Skin Assets

Skin Assets

BY ANA KRISTINE B. VALENZUELA

PUBLISHED MOD AUGUST 2010

“MOST of us have insecurities. Sometimes an insecurity is not that even big a thing, like having a chicken pox mark. It may be small, but then it’s a kilometer scar on the heart because it affects your life. It affects how you feel about yourself, your self-confidence,” says Dra. Vicki Belo.

These insecurities hinder us from showing a side of the cheek when smiling in a picture, donning sleeveless blouses, or wearing pencil cut skirts. This is probably why one of the best investments today is having good skin as it also boosts one’s self confidence. “Having a good skin is important. It is routinary for people go to beauty institutions every month to make sure that they don’t have whiteheads, blackheads, or pimples.” she says. “I think people should pay more attention to skin care especially because we put so many products on our face like makeup and lotion.”

“The universal features that I consider beautiful are beautiful hair and clear skin,” says Dra. Belo. “Other people have different taste and requirement. For example, the Americans like us for our flat nose. They find it beautiful. Some people like chinita eyes, some like deep-set eyes. But the one thing that everybody agrees on is beautiful hair and clear skin.”

Dr. Belo helps us achieve that clear, flawless skin with these treatments that her clinic offers. Be advised that these treatments are case-to-case basis, and that good skin can never be achieved without follow-up and maintenance.

Glycopeel Cleaning

A skin treatment which makes use of different concentrations of fruit acids and glyocolic acid, it extracts pimples, blackheads, and whiteheads, and exfoliates dead skin cells. Best for oily and acne-prone skin.

Time Needed: Treatment takes 30-45 minutes, and regular cleaning can be done once a week.

Power Peel

Power peel or microdermabrasion makes use of corundum oxide crystals to gently remove dead skin and vacuum deeper layers. This is recommended for acne scars and fine lines. This can be used to improve marks and is best for teenagers and those in their early 20s.

Time Needed: Treatment takes around 20 minutes. Regular cleaning can be done once a week

Botox

Botox is used widely for the elimination of wrinkles which can be found between the eyebrows, horizontal forehead lines, and smile lines around the eyes. It relaxes the muscles around the area where the botox was injected. Fine lines are not guaranteed to be removed with this treatment. The patient can see the effect after a week’s time, and usually lasts for three to six months, depending on maintenance.

Time Needed: Treatment may be done two to four times a year

Thermage

This is a one-time treatment which makes use of radio frequency technology which has been clinically proven to tighten ad gently lift the skin to smooth out the wrinkles and renew facial contours. It has been approved by the Bureau of Food and Drugs for the non-invasive treatment of facial wrinkles. Full results may be seen after three to six months and can last up to two years depending on maintenance.

Time Needed: May be repeated after six months

Fraxel

Fraxel laser treatment is a new technology which exfoliates and improves scars. It is a nonsurgical procedure used for the treatment of the acne scars. An erbium glass laser is used for fractional resurfacing procedure to stimulate the scar. Patients have the option of procedure to be done with either a cream anesthesia or a sedative for those sensitive to pain,

Time Needed: 20 minutes each treatment, 5 to 6 sessions from two to four weeks

VBeam

A versatile pulsed dye laser that treats a wide range of vascular tension such as facial veins, facial, neck, and chest redness, blue spots on lips, leg veins, warts, scars, and stretch marks, the VBeam has a unique Dynamic Cooling Device which sprays cryogen into the epidermis for a quick and effective cooling and protective effect.

Time: Two to four treatments performed six weeks apart.

Body Scrub with Bleach

The body scrub exfoliates the skin, making it supple and smooth. Most of the patients who go for a body scrub also opt for body bleaching. Sea salt and honey almond scrub are used to gently remove dead dry, rough skin, while grapeseed extract, AHA, and licorice are used to whiten the skin. This procedure can be followed up with whitening creams and lotions that patients may apply at home.

Time: The procedure takes about 45 minutes and can be done one to three times a week for 10 to 12 sessions