Today, I’m going to talk about my pet topic – my puppy

More than just furry companions, your pet, whether it is a dog or a cat, can keep you youthful and healthy. I know for sure that I’m at my happiest when I’m with Mochi, just seeing her adorable face and funny antics makes me forget my work, and I’ve been guilty of choosing her company over friends on several occasions (sorry people!).

People and animals have a long history of living together and bonding. Perhaps the oldest evidence of this special relationship was discovered a few years ago in Israel—a 12,000-year-old human skeleton buried with its hand resting on the skeleton of a 6-month-old wolf pup. “The bond between animals and humans is part of our evolution, and it’s very powerful,” says Dr Ann Berger, a physician and researcher at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.

On top of making you feel happy (which in turn keeps wrinkles at bay),  studies suggest that four-legged friends can help to improve our cardiovascular health. One NIH-funded study looked at 421 adults who’d suffered heart attacks. A year later, the scientists found, dog owners were significantly more likely to still be alive than were those who did not own dogs, regardless of the severity of the heart attack.

Another study looked at 240 married couples. Those who owned a pet were found to have lower heart rates and blood pressure, whether at rest or when undergoing stressful tests, than those without pets. Pet owners also seemed to have milder responses and quicker recovery from stress when they were with their pets than with a spouse or friend.

Several studies have shown that dog owners also get more exercise and other health benefits than the rest of us. One NIH-funded investigation looked at more than 2,000 adults and found that dog owners who regularly walked their dogs were more physically active and less likely to be obese than those who didn’t own or walk a dog. Mochi and I go for weekly runs at Botanic Gardens and I walk her several times a day (climbing up and down the stairs of my apartment).

Before you rush out to get a dog or cat, please bear in mind that pets, although cute and good for the health, is a huge commitment (at least 15 years of your life) and can be costly to maintain (if you are a doting mum like me).  If you can’t imagine that, best that you stick to fishes or hamsters.

Spent a luxurious Sunday pampering myself with Reviva Labs facial products. Here’s what I tried:

1. Collagen Fibre Eye-Pad Kit (US$38)

Instructions:

First I applied the Skin Energizing  Gel (which comes with the product) under my eyes then pasted the collagen eye pads on top of it. Using water, I dabbed at the eye pads till they were transparent and adhered to my eye area. The eye pads molded easily and felt comfortable. After 15 to 20 minutes, I peeled them off.

Results:

My fine lines look minimised and my undereye area looked tighter. Weekly usage will enhance the Botox-like effects and result in smoother, firmer undereye area, reduce wrinkles, puffiness as well as dark circles.

2. Light Skin Peel (US$20)

Instructions:

I applied this thick paste, which smelt like fruity clay, all over my face. There was a slight tingling sensation and I left it on for 5 minutes or until it dried completely, then gently rubbed it off. 

Results:

My favourite so far! My complexion was radiant and had a slight pinkish flush after the treatment. It would be great if the acid peel came with a brush or spatula to make application more hygenic.

3. Collagen Fibre Skin Brightener Pads (US$13)

Instructions:

An interesting product and treatment where you cut the collagen pads according to the area you want to treat, dab water to make it adhere and leave it on for 15 to 20 minutes. According to Reviva Labs, this product contains Alpha-Arbutin, and a study on Chinese women has shown that this ingredient has the most skin lightening effect after one month, compared to other products tested.

Results:

The area where I pasted the pads looked slightly clearer, however my pigmentation still looks the same. For progressive lightening, I have to use this two to three times a week.

For more information, check out: www.revivalabs.com

Chronic fatigue, stress and allergies, these are all the by-products of a hectic city life.  In recent years, medical experts have begun to understand the seemingly intangible relationship between physical, mental and emotional health. “Good health is more than a disease-free body. Good health is a stress-free frame of mind and vibrant energy,” says Dr Richard Anderson, creator of the Arise & Shine fasting programme and supplements at Atsumi Healing Center – a fasting and detoxing retreat in Phuket.

Dr Anderson’s program aims to elevate practitioners towards greater health, vitality and energy. It is much more than a colon cleanse. It is a complete intestinal cleanse and you will clean your entire alimentary canal from your tongue to your stomach and all the way down to your colon. In addition, however, as you begin to cleanse your digestive system (the hub of your body that every cell and organ depends upon) other parts of your body will respond as well. With this programme, you will not only rid yourself of toxic waste, you will also release disease-causing toxic emotions. In a very real sense, it’s as if the emotions are stored with the toxic waste and as one is purged so is the other. A total sense of well-being can be created from having a healthy body and a healthy mind.

Fasting is nature’s way of curing disease and one of the quickest ways of encouraging the body to rid itself of toxins,restore health and prolong life and vitality. Fasting allows the body to stop processing all the junk that’s put in it, to stop using energy to run the digestive and eliminatory systems, allowing an excess of natural energy that can then be devoted to cleansing, purifying and repairing all of the bodily systems. Through detoxification, the body’s amazing power to heal itself will be revealed, leaving you in tune with your own physical state, and reaching ever towards the pure perfection of health that we were all born with, and to which Mother Nature constantly guides us. Yoga, exercise and massage speed up this process by stimulating the circulation of blood and lymphatic fluid.

My sister and I are heading there in February next year to escape the Chinese New Year chaos and noise. Four days of no coffee…oh no.

For more information onAtsumi Healing Retreat, check out its video here:

Atsumi Healing Center – Phuket, Thailand

I’ve recently signed up for Pure Fitness @ Knightsbridge and converted into a gym bunny. If I’m not working, I’m probably at the gym, sweating it out at the machines or letting loose in group classes. The results: skyrocketing energy levels and glowing, radiant skin!

From reducing acne breakouts to fighting the signs of aging, health experts say regular exercise can play a big role in how young and how healthy your skin looks and feels. Our skin is the largest organ of our body, so the benefits of exercise can be enormous – increased circulation, delivery of nutrients to skin cells and whooshing away potentially damaging toxins. Exercising also gives skin the optimum conditions for making collagen, the support fibers that help keep wrinkles and lines at bay.

But perhaps the most dramatic effects of exercise are on acne-prone skin. Doctors say working out provides many benefits that can help clear the skin. How? Exercise mediates the production of testosterone-related hormones such as DHEA and DHT. “There’s a lot of indirect evidence that shows that when you exercise your level of stress diminishes. So your adrenal glands are producing less of these male-type hormones that are part of any acne flare-up,” says David Berman, MD, medical director and dermatologic/cosmetic surgeon at the Berman Skin Institute, Palo Alto, Calif., and former chief of dermatology at Santa Clara County Hospital. No wonder, the more stressed I am, the more I want to work out (5x for a particularly hellish week!).

If you want proof, think about any situation that increased your stress level – finishing a term paper or job project on deadline – and you’re likely to recall a breakout. Exercise can help control it. “By reducing stress, it tends to quiet the adrenals. There is less hormone output which in turn helps control acne,” says Berman.

Regular exercise also increases sweating, which in turn can unclogs pores and have a positive effect on breakouts. In the long run, people who exercise have a better complexion overall. If they have acne, it’s better controlled, and if they have occasional breakouts they are definitely less severe, and clear quicker and easier. Now, isn’t this enough reason for you to throw on your sweats and work it out? Can’t wait to hit the gym again tomorrow!

Your shiners, your raccoon eyes, your blue luggage… whatever you call your dark under-eye circles, here’s what they really are: oxidising hemoglobin.

Most people think that dark under-eye circles are caused by staying up late watching monster movies, or having that last drink the night before, or sitting up with your laptop trying to finish the quarterly report. Most people think that their behavior is somehow linked to dark under-eye circles.

Well, most people are dead wrong.

If nothing else, I want you to know that dark under-eye circles are not your fault. They don’t mysteriously appear when you misbehave or are stressed out, only to vanish when you get 8 straight hours of sleep. Dark under-eye circles are a by-product of the very same mechanism that produces bruises (and you don’t blame yourself for bruising, do you?). Changing your behavior will, in almost every case, NOT get rid of your dark under-eye circles.

Dark under-eye circles begin in the capillaries, the tiny blood vessels that web the delicate skin around the eyes. Now, your capillaries are so small that red blood cells sometimes have to line up, single file, to get through. Frequently, red blood cells get lost and wander into the surrounding skin. This isn’t a problem – it happens all the time – and your body has a mechanism to mop up these escapees. Enzymes in your body break down the red blood cells, including their hemoglobin (the molecule that gives them their distinctive red color).

No problem, right? Except for one thing: when hemoglobin is broken down, its remaining components have a dark blue-black color. Just like a bruise. So your dark under-eye circles are actually caused by leaky capillaries. 

It’s quite possible that capillaries all over your body are leaking small amounts of blood all the time (I don’t know if this is true or not). But the reason dark under-eye circles are so apparent is this: the skin around the eyes is some of the thinnest, most delicate skin of your entire body. The capillaries are much closer to the surface of the skin there. Many people’s skin is not only thinner around the eyes, but also more translucent. The combination of capillaries near the skin’s surface and translucent skin makes this discoloration much more apparent. And that’s why you have those dark under-eye circles staring back at you in the mirror.

Home remedies:

The most effective remedy for dark circles is also the most cliche. Thin slices of cucumber applied to your eyes not only helps to lighten the skin, but also soothes and cools the eyes. This can be especially comforting if you’ve been up late the night before or your eyes are red and tired from allergies or staring at a laptop screen.

The caffeine in tea bags acts as a remedy for dark circles by diminishing puffiness. Caffeine in tea helps to diminish water in the tissues around the eyes (you’ll notice that many early eye circle creams contain caffeine for this very reason). In addition, tea contains antioxidants that are beneficial to the skin. Take a used tea bag (green, black or white) that’s been squeezed out. Make sure it’s cool! Leave it over your eyes for about 10 minutes. You’ll see a noticeable improvement in puffiness and under-eye circles. Be careful not to get tea in your eyes.

Lazy to raid your fridge? Look for eye creams or lotions that contain cucumber extracts or caffeine. Alternatively, you can try this aesthetic treatment – Undereye fillers, to lessen your dark eye circles:

http://www.reviewantiaging.com/undereye-fillers.html

Aesthetics & Beauty Guide (ABG) is the first aesthetics magazine from Singapore to bridge the information gap between medical professionals and the layman. In every issue, you will find detailed treatment reviews , the lowdown on the latest aesthetic treatments available and profiles of qualified medical professionals – basically, your go-to guide for all things aesthetics.

I started ReviewAntiAging.com last year in my personal pursuit to look for the best aesthetic treatments for myself. My partnership with ABG has allowed me to share my vast experience with a wider pool of women (and men!).  In the name of “work”, I’ve reviewed almost 20 treatments and looking at my skin now – smooth, radiant and taut, I’m definitely a big believer that aesthetic treatments can help you get better skin and maintain your complexion for many years to come.

In this inaugural issue of ABG, you’ll get a crash course in Aesthetics 101, reviews of the latest and most effective aesthetic treatments, hear from Dr Georgia Lee as she talks about her new skincare range, get all your acne questions answered by renown dermatologist, Dr Joyce Lim, get the skinny on the newest slimming treatments to get rid of your wobbly bits, and many more health and beauty tips.

ABG is available at all major newstands and bookstores, get your copy before it’s sold out (I hear that Kino and Borders have had to replenish and copies are being stolen from doctors’ clinics)!

I often hear from my readers that they think that aesthetic treatments are too expensive or only relegated to tai-tais. That is just a myth as prices are really competitive now (check out this amazing promotion and my review!) and people from all walks of life are discovering the benefits of aesthetic treatments (look out for my interview next Friday in IS magazine!).

Shirleen Ho

One example is Shirleen Ho, a digital traffic manager and beauty blogger at Womenlovebeauty.com who has been doing aesthetic treatments for the last eight years. Shirleen is also 42 years old! Doesn’t she look much younger? Aesthetic treatments must really be working well for her! Here, she shares her experiences with her aesthetic treatments:

1. When did you start doing aesthetic treatments?

- Eight years ago, in my 30s.

2. What did you do and were you happy with the results?

- I started with microdermabrasion and IPL and were happy with both. This combination treatment made my skin glow.

3. What treatments have you done so far?

- Other than the two above, I have done Titan, Thermage, Fraxel (only eye areas), Pixel, Pigment laser (on cheeks), CO2 laser (only nasolabial fold), Radio Frequency, Botox (on my chin, forehead & brows) and Fillers.

4. Favourite treatment? Least favourite treatment? Why?

- Favourite treatment is probably IPL as I had great results. Least favourite – Pixel laser as I didn’t see any results and Botox on the chin area for face slimming. There was no different before and after the treatment.

5. Advice for women who are thinking of trying aesthetic treatments?

- Do your homework. First, identify what is your skin concern, find out what the various treatments available are, do research on reviews of these treatments then select the ideal doctor to perform the treatment.

Celebrate National Day and womanhood at the same time with this promotion by TOUCHE™ Elite via their Facebook Fanpage, Being WOMAN. Simply click on this link here and get started!

Dr Woffles Wu & me

It’s not every day that you get an invitation to have a private tete-a-tete with Singapore’s most famous doctor, so when fellow blogger, Shirleen, asked if I wanted to have dinner with Dr Woffles Wu at his home, I jumped at the opportunity.

As usual, I was super early and arrived at his modest but very cosy home, catching Dr Wu under the table, trying to work the steamboat pot. All my nervousness about meeting this famous plastic surgeon disappeared when I saw that he was  just a regular guy, trying to make sense of electronic appliances. As I am not exactly electronic-savvy, I wandered to his garden to admire his plants, cockatoo and two cats. Dr Wu actually lives in a separate bungalow at the back of his garden with his wife and two kids – a boy aged 10 and a girl, six. His mum, aunt and two maids live in the house in front which is also a communal gathering place for dinners and family bonding sessions.

Check out all that food!

As the other bloggers arrived, we were led to a huge feast of chicken rice, braised pork, vegetables and steamboat, as well as bottles of wine and champagne. After the usual photo-taking (what do you expect, we are bloggers after all!), everyone sat down and tucked in.

Dr Woffles Wu & bloggers

It’s easy to see why Dr Wu is such a media darling as he is an amicable and very humourous man who entertained us for five hours in a wide range of topics ranging from aesthetic treatments (“It’s aesthetic not aesthetics, just like I’m a plastic surgeon, not a plastics surgeon!” says the good doctor) to transgender procedures and iPhone apps. He answered all our questions eloquently, with his slight British accent, which kinda reminded me of the way MM Lee speaks. I learnt alot during our session, fascinated in particular with The Golden Ratio theory (go Google it!) and his take on the various aesthetic procedures available.

Dr Wu calls himself “old-fashioned” when it comes to advertising, preferring to let his work speak for himself. However, he is, in no way, unsavvy at marketing himself. This dinner is proof – even though it was a casual setting with no agenda, everyone got to know him on a deeper level – as a world-renowned doctor who jets around the world giving lectures, a caring son, husband and father, and a great dinner conversationalist. Guess who I’ll go to when I need any *ahem* maintenance? Dr Woffles Wu, of course!

DNA-RNA Platinum NanoPLUS Treatment

Platinum and silver are used for jewellery but do you know that these precious metals contain anti-bacterial and antioxidants that can be used to achieve exceptional results in skin rejuvenation?

Platinum helps lock in skin moisture while enhancing skin self-defense function. Silver, an anti-bacteria agent used by NASA as a preservative of drinking water, can enhance skin immune system, boost blood circulation, skin metabolism and prevent skin degradation.   

I got a chance to experience this outstanding treatment at TOUCHE™ Elite, and now you can get a chance to try this amazing facial valued at $600 for only $210! Read my review here and then follow the instructions there:

http://www.reviewantiaging.com/dna-rna-platinum-nanoplus-anti-aging-treatment.html