What Lies Beneath

Nina Ubhi delves into the world of non-invasive cosmetic treatments, which increasingly seem to be a popular choice for the modern Asian woman.

I turn on the TV and even the stars of (apparent) reality shows seem to have perfect faces with not a fine line or blemish in sight, all intact in perfect symmetry and perfectly shaped lips… basically perfect. More and more women are opting for cosmetic surgery ahead of their wedding day, with a definite increase in women opting for non-surgical treatments such as Botox and Juverderm.

Anyone who’s been a fan of ‘The Hills’ knows the sad but inevitable story of Heidi Montag, who underwent ten cosmetic surgery procedures in one day.

The question is, who was she aiming to please – herself or her new husband and is she now content with her new look?  Only time will tell. Every woman wants to look their best on their big day and more brides are turning to non-invasive treatments for themselves and their bridal party. Not only is the modern bride opting for such treatments as Dermarollers, Botox and Juverderm but they’re also on a quest to have the perfect bridal party.

In a bid to achieve a near ideal body image for their future husband, there are numerous quick turn-around treatments now available to achieve near perfection for almost any party of the body. Non-invasive treatments like Velashape can literally take inches off your waist, buttocks and thighs, and most importantly with no surgery or downtime. The treatment consists of heat, massage and suction to more or less shrink the fat cells providing a minimised circumference of the treated area.

I get numerous brides who tell me they don’t want to wear the traditional red lipstick on ther big day as it makes their lips look smaller, and even more so when your lips are not naturally as plump as you would like them to be. I personally am in favour of certain non-invasive treatments and feel it can enhance your natural beauty and appearance, and even spark non-existent confidence in some individuals.

But as with any cosmetic procedure, there are often many misconceptions and myths, and the general public often has many questions regarding the various cosmetic options on the market. I’m pretty sure you’ve all seen the odd advert for Juverderm but never really knew what it was or what it did? Well Juvederm is a dermal filler and one of the most popular around.

Dr Puneet Gupta, Aesthetic Physician at The Private Clinic of Harley Street, an expert in treating Asian skin says: “Materials injected into lips for enhancement are called dermal fillers. These are primarily composed of Hyaluronic Acid which is found in abundance in the skin naturally and is chemically identical to everyone, meaning there is a very low risk of allergic reactin. For that reason any Hyaluronic Acid filler is the safest to inject”.

You hear stories all the time about how fillers or Botox treatments went wrong, but most of the time this is due to lack of research done by the patient when deciding which physician to go with.  It is imperative that you do as much research as possible before opting for any kind of treatment. Many women also opt for ‘lunch time fixes’ now – a quick jab to smoth a forehead frown or a couple of jabs to plump up your lips. And not everyone goes for the artificial look either.

You’d be surprised as to how many women have facial enhancements done and you would never know. Dr Gupta says: “People these days are very aware of most of the treatments and normally very realistic about the results and their expectations. In fact, most people tend to opt for a more natural rather than artificial look.”

But if you were to have, let’s say your lips done, would you want people to visibly notice that you’ve had them done? It seems many brides prefer to just ‘perfect’many of their features for their big day and future life with their husband, whereas the everyday Asian woman who opts for non-invasive treatments is purely setting out to look younger and more vibrant.

“There has most certainly been an increase in the number of women coming for aesthetic enhancements, including Asian women. Although one of the things I always make clear to patients is that there is no such thing as permanent enhancement. Ageing is a continuous process and we cannot turn back time.

Hence why every treatment will only be effective for a limited period of time”, states Dr Gupta.

If you are looking to have some form of age reversing procedure done, but don’t want to spend a fortune doing it, then there are numerous products on the market which are cheaper and set out to achieve the same effect as fillers but they just take longer to gain the results.

It’s no longer just about getting the dress right, flowers right and the venue right – it’s all about how to look good naked. This not only means with your clothes off, but with your make-up off too.  I don’t believe there’s anything wrong with getting a few tucks here and there or a life or two, but I fully believe a lot of research is needed before taking the plunge.