Aesthetic Works

How is everyone’s new year so far? My 2013 has been pretty exciting and I’m embarking on another journey to Northern Europe. While I might not be able to update my blog as frequently, I’ll try to blog when I can. One thing I wanted to share with you is that after I returned from my New Zealand trip, I decided to give fillers a go. Initially I wanted to just get a touch up done on the botox I did on my forehead a few months ago as the effect seems to be fading slightly. This is actually normal because fillers and botox are all temporary measures and can last anywhere from 4 to 12 months.

I love the warm but minimalistic decor at Aesthetic Works Medical Clinic. This is what a clinic should look like – clean, functional yet warm and cozy at the same time. It’s really silly but somehow the christmas tree set up in the clinic made me feel a little more relaxed.

I met with Dr. Sim Kwang Chuor who is professional and friendly. He gave my face a quick look over before making some recommendations for me. The botox I had done on my forehead previously to remove lines when I look up had started to fade and a little boost of Dysport was all I needed. Dysport is a botulinum Type A which blocks the nerve signals from letting my forehead muscles contract. By relaxing the facial muscle, Dysport helps prevent the formation of more permanent wrinkles.  At age 31, like most asians, I generally still look quite young. However, the lines on my forehead have been there since I was a teen, proving that it wasn’t due to age but more from genetics and bad facial habits like frowning or looking up. In my teenage years, I was very much a thinker and a dreamer. I read a lot and thought long & hard about almost everything which probably led me to frown a lot without even noticing.

While I was there, I asked Dr. Sim to give me his opinion about my face and how I might improve it. I asked if I needed nose fillers. Dr. Sim said I had a good set of cheekbones and my nose bridge was rather high already. He said that if I wanted, the nose fillers will make my side profile a little nicer though I might not see a significant difference from the front. Based on his professional observation, he feels that what I needed most was a bigger chin. I was quite surprised because I never even gave a second thought about my chin before not to mention making it bigger! Dr. Sim told me that I needed a more protruding chin to balance up my upper face proportions.

Dr. Sim friendly and professional demeanor made me trust him completely and I said that he should proceed to do whatever he thought was best even if it included enlarging my chin.

First the nurse brought me to a treatment room and proceeded to disinfect my skin with antiseptic. In the above and below photos you can see how I look (cleaned skin) before I started the procedure. My skin turned a little red after the disinfecting which doesn’t normally happens to everyone. It just so happens that I have extremely sensitive skin that will turn red and patchy easily. This also explains why I don’t normally use any foundation.

Even the nurses at Aesthetic Works were super friendly and calming. As she settled me down on the bed to put the numbing cream, I told her that I was extremely afraid of needles and that my pain threshold is incredibly low. She promised to pile on the numbing cream thickly and evenly.

A cling wrap was placed on top of the creamed area of my face and I was told to relax for 15 minutes while they let the numbing cream work its’ magic.

Meanwhile, I learnt that I will be using Radiesse for my fillers. The more common fillers are usually Hyaluronic Acid (HA) but Radiesse is a calciumhydroxyapatite filler. What’s unique about Radiesse is that it acts as a scaffold under the skin, providing structure and stimulating your own natural collagen to grow. Instead of ingesting collagen supplements, I will be encouraging the growth of my own collagen! The fillers might only last  a year but the effects of the collagen growth extends even after the effects of the fillers have faded. This is why more and more cosmetic surgeons, dermatologists, and other medical professionals are choosing Radiesse to achieve long-lasting facial rejuvenation. Another reason why Dr. Sim is using Radiesse for me is because I’ve alerted him of my low tolerance to pain and with Radiesse, Dr. Sim can add lidocaine to significantly reduce injection related pain.

With the combination of numbing cream, localized ice pack application before each injection and Dr. Sim’s special cocktail of filler plus pain reducer formula   I felt almost no pain at all! Maybe just one or two light needle pricks but in general, it was a fast and pain free affair.

Here’s the what I look right after the procedures.

Other than the huge needle mark on my chin, there was no other give away signs that I had anything done. This photo was taken immediately so there wasn’t any swelling but my nose and chin swell a bit after that. You can tell with the photo below where I took with Dr. Sim and 2 other girls who had their procedures done on the same day as me. After the swelling died in less than an hour, I pretty much look the same as the photo above.

In fact, after an hour when the swelling died, I went out to meet Regina, Yitian, Jun and JW. The couldn’t tell much difference with my nose but could tell that I had a bigger chin.

Here’s my before and after photo placed side by side. Nobody (including my own mother) could tell that I added a little to my nose. My chin was a little more noticeable, 3 out of 10 friends noticed that I had a bigger and sharper chin. I guess that means that Dr. Sim’s evaluation of what I needed was spot on! I love that the difference is subtle yet carries an impact. I still look like me, just with nicer lines. Of course, this will only last about a year and I’ll be back to my ‘before picture’ by 2014. Hopefully the collegen production will kick in so well that my skin will be glowing and younger looking by then!

PS. – Thank you Dr. Sim of Aesthetic Works. Thank you for your detailed explanation, your kindness, your wonderful skills and for your friendly staff. Even before this post was up, some of my friends  and one of my aunts have already dropped by your clinic so they can look better too. The feedback I got from them have all been positive and they are impressed that you don’t charge for consultation and only for treatments. Thank you!

Aesthetic Works Medical Clinic

Parkway Parade #05-06, 80 Marine Parade Road, (S)449269

Tel:6493 3678

Website

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Outfit for the day

In case you were wondering, the photographs taken for my outfit of the day were taken before heading to the clinic and I had changed before meeting my friends after my doctor’s appointment.

Dress: Korea

Bracelets and Watch: Hermes

Bag: Givenchy

Heels: Miu Miu