Up close and personal with Contours

Dr. Claudine S. Roura is obviously what she preaches. She sports a svelte and to-die-for figure for a woman of a certain age. Well, she looks "contoured."

In her calling card, Roura is labelled as a Dermatologic Cosmetic Surgery, Certified Vaser Hi-Def LipoSurgeon, Phlebology.

What's important to us of course is that she's certified. Her education, training and expertise are put to good use in Contours Advanced Face and Body Sculpting Institute.

Roura owns Contours and is mighty proud of it. She defies the usual celebrity-endorser strategy and believes in the power of word-of-mouth endorsement and internet's massive reach.

Her clientele includes foreigners and well-to-do people who want to look "perfectly contoured." In this one-on-one interview, Roura reveals her plans and visions for the budding aesthetic center.

20 Questions for Dr. Roura

1.What to you is beautiful

Beautiful is not just physical beauty, it should also reflect your innerself, your intelect.

2. When does beauty start? Is it having a good skin?

For physical beauty, it stars with good skin, then the body figure, then the legs.

3. In this age, does the concept of "natural beauty"still exist?

Yes, it still does, some are still into the era of I had a diet, I exercised, some are still into denying some procedures done on themselves.

4. Is it a "sin" to be ugly in these times of laser and advances in beauty treatment?

Perhaps its not a "sin" but it would be your "fault." hahaha

5. How is Contours different from other aesthetic clinics?

We are not a major artista endorser. No fancy gimmicks. We deal more with real clients who want real results. we never promise anything that we cannot deliver.

6. What's the expertise of Contours? What's on your menu?

We specialize in an advanced form of Liposuction which is VASER-lipo and VASER High Definifition Liposculpture. We are the first and only cosmetic surgery center certified to perform VASER Hi-Definition Liposculpture in the Philippines. We also have the regular menu of services for face and body enhancement.

7. What's your take on aging?

Everyone ages, it a natural consequence of time. Its how you grow old and take care of your self that matters.

8. Should women be afraid to grow old?

It's inevitable, so no need to fear, there are things that can be done to delay signs of aging.

9. Do you advise women in their 30's to go under the knife if they already notice "imperfections" in their body?

I dont suggest anything to them unless, they come to me for advice. They should consider some procedures on things that bother them most and not based on what I see.

10. On male vanity, are there more men seeking treatments now?

Yes, very true

11. What are the most common treatments men look for?

their six packs.

12. Do you tell your patients if their expectations in a particular treatment they would undergo is realistic or not?

Yes, i never promise the moon, the stars above. I tell them what they want is realistic or not. I never promise anything I cannot deliver.

13. When should plastic surgery stop for those who are addicted to it?

It should stop with the doctor when he thinks the patient just had too much already and more procedures will deform patients.

14. What's the most requested cosmetic treatment?

In my prcatice, its liposuction

15. Do you have clients who requested for a particular nose of celebrity they like?

no

16. Whose celebrity has the most requested "body part?"

NA

17. Do you plan to establish a name in the market like Belo or do you want to be low-profile but be the frontrunner in the beauty business?

I want to be known as a true doctor giving true results, not just gimmicks and endorsements. Low profile is better.

18. Tell us about your staff and medical personnel

Staff well trained. Medical personnel is actually just me the surgeon and 3 other anesthesiologists. All diplomates in their respective field and underwent the proper training.

19. Any plans for expansion?

Yes, probably next year, may have some branches for skin care and slimming in malls.. surgery will still be at Contours Magallanes

20. What is the future of beauty business in the Philippines?

Big business that is why a lot are into it. as of now, we are targeting medical and beauty tourism to help our economy.

A Journey into One's Body - Vaser Body Sculpture

The idea of body sculpting is now gaining popularity with the inception of Contours, an advanced face-and-body sculpting institute. though it is one of the youngest players in the beauty market, turning a year old in November, Contours is not just your typical cosmetic-surgery clinic. Contours prides itself in being the pioneer in Vaser liposelection in the country, and is the first and only surgery clinic certified to perform Vaser High-Definition Liposculpture. The clinic specializes in Advanced Body Sculpture (through Vaserlipo and Vaser Hi-Def), Breakthrough Vein Therapy, and Precision Skin Care and overall aesthetics.

"Vaser treatments are as revolutionary as they are effective, making patients experience quick recovery, with fantastic and smoother results," stresses the slim and affable cosmetic surgeon and dermatologist Dr. Claudine Roura, who is at the helm of the company's operation. Contours is conveniently located at the Paseo de Magallanes commercial center. It carries top-of-the-line equipment and facilities for that ultimate experience in beauty treatments.

There is a special room dedicated for each treatment: operating, recovery, slimming, facial, derma treatment and a conference room for visitors and guests. Dr. Roura also created an online shop called www.thedermshop.com, which carries dermatological products specially designed to improve skin quality and formulated to suit individual needs. She is also undergoing Department of Tourism accreditation for the Medical Tourism program. It's a Beauty Holiday unlike no other with packages for Vaser lipo, breast augmentation, faced-lift, tummy tuck and Vaser Hi-Def.

The institute uses both surgical and nonsurgical methods. Treatments that are also in great demand include Advanced Rhinoplasty (goretex) and Vaser lipograft to buttocks. The clinic always works towards improving the quality of its procedures because its goal is achieving "zero morbidity" of operations being done in the institute. This is why Contours has the best-trained personnel.

"Setting up the institute is easy, especially if you have the capital; the hardest part is making it run," enthuses Roura, who is a graduate of the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, and completed her residency training in dermatology at the Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center. She finally opened this clinic after a short stint at Las Pinas Hospital. Before venturing into this business, it was foremost in her mind that they should be "unique" far from the ordinary services being provided by other competitors. she's now capitalizing on the niche market-with very defined clientele comprising mostly of foreigners from all over the world and overseas Filipino workers (balikbayan). What works for her best maximizing the institute's web site (and search engine optimization-visit http://www.contours.com.ph/), where she gets inquiries and possible clients for the clinic."Eighty percent to 90 percent of our client sre web-based," she says. It may come as a surprise but treatments and procedures here are affordable, effective and safe.

The Lady doctor is an expert in her chosen field. Roura is a board-certified dermatologist and is a fellow of the Philippine Dermatological Society and the Philippine Academy of Cutaneous Surgery. she continously extends her education in all aspects of dermatological and cosmetic surgery-both here and abroad.

Locally her training included a cosmetic-surgery preceptorship under distinguished cosmetic surgeon Dr. Raul Guanzon, fellow of the Philippine Society for Cosmetic Surgery. She also underwent further training in dermatologic surgery under preceptorship training program of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery with Dr. Sorin Eremia in Riverside, California, in July 2003.

Having a keen interest in phlebology, Roura was awarded the 2005 Walter de Groot Phlebology Fellowship. She finished her fellowship under renowned dermatologic surgeon and phlebologist Dr. Robert Weiss at the Maryland Laser, Skin, and Vein Institute in Baltimore, Maryland, in October 2005.

She regularly attends workshops and trainings given by different well-known cosmetic and plastic surgeons around the world, such as Dr. Guillermo Blugerman of Argentina; Dr. Pierre Fournier of France, dubbled as the "Father of Liposuction Surgery." She is an active member of different dermatological and cosmetic surgical societies, including International Society for dermatologic Surgery and the American College of Phlebology.

A more sculpted, well-toned body

What is this Vaser High-Definition Liposculpture (Vaser Hi-Def) all about?

As explained by Roura, It is an advanced contouring technique, and is performed with ultrasound-assisted lipoplasty technology (Liposelection, Vaser). Many healthy, fit people complain that they go to the gym, but they have trouble achieving the muscle definition they desire. A web site on Vaser further explains that Vaser Hi-Def selectively remove small deposits of fat surrounding muscle groups in order to enhance the visibility of the natural contours. Vaser Hi-Def was developed to create an athletic look in both men and women. It is not only for extremely fit peolpe, but also for those normal bodies that desire to look their best-ever.

While the goal of a regular liposuction procedure is just to trim away fat to make a petient slimmer, Vaser Hi-def demands a surgeon to go one step further by going into places prevoiusly off limits to liposuction, and sculpting the body in such a way never before achieved by conventional liposuction.

Since high-definition liposculpture is designed to be a sculpting procedure rather than a debulking technique, the appropriate candidate is the person who has good muscle tone without excessive amounts of fat or lax skin. Vaser Hi-def is most effective for those who are already physically fit, and seek to add an even greater, more chiseled and sculpted look to their efforts. The procedure can change the perception about liposuction and should be viewed as an "enchancement to their current form, and not a replacement for a fitness routine," stresses Roura, who is the first dermsurgeon trained and certified to perform this procedure in the country. She was personally trained by Dr. Alfredo Hoyos, the Father of Vaser Hi-Definition Liposculpture in Borgota, Colombia, in March 2008 under the course conducted by the Advanced Body Sculpting Institute, Lone Tree, Colorado, USA.

Nevertheless, the success of the procedure depends on the well-trained hands and artful eye of the surgeon. It is the surgeon's appreciation for the relationship between superficial anatomy and physical appearance that enables this procedure to achieve the desired results. The success of Vaser Hi-Def is just as reliant on its technology as it on the practitioner using it.

The Colombian Hi def Butt lift using VASER

There has been so many intrigues regarding blotched butt augmentation procedures using Hydrogel and the dreaded silicone oils. Its out in the news papers, so lately people have been scared of the procedure. But really what are the options out there. Initially, the old technique of scrupulous mds and non-mds are the silicone injections, at the start there is immediate improvement and satisfaction, everyone wanted a injection either for the breast, nose, eyebags, chin cheeks and any place where you can inject this oil. It was so cheap that is why it was a big hit. But after several years comes the problem of reactions, infections, necrosis, deformities, migration, hardening and cacifications of the injected silicone oil. Next comes the hydrogel injections to the buttocks, everyone thought it was problem free because it was made mostly of water....but they were wrong. The newer buttocks implant came to play, it is as safe as the breast implants only that is is a major operation that leaves you with a firm behind with a big scar. And finally the next big thing in body sculpture and body contouring, the COLOMBIAN HI DEF BUTT LIFT. Using the Vaser machine to emulsify fat and shape the body, fat is harvested from unwanted accumulations of fat and is then transfered into the buttocks. Intamuscular, superficial and deep subcutaneous injections to give volume to the buttocks. Previous reports of fat transfer to the buttocks does not work or last is due to the technique. With the high definition technique you are assured of long lasting results. And the best part is its your own fat and not a foreign material.