Face Value

Wrinkles. Creeping up stealthily, between the eyebrows, below the eyes, near the mouth, almost everywhere on the face. And if that isn146...

Wrinkles. Creeping up stealthily, between the eyebrows, below the eyes, near the mouth, almost everywhere on the face.

And if that isn8217;t bad enough, the rhytides medical name for wrinkles even have names8212;crow8217;s feet, naso labial lines, marionettes at the angle of the mouth, worry wrinkles, frown wrinkles and even bitterness wrinkles.

Of course, they are the telltale signs of stress, of a frenzied lifestyle, bad habits, smoking, late nights, drinking, but most of all, of age. Since there is loss of collagen, the skin sags and every movement makes a dent on it. And be warned, heredity plays a part.

Of course, the super rich have found a way around this by putting themselves under the surgeon8217;s knife and getting face lifts. Fortunately, minimally invasive procedures using fine needles to inject gels into the skin have been developed and due to their ease and simplicity are called 8216;8216;lunch time procedures8217;8217;, be they botox or filler injections. The latest to arrive in India is the 8216;8216;photo facial8217;8217; or the IPL.

Bringing these here is Dr Jamuna Pai, MBBS, who has trained for all these procedures under Dr Roland Payne of Harley Street, Dr Woffles Ou in Singapore and Dr Patrick Bowler. She not only performs these procedures daily in her four Mumbai clinics, but also uses every single procedure on her own face. And her glowing, firm face is the clinching evidence of the efficacy of the wrinkle-ironers.

nbsp;	You Ask, They Answer

		nbsp;	8226; SKIN SNAFUS Jatin, 20, has oily skin and a wheatish complexion. How should he keep his face clean? An oily face is pimple-prone, so try to wash it with a face wash meant for oily skin. Factors like a healthy diet, adequate sleep, regular workouts will also help. Also use an oil-free sunscreen with SPF of more than 15. Dr Malvika Kohli, dermatologist and consultant, Jaslok Hospital 8226; WEIGHTY MATTER Rakesh Chauhan, 26, is an engineer working in Chandigarh. He is very thin and wants to put on weight. Please advise. In general, a high calorie, well-balanced diet with adequate protein intake is recommended. This can be achieved by increasing the total calorific intake per day. An increase of about 500 calories per day in the present diet is recommended. This can be done by eating foods rich in calories and protein such as milk, soya foods, paneer, cheese, nuts, egg and lean meats such as fish and chicken without skin. Protein-rich foods ensure an increase in lean body mass muscle rather than fat. Eat three regular meals as well as snacks in between. Join a gym. To gain weight, aim at adding muscle rather than fat. Regular weight training exercises will help achieve this. The diet will need to be reviewed once the desired weight gain is attained. Sonal Modi, Chief Nutritionist, Diabetes Endocrine Nutrition Management and Research Centre, Mumbai	nbsp;

All these come with a price tag because they involve the use of imported expensive machines and gels. A quick look:

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IPL Intense Pulsed Light: This safe, non-invasive procedure works for young and old skins, because it gets rid of birthmarks, unsightly small veins and other blemishes. A cold gel is applied on the face and light pulsing given through a glass hand piece. Each treatment takes 20 minutes and you need to go through a series of five to six sessions.

Filler injections: Natural loss of water content of the facial tissues leads to wrinkles, folds and a 8216;8216;tired sunken look8217;8217;. Volume can be restored with semi-permanent injectible implants. 8216;8216;The ingredients are of non-animal origin, which reduce the risk of allergy,8217;8217; explains Dr Pai, 8216;8216;and these hyalurnonic acid particles are flexible, elastic and resistant particles which gently integrate into facial tissues.8217;8217; The treatment takes 10 minutes and needs to be repeated every few months.

Botox: Some controversy surrounds the efficacy of this treatment which involves injecting a purified protein to plump up the wrinkles. Other than being too expensive and needing to be repeated every few months, there have also been allegations that it could lead to freezing of expression and facial paralysis. 8216;8216;If something is not done accurately, it will most certainly lead to problems,8217;8217; Dr Pai says. 8216;8216;Botox is a safe 10-minute procedure. Discomfort is minimal and to maintain effect you need to repeat injections two to three times a year.8217;8217; If there are any side effects, they are localised to the site of the injection and may include soreness or mild bruising which disappears on its own.

Dr Pai8217;s experience runs into several years of Botox treatments and she8217;s the only Indian doctor appointed to train other doctors. In other words, she8217;s just what the doctor ordered.

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Blush, Dermatosurgical and Laser Centre, Kemps Corner, Mumbai 022 23684032, Bandra 26454880, Andheri 26361578. http://www.blushworld.com, email: drjamunapaiblushworld.com