Dr. Vinson Pineda: And now, skin cell creams!
MANILA, Philippines - I was a twenty-something full of dreams and pimples when I first met Dr. Vinson Pineda in his modest clinic in Makati. He was a young doctor just starting to carve a name for himself in the business of dermatology. I felt right at home in his antiseptic but warm and welcoming clinic. As I was snugly seated in the dental chair, he told me that he was a product of his own (effective) treatments. He, too, suffered from acne — and so did his brother (it’s in their genes). It sure felt good to know that, being an acne victim himself, he knew what I was going through — I totally lacked self-esteem and dreaded facing the mirror because of my heavily pimpled face.
Within just a week of treatment under Dr. Pineda, my pimply face cleared up like daylight as rough, dry skin debris was sloughed away and made way for smooth new skin. Now, I can face the world with my chin up.
That was decades ago and I haven’t had any major pimple breakouts since then. Known as the Father of Philippine Dermatology, Dr. Vinson Pineda has been treating the mother of all skin diseases (acne, of course) and other skin disorders for the past 41 years now. He’s famous for having introduced minoxidil, a hair restorer that a lot of balding people swear by, and tretinoin, a scientifically proven remedy for wrinkles. He owns 21 Dermclinic branches all over the country and is the president/founder of the Philippine Academy of Clinical and Cosmetic Dermatology (PACCD).
Today, I’m meeting Dr. Pineda again not as a patient but for a face-to-face interview to get the skinny on the latest technology in skin treatments. Excerpts:
PHILIPPINE STAR: So, what’s the latest skin craze?
DR. VINSON PINEDA: Until now, it’s still whitening. People are still obsessed with having fair skin. If there’s something newer, maybe it’s stem cells, of which there are two kinds — from black sheep from Romania and live human cells from your own body. Very common are the fat cells which are harvested, isolated and cultured (you separate the serum from the fats and the serum is further separated so you get more cells, some of which are basically stem cells), and injected back to your body where they are transformed into several types of specialized cells that go to whatever part of your body needs them — like if you have liver disease, it becomes a liver cell; if you have a diseased kidney, it becomes a kidney cell.
There are two kinds of stem cell products for the skin: injectable and cream/lotion. But stem cell is not really accepted as a normal specialized procedure, it’s still under investigation (since 1898). So, in all sincerity, stem cells cannot be prescribed to treat a particular disease. Basically, it’s all been testimonial. There have been a lot of testimonials of people who were cured. But still, stem cell can’t be recommended as a standard acceptable medical procedure.
Is it dangerous to get a stem cell treatment?
If it comes from you, it’s okay. But if it comes from a black sheep or other animals, you may be infected with a virus from the animal you don’t know anything about.
Tell us about your skin cell creams.
We have our latest treatment called derived stem cells. Meaning whatever lotion or cream is applied on your skin comes not from live stem cells but is derived from maybe seaweed extracts, grapes, apples, etc. Whatever components are there are supposed to improve the peptides in the skin.
More than skin-deep: Dr. Vinson Pineda’s NuDerm Supreme is a total skincare, renewal, and maintenance regimen using potent agents.So apples and grapes are good for the skin? Why not just eat them?
All things have cells, but not all are stem cells. There’s a special culture to harvest all these stem cells. Like out of a million cells, only three or four percent are basically stem cells.
What are the hottest skin products on the market today?
It’s still the whitening products — for the last 10 years now. Statistics say that white is not only beautiful but desirable as well. Men desire women with fair skin. Whitening is generally accepted all over the world, including Southeast Asia. Seven out of 10 women want to be white — they want to be white all over, not just in the face.
How safe is glutathione as a whitening product? Are there any side effects with long-term use?
Glutathione is safe as a whitening agent. There are no side effects with long-term use.
I was a pioneer of glutathione in the Philippines in 2001. It’s used internationally, it’s on CNN. It’s a vitamin B derivative that’s an antioxidant. As you grow older and expose yourself to the sun, pollution, and cigarette smoke, there are a lot of free radicals, which destroy normal skin cells, cells producing collagen and elastin. Thus, you get wrinkles. So there are antioxidants to counteract the destructive effect of free radicals. You can take antioxidants via food. But for the meantime, one of the most powerful is glutathione, an antioxidant that’s been proven to have a whitening effect. So these whitening creams/lotions improve the condition of the skin.
How much glutathione do you need? How white should you be? And what’s wrong about not being white?
If you taper the normal production of melanin pigment by up to 30-40 percent, you are considered white already; most people are happy with that. Some showbiz people have glutathione injections three times a week. The anti-melanin action of glutathione will really lighten the skin, but if you expose yourself again to the sun, pollution, etc., the melanin will come back.
Didn’t Cleopatra use milk to whiten her skin?
Cleopatra bathed herself in lactic acid from milk.
Aside from lactic acid, there are the glycolic acids from sugar and the fruit acids. Any kind of concentrated acid, when applied on the skin, will peel it off so the darker outer skin is removed or exfoliated, and the inner finer skin surfaces.
Does what you eat (diet) affect your skin?
Fourteen to 15 years ago, they were saying diet has nothing to do with skin problems. But today, it was found that certain fat components in certain milk products, even in chocolates and some nuts can worsen pimples to a certain point. Just very recently, studies have shown a direct correlation between fatty foods and pimples.
What should Filipinas look for in an effective skincare product?
Safe, cost-effective, and addresses almost all skin problems — acne, pigmentation, and wrinkles.
What’s the basic skincare routine you can suggest for busy women?
Of course, the basic skincare routine involves the following: cleanse, tone, exfoliate, lighten, moisturize, and protect.
Can you share some tips on how to care for the skin for women from age 40 and up?
NuDerm Supreme is a total skincare, renewal, and maintenance regimen especially designed by myself, incorporating various skincare fundamentals with the use of a special choice of potent skincare agents in a unique five-step approach — skin is first cleansed, then toned, lightened, exfoliated, and finally moisturized and protected — to effectively rejuvenate skin from sun damage and erase fine lines, wrinkles, uneven complexion, and other signs of skin aging.
The NuDerm Supreme skin rejuvenation system consists of the NuDerm Supreme Mild Wash Lotion to cleanse skin of impurities without stripping off essential skin oils; NuDerm Supreme Lightening Clarifiance Toner to tone and even out skin complexion and texture while removing deep-seated dirt; NuDerm Supreme Fade Toner Cream to further lighten skin tone by eliminating dark spots; NuDerm Supreme Glytoner Cream to facilitate skin exfoliation and renewal, along with NuDerm Supreme Dermage Cream to clear skin of acne and erase fine facial lines and skin wrinkling; and NuDerm Supreme Revitalizing Moisturizer with Sunscreen to hydrate and nourish new skin while shielding it from the harsh effects of the sun.
NuDerm Supreme is great on its own or as the perfect complement to Dermclinic’s signature skin treatments. Dermclinic’s skin experts recommend NuDerm Supreme as a complete after-care system or as an excellent accompaniment to existing skincare regimens. NuDerm Supreme is clinically tested and perfect for all types of Asian skin.
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Dermclinic has branches all over Metro Manila and in the provinces, including Pampanga, Iloilo, Cebu, and Davao. It has an air-conditioned factory at 2266 Aurora Boulevard, Pasay City to maintain the quality of its products. Call its hotline number at 817-FACE3223; e-mail customercare@dermclinic.com.ph.
