6 ways to self-care (and it’s not just about using a sheet mask)

It seems like everyone became a runner during the Circuit Breaker. And those who didn’t turned to home Youtube workouts to keep fit and moving. What happened then? Injuries, sprains and falls caused by exercise strain and over-exertion.

There was another threat to our physical health too: Text Neck – the result of spending much more time glued to our digital devices. The result? A strained neck and back. And the pain isn’t going away, even with increased stretching, muscle-strengthening exercises and painkillers.

Persistent and consistent pain is, unfortunately, common, thanks to our sedentary lifestyle, the poor ergonomics of our home office, prolonged working hours, and even stress build-up.

It might be time to seek professional help via a qualified myotherapist.

Myotherapy is an excellent treatment for long-lasting and effective pain relief. It is not invasive and doesn’t use drugs to manage the pain. Instead, it is a hands-on therapy that combines evidence-based assessment and identifying the primary source of your pain. It can treat a myriad of issues such as back pain, knee pain, stress and tension, headaches and migraines, frozen shoulder, tennis elbow and occupational injuries. At Amaris B. Clinic, in the hands of its skilled and experienced myotherapist, pain can be a thing of the past.

Many of us have come to enjoy working from home. After all, we don’t have to wake up early (oh, that extra hour of sleep!), get dressed, put on makeup, and jostle with the crowds on our commute.

But WFH has its downsides too. The longer hours we’re clocking in front of our screens, compared to pre-Covid-19 days, doesn’t just give us eye strain. The constant blue light washing over our skin from our e-devices plays a part in skin ageing, resulting in increased fine lines, wrinkles, pigmentation and unsightly dark circles.

To address these concerns and get your skin glowing and looking youthful all the time, Dr Ivan Puah, medical director of Amaris B. Clinic, recommends these treatments:

Skin Treat #1: For hyperpigmentation

The US FDA-approved PICO Fractional Laser, is a non-ablative laser that effectively targets hyperpigmentation (freckles), melasma, post-acne scars, sun-damaged spots and age spots. It delivers intense light energy to the skin in super-fast pulses, which helps minimise skin-surface damage, resulting in improved safety and less downtime, as compared to traditional pulse laser.

Plus, this popular laser comes with a handpiece that offers a wide range of spot sizes for increased precision and greater efficacy.

Skin Treat #2: For deep lines, wrinkles and tired eyes

With mandatory mask-wear, the upper half of your face is often what people see when you’re out. Wrinkles and lines aren’t just signs of ageing, they also mar your looks by making you look tired, angry and fierce.

To target crow’s feet, frown lines (from WFH stress and all those virtual meetings!) and other facial wrinkles, the Anti Wrinkle treatment at Amaris B. Clinic is a fantastic non-invasive injectable that helps eliminates the appearance of crow’s feet, frown lines and other facial wrinkles.

It’s especially effective on overactive muscles (the ones you activate when you frown, smile or squint), smoothing existing unwanted lines, as well as preventing deeper ones from forming. It is also popular for those who want to fight the signs of natural ageing or those who have developed lines from excessive sun exposure, which inevitably damages the skin.

To get you looking bright-eyed and well-rested, Dr Puah incorporates his EyeArt Method, using hyaluronic acid dermal fillers to lift saggy brows and lighten the shadows of dark circles. You’re in good hands because Dr Puah is an appointed trainer to fellow doctors in injectables.

The result: You look fresh and youthful instantly.

Skin Treat #3: Restore lost facial volume

Did you know that just from stress, trauma and yo-yo dieting, we can lose up to 35 per cent of volume in our face, especially around the mid-face? When this happens, you can clearly see that volume loss has led to sagging of skin and hollowness, giving the impression that one looks gaunt and is suffering from extreme fatigue.

ADR-C Facial Enhancement is a popular minimally invasive facial fat grafting procedure. It is not only for those above 40, who wish to slow down the ageing process, but also 20- and 30-somethings who experience facial fat loss due to dieting.

Dr Puah has more than 15 years of experience in performing facial and body grafting procedures, customising this treatment to patients’ unique concerns, to restore lost facial volume, improve facial contours and help you get a smoother and more supple complexion.

He starts by removing tiny amounts of your own fat tissue from the tummy or thighs. This tissue is then cleansed and transplanted via tiny injections into the face, at the areas required. The results are natural and long-lasting.

Another upside of this WFH situation: having the space to address your skin issues with aesthetic treatments without having to worry about the downtime needed, which in turn allows your skin adequate time to heal.

To keep your body trim and toned, you have to do two things: Eat less and move more. When you don’t do either, you gain weight and fat. Add to that comfort snacking, and it’s no surprise that we’re experiencing expanding waistlines and thighs, and clothes that are moving a size or two up.

And before you say it: Crash diets Do. Not. Work. They leave you feeling worse than before, so stop right there.

To address body concerns such as bingo wings, a muffin top or saddlebags, you can opt for Amaris B.’s VASER (Vibration Amplification of Sound Energy at Resonance) Lipo. This permanent surgical fat removal procedure is suitable for those who are struggling with fat gain, or who have issues with disproportionate body fat distribution. It’s also suitable for people who have stubborn pockets of fat that simply won’t budge with exercise and dieting.

How it works: Tumescent fluid, a special mixture used in liposuction to increase comfort and aid in smoother recovery, is infiltrated to numb the area and shrink the blood vessels. The VASER probe, which emits high ultrasonic frequencies, is then inserted – its job is to expand and contract the air bubbles within the tumescent fluid. These vibrating air bubbles gently separate the fat tissues for extraction.

Once the fat is emulsified, Dr Puah will carefully manoeuvre the probe to remove the liquified fat as he sculpts the body for a smooth and contoured appearance.

The treatment is clinically proven to remove more than 90 per cent of localised fat, as compared to other non-surgical fat reduction methods.

However, it is important to note that VASER Lipo targets stubborn fat and localised fat gain, and is not meant to be used as a weight loss programme. To maintain your new figure, Dr Puah recommends a healthy diet and regular exercise.

It’s crucial to know that when it comes to procedures like liposuction, a doctor’s skills and experience are important. With more than 15 years of liposuction experience and as one of the first doctors to introduce this novel fat removal technique to Singapore in 2008, Dr Puah understands the intricacies.

Dr Puah completed his fundamental and advanced VASER Body Sculpting training in Colorado and Argentina. He is also trained in other body-sculpting procedures and holds a Graduate Diploma in Sports Medicine from Nanyang Technological University. He is accredited by the Ministry of Health here to perform liposuction in Singapore.

With a dedicated interest in weight management and body-sculpting, Dr Puah believes that every individual can have a healthier body, through a combination of professionally tailored exercise therapy and aesthetic procedures.

To help you achieve the physique you desire, he has developed a unique body sculpting approach. Called the MDC-Sculpt Lipo technique, it allows him to not only do thorough fat removal, but also meticulously sculpt and shape the body during the VASER Lipo procedure. This approach allows the skin to take to your new slimmer silhouette without any loss to its elasticity, and minimises surgical scarring for a more desirable result.

Thanks to Dr Puah’s leadership, the award-winning Amaris B. Clinic is now more than just a run-of-the-mill aesthetics clinic. It complements its main passion for body sculpting and medical aesthetics with integrative medicine, including weight loss and fitness assessment, pain management, sports injury rehabilitation, and myotherapy.

At Amaris B. Clinic, you can expect a fully hands-on team of trained professionals who will do their best to enhance your appearance, health, and fitness at all levels, by customising their approach to your treatment.

For more information, visit www.amaris-b.com.