Tried and tested........... (Part 1)

I have been super busy with so many things that sometimes I wonder what is it that is making me so busy to begin with. Well, one of the things I was up to was actually testing out supplements and products to see how good they are. So here are a list of things I have been trying and the outcome.

1. Tiox-C Glutathione and Vitamin Capsule tablets.

At first when I saw this product I was skeptical. Oral glutathione and vitamin C? But since it was provided in gelatin capsules, it would survive the acidic PH of the stomach. I took some for the clinic and some of my patients tried it out. I gave a box to my sister, and she took 10 capsules a day at different intervals. (The recommended was 2 capsules daily). In one week she was fairer than me by at least 2 shades. Anotehr patient took 4 tablets a day, and she was fairer after 2 weeks, despite spending some time in the sun over that weekend. Besides the fairness, my patients also commented on the brightness of the skin and healthier glow. So I decided to try it out, so I am currently on my 2 week and I think I am a tan lighter compared to usual. This product is from Japan but packed in Malaysia. The bovine gelatin capsules are from Pakistan, and has a Halal certification. Other benefits of this product is that it is a good anti-oxidant and was actually promoted as a supplement for detox. One box comes with 90 tablets with 150mg of vitamin C and 150mg of glutathione in each one. The price for a box is around RM 328/= which is pretty good since you have 90 tablets to take. So instead of going for vitamin C injections, you can take orally for cheaper with results. You can get this product in my clinic.

2. Linurase Serum from Phiderma

This is a new product in town called Linurase. As the name entails it is designed to erase wrinkles and lines. Fine ones that is. I have tried this product for about more than 2 weeks everyday twice daily application without fail and this is what I think about it. First of all, the product is in a serum form. It absorbs quickly within 2 minutes. Initially I had a little bit of a tingling from using this product but after a few days it felt better. After a few minutes, I do notice my wrinkles improving, even the dynamic ones. They claim to be better than botox or BTA, but after 2 weeks, I'd say that they are competitive, but you need to apply daily to get the best effect. Once you stop, the muscle action will return and expressive wrinkles will come back again. Nevertheless, it is a good alternative for people who have needle phobia or not keen to get BTA/botox done yet. Daily usage of this serum actually stalled some of the wrinkles on my forehead, until I stopped a few days ago to try out another product. The lines came back after a few days. After reading more about the active ingredient, you need to use it consistently for more than 30 days to have a lasting effect. It contains Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 which acts on the same acetyle choline receptors as bta/botox thus blocking muscle actions. Other ingredients are Hyaluronic acid, anti-oxidants and seaweed biopeptide extracts. If you are interested with this serum, you can contact my clinic and we will order for you. It is selling at RM 300/bottle which may well last up to 3 months.

3. Double X from Nutrilite

Previously being on stem cell supplements and later HCG diet has actually turned me into a pretty health freak where I am seriously into organics and reducing artificial colourings, flavours and sugar based foods. But stem cell supplements are expensive, and it would be not so ideal for people of the working class to take on a monthly basis. So I scoured the internet for solutions and I came across this particular brand of multivitamins. Nutrilite actually has the largest organic farm in the states, and has passed accreditation for few years already. (4 or more) My major turn off was the fact that it was sold under Amway which is a multi-level company. However, being a curious and caring doctor, I decided to search for it anyway and give my opinion on it. I have been taking this vitamin for almost a month now and for what it is, it is super affordable. (RM 150 per box of 62 X 3 tablets for non Amway members). What I felt after taking these vitamins is that my energy level came up again, despite my super busy schedule. I looked less tired and these changes started perhaps after a few days after taking them twice daily and after a week I felt healthier. What I really like about it is the fact that they divide 2 separate doses in a day which is actually what is recommended by all Nutritionists and dieticians since 3 years ago. The reason for this is that the gut has a saturation level for all nutrients so if you were to take too high a dose at a time, you will only absorb as much as the saturated level allows thus wasting the vitamin. Another good thing is that they separate vitamins from minerals which allows accurate concentrations to be achieved since in processing a lot of the minerals get binded by the vitamins - e.g. sodium to vitamin c - ascorbate and others. They even added a third component which is more of a traditional preparation but known to have good benefits like cranberry extracts, apple extracts, etc as anti-oxidants to complete the multivitamin. The only thing is, you cannot take this on a completely empty stomach since when I tried, there was some reflux felt, so I'd recommend some food before taking them, but definitely not on a full stomach. Another downside would be having to swallow 3 hard tablets which I know there are some people who do not like popping pills. But otherwise, this is certainly a keeper to maintain on a daily basis for good health. Personally I do not sell this, but if you are interested to get some you can contact my clinic and we will get you in touch with my friend Ed.

These are but a few of the other things I've been testing. I welcome any feedback or comments.

For more information or if you would like to try out these products you can contact my clinic at 03-21440080 or email to info@faceworksclinic.com.

Arm Pit Whitening.......

Scott McGregor

Arm Pits have always been an object of obsession for a lot of women, and men too. I think the funniest trivia about arm pits is that a woman can smell out their soul mates by sniffing the partner's armpit. How true is this trivia, I have yet to discover. But the explanation given was that all humans produce different smells of feromones and that the armpit is one of the most concentrated feromone scented areas. Hence, if the smell appeals to the woman, then likely for the two to get together and stay together. At least it is more civil than Ally McBeal's butt sniffing.

Coming to the subject of armpits, many women prefer to have hairless armpits and thus you see the bloom of all the creams, waxing, IPL and Laser treatments to reduce hair in the armpits. Still another problem remains that is dark arm pits despite not having any hair. Especially when you are Asian with Skin Type 4 (like a dark chinese, a Malay or a light Indian) and a high risk of getting pigmentation or dark spots with any form of irritation to your skin (otherwise known as post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation), you will notice that your armpits darken easily. The worst part is because this skintype is prone to discolouration and it is fair enough to see.

So Why do we get dark arm-pits to begin with?

Cause No 1: Arm pit hair shaving.

When we shave off our armpit hair, we leave residual hair inside the skin, and thus will give a dark discolouration of the skin above. A better way is to either wax or go for IPL or Laser hair removal to even get rid of the subsurfaced hair.

Cause No 2: Build up of dead skin especially inside the folds. 

This is a situation where a soft loofah is actually useful. Other ways to help tackle this are scrubs, washes containing lactic acids, etc. You can also walk into your dermatologist/aesthetic physician's office and get a peel done. The armpits are just like other parts of your skin, does require some rejuvenating treatment to make it look better.

Cause No 3: The use of chemicals that react to the skin such as perfumes and deodorants.

I personally find the roll ons to be quite a culprit so I've actually switched to sprays which seem to have less darkening effect. However, stopping the use of the substance doesn't seem to make the armpit lighter, so treatment is still warranted. 

Cause No 4: Acanthosis Nigricans.

I remembered when I was a student, this was one of the clinical signs that I really look for in a patient. So what is Acanthosis Nigricans. According to Pub Med Online Acanthosis nigricans is a skin disorder in which there is darker, thick, velvety skin in body folds and creases. and thus, it also involves the armpits. It is commonly seen obesity-related diabetes and people of African descent. However, it can also occur in normal healthy people and there are some who genetically inherits them. It occurs slowly over time, and treatment is mainly by controlling the underlying disease or asking the person to loose weight. A Q-switch Laser maybe able to help reduce the appearance of it.

Cause No 5: Hyperpigmentation.

This occurs when the melanin production in the skin increases. For armpit areas, constant rubbing of the skin can lead to slight inflammation leading to hyperpigmentation. This is pretty common in people with loose skin over the arms, or people who sweat a lot and prone to PIH (usually skin type 4-5). You will also notice this in pregnant ladies due to high progesterone hormones thus leading to higher incidence of melasma and increase pigmentation in folded areas. Treatment will help whiten the armpits, but other measures like wearing clothes that are not too tight to reduce friction, using aluminium oxide for perspiration control and avoiding things that irritant the skin to reduce inflammation is warranted in the long run.

So how can I improve how my armpits look?

Once your armpits are darkened and cannot be lightened by rubbing in the shower, it means that you need to come in for treatment to help reduce the problem. A single treatment will lighten the arm pit but repeated treatment is required to achieve best results. Check out Faceworks Clinic April Promotions for Arm Pit Whitening treatments : http://faceworksclinic.blogspot.com/2012/04/april-promotions-not-to-be-missed.html for our treatemnt against dark arm pits.

Once treated, you need to maintain the armpits by using moisturizers and proper deodorants taht does not darken your arm pits again. I normally use my face lightening creams in my arm pits too for maintenance.

For more information or to book appointment do call us at 03-21440080 or email to info@faceworksclinic.com - Please leave your name and phone number and we will call to answer your enquiry or to confirm the appointment.

 

April Promotions... Not to be missed.

This Month We are Offering Solutions to Problems as Follows:

1. Arm Pit Whitening Treatment @ RM 250/ session only.

 For those who want to improve on darken armpits.
 Short procedure, takes 20 minutes.
We recommend 4 treatments weekly for best results.

2. Post-Natal Tummy Bulge Away Package.

For those who want a more defined waistline.

4X RF tummy + Microcurrent treatment X 4 @ RM 2700  Only (N.P RM 3400).
Recommend Weekly.

3. Acne Away Peel with Obagi Blue Radiance Peel.

RM 280 per treatment (NP RM 350)
Recommend 4 treatments for best results every 2-4 weeks.
Sign Up 4 and get Obagi Nuderm Travel Set For  RM 930 Only. (N.P RM 1030).

For More information or to book appointments, please call us at 03-21440080 or email to info@faceworksclinic.com. Please include name and phone number in your email as we will call you back to reconfirm.