Tribute to MH 17 ...... May your souls rest in Peace.

It is definitely a sad Ramadhan for Malaysians. The ending of the football World Cup series marked the start of the Zionist bombing and massacre of Gaza. Many children and women died overnight whilst the whole world was focused on the semi-finals. It is definitely horrific news. Religion aside, which part of humanity allows such mass homicide is beyond understanding. In the midst of all the protests towards the violence in Gaza, Malaysians were shocked by yet another news.

We lost another plane. MH 17 was traveling from Amsterdam heading back to Kuala Lumpur was shot down in Ukraine skies and there were no survivors. Everyone was flabbergasted. Everyone was shocked. I guess the whole nation seemed to have been silenced by disbelief. That was only a few days ago. 17/7/2014 marked the lost of our plane with 293 passengers and crew. May God keep the souls in a better place. The major question now is why?

There were many theories. The Ukraine government says that it was their rebels, some say it was the Russians, some say Ukraine government. Some believe that some other countries were behind it. It is still an on-going investigation. Our Prime Minister looked so miserable. I could not imagine how I would feel or what I would do if I was in his shoes. He deported our people to help investigate and bring back the bodies. 2 planes in one year is highly stressful. The only thing we can go as a nation is to stick together. No point pointing fingers and blaming each other. It is a time of grief, but we also need to get to the bottom of this. Emotions aside, we have to be as professional as possible in handling this situation as there are many parties involved, and perhaps nation ties may be severed if any wrong remarks are made. Mr Prime Minister, keep your head straight, chin up. Remember that God will not befall on to you something you could not handle. Pray for guidance and Insya Allah if you are true to your people and is sincere to lead, God will help you, regardless.

To the families who have lost their loved ones, my condolences to all of you. My sister's friends were on that plane and my dad knew a family who were related to some of his closest friends. The thought of 100 AIDs researchers, scientist and motivators lost in the flight is a major pang to the scientific and medical community. Dr Lange was one of the most active activist for AIDS, who was also the pioneer and former president for the International Aids Society. His untimely death is a great loss to the AIDS community. Some even believe they had the cure for AIDS on that plane. So many people were affected by this tragedy. 

We lost another good pilot and another good crew. Its just too sad and at the same time scary. Air travel now seems to be so dangerous with all these unanticipated disasters happening. I salute the air crew who still continue working despite 2 tragedies in a year. For a lot of people, air travel has become a source of anxiety. Still, emotion aside, let's look at the facts. With 2 tragedies a year means that Malaysia Airlines and our government has to fork out millions to overcome the disaster and reimburse the families. MAS will be in a fragile state as the money deficit increases. With the lost of confidence of the airline due to these disasters, it will cause the revenue to plummet down more. Other airlines will benefit, and there may come a point where MAS will be taken over by another party. But remember, MAS belongs to the people. It is a nation asset. Losing MAS is a tragedy and as Malaysians we should not let this happen. We should be strong together, MAS needs the nation support, and we should support our local airline. Perhaps reorganisation of the Company for a more efficient performance during this stressful time is needed to survive. As Malaysians, we should do our part to support them. MAS hospitality has always been the best so far. They carry our image as Malaysia.

My prayers are to the souls that were lost in the flight and to the families who have to bear the lost. May God give them peace, and God give you strength. Let's pray the bodies can be brought back as soon as possible for a proper burial. Let's hope we are able to find out the true story behind the incident and those responsible are brought to justice. It is a sad time for all Malaysians, yet we must stand together and be strong. Despite our differences, we must unite as a whole nation. I think all of us feel it, the need to be united. Somehow rather with all the events occurring in this short span of time makes us feel like we are being attack by some unnamed force. Let's hope I'm just being paranoid.

Eid is just around the corner. Usually by now the radio will start blaring the Eid songs of fun, laughter and going back to the home town. We are still in mourning. Let's pray for the best together. Hopefully Gaza will also be able to celebrate Eid in peace. 

By the way, the clinic will still receive appointments till Saturday. I'll be celebrating in KL again, so we'll be open on Wednesday for patients by appointment only. Do call us at 014-2233268 or email to faceworksclinic@gmail.com for appointments. 

Fasting Month 2014

'Its raining its pouring, the old man is snoring, he went to bed and bumped his head, and couldn't get up in the morning.' It finally rained after a few hot days of haze and sun. My head was throbbing so bad this morning, I predicted heavy rain. And my prediction of rain was correct. Its funny how my head hurts with the change of weather. I use to call it my barometer. 

Fasting month is a peaceful month. Muslims are commanded to fast during this period from fajar till the setting of the sun. There are so many restrictions in fasting, and breaking fast is perhaps the most joyful event of the day. It also helps bring together people as in Malaysia, the culture is to have breaking fast events where friends and family gather. With the football season on board, even sahur (meal prior to fasting) becomes a gathering, where friends and family gather to watch the world cup whilst enjoying sahur together. A lot of my patients ask me about medications you can use during fasting and I've gathered some info for the benefit of my readers.

Treatments That Are Allowed During Fasting

1. Eye drops, ear drops and ear washes as long as it doesn't pass the ear drum.

2. Sublingual GTN (Nitroglycerin) pills or other sublingual drugs that are palced under the tongue and     not swallowed to reduce angina, etc.

3. Dental works such as tooth extraction, filling, polishing as long as you do not swallow anything 

    during the procedure.

4. All forms of injections i.e. intradermal, intramuscular or IV as long as it is not nutritional.

5. Blood donation or transfer or blood taking.

6. Local application of medications in form of cream, plaster, bandage, patch etc on skin.

7. Intravascular catheter insertion for examination e.g. angiography.

8. Laparoscopic examination of the abdominal cavity via the abdominal wall.

9. Gargling water as long as it does not involve any swallowing.

10. Taking biopsy of liver or other organs for examination.

11. Dialysis treatment for kidney patients whether hemodialysis or pertoneal dialysis.

12. Local anaesthesia or partial anaesthesia with sprays or injections.

13. Usage of haemorrhoids medication to reinsert the haemorrhoids into its place without involving 

       internal cavities.

Treatments that can cancel fasting

1. Usage of inhalers for asthma or Chronic Lung diseases.

2. Using pessaries or medicine into the vagina inclusive of wash, vaginascopes, or digital 

    examination.

3. Insertion of any catheters, or urethroscope into the urinary tract, barium studies or wash for both 

    male and female.

4. Use of enemas, suppository tubes, medication protoscpe or digital examination into the anus or 

    rectum for examination.

5. Endoscopic procedures of such as ERCP, gastroscopes, etc to examine the gastrointestinal     

    system.

6. General anaesthesia.

(Source Ustaz Asmadi Mohamad Naim / Buku Panduan Pesakit JAKIM)

I hope this helps clear some of the doubts. Happy fasting peeps. :)

Ramadhan promo......

Salam Ramadhan peeps.... a picture tells a thousand words. Sharing this for the benefit of my patients. Don't miss the exciting promotion.

For more information Call us at 014-2233268 or email to faceworksclinic@gmail.com

Thermage - To do or not to do?

Doing freelance without an office has really made my life go upside down trying to keep up with the stuff I have to do. Recently I have just been appointed as a consultant and module writer for a Basic Aesthetic Course for supporting staff under Open University Malaysia. Its a tedious job, but I feel honoured to be given the chance to contribute to the younger generation. So on and off, I see some of my aesthetic patients in Gleneagles. Its not really the Shangri-La, but for the time being, it will do to keep the service running. Perhaps the coolest thing there is my Consultant owns a Thermage that he barely uses, so he's allowed me to use it instead. Yay.

So what is Thermage?

Thermage is a machine created for skin tightening. Using radiofrequency technology, it generates a controlled heat at the end of the tip to allow equal heating of the dermis. Studies have shown that controlled thermal injury to the skin leads to collagen remodelling subsequently which takes between 4-12 weeks depending on extent of stimulation. Thermage technology has been around for more than a decade with constant improvements to the machine. So far it is still one of the best technologies for skin tightening that is able to deliver results with just 1 treatment. Other radiofrequency devices usually require 4 or more treatments for similar effects. I have been studying this technology since I started Starhill and it has been impressive.

Areas of treatment

The Thermage was initially created for face tightening with focus on to the eye area to delay need for eye lid surgery. As we age, the skin becomes lax and starts to droop. Some physicians use botox to keep the lid up, but even botox requires a good skin elasticity to allow the effect to occur. Thermage made its name as the first non-surgical device to give eye lid tightening. And the results are pretty much impressive.

Other indications would be face tightening, jaw line definition, neck and body. But as all other aesthetic procedures, results will vary based on individual and also the doctor who conducts the treatment. 

Pain Concerns

Yes, I admit many people claim Thermage is painful. Personally, I would give it a rating of 9/10 for pain for the older generations. The newer ones i.e. the CPT with built in vibrator functions drops the pain score to around 7/10 without any topical anaesthesia. Although some may argue that topical anaesthesia is a placebo effect, all my patients admit it is less painful on areas with local and areas without. I can also offer some Ultracet prior to the procedure to make it more comfortable. Other factors influencing pain is the steadiness of the hand doing the procedure, the speed and the area that is being done. In a well trained practitioner, the pain felt is negligible and confined to perhaps at most 1 hour after the procedure.

Downtime

The coolest thing about this treatment, there is no social downtime. Yeah, there maybe some redness up to 1 hour after the procedure, or maybe slight oedema swelling the next day, but its still concealable and does not look so obvious. 

The Cost

Well this is the real pincher. The cost for 1 treatment properly done at 900 shots is between RM 10- RM 12K locally. Yes, I said it, it costs a bomb. But the justification for this is that you only need 1 treatment done properly and the results will last you between 6 months to 2 years, depending on the severity of your problem. But look at it this way, 1 treatment for 10K spread over 12 months, it's only RM 833 spent a month compared to other tightening treatments for example Gentle-YAG (Yes, you can use this machine for tightening) RM 1200 per session X 4 weekly during the initial stage, then monthly X 3 and then probably repeat after 6 months (RM 9600 over 8 visits per annum) or other medical tightening devices whose selling price is usually approximately RM 800/session but you will need around 10-16 sessions to get close to the tightening effects of thermage. When you add up the transport and time costs, sometimes it could be more. And let's not even mention the beauty salon grade RFs - Yes, they look nice immediately but you will not have any lasting effects because of the Joules limitation on their machines. In order to start the collagen remodelling cascade, the dermis and up to 20mm into the subcutaneous tissue needs to be heated up to the range of 42-55 degrees. 

What to Expect?

Initially you will see instant tightening of the skin due to dehydration of the cells from the heat and you may appear a little bit flushed. The results may be good or average on the first day with subsequently there may be mild oedema lasting up to 3 days. After 2 weeks you will start to notice improvement in skin texture. The pores start to appear smaller and many say they feel the skin softer. The initial tightening effect will start after the first month with the best results seen after 3 months, so be sure to keep a photo to compare. Sometimes, the changes appear subtle, sometimes very marked. Depending on your initial skin condition, if your skin is still supple, effects can last up to 2 years. If you are very sagged, lax or you are targeting shaping a fleshy face, you may need to repeat every 6 months to achieve the desired results.

Results?

Here are the few results obtain from a good treatment.

Pretty amazing results huh? For more information or to enquire treatments, contact us via email at faceworksclinic@gmail.com or call us at 014-2233268. Please be reminded that we are no longer in Starhill so please contact us before dropping by. Thermage is available in Gleneagles for a limited time only so do contact us early to avoid disappointments.

Farewell to Starhill ....... But its not the End

It has been a gruesome month where if some of you may have noticed, our clinic has been pretty much inactive. I have to apologise to all my patients and blog readers for the hiccup. The reason for the long silence was because we were busy moving. Yes, finally Faceworks has left Starhill.

For the initial part, I thought of taking a break from seeing patients and running a clinic. Faceworks has been my blood, sweat and tears since 2008. Being a lonely captain, it can be tough sometimes especially since the rentals were exorbitant, and the economy was flip flopping year to year. Not to mention the non-stop ongoing renovations that just seems endless.

However, despite the odds, I do have many patients and followers who have supported me all this while. So my initial thought of rest, was cut short. I have an obligation to my patients. So after the move, I started negotiating venues in order to continue my service of care for my loyal patients, to allow them the benefits that they have had before. After a few discussions, finally I've decided to join up with a senior of mine in Gleneagles Medical Office block, i.e. the private clinics.

For this month, the intended suite is still under renovations, so for appointments, I'd have to use his current suite, hence the appointment only basis is a complete must. I've retained one of my nurses Mia to help keep track of all the appointments and assist during procedures. There is so many small things to do and complete like switching phone lines etc, which would take awhile. But do not fret, our clinic mobile and gmail is still functioning - Email us and we will respond as soon as possible.

The coolest thing about moving is I get to breathe better and I get to play with Thermage. Oh yes, my senior has a Thermage that have tips expiring in this year and he has given me the permission to use and promote so that the consumables do not go to waste. So for the past week I have been doing a few Thermage cases, that actually gave not just the patient satisfaction but even my team, especially when my extended protocols for neck, and breasts are applied. I will write a full entry on Thermage in the next couple of days so that you understand what the hype is all about. If you are to curious, you can check out their official page here http://www.thermage.com/ .

So basically, all our usual services are available except for some machines since I need to arrange for them to be moved over. We are thinking to fix up my Starlux, so then I can expand my services to more interesting things. We'll see how it goes. We'll be having a mother's day event to invite patients over to introduce the new place and new services. Do email or text us if you are interested to attend. I also realised that some people are having problems accessing our website. Our website is currently on www.fwclinic.com  in view of a miscommunication with our previous web hoster. Even our store has moved to a different URL but the function is still the same http://fwclinic.com/store/.

I would like to thank all my patients, friends and followers who have been with me and supported us all this way. Without patients, I am no longer a doctor - without the patience and the care, I wouldn't be where I am now. Faceworks in Starhill is much loved, and we had so much fun there with events, parties, memories. It is sad to leave but in order to succeed we need to move on. So worry not, Faceworks may no longer be in Starhill, but we are still available, still functioning to provide to you the best aesthetic treatments with that pampering touch. Hope to see you soon.

For more information or appointments please email us at faceworksclinic@gmail.com or call us at 014-2233268.

Célebre - Aphrodite's secret potion leaked out....

Finally, I have some quiet time to sit and write my blog. I have this issue of requiring a wide open space to write, ideally with trees, a breeze and natural sunlight. Mornings are the best, after my little minions are sent off to school. Being unwell since Chinese New Year which makes it close to a month now, a lot of my activities have been limited. Although some people may feel that its bad, I actually find peace in my inability to speak much and keeping silent. A silent mind brings forth fresh ideas, and it helps rationale things better. Oh yeah, I am actually enjoying the voice rest, I have a good excuse not to call people or pick up the phone.

Anyway, let's talk about Célebre. Célebre is the name of a Company in Geneva that specialises solely in Cell Therapy and advanced anti-aging specialties. Its team comprises of their own medical doctors, stem cell therapy consultants, researchers, chemists, biotechies and developers to create their own line of 'stem cell' products. The team has been around for quite awhile but this line of product was only introduced in 2012.

So why are the Europeans so hyped up about cell therapy and stem cells? The idea of stem cells as a form of alternative healing for humans began as early as 1931 where Dr Paul Niehans, a swiss doctor amazed the conventional world by saving a woman with her parathyroid glands accidentally removed during thyroid surgery. He took parathyroid glands from a sheep, crushed them, diluted with saline and reinjected the concoction into the surgical area. The woman survived, without much complications. He was also said to have treated a lot of celebrities with an amazing stunt of allowing an 80 year old an to impregnate his wife for their last child. In 1954, he was called to the aid of Pope Pious XII who was dying. The poor Pope was in critical state with only glucose infusion as he cannot tolerate any food or water. For 2 months, he nursed the Pope and within a few weeks he was able to tolerate orally and his power regained. Hence why the Anti-Aging Medicine world dubbs Dr Paul Niehans as the Father of Stem Cells. Even in the older days he managed to heal and prolong life, makes you wonder what more can he do with today's technology? Regardless, such extreme treatments received a lot of criticism from the medical world and professionals especially with the cost of treatments which are somewhat excessive.

                                

     I am a believer of stem cell therapies, but I am very skeptic as many parties try to take an idea, try to duplicate at a lesser cost (hence reduces quality, efficacy, dosing etc) and then mass promote with an extreme marketing gimmick. So hence my approach to Celebré was also very skeptic. So what better way to find out rather than try it myself. (And no, the Company did not sponsor the placenta supplements). What I am bound to write are the effects based on my own experience consuming this supplement, it may differ from individual to individual.

So I decided to test out the oral sheep placenta capsules. I have been trying a few brands over the years, but I guess this one did catch me by surprise. It comes in a standard box of 30 soft capsules. It is quite big, but swallowable. The good thing is the absence of any after taste that you get with some other supplements. It has a slight scent, but not smelly. I take one every morning on an empty stomach. I always take my supplements ideally on an empty stomach, because only then the best absorption occurs. For something this expensive, I'd want it to absorb as much.

The first week, I did not feel much difference. I was a little bit sleepier the first couple of days, but subsequently resolved. My energy level remained the same, and so was my appetite. But after consuming more than 7 days, I started noticing my skin texture feels softer, by the end of the second week, it felt as soft as my little girl. Even my staff noticed. My skin appeared to glow. It was cool. After the first box, I did notice some of my pigmentation appeared lightened. The skin remained soft. I guess this placenta focuses more on skin health rather than anything else. 

After the first box, my skin looked so healthy that people started to ask me what have I been doing. I didn't even need to apply much lotion, my skin kept hydrated.

The most question I get when I tell them I am on placenta supplements is about menses cycle and break outs. I have to admit, the first month I had more breakouts than usual and more menses pains compared to usual. But towards the second month, the breakouts lessen, and I was without much menses pain. I guess, it does affect your hormones as well. Another question people do ask me is about how hot do I feel taking the supplement? Compared to other supplements, I would say it is tolerable. I think I sweat a bit more, and probably feels warmer to touch compared to when I am off it, but its not as bad as consuming deer placenta (super heaty).

So I've taken myself of the capsules for a bit, just to observe the effects. My skin remained super soft and hydrated for a good 2 weeks after stopping, and even now, although I feel that it can be softer, I feel that it was much better than before. According to their protocol, they advise to take 3 months directly then subsequently maintain by consuming two to three times a week. A box of celebré costs RM 880 for a months supply of 30 tablets. I'm waiting to restart on my 3rd box and then maintain.

This brand also comes in IM forms of placenta extracts, fetal extracts, fresh frozen cells, and they even have a Vegetal extract. However, as you guessed the products are in their thousands, and it is a science which many still argue about till today. Still, I have seen some people on the direct innoculation forms, and have seen how much it has kept them un-aged. Personally, I would subject myself to these alternative treatments once I start to feel my changed healthy lifestyle unable to ward off the signs of aging.

For the record, I do not smoke. I sleep early. I do not consume any form of alcohol and I am on a low to no sugar diet daily. I also exercise daily and do not take preserved foods, MSG and other chemically infested food products. I wear sunblock religiously and I drink at least 3 litres of water daily. So, your results may vary with what I have experienced. Lifestyle plays a very important role for skin health. The supplements will help, but for the best results, you will be required to do a few life style modifications. It is not just for placenta but other supplements as well like vitamin C, glutathione etc etc.

For more info or to order do contact us at faceworksclinic@gmail.com or call us at +6014-2233268.

Easy Dew - Simple solution for Asian skin....

                             

Happy Chinese New Year Peeps..... It seems like the New Years are pretty much closer together this year with a mere 1 month apart of each other. In Malaysia, Chinese New Year is celebrated with massive decorations, fireworks, reunion dinners, loh sangs and dragon dances. This year is the year of the horse and everyone is feeling the spirit of the wooden horse energising efforts of productivity for the year.

So to start of this year,  I would like to introduce a new medical cosmetic product from Korea. It's called Easy Dew.

Well, what is so special about this range of products? The Koreans are known for their enthusiastic approach towards medical aesthetics and the in depth research and development of products and techniques. EGF is not a new player in the world of aesthetics. Initially the technology was used mainly in scar treatment to aid treatment and reduction. The development of Easydew followed from a request of a patient receiving diabetic foot treatment from a sister product called Easyef dermal solution. Seeing as how the product was able to help with her healing diabetic wound, she wondered how it would affect her face. Dr Jun-Pyo Hong, M.D. , a plastic surgeon of ASAN Medical Center decided to take up the challenge and presented a cosmetic R&D proposal to Daewoong Pharmaceuticals. Together, they developed a medical cosmeceutical that helps to prevent post treatment unwanted side effects while maximizing treatment efficacy starting from the cells using the skin restoration mechanism of the protein EGF that exists in the system. Although initially the skincare range was designed for post procedures, we do find that it works for most normal to dry skin with very marked improvements.

This product came out in Korea in the year 2012 and has made quite an impression in the medical cosmetic world. Using the latest technology of DW-EGF, allows the creation of a stable safe skincare that gives wonderful results. 

So what are the effects of DW-EGF to our skin? Here's a simple diagram to demonstrate:

Here is a control study on the skincare that show's the improvements within weeks. 

Well, we did our own study with the product. We had 5 subjects who volunteered their faces. Each subject was given a treatment ranging from PRP to peeling to Dermaqueen facials and was given a sample of the products with instructions to use on only on the left side 2x daily. The study was suppose to go on for 4 weeks but after the 2nd week, we decided to stop because all of the participants experienced the left side being lifted more than the right side, thus was looking more obvious as the day went. Overall all 5 participants found that the product was easy to apply. The texture suited more of the Normal to Dry skin. All of the participants noticed an improvement as early as the first week, and the improvements seen were the skin textures, pores, lightening of pigments and lifting effects. Even after stopping the products after only 2 weeks of usage, the tightening effect lasted for another good 2-3 weeks after. 

I took a set to try out. The cleanser was pretty good. A small amount was required to clean the whole face and it strips of all the oil from your face. The active soothing serum is perhaps one of my favourites. The light texture serum absorbs almost immediately into the skin leaving it soft and smooth. I had an Obagi peel done on my face prior to using this product, and I do feel that it does reduces the downtime. Usually my face will peel for 5-7 days on Obagi Blue Peel Radiance, but this time round, I had minimal peeling or redness for 3-5 days. However, the most highest concentration of EGF is found in the Easydew EGF Repair Control which is also the most expensive product for the range. It comes in a long fancy bottle. You only need a little bit of cream to apply to your whole face. I loved the texture and how it absorbs almost instantly without a sticky feel. After these 2 steps, you may want to maintain with a good moisturiser. This range comes with 2 types of moisturiser - The Easydew Renewal Intense Moisturiser or the Easydew Renewal Moisturiser. The Intense moisturiser is designed for more elderly or dry skin and is a tad too rich for people below 45. However, if you have very dry skin, this is perhaps a good solution for you. It comes in a 50ml packaging but you will just need a small amount to apply on your face and neck. The Renewal moisturiser is a less thick cream which is more suitable for younger or oily skin. I've also tried out the sunblock which is an SPF 40 with both UVA and UVB coverage. My verdict, its a good sunblock but I think it made me look a bit white. Although it may feel sticky in the beginning, but it absorbs within minutes and the stickiness disappears. It also has some EGF in it that helps to lighten pigmentation.

So now we come to the most important bit, the price. To be honest, it is not exactly cheap. But for the results it can show within 2 weeks I would say its worth every penny. Especially when too many cosmetic products promise so much but delivers so little. The price for each product is between RM 88 - RM 160 with the Easydew EGF Repair Control priced at RM 268 per bottle. If we were to compare to the other cosmetic counter products like Lancome, La Mer or SK II, the price is acceptable. The best part is, there is also a trial kit you can purchase to try out this product before making a decision. 

This trial set consists of 6 items is only RM 248/= and consists of a toner, Active Soothing Serum, Repair Control EGF, Renewal Moisture, Sunblock and BB Cream. These products are available in the clinic with preorder, so if you are interested to purchase or try out, please feel free to contact as at 03-21440080 / 0142233268 or email your enquiry to faceworksclinic@gmail.com. You can also Like us on Facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/FaceworksClinic ) and send your enquiries there. 

Happy New Year... 2014

Its the start of a new year. Time flies ever so fast. Reminiscing back to the earlier days of running the clinic, how much things have changed. Now, my skills are more than grown, I have started to train other doctors for most of the filler and botulinum toxin techniques. I have a good team, with a strong manager to help manage most of the clinic day to day dealings. We've established the appointment only concept that not only allows you to plan for your appointment, but for us to make the best of your time. My foreign patients love this concept, the locals are still trying to get use to it.

We've made a lot of new allies for this year, and new projects are unveiling. We may have dropped a few, but the aim is to move forward, hence we need to focus on the positives. We have good and loyal patients, we have a lot of new ones too. With the new regulations hopefully Malaysia will be able to compete with its neighbouring countries in terms of Medical Aesthetics more proactively and provide overall great service and good reputation.

Unfortunately, there are still a lot of people who fall prey to beauticians doing injections etc, providing so called professional exclusive services. An overall price comparison, their prices compared to doctor prices are pretty much similar with perhaps a few hundred difference. I have been consulting patients whom have had beautician work done on their face and overall most of them are not happy with the work, but the worst part is you can't remove it, unless of course surgically. And most surgeons would charge a bomb for having to clean up someone else's mess, plus the complications that may arise from the surgery.

So for the start of this new year, I would like to give a take home message to all my readers who may consider improving their looks for this year.

5 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Let Anyone Else But A Trained Dr Poke A Needle to Your Face

1. The Face is the first thing a person notices when they look at you. Getting fillers or BTA from an untrained hand may make you look weird / disproportionate / abnormal. Every trained medical aesthetic practitioner goes through measurement training and ratio training that allows them to make an educated assessment of your face's needs and amount required. Beauticians only inject base on what they think is pretty but not based on scientific guidelines. What may be pretty to them may not be pretty to anyone else.

2. Beauticians are not taught surgical anatomy. Yes, they may argue, they have anatomy syllabus in their courses but it is very non-specific and mostly related to massage techniques. Even doctors who are not trained in medical aesthetics have issues with face anatomy (I conduct training, I know) and most only know basic. You need a really in depth knowledge of the anatomy of the structures of your face before you can safely poke a needle in it. There are many areas which you cannot inject or even if you did required high level of care. There are reported cases of skin necrosis, granulomas, etc with filler injections even with the most trained hands, what else an untrained hand? And what more a non-medical personnel who doesn't even have the basic.

3. The collagen that beauticians keep saying they are injecting are not 100% collagen. The source is questionable, most are taken from China since its super cheap there and unlikely to be sterile. For those with religious preferences, most collagen for fillers are bovine (cow) or porcine (pig) in origin. We will never use marine sources because of very high allergy rates in humans. Sometimes, they even use human collagen (which I have no idea how they extract). Another issue is that most of the time, liquid silicone is included in the concoction to give it better volume for less usage and for the effect to stay longer (rather permanent). My simplest advice would be to be inquisitive about the product you use - see the packaging, make sure the box and the filler is the same thing, make sure it is sterile, and make sure you can actually read the label on the box.

4. Any break in the skin allows bacteria and viruses to come in and cause a local infection. Doctors are drilled with need for sterility for all procedures even before they graduate. Beauticians and other non-medical injectors are not trained towards sterility. How sure are you that the needle they use has not been used before, how sure are you that their swabs are not expired? What about communicable diseases? How healthy is your injector? You have no idea about their own medical background. Furthermore, if a doctor's procedure gets infected, the doctor can treat and prescribe antibiotics, what can your beautician do besides ask you to seek help from a doctor?

5. Beauticians charge cheaper? On contrary, you may be paying so much more for what they are worth. Most beauticians will charge 5-10 fold of their cost price, whilst most doctors would charge base on the market price for a certain product and their experience. I had one patient who went to a beautician for a nose filler and was charged RM 15K. Luckily she only paid half, but with the amount of money, I told her she could have gotten a proper rhinoplasty done. She was unhappy with the filler work which made her nose look so big that she was depressed. Then she had to spend another RM 6K to remove it from a surgeon and a few more $$ for a proper rhinoplasty. Altogether, she spent almost RM 50K for something that she could have saved if she had consulted a proper doctor to begin with.

The medical aesthetic industry is a very lucrative industry which most Malaysians are starting to realise nowadays. Hence many people will try to grab the opportunity to be in this industry. Its not a bad thing, but personally I feel that you should only sell a skill that you possess and able to handle inclusive of the consultation and complications. Although the government has imposed certain regulations on Medical Aesthetics and Beauticians, however, enforcement in Malaysia is very poor. Because of this, as a consumer, it is your own responsibility to make an informed educated decision when deciding on any procedure. Remember, all medical aesthetic procedures are elective - take your time to do your own research and sleep on it before deciding. If you are not comfortable with the injector, just walk away. Its your face anyway. Hesitation is better than regret.

Happy New Year Peeps!! Look out for more interesting blog entries for this year.

For more information or to contact us directly please call the clinic at 03-21440080 / 014-2233268 or email to us at faceworksclinic@gmail.com.