Adventures of the Dermatological Kind

Most of us have had dermatological and weight issues at one point in our life or another. Sometimes, we opt not to have it addressed due to the high cost, time constraints or an outright lack of information on where to get things done.

Luckily, we got to meet Dr. Jojo (ex Beverly Hills/Hollywood practitioner and Ms. Eva (nurse extraordinaire) of the Cavarlez Powerpeel Dermatological Clinic. They've got two branches, one in QC, Metro Manila and another in Dagupan City. For the curious, here's their website (please click here).

my post 3 in 1 diamond peel/rf face

Our adventures started when I saw their ad/promo in one of the group buying websites. What was suppose to be a one time, "let's-just-check-out-the-place" turned out to be a once or twice a week visit. The reason (aside from basic skincare)? Fat Laser Blasting ( Lipo Cavitation), Thermage (Radio Frequency) and Hair removal (IPL).

IPL or Intense Pulse Light is a machine that produces light of high intensity and has a wide range of applications ranging from acne treatment, facial broken capillaries, birth marks and my favorite, hair removal.

the IPL machine

A week prior to an IPL treatment, one should shave/wax/ remove hair from the area that is to be treated. No area is too small or too large for IPL. I opted to have it done on my legs, armpits, upper lip and asked for a brazilian to boot.

a picture that looks like it was grabbed from a B movie, here I am about to get my IPLs done

Wearing opaque goggles (like those in a tanning salon) is a must. Judging from the person who went before me, you'd want to keep the goggles on, so as not to expose your retinas to the blinding bright light of the IPL. There was a split second pain from the heat of the machine as the esthetician (or beauty therapist) applied the wand on the areas of concern. The heat was tolerable, sort of the feeling you get when you're cooking and your hand comes in contact with the outer surface of the pot for half a second. It works by striking your hair follicle and zapping it so it can't produce new hair. You need at least ten of these treatments to permanently obliterate the roots. A treatment though will lessen the chances of regrowth or damage it enough to make the new hair grow thinner. If and when you get this treatment, expect the slight odor of singed hair :)

expect to be the only one to hear a high pitched sound as this machine blasts your body fat

Laser Fat Blasting (Lipo Cavi), as the name implies, would blast adipose (fat cells) in the areas where you don't want them to hang out together. Areas would include the abdomen, the inner thighs, upper arm, the bra line, the back and the flanks (or the love handles/saddlebags). The 20-30 minute procedure is both painless and non-invasive (non-invasive lipo-suction, best thing since sliced bread). Its an ultrasound or ultrasonic device that just glides over the affected area, similar to getting a massage. They use a gel to remove friction and the result is nothing short of amazing. You can immediately get a visible notion that it works, as they measure you before and after the treatment. They also use this for facial contouring for those pudgy chin and cheeks you may have hated. The machine also comes with a lymphatic drainage massage to make sure the fat they dissolve doesn't just build up on your liver, but is eliminated properly, through your urine. You can also just get an area done, only ONCE a week so as not to overload your plumbing with dissolved fat. )ex. monday: abs, tuesday: flanks and thighs but not the abs until a week has passed).

I've lost 3.5 inches around the abs area after two sessions. A minimum of 6 treatments is often needed to get the desired results, but you can't use it as an excuse to pig out. You still have to do the whole proper diet and exercise to maintain the loss. The drawback though is that, depending on the person, fat reduction becomes so sudden that your skin can sag a bit (after four kids, my abs aren't exactly washboard material).  The solution to this is the next treatment, (which, in my opinion, should go hand in hand with the fat blasting), is Thermage (RF).

about to get my Lipo Cavi treatment

RF is the perfect tool for body contouring and tightening. Thermage is the only non-invasive procedure that helps tighten and contour your skin in a single treatment—with no surgery, no injections, and little to no downtime 20-30 minutes per area. Instead, Thermage stimulates your body's natural renewal of collagen, which creates subtle, natural looking results on and off the face, like…

• Tighter, smoother skin…
• Softened wrinkles and lines…
• And an overall younger looking appearance.

an older RF machine used in another clinic that I went to

Want a quick face lift to make you look fresh and glowing for a special event? This one's for you. Aside from this, I liked the way it's been helping me contour the loose skin from the fat blasted. RF may also be used in hair regrowth and other more practical medical applications like blasting fat away from your fatty liver). RF uses heat to do this, so may want to tell your therapist if the machine tip gets to warm for your liking.

about to get an RF 

I've had good and reliable service from the Cavarlez PowerPeel Clinic and fab results from the IPL, Lipo Cavi and RF treatments done on me. I've read up on it and asked the opinion of my other doctors, and they've given me the thumbs up for these treatments. If you think its for you, go for it. 

Oh by the way, the newly opened Dagupan branch of Cavarlez Powerpeel is at 90% off till December 2011...just so you know.

From TMW, may all your wanderings be better than ours.