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.

Amazing results with stem cells - a personal observation

My dad is 76 years old, quite conscious of his looks, had some cosmetic surgery done several years ago. Of course due to aging, I needed to so some more improvements on him. I did his full face lift with neck lift and liposuction of the neck to give him a firmer jawline and remove excess sagging skin, I also removed his eyebags and repaired drooping of his upper eyelids. The procedure was a success and created for him the firm jawline and improved the sagging of his face. However, he is not the metrosexual kind who applies creams on his face on a nightly basis, nor is he conscious of the kind of skin care products he uses...in fact...he does not have any skin care protocol at all...period. This resulted in accummulated years of continuous sundamage, aging, and the effects of gravity. Although he had a tight look, his skin quality was really bad. Had lots of wrinkles especially on the forehead and crows feet. big pores on the cheeks especially on the nose, skin was rough, with blackheads, sebaceaous hyperplasia...in short, his skin looked aged. Another very noticeable thing that facelifts cannot correct is the sagging ang wrinkling of the skin in the areas beside the lips, although the jowling was corrected by the lipo of the neck and corresponding neck lift, this area is very hard to correct even wit the best and most extensive facelift. Plus the addition of loss of volume on his face, nasojugal and nasolabial folds were very prominent.

In short, he really needed a very good skin care program. I tried to do some facials and the famous diamond peel which did not do anything.... This is going to be tough and challenging. The next time I tried him with Adipose derived Stem cells and used it together with the dermaroller. The protocol is usually every 2 weeks for five sessions. Plus of course come take home skin care products. After a week, we went out in our regular family sundays. When I saw my dad, I was amazed on how his skin quality improved, his skin was softer, smoother, shiny, tighter, fine lines improved, wrinkling beside the lips was markedly improved, his pores shrank. His skin looked fantastic, I was really amazed and it was just 1 session and only 1 week. I cant wait to do another session on him and track his further improvement....This is really skin rejuvenation...Will post pictures soon after his treatment.

A faster way to wash board abs

Under the Knife - A fasterway to washboard abs

As man’s most visible attributes, physical features will always play an appointed role in forming first impressions and, as biology dictates, has always been a reliable—if not superficial—gauge of good health.

A faster way to washboard abs

LIPOSUCTION- the cosmetic surgery procedure that removes fat from specific areas of the body for a more contoured shape—used to be a taboo topic, discussed only in hushed tones among exclusive social circles. But modern day technology, and a society that has become more open to aesthetic enhancements, have made the procedure more acceptable, becoming one of the most popular cosmetic services performed locally these days.

The procedure has even branched into different methods. While traditional liposuction merely removes the excess fat from one’s body, a newer liposuction technique, called high-definition liposculpture, also shapes a patient’s body and enhances the visibility of well –toned muscles. This kind of fat removal method claims to provide the coveted “six packs” abdominals, which can take years of crunches and dieting to form, in as short as six hours.

Developed by Colombian plastic surgeon Dr. Alfredo Hoyos, high –definition—liposculpture is touted to be able to create an athletic appearance by enhancing the contours of the subcutaneous fat and the definition of the underlying muscles. The procedure involves precisely performed, deep and superficial liposuction around the muscle groups in areas such as the abdomen, the chest for men, and the lower back for women using the latest ultrasound-assisted lipoplasty. And unlike the traditional liposutcion, high definition liposuction does not damage connective tissues, thereby preventing the appearance of bruises.

Dr. Hoyos’ technique is an improvement of a procedure called abdominal etching, which was developed to give patients the desired six- pack look. While abdominal etching showed good results on men, it left an odd and unnatural appearance among women. High-definition liposculpture was created precisely to address its forerunner’s failure to consider other muscles.

Despite its lofty promises, the procedure should not be seen as a magic wand that can make a highly overweight person instantly leaner. According to the Cosmetic Surgery’ Times, the procedure is ideal fro those with substantial good muscle tone and without excessive fat or stretched skin. It is estimated that 95% of patients who undergo high-definition liposculpture are able to maintain their post-surgery condition because they already have a regular exercise regimen even before they went through the procedure.

The procedure starts with the doctor marking the muscle bellies that will enhanced. For women, the serratus muscles, the obliques and the rectus muscles in the abdominal area are focused on. The same abdominal areas are targeted for men, but more attention is given to the transverse tendinous intersections within the rectus abdominus muscles to achieve that washboard appearance.

Fat is then removed in these areas to create a “picture fame” around the muscles. Finally, the surgeon performs a more precise sculpting procedure that leaves behind small amounts of fat to strengthen the primary muscle tone. Patients have to wait for at least a month before returning to their exercise routine, with the final results of the surgery being more evident in four months—Michelle S. Caligan

And while not everyone is genetically blessed with flawless skin, slender legs or red, pouty lips, cosmetics companies have tried to make up for man’s hereditary shortcomings with various beauty –enhancing products—from the simple moisturizing lotion to more acute measures like whitening pills and fat burning drinks.

Recent years however, have seem a drastic shift from simple beauty rituals to one-time operations, as developments in aesthetic medicine have led to the mushrooming of plastic surgery clinics that offer relatively cheap, lunchtime procedures for every body part that can be tightened, nipped, tucked, or enlarged.

According to Dr. Jose Joven Cruz, head of the Department of Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery at Asian Hospital and Medical Center, roughly 90% of the division’s patients undergo liposuction and nose and breast augmentation. “The rest usually opt for a tummy tuck, eyebag removal, or thread lifting. We have also performed breast reduction, although it is a very rare case,” said Dr. Cruz. Patients who seek these services are typically 40- to 60- year-old women, and majority are either returning Filipinos, or balikbayans, or medical tourist.

Dr. Claudine S. Roura, who heads Contours Advanced Face and Body Sculpting Institute, says these foreigners are lured to the country because of the cheap rates local hospitals and clinics charge for the face and body sculpting jobs. “The procedures are much cheaper in the Philippines. Whereas liposuction can cost between $15,000 to $20,000 in the United States, here it can go for as low $5,000,’ said Dr. Roura. Many cosmetic centers have also gotten themselves certified by international health institutions, and their doctors licensed to perform delicate treatments like the new VASER High-Definition Liposculpture, to make them more credible to international clients.

Not every perfection-seeking patient, however, can go under the knife. “Patient selection is the cornerstone of cosmetic surgery. First, they have to set their expectations, which have to be realistic, and from there, we can be met”, explained Dr. Cruz.

Before any feature-changing procedure, a patient is required to undergo a series of test, including a complete medical history checkup, physical examination, and a psychological profile. “We are very strict with our pre-surgery screening because we have to make sure that the patient has logical reasons for wanting to have the surgery.” Said Dr. Cruz.

Psychological tests, for instance, help cosmetic surgeons detect if a patient has a body dismorphic disorder, a mental condition that drives a person to undergo repetitive cosmetic surgery procedures to constantly improve his looks. “We improve his looks. “We always remind our patients that cosmetic surgery is not a life-saving procedure. It can be scheduled, postponed, or not even done at all,” said Dr. Cruz.

Despite advances in the field, risk of complications resulting from surgery still need to be kept in mind, said to Dr. Cruz, but being handled by well-trained and board-certified cosmetic surgeon should minimize possible health hazards to the procedure.

And just like any medical field, cosmetic surgery is perennially in the process of perfecting its techniques. For now, however, the arena has made much headway in minimizing incisions and downtime after treatment. Facelifts that use threads, instead of the traditional hairline slicing, were introduced around three years ago, the same year that third-generation silicon implants were approved by the United States Food and Drug Authority. The new breast implants are composed of silicon gel which, contrary to the previous silicon oil, has a safer consistency and is encased in a much stronger shell to prevent any leakage.

Difference between Power assisted lipo and VASER lipo - my personal experience

Doing high volume liposuction and multiple area lipo, is a very physically demanding job, especially when patients are men. Male body physique is more fibrous, tissues are tougher than the soft female counterparts. Being a female surgeon, this poses a challenge for me. So the use of the power-assisted liposuction (PAL) came to my mind to help me make the lipo easier especially when I only need to do a debulking procedure and not necessarily a sculpting procedure.

I had the opportunity to use it thru a friend. We used her Power assisted lipo and the VASER liposuction on one patient who wanted to do a full torso lipo. I also encouraged her to try out the VASER so we can compare. To make the procedure short, I did the patient’s chest and she started out on the patient’s abdomen. Power-assisted liposuction is a motorized handle with a special cannula that moves forward and backward automatically and vibrates as well. There was less resistance in burying thru the thick fat, less effort on the surgeon, however, there was so much vibration, not only on the handle of the machine but the vibration is also reflected in the fatty compartment of the patient. It is very traumatic and I’m sure it does not differentiate whether you are sucking out fat or connective tissues. The aspirate was quite bloody and a big part of the aspirate was fluid and not fat. It may lessen the effort of the surgeon but it does not shorten the operative time. It’s not a very efficient machine. And due to the vibration emitted, one cannot do superficial liposuction, cannot go near the rib area, and of course cannot do the face. After the lipo her hands were shaking due to the vibrations emitted by the machine. It’s like holding on a jackhammer.

My doctor friend tried out the VASER liposuction, I showed her the different probes and the ventex cannulas that go with it. She tried the VASER and she realized that she did not have to give too much effort in doing the liposuction because the fat was already emulsified and very soft. Operating time was shorter and she was able to take out more fat, the aspirate was less bloody and the percentage of fat is around 80% of the total aspirate, there was less water aspirated. She only did gentle strokes, no vibrations on the hands, and there was no surgeon fatigue. She actually appreciated how nice and very efficient the VASER machine is, how it can take out more fat and sculpt the body to perfection. She was very happy and was also thinking of buying a VASER system of her own.

This was a first hand trial and I was able to appreciate more my VASER Machine. Buying a Power-assisted lipo machine is out of the question.

The Secret To Brad Pitt's young looking skin-Stme Cells-Dermaroller

The secret to Brad Pitt's young-looking skin - PDI -May 29, 2009

IF BRAD PITT LOOKS younger than his 45 years, credit should go to the Dermaroller, an instrument with tiny needles used to stimulate collagen, said Hello Magazine.

Less invasive than cchemical peels, fractional laser resurfacing or microdermabrassion, the treatment does not produce bruising, swelling, crusting or bleeding in the targeted area.

Invented by a french doctor named Horst Liebl, the Dermaroller is based on the principle of micro-needling. It is performed with a roller wrapped with many tiny needles, which then pierce the top layers of skin to a certain depth. This results in stimulating collagen formation while simultaneously freeing up a clear way for medication to be taken in more effectively through the skin.

Micro-needling produces very slight wounds that merely open up the skin pores. The face will redden for a few hours. Collagen growth is then accelerated in the dermis layer as some of the blood vessels are ruptured directly below the skin's surface.

As blood thickens, it produces the right conditions for collagen and elastin to take shape. These main elements help the skin appear refreshed.

Collagen production

Dermatologist-surgeon Claudine Roura explains that the Dermaroller is used to combat acne, melasma or hyperpigmentation, wrinkles and sagging skin.

"it's an instrument used for collagen induction or producing your own collagen. The roller head has lots of hypodermic to produce microinjuries on the skin. In turn, collagen formation is stimulated. There is cell renewal and better skin quality. The skin will be tighter," says Roura.

A numbing agent is applied before the procedure. The Dermaroller is then reeled on the skin, making tiny perforations in the dermis, inducing the pores to open momentarily. The body senses this as an injury and reacts to its by setting off the healing process.

This actually induces the making of collagen and elastin. By constantly producing micro-injuries and activating the healing process, the continues its repair until its job is done.

The Dermaroller sounds much more scary than the device actually is. The needles are so fine that they produce a ticklish sensation. As the skin's top layer is tough and flexible, the tiny punctures made by the roller fade quickly.

Right medication

Equally important is the medication applied after rolling. Roura uses adiposed-derived stem cells that produce cytokines, proteins that stimulate new blood cells and intercede with the immune system and the cell processes.

"Unlike topical creams, wherein the products are not fully absorbed, with the Dermoroller, you are producing micro-injuries on the skin so that the barrier will be broken. We take advantage and apply the products so that they will penetrate the lower layer of the skin,' says Roura.

"This is basically regenerative medicine. Stem cells are harvested from the fat. The cytokines, which are the good things from the stem cells, are extracted, freeze-dried and formulated into a cosmetic product. They are recommended for anti-aging and pigmentation."

For melasma, the skin is infused with natural whitening agents such as arbutin, kojic acid and glutathione. Wrinkles are addressed with hyaluronic acid, while sagging skin and wrinkles are treated with vitamins to stimulate cell renewal.

The whole procedure takes an hour.

The Dermaroller is recommended for those who have tried other procedures but did not get the desired results.

(For details, call Contours, Advanced Face and Body Sculpting Institute at 556-4878 and 489-8526, located at South Park Plaza, Paseo de Magallanes, Makati city.)