Quoted When No Comments Were Made!

From Straits Times front page on 20th March 2008:

The ministry began cracking down on such practices from September last year, telling about 20 of the bigger operators to stop.

Prominent plastic surgeon Woffles Wu and anaesthetist Christine Cheng were among those targeted. They complied immediately.

Dr Cheng was unhappy to have been singled out, and asked why the ministry did not inform all doctors.

The ministry explained that it did not realise earlier how widespread aesthetic medicine had become.

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I have been receiving phone calls non-stop since 2 am London time. Amazing how I ended up in the newspaper when I did not make those comments!

The e-mail interviews follow. I made no comments on the situation at all, given that I was out of town with no access to the newspapers!

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Dear Dr Cheng,
The MOH has expressed concern over doctors providing what it calls "unsubstantiated practices" including mesotherapy which I believe your clinic offers.
Its concern is not that such treatments are given, but that it fears patients may think they are proper medical treatments as they are done by doctors.
Could I have your comments on this please?
Do you, perhaps, tell your patients that these are not scientifically proven methods?
Or do you disagree with the MOH's stand that there is no backing for these treatments?
Yours Sincerely,
Salma Khalik
Health Correspondent
The Straits Times
Tel: 6319 5349

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Hi Salma

We no longer offer mesotherapy after the MoH ban.

Cheers!

Dr Christine Cheng
Simply Aesthetic
Tel: 6732 5527
Fax: 6732 5517
www.simply-aesthetic.com

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Hi Dr Cheng,
Thanks for reply.
Several doctors I spoke to yesterday have received that letter, but others have not - am querying MOH on that.
Does the ban involve only mesotherapy or the other 10 listed in the Straits Times today too?
Has stopping mesotherapy affected your business much - are patients unhappy? If so, any patients I could talk to?
More importantly, do you agree with the ban, since it can still be offered by beauty saloons?
Cheers,
Salma Khalik

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Hi Salma

We have been advising our patients to undergo liposuction for the last few months, so the ban on mesotherapy has little impact on our business. I am in London at the moment, so do not know which treatments are no longer permissible in clinics. I have yet to speak to my patients regarding their feelings regarding this ban.

I do not know what goes on in beauty salons.

Cheers!

Dr Christine Cheng

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Hi Christine,
sorry to get back to you again, with you in London.
But have just found out that MOH only sent letters to 20 doctors asking them to stop treatments like mesotherapy and carboxytherapy. Many others offering these services have not been told to stop.
Do you think this is fair?
Or is there some reason why these 20 doctors, including you, have been asked to stop?
Cheers,
Salma Khalik

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Hi Salma

I have no idea why our Ministry works in this way. With the Hong Kong Medical Council, all registered doctors were notified regarding stopping the use of Phosphatidylcholine via e-mail. So it was fair to all. They did not ban the entire spectrum of mesotherapy, just the main drug used for fat melting. For your information, the injection of steroids into inflamed tendons is considered mesotherapy too. As is the injection of steroids to reduce the thickness of keloid scars.

Filipino doctor presents sheep placenta to fight aging skin

By Cheche Moral
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 20:15:00 03/13/2008

MANILA, Philippines—If someone had told you the elusive elixir of youth can be found in the sheep’s placenta, you probably wouldn’t have believed it.

But a pioneering cosmetic procedure that uses exactly that—ovine placenta—to delay facial skin aging had its global launch this week in Makati City.

Dr. Florencio Q. Lucero, a cosmetic surgeon who broke ground in stem-cell therapy in the country, introduced the sheep placenta-derived ActiStem Dermal, a liquid solution that aims to stimulate the body’s inactivate stem cells to regenerate skin.

Stem cells are the building blocks of human life. They make up the tissues of the body, and their ability to renew and replicate is responsible for, say, the healing of wounds.

As one ages, however, the body’s capacity to regenerate slows down. But Lucero said reactivating dormant cells via this sheep-derived protein complex can again increase the body’s collagen and elastin production.

Collagen is the component that gives skin its plumpness, elastin its elasticity.

In 2006, Lucero introduced in the country the adipose- or fat-derived stem-cell transplant, aimed at patients with degenerative diseases like Parkinson’s. It was developed with Dr. Bill Paspaliaris of StemTech Ltd. Hong Kong, who provided him with the stem cell technology.

“You activate the cell from the inside to better regenerate. So why not apply it on the skin? It’s the same principle,” Lucero said. He also partnered with Paspaliaris’ firm to develop ActiStem Dermal.

“It’s the first of its kind in the world, and we’re the first to use it,” Lucero said, adding, “Well, they have a similar one in Korea, but how they make it is different.” ActiStem Dermal is awaiting approval in Singapore.

Not stem cell

As with the adipose-derived stem cell therapy, which uses cells from fat suctioned from the patient’s own body and not from human embryos, Lucero said he foresees no moral or ethical issues arising from the use of ActiStem Dermal.

In some countries like Russia, the use of stem cell from human embryos in beauty procedures has raised moral and religious questions.

“You have to understand that [ActiStem Dermal] is not stem cell,” he stressed. “It’s a protein extract from the sheep’s placenta... Sheep [is used because it] is closer to the immunological profile of humans compared to cows, which are used in other so-called stem cell therapy products.” The use of ovine (sheep) placenta was developed in Australia.

According to Dr. Francisca Roa, the dermatologist who conducted the clinical tests for the product, there was “slight to moderate improvement” in the skin’s fine lines, firmness and radiance in the test subjects six weeks after the procedure.

A biopsy of the subjects’ skin samples revealed that 80 percent showed increased collagen production, and 40 percent increased their elastin. Elastin has lesser regenerating qualities compared to collagen, Roa explained. Collagen production decreases by 1 percent each year after the age of 40, she added.

The launch at Ascott Makati was attended by former beauty queens, now in their 40s and 50s, including two Miss Universes. Peachy Veneracion, 48, a former Mutya ng Pilipinas, is the face of ActiStem Dermal.

Non-invasive

A session of ActiStem Dermal costs P25,000, with results lasting up to six months.

It may be administered in three different ways: with a mesogun, the same gadget used in mesotherapy, which mimics the motion of a sewing machine to deliver the drug onto the skin; with a dermal roller, a paint roller-like device with micro needles that creates minute channels on the skin for better drug absorption; or via microinjections, which uses tiny needles.

The procedure is non-invasive, meaning no surgery is involved. It can take from 15-60 minutes to perform. As no downtime is required, a patient can resume with her/his normal activities immediately after a session.

According to Dr. Roa, the test subjects reported minimal itchiness and irritation immediately after the procedure, but these disappeared within minutes. Patients with high sensitivity and low-pain threshold may require some topical anesthesia, particularly with microinjection.

An increase in uric acid, the liver enzyme SGPT and muscle enzyme SGOT were observed in some of the 30 test subjects—28 women and two men, aged 40-65. But they were “within comfortable levels,” making the drug safe for use for patients without pre-existing conditions like diabetes, liver disease, allergies or infections.

As if to make a point, Tinette Lucero, the doctor’s wife, said she has undergone the same procedure. “Whatever my husband uses on me, I assure you it must be safe.”

In Pursuit of Youth

Source: Manila Standard Today

By Dinna Chan Vasquez

The beauty business is a multi-billion-dollar industry worldwide because nearly every woman is in search of the magic potion that would stop aging. Sadly, aging is an inevitable reality.

Once a woman is in her middle 20s, collagen production slows and the dermal elastin becomes less elastic. Collagen gives skin its plumpness while elastic provides elasticity.

Bad habits like unprotected sun exposure, repetitive facial expressions, smoking, late nights and many others can result in skin going from balat sibuyas to balat kalabaw.

The sad results of skin aging are fine wrinkling, thin and uneven skin tone, loss of underlying fat leading to hollowed cheeks and eye sockets and loss of firmness on the hands and neck.

Fernando Lucero, one of the country’s most renowned plastic surgeons, says there is no way anyone can prevent aging, pointing to the picture of a wrinkled and stooped old woman.

“We will all end up like that, if we live long enough,” he says.

Lucero, who broke ground in stem cell therapy in the country, is an advocate of ActiStem dermal, a solution derived from sheep placenta that was created to stimulate the body’s stem cells.

Stem cells serve as a sort of repair system for the body. They can theoretically divide without limit to replenish other cells as long as the person or animal is still alive. When a stem cell divides, each new cell has the potential to either remain a stem cell or become another type of cell with a more specialized function, such as a muscle cell, a red blood cell, or a brain cell.

Lucero explains that ActiStem dermal is a natural ingredient that, when administered to the skin’s dermal layer, activates stem cells to regenerate faster and more efficiently. The result, he adds, is a marked increase in the production of collagen and elastic and an improvement in the skin’s overall youthfulness. What ActiStem contains are a variety of peptide growth factors such as EGF, FGF, HGF, PDGF among others. Once administered into the dermis, there will be a significant increase in the skin’s collagen and elastin content.

ActiStem dermal promises to deliver in terms of lifting and tightening of the skin, delivering improved radiance or glow and a marked reduction in fine wrinkles.

Clinical tests conducted on 30 patients have confirmed ActiStem dermal’s efficacy as a minimally invasive way to increase collagen and elastin.

Each patient in the trial received one vial of ActiStem dermal administered via mesotherapy. After six weeks, all patients reported moderate or marked improvement of fine lines, with 20 percent giving an excellent rating and 80 percent a moderate rating. For radiance and glow, 16.67 percent gave a marked improvement rating and 83.33 percent gave a moderate improvement rating.

Francesca Roa, the dermatologist who conducted the clinical tests for the product, says there was “slight to moderate improvement” in the skin’s fine lines, firmness and radiance in the test subjects.

Based on a biopsy of the subjects’ skin, 80 percent showed increased collagen production and 40 percent increased their elastin.

Roa says the subjects reported minimal itchiness and irritation immediately after the procedure but these disappeared after a few minutes.

Former beauty queen Peachy Veneracion tried ActiStem and says she started to notice a change in her face after only one week.

“My face became more radiant. After two weeks, my skin became less haggard. I also noticed that since I had the treatment, I have not had a single pimple on my face and my pores have become smaller,” says the Mutya ng Pilipinas 1977 titlist.

Lucero says what makes ActiStem dermal more ground-breaking, aside from the fact that it is minimally invasive, is that the procedure requires 20 minutes of the person’s time and produces no swelling or irritation.

With no recovery time necessary, patients can go back to their normal activities immediately after the treatment,” he adds.

Lucero’s wife Tinette also used ActiStem dermal and she says her skin is more supple, healthy-looking and youthful as a result.

“I have tried many anti-aging creams and even some rejuvenation machines. But with ActiStem, my skin got a little lift and my skin looked tighter. My fine lines and age spots lessened and my skin became smoother since the pores became smaller. My skin has that youthful glow,” she adds.

Acne Scar Reduction: Moving Beyond Dermaroller Therapy

We have treated dozens of people with acne scars of varying types and depths over the last year. The results have been gratifying, as we inevitably see improvement over the course of the treatment. The majority of our patients call it a day after completing their package of 3 sessions. A few have agreed to continuing treatment and adding other modes of therapy to enhance the results.

Over the last few months, we have added a variety of treatments to speed up and enhance the results. Peeling was our first adjunct and the results have been dramatic. We now have two other adjuncts which have a part to play in acne scar therapy.

A few weeks ago, we happened to come across a forum discussing autologous collagen to fill up rolling acne scars. We had a volunteer willing to try this treatment. We harvested the collagen from his love handles and injected the substance into the deeper scars. He came back for review today, and was extremely pleased with the outcome. Many deep scars had filled up. Even the scars in his temple area were more shallow.

The next stage of his treatment will involve our latest treatment. We are now able to stimulate collagen production more precisely within each scar, and ablate the sharp edges. Some downtime is associated with this, but it doesn't last long.

There is no single perfect treatment for acne scars. However, each treatment in our range of options has a part to play for optimal results.

Face Slimming Gel

We have been using the eCO2 Gel mask after Dermaroller treatments as this mask has potent skin soothing properties.

I have just found out from Dr Claudine Roura that this mask can be used for facial slimming too!

This is a brief description of the product's properties:

Face Slimming, Deep Moisturization, Antiaging Care : eCO2GEL If you have ever tried our eCO2GEL packing agent, you must have been amazed by its skin texture refining, whitening, brightening, and lift-up effects. Our newest technology aims to strengthen the superior performance of eCO2GEL with deep moisturization and face slimming effects Deep Moisturization As it is well known, a typical skin care regimen includes the basic step of supplying water and retaining moisture in the skin. Supplying moisture to skin is absolutely essential. In addition, retaining the moisture in the stratum corneum is indispensable, especially in dry seasons like autumn and winter in Japan or for people who tend to have dry skin conditions. Our eCO2GEL.EX incorporates oil, which plays the function of retaining the excellent skin moisture and oil balance after CO2 packing. Furthermore, when skin is dry or skin metabolism is slowed, aging signs such as wrinkles, rough skin etc. appear. On top of our eCO2GEL technology, eCO2GEL.EX technology delivers and supplies essential oil to skin effectively, and helps retain the healthy conditions of skin after CO2 packing. Therefore, it prevents aging sign formation. Face Slimming Effect One of the main components of skin is phospholipid, which forms bi-layers. When skin is treated with eCO2GEL.EX, polyalcohols in the gel base is expected to enter the phospholipid bi-layer by CO2 DDS, and the bi-layer structure may become more organized and compacted. Therefore a face slimming effect can be observed. In the case of eCO2GEL.EX, both polyalcohols and oils in the gel base is expected to enter the phospholipid bi-layer, an even more organized and compacted structure is formed. Therefore, a stronger face slimming effect is expected. This is a true and fast slimming method without going through the painful process of weight loss.

How interesting! I must find out more about this, particularly the protocol. Watch this space!

Latest Developments with DermaRF

The DermaRF radiofrequency machine is possibly the most hard working machine at Simply Aesthetic. It's going to be flogged even harder soon!

I had the opportunity of meeting up with Dr Chanchai this afternoon, and getting a sneak peek into the new developments that allow us to use Derma RF for even more aesthetic treatments. He has developed a number of new handpieces for skin resurfacing. The non-ablative hand piece packs a stronger punch than our current rejuvenation hand piece. The ablative handpiece produces results equivalent to laser, but with some downtime.

The most exciting developments are associated with acne scar treatment. He has a fractional head and a multi-polar head. Each type of acne scar has its specific treatment. The results can be dramatic and impressive.

Although we have had good results with reducing acne scar depth with the dermaroller, we have always found it difficult to reduce the defined edges of acne scars. He has taught me how, and I have the right attachments to provide this treatment. In fact, he treated a few of my scars. One's quite a large chicken pox scar. It will be fascinating to watch how the appearance changes over the next few days.

Water-Assisted Liposuction: My Personal Experience

Being a major proponent for Water-Jet Liposuction, it was inevitable that I should get my excess fat sucked out sooner or later. The day occurred 10 days ago. The area for treatment was not decided till pretty much the last minute. I wanted all over slimming! But common sense prevailed ultimately, and my arms and abdomen were nominated for treatment.

The operation took about 5 hours. Sedation was minimal, but the amnesic effect was incredible! I hardly remember anything about the operation. It was very comfortable (and I'm known for a non-existent pain threshold). My phone rang halfway through, and I had a totally rational conversation which I kinda remember.

I was mentally prepared for pain (especially in the arms) and soiled clothes and sheets. Neither were very bad. The arms (and abs) hardly hurt at all! Seepage was just from 2 points overnight, and pretty much dried up within 24 hours. The only thing that caught me by surprise was how painful it was when water entered the incision points during showers. But that only lasted a minute.

I took painkillers the first night, just in case it was really painful when the local anaesthetic wore off. This was unnecessary. The pain never kicked in. Sleeping tablets did help for the first few nights. The initial pressure on lying down was a little sore, but just for seconds.

Overall, the discomfort is comparable to mesotherapy. The swelling and tenderness is possibly even less than meso. It certainly has only been painful when I've been whacked in the treated areas. Suddenly, everyone seems to like patting me HARD on the arm! Arghhhhh!

Bruising has been minimal from the start and pretty much gone now. Much less than mesotherapy.

The results have been very gratifying. The tummy area is flat again, and my arms are slim for the first time ever!

I'm looking forward to getting my legs done eventually. Not sure when yet, but my guess is it should be pretty soon. I need to be totally pain-free for a few weeks before I'd contemplate anything else. Having two rounds of extreme makeover within 9 days has been rather trying. Time to be sensible and take a rest!

Stem Cell Stimulation with ActiStem Dermal

This little bottle appeared in my fridge when I was on holiday at the end of last year. It took me a few weeks to figure out where it came from and what it was for. Finally, I discovered that this ActiStem was a new product that contains proteins which stimulate our own stem cells to re-activate. Made from sheep placental extract, the fluid is applied via dermarolling, and produces quite remarkable results in just one session.

Armed with that info, I volunteered to be guinea pig number one (as usual!).

Results? Astonishing! My complexion became much more radiant over the following few days. Yes, DAYS! My pores were smaller, there was quite significant lifting, especially in my brow area. The effects were as significant as if I had done the Botox Dermalift! I would say that is is probably the best my skin has ever been.

I did this treatment about a month ago, and have been desperately waiting for the stock to come in. I have a number of clients asking for this (as the improvement in my skin has been so dramatic). The delay was because my suppliers were planning to not bring it in at all! But after much persuasion, they are finally releasing a box of this precious fluid to me next week.

The effects of this premium treatment can last for months. Repeating it every 6 months or so is adequate to rejuvenate the skin.

How Comfortable is Water Jet Plus Liposuction?

Many of our potential clients are terrified by the thought of having liposuction without general anaesthesia. The fear of pain is naturally a great concern to most. I was recently told about a clinic in the US posting the video of someone talking on their mobile phone during the operation. She was most impressed that this could be possible.

A mere two days later, we had a WAL-veteran (second op) requesting refreshments during the operation. She had rushed to finish her work before coming for the procedure and was starving from skipping lunch. So coffee in hand, she chats with us through most of the procedure!

Certain parts of the body are more sensitive to pain, but WAL is generally a pretty comfortable procedure. And the procedure is certainly safer and easier to perform under mild sedation.

Extreme Makeover Part One

The opportunity finally arose for me to have my eyelids revised. I had a badly done stitch blepharoplasty by one of the local Plastic Surgeons a few years ago. The recovery was long & difficult & I could not trust any any of the local surgeons to improve the appearance. Most are terrified of repercussions from the original surgeon...

So I took the opportunity of my holiday to Manila to make it a Beauty Holiday. Medical tourism is interesting. Especially trying to board an aeroplane with a swollen face! The original plan was for my friend Claudine Roura to revise my eyelids and VASER my arms (since Dr Ueberreiter refused to do Water Lipo on me last November). However, having seen the true potential of Waterjet Plus during my trip to Korea last month, I decided that I should really have WAL instead. And the Manila doctors are all obsessed about my nose for some reason! The doctors from Ospital Ng Maynila were planning on making me a demo patient for the next MIFAS! But, that hospital is a bit scary, and I'm not too keen on being breathed on by 20 doctors! So I asked Claudine to do the necessary first and save me!!!

So last Saturday morning, the shopping was put on hold and I checked into the Las Pinas Doctor's Hospital instead. Over the next few hours, my eyes and nose were completely re-sculpted. Excess skin was removed from my upper eyelids to create a new, deep crease. The inner corners of my eyes were re-fashioned to open them more widely. A silicon graft was inserted to straighted the bridge of my nose. The sides of my nose were trimmed and sewn in to create triangular nostrils. The work of art was completed with steri-strips around my nose to support the graft during the first few days of the healing process. And off I returned to society.

The swelling has been impressive, but less dramatic than with previous eye procedures (meso eyebags is far worse!!!). And I'm back at work, scaring anyone who comes in to see me! Our old clients are bemused that I would subject myself to this at all. And I wonder sometimes, but I'm sure it's all worth it. Even through the swelling, the new form is starting to be visible, and it looks pretty awesome already.

And this is just part one. Part two is a mere week away. Finally, I get to have all the fat sucked out of me! I can't wait!