Monday, January 05, 2009 New Year, new look? By Jenara Regis Newman
THIS is most everyone’s dream: a younger, better look, not just for the New Year but for all of the time. Some seek it in cosmetics, in spas, slimming salons, diets, exercise and even in cosmetic surgery.
How your skin looks is one of the keys to being attractive and the Philippine Dermatological Society(PDS) advises people to choose a PDS-accredited physician for their skin problems because one’s skin is the only skin one has.
Dr. Marilou Ong is a PDS-accredited dermatologist. According to her, a dermatologist deals with the treatment of diseases of the skin, hair and nails.
She has been in this practice for 18 years and has always lived up to her principle to “first, do no harm.” In her practice, she finds “a sense of fulfillment when you are able to treat successfully dermatologic problems, especially difficult ones.”
Because of the growing demand for it, she incorporated, eight years ago, laser treatment for the skin and hair in her practice. Hair removal, or permanent hair reduction, is done with the use of combined energies of diode laser and radiofrequency.
Skin rejuvenation—for problems like freckles, sunspots, large pores and redness of the face—uses a combination of intense pulsed light and radiofrequency. For skin tightening, she uses a combination of infrared light and radiofrequency. She also uses fractional resurfacing for the treatment of skin pigmentation like melasma, acne and surgical scars, fine lines and wrinkles.
All the treatment Dr. Ong uses are “evidence-based” meaning, “they are supported by medical/clinical studies. We cannot prescribe medications or treatment not supported by medical studies.”
And the machines she uses are all “non-invasive.” She does not do plastic surgery, in her words: “It is not my line.” But soon, with a plastic surgeon partner, her MO Dermatologic Laser & Surgery Center will also offer plastic surgery to further enhance a person’s appearance, for a new and better look in the new year.
