64-year-old vietnam veteran and joe will not end up on dr. ready's liver transplant table. not now. >> absolutely. i feel like one in a million. ♪ >> reporter: lucky to no longer be one of more than 3 million americans suffering with chronic hepatitis c virus infection. >> july will be two years. >> reporter: two years since doctors detector any help of hep c in joe's blood. >> like night and day. >> reporter: it's like cured. this is a big deal. >> it is indeed. an exciting time. it's a big deal. >> reporter: dr. ready oversaw clinical trials locally in which joe took part. >> what is the rate of cure? >> the curate is about 90%. >> reporter: it's why the fda recently approved the hep c using a regimen of fast acting pills, more effective and tolerable than inter fewer ron injections. >> the virus is gone as early as four weeks some patients as early as two weeks. >> reporter: just like that. >> so i probably have had it before i was cured over 50 years. >> reporter: and he had no idea until a random test in the '90's. >> it's depressing. because you don't know what your time -- it's a biological clock ticking inside of you of when you will expire. >> reporter: joe was not in any high risk group and he had no symptoms. even though his liver bore scars of mild cirrhosis. >> new lease on life. >> reporter: which is why the cdc has directed all baby boomers those born between 1944 and 1965 be tested. >> we've done a poor job of finding patients. >> reporter: dr. ready says they're well on the way to fixing that. >> no virus detected. if they are negative at 12 weeks stopping treatment late relapse is less than 1%. they are cured. >> reporter: great and gary bell believes there's a new hepatitis c treat brewing one that isn't on anybody's research radar yet. >> real concern about the possibility of passin passing on hepatitis c through tool tatooing and piercing. >> reporter: not lou licensed tattoo parlors that are under strict safety guidelines. he's talking about the underground tattoo crowd, private parties at somebody's house. >> we know they're not necessarily sterilizing the equipment or using sterile equipment. >> reporter: bell says more young people are telling counselors here the only way they can afford something like a fancy sleeve is to get a cut rate at a basement party. >> one recent study found that people who have hepatitis c are four times more likely to have tattoos but we haven't been able to really track down the cause and effect. many of the people engaging in that behavior do to the think they're at risk. >> reporter: shades of 30 years ago bell says when his group first set out to protect and prevent the spread of hiv under serve the, uninformed, unprotected high-risk communities. >> there's help here. the first step is to know your risks and to get tested. >> reporter: but the first step is the hardest. >> i talk to people and they don't even no what tepp tights c is. they never even heard of it and that's scary. >> reporter:. >> baboshi is pulling out all the stops to get young people in for testing. they gave away 42 concert tickets. bell says, they teamed up with drexel university for more testing and free treatment. we've got more information for you on fox29.com. joyce evans, fox 29 news. amazing. still ahead on this fox 29 special report, your health, a local woman's warning beware of bargains. >> she thought she was getting a deal on a pricey cosmetic procedure. instead she got burned. >> and vaccinating boys as young as 11 for std related cancers. the choice doctors say could save your son's live. ♪ just press clean and let roomba help with your everyday messes. a full suite of sensors automatically guides roomba throughout your home. cleaning under furniture, along edges and in corners. and with its powerful three-stage cleaning system roomba picks up pet hair, dust and debris for up to 2 hours, recharging itself when it needs to. which means your floors are always clean. you and roomba from irobot®. better together™. ♪ welcome back to this fox 29 special report, your health. it has been nine years since a vaccine for the human papilloma virus became available, it still stirs of heated debate. >> joyce evans reports some parents worry it could force their children to grow up too soon. >> reporter:. after care program at the common place church where pre-teens still pray over their food. do arts and crafts. practice dance moves. and really get their homework done. it's a safe place where it's still okay to ab kid. >> she asked first, please don't get an attitude. she asked first. have a seat. >> reporter: thompson's goes well beyond protecting youngsters at after care. especially her pre teen is a here. >> i know she like me. he's 12. but boys are boys. he's getting at that age where it's like, you know, scary. >> reporter: she's heeding a warning from the centers for disease control and prevention trying to september up protection against what the cdc says is the most common sexually transmitted incurable virus in the united states. the human papilloma virus. >> can you get rid of it or is it yours for jeffer. >> it's yours forever. >> reporter: you may never know you even have it until it's too late. >> they have no symptoms at all. >> reporter: possible symptoms range from warts to the worst. >> and the cancers are cervical cancers in women. head and neck cancers in both women and men and cancers of the penis, cancer of the ain't us in in men. >> reporter: it's why more pediatricians like dr. judy larkin are recommending the hpv vaccine for pre-teen boys. not just for girls any more. >> boys are part of the spread of the virus, so if you only vaccinate half of the population there's still going to be that virus spreading around because the other half of the population is not vaccinated. >> reporter: still many parents argue 11 is way too young to vaccinate their child. whether girl or boy. >> we want to do that before they're having sex, before they're thinking of having sex. >> reporter: what critics say, it might force parents to have that talk about the birds and the bees wrong before they or their children are ready. >> i think that there's a lot of sexual behaviors that are occurring in middle school that, you know, people not define as sex. >> if you just sit on the bus and listen to some of the teenagers, you wouldn't think that it's too young. >> reporter: but he totally understands why many parents are reluctant. >> initially i was like, um, i'm not sure but then i did research on it. >> reporter: she asked a lot of questions about the possibility of getting a different strain of hpv, one not included in the vaccine, and possible side effects from the vaccine. >> one of the bigger reactions from the vaccine there's an increased risk of fainting. so to me the side effects that the vaccination may have, um, are not as severe as the developing cancer. >> reporter: right. >> we never pressure somebody into vaccines that, you know, they don't want. >> reporter: she says, how parents talk about it with their child depends on timing and the relationship you've already built with them. >> the sooner the better especially when, um, they're at this age. you can talk to them a lot easier. >> are you excited about going on your trip today. >> reporter: and his take on all this grown-up stuff? >> yeah, i'm like whatever mom says. >> reporter: he has now completed the series of three shots over six months. girls have until age 26 to be vaccinated. heterosexual males age out at 21. bisexual and homosexual males have until age 26 to get the vaccine. joyce evans, fox 29 news. still ahead on this fox 29 special report, your health, keeping your brain young. the type of diet researchers say will do it next. plus, going to extremes to battle skin problems that laser treatments couldn't fix until now. why going under the laser is no longer taboo//w.evertz.com>[a5d] i don't want to live with the uncertainties of hep c. or wonder... ...whether i should seek treatment. i am ready. because today there's harvoni. a revolutionary treatment for the most common type of chronic hepatitis c. harvoni is proven to cure up to 99% of patients... ...who've had no prior treatment. it's the one and only cure that's... ...one pill, once a day for 12 weeks. certain patients... ...can be cured with just 8 weeks of harvoni. with harvoni, there's no interferon and there are no complex regimens. tell your doctor if you have other liver or kidney problems, or other medical conditions. and about all the medicines you take including herbal supplements. harvoni should not be taken with any medicines containing amiodarone, rifampin, or st. john's wort. it also should not be taken with any other medicine that contains sovaldi. side effects may include tiredness and headache. i am ready to put hep c behind me. i am ready to be cured. are you ready? ask your hep c specialist if harvoni is right for you. ♪ welcome back to our fox 29 special report, your health. want to keep your brain young? research certification said either a mediterranean style diet. a study found the diet can stop the thwart of brain shrinkage that happens as we age. it includes seafood and fruits, vegetables, beans and nuts. it also means use olive oil when you can and limit red meat. ground breaking cosmetic treatment. the darker your skin the greater the risk for certain treatments but now more people with darker complexes are going under the laser to treat acne scars and dark patches. fox 29's joyce evans explains how the person behind the procedure can make all the difference. ♪ >> reporter: sheffield loves creating new hairstyles all her own but this one has a dual purpose. >> pretty much start going for the long hair look so i can cover up my face more and my cheek. >> reporter: she's hiding pimples, pock marks, scars and dark spots caused by acne and a little eczema. >> so irritating i would itch it. i would scratch. constant look at the mirror and pick at my pimples. >> reporter: it's hair big enough to hide her face but not the shame something-year-old feels. >> you know it's there. even though you're hiding it, but you just know it's there. ♪ >> reporter: desperation led her to try some interesting home remedies and more. >> first i used mayonnaise when i was younger my mom recommended it. alcohol. i did toothpaste also then i started using off the shelf products. that didn't work. that broke me out more. ♪ >> reporter: a suggestion from a friend sent her searching for more aggressive treatment but she was told there was little more that would be safe for her sensitive brown skin. >> i just got so used to long hair, i was just like, okay, i'll continue to wear this hairstyle and go along like that. >> reporter: she has to, because there's nothing certainly not a laser treatment that can help with acne scarring like this, right? >> it's just that we have to proceed a little differently with various skin types. >> reporter: new results with newer lasers says dermatologist vaughn gray. >> in the past one or two different types of skin types that pushed you away from other skin types. people with darker pigment. >> he goes to work on jenn day ya who's not afraid. >> i'm just so ready for that. to have my confidence back. >> reporter: this after he had already completed patch testing of two different laser types and wave lengths on her forehead. >> it's not just the same cookie cutter thing for every patient. >> reporter: but it does require special care he says. slow and easy. the only way to go with african-americans. light tone, darker skin, no difference. >> and wave length used for different types of skin must be adhered to or people will have problems with it. >> reporter: still he cautions, you have to be ready for the possibility that you may look like this for a few days. until the treated skin peels away. it's scary looking. >> go through a peeling process. some are more severe than othe others. you just have to manage that with various medications or topical agents. >> reporter: and lots of reassurance he says that it gets better although it may take weeks, even months of treatments spread out. >> because you need for sessions it becomes problematic sometimes because of cost. >> reporter: 500 to 900 bucks a treatment and insurance won't cover any of it. >> it will put a dent in your pock but it's worth it at the end. >> more burning. >> yes. >> a lot more? >> yes. >> reporter: doctor zayes he'll probably combine lasers, micro determine a abrasion and topicals to treat her and she doesn't need much. >> you're excite excited about ? >> i am just to get it done with and everything. >> thank you. >> reporter: because she's young, she's expected to show better results quicker. still he says do your homework on doctors and lasers first. >> ask the doctor a lot of questions. is this designed for my skin type? you know what are the better ones to use for what we're trying to accomplish? ♪ >> reporter: joyce evans, fox 29 news. cosmetic treatments can be costly but a local woman has a warning beware of bargains. >> she thought she found a great deal for a popular skin treatment but she wound up burned badly. ♪ >> i told her this is unbearab unbearable. this is abnormal for me. and i need to you stop. >> now scarred this local woma woman's warning that might you think twice about bargain hun hunting. just press clean and let roomba help with your everyday messes. a full suite of sensors automatically guides roomba throughout your home. cleaning under furniture, along edges and in corners. and with its powerful three-stage cleaning system roomba picks up pet hair, dust and debris for up to 2 hours, recharging itself when it needs to. which means your floors are always clean. you and roomba from irobot®. better together™. ♪ welcome back to this fox 29 special, your health. a local woman grabs a great bargain and gets burned, physically burned and she's got the scars to prove it. >> it's a cosmetic treatment that can run in the thousands. she paid a few hundred but the savings put her health at risk. fox 29's joyce evans shows us the price she really paid for that discount. ♪ >> reporter: keeping pace with her pro athlete clients is a full-time job for paris nicole peyton. >> i am a publicist. i'm in the public eye. >> reporter: behind the camera. in front of the camera. she's got to look good. good and smooth. >> i get my under arms, i my side burns done and the bikini area. >> reporter: so for more than two years now, paris nicole has been hooked on the newer laser hair removal treatments. one that can zap hair from african-americans like it was never there. >> and i get the nape of my neck done because my hair is short and i -- my skin is very sensitive, and i break out from razors. >> reporter: but it got price pricey. paris nicole spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on laser hair removal. so she went searching for discounts. she found some. >> i thought it was great deal to get three treatments for a price under $500. ♪ >> reporter: but she couldn't make it threw one. >> i told her, this is unbearable. this is abnormal for me. and i need you to stop, and when i left there, my neck was on fire. >> reporter: didn't take long to see why. >> i get to work and someone immediately pointed out to me that my -- the back of my neck was red and blistering up. and i just lost it. i started crying. i looked in the mirror and i just said, what in the world just happened? >> reporter: she didn't know the provider, but she got a de deal. so -- >> why not? >> you have to make sure when you go for that deal that you check out who is doing the procedure. don't just assume that helping what they're doing. ♪ >> reporter: paris nicole got burned badly. >> it was the most horrific experience ever. report roar dermatologist robin levine of the south jersey skin care and laser center does not treat paris nicole, but she's no stranger to her skin type. >> you want to make sure that a darker skin patient is getting a treatment done with a longer wave length laser. that's much more protective to darker skin. ♪ >> reporter: she says a slight burn or even a small blister can happen which is why patients must sign a waiver before treatment. >> it's a risk with any laser treatment. kit happen. typically they heal fine and there's not an issue much there is a risk no matter who is doing it. it does happen. >> reporter: but it doesn't have to happen like this. >> i'm just -- i'm at loss for words. >> reporter: this is paris nicole's neck a week later. >> it's going to take a long time for this to heal and hopefully it doesn't leave a permanent scar. ♪ >> reporter: dr. levine says healing ointments over the counter and some medicated with antibiotics should help, a bleaching cream may be needed. paris nicole is kicking herself for chasing deals without doing her research. >> for me, this is about educating african-american women about laser hair removal. >> reporter: she says it's also important to know how often lasers are serviced and using them with extra care. >> why is that important? >> it is important because if they don't know how to treat our skin, they can damage our skin. ♪ >> reporter: this is how paris nicole's neck is looking 3.5 weeks later. she's healing but -- >> if it ain't broke, don't try to fix it. stay where you are and just deal with the prices. >> reporter: she did get a full refund on her deal. joyce evans, fox 29 news. thanks for watching this fox 29 special report, your health. >> have a great night. ♪ i don't want to live with the uncertainties of hep c. or wonder... ...whether i should seek treatment. i am ready. because today there's harvoni. a revolutionary treatment for the most common type of chronic hepatitis c. harvoni is proven to cure up to 99% of patients... ...who've had no prior treatment. it's the one and only cure that's... ...one pill, once a day for 12 weeks. certain patients... ...can be cured with just 8 weeks of harvoni. with harvoni, there's no interferon and there are no complex regimens. tell your doctor if you have other liver or kidney problems, or other medical conditions. and about all the medicines you take including herbal supplements. harvoni should not be taken with any medicines containing amiodarone, rifampin, or st. john's wort. it also should not be taken with any other medicine that contains sovaldi. side effects may include tiredness and headache. i am ready to put hep c behind me. i am ready to be cured. are you ready? ask your hep c specialist if harvoni is right for you. 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