Everyone wants to look beautiful. Beauty comes with a price and now new rules.
I suppose that these rules are created to protect the consumers. I have personally underwent a few aesthetic treatments for my skin.
I have done chemical peels, micro-needling, sub-ablative laser etc
The doctors I went to are aesthetic doctors or doctors who practise aesthetic treatments full time. They dun do other forms of medical practices, in other words, they dun see patients for other ailments like cold, fever, flu etc.
I have known people who underwent aesthetic treatments under GPs who also has a family practice. Treatments are definitely cheaper, but the the quality of treatments is not really there. The doctors are always busy in between treatments, seeing other patients for other common ailments.
Obviously such GPs are in it for the money. A common medical consultation cost about $20 to $30 per patient per session. An aesthetic treatment cost anything from $100 for a single session of chemical peel to $300-$500 for IPL or laser treatments. Do your maths.
Frankly, the best aesthetic doctor I have seen is Dr Yeak. She was formerly from Raffles Medical Group. She is now with Singapore Aesthetic Center in Novena, #08-12. She is warm, very friendly and not pushy!
--------------------------------
The Straits Times
25 July 2008
Doctors face tighter rules on aesthetic treatments
Such procedures to be offered only as a last resort from Nov 1
By Jessica Jaganathan
THE days of the 'cowboy practice' are numbered. From Nov 1, doctors will have to get permission before they can offer a range of controversial aesthetic treatments.
The Singapore Medical Council's (SMC) newly established Aesthetic Practice Oversight Committee will decide who will be allowed to offer these treatments that are not backed by strong scientific evidence.
Promising weight loss and fairer skin among other results, they should be offered only as a last resort, after all conventional methods have been exhausted. No advertisements of these treatments are allowed too.
Doctors will be also have to get written consent from patients and record every detail of the treatment and the results, just as in a clinical trial for a new drug. This regime will apply to seven aesthetic treatments, including fat-busting mesotherapy, where drugs are injected into the body.
Aesthetic treatments have been the subject of much debate over the last three months, after the health authorities raised concerns about the number of doctors branching out into lucrative beauty treatments, some of which are banned in other countries.
Yesterday, details were released about how the profession plans to regulate some 30 aesthetic procedures, within a week of the Health Ministry coming out with stricter rules for liposuction.
Professor Ho Lai Yun from the Academy of Medicine said: 'At the moment, it's a cowboy type of practice.' With the guidelines, he added: 'Patients will know who they can go to, what are the procedures available to them, what they can expect...So, to a greater extent, they are protected.'
For instance, filler injections to plump up lips can be done by plastic surgeons and GPs in a clinic. More invasive procedures, like breast enhancement surgery, can only be done by a plastic surgeon in an operating theatre.
Although general practitioners are allowed to do most of the less invasive aesthetic procedures, they will need proper credentials - they must attend an accredited course recognised by SMC and attain a certificate of competence.
Doctors who flout these guidelines may be referred to the SMC for disciplinary hearing, where, depending on the case, they could be fined or even suspended.
The profession's watchdog is already investigating the aesthetic medicine practices of six doctors, including a specialist.
Madam Halimah Yacob, chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Health, said the guidelines were a good start to enhance patient safety but cautioned that consumers may be driven to beauty salons instead. She said: 'These treatments if not done properly can lead to serious complications...it does not make sense to insist that only doctors be subject to these guidelines while beauty salons are free to operate without any rules even for invasive procedures.'
---------------------------
The Straits Times
25 July 2008
AESTHETIC TREATMENTS CARRIED OUT BY GPs
New rules' impact merely skin-deep?
New guidelines still being debated but most GPs taking them in their stride
By Jessica Jaganathan
THERE is unlikely to be any major shake-up in the aesthetic treatment business because of the new rules released by the profession and the Ministry of Health (MOH), say doctors.
The guidelines covering about 30 aesthetic treatments give both the specialist and the general practitioner (GP) sufficient room to continue to make a living.
Some signboards will have to be changed, though - as doctors were reminded yesterday that they cannot refer to themselves as 'aesthetic' doctors or surgeons, as it is not a recognised specialty.
There will also be clear benefits for patients with the new guidelines. They can be confident that the doctor is properly trained to offer the treatment if it has been tried and tested. And if it is experimental, then the doctor will be watched closely and the results monitored as well, regardless of whether he is a specialist or a GP.
The two camps have, for the most part, been on opposite ends of the aesthetic treatment debate for the past three months.
Some plastic surgeons were portrayed as viewing regulation as a way to protect their turf, while GPs were said to prefer minimal oversight so that they could muscle in on the lucrative $200-million-a-year market.
With the new guidelines out yesterday, plastic surgeons are happy that most invasive treatments must be carried out in an operation theatre, a requirement which would effectively rule out GPs.
Dr Colin Tham, honorary secretary of the Singapore Association of Plastic Surgeons, welcomed the restriction on GPs doing invasive procedures, and said the impact of the new guidelines on plastic surgeons was minimal. He did speak up on behalf of GPs, questioning the need for a certificate of competence for GPs to perform some of the non-invasive procedures, describing the requirement as being 'over the top'.
But other plastic surgeons did caution that the institutions awarding the certificates should be scrutinised carefully.
GPs who have been offering some of the less scientifically proven treatments such as mesotherapy and carboxytherapy said they would have to study the clinical trial requirements closely before deciding if they will apply to offer these treatments after Nov 1, when the new guidelines kick in.
The Society of Aesthetic Medicine, which comprises mainly GPs, plans to write in to MOH to appeal against requiring seven 'controversial' treatments to be offered only as a clinical trial. The society's spokesman, Dr Benjamin Yim, a GP who has been offering endermologie for four years, said patients might be more sceptical of the treatment when told that it is experimental, and this might drive them away. Endermologie is a non-invasive technique for reducing the appearance of cellulite
As a clinical trial, doctors have to document in detail patient results and, usually, a large pool of patients is needed - typically about 200.
Associate Professor Goh Lee Gan, president of the College of Family Physicians, said the cumbersome process might discourage some doctors from doing them. 'Research will show us if the treatment is useful or not for the patients,' said Prof Goh.
However, Dr Roy Chio, a GP who offers endermologie and micro-needling, said there already exists evidence that these treatments work and they are well-documented in medical journals overseas.
A marketing executive, who wanted to be known only as Cynthia, said having proper guidelines now will make it easier for patients like her to know what is allowed and what is not. But the 26-year-old, who had micro-needling treatment about five months ago, said it had been effective in reducing her acne marks.
--------------------------
Treatments that need clinical trials
Fat reduction
# Mesotherapy: A drug cocktail is injected into the skin. It is believed to melt fat.
# Carboxytherapy: A non-surgical procedure like mesotherapy, in which carbon dioxide is shot through a needle to 'kill' fat cells and stimulate blood flow.
# Mechanised massage: This is a non-invasive deep-tissue massage performed with a machine to reduce cellulite.
Skin treatments
# Microneedling dermaroller: This device uses a series of pins on a hand-held roller to make microscopic punctures in the skin. It supposedly encourages collagen to form and reduces scars and wrinkles.
# Stem-cell activator proteins: Patients consume a protein extract that 'regenerates ageing tissue' by using protein or chemical messengers to send signals to cells to 'teach' them to regenerate.
# Skin-whitening injections: These jabs are supposed to reduce blemishes such as acne and chicken pox scars and wrinkles.
Miscellaneous treatments
# Negative pressure procedures: In vacustyler sessions, for example, a patient's lower body is placed in a chamber where a machine stimulates the lymphatic system. This is believed to improve circulation in the lower body.
--------------------------------
THEATRE WORKS
With the new guidelines out yesterday, plastic surgeons are happy that most invasive treatments must be carried out in an operation theatre, a requirement which would effectively rule out GPs.
APPEAL PLAN
The Society of Aesthetic Medicine, which comprises mainly GPs, plans to write in to MOH to appeal against requiring seven 'controversial' treatments to be offered only as a clinical trial.
I suppose that these rules are created to protect the consumers. I have personally underwent a few aesthetic treatments for my skin.
I have done chemical peels, micro-needling, sub-ablative laser etc
The doctors I went to are aesthetic doctors or doctors who practise aesthetic treatments full time. They dun do other forms of medical practices, in other words, they dun see patients for other ailments like cold, fever, flu etc.
I have known people who underwent aesthetic treatments under GPs who also has a family practice. Treatments are definitely cheaper, but the the quality of treatments is not really there. The doctors are always busy in between treatments, seeing other patients for other common ailments.
Obviously such GPs are in it for the money. A common medical consultation cost about $20 to $30 per patient per session. An aesthetic treatment cost anything from $100 for a single session of chemical peel to $300-$500 for IPL or laser treatments. Do your maths.
Frankly, the best aesthetic doctor I have seen is Dr Yeak. She was formerly from Raffles Medical Group. She is now with Singapore Aesthetic Center in Novena, #08-12. She is warm, very friendly and not pushy!
--------------------------------
The Straits Times
25 July 2008
Doctors face tighter rules on aesthetic treatments
Such procedures to be offered only as a last resort from Nov 1
By Jessica Jaganathan
THE days of the 'cowboy practice' are numbered. From Nov 1, doctors will have to get permission before they can offer a range of controversial aesthetic treatments.
The Singapore Medical Council's (SMC) newly established Aesthetic Practice Oversight Committee will decide who will be allowed to offer these treatments that are not backed by strong scientific evidence.
Promising weight loss and fairer skin among other results, they should be offered only as a last resort, after all conventional methods have been exhausted. No advertisements of these treatments are allowed too.
Doctors will be also have to get written consent from patients and record every detail of the treatment and the results, just as in a clinical trial for a new drug. This regime will apply to seven aesthetic treatments, including fat-busting mesotherapy, where drugs are injected into the body.
Aesthetic treatments have been the subject of much debate over the last three months, after the health authorities raised concerns about the number of doctors branching out into lucrative beauty treatments, some of which are banned in other countries.
Yesterday, details were released about how the profession plans to regulate some 30 aesthetic procedures, within a week of the Health Ministry coming out with stricter rules for liposuction.
Professor Ho Lai Yun from the Academy of Medicine said: 'At the moment, it's a cowboy type of practice.' With the guidelines, he added: 'Patients will know who they can go to, what are the procedures available to them, what they can expect...So, to a greater extent, they are protected.'
For instance, filler injections to plump up lips can be done by plastic surgeons and GPs in a clinic. More invasive procedures, like breast enhancement surgery, can only be done by a plastic surgeon in an operating theatre.
Although general practitioners are allowed to do most of the less invasive aesthetic procedures, they will need proper credentials - they must attend an accredited course recognised by SMC and attain a certificate of competence.
Doctors who flout these guidelines may be referred to the SMC for disciplinary hearing, where, depending on the case, they could be fined or even suspended.
The profession's watchdog is already investigating the aesthetic medicine practices of six doctors, including a specialist.
Madam Halimah Yacob, chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Health, said the guidelines were a good start to enhance patient safety but cautioned that consumers may be driven to beauty salons instead. She said: 'These treatments if not done properly can lead to serious complications...it does not make sense to insist that only doctors be subject to these guidelines while beauty salons are free to operate without any rules even for invasive procedures.'
---------------------------
The Straits Times
25 July 2008
AESTHETIC TREATMENTS CARRIED OUT BY GPs
New rules' impact merely skin-deep?
New guidelines still being debated but most GPs taking them in their stride
By Jessica Jaganathan
THERE is unlikely to be any major shake-up in the aesthetic treatment business because of the new rules released by the profession and the Ministry of Health (MOH), say doctors.
The guidelines covering about 30 aesthetic treatments give both the specialist and the general practitioner (GP) sufficient room to continue to make a living.
Some signboards will have to be changed, though - as doctors were reminded yesterday that they cannot refer to themselves as 'aesthetic' doctors or surgeons, as it is not a recognised specialty.
There will also be clear benefits for patients with the new guidelines. They can be confident that the doctor is properly trained to offer the treatment if it has been tried and tested. And if it is experimental, then the doctor will be watched closely and the results monitored as well, regardless of whether he is a specialist or a GP.
The two camps have, for the most part, been on opposite ends of the aesthetic treatment debate for the past three months.
Some plastic surgeons were portrayed as viewing regulation as a way to protect their turf, while GPs were said to prefer minimal oversight so that they could muscle in on the lucrative $200-million-a-year market.
With the new guidelines out yesterday, plastic surgeons are happy that most invasive treatments must be carried out in an operation theatre, a requirement which would effectively rule out GPs.
Dr Colin Tham, honorary secretary of the Singapore Association of Plastic Surgeons, welcomed the restriction on GPs doing invasive procedures, and said the impact of the new guidelines on plastic surgeons was minimal. He did speak up on behalf of GPs, questioning the need for a certificate of competence for GPs to perform some of the non-invasive procedures, describing the requirement as being 'over the top'.
But other plastic surgeons did caution that the institutions awarding the certificates should be scrutinised carefully.
GPs who have been offering some of the less scientifically proven treatments such as mesotherapy and carboxytherapy said they would have to study the clinical trial requirements closely before deciding if they will apply to offer these treatments after Nov 1, when the new guidelines kick in.
The Society of Aesthetic Medicine, which comprises mainly GPs, plans to write in to MOH to appeal against requiring seven 'controversial' treatments to be offered only as a clinical trial. The society's spokesman, Dr Benjamin Yim, a GP who has been offering endermologie for four years, said patients might be more sceptical of the treatment when told that it is experimental, and this might drive them away. Endermologie is a non-invasive technique for reducing the appearance of cellulite
As a clinical trial, doctors have to document in detail patient results and, usually, a large pool of patients is needed - typically about 200.
Associate Professor Goh Lee Gan, president of the College of Family Physicians, said the cumbersome process might discourage some doctors from doing them. 'Research will show us if the treatment is useful or not for the patients,' said Prof Goh.
However, Dr Roy Chio, a GP who offers endermologie and micro-needling, said there already exists evidence that these treatments work and they are well-documented in medical journals overseas.
A marketing executive, who wanted to be known only as Cynthia, said having proper guidelines now will make it easier for patients like her to know what is allowed and what is not. But the 26-year-old, who had micro-needling treatment about five months ago, said it had been effective in reducing her acne marks.
--------------------------
Treatments that need clinical trials
Fat reduction
# Mesotherapy: A drug cocktail is injected into the skin. It is believed to melt fat.
# Carboxytherapy: A non-surgical procedure like mesotherapy, in which carbon dioxide is shot through a needle to 'kill' fat cells and stimulate blood flow.
# Mechanised massage: This is a non-invasive deep-tissue massage performed with a machine to reduce cellulite.
Skin treatments
# Microneedling dermaroller: This device uses a series of pins on a hand-held roller to make microscopic punctures in the skin. It supposedly encourages collagen to form and reduces scars and wrinkles.
# Stem-cell activator proteins: Patients consume a protein extract that 'regenerates ageing tissue' by using protein or chemical messengers to send signals to cells to 'teach' them to regenerate.
# Skin-whitening injections: These jabs are supposed to reduce blemishes such as acne and chicken pox scars and wrinkles.
Miscellaneous treatments
# Negative pressure procedures: In vacustyler sessions, for example, a patient's lower body is placed in a chamber where a machine stimulates the lymphatic system. This is believed to improve circulation in the lower body.
--------------------------------
THEATRE WORKS
With the new guidelines out yesterday, plastic surgeons are happy that most invasive treatments must be carried out in an operation theatre, a requirement which would effectively rule out GPs.
APPEAL PLAN
The Society of Aesthetic Medicine, which comprises mainly GPs, plans to write in to MOH to appeal against requiring seven 'controversial' treatments to be offered only as a clinical trial.
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