Physicians consider cosmetic services a type of medicine
By Nancy Harper
Photography • Tomasz Adamski
PERHAPS SOME THINGS are better left to
Hollywood.
Take L.A. doctor David Matlock, for
example, who made his name by turning
liposuctioned fat into the “Brazilian butt
augmentation.”
These days, Matlock has a new gig,
injecting a dollop of human collagen into
a woman’s G-spot to puff it up
temporarily. That way it’s easier to find
and, presumably, results in a more fabulous
sexual experience.
Matlock told the New York Times Style
Magazine that his $1,850 price tag is “a
small price to pay for such a bundle of joy.”
Waterloo Region is a tad more conservative.
Two local doctors who are in the
beauty business didn’t know of the G Shot
and their reaction ranged from “Only in
Hollywood” to “Don’t even go there!”
Clearly we are a long way from the nipand-
tuck merry-go-round that is California.
Health care’s
beauty factor
F E A T U R E
But when it comes to having work done,
we’re not back in the Dark Ages either. In
fact, there is so much new technology in
the beauty industry that for a growing
number of people, it’s no longer a case of
why get something done, but why not?
Take Kitchener physician Jodie Wang. Her
UltraShape fat-buster machine, the first of
its kind in the region, seems like a
cosmetic/medical miracle, and it makes
liposuction-by-scalpel look so 10 years ago.
Wang calls UltraShape “awesome technology”
that uses a focused ultrasound
wave to make the body rid itself of fat in a
specific area. It’s Health Canada-approved,
cutting-edge without the cutting, and it can
only be administered by a physician.
A generation ago, few women even fessed
up to dying their hair. These days, bee-stung
lips are no big deal and Botox doesn’t raise
eyebrows. Literally.
So, while there are plenty of take-me-as-Iam
women out there, there are some who
will go to ever-increasing extremes to look
and feel beautiful. And if they’re going to
get something done, why not get it
done by a medical doctor?
Critics suggest doctors have no business
providing frivolous services when they
could be delivering full-time care in a
system starved of family doctors.
Others say that argument misses the point.
“I think (cosmetic medicine) is really as
important as helping people with their
medical problems,” says Wang, who also
runs a family practice. “These technologies
are not going to go away. We live in a
world where beauty is really valued, where
looking young is really out there. Why
should we as Canadians not be able to
have those things? Why should we go to
the States to find a medical doctor to do
these things for us?
“We are all so hard on ourselves and there
are always things about ourselves that
make us crazy. There’s always something
that jumps out and says ‘people are going
to think I look horrible.’ It feels absolutely
fantastic to know we’re helping people feel
better about themselves.”
Wang believes society is becoming less
judgmental of people who go after what
nature didn’t provide.
Cambridge doctor Deepa Takhar agrees.
Takhar also has a traditional practice, but
says she could easily practise cosmetic
medicine full-time because the demand is
there. Being a female doctor certainly
doesn’t hurt. In fact, it’s good for business.
As for motivation? It’s often as much about
passion as anything else.
“You’re not going to be a very good
doctor if you can’t follow your passion,”
Takhar explains. “Initially, I was intrigued
about all these cosmetic (problems) that
were making people feel unwell. If you
look at the research, when people feel good
about their appearance, they actually physically
start feeling better as well.
“We spend a lot of money and time on
clothes and things, but if we don’t feel
good about ourselves, we get a lot of
psychosomatic illnesses. If you look in the
mirror and you like your appearance, it
makes your day. Good shoes! Good hair!
But what about the skin we’re in? The body
we’re in?
“With our staff, our motto is ‘educate,
motivate and inspire.’ (Clients) should look
at us and say ‘You are walking the talk.’ We
use all the products ourselves and openly
tell them what we’ve had done.”
For the record, Takhar has a chemical
peel every six months, laser hair removal
and Botox injections. “My staff have had
every procedure between them,” she says.
“We are not taking any chances at our
clinic with regard to aging.”
About 70 per cent of Takhar’s cosmetic
clients are women, and the biggest market
is 30- to 60-year-olds. However, there are
also a substantial number of 25-year-olds.
Why all the fuss? Why can’t we just do
our best to stay healthy and accept the laws
of gravity and all those other bitter pills
that go along with aging?
“Physically we’re getting healthier, we’re
living longer,” Takhar replies. “The 40-
year-old now isn’t like the 40-year-old of a
generation ago. We’re still wearing hip
jeans, hip clothes ... and we want the
outside to reflect that.”
People who have cosmetic work done
often change their mindset toward health
and well-being. They start to look after
themselves and may be inspired to lose
weight.
“If you go to a gym, you see the thin
people exercising. You come to my clinic
and you see the beautiful people,” Takhar
says. “They’ve always been aware of taking
care of themselves.”
Botox, she says, is by far the most
popular procedure.
“Botox is a very quick procedure which
gives you very natural results. It takes you
back five to 10 years — literally in five
minutes — because it reduces hyperactive
muscles. But you’re not going to look like
somebody else. If somebody wants the
Angelina Jolie look, we send them to somebody
else. This clinic is all about being
totally natural — definitely no fish lips! If
somebody wants that, we run a mile.”
WHAT THE CLIENTS SAY
If we consider the quest for physical beauty as a sliding scale of extremes, with the mild stuff — the French manicure, the dye job, the eyebrow wax — at one end and full-on plastic surgery at the other, is there ever a point at which we say enough’s enough?
And is it also true that once you go Botox, you never go back?
Hannele Sundberg is a classic beautyindustry professional who practises what she preaches.
As the president of Sun Magic Tanning Spas, she is immersed in the business of looking good and has no qualms about going out to get what didn’t come naturally.
A client of Dr. Jodie Wang, she is a fan of Laser Genesis (which helps aging skin bounce back by stimulating collagen) and UltraShape, which has taken her lower-body measurements down a peg or two and changed the way her clothes fit.
“We are in the age of beauty where it is expected that you look and feel beautiful,” Sundberg says. “We are being judged and judge people every day and everywhere, no matter what we do: well-dressed or not, old-fashioned or fashionable, tanned or pale, skinny or fat, clean or dirty, good skin, bad skin, wrinkles.
“We think we can tell what kind of person is in front of us without even talking with them. Even if we think that this is all unfair and wrong, we all do it without even being aware of it. We get preferential treatment if we look better. Period.”
Botox enthusiast Mary Addison likens the experience to the simplest of beauty tricks. Her husband jokes that he can’t tell what mood she’s in any more, but she just laughs. “I love it because it works immediately,” Addison says. “My girlfriends are, like, ‘that is amazing!’ Men don’t necessarily notice but your girlfriends will. Immediately your wrinkles are gone.”
At 38, Addison considers herself the perfect candidate for Botox. “Thirty years ago, hair dye was a big thing,” she says. “But women are women. People are people. They’re going to do whatever they can do. If the technology is there and available, people are going to use it. It’s more about preventative maintenance. It’s just like putting on moisturizer. “Obviously, when everybody gets in their late 30s, they start thinking about (aging) and everybody discusses it more. It’s like getting a pedicure. You go in and get one and your feet look amazing. It’s so instant. It’s such an immediate change. You can see the difference. I will absolutely do it forever now.”
WHAT’S HOT
Following is a laywoman’s guide to cosmetic procedures that are popular right now in Waterloo Region:UltraShape: Liposuction without cutting. Eliminates fat permanently from a treated area, using a focused ultrasound wave vibrating at a frequency that disrupts fat cells. One treatment is about $850; three treatments in the same area cost $2,295.
Botox: A quick treatment that lasts three to six months. Injection of botulinum toxin temporarily inactivates the muscles that cause wrinkles, and makes lines disappear or diminish immediately. Costs $300 to $600 per treatment.
Laser Genesis: Laser uses heat to trick the skin into thinking it needs to repair itself. Laser energy goes into the second layer of skin where, with ageing, dilated pores, blood vessels, fine lines and wrinkles develop. The cost is $525 for a one-hour treatment.
Photofacials/IPL: Uses a shorter-wavelength laser to work on the surface of the skin. About $250 per treatment (generally four to six treatments are needed).
Fraxel: Described by Dr. Deepa Takhar as the “best facial rejuvenation out there,” this laser treatment removes mild to moderate wrinkles on the face. About $4,000 for four treatments.
Levulan: Similar to a chemical peel that’s activated by light to treat acne and precancerous skin conditions. About $1,200 for two treatments.
Chemical peels: A quick procedure that brightens, exfoliates and tones skin, leading to a clearer, polished look. About $65. Restylane, Juvederm and Teosyal: Injected under the skin in areas where volume loss from ageing creates deep lines and grooves. Teosol is $500 per vial (two vials, one sitting, $800). One to two vials are needed; effect lasts up to a year.
Botox for hyperhydrosis: Eliminates excessive sweating from armpits. About $300; lasts six to nine months.
Sources: Dr. Takhar’s Cosmetic Clinic and
Illumination Laser Medical Associates.