I concur that melasma can be difficult to treat, so it’s necessary to tamper your expectations as to how much improvement you can expect. I’d generally be wary of anyone who promises that X or Y treatment will get rid of melasma completely. As both Dr Israr and Dr Rui Ming mentioned, it may require a combination of treatments before you see improvement. I’d suggest to have a doctor have a look at it and to ask him realistically what % improvement you can expect, and how many treatment sessions will be needed.

Great question. Some of my answers below will be factual, and some will be personal opinions. Sorry for the verbose answer, as I hope that it will help other readers too. Fact: All doctors with FAMS are specialists, but not all specialists have FAMS. You need to first be a specialist, before applying to be a Fellow of the Academy of Medicine. Think of it like an exclusive members club, for specialists in Singapore. It is not a board certification, as they would have completed their “board specialty exams” by then.

Microdermabrasion devices are used to remove the upper most layer of the skin. In so doing, it removes dead skin cells, surface impurities and helps prevent clogging. Additionally, it does brighten up the skin as well. It is considered a superficial treatment and is generally safe. Hope that helps! All the best.

There are many methods for firming up loose or saggy skin. They range from completely non-invasive, to minimally invasive and lastly surgical face-lift. Aesthetic clinics offer up to minimally invasive options for those who do not want surgery (due to scarring, anesthesia risks and stigma). These include: 1. Lasers or radiofrequency (usually more for upper skin layers) 2. Threadlifts (usually for fat sagging) 3. HIFU (tightens from deep ligamental areas to fat and even surface skin) 4. Botox (relaxes the depressor muscles on the face and neck to help with a gentle lift) 5.

Hi Ching Tan, It is true that freckles are related to genetic factors and can be aggravated by excessive sun exposure. The best way to remove freckles is with pigmentation lasers (eg Q-switched Nd Yag laser). You can expect downtime of redness of 1 day followed by dry scabbing for 5-7 days, with a couple of laser sessions. This downtime can be readily concealed, so you can still resume your daily activities. Sun protection measures before and after the laser sessions are equally important for sustainable results, otherwise the freckles can slowly recur.

Lipomas on the scalp are usually removed by surgical excision. However, there are other causes of lumps on the scalp including sebaceous cysts and pilar cyst which can appear very similiar to a lipoma. These can also be removed by surgical excision and ideally sent for histological confirmation. Surgery is usually done under local anaesthesia. The main complications are bleeding and haematoma formation, infection and scarring. The duration and cost will vary according to the size and complexity of surgery. A ballpark figure is about 20 to 30 mins and cost $600 and up.

Our face is constantly exposed to dirt, bacteria, skin care or cosmetic products. If you don’t clean your face thoroughly, it’s easy for pores to get clogged. The best way to prevent clogged pores is to follow a good daily skin care regimen and exfoliate your skin regularly to remove dead skin cells and excessive sebum.

Milia seeds are harmless, tiny pearly-white bumps made up of skin protein. Topical treatment include retinoids, such as Differin creams. Chemical peels or ablative laser eg. CO2 laser and dermabrasion are effective for stubborn and extensive milia. The cost of these treatments ($200 – $400) varies amongst clinics, and how extensive the milia seeds are.

Pigmentation on the legs can be due to a number of causes. Following eczema, the pigmentation is most likely post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. This usually fades with time but may take weeks to months to clear. Some lightening creams may be prescribed to help this lighten faster. The benefits from laser for this condition though is less predictable. You did mention that your pigmentation has been there for years, so other causes of lower leg pigmentation including pigmented purpuric dermatosis, stasis dermatitis and lentigines should be considered.

A beauty spa is not a licensed clinic by the Ministry of Health. An aesthetic clinic has a Ministry of Health licence. All that means is that a Ministry of Health licensed clinic needs to comply with the Private Hospitals and Medical Clinics Act and regulations, i. e. types of treatments offer must be evidence-based, advertisements must be factual and supported by clinical evidence, and doctors doing treatments must be certified to perform certain procedures. So, hopefully the standard of practice and care for these clinics are enforced by the Ministry of Health.

Thank you for the question. It must be frustrating to be having recurrent folliculitis on the chest and back. The are a few possible causes of recurrent red bumps on the chest and back, including folliculitis, truncal acne and pityrosporom folliculitis (a type of folliculitis caused by a fungal infection). Sometimes, it can be a combination of the above which can make treatment tricky as treatment for one condtion can aggravate the other eg. truncal acne treatment can aggravate pityrosporum folliculitis. Pityrosporom folliculitis is also aggravated by heat and sweat.

Folliculitis is a relatively straightforward condition to treat and get rid of – any dermatologist will be able to help you. There are, however, some other conditions that look similar. A dermatologist will be able to help you to diagnose and distinguish between possible causes.

Early SUPERFICIAL milia can be removed by tropical tretinoin creams and chemical peels. Deep milia seeds are removed by Ablative laser eg CO2 lasers Incision and expression Cautery Yes it’s very important to PREVENT recurrence, especially if you are prone to having milia seeds. Products causing milia seeds include sunscreen and makeup; basically anything that CLOGS up your pores. Hence its good to remove your makeup and sunscreen well by “double washing” your face.

Hi V – it’s important to use a sunblock, not to prevent oily skin, but to prevent skin aging and skin damage – in the form of wrinkles, pigmentation, increased risk of skin cancer. If you are prone to oily skin, you can go to Watsons/Guardian etc in Singapore to buy a sunblock with SPF 50 that’s suitable for acne-prone skin. These are usually non-comedogenic: ie oil-free, alcohol-free and with a water base.

Thanks for the question. If you have a diagnosis of psoriasis, there is a possibility that certain treatments can aggravate it. With psoriasis, damage or injury to the skin can cause psoriasis to develop at the site of the injury. This is know as the Koebner phenomenon. Therefore, you do have to take care that the treatment is gentle and does not cause any trauma or damage to the skin. Likewise, for eczema, the skin is sensitive and more prone to external insults, so you should avoid treatment if the facial skin is still red or irritated as this can be more easily aggravate by treatment.