Dr Mark Lim Weixiang

Melasma treatments can vary depending on the degree of severity and patient factors like willingness to take oral medication. The problem with calculating the exact cost for treatment arises because melasma is a recurring problem. It has both UV and hormonal triggers but recurrence can be prevented/ reduced with religious use of sunblock. Treatments can range from oral medication - Tranexamic acid (TXA) has been shown to reduce the appearance of melasma when taken over a period of 3 months.

Hi , just to add on to what Dr Chin has said. Immediately, post fractional C02 laser, patients may experience warmth and swelling. I recommend using Calecim Professional Serum post procedure in clinic and at home. The serum contains a combination of cytokines and growth factors which help reduce inflammation and boost recovery. I would also include Calecim Recovery Night Complex to be used over night after cleansing and applying the serum. This contains Calmosensine which provides relief from the warm/burning sensation, plus the gel protects the skin from trans-epidermal water loss.

Retinol and Niacinamide work to control acne and can treat superficial pigmentation. Pitted acne scars can be treated using the methods that Dr Chin has described above. It does look like you have some rolling scars as well and this is best treated with subcision, with or without dermal filler placement. Subcision works by manually freeing up the scarring that is tethering/ pulling the skin down. Subcision can be combined with the above mentioned energy based treatments. Acne scars are best treated with a variety of methods depending on the type of scarring, skin type and downtime.

There is a chance of transmitting STDs (sexually transmitted diseases) with each unprotected encounter. The risks of transmission vary with type of disease, type of intercourse as well as ongoing treatment. To name a few: Genital herpes - this is most infectious when lesions (red bumps, blisters) are present but patients can still be shedding the virus and pass to their partners when asymptomatic. HIV - The chance of transmission from penile-vaginal intercourse from an infected source is 8 in 10,000 (1).

Lidocaine is a local anesthetic and we avoid areas with prominent/ known areas of blood vessels to prevent intravascular injection. The main danger of having intravascular injections of Lidocaine will be that of cardiac arrhythmias/ irregular heart rhythm. The risk of this is dose related. Other dangers include lidocaine toxicity, which can present as numbness around the mouth and tongue, giddiness or blurred vision. In extreme cases this can result in seizures.

Hyaluronidase is a naturally occurring enzyme in the body. It's action is to break down hyaluronic acid. In clinical practice, Hyaluronidase or Hylase is injected to dissolve hyaluronic acid filler, but it can also be in a topical form to reduce injury due to extravasation of intravenous drugs. The common side effects associated with Hyaluronidase injection would be bruising, pain, warmth and swelling. There is risk of an allergic reaction and most of which are local (contained to the area of injection) such as itching and rarely systemic.

Hi thank you for your question and posting a photo of the problem area. There is some sagging in the mid and lower face, as evidenced by the prominent nasolabial folds and marionette lines. There are a few treatment options available depending on degree of invasiveness that you are comfortable with. I would recommend some lifting via non invasive HIFU (high intensity focused ultrasound) as well as volume replacement in the temples, mid face and buccal area with fillers. For a more dramatic result, you could also consider bio-absorbable threads that help reposition the sagging fat pads.

Hi thank you for your question. Consumption of collagen has not been shown to be beneficial for acne scar treatment. Acne scars are caused by improper healing after damage to the skin caused by inflammation. This damage can cause raised (hypertrophic) or depressed / atrophic scars. Atrophic scars are the most commonly seen in patients seeking Acne scar treatment and can involve multiple procedures each with its different strengths and benefits. However, the underlying principle is collagen remodeling to reduce/improve scar appearance.

Hypothyroidism is a condition in which the body suffers from lack of thyroid hormone. It can present with diffuse hair loss in majority of the patients, but some may present with pattern hair loss as well. Alopecia areata an autoimmune condition is seen more often in patients with autoimmune thyroid disease, and this may appear as discrete, circular areas of hair loss. Hair loss can also be seen in patients with Hyperthyroidism (excess thyroid hormone) or rarely as side effect of medications to treat hyperthyroidism ( e. g.

Migration of filler is defined as the presence of filler at a location remote to the primary area of injection. A brief literature review brings up a single case study that was published in 2016. In summary, A 33 year old lady presented with 2 lumps on her forehead 16 weeks after filler injection to her nose bridge and it was concluded to be due to filler migration. (1) Nose augmentation with filler involves deep placement of filler to augment the nasal bridge ( in between the eyes), along the dorsum of the nose to the tip and including the columella .

The jowls and cheekbones are 2 separate areas of the face. The jowls refer to the drooping / sagging of the skin and cheek (buccal) fat around the lower face, causing a disruption in the otherwise smooth jawline. This can be due to a combination of factors like: loss of skin elasticity loss of volume due to ageing or sudden weight loss bony resorption ( reduced bone volume due to ageing) and lastly, laxity of the superficial musculoaponeurotic system (SMAS) The cheekbones aka Malar bones are bony landmarks on the face and this is usually genetically predetermined.

Both Retinoic acid (Tretinoin) and Adapalene (Differin) are Retinoids, a group of chemical compounds that have some form of Vitamin A related activity. They are involved in treatment of acne and prevention of new acne. They are similar because they bind to retinoic acid receptors on keratinocyte cells in the skin but different retinoids bind to different receptors which explain the slight differences in action. They increase cell turnover but Tretinoin does so more potently (targets more receptors) , which is how it smooths wrinkles, improves texture and reduces pigmentation.

A gummy smile as you correctly described is one in which there is excessive show of the upper gums during smiling. This can be caused by dental issues, overactive facial muscles or thin lips. The main culprit when we talk about overactive/strong facial muscles is the LLSAN (Levator Labii Superioris Alaeque Nasi). This muscle lifts the upper lip and also helps you scrunch the nose up. To correct the gummy smile, one would use botulinum toxin to target the inferior portion of the muscle (just adjacent to the nostril) to weaken it temporarily.