Health & Beauty

[patrick]

GOOD NEWS to all our lady members on USJ.COM. We have managed to persuade a friend to join our website and provide a venue for ladies to raise all those thousand and one questions they had always wanted to raise regarding skin care and beauty.

Dr Lim is an Australian qualified doctor, with a Cosmetic Science Diploma from UK. She has been in the cosmetic dermatology business for the last five over years, and now operates her own practice from Mt Kiara Plaza. Her services include:

1. Medlite pigment laser - removes all types of pigmentation including tattoos, birthmarks, Mongolian spots, freckles, cafe au lait marks, sunspots, age spots.

2. Intense Pulsed Light Skin rejuvenation - removes superficial
pigmentation, shrinks pores, removes fine lines, broken

3. Intense Pulsed Light Hair removal - on all parts of body
4. Microdermabrasion - treatment for rejuvenating skin, minimises scars (e.g. acne scars), decreases pigmentation, wrinkles, etc.

5. Chemical peel - removes pigmentation, acne, wrinkles, etc

6. Botox & Restylane & Nufill injections for depressed scars, deep wrinkles

7. Electrosurgery for removal of lumps & bumps e.g. oil spots. milia, warts, moles.

8. Iontophoresis - good for treating pigmentation, skin firming, acne

9. Hair loss treatment

10. Weight loss & maintenance for health programme

11. Brava breast enhancement & shaping system

Please post your questions here and the good Doctor will respond to all relevant issues. By all means, stay anonymous if you wish to. Trust our lady friends will find this 'Column' interesting and useful.

[patrick]

Dr Lim is offering the good folks in SJ a very special offer whilst stocks (as below) last. Patrick

The Neostrata promotion packs below are still available till stocks last:

1. Aging Defense System
consists of - pha facial cleanser
- bionic face serum
- bionic lotion

2. Anti-acne system
consists of - clarifying cleanser
- oil-control gel
- spot treatment gel

Admin note
Content edited as requested by Patrick

[patrick]

Dear folks,

I am now in the midst of revamping my clinic services and will be launching some new products & laser machines on July 27th next month. You will be receiving an invitation for that shortly.

I will also be sending out weekly (or bimonthly) snippets of information on the Science Against the Effects of Aging. I aim to provide informed, unbiased information in the field of anti-aging research & new cosmetic innovations. The topics selected will frequently be based on the questions asked by my patients. Some of the mail-outs will also be informing you all about any new products or services I have in my clinic (there has to be some sales talk!)

For those of you who do not wish to receive these emails, please reply to indicate so.

This week's question is:
What is an appropriate longevity diet? What should I eat for my skin condition?
Below I have listed a "must buy" shopping list which I have compiled based on foods which have been well-researched and shown to have beneficial effects on anti-aging, anti-cancer, anti-oxidant etc. The list is by no means exhaustive, but it's a start!

Fruits & veges section (just about everything in this section of the supermarket have some medicinal gems)
- garlic, onion, scallion, leeks, chives
- cruciferous greens - brocolli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussel sprouts
- ****ake mushrooms
- green leafy vegs e.g. spinach
- orange veg - carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, papaya, mango, cantaloupe
- red vegs - tomatoes

Meats
- Fish esp salmon ( sharks, tuna reputedly have too much mercury on board)
- Lean chicken or turkey
- lean red meat
no viscera!

Dairy
- low fat yoghurt (plain! mix it with fresh fruits - more palatable)
- Yoghurt drinks. Vitagen etc has far too much sugar, but if it is the only source of probiotics that the kids will consume, it's better than no consumption at all!
- Low fat milk
- No butter or margarine

Drinks
- soyabean /taufoo
- green tea (oolong tea for eczema sufferers)

Cooking oil - olive oil

Bread - whole grain

Rice - brown unpolished rice

Eggs - contrary to popular belief is good for you - excellent source of lean protein.

For those of you who shop in Chinese herb shops, ginseng, gingko & dong quai now have very solid scientific evidence of health benefits. Chinese herbs are another source of great medicines, but it's just that not enough Western-conducted studies have been done to give it the recognition that it deserves. When buying Chinese medicine, try to buy the real roots & plants to avoid steroid contamination in tablets or capsules.

My question is ... how do you creatively cook all these healthy foods to make it a gastronomic feast? If anyone has any recipes to share, I would appreciate if you could send them to me!

Look younger, live longer

Dr. Lim

[patrick]

Dear all,

Welcome to my 2nd e-newsletter. Firstly, some house-keeping. One of my patients mentioned that I omitted legumes from last week's shopping list. Indeed, I did. Legumes (beans, etc) are a very important food group which can help alleviate diabetes, high cholesterol; it also has some anti-cancer properties and has plenty of fibre to help constipation. So, add that to the list!

This week's topic deals with placenta "live cell therapy". For those of you who have never heard of it...briefly...."Live cell therapy" is an injection of fresh cells (commonly obtained from sheep placenta, some unreputable brands use human placenta from China!) into your body to stimulate cell renewal. Anecdotal benefits include finer, even-toned skin, firming up of skin & sagging breasts. boosting immune systems, improving sleep, enhancing energy & stamina, improving blood circulation, easing menstrual & menopausal symptoms and boosting sex drive. This has been famously practised in Clinic La Prairie in Montreaux, Switzerland. It has a big clientele consisting of the very rich & famous around the world. To enhance international business, they have also come up with an oral encapsulated version which is also anecdotally, effective.

So, what's the real deal? Is this really the magic bullet?
We have to address 2 questions, firstly about LIVE CELL INJECTIONS.

1) Is it really effective?
First of all, there are no studies in peer-reviewed journals to support claims of it's effectiveness. However, I sincerely believe in it's benefits as listed above. I have heard from unbiased reliable sources (i.e. a Japanese physician friend, not someone locally who is trying to sell me placenta products) who can attest to its effectiveness. Moreover, live cell therapy has been practised for decades and has a very strong following world-wide for those who can afford it. If there are no benefits, people wouldn't pay good money for it.

2) Is it safe?
The short answer is NO. The major complication of live cell injections is severe allergic shock (drop in blood pressure, shutting down of breathing tubes, swelling of the whole face) which can be fatal. Hence, it should definitely not be administered in conditions that are done currrently in Malaysia i.e. at the back of beauty salons by medically-unqualified people. It also being done discreetly at some medical clinics. However, if it is a clinic which has no resuscitative facilities, it is not safe either. Clinic La Prairie in Switzerland is a hospital with full medical facilities, hence can conduct live cell injections relatively safely.

Therefore, I do not advocate live cell injections for various reasons:

Firstly, it is NOT registered by Ministry of Health Malaysia (contrary to a lie that is being propagated at the moment, a brand of live cell/placenta injections called VITA X, is NOT registered with the Ministry of Health (MOH) - this fact I have double checked with the Ministry)

Secondly, the risk of anaphylaxis (=severe allergic shock) is too high and can result in death.

There are only 2 conditions whereby I would advocate live cell therapy - full approval by Ministry of Health Malaysia and administration in a hospital setting. Until then, I am against it.


How about live cell/placenta ORAL CAPSULES?
Well, so far, deemed safe and certain brands have been approved.
There are only testimonials about its effectiveness and since Clinic La Prairie has an oral version, there are probably SOME benefits.

For those who want to try oral placenta capsules, I would choose a brand that has been approved by MOH (approved for safety). Certain brands are derived from human placenta and all sorts of diseases including AIDS can be potentially transmitted.
I would recommend a brand called VC SHEEP PLACENTA EXTRACT - manufactured in Australia, fully approved by MOH Malaysia. It retails for RM368 and is available in my clinic. I do not have any financial interest in this company but I recommend it because it is fully registered and has been tested to be free of heavy metals, steroids and hormones. Their website is www.vidalinworld.com.


I welcome any further questions on this week's topic and please circulate this email to your friends who are interested in this popular supplement.

Look younger, live longer

Dr. Lim

[patrick]

Dear folks,

My new laser machine has arrived! It is the new generation LYRA i long-pulsed Nd-Yag laser.

It can do the following:

1. Facial & leg veins - Up to 4 mm diameter leg veins can be removed. It can coagulate small vessels in as little as a single session. Larger leg veins will require more (usually 2) sessions. This requires an application of local anaesthetic cream for 1 hour to reduce the discomfort.

2. Type 2 skin rejuvenation i.e. stimulates collagen production to firm up the skin, decrease fine lines, wrinkles, shrink pores, minimise scarring. Compared to IPL (which a lot of you have tried), this laser specialises in type 2 rejuvenation, whereas, IPL does both type 1 (i.e. removal of superficial pigmentation) & type 2 rejuvenation but specialises in neither.
Usually for best results, 6 sessions 3 weeks apart are required. After 6 sessions, skin improvement can last 1 year.
Most importantly, there is no pain (really!), definitely less painful than IPL. But it is slightly more painful on the hip pocket nerve.
For those interested, please call for pricing.

3. Permanent hair removal - again not too painful (local anaesthetic cream can be applied for those with a low pain threshold). Advantage of this laser compared to other systems is that it is safe and won't cause burns even for dark skin types or if you have a tan. The laser beam is shot through a cold window, hence the epidermis is protected and the paucity of pain.

Admin note - edited

[sky]

Very HARD-SELL wor! hmmmm

[lady-o-leisure]

Any idea of how much it might cost for removal of spider veins behind the knees?

[patrick]

Cost is based on laser time i.e. 300 for 5 minutes laser time. I would estimate veins behind knees to take 2 sessions max, total cost anything between 500 -1000, depending on laser time (i.e.no. & length of veins)

[patrick]

Beauty News.

To want to look good is a basic human desire. We are bombarded everyday by advertisements claiming to make us look younger overnight. I'm frequently informed by my clients that beauticians bombard them with a barrage of claims that often induces them to sign up for another RM2,000 course of facials or another thousand on new products. What is true and what is fiction?

Here are some common questions asked by my clients:

1. Do we need to "deep cleanse" our skins?
For most people, water and a mild cleanser used twice daily is sufficient. If you have very dry skin, use a soap-free cleanser. If you have acne-prone skin, you may want to use a cleanser with added anti-bacterial ingredients. If you wear heavy make-up, use a cold cream (makeup remover) before the cleansing. Good cleansers need not cost a bomb; even good brands should cost less than RM100.
Don't believe advertising hype that "deep cleansing" is necessary to rid your skin of dirt and "impurities". Facials are pleasant and relaxing but they don't "restore" or "rejuvenate" your skin. Overzealous extraction is actually harmful and can cause dyspigmentation and scarring.

2. What can I expect from facial masks?
Facial masks can cleanse the skin and leave it looking and feeling smooth for a few minutes to hours. As the mask dries, it produces a tightening, tingling feeling that makes one think something is happening but there is no scientific evidence that skin ageing will be reversed.

3. Do facial exercises prevent wrinkles?
No, they do not; in fact, the opposite is true. Facial movements such as laughing, frowning, etc cause wrinkles. That is why doctors inject BTA ("Botox") into strategic areas to relax facial muscles so that wrinkles cannot form. (BTW, I'm not suggesting that laughing is detrimental to your skin!)

4. Do facial muscle stimulators counteract facial sagging?
I guess it does for a few days but it has to be repeated weekly to maintain the results and is it worth the trade-off of getting more wrinkles? Facial sagging is an inevitability caused by gravity acting on us upright bipedal hominids. I see it only as a cosmetic problem in people who have put on too much weight around the face i.e. it's the fat that is sagging, not so much the facial muscles. People who have maintained a reasonable weight all their lives don't complain much of face sagging. In fact, I have lots of slim 50+ clients who don't complain of face sagging ( but they do so of wrinkles!) The message is, maintain a healthy diet and weight for your skin health AND overall health.

I am frequently told that fat people suffer less from wrinkles. I'm not sure that this is true. I suppose the argument is that fat padding props up the skin to iron out wrinkles. But the fat layer is the hypodermis (the layer below the dermis where the collagen and elastin is). The centre of action for wrinkles is the dermis. Wrinkles and caused by a decrease of collagen & elastin in this layer, so I don't think that fat padding will help in this department.

5. Do moisturizers work?
Well, you need them to lubricate your skin and to prevent dehydration. Moisturizers by themselves do not prevent wrinkles or skin aging unless they contain other active ingredients or sunblock.

6. What is an affordable way of keeping wrinkles at bay?

a) Stay away from prolonged sun exposure. If outdoors, use good sunblocks of SPF 20 or higher. Wear a hat, long sleeves, pants, umbrella... cover up!

b) Start a skin rejuvenating regime of vitamin A & C creams, Kinerase and fruit acids to reverse some of the changes of aging and slow down the aging process. So far, these are the best treatments that have been proven by scientists around the world.

7. What can I do for deeper wrinkles that are refractory to creams?
Further in-office intervention is, of course, more costly, but some people may wish to take that step further in enhancing their appearance.

Procedures available include:
- Peels (chemical or microdermabrasion)
- Fillers e.g. Restylane, Nufill
- BTA injections
- Lyra skin rejuvenation
- Intense Pulsed Light skin rejuvenation

(The last 2 are examples of non-ablative skin rejuvenation)

Admin note - edited

[meia]

wat's the best way to treat acne scars?
IPL or microdermabrasion or others?
and how much do i have to pay for such treatments?

[patrick]

meia,

IPL is not useful for Acne scar . Best is combination of microdermabrasion & Lyra laser.

Micordermabrasion per session is 120, full course is approx 1200 (10-15
sessions).

Laser starts from 200 per session, depends on size of area treated. Need 6-8 sessions.

[meia]

hmm. how does the lyra laser works.. i haven't heard of that laser before..

oh yah one more question..
i heard that needling are used to treat acne scars.. do they do it in m'sia?

[patrick]

meia, on your question "i heard that needling are used to treat acne scars.. do they do it in m'sia?"

The good doctor replied: "Yes, certainly is. and I do offer it in my clinic."

[patrick]

A reader raised the following questions:

"I have a few scars on one side of my cheek.. i can say its not a serious one..

So what kind of scar treatments do u recommend?
Do u have a smoothbeam ? i heard it treat scars very well"

and Dr Lim's respond:

There are a number of treatment choices for moderate acne scars - needle abrasion, microdermabrasion, filler injections (Nufill, Restylane), laser.

Choice depends on budget, severity of scars, etc. I don't have
smoothbeam...I use Lyra i laser.


Dr. Lim

[meia]

how much do the doctor charge for needle abrasion? and how much of improvement(%) can i achieve? is this treatment better than lyra laser?