Dr. Speron Plastic Surgery

Melatonin and Sleep – What New Research Is Showing



Hello everyone. I’m Dr. Sam Speron, a board-certified plastic surgeon in The Chicago area. Today I want to talk about something many people use to help them sleep, melatonin supplements.

Melatonin is a hormone your body naturally produces to regulate your sleep and wake cycle, and many people take it as an over the counter supplement when they struggle with insomnia or jet lag.

A recent large research review looked at health records from more than 130,000 adults with insomnia who had taken melatonin for a year or longer. The researchers found that people using melatonin long term were more likely to develop heart failure, be hospitalized for heart failure, or die from any cause compared to people with insomnia who were not using melatonin.

Now it is important to understand that this study only found an association and not proof that melatonin directly causes these problems. However, the findings do raise real questions about the long term safety of taking melatonin supplements regularly, especially because these products are widely available and often assumed to be completely harmless.

Another issue is that supplements in the United States are not regulated the same way medications are. This means the dosage and purity of melatonin products can vary from brand to brand, which may lead to inconsistent effects for people using them over time.

I always encourage patients to think carefully about long term supplement use and focus first on healthy lifestyle habits that support better sleep naturally. Good sleep hygiene, consistent schedules, and overall wellness often make a significant difference in sleep quality and long term health.

I hope you enjoyed this Vlog and if you did please like and subscribe below and have a great rest of your day.

Dr. Sam Speron

Laser vs Microneedling – Which Skin Treatment Do You Really Need?



Hello everyone. I’m Dr. Sam Speron, a board-certified plastic surgeon in The Chicago area. One of the most common questions patients ask me is whether laser treatments or microneedling are better for improving their skin. Both treatments can stimulate collagen and improve skin quality, but they work in very different ways and are designed to address different concerns.

Laser treatments use focused light energy to gently heat the deeper layers of the skin. That controlled heat stimulates collagen production while improving tone, redness, and overall radiance. Many patients love laser treatments because they can create a smoother, brighter appearance with very little downtime, making them a great option when someone wants that refreshed glow before an event.

Microneedling works differently by creating tiny controlled microchannels in the skin. These micro-injuries trigger your body’s natural healing response, which stimulates collagen remodeling and improves texture over time. Radiofrequency microneedling goes even deeper by delivering heat through the needles, which can help tighten the skin and improve more advanced concerns like laxity and deeper wrinkles.

In my practice, the choice really depends on the patient’s goals and skin condition — someone looking for a quick improvement in tone and brightness may benefit from a laser treatment, while someone who wants deeper collagen stimulation and tightening may be a better candidate for microneedling. And of course, doing both is even better.

I have found that personalized treatment plans make the biggest difference. Sometimes the best results come from combining technologies strategically so we can address both the surface of the skin and the deeper collagen structure.

Dr. Sam Speron

Why My Fourth Generation Scar Support Is Different



Hello everyone. I’m Dr. Sam Speron, a board-certified plastic surgeon in The Chicago area. One of the most important parts of any surgery or skin procedure is how the scar heals, and that is why I have spent years improving my own scar care formula.

I recently introduced my fourth generation scar support treatment, and it reflects everything I have learned from treating patients over more than 26 years in private practice.

Scar healing is a complex process that depends on inflammation control, proper hydration of the skin, and supporting the body’s natural repair mechanisms. Through years of working with surgical patients, I realized that many products on the market simply were not addressing all of these factors together. That is what led me to continue refining my own formula with ingredients designed specifically to support healthy scar maturation.

The newest version includes ingredients such as panthenol and zinc, which help soothe the skin, support the barrier function, and assist the natural healing environment of the tissue. Panthenol helps maintain moisture and comfort in healing skin, while zinc plays an important role in skin repair and protection during the recovery process. Of course it still has oxygen probiotics, hyaluronic acid, and all the other goodies.
My goal in creating this next generation formula was simple — give my patients a product that reflects the same attention to detail and quality that I bring to every surgical procedure.

I hope you enjoyed this Vlog and if you did please like and subscribe below and have a great rest of your day.

Dr. Sam Speron