SINGAPORE: Doctors in Singapore are seeing a rise in patients seeking both non-invasive cosmetic procedures as well as major cosmetic surgeries.
Spider veins are caused by hormonal changes such as pregnancy, and people who are on their feet all day or have a family history are prone to the problem.
The condition does not usually cause pain or health problems, but laser treatment is available for those who want to maintain their youthful legs.
Dr Sanjay Nalachandran, Consultant, General and Vascular Surgery at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, said: "Laser heats up the blood within the blood vessels and this causes a certain amount of damage to the vessels and over a period of time, these vessels disappear as they are reabsorbed by the body."
Serene Teo has had three sessions to erase the miniature veins.
She said: "You don't feel a thing at all. Just take a little rubber band and snap it on your skin and that's what it feels like – it's like tiny ant bites."
Such non-invasive cosmetic treatments have grown in popularity over the past ten years.
But cosmetic surgeons are now seeing an increasing demand for major procedures, with liposuction among the most popular.
The latest technique uses ultrasound to break down the fat, making it easier to remove.
Dr Martin Huang, Consultant Plastic Surgeon, said: "When you liquify the fat beforehand, it's a lot easier to remove, so we can accomplish this much more gently with less trauma to the tissues, and it is more thorough and effective."
Doctors said it also allows for a high definition technique that creates the illusion of six-pack abs.
"The most I have ever removed safely, meaning everything went smoothly and there were no problems at all, is about 10 litres (of fat) and I've only done that once. Most times it would be anything from 2 litres to 5 litres," said Dr Huang.
A 36-year-old patient, who does not want to be identified, said she used to weigh 100kg and suffered from knee pain.
So two years ago, she started dieting and exercising regularly.
She lost 33kg, but could not tone up her arms and trunk, so she thought she would "cheat a little bit" with liposuction.
The eight-hour surgery plus two-night hospital stay cost about S$30,000.
But she thinks the money is well spent.
She said: "I want to go for more exercise because now that I have lost the weight, I want to maintain my figure. Hopefully, I will be more confident going out at night, meeting people and friends."
The first few days of recovery from liposuction are often painful and it can be a couple of weeks before the patient is ready to go back to work.
There are also the risks of infection and blood loss, and at the end of the day, the patient still has to adopt a healthy lifestyle because too much food and too little exercise will bring back those unwanted pounds.
Spider veins are caused by hormonal changes such as pregnancy, and people who are on their feet all day or have a family history are prone to the problem.
The condition does not usually cause pain or health problems, but laser treatment is available for those who want to maintain their youthful legs.
Dr Sanjay Nalachandran, Consultant, General and Vascular Surgery at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, said: "Laser heats up the blood within the blood vessels and this causes a certain amount of damage to the vessels and over a period of time, these vessels disappear as they are reabsorbed by the body."
Serene Teo has had three sessions to erase the miniature veins.
She said: "You don't feel a thing at all. Just take a little rubber band and snap it on your skin and that's what it feels like – it's like tiny ant bites."
Such non-invasive cosmetic treatments have grown in popularity over the past ten years.
But cosmetic surgeons are now seeing an increasing demand for major procedures, with liposuction among the most popular.
The latest technique uses ultrasound to break down the fat, making it easier to remove.
Dr Martin Huang, Consultant Plastic Surgeon, said: "When you liquify the fat beforehand, it's a lot easier to remove, so we can accomplish this much more gently with less trauma to the tissues, and it is more thorough and effective."
Doctors said it also allows for a high definition technique that creates the illusion of six-pack abs.
"The most I have ever removed safely, meaning everything went smoothly and there were no problems at all, is about 10 litres (of fat) and I've only done that once. Most times it would be anything from 2 litres to 5 litres," said Dr Huang.
A 36-year-old patient, who does not want to be identified, said she used to weigh 100kg and suffered from knee pain.
So two years ago, she started dieting and exercising regularly.
She lost 33kg, but could not tone up her arms and trunk, so she thought she would "cheat a little bit" with liposuction.
The eight-hour surgery plus two-night hospital stay cost about S$30,000.
But she thinks the money is well spent.
She said: "I want to go for more exercise because now that I have lost the weight, I want to maintain my figure. Hopefully, I will be more confident going out at night, meeting people and friends."
The first few days of recovery from liposuction are often painful and it can be a couple of weeks before the patient is ready to go back to work.
There are also the risks of infection and blood loss, and at the end of the day, the patient still has to adopt a healthy lifestyle because too much food and too little exercise will bring back those unwanted pounds.
1 comment:
Water-Jet Assisted Liposuction has the major advantage of faster recovery in terms of less pain, swelling & bruising, shorter time off work and shorter operating times.
Post a Comment