Skincare’s Holy Grail

Beautiful youthful-looking skin may be a gift taken for granted by some and a quest for the Holy Grail for others. Nevertheless, it’s undeniable that good skin is a prized asset of those who have it and of those who have otherwise obtained it.

Cosmetic companies make billions of dollars on people’s hopes of achieving the dream of a milky complexion alone. Cosmeceuticals, a hybrid of cosmetics and pharmaceuticals promising a more potent level of action on the skin, has itself turned into one of those gold mines.

For the less patient but tech-savvy vain population there’s the Yamashita treasure also known as the Vicky Belo Medical Group. Here, the fast emerging market of non-invasive and preventive measures flourishes. Gone are the days when one would have to brave the knife as the sole measure to rectify sagging skin or resort only to full liposuction to reduce body fat.

In these times, where time itself is the ultimate luxury, these non-invasive procedures also have the benefit of being quick – and feeling more like a spa treatment than anything remotely medical. The secret is, of course, in the science. Thanks to laser technology, for example, you can now repair sun damage and prevent wrinkles with sessions of IPL laser or Cool Glide laser just as you would religiously get a facial. This is of great value to sun worshippers who also happen to live in a tropical country. Having a Power Peel that sends minute crystal particles through a vacuum onto your face can rid you of old dull skin in just 30 minutes. Cosmecanique facial massage is like a gym workout for the skin, firming the underlying muscles and also feels great. The new procedure called Lipo Lite actually just massages your fat away with the help of a machine equipped with a suction massage, radio frequency and infrared light.

I was always an avid fan of Power Peel and like any person interested in just what good this new technology can do for me, I tried Cool Glide laser, touted to help skin build new collagen and repair sun damage. It was painless – like a warm flashlight shining on your face. An added bonus is that these lasers temporarily shrink overactive oil glands so I was delighted to find myself with a T-zone that finally behaved. After the recommended amount of sessions, I still find myself going back every three weeks to maintain such good results.

Now that bikini season is here, you may start to panic but thanks to Lipo Lite there’s still hope for the couch potato. The procedure will massage your bulges away with the help of the aforementioned radio frequency and infrared light – a kind of triple threat for fat cells. When I tried it, the procedure felt like warm and frequent suction on the skin (imagine grandma making funny sounds with her mouth on your bare stomach as a child after having drank some hot tea). Ten sessions of 30 minutes promises you at least one inch off your most hated area plus the added benefit of noticeably firmer skin.

These procedures sound harmless but don’t be lured by the no pain no gain axiom. You really can achieve better-looking skin almost immediately with non-invasive methods and the ones mentioned above are only just a handful of what you’ll find in the menu of services of the Belo Medical Group.