Skin Rejuvenation 2021 in a post-covid era | Korean Aesthetic Clinic


There are many theories regarding the coronavirus. One thing’s for sure, in Covid-19 it doesnt matter who is right, or who is wrong, only who is left =P

– Daniel Chang

Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.

Marcus Aurelius

*woohoo* We are now a good 21 days post lockdown… We have all come a long way… Looking back, I must admit I gained alot in those past 2.5 months, and yes a lot of it is unwanted body weight =P

  1. More peace and quiet – (In fact, more than I ever had in my lifetime lol)
  2. More quality family bonding time
  3. More time at home to finally stop and smell the roses (ahhhh…)

Of course, there were some MAJOR challenges.

  1. No gym (being a gym rat, this was a huge adjustment for me. You know the feeling when you cant eat ice cream bec you havent worked out and u start hallucinating about ice cream lol… )
  2. No work ( yes I admit, I am a workaholic )
  3. Not having your in laws to look after your kids (ouch, gosh was that tough)

Post lockdown, many people missed their regular skin beauty treatments. This has led to a boom in appt requests. In line with post lockdown practices, appts have to be well spaced out. On one hand, we want to service our patient’s beauty needs, on the other hand, we want to maintain safe distancing practices to ensure history doesnt repeat itself.

On the topic of beauty treatments, many of us think of beauty in a certain way because we are exposed to such content by social media, the internet and even our family and friends. ‘ We must have korean dewy skin’ , ‘clean and clear skin’, ‘ glowing and radiant skin’

One man’s ice cream is another man’s KFC (read korean fried chicken). It should not be based on what others say about you but should be based on what makes you YOU. Your self-esteem/self-respect/self-worth shouldn’t be determined by how other people view you on Instagram, how many likes you have on Facebook etc.

There is one person who knows you better than anyone else. You, and only you.With growing concern for mental wellness, just how much emphasis do we place our self worth and self identity on physical appearance? And, why are people motivated to beautify themselves? With this question in mind, a survey was carried out, collecting feedback from aesthetic patients. Patients undergoing medical aesthetic treatments were invited to fill up an online survey. 

Purpose of the survey: To understand what drives people to beautify themselves, and what aesthetic treatments Singaporeans are doing. (The why question)

How many people were surveyed: 160 / 500 surveyed, responded over a 6 month period, answering our 10 key qns. These people were  patients undergoing aesthetic treatments.  (The how question)

Trend: In line with the ageing population, growing affluence and increased awareness of projecting one’s best self forward ( be it at work, social media, etc), more and more people are turning to procedures to look and feel their very best. (The what question.)

Findings:
Our study shows some interesting results.

One third of respondents are willing to spend over 3k annually on aesthetic treatments.

One patient in her 40s, an investment banker, Ms Y, mentions that she had acne since her teens, and this has progressed to her working life. She attributes it to her genes and stress at work. Given the nature of her job, she needs to look her very best. Hence she goes for regular laser and skin rejuvenation treatments. She feels her aesthetic treatments are as essential as that Friday glass of red wine paired with medium rare steak.

A male patient in his 30s, an ex Jet star crew, mentioned that he used to be bothered by his acne scarring. It affected his confidence. He appreciated that skin rejuvenation treatment with Rejuran helped improve his skin complexion so much, he finally got into SQ. Now he is bravely answering the nation’s call, doing Covid related swabbing work.

Another patient who was in her 20s, loved wearing big rounded korean frames. They looked oversized on her petite face and often slipped down her nose… Her cruel colleagues teased her about it and called her ‘an auntie’. After much thought, she did a nose lift and chin augmentation. Now she has a pleasing V shaped face and her colleagues no longer call her auntie. Bonus point, her glasses no longer slip down her nose lol!

When asked which part of the body patients were most interested to improve?

Majority of Singaporeans desire healthy skin. Kim MM, et al. Facial Plast Surg Clin North Am. 2007. Commented that Asians consider pigmentation as a top concern, far more than fine lines and wrinkles. 

With the Korean wave and the emphasis on Korean fair flawless skin, more and more patients are consulting to attain clean and clear skin. 

So how can WE maintain healthy skin like the Koreans?

Lifestyle measures, coupled with skin rejuvenation treatments are essential so that you keep your skin in dewy tiptop condition.

  1. Lifestyle: Drink more water and consume more fruits rich in vitamin C. Never forget to hydrate internally and not just externally with creams
  2. Skincare: Facemasks are good, but they are not moisturisers. Neither is aloe vera gel. You still need moisturisers.
  3. Treatment: Skin rejuvenation treatments are a helpful complement to the above. 

Skin rejuvenation can be divided into non invasive, minimally invasive and semi invasive.

  1. Non invasive treatments include IPL, lasers for skin tone and texture, radio frequency devices for tightening, ultrasound machines for lifting. By far, non invasive treatments remain the most popular, for which IPL (intense pulsed light) and lasers remain the gold standard.

2. Minimally invasive treatments include injections, namely radio frequency microneedling, botulinum toxin to relax wrinkles, dermal fillers for volume replacement, skinboosters for hydration, rejuran for skin repair etc. 

3. Semi invasive treatments include those that require the placement of material into the face to induce collagen remodelling. These can be completely absorbable vs those that are semi absorbable. Examples include threadlift and the use of non hyaluronic acid based fillers.

What are other findings of our survey?

Our survey shows Singaporeans are more open to non invasive, Energy based Devices and have benefited from its effects on skin rejuvenation.

Of note,

  1. Lasers (for pigmentation, pores and acne)
  2. HIFU (for skin tightening)
  3. Rejuran + Skinboosters ( for skin texture and repair)

P.S Is it just me or do u guys feel it too? The lockdown has made my brain slower. I realise I can only remember 3 things these days. Eat, sleep and repeat.

Conclusion: 

It is thus our hope that the sharing in this article will be helpful, journeying with you dear reader to continue to look and feel your very best. Together let’s make Singapore known for

  1. Ethical, safe and effective evidence based treatments.
  2. Helping people look and feel their very best.
  3. Making Asia more beautiful, one face at a time.
Facial fillers, Dermal fillers
Be Bold. Be Beautiful.
Aesthetic doctor Singapore
***
Dr Daniel Chang
References:
  1. Tierney, Emily P., Richard F. Eisen, and C. William Hanke. “Fractionated CO2 laser skin rejuvenation.” Dermatologic therapy 24.1 (2011): 41-53.
  2. Longo, C., Galimberti, M., De Pace, B., Pellacani, G., & Bencini, P. L. (2013). Laser skin rejuvenation: epidermal changes and collagen remodeling evaluated by in vivo confocal microscopy. Lasers in medical science, 28(3), 769-776.
  3. Hardaway, Christina A., and E. Victor Ross. “Nonablative laser skin remodeling.” Dermatologic clinics 20.1 (2002): 97.

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