Appearance Medicine specialist Dr Apisalome Talemaitoga is here to keep you looking young.
What is appearance medicine?
Appearance Medicine is a medical field where health professionals use science and medicine to help maintain a youthful appearance. It encompasses basic skin care with sun protection and moisturising; using botulinum toxin (botox) to help smooth out the age-related wrinkles and using injectable gels that can be injected into the soft tissues of the face, lips or neck to help with fill in age-related volume depleted areas of the face. There are other modalities that included removing sun damaged lesions or skin cancers, and laser technology to remove unwanted spots and tattoos.
How popular is appearance medicine in the GLBT community?
Dr Api tells express that his experience suggests the rainbow community are largely meticulous about self care. “Personally I see a lot of GLBT people coming in to ask to see what appearance medicine can offer them” says the doctor.
Appearance medicine is popular in a range of different communities and “aims to find products and techniques that will help refresh your face and expressions but not change the way you look.”
What do the GLBT community look for in appearance medicine?
Appearing youthful is a big concern in the rainbow community, with few people looking to turn to plastic surgery. Appearance medicine procedures like botox are the perfect ways to smooth out unwanted wrinkles and regain a youthful glow without the time, pain, and risks of going under the knife. Dr Api says that the most common requests he receives concern skin-related imperfections and deep wrinkles brought about by lack of moisture in the skin and smoking.
What can the GLBT community do to curb these complaints?
The doctor knows that although appearance medicine will help to remedy your existing problems, the best way to treat these complaints is to avoid them before they begin to cause problems. Dr Api says that “sunscreen is the most important preventative measure for skin,” so be sure to slip, slop and slap whenever you can. He goes on to say giving up cigarettes is another important preventative measure that will keep your face young, and maybe even elongate your life.
Visit Dr Api at Cavendish Family Doctors to find out if appearance medicine is right for you. Go to www.cavendishdoctors.nz
