Looking good over the years

We can do nothing about the march of time, but it is easy to do something about its effects - and people are increasingly doing so, says Dr Karim Alipour. Cosmetic or appearance medicine is a new branch of medical science involving therapies carried out by medical practitioners.

The procedures have been pioneered in the United Kingdom and Dr Alipour has opened a clinic in Wellesley St, Auckland central. He says appearance medicine is based on helping people fulfil their potential by making them feel better about themselves. "Looking good is very important for self-confidence," he says.

"All too often if there's a problem with physique, mental wellbeing also suffers. Most people are conscious of their appearance and their confidence can suffer if they're not comfortable with how they look." A facial peel is one of the most effective and dramatic ways to improve looks, he says.

Everyday, thousands of skin cells die and are replaced by new cells, but this is a slow and haphazard process that doesn't allow skin to shed dark spots, sun damage or a dull, lifeless complexion.

A facial peel, Dr Alipour says, gives an even, controlled shedding of damaged cells, leaving a new first layer of skin with more even texture and colour.

Hyaluronic acid, a dermal filler, is a new advanced treatment that supersedes collagen replacement therapy.
It is based, he says, on a compound which occurs naturally in skin tissue, so it is less likely to cause allergic reactions. It is used for lip augmentation to produce the "Paris-lip" look, and results in fuller, more sensuous and more clearly-defined lips. It is particularly popular with women with thinner lips.

It is also used extensively to remove "smokers' lines" above the lip, to treat lines and furrows, and to remove problems such as scarring resulting from acne.

Botox is commonly used in appearance medicine, Dr Alipour says, to treat frown and brow lines, crows feet and other muscle-related lines. It relaxes the muscles that cause the problem.

It is also a simple and effective treatment for the reasonably common problem of excessive sweating, which can be an embarrassing difficulty for women.

Other common treatments are:

* Sclerotherapy for the quick and effective treatment of varicose and spider veins in the leg and for facial veins.

* Cosmetic radio surgery used to treat the thin, thread-like veins on the face and nose, and to remove blemishes such as warts, moles and verrucas (warts or similar growth).

* Electrical stimulation of the face muscles which can provide an effective form of facelift.

* Cryosurgery which uses extremely cold temperatures to remove blemishes such as benign moles, pigments and lesions.


Dr Alipour holds a bachelor of medicine and bachelor of surgery from the University of Aberdeen, and is an associate member of the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners.