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.

Radiofrequency Tightening - RF

I think a lot of us are aware about radiofrequency devices which are used for tightening and contouring. Beauticians and doctors alike are fascinated by the discovery of what these machines can actually do. However, in the past a lot of misconceptions have been translated to patients and customers by over promising results and also lack of understanding of what it actually does. 

So what is the science behind radiofrequency treatments? The idea of radiofrequnecy is tissue heating. We all believe that when our skin tissue is heated to temperatures between 40-45 degrees Celsius, the collagen remodelling cascade will start and correct the damaged collagen strings to give us tighter skin.Whether this is completely true or not, or how long should the heat be administered, there is no hard and fast rule, but most believe more than 1 minute. Histological cross sections of skin treated with heat does show a realignment of the collagen fibres and a better structure is formed but whether this applies to all machines that produces heat to the body, it is still unknown. As for fat reduction, most slimming centers would say that the radiofrequency will liquidify the fat due to the heat, but this is not true at all. Heat from the radiofrequency device, or whatever device that increases the tissue temperature merely increases vasodilatation of the small capillaries surrounding the fat cells hence allows more free fatty acids to enter the bloodstream and be used up by the body. What about the instant tightening and slimming effect? I guess the best explanation would be cell dehydration and shifting of fluids into other spaces. Also our elastin fibers recoil to the heat, thus giving a more tighter look.

After reading the technical details behind the technology, you would start wondering whether it would really work. From my observations and trying out many radiofrequency devices in the market, I do believe that they do give significant improvement, but it will be dependent on:

1. The machine as to how much energy does it really transmit to the body and how deep does it go.
2. The ability to achieve the temperature of  >41° and duration it can be sustained.
3. The technique of the user to achieve and overall tightening or slimming effect.
4. The frequency of treatments that shouldn't lapse too far apart from each other to get a cummulative effect. Once a week is ideal, and not more than 1X a month. Too frequent may run health risks instead.
5. The cooperation from the patient to also help maintain the effect via home products for tightening or good diet and exercise.

There are many radiofrequency devices in the market from the lux brand once like Thermage, to others like Relax-F, Accent-RF, Thermacell, etc. Some RF devices are used by beauticians in salons which gives pretty good results but temporary because the energy allowed in their machines are not as advanced as the ones sold to doctors. Yes, there are differences, that is why the price differs greatly as well.

In my clinic, I use a Relax-F and after experimenting on the machine a lot, I find that the best results can be achieved when the treatments are done on a weekly basis with a minimum of 4 sessions. Subsequently, the result can last as long as 6 months given a proper diet and exercise. Otherwise, a maintenance session once a month has proven to benefit the patient to have a better result. It is non-invasive, not painful and most patients say it feels like going for a hot-stone massage. It is also extremely good for post-partum ladies who have loose skin and water retention post pregnancy to tighten up their abs if they are not keen for tummy-tucks. 

Other benefits of Relax-F:

     * Skin tightening and rejuvenation

     * Improvement of scar appearance (also stretch marks)

     * post liposuction treatments for smoother skin 

     * Acne treatment

     * Long-lasting body contour

     * Cellulite reduction

Currently we are having radio-frequency promotions for tummy - kindly refer to Spring Promotions post at http://faceworksclinic.blogspot.com/2012/02/spring-promotions.html . For more info or appointment please contact us at 03-21440080 or info@faceworksclinic.com