Conscious Anti-Ageing for Everyone
Vitality. Energy. Vibrancy. With many rapid advances being made in the fields of medical research and technology, we no longer need to passively accept the inevitability of ageing.
My practice, Mendis Aesthetics & Surgery at Mandarin Gallery Singapore, advises clients who come to me for aesthetic procedures to carry out regular Executive Health Screenings (for early detection, prevention, and treatment of disease and age-related dysfunction, disorders and diseases), Fitness Program with Diet Plans, and Counseling on Lifestyle Changes. I am a strong believer in maintaining balance between spiritual, mental and physical health. The anti-ageing revolution is about preventive medical care to reverse the sands of time, or to slow it down dramatically.
In the past century, the average life expectancy has doubled. As cutting-edge technology continues to develop, medicine will not only extend lives. Advances in biotechnology (e.g. stem cell research, robotics, cloning, etc.) will lengthen human life beyond what we know now. With the rise in life expectancy, there will also be an increase in degenerative diseases. Thus, it becomes increasingly important that we learn how to stay youthful and healthy physically, mentally and emotionally.
With rapid advances and solutions around the corner, it is important to have accurate evidence-based education so that people can learn how to improve, and sustain their overall health and well-being. I have always believed that true beauty emanates from within. The basics always apply: i.e. get enough sleep and rest, eat healthily, exercise, and maintain a good lifestyle. Take care of yourself holistically, and you will look younger and more attractive over a period of time.
Aesthetic treatments are available to optimize and enhance what you have achieved from a balanced and healthy lifestyle. Now that we are living longer, we should also be more concerned about our inner vitality and our external appearance.
CHANGING FACE OF THE AESTHETIC CLIENT
I have witnessed a gradual shift in the profile of the aesthetic clients I see. When I first started practicing 20 years ago, clients who came to me were usually past 45 and approaching their big 50. They were looking for treatments to reverse the signs of ageing and these were usually surgical in nature, e.g. facelifts or liposuction.
Nowadays, the clients who approach me for treatment usually range from mid to late 20s, but they can go all the way up to their 90s. They are more knowledgeable about the treatments available to them and while they might want the positive results of aesthetic treatments, most of them prefer minimally or non-invasive treatments, with less or no downtime. Modern technology has made it possible for all to experience the benefits of treatments without the accompanying side effects or complications.
NEW ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES
There are many new and exciting technologies that allow today’s aesthetic clients to enjoy the benefits of treatment, with minimal invasiveness and downtime. For different types of treatments, I introduce and recommend the below:
1. Bodysculpting: Emsculpt Neo
For many years, the foremost available treatment for stubborn abdominal fat was an invasive procedure called liposuction, which required an individual to be put under anesthesia and entailed post procedure downtime/recovery. This is no longer necessary.
Emsculpt Neo is an FDA approved procedure that was launched in the US in October 2020. This procedure was recently launched in Singapore and we are the first clinic in Asia to offer this treatment. Emsculpt Neo uses high intensity focused electromagnetic waves (HIFEM+) and synchronized radiofrequency waves to burn fat, stimulate abdominal tone, strengthen abdominal muscles and develop a firmer abdomen. It also lifts and tones the buttocks, as well as the arms and legs. This procedure does not require anesthesia. It is completely non-invasive and has no downtime, other than slight abdominal soreness.
When exposed to supramaximal contractions, our muscle tissues are forced to adapt to these extreme conditions. The tissues respond with a deep remodeling of their inner structure that results in muscle building and sculpting of our body.
One 30-minute treatment is equivalent to doing 20,000 squats or sit-ups. Four sessions give rise to an average of:
• 30 % fat reduction
• 5.9 cm loss in waist circumference
• 25 % increase in muscle mass
2. Skin Tightening: Exilis
This technology uses a sophisticated combination of focused radiofrequency waves, thermal energy and ultrasound technology to stimulate the body’s collagen production within the skin as well as to metabolise fat. The specific radiofrequencies unravel the collagen fibers, causing fibroblasts to start producing more collagen protein. This has a skin tightening effect in the long term by building up the fiber network in the skin. On the other hand, fat reduction occurs through energy that emulsifies the fat. This fat is then sent to the liver by the body’s natural processes and is processed in the same way as consumed fat.
At Mendis Aesthetics, we further use an additional technology called Acoustic Wave Therapy to help with the lymphatic drainage of this fat. Clients are expected to drink over 1.5 litres of water a day to help with the fat metabolism and good results will be seen within 4 treatments.
3. Skin Tightening: Thermage or Ultraskin
These non-invasive treatments will tighten and contour your skin and its underlying tissue structures without incisional surgery. They are equivalent to a facelift without the knife. These treatments work by tightening tissues with an advanced form of radiofrequency or ultrasound that allows physicians to treat ageing, sagging and sun-damaged skin by delivering deep intense heat without harming the skin.
Directing these waves at the surface of the skin, the deeper layers of the skin are heated, stimulating existing collagen and promoting new collagen growth. Results will be visible over 1 to 2 months and the gradual tightening that ensues will last at least a year. This technology can be used on the skin on the eyelids, face, neck, arms, hands, tummy, thighs and legs. It is extremely popular with all age groups.
4. Skin Rejuvenation: Lasers
Laser beams help to eliminate scars, wrinkles, pigmentation, uneven skin tone, rough skin, open pores and fine lines. The procedure is known as fractional resurfacing and it uses laser beams as a means to improve your skin, inside and out.
Delivering thousands of microscopic laser beams to the skin with minimal pain, fractional resurfacing alters the structures below the surface of the skin. This creates unique conditions for continual collagen and elastin regeneration. While clients can expect to see improvements within a few days after the first session, the overall effect – as is the case for all other procedures – will be more evident over time.
BENEFITS OF NON-INVASIVE PROCEDURES
Procedures using high intensity focused electromagnetic energy, ultrasound, radiofrequency, acoustic waves and lasers constitute a whole new spectrum of aesthetic treatments that is non-invasive. In general, these treatments are less expensive, and results may be seen faster with less downtime. However, patients with more extensive conditions would do better by going for the invasive treatments, where they may have to take time off from work for post treatment recovery and other follow-up.
Most non-invasive procedures are designed around the concept of a “walk-in, walk-out” procedure, where the patient pops into the doctor’s clinic, get the treatment and continue with their normal routine after the session, with minimal or no downtime (no bleeding or bruising) and no recuperation period for incisions to heal. The usual risks associated with surgery and anesthesia are also not present.
TYPICAL CLIENTELE
Clients who are most likely to benefit from these advancements in aesthetic technologies are usually those who have aesthetic issues which are not severe enough to warrant surgery. These treatments are also ideal for those who have health issues where surgery is contraindicated, or clients who are averse to or afraid of surgery.
Dr Rohan Mendis
Dr. Rohan Mendis graduated from National University of Singapore and trained at government hospitals where he worked in various surgical specialties before obtaining his Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. He then worked for a period of time in the Division of Plastic Surgery at National University Hospital before deciding to focus mainly on minimally-invasive and technology-based aesthetic procedures. Dr. Mendis is a member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery and American Academy of Anti-Ageing Medicine, and has worked with several international surgeons.
