DOC TALK

Circuit breaker has been tough for everyone – and rough on your looks.

Portrait of Tammy Strobel

Circuit breaker has been tough for everyone – and rough on your looks. Dr Karen Soh, medical director of Prive Clinic, tells you about the aesthetic treatments that can help once the restrictions are lifted.

I’ve been working from home during circuit breaker and didn’t realise that sitting by the window would expose my skin to constant UV. Is there a quick fix for the new dark spots I’m seeing?

You should use a sunblock even while working from home. For a quick pigmentation fix, post-circuit breaker, I recommend Pico Laser – it’s gentle, effective and suitable for all skin types and tones.

It uses a specific wavelength to target pigmentation, while leaving the surrounding areas undamaged. When the pigments absorb the laser light, the particles fragment into really thin “dust” that the body removes over time. Pico laser also brightens the complexion so you get a more radiant glow.

But you may have different types of pigmentation in your skin, which require a different laser setting and wavelength to treat. At Prive, we do not limit the number of laser passes and settings we do in a Pico Laser session – the treatment plan is always customised after a skin analysis and doctor consultation. Pico Laser is also sometimes combined with chemical peels or lightening creams.

Close to two months of little physical activity, fantastic food deliveries and a lot of snacking, and I now have a muffin top, supper belly, and my face looks plumper. I want to look like my pre-circuit breaker self when I head back to the office again.

The best way to get rid of excess fat is to build muscles as they use up more calories and burn off excess fat for energy. Emsculpt is great for that as it both builds muscle and burns fat, and with little downtime or pain.

The treatment uses non-invasive Hifem (Highintensity focused electromagnetic) technology to induce almost 20,000 supramaximal muscle contractions per session, almost like doing 20,000 sit-ups or crunches – all while lying on the treatment bed for 30 minutes. One treatment cycle usually consists of four to six treatments, over four to six weeks.

Emsculpt is best paired with Coolsculpting, which is said to burn up to 20 per cent fat in the treated area per session. It uses controlled cooling technology to target and crystallise fat cells, destroying them. The damaged fat cells will be removed by the body as waste.

Coolsculpting is very versatile and can be used to treat belly fat, or even small areas like a double chin or armpit fat. For the face, I recommend pairing Coolsculpting with Exilis Elite, which can be done six to eight weeks after Coolsculpting. The former destroys facial fat, while the latter uses radio frequency to reduce bloating, stimulate collagen and lift the skin for a slimmer V-shaped contour.

 

Do an intense hydration facial

Your skin can get dehydrated even when you work from home. You could be consuming less fluids, or you could be in air-conditioning practically 24/7. Prive’s Intense Hydro Therapy facial gives you softer and smoother skin almost instantly, and a more refreshed complexion. It uses Prive’s exclusive madein-Sweden products to gently exfoliate, and electrophoresis infusion to stimulate skin absorption, enabling nutrients to penetrate up to 2,000 times deeper into skin.
 
My Reading Room

The light in your home office is lovely – but lethal to skin. Read: Dark spots.

Dr Karen Soh is best known as a trainer for Merz Aesthetics and Silhouette Soft threadlifts. She is recognised for her experience and skill across different modalities in aesthetics practice. With passion and a keen eye for detail, she balances the art and science of aesthetic enhancement, achieving natural-looking results safely and effectively.

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