*Office will be closed Friday, July 3rd.   We wish everyone a safe 4th of July weekend!

Dr. Perez and his team are keeping normal clinic hours and seeing all patients including aesthetic treatments and procedures.  The health and well-being of our patients and staff has and will always be our top priority.  It is also our responsibility as healthcare providers to provide patient guidance and continue care of routine visits, follow-ups, vaccine schedules, and addressing other medical issues.

We are taking measures at the clinic to keep everyone safe. There’s an increased schedule of disinfection, appointment times are staggered to keep a social distance, and patients who represent any respiratory or febrile illness are required to wear a mask.  For select visit types a Telemedicine visit is an option through your patient portal.   We are also not a testing facility and we do not treat any COVID-19 patients.

We want to assure you that we have been keeping up with the latest developments and guidelines with trusted medical resources. With the outpouring of information from social media and news outlets, Dr. Perez will be updating information below to address concerns we’ve been encountering.

June 18, 2020

On June 5th the WHO changed it’s recommendations in regards to the use of face masks based on new studies that suggest widespread use of the mask may reduce transmission rates of up to 13%.  WHO recommends a 3 layer mask in areas of rapid spread of the disease and where social distancing of at least 6 feet can not be achieved.   The three-layer fabric mask should be made of absorbent cotton closest to the face, followed by a polypropylene layer and then a synthetic layer that is fluid-resistant.  The update does emphasize that the use of the mask should not replace frequent hand washing and social distancing.  It is imperative to mention that to date there is no solid data showing that asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic patients have much potential in transmitting Covid-19.  However, wearing a mask could reduce the ability of asymptomatic patients to pass on the disease.  The current concern about asymptomatic transmission is based on computer models, not on randomized controlled studies, which is the gold standard.

Due to the new Scottsdale mask mandates set forth for June 19th it is necessary to bring awareness to the fact that single surgical masks should not be worn for longer than 6 hours without replacement and cloth masks need to be washed daily and replaced as needed if wet or soiled.  It is important to note there are potential harms/disadvantages of wearing a mask.   According to WHO the likely disadvantages of the use of mask by healthy people in the general public include:  • potential increased risk of self-contamination due to the manipulation of a face mask and subsequently touching eyes with contaminated hands; • potential self-contamination that can occur if non medical masks are not changed when wet or soiled. This can create favorable conditions for microorganism to grow (bacteria, fungi, viruses); • potential headache and/or breathing difficulties, depending on type of mask used; • potential development of facial skin lesions, irritant dermatitis or worsening acne, when used frequently for long hours; • difficulty with communicating clearly; • potential discomfort; • a false sense of security, leading to potentially lower adherence to other critical preventive measures such as physical distancing and hand hygiene; • poor compliance with mask wearing, in particular by young children; • waste management issues; improper mask disposal leading to increased litter in public places, risk of contamination to street cleaners and environment hazard; • difficulty communicating for deaf persons who rely on lip reading; • disadvantages for or difficulty wearing them, especially for children, developmentally challenged persons, those with mental illness, elderly persons with cognitive impairment, those with asthma or chronic respiratory or breathing problems, those who have had facial trauma or recent oral maxillofacial surgery, and those living in hot and humid environments.

For more information on an unbiased wealth of knowledge regarding the existing scientific data regarding masks in the context of Covid-19 please visit The WHO Interim guidance from 5 June 2020    (Scroll down to Technical Guidance,  under “Advice on the use of masks in the context of COVID-19″ download the 519 kb PDF.)

Persons with symptoms should:
• wear a mask when around others, self-isolate, and seek medical advice as soon as they start to feel unwell. Symptoms can include fever, fatigue, cough, sore throat, and difficulty breathing. It is important to note that early symptoms for some people infected with COVID-19 may be very mild;
• follow instructions on how to put on, take off, and dispose of medical masks or follow proper washing of 3 layer cloth masks; 
• follow all additional preventive measures, in particular, hand hygiene and maintaining physical distance from other persons.

All persons should:
• avoid groups of people and enclosed, crowded spaces;
• maintain physical distance of at least 6 feet (1 m) from other persons, in particular from those with respiratory symptoms (e.g., coughing, sneezing);
• perform hand hygiene frequently, using an alcohol-based hand rub if hands are not visibly dirty or soap and water when hands are visibly dirty;
• cover their nose and mouth with a bent elbow or paper tissue when coughing or sneezing, dispose of the tissue immediately after use, and perform hand hygiene;
• refrain from touching their mouth, nose, and eyes;

• only use gloves when dealing with sick patients then quickly and properly dispose of the gloves as soon as leaving the patient, followed by hand washing.