Category: SPOTLIGHT

I Said No To Lipo And Tried Fat Freezing Instead

I have good reasons not to like my body very much, in particular, my stubborn tummy is bent on making the world know that it continues to live, since I was 18. Problem is, I don’t have as much a problem with my weight, because I really don’t consider myself as fat. So you see why a tummy bulge can be an issue. Having tried dieting (which just makes me lose weight overall but doesn’t do much to change my shape), been to the gym, tried one of those vibration slimming belts, I contemplated liposuction. But according to a study, apparently fat comes back after it is liposuctioned out, to other parts of the body. I might be wrong, but I am not about to try it just to find out. More importantly, I discovered a world of non-invasive body shaping that hides in a doctor’s slimming arsenal. But the biggest question is, does the weight come back with non-invasive treatments? Well, at least there isn’t a study yet to Continue Reading

Permanent Paint – What You Need to Know About Tattoos

Tattoos are getting increasingly popular in the past decade. While a tattoo brings to mind secret societies, bikers or branded outcasts previously, it’s a common sighting on the young and trendy now. A survey estimated that about 36% of Americans aged between 18 to 30 years have at least one tattoo. Up to 65% of ink bearers are women.   So what exactly is the allure of the tattoo? Perhaps, it is the promise that an ordinary unadorned stretch of skin will be transformed into a canvas for a permanent, powerful and unique statement – either artistic or counter-cultural – of cool for some. For other ladies, they may have tattoos masked as “permanent makeup” such as eyebrow hair imitation, or permanent lip liner and eye liner. Whatever the motivation for getting inked permanently, here’s what you need to know about tattoos, safety tips, the possible health risks involved, and your removal options if you change your mind. What It Involves A tattoo is a permanent mark or design made Continue Reading

Knee Anxiety And Kninkles

Sagging skin and wrinkles on the face are often the first things that people rush to correct. In fact, women and men around the world are not giving skin agers a chance and many are embarking on anti-aging treatments long before the skin succumbs to gravity and to chance. Anti-aging treatments now extend to the neck, the décolleté, the hands and even the back! So as it turns out, as it gets harder to tell one’s age, the tougher it gets to hide it, as the world scrutinizes for signs of age on the body. The latest anxiety is in the leg joints. Kninkles, or knee wrinkles first got it’s publicity piece several years ago when Catherine Zeta-Jones glided over the red carpet looking picture perfect except for her crinkly and pouchy knees. Need I explain further why the world was devastated that a normal (but famous) human being was not allowed to look aged, even in the knees? Perhaps there isn’t a need to. This was simply the cue Continue Reading

The Latest Laser Treatment For Virtually All Skin Troubles

People with pigmentation woes understand that pigments are skin troubles that persist, no matter how thorough one’s skincare regime, and how expensive our skincare products are. Pigments are almost like unfortunate scars, parts on our skin that we wish we could make disappear immediately and forever. Yet pigmentation treatments often give modest results at best, and under the wrong hands, they can even worsen. So for the pigment-burdened or those with tattoo regret, should you resign to your fate and learn to live with it? Probably not! Skin lasers are one of the most researched treatments for pigmentation woes such as melasma and tattoo removal. We speak to Dr Chua Han Boon, a Senior Consultant at the SW1 Clinic about the latest pigment and tattoo removal laser in town, and why this laser is now the best pigment and tattoo removal in town.   The Misconception About Lasers There is a common misconception that lasers thin the skin, damaging the skin’s melanocytes and leaving patches of skin white. Dr Chua Continue Reading

How Fillers Can Give An Unnatural Look

A mild facelift effect is now possible without having to go under the knife, thanks to the invention of dermal fillers. Usually made up of hyaluronic acid, a natural compound found in our own body, fillers have become quick fixes for restoring volume due to fat or bony loss, and erasing fine lines and wrinkles due to aging. Younger people who are not satisfied with the way they look are also turning to fillers first rather than surgery to improve certain less-than-perfect features, such as adding height to a flat nose bridge, augmenting a weak chin, filling up sunken undereye hollows or thin lips. Some dermal fillers can even be injected superficially into skin, to improve hydration for the smooth, dewy look. But things can go wrong when correction becomes overzealous, or if the wrong filler was used in the wrong area. In this article, we speak to Dr Michelle Lim from The SW1 Clinic, and give you the inside scoop on major filler no-go’s to help you navigate through Continue Reading