Beauty is
in the eye of the beholder. What looks good for you might not be anyone cup of
tea and vice versa. Everyone perceives beauty differently, and that is why
there are many solutions to specific beauty concerns. I'm in my 30s and to be
honest with you, I am concern about the signs of ageing. But I am happy with my
current skin and I do wish that I would age gracefully. Besides having the
perfect skincare routine and good eating habits, the most popular approach to
enhance appearance is through medical aesthetics.
What is
medical aesthetics? Medical aesthetics is the process of improving cosmetic
appearance (reduce wrinkles, improve skin elasticity, remove excess fats, etc)
through surgical or non-surgical procedures. Surgical procedures include breast
implants; liposuction and facelifts while non-sugical procedures include dermal
fillers injections, botox and chemical peel.
Recently,
I attended the launch of RELIFE, a revolutionary approach to
medical aesthetics, which is brought into Malaysia by Menarini Group. RELIFE provides
Healthcare Practitioners (HCPs) with knowldege, training and products through a
standardised educational platform ICME (Innovation and Consciousness in Medical
Education). RELIFE offers a holistic approach to aesthetic medicine to give
their consumer natural-looking, youthful appearance.
RELIFE promises
for consumers:
1.
Provide patient-centred care with a science-based approach
2.
Develop and manufacture safe and effective products
3. Work
with HCPs to bring conscious innovation and solutions to meet patients’ needs
4.
Partner with scientific and medical communities to develop and deliver
continuous medical education
RELIFE aesthetic
consists of two core products:
1.
Happy Lift
"Happy Lift suspension threads Happy Lift
is designed to lift and hold soft and/or sagging facial tissues for a refreshed
look and more defined facial contours. It is a patented line of absorbable,
monofilament, suspension barbed threads made of unique materials comprising
poly-L-lactic acid and caprolactone. Unlike some conventional sutures, which
are smooth, Happy Lift threads have tiny barbs. Once inserted into the skin,
these tiny barbs stimulate the fibroblasts to synthesize the extracellular
matrix and collagen in the skin that act as scaffolding to lift and hold soft
facial tissues in place, giving longer-lasting results than most other kinds of
sutures."
2. Skinfill
"SKINFILL hyaluronic acid fillers SKINFILL
is used to reduce the appearance of wrinkles restore lost volume and reshape
facial features. It is developed based on the patented COESIX® Plus technology,
an effective cross-linking technology that allows the filler to be optimally
balanced between duration and moldability. SKINFILL is made of hyaluronic acid,
which is naturally occurring in the human body and cross-linked with butanediol
diglycidyl ether (BDDE) for increased stability. Together with collagen and
elastin, hyaluronic acid is responsible for the skin’s youthful appearance."
This
beauty sharing session by Menarini Group were join by international aesthetics
medicine doctors from Philippines and Italy; Dr Ma Purita Paz Lao (Dr Peachy)
and Dr Jaime Arzadon (Dr Bong) from the Philippines, and Professor Salvatore
Piera Fundaro and Dr Giovanni Salti from Italy. All of them have close to
100 years of collective experience in various fields of aesthetic medicine such
as intradermal fillers, botulinum toxin, cosmetic surgery, lasers and lights
and also thread lifting. Dr Steven Kusmanto, Associate Director of Marketing of
Menarini Asia Pacific, joined them.
Here are
some of the highlights during the Q&A session :
Q: Throughout
your years of experience in aesthetic medicine, what are the major changes that
are happening in the industry now? What are you seeing?
Dr
Peachy: Over the past few years, I’ve seen that patients used to belong to
the adult group but now, a lot of patients are coming from the younger age
group, as the millennials have more earning power. Since they are working now,
they are very aggressive and they have to look good. Younger people are no
longer ashamed to go to the dermatologists and cosmetic surgeons to enhance
their beauty. There’s also not only one aesthetic procedure, as there have been
a lot of developments and maturity in terms of the procedures available in the
market – a combination of treatments. One can have more than one treatment in
one session and will be very happy about it.
 |
| Dr Ma Purita Paz Lao (Dr Peachy) |
Q: Is that
why Menarini has decided to start RELIFE in Asia? What are the key
treatments that will be in demand in this region?
Dr
Steven: Around 2 years ago, Menarini started RELIFE that focuses on
dermatology and aesthetics. We first introduced new modalities that can be used
by aesthetic practitioners in years to come; we believe in the concept of
integrative approach. As Dr Peachy mentioned, now most of the patients are
treated with more than one single modality. We have to combine different
modalities. Among the first modality we introduced to the market were the
dermal fillers. People in Asia prefer nose and chin reshaping. They prefer a 3D
looking appearance, this is when fillers can be used. It is one of the
strongest growing markets with a growth of 8-12% yearly. Another new trend is
thread lifting. People are getting older and losing skin elasticity, therefore
they will opt for the thread lifting to resolve this issue. RELIFE’s threads is
called HappyLift.
 |
| Dr Steven Kusmanto |
Q: It looks like dermal fillers is one of the fastest growing treatments in Asia, in terms of popularity. What sort of condition or facial shape or particular feature can benefit from dermal fillers?
Dr Bong: There
are a lot of benefits of dermal fillers. The most common fillers in the market
right now is hyaluronic acid. Menarini is launching this under SKINFILL. Fats
can actually also be dermal fillers; your own fats. The main purpose of
having dermal fillers is to understand the concept by going back to the root of
the problem; what happens when you are aging? To make our face look
rejuvenated, we fill them up. With the use of dermal fillers, it is some sort
of an alternative to the fats that we will be injecting. It is readily
available, it is an office lunch procedure, with minimal or no downtime –
that’s the advantage of the hyaluronic acid. Another advantage is that it is
reversible, if the patient is unhappy with the procedure, there’s an antidote
which is called as hyalurodinase. Third advantage of hyaluronic acid is that
it’s hydrophilic – meaning water absorbing. Basically, fillers are to enhance,
augmentate and to rejuvenate. There are different brands of fillers in the
market, however the generic substance in all the fillers is hyaluronic acid.
 |
| Dr Jaime Arzadon (Dr Bong) |
Q: How different is thread lifting from dermal fillers?
Prof
Fundaro: Some Asian faces have too much volume, that's when thread lifting
can help in repositioning the facial features. The same goes to hyperthropic
issues, thread lifting can reposition the sub tissues to create original or
anatomical facial appearance to have a more natural look.
Q: What
are the key differences between the Asian and European face that drives the
different kind of demand? Do they have the same kind of demand and request?
Prof
Fundaro: It's the distribution of fat and different skin type; Asians
have a wider and shorter face as well as thicker skin. Also, all have different
skulls. The main request from Asia is to reshape the nose and chin. For
Europeans, they tend to want to redo their cheekbones; fillers are used to
remodel the face.
 |
| Professor Salvatore Piera Fundaro |
Q: How
long do dermal fillers last?
Dr Bong: Dermal
fillers typically last about a year and sometimes more than a year.
Thread-lifting can last more than a year. Botox will last about half a year.
For Asians, the treatment will last longer due to the skin thickness.
Q: We are
living in a very socially connected world, where we share a lot of images on
social media. With social media being so powerful these days and the young ones
getting increasingly conscious with their looks, do you think the situation is
healthy?
Dr
Peachy: In South Korea, people as young as 14-16 years old will
request for facial enhancement. Whether the trend is acceptable or not, it will
have to depend on the respective country and cultural norms. In some reports or
surveys, it was said that everybody in the ages between 19 and 65 are
considered millennials; we (the panelists) are not middle age! In fact, all of
us here can be considered as millennials.
Q: Dr
Salti, you have had experience in the Middle East. Did you notice this similar
trend over there?
Dr
Salti: There is same rate of growth in the Gulf countries and in
the Southeast Asian countries. Culturally, Southeast Asia is more open than in
the Middle East. Aesthetic treatment is not a compulsory treatment; it is a
choice to look better, rejuvenated. People are free to decide what they want to
do with themselves, their looks. We should respect all kinds of medical
attention.
 |
| Dr Giovanni Salti |
Q: What
should we know before going for a treatment?
Dr
Peachy: First of all, it has to be a certified doctor. We must know
the material that is used in the treatment. It is also important to be honest
with your doctor. My advice is, it is better to seek treatment from a doctor
who says, ‘No, you will have to wait for a few years before undergoing this
treatment’ than a doctor that says yes to everything.
Q: With so
many aesthetic clinics mushrooming nowadays, how do we know that the products
they use are safe? Are there any international standards or certification that
we can look for?
Dr
Steven: For medical devices, it will have to be certified by the FDA
or the CE Mark for the European market. For drugs, they will have to be
certified by the local authority. The certified doctors must also provide
information to the patient prior to using and after using a medical device or
product. For Menarini, all our products are registered with the Ministry of
Health – the devices will have to be authorized before they are revealed to the
public. We will only sell the products to doctors who have the Letter of
Credentialing and Privileging (LCP). And before we sell our products to the
aesthetic doctors, we will also ensure that they undergo our training course to
ensure they are well informed on the products and applications.
Q: Does
this kind of treatment require continuous maintenance as it has been shown that
women who have undergone aesthetic treatment tend to have their faces
‘returned’ to their original form once they stop their treatment?
Dr
Salti: Aesthetic treatment requires upkeep. It is like going for
gym workout; aesthetic treatment is something that you need to continuously
maintain. It is about loving yourself. The rule of thumb is, the older you get,
the lesser you do to your face. There is a role for everyone at different stage
of life.
It is an
interesting topic to talk about medical aesthetics because personally I know
very little about this industry. Medical aesthetics is optional, but it is
known to improve well-being and quality of life. There is boundaries regarding
this topic, for Muslims, therefore I suggest my Muslim readers to find out more
and do research on it for better understanding. I am just sharing the
information on this matter as being a beauty blogger, I need to know and I want
to know about medical aesthetics, as it is beneficial to anyone who is
interested.
*MENARINI GROUP has more than 130 years of experience in pharmaceutical industry and is the leading Italian pharmaceutical company in the world. Menarini has presence in important therapeutic areas such as cardiology, gastroenterology, pneumology, infectious diseases, diabetology, inflammation, analgesia and now in dermatology and medical aesthetics with the new RELIFE range of products. For more information on Menarini Group, please visit : www.menariniapac.com
*MENARINI GROUP has more than 130 years of experience in pharmaceutical industry and is the leading Italian pharmaceutical company in the world. Menarini has presence in important therapeutic areas such as cardiology, gastroenterology, pneumology, infectious diseases, diabetology, inflammation, analgesia and now in dermatology and medical aesthetics with the new RELIFE range of products. For more information on Menarini Group, please visit : www.menariniapac.com
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