Where did it come from? Samuel Hahnemann, a German physician who earned his doctorate of medicine degree in 1779 is recognized as founder of homeopathy. Through experiments on himself, and later with his patients, he developed a system of rules and laws of medicine that he codified into a treatise called “Organon of rational therapeutics”, first published in 1810. The sixth edition, published in 1921, is still used today as a basic homeopathy text. It was brought to US in 1825 by several doctors who had studied in Europe. Although at one time there were 22 homeopathic medical colleges in US, and one out of five doctors used homeopathy, by 1940’s there were no homeopathic schools in US.

Do your homework! Naturopathic physicians are licensed as healthcare providers in 13 states with legal provisions allowing practice of naturopathic medicine in several other states. To qualify for a license, applicant must pass licensing exam and satisfy all licensing requirements, such as have attended a resident course of 4 years and 4,100 hours of study from a college or university recognized by state examining board. There are special certifications for various healthcare professionals. For MD’s and DO’s, there is Diplomat in Homeotherapeutics (DHt). For ND’s, certification is DHANP (Diplomat of Homeopathic Academy of Naturopathic Physicians), and for homeopaths of all professions, there is CCH (Certified in Classical Homeopathy). What is important to know is that in states without licensure requirements for homeopathy, anyone can claim to be practicing ‘homeopathic medicine’.

Homeopathic medicine could be a great alternative to traditional medicine. It’s important to look into background and training of anyone practicing homeopathic medicine, however, as many people promote themselves as an expert without proper education. The National Center for Homoeopathy (http:///www.homeopathy.org) serves as a resource and training center for practice of homeopathy. The American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (http://www.naturopathic.org) provides information on licensing and education requirements for those promoting themselves as a doctor of naturopathy. For a good overview of art and science of homeopathy and its basic tenets, suggested reading is The Emerging Science of Homeopathy: Complexity, Biodynamics and Nanopharmacology, 2nd edition, by Bellavite P. Signorini.

Before anyone ops for surgery they should first invest time in training to get as much out of it as they can. Then, if results of their training stops short of their goal, by that time, electing to have surgery, they’ll find they won’t have need for as much surgery and their skin will be in far better shape for healing. Once all is healed, they should jump back into their training and not let it happen again! What are your thoughts on Botox?

The most popular cosmetic procedure today is Botox. This procedure has done much to build my business. I have many clients who decided to give FlexEffect a try after trying a few injections of Botox.

Paralyzing muscles (corrugators) to prevent frowning also causes those muscles to atrophy: within six weeks as much as half of muscle is lost to atrophy. Over a period of time, repeated injections will result in hooded lids (drooping upper eyelids). The area of injection also becomes extremely flat. This is not what I would call a fair trade off.

For every person trying to eliminate a line or furrow through Botox, there is a trainee eliminating same line and furrow through FlexEffect – without side effects.

What type of changes should one expect to see?

Initially, change most Flexers comment on about three weeks into their training is how their face feels different to touch. They notice increased tautness and thickness in cheek and mouth area. Lips become more defined, and there is an increase in facial oil production. This is a real bonus since it is natural oil that holds moisture in skin -- bye bye dry skin! Three months will bring a visual lift in cheeks, even more firmness, and smooth skin where there used to be fine lines. In six months, friends will be asking you to teach them exercises.

How does Flexeffect affect skin?

Without doubt, Flexeffect is a tremendous benefit to skin. The supply of blood to a contracting muscle is ten times greater than normal. Resistance Training brings a vigorous supply of blood to surface. This blood carries vital oxygen and nutrients to skin and growing tissue, while carrying away old and damaged cells. With this constant flushing of oxygen and nutrients, skin cells become healthier. Before a cell dies, it clones itself. This newly cloned cell will become healthier before cloning itself -- and so on, and so on. This means better skin tone and better texture. The bottom line: you cannot beef-up muscle without beefing-up its surrounding tissue.

Like any form of fitness training, FlexEffect takes time and discipline. Muscle builds fast but it’s going to take your skin considerably longer (re-cycling of cells) to show benefit of your training. Give yourself a year. I know a year sounds like a long time, but it’s worth it. Besides, you’ll be watching your face improve from month to month. Can’t get more exciting than that!