Vicki Belo’s ‘summer specials’

Before you go on a summer holiday and sashay in that itsy-bitsy bikini along the beach, it is wise to heed Dr. Vicki Belo’s advice: visit any of her five clinics all over Metro Manila, and consider a trio of new treatments that are simply essential in this season of the sun.

Always a trailblazer in the field of cosmetic dermatology and surgery, Dr. Belo turns the spotlight on three "must-have" procedures this summer: Lipo-dissolve, laser hair removal and the totally new spray tanning.

If you’ve been on a diet for months on end and still can’t get rid of those final five pounds, Lipo-dissolve is the solution for you. Invented by Dr. Patricia Rittes of Brazil, Lipo-dissolve involves a series of injections of a drug called Lipostabil into specific problem areas to melt away the fat and lose inches easily.

"You don’t have to undergo surgery," Dr. Belo explains. "There are no side effects and there’s absolutely no down time. You can go back to work and resume your daily activities immediately after the procedure. It’s perfect for people who want to shed stubborn fat on the thighs, the stomach, the armpit chub, even those fat pads under the eyes." After four Lipo-dissolve treatments, spaced about two weeks apart, you will experience full results.

Yet another vital pre-summer treatment is laser hair removal. More than anything else, laser hair removal spells freedom for busy working women who want to remain impeccably well-groomed and neat-looking by the pool or by the beach. Shaving is the number one culprit for underarm discoloration, Dr. Belo attests. As such, laser hair removal allows women to throw away the razor forever.

"With the laser, we zoom in on the hair factory, so to speak," she elaborates. "It goes to the very root, the hair follicle. But in order to get full clearing, you need at least five sessions. It’s because you only get 30 percent, the actively growing hair, on your first visit. On your next visit, you get of 30 percent of the remaining 70 percent. And so on and so forth. Sessions are spaced three to four weeks apart."

The laser hair removal treatment gives you license to wear the ultimate beachwear accessory: baby-smooth skin in your armpits, along your bikini line, on your legs and all over your body.

Of course, summer will not be complete without sporting that delicious chestnut complexion. But since the public is now more enlightened about the harmful effects of UV rays (read: premature aging and skin cancer), a lot of women are now reluctant to worship the sun. For those who still want to enjoy a gorgeous tan minus the setbacks, Dr. Belo suggests spray tanning. Another inventive procedure that is exclusively available in the five clinics of the Belo Medical Group, spray tanning is the hottest beauty regimen in the United States these days.

"Basically, it’s sunless tanning," she chimes in. But unlike messy self-tanning lotions, "spray tanning allows you to achieve an even tan without the orangey color and unappealing smell afterwards." And with spray tanning, you get a natural-looking, odor-free tan in only 30 minutes. "And it lasts for a week." Spray tanning is kinder, gentler on the skin, Dr. Belo attests.

"Sunbathing the old-fashioned way is really harsh on the skin because the sun releases free radicals that eat up the protein in our skin cells," she asserts. "Prolonged sun exposure causes photodamage. It destroys the building blocks of the body." Spray tanning also presents a healthier alternative to tanning beds, which are just as hazardous.

"Tanning beds make use of bulbs that emit UV rays that are just as dreadful as those from the sun," she remarks. "And the bulbs are even closer to your body. So the damage is far worse." Spray tanning also grants an added advantage because the artist is permitted to "contour your body, define your cheekbones, for example," by playing with light and shade.

"It is great for guys who want to make their abs come out," Dr. Belo volunteers. "It’s an artificial way of making you look sexier and hunkier. It can also camouflage and make cellulite seem invisible." The best thing about spray tanning is that "you can go as often as you want. You can cover your last tan with a new one. You can even have it twice a week."

Indeed, when it comes to the latest techniques in cosmetic dermatology and surgery, Dr. Belo is the name to beat. In her continuing mission to make Filipinos aware of the most recent and innovative procedures available, she has also gone into publishing. She now edits Skin magazine, which is filled with engrossing features and just as compelling testimonies from Dr. Belo’s celebrity clients like Kris Aquino, Angela Velez, Aubrey Miles, Karylle, Izza Calzado, Jericho Rosales, Albert Martinez, among others. Her biggest dream is to put the Philippines on the map when it comes to groundbreaking cosmetic enhancement technology.

"To be first world in that regard," she beams. "To be far ahead compared to other countries, even the United States."

And with these three landmark summer procedures, Dr. Belo once again encourages Filipinos to be the most stunning and sizzling beachcombers in the world.