My letter to Dr Kim Byung Gun of BK Clinic Part 2

I have received Dr Kim's email. It was well, very short and snappy.

English is eh...NOT his first language.

Well, he may be willing to wait, but I am not.

Like what SO said, if Mohamed cannot go to the mountain, then let the mountain come to Mohamed.

So I did some research on the Singapore Medical Council and found out that their processing time for medical registration is 3-4 weeks!

So why is Dr Kim's application still not approve? How inefficient is that? The members of the SMC are the top local doctors and surgeons and they are taking months to come to a decision? How difficult can it be? According to the site, the council just need to verify the documents submitted and come to a decision.

Unless...Dr Kim failed some test, like the English proficiency test or something like that. After all, there is a minimum English requirement.
• IELTS - at least 7 for EACH component (Listening, Reading, Writing AND Speaking)
• TOEFL - 250 marks for computer-based test or 600 marks for paper-based test or 100 marks for internet-based test
• OET - Grade B and above

Are members of the SMC threatened by the presence of a world renown plastic surgeon?? Afraid of losing their business?

Well, they should!!

So I emailed Dr Kim back with further suggestions.

Let's hope that his applications get approve quickly. I want my sharp nose!

And yeah, I am also think of contacting a certain local Minister. But then as the Asean Summit 2009 is coming up in 10-12 April, I decided to wait till after that to contact the Minister.

And please, I am not working for Dr Kim, nor does he pay me a single cent. He is not offering me free plastic surgery. In fact, he is not even offering me any discounts. I am also NOT family, nor a personal friend. In fact, I have never met him or consult with him yet!

I am just a concerned consumer, potential patient of Dr Kim BG, who wants a nice sharp nose done locally.

-----------------------

Hi Dr Kim,

Thank you for your prompt response.

I understand that you respect the decision of the Singapore Medical Council.

But if you apply last year, that means you have been waiting for more than 4 months for the approval.

Under the FAQ of the SMC, http://www.ifaq.gov.sg/smc/apps/fcd_faqmain.aspx, the processing time for medical registration is about 3-4 weeks.

As stated in the SMC website....
Provided all documentation required by the SMC is submitted, the average processing time required for processing an application for medical registration is about 3 - 4 weeks.


So your application is definitely taking too long.

I would hence suggest that you contact the Singapore Medical Council to check on the status of your application.

And should they inform you that your application is pending, or still under processing or ...(touchwood) unsuccessful, I would further suggest that you email the Minister of Health, Mr Khaw Boon Wan (email below) for help. He would be able to facilitate your application process.

Alternatively, you can also seek advice from either the Korean embassy in Singapore or the Singapore embassy in Korea.

Singapore is gearing itself to be a medical hub and someone of your expertise would be of great asset and contribution to Singapore.

I certainly hope that you can consider my suggestion to check with SMC again on your application status.

Thanks.


---------------------------


Thank you for your letter !!!!

I will consider your recommendation.

I want to respect the decision of singapore medical council.

so I am still waiting.

I will try to do something with your advice.

Thank you again.

Dr. Kim Byung Gun

My letter to Dr Kim Byung Gun of BK Clinic Part 1

Well, I thought about it. And I have decided upon a course of action. I decided to write to Dr Kim Byung Gun of BK Clinic and offer him some unsolicited suggestions.

And why I suggested that he email the Minister of Health direct? Cos I remembered a few years ago, some young entrepreneurs wanted to set up a car wash business in those multi storey carparks.

The thing is they are the pioneers of this concept and it has never been done before. And so they applied to the official goverment agency, which I think is the Housing Board, HDB.

However, as this has never been done before, they were sent around in circles to various government departments. The reasons I think is cos the top officials at these government agencies are unable to make this type of decisions.

I believed that there were concerns then about the type of detergent used affecting the building structure and whether such business would interrupt other users of the car parks.

So in desperation and frustrations, the entrepreneurs contacted the Prime Minister? or some other Minister? And finally their idea came to fruition!

I remembered reading about this some years back. And if it can work for some application for car wash licence, I am sure that it can work for some medical clinic application.

After all, our country is gearing to be the medical hub of the region and Dr Kim is too valuable an asset to lose to other countries!

Eh, the email is not that well-phrased cos it was done at 6.30am and I am sleepy. My brain is half dead around this time and this is the best I can think of.

Let's wait for the good news!

And yah..I am going to bed now for my beauty sleep.

---------------------------

Hi Dr Kim,

I am one of those who are waiting for you to come to Singapore to set up a clinic.

I am sorry to hear that your application is taking such a long time to approve.

May I suggest that you write in directly to the Minister of Health, Mr Khaw Boon Wan.
His email is at khaw_boon_wan@moh.gov.sg

This is his real email address. You can find it at http://www.sgdi.gov.sg/ under Ministry of Health.

As he is the overall person in charge, he could be able to help you speed up your application approval .Just write him and tell him how much you want to set up a clinic in Singapore.

The thing about Singapore is that sometimes one need to approach the top dog to get things done.

There have been similar cases, not involving health care though, whereby the local government ministries here take a long time to approve some cases.

But once the Minister or member of parliament is approached, things get done very fast.

I wish you all best.

Cheers.

A letter from Dr Kim Byung Gun to Singapore patients

Just went to the website of the famous BK clinic.

And a blinking title caught my eye. It was a letter from Dr Kim Byung Gun, that famous korean plastic surgeon, to local patients here..

Eh...I have been waiting for Dr Kim to set up his plastic surgery clinic in Singapore this year.

Initially I had plans to do surgery with a local PS surgeon, Dr Hong, around the end of last year. That is when I came to know that Dr Kim is planning to set up a local branch of his clinic this year. And since a famous korean plastic surgeon is coming soon, I may as well have him operate on me.

So I waited and waited and waited. And it seems I have to wait some more as the official governing medical council is taking their own sweet time to approve his applications.

Well, the medical council is made up of members of top local doctors and plastic surgeons.

Dun tell me that they are too afraid of losing their patients to Dr Kim. After all, he is currently the top world famous plastic surgeon. And I can predict that once Dr Kim arrives on our shores in the future, there are going to be a wave of change in the region plastic surgery industry.

As for the option of going to Korea for PS, well, this is not quite the alternative for me. I dun speak the language, dun know the place and I have to fork out 2 air tickets there, not to mention hotel accommodations and food etc.

If I do it here locally, I can save on the air tickets, accommodations etc. That is about 30% to 40% more than if I just do it locally.

Anyway, SO's leave is frozen till Sept 2009 cos he is involved in this VIP project. So I am still waiting....and waiting....and waiting.....

Dr Kim, when are you coming?

Medical council, can you approve his application? Quickly?

Maybe I should just write in to some minister or MP to hasten the approval process.

---------------------------

How are you?

I am Dr. Kim, Byung Gun, the director of BK Dongyang plastic surgery clinic, Korea.
As you already know, I have a plan to open a clinic there in Singapore and I expected I could do it any time soon. Unfortunately, however, I’ve been still waiting for the approval from the Singapore Medical Council.

I already fulfilled all the requirements for the approval to get the medical registration and specialist status in Singapore. I don’t know what’s taking it so long, but it has been delayed by Singapore medical council since last year.

But anyway I respect the decision of Singapore medical council and surgeons’ association. And I will not do any consultation and surgery and meeting with the patients in Singapore without their approval. Until I get the approval of medical council, I will do consultation and surgery only in Korea for all the patients in Singapore.

So, if you can’t wait to have a surgery, please come to my clinic in Korea. Nowadays, there is a promotion that I offer foreigners 20% discount to celebrate a new service in my new building, having you benefit from the change of exchange rate. Also, you can take advantage of free accommodation in my clinic until the post operative treatment is finished (including stitch removal and all the treatment after surgery).

On 1st of March, I had the construction of new BK Building completed, and began to perform surgeries in the 15-story new BK building which is the largest plastic surgery hospital in the world.

Sorry for this delay to do surgeries in Singapore. But I hope you will have a good chance to go sightseeing and shopping and to have a surgery at the same time in Korea. I will do my best to make you feel at home, here.

I and my whole family members are Singapore PR, and I hope I could work for the patients in Singapore and contribute to the development of plastic surgery there.

Once I get the approval in Singapore, I will email you to let you know the details. Before that, if you have any question, just feel free to ask. I will be always here to help you out.

After the approval of Singapore medical council, if you want me to send you my letter to let you know it, please input your email address or contact number to click the button below.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Dr. Kim, Byung Gun Director and chief, BK Dongyang Plastic Surgery Clinic, Seoul, Korea

Email: bk@bkclinic.com
www.bkdy.co.kr
www.bkclinic.com

The Kose (we are harvesting contacts?) email

I just received an email from Kose saying their free Mask White is out of stock.

Frankly, I do not know if this is a genuine free sample promotion or just a gimmick to harvest consumers contacts information??

Next time, I would think thrice before falling for such marketing gimmicks again.

Lets see when they would start spamming those idiots (me included) who submitted our personal information.

------------------------------

Dear XXX,

We would like to express our appreciation for your interest in KOSÉ’s events and products.

We regret to inform you that the KOSÉ Mask White sample is out of stock at all KOSÉ counters due to the overwhelming response.

We would like to offer our sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused.

Thank you for your kind understanding.

Kindly visit our website at www.kose.com.sg for exciting information on our upcoming products and events.

Regards,
KOSÉ Singapore

Free Kose Mask White sample!!

Just got this from another blog. Kose is giving out free Mask White samples!

This is actually a black peel off mask. A full tube retails about $38.

The mask is supposedly able to remove impurities and whitens the skin.



So just fill in your name, NRIC, email and contact number, print out the redemption form which would be sent by email and collect the free sample.

Collection is at various KOSE outlets.

http://www.kose.com.sg/maskoflove/?ch=56&pg=70

And Oh ya, WHILE STOCKS LAST and limited to one per identity card.

----------------------------

Updated 10 Mar 2009

Dun bother trying. I went down to Kose at Taka with my printout and was told that the samples have been fully redeemed! Same with other locations.

Damn! Dun think I would believe such things again.

Wasted my paper printing for such "freebies".

SO new hair

SO colored his hair on Monday.

His old hair color was this light brown blondish parts with lots of white stray hairs sticking out. Frankly, it looked more like stiff barbed light brown copper wires. Really awful, really fake and well ugly.

And his mother thought so too and told him over the weekend when he went home.

I have been telling him that for weeks and he has been practically ignoring what I said. But when his mama said so, it's suddenly golden advice. From trash to gold.

Now his hair is dark brownish that it is almost black. The new color took 5 years off and he looked much younger. The color he used was a new brand, Palette. And color was Middle Brown, 4-0.

Normally, we would share a bottle of hair color and color our hair together. My color always turned out better and more lasting. And his would after a few weeks, turned out to be like brown copper wires with fine white wires in between. Always.

But this time, he colored it by himself. Without even blinking. Even when I said I was tired and suggested coloring it another day. He just wanted to color it that very day and he couldn't wait.

I went for my nap and when I woke up 2 hours later, his hair was darker. Very much darker.

He went to work with a new hair color the next day. The first day, no one noticed. But today, the 2nd day, he messaged me to say that his colleagues said they preferred his old hair color. The copper wires.

So I asked him, Are your colleagues flaming transvestites? Why else would they prefer really fake looking copper hair?

I still think this new dark color is more suitable and compatible to him. It is more natural and made him looked younger. The old color made him looked like a old faggot or auntie.

That bitch is still not that used to the new color. He preferred his old copper wires.

I told him to wait till his mama sees it next week. She would be elated and jumped for joy!

Photoshopped skin

Oh please Loreal, what do you mean by "categorically untrue" that you have altered Beyonce's skin tone and features?

Are you implying that Beyonce came already "bleached" and whitened for that?

Frankly, it's not surprising to see a whiter Beyonce. Compare her present photos to that of her photos some years back. She has been honey color but now she's so much fairer. Using too much whitening cream?

In a white men's world, the white men is king! (*rolleyes*)

-----------------------------

The New Paper
10 Aug 2008

UPROAR OVER SINGER'S L'OREAL AD

Was fairer Beyonce white washed?

MICHAEL Jackson used to sing: 'It doesn't matter if you're black or white.'

But for some readers in the US and the UK, it does. At least, over a new advertisement by L'Oreal featuring American singer Beyonce Knowles.

In the ad, which is to promote the French cosmetic giant's Feria range of hair dyes, the 26-year-old R&B songstress is featured in a full-length head shot and looks almost unrecognisable with a fairer complexion and reddish-blonde hair.

The ad is found in the September issues of Elle, Allure and Essence magazines.

It first created a stir after celebrity gossip website TMZ posted two pictures of Knowles, comparing the ad with a photo of Knowles with noticeably darker skin.


The New York Post called the ad 'shocking' and accused L'Oreal of making Beyonce look like a 'weird, nearly white version of herself.'

Yesterday Britain's best-selling black newspaper The Voice said it would be 'disgusted' if the image had been 'whitewashed'.

Editor Steve Pope said: 'There is an attitude in the modelling industry that black models do not sell. 'It appears Beyonce has been the victim of that kind of attitude. If it is true, I cannot understand why anyone would want to do anything so ridiculous. It is offensive to Beyonce. It is trying to distort who she is.'

But L'Oreal has come forward to deny that the ad was tampered.

A spokesman told AP: 'It is categorically untrue that L'Oreal Paris altered Miss Knowles' features or skin tone in the campaign for Feria hair colour.'

Knowles' publicist Alan Nierob told the New York Post: 'There is no doubt that anyone seeing that ad will know that it is Beyonce.'

The singer, who recently married rapper Jay-Z, has been a spokeswoman for L'Oreal since 2001.

Mr Eric Deggans, chairman of the media-monitoring committee of the National Association of Black Journalists, urged magazines to be more careful. He said publications have to be sensitive to perceptions that light-skinned African Americans are more acceptable.

Beyonce's 'skin is lighter (in the Elle ad) than the way I'm used to seeing her', said Mr Deggans. 'Advertisers and magazines need to be careful about this, even if it's just a production process.'

A representative for Elle said magazine ads are reviewed before they are printed, but wasn't sure of the exact procedure for checking content. She added: 'We don't put things into our magazine without looking into them first.'

The New York Post cautions that the L'Oreal ad could have the same repercussions as the 1994 Time magazine fiasco. Then, the weekly news magazine featured a booking mug shot of double-murder suspect OJ Simpson, the same time as its rival Newsweek.

But Time used computer manipulations to make Simpson look darker-skinned, prompting anger from black activists who said it implied that dark skin was equated with violent behaviour.

I want to look like a gorgeous Korean star!

Who doesn't want to be gorgeous?

I had made plans to do rhinoplasty with Dr Hong in Oct/Dec this year. In fact, I had sort of planned which weeks SO had to take leave from work and other stuff.

And then I read the news today that famous korean plastic surgeon Dr Kim is coming here to set up a clinic next year!

Yeah! I am excited. I dun have to go to Korea for plastic surgery, I can actually do it here!

I had thought of going to Korea for rhinoplasty some time back. But then the logistic failed me. I had not travelled much and was afraid of being stranded in some foreign land with cuts all over my nose. What if there were side effects or other problems after the surgery?

I had read in Dr Kim's website last year that he was not setting up shop here, so I decided to settle for the best plastic surgeon here that is suited to my price range, Dr Hong.

And now that I read that Dr Kim is coming, I decided to postpone my plans and wait for him.

----------------------------

The Straits Times
09 Aug 2008

Want to look like a gorgeous Korean star?

Seoul plastic surgeon who counts celebrities and S'poreans as clients to set up clinic here

By Lee Tee Jong

SEOUL: Singaporeans keen to make themselves over to look like Korean beauties in their favourite TV dramas could soon consult a top South Korean plastic surgeon right at home.

Dr Kim Byung Gun, who counts Korean actresses, singers, politicians and two Miss Koreas as his clients, plans to set up a clinic in Singapore.

Despite the competition, he is sure he can make the cut because he already sees about 30 Singaporean patients a month at his Seoul clinic.

He has even obtained Singapore permanent residency so that he can shuttle between here and Singapore. Dr Kim, who runs one of the largest practices in the country, also has two clinics in Shanghai. His BK Dongyang Plastic Surgery Clinic in Seoul, which has 16 surgeons, makes more than US$30 million (S$42 million) a year.

Nine in 10 of his Singaporean clients are working women in their 20s and 30s. The others are older women.

Even though he is happy to give them what they want, his own view of Singaporean women is this: 'They have lovely body contours and their faces are nicely proportioned. They also have full protruding lips.'

Many Singaporeans see him because of the more affordable fees and the reputation of South Korea's plastic surgeons as being finely skilled at their work, better than those in Thailand and cheaper than those in Japan.

The most popular procedure for Singaporean clients is surgery to create double eyelids. It costs S$2,000, about the same as in Singapore. However, a nose job costs S$4,100, less than the S$5,300 price tag in the Republic. This is the second most-asked-for operation among Singapore clients.

A Singaporean woman who has been to his clinic told The Straits Times that she paid S$6,000 for the trip, including airfare and accommodation. The price of her sharper nose: S$4,000.

When The Straits Times visited the recuperation room in Dr Kim's eighth-storey building in downtown Seoul, two patients with distinctive Singaporean accents were speaking with him. A petite woman in her 20s peeled off a protective mask to reveal a red swollen nose fresh with implants.

Dr Kim allowed The Straits Times to watch as he performed corrective surgery on a patient whose eyelids had been damaged by another surgeon. He said he is in the midst of applying for a Singapore medical licence, and hopes to open his clinic there by next year.

The Singapore Ministry of Health stipulates that any foreign doctor who wants to practise in Singapore must first be registered with the Singapore Medical Council. The clinic must also be licensed by the ministry.

'Singapore has excellent medical infrastructure, and I can use it as a hub to attract clients from South-East Asia,' said Dr Kim.

Plastic surgeons in Singapore for the most part welcome the foreign competition that doctors like Dr Kim will pose.

'Competition is a fact of life whether it is at your doorstep or an hour's flight away,' said Dr Andrew Khoo of Mount Elizabeth Hospital.

The former president of the Singapore Association of Plastic Surgeons, Dr Leslie Kuek, said there was no problem as long as the foreign doctors met the criteria for practice in Singapore. He added: 'My concern is that these doctors may, for the sake of enhancing their profile, introduce new procedures which may seem fashionable but have not been scientifically proven or accepted. Patient safety should always be paramount.'

Dr Kim is a graduate of the prestigious Seoul National University Medical College. He is also a director of the Korean Association of Clinical Plastic Surgeons.

The 45-year-old has 20 years of experience operating on faces. He has given his mother a facelift, and also operated on his wife, a Supreme Court judge, but declined to reveal details.

The father of three-year-old twins and a self-confessed workaholic, he claims to put in 350 days a year, including weekends at his Shanghai clinics. 'My hobby is my work. My life revolves around plastic surgery,' he said.

Despite that busy schedule, he found time to go under the knife himself. Not quite like a Korean beauty, but his flatter forehead and more rounded cheeks are the work of a fellow surgeon.

New rules for Beauty

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.

Real quick delivery

I was dead to the world, sleeping like a log when my hand phone rang this morning at 11 am.

Frankly, I was too tired and I just pressed the reject button on the phone. Moments later, SO called to say that Changi Pharmacy delivery is coming in 15 mins time!

I had shopped online yesterday 23 Jul at about 12:30am. And according to the site, delivery is 2 working days. So I was only expecting the delivery on Friday.

I jumped out of bed, brushed my teeth to get rid of my morning breath and changed into a better T shirt. I then lured Bell into the kitchen and unlocked the gate.

Within the 20 mins, the delivery guy was there! I opened the door just as he was about to knock, giving him a shock.

I pried opened the box and checked the contents are as I ordered and signed the acknowledgment slip.

As simple as that!

Wonder if I should buy more before the end of the month. 25% is really a good discount.

Acid to exfoliate

One of my favorite face products is acid to exfoliate the skin on my face. Actually, it is AHA acid otherwise known as Alpha Hydroxy Acid or fruit acid which helps to exfoliate the external layer of skin.

For skin to really improve, exfoliation is really essential. Otherwise, it is just plying on face cream on dead skin.

TDF, one of the brands a skin doctor recommended to me some time back is having a 25% sale. The sale is on for only once or twice a year and is available at polyclinics, hospitals pharmacies and online pharmacies.

I have purchased TDF products twice from https://www.mypharmacy.com.sg/ which is part of Changi Hospital. Frankly, I am not really a fan of online purchases. I just dun like to wait at home for them to deliver the goods. I am the type of person who likes to touch, hold and examine the products at close range.

I have missed too many opportunities to get the products from hospitals when I went for medical appointments and SO is also too busy these days to accompany to the polyclinics, so I have no choice but to purchase online. I know the deadline for the discounts ends on 30 July, whereas the polyclinics offers ended on 30 June.

Frankly, I still have some brand new products which I bought in Dec 2007.

No.	Product Name	Special Price	List Price	Quantity	Total Price
1	TDF AHA Facial Wash 237ml	$30.19	$40.25	1	$30.19
2	TDF C-Scape Serum 50ML	$84.13	$112.17	1	$84.13
3	TDF High Potency Lightening Cream LHM 20g	$25.42	$25.42	2	$50.84
4	TDF AHA Revitalising Gel 15% 3.5Oz 100ml	$44.07	$58.76	1	$44.07
5	TDF AHA Revitalising Lotion 10% 100ML	$24.04	$32.05	1	$24.04

Total price $233.27

So this time, I decided to be more thrifty and spend less. This time, I bought

No.	Product Name	Special Price	List Price	Quantity	Total Price
1	TDF AHA Facial Wash 237ml	$33.75	$45.00	1	$33.75
2	TDF AHA Revitalizing Cream 8% 50g	$38.72	$38.72	2	$77.44

Total price $111.19. Less $10 discount so the cost is only $101.19.

Well, the prices for the products have risen. For the 237ml face wash, the sale price is now $33.75 as compared to $30.19. And if not for the fact, they are having a sale, I have to pay $45 just for the face wash.

Delivery is 2 working days, so I have to stay at home on friday, dress decently and wait for the delivery guy to send my products.

Blow the whistle for Foolz

Well...i blew the whistle for Foolz.

Viral infection is not a good answer for her death. Is it really viral infection that attribute to her death? I read that the doctors dun know. So they concluded that that it was a viral infection. Some virus got into her body, destroyed her immune system and attacked her organs.

But could it be Suprim, the acne medication that she was taking for her acne? Suprim, like some medication has its side effects.

FATALITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THE ADMINISTRATION OF SULFONAMIDES, ALTHOUGH RARE, HAVE OCCURRED DUE TO SEVERE REACTIONS, INCLUDING STEVENS-JOHNSON SYNDROME, TOXIC EPIDERMAL NECROLYSIS, FULMINANT HEPATIC NECROSIS, AGRANULOCYTOSIS, APLASTIC ANEMIA AND OTHER BLOOD DYSCRASIAS. SULFAMETHOXAZOLE; TRIMETHOPRIM SHOULD BE DISCONTINUED AT THE FIRST APPEARANCE OF SKIN RASH OR ANY SIGN OF ADVERSE REACTION.

Clinical signs, such as rash, sore throat, fever, arthralgia, cough, shortness of breath, pallor, purpura or jaundice may be early indications of serious reactions. In rare instances a skin rash may be followed by more severe reactions, such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, hepatic necrosis or serious blood disorder. Complete blood counts should be done frequently in patients receiving sulfonamides.
http://www.orgyn.com/resources/genrx/D002289.asp

Though i dun know her personally, i am just not satisfied with that answer. So I blew the whistle for Foolz. I dun think she should die without a valid reason. I dun have the resources to investigate her death, so I emailed a newspaper, detailing her death.

Hope that they can find out the real truth or at least create awareness of the risks associated with acne medication. Beauty comes with a price!