Dr. Osman Bashir Tahir, or Dr. OBT as he is popularly called, is a consultant plastic and aesthetic surgeon, plus a skin health expert. He is the Medical Director at Halcyon Medical Centre, where he offers skin care treatments, cutting edge lasers, cosmetic surgeries and hair restoration procedures.
Face the facts
Let’s face it - the effects of years of poor maintenance and an unhealthy lifestyle will begin to show on our skin eventually, if they haven’t already. While the supple, soft skin you had in your 20s might seem like a distance dream now, rejuvenating your face isn’t as impossible as it may seem. Botox is the last frontier - there are a number of cosmetic procedures out there of the non-invasive kind that you can opt for to get healthier, glowing skin. In fact the array of possibilities is so confusing that it’s often not an easy decision to make, so we got a lowdown on the most popular skin treatments out there from an expert in the field of aesthetic medicine and skin care.
HydraFacial
For clearer and younger skin, Dr. OBT recommends going for a treatment of HydraFacial, which is ideal for all skin types and targets a number of skin problems such as pigmentation, oily pores, wrinkles and fine lines. While this isn’t really a medical treatment, it’s not something you can get done at your local spa since it requires specialized machinery. A qualified dermatologist or aesthetician is who you would need to see.HydraFacial works by suctioning out all the impurities inside the skin using a specialized suction nozzle and then infusing it with an antioxidant-and-collagen-rich serum to keep you looking radiant and fresh. It is recommended for those patients seeking a cure for acne, blemishes, blackheads, whiteheads or generally wanting to rejuvenate their skin. For optimal results, Dr. OBT recommends 3 HydraFacials ten days apart to begin with and once a month after that.
Ultherapy
Are you one of those who would love to turn back the clock and look ten years younger but balk at the thought of going under the knife? If yes, then ultherapy is the answer to your prayers. This non-surgical, non-invasive procedure stimulates the collagen present in your skin using ultrasound technology. Collagen, as we all know, is the protein produced by our cells that helps "hold" the skin together, providing firmness and elasticity. As we grow older, collagen production slows down, giving the face a sagging appearance. Ultherapy works by kickstarting collagen production and quite literally, reversing the aging process of your skin. Dr. Bashir recommends the procedure for those looking to lift and tighten sagging skin on the neck and face.As the first person to introduce the procedure in the country, Dr. Bashir tells us that it’s completely safe and is the only FDA-approved procedure of its kind. One sitting takes about 40 minutes to perform and the results last for about 18 months.
Spectra Laser
According to Dr. Bashir, one of the most common skin complaints that he receives from both men and women is that of pigmentation and skin darkening due to pregnancy, hormonal changes, acne and excessive exposure to the sun. While laser treatments have been around for a while, Spectra Laser is the most advanced and current form and is excellent for the treatment of pigmentation and melasma. The good thing about this form of laser is that is completely painless and does not require any downtime to recover from it. You can put on make-up right after you get done with the procedure.
Other than removing pigmentation, Spectra Laser can also be used to reduce acne, acne scars, dark hair and fine wrinkles.
Dermal Fillers
Fillers help give volume to flattened areas of the face such as the cheeks, eyebrows, lips, laugh lines and chin, which get a sagging appearance with advancing age, Fillers are safe, and contain hyaluronic acid, which is already found in human skin. A filler injection is temporary and lasts on average 10 months, but with repeated injections, can last for as long as a year and a half.Fillers are injected directly into the problem areas and result in plumper and younger-looking skin. They are completely different from Botox which, while also injectable, doesn’t have the smoothing and plumping action of a filler but works by stopping muscle movement. Ex-supermodel Cindy Crawford has confessed that she’s been using dermal fillers regularly since the age of 29.