The business of ageing gracefully

MANILA, Philippines — Getting old is one of the things that almost everyone would want to put a stop to but it is also one of the things that no one can control. Fortunately, ageing nowadays does not have to be too frightening of a concept.

Even at 72, Dr. Florencio Lucero, the country’s oldest practicing plastic surgeon, is nowhere near retirement and while most people his age are chilling at the comforts of their homes, he still opts to get his hands working and his mouth talking about how older people can actually age functioning.

“Why will I stop? I still enjoy the operations that I do. And that is the key, you still enjoy the things you do. If not, find something else,” Lucero said.

“Retirement is actually changing tires. If you can and want to do something else, that is the time you retire,” he added.

And while science and medicine can do wonders to anyone physically, Lucero, dubbed as the “Godfather of Philippine Plastic Surgery,” is not all “cut and cut” as he believes in the power of anti-ageing supplements, one that is not generally accepted by the mainstream medicine industry.

“Supplements are not evidence-based medicine. The doctors in the Philippines are so scientific and they base it only on the journals or anything that has been published and proven many times,” Lucero said.

“But supplements are add-ons, improving and delaying the ageing of the cells that will prolong the effect of the surgery, rather than relying only on surgery and yet you continue to see the person ageing, face is sagging and lines are coming out,” he added.

For nearly 40 years now, Lucero has been doing head-to-toe aesthetic surgery, from the most visible parts of the face up to the removal of unnecessary fats in the body, all because Filipinos want to look and feel better.

“I slowly realized that surgery alone is not enough to delay ageing or make patients look younger. Some only look younger outside but inside they feel weak. When you make the inside young, it will come out and reflect on the outside. It is not always that you have to do something externally to look good,” Lucero said.

Over the last three to five years, however, Lucero got hooked to supplements when a Singaporean introduced to him Celergen, a breakthrough supplement in soft gel capsules that help stimulate the regenerative abilities of cells which deteriorate over time.

Developed in Switzerland, the product combines bioDNA cellular marine complex, a potent antioxidant, as well as peptide e-collagen and hydroMN peptide. Other ingredients include lutein, grape skin extract, selenium and co-enzyme Q10.

Lucero personally tried the supplement and notice significant changes a month later including enhanced stamina, improved alertness, increased visible skin radiance, hastened metabolic rate as well as the body’s healing process, better sleep, more energy.

“For people at my age, energy is a big deal. And I felt more energy and time to work, to bond with my family and attend meetings and lectures without feeling tired,” he said.

Lucero eventually recommended Celergen to his plastic surgery patients and through the word of mouth, more men and women wanted to give “healthy ageing” a shot.

Now, Lucero wants to expand the benefits of the supplement to people outside of the aesthetic industry, carrying his optimism that since it worked with plastic surgery patients, it can also be accepted by a wider range of market.

“Many patients are into supplements also, and if they believe already, it is not difficult to accept anything that is recommended. It is going to take some time because it is all about anecdotal experiences,” Lucero said.

“It is not easy to convince conventional doctors to recommend this to practically all patients but we will try because that is that only it can grow, the same way that aesthetic surgery grew because of word of mouth,” he added.

Distributed in the country by CPE Philippines, Celergen is a proprietary combination of key ingredients formulated to support healthy ageing at the cellular level. CPE Philippines aims to introduce products in the local market that will allow people to live healthier, longer and more functional lives.

“We are the doctors, we are supposed to tell patients what is best for them. We are physicians and not architects who will give in to the whims of the owner of the house. The owner of the body should realize what is the limit of her body,” Lucero said.

“The body continues to age everyday. The surgery is only there to erase some of the signs of ageing externally but you are not changing the inside of the body. What you need to do is also improve the conditions of the cells in the body to prolong the effect of the surgery,” he added.

But more than the surgery and the intake of supplements, Lucero maintained that dietary and lifestyle changes are the most important factors in slowing down or delaying the ageing process.

“Lifestyle change is the main reason why we have five areas in the world which are called blue zones that have the biggest percentage of centenarians or whose age are close to 120. In the Philippines, longevity has improved over the last 10 years and recently, more people are still strong and active,” Lucero said.

And while some older people are thinking of stopping at the age of 65 or even 60, Lucero at 72 is nowhere near leaving his operation table.

“We got so used that our mindset has gotten into retiring at 65. Some retirees are still very strong and some would even feel weaker because they are not doing anything,” Lucero said.

“You just have to keep on working to keep your active life, keep you wellness and your mind active. That is the actual work,” he added.