So when I get the chance to get strapped up, which slimming treatment do I go for?

Sadly, I don’t do the best one for me (Ion Magnum). Instead, I head strsight for Thermojet. I love anything painless and relaxing. With Thermojet, I just get wrapped up and fall asleep for 45 minutes! So I get the benefits of a power nap as well as my fat melted.  Ideally, I do this three times a week. But because my schedule i so unpredictable, I aim for daily sessions, knowing I can go over a week between sessions way too often.

In January 2010, I combined Thermojet with a healthy eating plan and lost 1 kg a week for 4 weeks! I was pretty happy with that as it really didn’t involve too much hardship or sacrifice. Oh yeah, I took a few supplements to balance out the sugar and fat metabolism too.

Compare that with some nurses who went to a slimming centre. They were told severely calorie restrict, cut out fat, etc which had great results initially, but destroyed their metabolism, so the weight rebound after they couldn’t stay on that kind of restrictive regime long term.

Ultimately, I think it’s a balance of cutting out the bad foods, using herbal supplements to balance the metabolism and adding in the slimming machines to speed up the fat burn. And exercise, of course! And doing it at a rate which is healthy for the body, and sustainable.

I remember booking into Marie France many years ago, soon after my return from the UK. It was virtually free to try this slimming treatment. Fortunately, I couldn’t make it. I was naively unaware about the hard selling tactics and dubious technology in those days. Well, it was 10 years ago… And things have certainly changed since then.

For a start, there are many more players in the market now. And the before/after pictures and celebrity endorsements are very tempting! Prices too! Twenty sessions for under $500. What a bargain!

What the innocent consumer doesn’t realise is that these offers are just to tempt clients into the slimming centre, then the sales consultant locks the door and hard sells packages valued at $5000 upwards. If results are not obtained, more hard selling ensues.

The person recommending the treatment also doesn’t do the actual therapy. They recommend based on perceived client budget, not on what is best for the person in front of them. Very often, they may know very little about the treatments at all!

So what about Aesthetic clinics? More expensive? Possibly, but not always. Yes, you’ll have to pay to see the doctor, but the treatments are then truly tailored to your requirements. And although the packages may seem to cost more than what’s seen in the newspapers, the price quoted doesn’t have any hidden costs or hard selling associated with it. And may often be half of what you really pay in a slimming centre.

Plus, you don’t waste time with hot wraps, cold wraps, skin pinching massages in a clinic. It’s clear cut technology at its best, zapping the unwanted fat away, either all over or in targeted areas.

One thing to note is that many aesthetic clinics do not have a full range ofslimming treatments. They may have one or two options, which may suffice, but many doctors will go straight for liposuction. This may not be the best option for everybody, as all surgery comes with some degree of risk.

So why is Simply Aesthetic different? Firstly, I’m greedy and love eating! I’m always looking for ways to keep the excess food off my waist and hips! So I’ve collected a whole series of slimming machines over the past 3 years. The good ones are flogged hard with great results. The less effective ones are relegated to the storeroom, never to see light of day again.

I also take the time to talk to each new client, finding out what their individual concerns are, then discussing the options available at great length. We go into how each machine works, possible results, all the benefits, plus cost of course. Wherever possible, we allow the clients to try the treatments once before they make up their mind. And no hard selling. That’s a promise. And I’m always available to provide additional support and advice anytime during the treatment program.

But ultimately it’s each individual’s choice… Slimming Centre or Aesthetic Clinic? And for the latter, Simply Aesthetic?

I am very keen on undergoing some aesthetic treatments, but have a great fear of pain, especially injections. Is there any way of looking beautiful without it being too painful?

=====================================================

Simply Aesthetic Answers:

It all depends on what kind of treatment you require for aesthetic improvement. We aim to make things as comfortable as possible, and our clients can choose from the following forms of pain relief if required:

• Numbing cream
• Ice packs
• Cooling fans
• Entonox (what’s used in labour wards)
• Intravenous pain killers (strongest)

Even for machines, even with the same technology, the end experience can vary quite tremendously amongst different manufacturers. Where possible, we do try to bring in the more comfortable options, particularly if the results are immediate. Radiofrequency is just one example of this. Our Derma RF is pretty comfortable (just a little hot, but bearable) and produces immediate lifting. This is in contrast with Thermage which left me in tears!

Usually, the fear is worse than the pain itself. It’s something that we can discuss during consultation and knowing your fears and phobias, we can try to find more comfortable alternatives for you.

After years in aesthetics, I have seen my share of people who either have body dysmorphic syndrome or are not happy with their aesthetic results because their life hasn’t actually changed. Part of the reason for bringing in my team of Holistic Practitioners at Divine MedSpa is to address this issue, to help each individual understand and love themselves.

I attended the talk with the intention of seeing if Jacinta would be a good addition to the team. Instead, I had an interesting look at how women view themselves as a result of their perceived body shape. The underlying philosophy was a lack of confidence because of weight issues, once the weight reduces to x kg, this will change.

Jacinta pointed out that the people we value the most are not valued for their perfect physiques. We should look at our good points instead, and love ourselves in spite of our physical flaws. Most agreed that even when they were many sizes smaller, they were no more confident and found it equally difficult to find clothes that fit.

She was extremely positive, and basically encouraged the ladies not to beat themselves up. She advocated going for custom made clothes that fit perfectly and behaving as if they already were the right weight.

I think she made some really valid points. More could be said about how to actually lose weight, but there was certainly no time left in tonight’s session. I plan to contact her soon and have a meeting to discuss how we can pool our strengths to develop a unique new program. What I do only gets my clients so far. They need help to keep the weight off, and get the confidence they truly desire. Watch this space for announcements of workshops/collaborations.

I’m 19 years old this year. I have an eyebag problem since 5 years ago when I started wore spectacle. Thereby, I thought that the possible reason I have eyebag is because of wearing spectacle. Thus, I have started wearing contact lense since 1 year ago. However, there is no use. I still have a big eyebag that make me look like very tired.

So, I would like to ask you that is there any side effects for the treatment that the website indicated?

Will the reduction of eyebag be permanent?

How much is that cost to treat my eyebag?

Do I have to go many times for the treatment or just one treatment can remove my eyebag?

=====================================================

Simply Aesthetic Answers:

Without seeing you first, I cannot say for sure what the correct treatment would be for your eyebags. But from your history, there is a high chance it’s due to the eye muscles enlarging through long-term straining to focus. If that is the case, Botox would be the solution. Just a drop on each side would allow the muscles to shrink. You may get away with a couple of treatments 3 months apart if you are consistent with vision correction. We charge $100-150 per treatment, depending on how large the muscles are. Some people get a tiny bruise or a little bit of swelling, but otherwise side effects are rare.

As you are below the age of 21, it is best if you came to see me with a parent/guardian.

Liposculpture is using liposuction to sculpt the body into a more pleasing shape. In other words, liposuction done well is effectively liposculpture. This is most obvious in thigh surgery, where sucking away every fat cell will have disastrous cosmetic results. So the surgeon effectively slims the treated area, plus produces a moe pleasing overall form: truly sculpting, which is an art.

Sculpting during liposuction surgery is not always easy, particularly since most forms of liposuction surgery involve tumescent infiltration to reduce bleeding. This engorges the tissues and can distort the overall form. Add in the fact that the patient is lying down, which causes shifting of fat lumps.

Waterjet Liposuction has the huge advantage of not using the tumescent technique. Infiltration is with enough local anaesthetic solution for tissue anaesthesia (and vasoconstriction to reduce bleeding). So the tissues are not engorged and distorted. Liposculpture is thus more accurate. Add in the fact that the procedure can be done under twilight sedation, this allows movement and turning. Although there is still some movement in the tissues, it does allow easier assessment intra-operatively when the patients can co-operate with commands.

The unique advantage of this new platform is the ability for our readers to interact through comments on every page, not just the blog pages.

We also have a “Ask Dr” section, where the most commonly asked questions will be posted with the relevant answers. Although this is not tailored to the individual seeking clarification, it is pretty much impossible to give proper advice without formal consultation anyway.

Please interact, enjoy & let me know your thoughts on the site, whether there are any other improvements you’d like to see.

VASER is a 3 staged process:

• Tumescence: local anaesthetic solution is used for tissue engorgement which makes liposuction easier and safer
• VASER mode: ultrasound melts fat
• Suction: melted fat is sucked out

The duration of VASER mode is determined prior, so there can potentially be excessive or inadequate. With inadequate VASER melting, the fat does not come out so easily, so additional VASERing may be required to reduce tissue trauma. If excessive VASERing has been done, the risks would be a concavity in the contour.

VASER is selective for fat, so damage to blood vessels and nerves is reduced, hence the term liposelection.

VASER has the advantage of skin firming (in the region of 10-15%) as the ultrasound causes tissue heating. However, this can also cause skin burns.

The recovery from VASER takes 3-6 months.

Waterjet Liposuction on the other hand is a 2 staged process:

1. Infiltration with enough local anaesthetic solution for tissue numbing, no engorgement required (so no tissue distortion, much more accurate contouring)
2. Aspiration: the waterjet dislodges fat and the dissolved fat is immediately sucked away

WAL allows accurate contouring based on immediately visible results as opposed to a time-based estimation. The power of the jet can be altered based on the thickness of the fat and how hard it is.

The technique is also selective towards fat, with little trauma to the blood vessels and nerves. In fact, surgical effort is less for this technique than for VASER, which is tiring for many surgeons.

Recovery from Waterjet Liposuction is rapid, with bruising and swelling (if any), generally settling after just 2 weeks. The final results are seen after 6-10 weeks. Pain relief is not always required after surgery.

The WAL technique is associated with a high safety profile as far as local anaesthetic toxicity is concerned. Although a lot more local anaesthetic is used in the duration of this technique, the volume remaining after the surgery is generally within the safe levels.

The major disadvantage of Waterjet Liposuction is the cost involved. Each procedure requires a single-use sterile WAL tubing through which the sterile solution is jet through. This alone costs $500. The volume of local anaesthetic solution required is also many times that of other liposuction techniques.