good evening, welcome to our fox 29 your health special i'll lucy noland. aim iain page. lasers can remove tattoos hair sun spots, scars. >> but darker your skin the greater your chance of something going very wrong. with life long consequences. tonight we will look at what a leading laser there calls the single biggest issue in the fastest growing industry and that is treating people of color. >> spring side high school. >> ♪ >> philadelphian amber joy won miss pennsylvania u.s.a. crown in 2011. >> miss pennsylvania, u.s.a., 2011 is amber joy watkins. >> she's used to the spotlight. >> ♪ >> put those on. >> but light of the different source, a laser, that caught

her eye. when you are showing this amount of skin the thought of never shaving again is an amazing thing. laser hair removal, but amber joy knew she had to be very careful but who was operating that laser. >> i heard horror stories. i have seen people have scarring from laser hair removal and i'm lucky that i started out with the right doctor. >> lasers are very complicated. >> lasers are powerful surgical tools, but in the wrong hand they can burn you blind you. >> everybody keep your glasses on. >> see this white circle? that is laser basically burning a hole in what you could consider the camera's retina, the same thing could happen to your eyes. how difficult is this to work on people with darker pigment. >> so people with darker skin are much more susceptible from the laser, injury from the cooling spray. >> amber joy learned that the

hard way after her first successful treatment withdraw i can burnstein she got a gift certificate for a different doctor. >> this is just a follow-up treatment. it is not as important. i will try this other doctor. it is are cheap. i just needed a follow-up. i went. unfortunately i got burned. >> did it hurt. >> it hurt a lot. it was scary. i didn't know how long burn would stay there or if it was going to be permanent. >> i see a lot of blisters and scarring, mostly more commonly in dark skin patients from people using either the wrong laser, wrong energy. >> doctor bern stein, has seen case after case after laser procedures gone bad. people desperate for him to fix what others messed up. >> a lot of my patients spend more time researching computer, cell even if or bicycle they will buy then they do researching where they go get treated for the skin of their body. >> do some digging. >> goggles. >> find the right doctors. that is exactly what

philadelphia police commissioner charles ramsey told his right-hand man, officer christopher frazier. >> i was talking to him about not wanting this tattoo anymore. he said you have to research. i didn't know at that time about laser. >> tattoos, they always come with a story, some good, some in the so much. >> you have got the tattoo. next morning arrives, what are you thinking. >> why did i do this? >> this was a four here. this was the the volkswagen emblem and life here. volkswagen for life, i was stuck with the tattoo for life. >> until the commissioner offered up a little advice. >> reminding me that it might need a new treatment coming up soon. >> you know, it is time. >> yes, he was encouraging me. >> frazier a's tattoo is a ghost of itself. soon enough doctor bernstein says it will be gone. >> you can see light and dark. >> it is amazing what lasers can to in the right hand. how did that feel. >> not too bad good but finding those hand to trust that is key.

>> so how do you find the right person to do laser for you? well, your best bet toys ask your doctor, for a recommendations. we have always taken a selfie before but have you thought twice about how you look in that picture? well, as katie mccall shows us some are going under the knife for a better selfie. >> ♪ >> once upon a time, there was something called picture day, a once yearly event that struck fear into the hearts of the school children every where. but now, thanks to social media, every day is picture day. >> i definitely think it is one of the most nerve racking things because unfortunately most people my age they attribute their self value how many likes they can get on the selfie photo the owe on facebook good for a lot of people it would be a challenge to get through one day without seeing a picture of themselves posted somewhere. >> you see your face a lot. you get a good idea what you look like. everybody else can see everything.

>> for this woman that used to be a problem. >> i think what it does is it makes more people self aware of their flaws, what they see is wrong with them. >> due to a small bump on her nose this beautiful, bubbly teen was once camera shy. >> i am a teenager. i have people asking why isn't my nose straight. >> she learned a lot of tricks. >> it had has to be from this angle, just has to be from that angle. >> you can feel what she didn't want others to see. >> would i wear my glasses in more to cover the bumps good sick of hiding she decided to go through etan funk, facial plastic surgeon perform a septum plasty and rhino plasty. it gave her nose a straighter appearance and easier to breathe. more confident in the profile good it erased a fear of taking those selfies. >> now i am doing my right side. >> now i'm able to be taken from this side, i'm good from right there. little filter like that. i'm tan.

when i post photos check it out, you did a great job. >> doctor funk says unhappiness with images on social media has increased number of patients that come to his office seeking cosmetic procedures. >> we're frequently seeing patients coming in taking their own selfies, showing us their own photographs and these are photographs that they are posting on to social media sites such as instagram facebook, et cetera and they are very concern about how they look to the public on these sites. >> patients not only see themselves more often, but they are seeing themselves more accurately. >> the way you perceive yourself in the mirror may be completely different from the way you look in the photograph. >> that is even more true of video post, patients see what they look like when they are not striking a pose. >> there is more dynamic movement, expressions raising brows so people are noticing their wrinkles and folds. >> reporter: thanks to apps patients are performing their own plastic surgery on their selfies to communicate their desire result.

>> they take a selfie of themselves and alter their appearance of their nose, eye lid, whatever it may be and they are bringing in that image of themselves and saying thinks how i want my nose to look. you may think you have perfect vision, 2020 bye something may be lurking like the three ways to save you dear fellow citizen, i know what it's like to buy a house. i know how it feels to be stressed about money. i understand what a scary word "retirement" is, and i can help. cause i'm not just a fellow dad,

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could she be going blind and not even know it researchers say 75 percent of people with glaucoma have no idea. >> young people, are not a moon. fox 29's joyce evans talks to a local woman barely 40 years old who wants to you get tested right the now. >> ♪ >> before you say i can see fine, why am i thinking about glaucoma? here's this. >> somebody can be 2020 on the eye chart, and a then be legally blind. >> how? >> the nerve tissue thaw lose first is mostly your side vision, nerve fibers. >> meaning your field of vision is shrinking right before your eyes long before you even notice it. >> you can lose all of your side vision, you are left with the middle vision and you can be 2020 on eye chart but can't

see to get around. >> lie straight back. >> another shocker. >> it is number one cause for why african americans are blind and your replacably blind in this country. >> at wills eye hospital doctor jay katz is not just talking about 60 something's, population you might think he sees exclusively in his glaucoma services department. you don't expect to see sunata peter. >> sit right there. >> she didn't feel a thing as fluid started building in her eyes in the 20's. >> he noticed that my pressure went up on a visit and prescribed meehan eye drop. but i didn't use it regularly. >> even though her brother had been diagnosed as a toddler and she has a long family history of glaucoma. but in her early 30's. >> when i went for the screenings, my pressure was in the 30's. they had to do an intervention and that is when i realized okay this is

serious. >> permanent damage, underway to her optic nerve, no idea, that she was slowly losing vision. >> but after trying everything that they could to do surgery. >> two surgeries so far on the left eye to filter the fluid better. >> this is showing the actual nerve tissue right here but there is the cup where she has lost nerve tissue in the middle. >> look straight ahead. >> my glaucoma is at a point where there has been some visual loss, that is noticeable. >> she has some significant damage to start with that we cannot reverse but we're fighting to save the remaining vision of that eye. >> but she is maintaining using drops, and if she's luck year doctor katz believes then hundreds of thousands of african americans genetically predisposed to more aggressive glaucoma. >> african americans tend to get glaucoma at an earlier age, maybe a decade earlier than average. they are six to eight fold

higher chance of getting glaucoma then whites. and they are more likely to have significant vision loss. >> add in other risk factors like diabetes and high blood pressure and he says the the risks runs higher then any other in the group. but there is hope with better technology and earlier detection. new medicines lasers, and surgery. >> but you have to still have the patients in your office, if they're not there then you are not helping them. >> look straight ahead. >> so wills eye has been taking the hospital on the road. setting up shop in high risk, under served neighborhoods. >> so far, over here. >> first the elderly diagnosing and treating 400 new patients. free. >> you have glaucoma. >> huge, huge rates of glaucoma in philadelphia. much higher then national average which is around 2 percent in the general population and 10 percent in high risk populations. >> and in just a couple of

months wills eye hospital will be taking this portable retina camera out to family doctors and health centers and what they will be doggies testing thousands of younger adults. >> once we detect something with this hand held camera, we're going to be contacting all of the patients and inviting them to come back, to see one of our glaucoma specialists. >> a flash of light. >> that is it. >> that is that. >> and a okay. it is all free. the joyce evans fox 29 news. got to get tested. no more suffering and shame, and in hiding, a new tool for big binge eating. one woman's inspiring b

an eating disorder affecting millions of americans has forced people to pay out of pocket for treatment but no longer. >> american psychiatric association has recognized binge eating as a true medical condition. our joyce evans introduces to us a local woman who is fighting to get her life back. >> hi i'm monica felton. >> monica is coming forward to spread awareness. >> my eating was uncontrollable. >> she's active and fit,

really surprising a lot of people. >> it is a shock. i am surprised. >> very shameful. people, they do try to hide it and it happens in people of all different weights. >> like simon, a health care worker and one of millions who suffers in the shadows from b-e-d. >> it is the volume of food i eat anything at anytime. >> amounting to several servings of food in a short period of time. >> usually with that about a two hour period of time. >> gorging, but no purging like with balemia. >> this eating disorder is more of a matter of opportunity. >> and you cannot stop until all of the food in front of you is gone. >> everything is eligible. >> her ever changing work schedule. >> we would be eating cheese steaks at midnight or 2:00 in the morning. >> her guilt. >> then you feel tired fat depressed, sad. why did i just do that to

myself. i can't believe i just did it again. then you try to do better the next day. it is still the same. >> but there is more shame. >> i just don't want to be seen. there is a lot of social things i have in the gone to because of my weight and i don't want anybody toe me. >> then her continuing weight gain bringing health fears. >> i hid over 200-pound and i have never been i'm hundred pound heavier now then i was in high school. so that was the breaking point. i didn't know where else to go. >> everybody wears it differently. >> doctor kelly allison at penn center for weight and eating disorder say simon is not the only binge either for whom diets and maybe even exercise won't really help. >> it often does have to do with imbalances and neuro chemistry in the brain and we know we can treat that with medications, as well as behavioral treatments. >> it is getting better though.

>> simon is trying portion control first. >> but it is hard. it is hard when you are finding out that you are supposed to eat a small amount of chicken and you are given a big amount in the restaurant and then you want to lick the plate, you know. >> doctor allison's program for simon includes a list of do's and don't's and explain why you slip. >> i eat all the time, so i eat, it doesn't matter for me. it is there and i just eat it. >> so she has select meals to keep her focused on portion control. >> when you see this it looks like a little bit but slowly i'm getting used to the smaller portions. >> losing weight has not come quickly enough for simon but she stopped gaining. >> the goal it is about 70-pound and hopefully we will have success. >> doctor allison says things you can try on your own include do not skip meals because you will binge worse

later. keep a log of what you eat so you can stay on track. >> skin lightening, dark spots, scars the hidden dangers of changing your skin thanks for coming. we want a spirited performance. who offers the most horsepower? lincoln mkc. we also want clever thinking in a tight spot. anyone offer hands-free in and out park assist? lincoln mkc. bra-vo. the lincoln luxury uncovered event is on. lease the mkc for $329 a month. and for a limited time competitive owners and lessees get one-thousand dollars bonus cash. yeah, i'm married. does it matter? you'd do that for me? really? yeah, i'd like that. who are you talking to? uh, it's jake from state farm. sounds like a really good deal.

jake from state farm at three in the morning. who is this? it's jake from state farm. what are you wearing jake from state farm? [ jake ] uh... khakis. she sounds hideous. well she's a guy, so... [ male announcer ] another reason more people stay with state farm. get to a better state. ♪ ♪ ♪ there is no royal blood in this country. nothing is reserved for anyone. it's all just out there... ...waiting...

...for someone to reach out... ...and take it. and the ones who do... ...these are the kings and queens of america. ♪ keep up with everyday messes with the help of roomba from irobot. sensors automatically guide roomba around your home, vacuuming up dirt and debris for a more thorough clean every day. roomba. only from irobot. the market for creams, goals and injectables to treat dark spots and scars were lightened skinnies exploding. >> but with that explosion comes a warning about what you're actually putting on your skin.

fox 29's lauren johnson looks into the hidden dangers. >> skin whitening or bleaching has been around for years and advertised as a way to get rid of dark spots and blemishes. its popularity is sky rocketing thanks in part to celebrity like nicki minaj and lil kim who have gotten lighter over the course of their careers. african pop stars like this. >> ♪ >> this is what she looked like a few years ago. this is what she looked like right now. >> you see skin lightening cremes. >> in recent interview she defended whitening her skin and skin products that she sells on line. >> what i sell, yes, i do, am i selling cremes, yes? dark spot remover skin whitening or lightening cream could have the opposite effect on consumers searching for the perfect book if not used properly with the help of the medical professional. that is according to

dermatologist char lean moore. >> this area of the cheek. >> many skin lightening products sold over counter, on line or your local beauty supply store contain more potent doses of chemicals like hydrocodone and a light inner. they are only supposed to be prescribed by a medical professional. we wanted to see for ourselves so we took our cameras inside self stores. we found shelves and shelves of skin lightening bleaching and whitening soaps. >> over the count are products. >> this is the active ingredient in most skin lightener that slow production of melatonin in the scene. sarah lord says products with 2 percent or less are relatively safe. >> they are safe. >> look what we found. boxes and boxes of skin lighteners with dose that he is doctors say should be prescription only. some manufacturers even add mercury and steroid which speeds up the lightening process but comes with even greater risk.

>> it is a model blotchy pigmentation that blue sleigh slate pigmentation that some people may have. and then you get stretch marks all over your body. >> more recently people are skipping the over counter products all together and requesting an injectable lightener. >> it is in our body naturally. >> it was originally used to treat some cancers and parkinson's disease. doctors noticed when they treated patients through iv their patients started glowing or getting lighter. >> it was never meant to be used for skin lightening but it is right now and it happens faster and one can choose what shade they wanting to to. >> just like topical cremes using this the wrong way could at the very least increase sun sensitivity and more seriously cause your heart to race. the bottom line whether your quest for perfect skin color leads to you cremes, or injectable. >> if something is able to be sold over the count inner ear country where they have their

own regulation, that is fine and dandy but the thing is it is not our regulation. it should have never made it in or it should never have made it into the store or over the counter. >> now doctors say no matter how people choose to lighten their skin you can do it safely, with the help of a medical professional. well, that does it for us tonight here on our fox 29 your health special. >> for more on these or any other health stories just head to our web site at my fox philly.com. just click on the health tab right on our home page. have a great night.

>> today on "tmz" -- harvey: i am worried about manny pacquiao. he's going into this fight saying that afterwards he wants to be friends with floyd. manny: i believe so. we can be a friend after the fight. brian: it's how he does it. like after the fights, his mom comes in and tries to hug the opponent. if she tries to hug floyd, it's going to be amazing. >> after his first loss? bring it in! dax: kim and kanye having to wait 30 minutes outside a restaurant to get in. harvey: get out. dax: the two of them are forced to sit on the bench out front. charlie c.: is it one of those places where they put the name on the list? >> kanye west, table of two? dadax: tim mcgraw, he got ripped. kelly: it's like when you get sober and you join cross fit and