Botox is known as a neuromodulator used to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles on one’s face.  It relaxes the muscle and therefore prevents the muscles from being able to contract and cause lines around the eyes, across the forehead, and between your eyes, and even helps prevent the downturn of your smile, smooth out your chin, and create a smooth youthful appearance to the skin. It quite simply erases fine lines and wrinkles like a magic eraser!

How long does it last? 

Botox or other neuromodulator brands like Dysport, Xeomin, Jeveau last anywhere from 3-6 months and do need to be repeated to achieve the consistent relaxation of the muscle it is being injected into.  It will take approximately 3-7 days to start working and should be re-evaluated in 3-4 months to maintain the relaxation of the muscle and the smoothing of the fine lines and wrinkles in the area it is injected.

What areas are most effectively treated with neuromodulators like Botox?

The best areas to have treated are around the eyes (crow’s feet), between the eyes (the 11 lines or grumpy eyes), along the forehead for forehead creases and wrinkles, the bunny lines across the nose, the chin when the skin appears “cobblestone appearance”, and in the downturned angles of the mouth preventing the downturned smile that can appear with aging. 

How much does it cost?

The cost for Botox at Ridgeline Medical is $10 per unit.  A typical cost for between the eyes is 20 Units or $200, the forehead is typically 10-20 units or $100/$200, around the eyes to the crow’s feet is generally 12 units or $120, chin is generally only 8 units or $80, a lip flip is generally only 4-8 units or $40-$80 (*note a lip flip only last approximately 6 weeks not the 3-6 months the other areas last).

Does it hurt?

Botox is injected into the muscle (a very superficial, ie not deep) injection with a super fine needle and is very quick and relatively painless when done with the correct technique.  The whole procedure generally takes no more than 10 minutes. 

What are the restrictions after having Botox?

Your provider will encourage you not to take ibuprofen, you can take Tylenol if you feel a slight headache or any residual pain, which is very rare.  You will need to not lay on your face or have a massage or exercise heavily that same day of injection.  You will be discouraged from putting a hat on as you do not want the areas injected to have pressure applied as the neurotoxin needs to stay in place where it was injected for full effect and to prevent it from drifting to an unintended area. 

What are the potential complications that can occur?

There could be mild redness, bruising, and swelling after the injections.  Do not plan Botox right before a big event, give yourself a 2-week lead time in case you need to allow bruising to resolve.  There is a chance the Botox can drift into an unintended muscle and eyelid droop may occur.  This is a rare complication but can occur.  There is no way to reverse neuromodulators once injected, but the results are not permanent, as the neuromodulator will slowly degrade and no longer be effective in 3-6 months.  In some instances an eye drop can immediately be applied to the eye to try to lessen the side effect of the eyelid drooping.  Correct placement by a skilled provider is important. 

Does Ridgeline do Botox?

Yes, our Nurse Practitioner Christina Finnerty FNP does Botox.  She has been injecting Botox and other neuromodulators for over 15 years and would absolutely love to help you feel beautiful in the skin you are in!!!

Make an appointment today!  If you are not sure what you would need, you can make a consultation appointment first for $50 for 30-minute consult and if you book treatment $25 is applied toward your treatment if done on a separate day.  If done the same day the consultation fee is waived. 

What are Fillers?

What are Fillers?

What are fillers?

Also called soft-tissue fillers, dermal fillers, soft-tissue augmentation

As we age, our skin loses its youthful fullness. Fillers help to restore lost fullness to the face, lips, and hands. 

Fillers are popular for several reasons. Patients like that they can return to everyday activities immediately after getting most fillers. They like the immediate results that many types of fillers deliver. Patients also like that they can get this treatment during an office visit. Some fillers require a few office visits.

Uses: With a number of fillers now available, our Nurse Practitioner Christina Finnerty FNP can diminish signs of aging that appear on the face, lips, and hands. Fillers can effectively: 

  • Restore fullness to cheeks, hollow areas under the eyes, and deep creases.
  • Diminish scars.
  • Erase fine lines.
  • Plump lips. 
  • Lift the brow or a down-turned mouth.
  • Rejuvenate hands.

What happens when I get a filler? 

The procedure varies with the filler your provider will use, the part of the body to be treated, and your medical history. Here are some general guidelines about what you can expect:

  • Most filler treatments take between 30 and 45 minutes and require one office visit.
  • Before getting the injections, you may need ice, an anesthetic applied to the skin, or a nerve block (an injection). This varies with the filler and area to be treated. Hands generally do not need anesthesia; lips often require a nerve block. 
  • Your provider will inject the filler into the area, often giving you several injections to produce the best results. 
  • You may feel a stinging or burning sensation as the filler is injected. 

What must I do after getting a filler?

Most patients can return to their everyday activities after leaving the office. 

To reduce any redness and swelling from the injections, your provider may recommend icing the area for 15 to 20 minutes before you leave.

After leaving the office, you should: 

  • Wait until the next day to exercise or do any other strenuous activity.
  • Stay out of the sun and do not use a tanning bed or other type of indoor tanning. 
  • Avoid touching the treated area for three days, unless you receive instructions to massage the area.

Is there downtime?

This varies with the filler. Most fillers do not cause downtime. Be sure to ask your provider whether you will have downtime.

When will I see results after getting a filler? 

This also varies with the filler. Most fillers fill the skin, so they produce immediate — or close to immediate — results. A filler also can stimulate your body to produce collagen, but this takes time.

Most fillers offer immediate results

You will be happy to see your results immediately, there of course will be swelling for days to weeks, so the final results are generally seen after about 3-6 weeks after injection. 

Will I look natural? 

To get natural-looking results, the person injecting the filler must have expertise in placing the filler. 

Dermatologists recommend not overdoing fillers. Your results will look more natural with a conservative approach. For example, patients who have very thin lips should not get dramatically fuller lips. Creating fuller lips in these patients could be extremely unflattering because the lips might start to resemble a duck’s bill.

How long will the results from fillers last?

Most fillers offer temporary results and require repeat treatments to maintain the results. 

Temporary fillers offer one key advantage. These can be injected as needed to replace lost fullness. This is advantageous because no matter what we do, our skin continues to age. Most hyaluronic acid fillers last 6-12 months on average. 

When is it safe to get another treatment? 

If you get a temporary filler, you can usually have another treatment when the signs of aging reappear. 

What are the possible side effects? 

After receiving filler injections, some patients have minor, temporary side effects where they were injected. You may have:

  • Redness
  • Swelling
  • Tenderness
  • Bruising (occasionally)

These side effects tend to clear within 7 to 14 days — if not earlier.

Serious side effects are more likely when the person injecting the filler does not have adequate medical training and experience. To protect your health, you should never get filler injections in a non-medical setting, such as non-medical spa, salon, or someone’s home.

When fillers are injected in a non-medical setting or by an inexperienced provider, reports of more serious side effects increase dramatically. These side effects include: 

  • Lumps.
  • Ridges.
  • Over-filled areas.
  • Allergic reaction.
  • Skin discoloration.
  • Infection.
  • Severe swelling.

What is the safety record for fillers?

This is one of the safest cosmetic treatments available. For years, dermatologists have been refining the use of fillers to diminish signs of aging. Today, providers safely treat people of many ages and all skin colors. 

What is the cost of dermal fillers?

The cost for the dermal fillers used at Ridgeline Medical is $475 per syringe.  The number of syringes needed for each area of concern is determined in your individual consultation with Christina Finnerty FNP. 

Call to schedule your appointment today! 

Women’s Health

Women’s Health

ABOUT US

Ridgeline’s team consists of highly qualified medical professionals who strive to give their patients the highest quality of care. Our providers work together to optimize their patient’s health by creating a relationship with them, genuinely listening, and cultivating a safe place. We provide a range of services that includes everything from yearly wellness visits to broken bones. Our providers consolidate their patient’s medical records to assure a safe treatment plan across the board, making us a unique hub for all of our patient’s medical needs.

“Why face your health alone when you can have a team” -RIDGELINE MEDICAL

WOMEN’S HEALTH

Women are 20-30% more likely to be misdiagnosed. Our providers here at Ridgeline Medical have extensive experience in women’s health. All of our providers care about women’s health and some have been personally affected by difficult diagnoses that allow them to empathize with their female patients.  As a cancer survivor, Monica knows the value of having a guide through the medical options that are available. She is a passionate listener, helper, and supporter of any who comes to us.

OUR WOMEN’S HEALTH SERVICES

  • Annual exams and pap smears
  • Anxiety
  • Aesthetics
  • Breast exams
  • Birth Control
  • Chronic disease management
  • Depression
  • Hormone pellet therapy
  • Sexual health
  • Pre-pregnancy testing
  • Vaginitis hormone replacement
  • Weight loss
  • And so much more

Women’s Urgent Care Needs:

  • Abdominal Pain
  • Allergic Reactions
  • Anxiety & Depression
  • Asthma Attack (Minor to Moderate)
  • Burns (Including Sun Burns)
  • Cold or Cough
  • Constipation
  • Cuts
  • Earache or Ear Infection
  • Dizziness/Fainting
  • Diarrhea
  • Fever (Children over 2 months old)
  • Flu
  • Headache or Migraine
  • Ingrown Toenails
  • Insect or Animal Bite
  • Nausea & Vomiting
  • Pelvic Pain
  • Pink Eye
  • Rash
  • Sprains/Strains
  • Stomach Pain
  • Stitches
  • Sore Throat
  • Telemedicine Visits
  • Urinary Tract Infection

 

Urgent Care

Urgent Care

Ridgeline’s team consists of highly qualified medical professionals who strive to give their patients the highest quality of care. Our providers work together to optimize their patient’s health by creating a relationship with them, genuinely listening, and cultivating a safe place. We provide a range of services that includes everything from yearly wellness visits to broken bones. Our providers consolidate their patient’s medical records to assure a safe treatment plan across the board, making us a unique hub for all of our patient’s medical needs.

“Why face your health alone when you can have a team” -RIDGELINE MEDICAL

 

OUR  URGENT CARE

Our urgent care doctors are emergency room board certified.  Our providers/doctors have more than 17 years of experience in emergency medicine. All of our staff from the front desk to the clinical staff genuinely care about our patients.

Our urgent care facility is a step above the standard because of the emergency room training our doctors and providers have:

  • On-Site Lab
  • On-Site X-Rays
  • On-Site Sedation
  • Broken Bone Placement
  • Head Injuries
  • IV Hydration

General Urgent Care Needs:

  • Abdominal Pain
  • Allergic Reactions
  • Anxiety & Depression
  • Asthma Attack (Minor to Moderate)
  • Burns (Including Sun Burns)
  • Cold or Cough
  • Constipation
  • Croup
  • Cuts and Stitches
  • Earache or Ear Infection
  • Dizziness/Fainting
  • Diarrhea
  • Fever (Children over 2 months old)
  • Flu
  • Headache or Migraine
  • Ingrown Toenails
  • Insect or Animal Bite
  • Nausea & Vomiting
  • Pelvic Pain
  • Pink Eye
  • Rash
  • Sprains/Strains
  • Stomach Pain
  • Stitches
  • Sore Throat
  • Telemedicine Visits
  • Urinary Tract Infection