Body change?

If our entire body is supposed to renew itself every 7 years, if all our blood renews itself every three to four months, and if even our skin renews itself every 28 days, how come I wind up with exactly the same spots, wrinkles, scars and bumps every time?
According to a book by Larry Dossey called Space, Time & Medicine, the body only takes 5 years to renew completely. He says somebody called Aebersold has concluded that 98% of the our 10 to the power of 28 atoms are renewed annually. The same source says the lining of the stomach is replaced every week (so much for cast-iron stomachs); the liver is regenerated every six weeks.
Hmmm. Does this mean that the DNA coding actually changes in accordance with the bumps and bruises we receive through life and keeps track of them? How odd.
Another source claims men take a year longer than women to completely change. I wonder why?
My suspicion is that there may be an element of truth in this body change business, but it’s hard to find a medical fact about it. Most sites that talk about it are promoting beauty products, rather than medical information. Have to keep digging on this one, I think.

Non-invasive

One of breakthroughs in modern surgery has been the use of laparoscopic techniques. This is where one or more small incisions are made in the body and all the work is done through those incisions, whether it’s the use of a miniature camera or the insertion of an inflatable adjustable gastric band (as in houston lapband surgery).

My wife has had at least one bout of surgery done in this way, and it’s so much less invasive. The ‘secret,’ as it were, is in the plasticity of the skin, which stretches conveniently as required. Laparoscopy cuts down on damage to the surface of the skin, on healing times, and often allows patients to have what used to be major surgery done in one day. And you’re home in your own bed at night.

I’m not a great fan of surgery myself, and having over the years seen the huge scars left by major surgery (I went to visit a patient who was a relative stranger to me one day, after he’d had heart surgery, and he pulled open his pyjama top and showed me how one side of his front appeared to have been folded over the other, just like a coat) I’m not keen to have it either. But laparoscopy might be survivable.

For those who wonder what lapband (or lap-band) surgery is, it’s similar to stomach stapling, but again, it’s a lot less invasive. And apparently it’s reversible. Good news for those considering stomach-stapling but not keen on all the cutting and tying that’s usually needed.

Dead Sea Skin Care

While we were in Milton Keynes a couple of weeks back, exploring the enormous mall that’s not dissimilar to Korea’s Incheon Airport terminal in size – and in the length of time it takes to get from one end to the other – we saw a booth where they were encouraging people to try some skin care products. We didn’t go over, as we’re not much into skin care products at the best of times, but the thing that intrigued me was that the words Dead Sea was plastered all over the booth.

At the time I thought it was a strange concept to connect the Dead Sea with skin care, but apparently I’m alone in thinking this. Dead Sea minerals and even the mud from the Dead Sea are part of a range of skin care. I’d find it a little hard to think of applying something ‘dead’ to my skin – even if I were a person who used these sorts of things. (I think it’s a bit late now anyway to make much difference!) I’d be interested to hear what other people think about this.