20 Sep 2007, ST, Urban
Check out the next generation of cosmetic surgeries and treatments to help you look good
Need an extra hand in looking good? There's plenty of help now that at least 10 new cosmetic surgeries and treatments have hit the market this year.
From water-assisted liposuction to a face-lift that does away with needles completely, technology and beauty have never been more intertwined.
It's good news for people who want to improve their looks with virtually no pain.
Says Dr S. K. Tan, senior medical director of The DRx Clinic: 'With these technological advances, treatments are becoming more effective and comfortable.'
Urban brings you more on five of the latest treatments and procedures.
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Skin needling
What it is: A treatment, done with local anaesthesia, for removing wrinkles, scars and stretch marks. It uses a skin roller that puts tiny pin-point puncture wounds into the dermis (the layer of tissue below skin's outermost layer, the epidermis), which stimulates the production of new collagen and elastin. The production of new collagen continues for 12 months after each treatment, resulting in the development of new skin.
Advantages: It stimulates the dermis without affecting the healthy epidermis, which is not the case with other skin resurfacing techniques such as laser resurfacing or chemical peels. The dermis heals more quickly and there's less structural damage, loss of skin colour or hyperpigmentation on the skin.
Disadvantages: The skin is red and swollen for a day or two and multiple treatments are needed to see improvement in lines and scars.
Cost: $400 to $700
Length of treatment: About 30 minutes
Where: See Medical Aesthetics, 04-19 Delfi Orchard, and Starcap Medical, 04-08 International Building
Acne treatment by photopneumatic therapy
What it is: A treatment for acne of varying degrees of severity, the Photopneumatic Therapy Plus uses a vacuum handpiece to suck out whiteheads, blackheads and other acne lesions. This is followed by a burst of low-intensity light to kill acne-causing bacteria.
Advantages: An alternative to oral medication. It also improves the skin's texture and colour.
Disadvantage: Temporary redness.
Cost: $180
Length of treatment: 45 minutes
Where: The DRx Clinic, 16-01 Tong Building, and The DRx Medispa, 03-52/54 Suntec City Mall
Titan face-lift
What it is: A non-surgical procedure where infrared light is used to heat the skin, causing collagen to contract and resulting in tighter-looking skin. It also stimulates the growth of collagen, giving you long-term tightening of the skin.
Advantages: It is non-invasive with no surgical incisions on the skin needed.
Disadvantages: Complications such as mild blistering or hyperpigmentation may occur.
Cost: $1,400 per treatment, with three treatments every four weeks recommended for best results
Length of treatment: About one hour
Where: Raffles Aesthetics Centre in Raffles Hospital, 585 North Bridge Road
Vaser-assisted high-definition liposculpture
What it is: A body-sculpting treatment that combines the Vaser System Liposelection procedure with a high-definition sculpting technique. The Vaser procedure uses ultrasonic energy to break up fats while the high-definition sculpting technique redistributes fats in the body to create better definition.
Advantages: More refined than liposuction, where fats are only removed. With this system of liposculpture, fats are removed as well as moved from one part of the body to another to alter the patient's body shape.
Disadvantages: The same risks as liposuction, such as prolonged swelling and the removal of too much fat.
Cost: $4,000 and above
Length of treatment: One to six hours
Where: The procedure can be carried out by liposelection-trained and certified doctors in Singapore. Call Gigatt on 6547-1713 for the list of accredited doctors
Water-assisted liposuction
What it is: Previously with liposuction, a hollow tube is inserted into an area of the body such as the thighs or buttocks to remove fat with a suction device.
While previous techniques involved pumping a large quantity of fluids to detach fats which are then removed by suction, water-assisted liposuction uses high-pressure water jets to detach fats while sucking away fat and water at the same time.
Advantages: In previous methods of liposuction, a patient's condition could be assessed only after the procedure. If too much fat was removed, dents or lumps in the patient's skin would have to be corrected by another surgery.
But with water-assisted liposuction, the natural form and contours of the patient's body can be assessed during the procedure. Unevenness and dents in the skin can be caught then, reducing the need for correction.
Disadvantages: Risk of injury to nerves and blood vessels, which will cause bleeding, bruising, swelling and pain, although such risks are less than those in other methods of liposuction.
Cost: $3,000 to $4,000 per area treated
Length of treatment: Two hours
Where: Raffles Aesthetics Centre in Raffles Hospital
Check out the next generation of cosmetic surgeries and treatments to help you look good
Need an extra hand in looking good? There's plenty of help now that at least 10 new cosmetic surgeries and treatments have hit the market this year.
From water-assisted liposuction to a face-lift that does away with needles completely, technology and beauty have never been more intertwined.
It's good news for people who want to improve their looks with virtually no pain.
Says Dr S. K. Tan, senior medical director of The DRx Clinic: 'With these technological advances, treatments are becoming more effective and comfortable.'
Urban brings you more on five of the latest treatments and procedures.
------------------------------------
Skin needling
What it is: A treatment, done with local anaesthesia, for removing wrinkles, scars and stretch marks. It uses a skin roller that puts tiny pin-point puncture wounds into the dermis (the layer of tissue below skin's outermost layer, the epidermis), which stimulates the production of new collagen and elastin. The production of new collagen continues for 12 months after each treatment, resulting in the development of new skin.
Advantages: It stimulates the dermis without affecting the healthy epidermis, which is not the case with other skin resurfacing techniques such as laser resurfacing or chemical peels. The dermis heals more quickly and there's less structural damage, loss of skin colour or hyperpigmentation on the skin.
Disadvantages: The skin is red and swollen for a day or two and multiple treatments are needed to see improvement in lines and scars.
Cost: $400 to $700
Length of treatment: About 30 minutes
Where: See Medical Aesthetics, 04-19 Delfi Orchard, and Starcap Medical, 04-08 International Building
Acne treatment by photopneumatic therapy
What it is: A treatment for acne of varying degrees of severity, the Photopneumatic Therapy Plus uses a vacuum handpiece to suck out whiteheads, blackheads and other acne lesions. This is followed by a burst of low-intensity light to kill acne-causing bacteria.
Advantages: An alternative to oral medication. It also improves the skin's texture and colour.
Disadvantage: Temporary redness.
Cost: $180
Length of treatment: 45 minutes
Where: The DRx Clinic, 16-01 Tong Building, and The DRx Medispa, 03-52/54 Suntec City Mall
Titan face-lift
What it is: A non-surgical procedure where infrared light is used to heat the skin, causing collagen to contract and resulting in tighter-looking skin. It also stimulates the growth of collagen, giving you long-term tightening of the skin.
Advantages: It is non-invasive with no surgical incisions on the skin needed.
Disadvantages: Complications such as mild blistering or hyperpigmentation may occur.
Cost: $1,400 per treatment, with three treatments every four weeks recommended for best results
Length of treatment: About one hour
Where: Raffles Aesthetics Centre in Raffles Hospital, 585 North Bridge Road
Vaser-assisted high-definition liposculpture
What it is: A body-sculpting treatment that combines the Vaser System Liposelection procedure with a high-definition sculpting technique. The Vaser procedure uses ultrasonic energy to break up fats while the high-definition sculpting technique redistributes fats in the body to create better definition.
Advantages: More refined than liposuction, where fats are only removed. With this system of liposculpture, fats are removed as well as moved from one part of the body to another to alter the patient's body shape.
Disadvantages: The same risks as liposuction, such as prolonged swelling and the removal of too much fat.
Cost: $4,000 and above
Length of treatment: One to six hours
Where: The procedure can be carried out by liposelection-trained and certified doctors in Singapore. Call Gigatt on 6547-1713 for the list of accredited doctors
Water-assisted liposuction
What it is: Previously with liposuction, a hollow tube is inserted into an area of the body such as the thighs or buttocks to remove fat with a suction device.
While previous techniques involved pumping a large quantity of fluids to detach fats which are then removed by suction, water-assisted liposuction uses high-pressure water jets to detach fats while sucking away fat and water at the same time.
Advantages: In previous methods of liposuction, a patient's condition could be assessed only after the procedure. If too much fat was removed, dents or lumps in the patient's skin would have to be corrected by another surgery.
But with water-assisted liposuction, the natural form and contours of the patient's body can be assessed during the procedure. Unevenness and dents in the skin can be caught then, reducing the need for correction.
Disadvantages: Risk of injury to nerves and blood vessels, which will cause bleeding, bruising, swelling and pain, although such risks are less than those in other methods of liposuction.
Cost: $3,000 to $4,000 per area treated
Length of treatment: Two hours
Where: Raffles Aesthetics Centre in Raffles Hospital
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