The latest trend , and definitely the last word on skin rejuvenation is …TNS RECOVERY COMPLEX .
TNS ( tissue nutrient solution ) is the ultimate skin treatment solution .
Contains skin growth factors , derived and cultured from the actual fluid ( serum ) produced by damaged skin.
It has the same effect on skin as what growth hormones have on the body .

want to have”baby skin ” Constantly regenerating itself ?….join the fastest growing plastic surgeon recommended skin brand .
See our treatments page for before and afters

In short, Botox is amazing ! Being a toxin , we use it actually for its side effect.

A purified, vacuum dried form of a bacteria known as Clostridium botilinum.

Botox blocks the nerve ending on the muscle directly surrounding the injection site.The effect of Botox is temporary, lasting anything from 2 weeks to sometimes 6 months.

Consecutive Botox treatments , before muscle activity returns , can lead to longer lasting effects.Some of my patients , or clients rather, have Botox done every 6 to 8 months only ( that includes me and my wife ).

Long term side effects of Botox?

Studies have shown ( including muscle biopsies ) that  people receiving continuous  Botox injections for 20 years , have not lost any muscle tone.This means that your face will not ‘HANG’ or ‘SAG’. It also confirms that you don’t have to carry on once you start. Botox is ideal for that once of wedding or school anniversary where you want to knock the socks off the in- laws or old school pals.

Botox or fillers?

These remain the most commonly used cosmetic injectables available. They do different things so can rather be used together than either one or the other.

Combining Botox and one of the wide range of fillers on your frown lines,  will have a much better and longer lasting effect  than just Botox or filler on its own.

Be sure to have your Botox and fillers done by an expert.

Ask around… word of mouth is still the best..

Yours in a smooth skin

Doc Gertjan

Been spending R1000 + a month on cosmetic skincare products ?

If you’re been buying them wrong creams , chances are that you have been wasting most of your money. Fortunately not all of it…at least your hands are also now “wrinkle free” and “lifted “.

Yes , at least half of your expensive facial cream have been absorbed by your hands..!!!

We attempt to “moisturize “our face by rubbing creams into the dead, hornified, impermeable outside layer of our skin , also known as the STRATUM CORNEUM. We do that using another part of our skin with an even thicker stratum corneum…..our finger tips.

If we could ” rub” substances into our skin , other substances would be oozing out our skin. The only place your skin can “ooze ” is through your sweatglands and sweating is definitely not good for your skin’s moisture level. Therefore the only way you can get anything into your skin , is by using a cream that can be absorbed through your sweatglands…or “damage” your skin to make it permeable .

So what to do ??

1 . using a piece of plastic or glove over your fingertip while applying your face cream, will at least prevent your fingers from absorbing all that expensive facial cream.That still doesn’t solve the impermeable- dead- outside- layer- of –your- skin problem.

So again what to do ?

1.Get rid of your dead skin . Sounds aggressive and a bit painful…but it doesn’t have to be. Here’s how.

TO REPAIR YOUR SKIN YOU HAVE TO DAMAGE IT …obviously under medical supervision..TO RELEASE THE REPAIRING SERUM THAT CONTAINS GROWTH FACTORS.

2. Have regular non inflammatory chemical peels . ie. GLYKOPEEL 70% ( glycolic and kojic acid ) ( no downtime )
3. Use a cosmetic range that contains an “acid “. Ie. NEOSTRATA ( lactobionic acid )…Or a cream that contains the natural substances in your skin ie SKINMEDICA ( TNS = tissue nutrient solution)
4. Have an once- of LASER RESURFACING done ( inflammatory with 5-7 days downtime)
5. Bypass your stratum corneum by injecting your skin with therapeutic substances.
5.1 MESOTHERAPY. ( hyaluronic acid )
5.2 MESODERM NEEDLING ( restalyne vital )
5.3 Or just simply stimulate your collagen by “irritating “it with a DERMA ROLLER.
5.4 Use a cosmoceutical ( medically tested ) range of skin creams..SKINMEDICA
6. Avoid direct and indirect (reflected ) sunlight. It thickens your skin’s outside layer.

So what is the use of applying expensive creams to your face ?

You need to apply the G.R.A.S.S. principle ( SKINMEDICA ) to make sure you are using the right creams

G: GROWTH FACTORS
R: RETINOIDS ( vitamin A )
A: ANTIOXIDANTS ( vit C and E )
S: SUNBLOCK
S: SPECIALITY TREATMENT….IE. depigmentation , botox , peels , laser , ect

Applying any old cream will still have an effect , after all your skin feels much nicer after you do.What happens is that you moisturize your dry , dead stratum corneum .Your skin “feels ” nice and smooth and less tight , but that has done nothing to rejuvenate your skin.To improve your skin’s over all appearance , tone, elasticity , hyperpigmentation and fine wrinkles you have to get through the outside 2 to 4 micro mm. of “old dead “skin and treat and expose your new (growing layer) skin ( stratum granulosum and spinosum )

Your skin is constantly replacing old skin ( stratum corneum ) with new skin (growing) from your stratum basale , wich is the stem cell layer of your skin..By removing your old skin in minute constant quantities ( see above points 2 to 6 ) , your new “baby skin “, stratum basale , will shine through. If you now look after your new skin ..with G.R.A.S.S.. like you should , it will age gracefully !!!

Lets all love our skin..it’s the only one we’ve got.

Yours in smooth skin

Doc Gertjan.

Not only is hair growing in the wrong places in your body embarrassing, it is also a painful and time consuming process to get rid of.. Even if you try to wax or use the NEW wonder cream that will get rid of your hair forever, the problem just seems to be back in a week or two.

You’ve probably tried many alternatives and without any fault of your own have fallen prey to the latest advertised solution that promises to get rid of unwanted hair forever. Unfortunately it would seem that these solutions only work for some or that there is not much done by way of validating these claims.. Society is also conditioned to look down on anything that is not within the prescribed “norm” and some people are less than descrete in the way that they handle their apprehension to anything outside this norm.

Furtunately there is a silver lining! Science has gifted us with a permanent and painless solution to hair removal through laser technology.

According to the US Food and Drug Administration, hair removal through lasers have been approved as a permanent hair reduction treatment.

Imagine being able to go for a short and painless treatment and getting rid of the unwanted hair. Being able to finally have the confidence to enter a room or go swimming without the embarrassment and anhxiety caused by unwanted hair.

Here are 3 tips that you can follow in order to get a short term solution.

Shaving the Affected Areas
It is a popular belief that if you shave hair it will grow back faster and thicker. According to Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D. from the Mayo Clinic the answer is actually no – shaving hair doesn’t change its thickness, color or rate of growth.

Shaving facial or body hair gives the hair a blunt tip. The tip might feel coarse or “stubbly” for a time as it grows out. During this phase, the hair might be more noticeable and perhaps appear darker or thicker – but it’s not.

Consult Your Doctor
Another valuable tip given by the Mayo Clinic is that you should consult your doctor if you notice a sudden increase in facial or body hair.

This could be a medication side effect or a sign of an underlying medical condition.

Pluck it Away
If the area is not very large, you could consider tweezing the hair out. The added benefit to tweezing hair out is that eventually may damage the hair roots which may result in permanent hair removal.

However, please keep this in mind when you are tweezing your eyebrows.

The optimal solution that we have found is laser hair removal. As stated earlier this procedure is relatively quick, painless and permanent.

Now that you know more about laser hair removal, you are in a better position to enjoy the benefits of our clinic.

When last checked , or as we lately say "googled" , there was over 2600 “registered” diets on the internet…all promising the earth and sky …some costing you nothing while others literally can cost you an arm and a leg!!

Before we start this magic weight loss, diet, slimming, whatever plan let me just kill a couple of myths about weight loss…

1 : I have a under active thyroid…

THE ONLY GLAND THAT MAKES YOU FAT IS YOUR SALIVARY GLAND !!. Sure , certain conditions can make it difficult to lose weight , like the always blamed hypothyroidism ( under active thyroid ) or other water retaining conditions like heart failure , menopause or Cushing syndrome . All these conditions will give you other more problematic symptoms before the weight issue becomes prevalent.

2 : I don’t have time to go to gym …

TO LOSE WEIGHT BY EXCERSIZE ONLY , YOU NEED TO TRAIN LIKE AN OLYMPIC MARATHON RUNNER !! .That means 4 to 6 hours a day…!!! You will notice they are the only "slim " athletes around. Sorry to disappoint you , you don’t have to join a gym to increase your metabolic rate. Losing weight is all about creating an energy deficit in your body. So you need to "burn" more energy than what you have stored in your body AND what you consume per day.

3 : I eat very little …

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT !! It is medically proven that you need a certain amount of calories per day on average to maintain your body weight . If you weigh 80 kg and is between 30 and 59 years old , you consume 1520 kcal per day..MEDICAL FACT..so go and count ALL your calories consumed in one week, divide by 7 and BOOM , YOU DON’T EAT SO LITTLE, DO YOU ??

There are numerous diets out there…

some magic ones with injections, detoxing, high protein low carb, all kinds of "doctor’s only potions"… THE ONLY SUSTAINABLE WEIGHTLOSS PROGRAM IS A LIFESTYLE CHANGE. You can not weigh your food forever, never ever eat bread or pasta again, live on water and lettuce or never again enjoy a glass of good red wine !!!

Find the weight you want to be, determine the amount of calories you need to maintain that weight and adjust your diet accordingly…. EASYPEASY???… do not expect to reach your target weight overnight or set a ridiculous target weight . Your own metabolism will fight you all the way… IT WANTS TO WORK AS SLOW AS POSSIBLE… that is why a "starvation " diet only works for a few days… your body ( metabolism ) will slow down to conserve energy and that will make you tired irritable and you will stop losing weight. Nothing demotivates a "dieter" more than not losing weight.

So in short , eat a lot less and do a little more…

For a more detailed and individualised program, contact us for an assessment.

Yours in good health and beauty

This article follows on the previous one about good skin care principles, namely cleansing, toning, moisturizing and now feeding. So, how does one feed skin using the GRASS principles of SKINMEDICA?

GRASS stands for:

G – growth factors

R – retinoids (vitamin A)

A – antioxidants (vitamin C & E )

S – sunblock (SPF)

S – speciality treatments (hyper pigmentation, wrinkles, acne, excess skin)

Growth factors are the new trend not only as far as “extended youth” is concerned, but also as a revolutionary skin rejuvenation treatment. From about your mid twenties your skin (and your body) stops producing growth hormone and factors. This obviously leads to the onset of aging, which results in all things going south.

The most obvious effect for the skin is the increase in laxity in collagen fibres. Other factors are also involved, like sun damage (free radicals, UV rays) and inherited collagen “quality”. That’s right; some of your wrinkles can be blamed on your parents!

TNS ESSENTIAL SERUM by SKINMEDICA contains skin growth factors cultured from human skin. Retinoids (retinol , isotretinoin vit A) is the one vitamin group proven to regenerate skin, and when used in different formulations it’s effects are extremely beneficial (see the article on isotretinoin, Roaccutane and Acnetane). SKINMEDICA offers a range of retinols from 0.25 % to 1%. These creams and treatments can be quite aggressive on the skin, so medical input is advisable.

Antioxidants (vitamins C & E) are the skin’s protection against oxidation. Oxidation is a lot like rusting and is caused by free radicals in the atmosphere. Stabilizing the cells in the basal layer of the skin (growth layer) leads to “tougher” skin that can withstand what nature throws at it. Together with Retinols this will give you younger, thicker, smoother and clearer skin.

SPF (sunblock) should by now have its place in everybody’s skin care regime. The damage sun (UV) rays causes is well known. But what factor should we use?  Anything above 15 SPF is sufficient. The difference between a so called 100% SPF and 15 % in sun filter properties is not worth the price difference ….SPF measures the amount of time you can spend in the sun before you burn …15 times longer is surely enough. Remember to apply more than once a day on the face, neck, chest and hands!

Any skin condition that needs extra attention can be treated with a wide range of “special creams” or speciality treatments. Obviously this differs from person to person and again medical input is strongly advised. We hope that this will help you in deciding on which treatment you need and which you don’t. You only have one skin: look after it, protect it and feed it.

Firstly, where does acne come from? What causes this dreadful self-confidence destroyer? In short, it’s a vicious cycle that about 80% of teenagers, and even adults up to 30 years old, can go through. However, it’s still normal and mostly manageable. It starts when hormones start raging: in boys testosterone, in girls estrogens. These hormones irritate the sebum glands of the skin until they become over active and consequently blocked. Blackheads, whiteheads and comedones follow. That leads to infection which gives you the pustules that we like to squeeze, which leads to scarring. This is then followed by self-consciousness, mood changes and sometimes withdrawal and depression.

How do we treat and or prevent this? Firstly, it has nothing to do with diet. Surely enough water is good for the skin, but chocolates or sugary foods don’t cause acne. We have to break this cycle. There are three basic principles in treating acne: First regulate the hormones, then dry up the glands, and lastly kill the bugs that infect them. Let’s start with the hormones. In girls it’s fairly easy: as soon as the menstrual cycle has settled girls can start taking ‘The Pill’. These contraceptives (such as Diane 35 , Minerva and Ginette) are used to “suppress” the ovarian function and so limit hormonal effect on sebum glands.

Boys, however, don’t have it as simply: with them we have to skip this step and go straight to the next one, namely drying up the glands and/or use antibiotics. This is where the “dreaded” Roaccutane (isotretinoin) comes in. Many doctor, however, believe Roaccutane is a miracle drug. The results are amazing and at an adjusted dosage, its side effects are minimal.

But how does Roaccutane work? Being a vitamin that regulates cell growth, (vit A , AKA retinoids, retinol, tretinoin, retinoic acid), it “dries up” the glands, and speeds up skin turnover, thereby preventing blockage of glands. At recommended dosage it unfortunately dries up everything! Eyes, nose, lips, skin and even joints. This results in chapped lips, sunburn, dry eyes and in extreme cases painful and inflamed joints. High dosages of vitamin A also affect the liver. The recommend dosage is 1 mg per kg body weight …this is usually about 60mg (3tabs) per day for 4 months. I have had excellent results with lower dosages that minimize side effects. One tablet (20 mg) per day or even just three times a week seems effective enough to clear the skin. Adding cosmeceuticals like topical vitamin A ( SKINMEDICA Retinol complex ) results in healthy skin and patients. For more about cosmeceuticals check out our other articles on the site.

Healthy looking skin has always been a sign of beauty throughout the many cultures of the world, and the importance of looking young and vital have never been more important than they are today. The condition of one’s skin can hint towards age and lifestyle, but thanks to science, nowadays we can cheat a bit. With a large variety of cosmetics, fillers and Botox treatments out there, we are spoilt for choice. Quality (regarding both product and procedure), however, should remain one’s main priority.

Botox treatments, which were once seen as extreme, are now commonplace and safe (as long as the treatment is carried out by a trained professional). The chemical is injected at the site of the desired areas (the most common use of Botox is for wrinkle reduction), where it works at a sub-dermal level to tighten and smooth out the skin. This results in smoother, younger looking skin.

For less extreme cases of wrinkled, excessively oily, dry or red skin, less drastic measures are typically used. One such procedure is the skin rejuvenation treatment, which involves peeling, cleansing and moisturising the skin. As is the case with most treatments, skin treatments are most efficient when done as a process, as opposed to treating isolated incidents once off. DermaPlex, for example, advise that when you wish to undergo skin rejuvenation treatment that you complete a three-step program. Incorporating their NeuSkin range, the steps are as follows: Step one – DermaPlex Skin Surface Rejuvenator. This step re-surfaces, refines and re-polishes the skin to reveal a youthful complexion. Step two – DermaPlex Neutraliser Wash. This wash is a gentle cleanser designed to clean the skin and restore its natural pH level. And lastly, step three – DermaPlex Rebalancing Moisturiser. This product was specially formulated to use after skin peeling, making it the perfect product to round off the treatment.

It is always good to bear in mind that when scientists develop skincare products, they often do so with an entire range in mind and that these products work best in conjunction with one another. Following the prescribed steps will always yield the best results, leaving you feeling fresh, radiant and confident.

Cleansing…toning…moisturizing…feeding…. These are the pillars of good skin care. The skin is a living thing and your biggest organ. Keeps good things in and bad things out….and you only have one…although it’s one of the organs that can regenerate , it’s not a pretty result.

So it’s important to look after your skin and prevention is key. Important to use cosmeceuticals instead of cosmetic creams . Cosmeceuticals are medically tested skin treatments ( double blind , placebo controlled , peer reviewed studies ) only available through medical practitioners .

So what is a good cleanser ? ..basic requirement….must not leave your skin dry. To do that it must not contain a foaming detergent. ( ie soap bars ) A good toner ? Basically two types of toner available ..alcohol and non alcohol based .Depending on your skin type, you’ll use an alcohol based toner on oily skin and the other on dry skin . Some people have to use both !!! Moisturizers… Here is where the big confusion and expense can lie. The amount of creams and their promises are only outnumbered by their disappointments and their costs. Easy to say use a night cream and a day cream with sunblock , but that doesn’t help much . There are “special “creams for every area ,condition , age and skin type . Here are a few principles and basic requirements : Sunblock is non compromisable. Anything above SPF 20 , is ok . Apply more than once a day on face , neck , chest and hands…and still stay out of the sun.

Vitamin A ( retinol , retinoids , isotretinoin ) …the most important skin rejuvenating ingredient and the only medically proven age reversing agent…SKINMEDICA RETINOL COMPLEX.

Vitamin C ( ascorbic acid , ascorbate ) and E ( tocopherols , tocotrienols )…. Strong and vital Anti aging and antioxidant properties. Again medically proven to prevent aging …SKINMEDICA TNS VIT C ,E COMPLEX.

Once you have these 3 ingredients in your face cream , the rest is optional. Important to know that your skin is actually impermeable to the creams you apply. You are moisturizing the outside dead layer of your skin ( stratum corneum ) . So although your skin feels smooth , it has not been penetrated with any of your creams.

What to do ?? Remove ( regenerate ) your stratum corneum with acid ….FILORGA GLYCOPEEL Chemical peels…a important skin care regime component. It is proven that 1 chemical peel a month will increase your skin absorption of anything applied to it. All that is left now is to “feed “your skin … That is a separate topic covered in our next article .