Laser treatments have always been inexplicably associated with aesthetic medicine. Many clinics called themselves Laser or IPL clinics only to realise later that the hottest things around aren’t lasers or IPLs anymore. In fact the frontier technologies in the last few years, like Thermage and Ulthera, are not strictly speaking lasers.
Nevertheless, “laser treatments” remained a term closely linked to aesthetic medicine.
The industry’s obsession with lasers started from ablative CO2 lasers in the 1990’s. For those who have been in the industry long enough will remember the brand of CO2 lasers – Sharplan. By the early 2000’s the industry’s focus had moved on to IPLs and non-ablative lasers. One of the first and best IPL was from Lumenis. The mid 2000’s saw the introduction of skin tightening devices. The most famous among these was Thermage.
And now the interest has swung back to ablative lasers again, abeit in a “fractional” way.
CO2 lasers and Erbium lasers were introduced more than 15 years ago. I operated the first Sharplan CO2 lasers when it was available in Singapore. It was so uncomfortable as a treatment, not many people will agree to it. It wasn’t long before I concluded that ablative lasers were not a very elegant way to treat the face. Good perhaps for warts and corns on the feet, but definitely not on the face.
Unable to find any new energy source (lasers, RF, ultrasound and Infrared had already been used) manufacturers fractionated older energy sources. “Fractional” means splitting the beam up into many small beams such that there is normal skin between laser treated spots. This decreases the healing time from weeks to just days. One might expect them to fractionate the CO2 laser since it was the most ablative laser from that past era. But, no. The first fractional laser, Fraxel, used an energy source that was typically non-ablative. This was illogical but Fraxel produces great results. And then finally the fractional CO2 became available. I have always believed that if one were to fractionate anything, it should be the CO2.
Instead of moving backwards or sideways, we are now quite certain that Ultherapy is here to stay. This is a device which combines diagnostic imaging with precision therapeutics. A machine the allows us to use an ultrasound scan to locate the SMAS and deliver a very accurate and precise dose of energy to it. The energy that is used is a focused beam of ultrasound. In doing so, Ulthera stimulates the production of new collagen.
Safer and More Comfortable
Saturated with copycat versions of the earlier lasers, the aesthetic clinics needed new tools that worked from a different dimension. By the mid 2000s, the skin tightening machines became available. And they weren’t even laser anymore. This time, it wasn’t just about stimulating collagen production, but more about contracting skin to create a facelift effect. The “non-surgical facelift” term was coined for these procedures. For once you can get a non-surgical facelift. Patients can pop into aesthetic clinics over lunchtime for this.
In the year 2009, we started operating Ulthera. And there was no looking back.
Now the new version of Ultherapy, called Ultherapy Prime, is a fixture in most “laser” clinics. Together with our DL Lift technique to lift skin using fillers, we a proud to provide a completely non-surgical Facelifts and Facial Sculpting service.
And there you have it. The most popular technologies are not laser treatments anymore. Luckily were didn’t call ourselves a Laser Clinic.
Our Founder
Dr. David Loh founded David Loh Surgery in 2002, during the early days of Aesthetic Medicine. He obtained his Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from the National University of Singapore and has over 30 years of clinical experience, with more than 20 years dedicated to aesthetics.
Dr Loh is Accredited by MOH to perform liposuction. He is best known as an international trainer for BTX and Dermal Fillers. He has published extensively on injection techniques and the management of serious complications, with one of his papers awarded a Gold Medal by the PRS Global Journal. His contributions to the field include serving as the immediate past President of the Society of Aesthetic Medicine in Singapore.
Contact Information
Tel: (+65) 6733 9114
WhatsApp: (+65) 8878 8045
Email: info@davidloh.sg
Wechat ID: davidlohsurgery
The Liposuction Hotline
Tel: (+65) 6733 5300
WhatsApp: (+65) 9153 1503