All parents want the best possible care for their children. However, due to life’s demands, it is not possible for some to be hands-on when taking care of their child 24/7. Parents with careers that require them to be in the office from nine to five can definitely relate to this. For those with children who are much older and have started regular school, the burden of looking after them can be lighter. But for infants and toddlers, the circumstances are different in a great way. Babies within the age of two months to three years old have limited speech and are not able to fend and look after their own selves. They need the assistance and guidance of adults to be able to live. This article aims to help you know more about the advantages of enrolling your toddler or infant at a child care facility in Singapore. First Steps Preschool @ Admiralty is one of the few good choices for childcare in Admiralty, Singapore.

1. An excellent child care facility ensures your child’s safety, security, and enjoys an environment that is conducive for learning.

A child care facility that is accredited by the government has passed strict standards to be able to operate. This means that the place has undergone inspections done by the proper authorities and has all the plans, equipment, and papers set in place to ensure that you will be leaving your child in an environment that will keep them protected from external harm and safe from any untoward incidents or natural disasters. Aside from providing safety and security, a child care facility is also a place that is conducive for learning and, of course, clean.

2. An excellent child care facility offers a gold standard curriculum.

Choosing to enrol your child in a child care facility does not mean they are going there for a vacation. If that is the case, then you are not getting the value for the money you are paying. An excellent child care facility should have a gold standard curriculum in place. Infants and toddlers may only have a few words in their vocabulary at their very young age, but that does not mean that they are not learning. In fact, this is the crucial age where a child begins to develop their brain. Whatever your child learns at this age will have a great impact in how he or she grows and develops. This impact can last for a lifetime, so you would want your child to receive only the best care and education suited for this stage in his or her life. Curriculums that are effective for infants and toddlers focus on their holistic development. For infants, activities that promote the development of their sensory abilities, as well as skills for early language and literacy are best. Toddlers are on a more advanced level and their activities are more centred on developing a child’s cognitive, emotional, physical, and social skills.

3. An excellent child care facility has the appropriate number of educators and staff that oversee the children’s well-being.

A child care facility caters to a lot of children. Because of this, the government authority responsible for regulating the centres has specific guidelines that should be implemented by the management of child care operations. The ratio of staff to children is one requirement that child care facilities are expected to fulfil. It would be an extra effort for parents, but it would be a lot helpful on their end to know what the set guidelines are when it comes to this aspect, so they would be able to properly gauge whether their chosen child care facility follows government mandates responsibly. A child care facility that has the accurate number of staff to children can ensure parents that their children are very well watched and cared for.

4. An excellent child care facility offers a healthy menu for children to eat.

Learning effectively does not only involve lessons and activities. Food also plays a great part in the development of every child. Meals that are well-balanced, healthy, and nutritious are good for your child’s body and brain development. An excellent child care facility is able to provide this. Likewise, a child care centre that puts the well-being of the children as a top priority is able to cater to special dietary requirements, should a child need one.

5. An excellent child care facility involves the parents in their child’s development.

“Partnership” is the keyword parents should look out for when considering a child care facility. As a parent, you definitely would want to hear about how your child’s development is progressing and an excellent child care facility is able to do just that. Aside from this, a top child care facility is also open to hearing out feedback and suggestions from parents. Parents and the educators and staff in the child care facility should go hand in hand as partners when it comes to ensuring that a child gets the best possible care at home and in the centre.

First Steps Preschool @ Admiralty
701 Woodlands Drive 40
Singapore 730701
+65 6365 6535

South Korean women, especially those who are in the K-pop industry are known to have high beauty standards. Not only with their body shape but also facial features, such as lips, nose, and jaws. These high standards have caused many girls in Korea, including celebrities, to undergo plastic surgery and one of them rumoured to be having one is IU.

Lee Ji-Eun, professionally known as IU, a 26-year-old South Korean singer-songwriter and actress is popularly known for her sweet porcelain-doll image. She debuted when she was so young at the age of 15 and as she grew up, netizens claimed that she could have had a couple of things done on her face.

Young IU used to look chubby with jaws that visibly form round corners on her face. On the other hand, present-day IU appears to have jaws that are not as visible anymore and instead, she now possesses a V line face which she didn’t have before. Of course, changes happen when puberty hits, but does the singer’s beauty come from successful puberty or is it from a V line face plastic surgery?

What is the V line face?

The V line face is a highly sought-after look in Korea and the popularity of this beauty trend has spread throughout the entire world, especially here in Singapore.

Research has shown that if certain geometrical proportions and ratios of the face are met, it can make a face more symmetrical. Especially the triangular pattern between the eyes, nose, mouth, and chin is all taken in at the same time. Any irregularity to it could be easily noticed, so if you have any troubles with having a short chin and notably large jaw then you may be one of the growing numbers of people interested in undergoing a V line face surgery.

Who needs V line face surgery?

Patients undergoing V Line operation are typically victims of injuries or accidents and need facial reconstruction. But mostly, the patients that are undergoing the operation are those that are unhappy with their chin or jawlines or feel those structures give them a more masculine appearance.

In this case, the operation should only be carried out by a person having either of the following conditions:

• Long jaw which is not proportionate to the face
• Overly square or U-shaped jawline
• Overly masculine jaw shape
• Angular and flat jaws
• Bloated or “chubby” cheeks
• Double chin
• Long jaw which is not proportionate to the face

This cosmetic surgery involves adjusting your jawline to the desired form while considering other characteristics of your face. This procedure has gained popularity throughout the years, and many plastic surgery clinics in Singapore have popped up like the TES Clinic, to serve the cause. TES Clinic has qualified and experienced surgeons who can change your face from a strong and rugged to a gentle, sleek look with the main objective that makes sure that the patient will feel more confident with their face after the surgery. For any more concerns regarding V line surgery, you can contact the TES Clinic today.

How does it work?

V line face surgery is primarily a type of simultaneous jaw reduction and osteotomy. But first, a reputable surgeon starts with planning a 3D model of the patient’s faces and how it would look after the surgery. Since each individual is unique and has different needs, the surgery is customized based on the patient’s case.

After a detailed consultation and review, in which the surgical specifics are fully explained, the surgeon can set an appointment to proceed with the actual surgery. The surgeon will begin designing a precise reduction of the angled bone along the mandible followed by the incision so that he can remove the excess bone from the jaw and chin.

The amount of bone cut depends on how large the bone of the jaw or of the chin is. A T or inverted V osteotomy is performed on the chin bone while the jaw bone is cut from the bottom. After this step, it’s time for the surgeon to do the stitching and sutures following the bone removal, and pins are then placed on the chin during recovery to hold the bone in place which usually takes about a year.

Your desired results will depend a great deal on your hopes and the extensive pre-op preparation you have done with your surgeon.

Surgery Methods

The four primary methods for V-line surgery are as follows:

• T-shaped Osteotomy
  • This technique requires horizontal cutting, accompanied by a vertical cutting, which produces a “T” shape for the chin.
• Inverted “V” Shape Osteotomy
  • It is the most sophisticated form of V-line operation, in which the chin can be cut invertedly without any additional procedures to reduce its width and height.
• Horizontal Osteotomy
  • This is a conventional chin-reduction approach where the chin is cut horizontally, to create an appealing V-line for chins that are too long.
• L-shape Shift Method
  • The L-shift is the best way to reduce a protruding or long chin. The affected part of the chin bone is cut horizontally and fixed. The excess bones are then normally trimmed and fixed underneath the chin.

Risks and Complications

Whether IU underwent V line face surgery is true or not, the decision of undergoing the surgery is extremely personal. Before committing to the procedure, you should balance the potential benefits of achieving your goals by considering the risks and potential complications of V line surgery. To help you have a more informed decision, here are some of the risks and complications associated with V line surgery:

• Infection
• Nerve injury
• Fluid accumulation
• Blood loss
• Persistent soreness
• Sutures can emerge through the skin, that may cause irritation
• Need for further surgical intervention in some cases
• Numbness or other changes in skin sensation
• Difficulty in eating
• Skin irregularities and discolouration
• The surgery is permanent. So, if you don’t like what you see once you’re fully healed, you’ll have to go through another operation to fix it.
• Recovery can take at least a month.

TES Clinic for Face & Jaw
304 Orchard Road,
Lucky Plaza Suites #05-42, Medical Specialists,
Singapore 238863
+65 9735 9930

In this age of social media, it is easy to mask your true image by applying filters to photos. Having a bad week due to breakouts? Just tap on a “beauty” filter to hide those annoying blemishes and look flawlessly fresh in your profile pic. If only these filters can be applied daily to real life!

Sadly they cannot. And this is true even for celebrities. Here are five celebrities who took to Instagram to celebrate their freckled faces:

1. Kesha – American singer, songwriter, and rapper Kesha posted a photo on Instagram in January of 2019 with a resolution to love herself and “let my freckles liiiiiiiive.” Her no-makeup selfie showed brown specks covering almost her entire face.
2. Kylie Jenner – Back in 2016, Kylie made a “freckle appreciation post” on one of her Instagram posts, showing off hints of freckles across her nose and cheekbones.
3. Kendall Jenner – Vogue magazine and Kendall Jenner caused a stir in 2018 when the model posed with Afro hair. Besides the hair controversy, Kendall look au naturale with her freckles obviously spread on her bare face.
4. Tyra Banks – using the hashtag #RawAndReal, supermodel Tyra Banks revealed her struggles with wanting to use filters to hide her dark circles but shrugged off the thought. Faint freckles were also seen on her nose.
5. Lucy Liu – Apparently, Charlie’s angels are not exempt from facial flaws. Lucy Liu’s freckles showed through even when her selfie with a baby cheetah posted on Instagram was in greyscale.

Some people learn to love their freckles, while others do not. If you are part of the latter group of people, you might want to learn about the benefits of using certain types of laser for pigmentation. You can get these treatments at aesthetics clinics like One Face.

Dealing with pigmentation

Pigmentation, in general, is not a bad thing. It is, in fact, what gives our skin colour. The trouble comes when the production of pigmentation goes overboard. Excessive production of pigmentation can cause various flaws, altering its even tone and composition at certain regions of the skin. They can be quite unflattering when found on the face.

The following are pigmentation problems that are normally found on the face’s skin:

• Age spots
• Freckles
• Hori’s Naevus
• Melasma
• Pigmentation bumps
• Post-inflammatory Hyperpigmentation
• Solar Lentigo

The factors that can cause these abnormalities are different, but a common reason is unprotected exposure to the sun for long periods of time. If you barely get to experience sunlight and still have pigmentation problems, then these can be your usual suspects:

• Ageing
• Allergic reactions to skincare products
• Family history of pigmentation issues
• Hormonal changes
• Injury to or inflammation in the skin

Down with the pigments

Clear and flawless skin is synonymous to beauty today. No wonder the demand for aesthetic treatments are on a high! Perhaps one of the most popular treatments used for pigmentation problems are laser machines.

Lasers emit highly charged light beams that target the dark pigmentation and break them into tiny, powder-like particles that get absorbed by the body and released as waste.

Differences of lasers for pigmentation

Not all lasers work the same. In Singapore, there are two types of lasers typically used to remove pigmentation:

• Q-Switched Lasers
• Pico Lasers

Basically, the two lasers work the same but differ with the way they release light pulses and shatter pigments. Q-switched lasers emit light beams at nano or one-billionth of a second. On the other hand, Pico lasers emit light beams at a pico or one-trillionth of a second. Q-switched laser successfully breakdown pigments into small portions, while Pico lasers go even further by pulverising these small portions into microparticles.

Aside from being able to clear unwanted pigmentation, lasers are also able to promote collagen production, improving the skin’s elasticity.

Do’s and don’ts when getting laser for pigmentation

Here are some tips of what to do and not to do when getting treatment using laser for pigmentation:

DO’s

• Do inform your doctor if you have any other cosmetic procedures (e.g. Botox, dermal fillers, etc.) done on the target area prior to your laser treatment to ensure that the procedure can still be carried out without complications.
• Do inform your doctor about medications that you are currently prior to scheduling your laser treatment.
• Do shower or take a bath before coming for your treatment.
• Do shave any excess hair from the target area for treatment.
• Do use sunblocks, at least SPF 30, daily for protection against the sun’s UV rays.
• Do take the medical prescriptions provided by your doctor, if any, following your laser for pigmentation procedure.

DON’Ts

• Do not put any lotions, oil, creams, or fragrance on the target area on the day of your laser for pigmentation treatment.
• Do not use any UV tanning products two weeks prior your pigmentation removal procedure.
• Do not use UV tanning beds a month before your pigmentation removal procedure.

One Face Skin & Aesthetics Clinic
1 Tras Link, #02-01 Orchid Hotel,
Singapore 078867
+65 6222 2262

The skin is the first thing that will be noticed when you look at the persons’ face. Smooth skin is one factor that boosts your confidence. But if you are one of the few that is not blessed with a smooth, glowing youthful skin, then you have to deal with pimples and acne scars-forever!

I know you already have emptied several sticks or containers of concealer just to hide those stubborn acne scars. I bet you also tried many home remedies from the internet to get rid of those acne scars. Did they work? I don’t think so. You will not be reading this if those remedies did work. Lol! But don’t worry, there is an effective way to get rid of those acne scars. Cambridge Therapeutics offers the best and effective treatments for acne scar removal in Singapore. Keep reading this article to know more about the treatment they offer for acne scars.

Fast Facts

What is an Acne Scar?

Acne scars are usually the results of blemishes that have been inflamed caused by skin pores full of excess oil, bacteria, and dead skin cells. The follicle wall breaks when the pores swell, infected material from the skin spill out and create deeper lesions to the tissues around it. If the lesions are shallow, it will heal just heal quickly. The new collagen helps the healing but the repair will not restore your original skin.

Main types of acne scar:

Keloid scarring- this type of acne scars results in lumpy red scars. Most commonly seen around the jawline, neck, chest and back area.

Boxcar acne scars– depressed scars that are shallow to medium in depth. Mostly located on the cheeks and temples.

Ice pick acne scars- deep scars that reach the lower layer of the skin.

Rolling and depressed acne scars– it develops when there is a loss of tissue. It creates a wavy texture in the skin.

Mixed acne scars– this the most common form of acne scars. Most people have a mixture of acne scars and since they are different from one another they require different treatments.

Treatment

There are home remedies that you can do to prevent acne scars like washing your face often with a face wash for oily skin or use a cleanser daily to clean your skin and your pores breathe. You can also use an exfoliating scrub or an acne cream. Also, avoid popping your pimples and picking at scabs. However, if your acne scar cannot be managed by these home remedies you might need to have it checked by a doctor for the next level treatment.

One of the best beauty clinics in Singapore that offers acne scar removal treatment is Cambridge Therapeutics. They offer two types of acne scar removal treatment: Neogen Plasma and Venus Viva Doctor-Grade Skin Resurfacing.

Neogen Plasma

It is a revolutionary acne scar removal treatment offered by Cambridge Therapeutics in Singapore that has a strong skin regeneration effect and sebum secretion suppression effect. Even severe inflamed adult acne can be treated by Neogen Plasma.

How does it work?

Neogen plasma uses plasma energy for skin regeneration and healing. It is not a laser treatment. It is suitable for everybody most especially with people who have sensitive skin. The treatment is gentle and it does not have a downtime. Aside from acne scar removal, Neogen plasma can also treat acne treatment, melasma, enlarged pores, psoriasis, eczema, and pigmentation.

Five advantages of Neogen Plasma

1. Deep dermis healing
2. Strong anti-bacterial effect
3. Skin peeling effect
4. No oral medication
5. Increase the efficiency of skin absorption

Cost

The treatment’s cost starts at $400 but It usually depends on the part of the face that will be treated. You also have to consider other fees like the doctor’s fee or consultation fee.

Venus Viva Doctor-Grade Skin Resurfacing

Cambridge Therapeutics’ Viva treatment uses Nano Fractional Radio Frequency and SmartSCAN Technology to rebuild collagen by delivering energy to skin and generating heat. It is designed by doctors that use medical-grade equipment that is FDA approved for dermatological procedures. Venus Viva treatment is very effective for removing acne scars which provide fast recovery and full skin rejuvenation. It is non-invasive, safe and no downtime. After the treatment, you will be able to go back to your daily activities.

Venus Viva can treat the following skin problems:

• Acne scars
• Enlarge pores
• Loose skin
• Wrinkles
• Fine lines
• Stretch marks
• Skin pigmentation

There is a bonus in choosing Venus Viva, aside from treating your skin problems it can also tighten your skin. The recommended treatment you need is once or twice a week if it is your initial. For maintenance, you can have it once a month.

Cambridge Therapeutics received certification from Platinum Status Venus Centre in Singapore for achieving the highest level of excellence in providing Venus treatments.

Sylvia Chan on Neogen Plasma

Actress, host, and co-founder of NOC (Night Owl Cinematics), Sylvia Chan, underwent Neogen Plasma in Cambridge Therapeutics. The Youtube star and co-founder of NOC a Singapore-based production company admitted that she is not blessed with good skin and needed professional help to treat it. Dr Lee of Cambridge Therapeutics helped Sylvia with her skin and acne problems. She was advised to go under Neogen Plasma paired with skin products that will help get rid of her skin problems. According to Sylvia, she saw a great improvement in less than a year. That means Neogen Plasma is very effective. She also mentioned that she was not scared during the treatment because it was painless. She also likes how her doctor listens to her skin problems and feels like a friend.

Takeaway

Acne scar removal depends on the person. Some think the acne scar is not so bad. There are others feel that it affects their everyday lives. If you feel that it limits your opportunity like getting a job, then you can have a consultation and ask from a recommendation about what is best for your acne scars. Always remember, safe and effective treatment of acne scars starts with a consultation from a good doctor.

Cambridge Therapeutics
391B Orchard Rd #08-05A2 Tower B Ngee Ann City,
Singapore 238874
+65 6733 6729

Retinal detachment can strike anyone, anywhere and at any time. This is what Singapore singer-songwriter Dick Lee found out when he was 21. After a night of partying out and celebrating his birthday, Lee woke up the next morning seeing black spots that obstructed his vision. It was later found out that his eye suffered from a detached retina. This eye condition is critical as it can cause complete blindness when not treated immediately. Thankfully, Lee was able to seek proper treatment and underwent a retinal detachment surgery to save his eyesight. This account was shared by Dick Lee himself back in 2016 when he became an ambassador for the VisionSave campaign.

If you are on your guard about experiencing the same harrowing account faced by Dick Lee, read this article to learn more about how retinal detachment surgery can save your vision. Doctors from Asia Retina are specialists in this procedure and they provide us with their expert advice about the subject in this post.

Facts about retinal detachment

The eye’s retina plays an important part when it comes to vision processing. It is a thin tissue lines up the inside of the back of the eye and is responsible for processing light image that is focused by the cornea and lens into the eye. The retina transports these to the different portions of the brain, which then allows us to know and understand what we are seeing.

The retina can be damaged. When this happens, the condition of the eye is placed at risk and failure to have this treated with urgency can lead to serious consequences.

Retinal detachment can be caused by breaks, holes, or tears in the retina. Often times, these are caused by the spontaneous separation of the vitreous gel from the retina. The following are the initial signs may lead to a detached retina:

• Eye floaters
• Flashing lights (photopsias)

Signs that your eye condition has progressed into retinal detachment include:

• A dark shadow that affects a portion of the eye’s vision, which can eventually reach the eye’s central vision

Individuals at risk of retinal detachment

Below are the conditions that can place an individual at high risk of experiencing a detached retina:

• Individuals who have experienced retinal detachment in an eye in the past
• Individuals who underwent cataract surgery
• Individuals whose eye has suffered a major injury or trauma beforehand
• Individuals whose family’s health history include this eye condition
• Individuals over the age of 40 years
• Individuals diagnosed with myopia (nearsighted)

Surgery for retinal detachment in Singapore

A surgery is needed to restore the eye’s function in the occurrence of a detached retina. There are two ways to perform a retinal detachment in Singapore:

• Scleral buckle
• Vitrectomy

Surgery done by scleral buckling can be done in 45 minutes and is performed in the following steps:

1. Application of local anaesthesia with sedation or general anaesthesia,
2. Application of numbing and dilating eye drops,
3. Creation of a cut to the eye’s outer layer (Sclera),
4. Setting and stitching of a buckle around the sclera to support the retina by pushing outer layer to reattach itself to the retina and seal any holes or tears,
5. Additional procedures, like cryopexy or laser photocoagulation, can be done to avoid the recurrence of the detachment,
6. Draining of any excess fluids behind the retina,
7. Finally, application of antibiotic eye drops to avoid infection.

Surgery done by Vitrectomy follows this process:

1. Application of local anaesthesia with sedation or general anaesthesia,
2. Cleansing the eye with an antiseptic solution,
3. Draping the eye with a sterile cover,
4. Attaching of an eyelid speculum to keep the eye open during the procedure,
5. Creation of a small cut (about .5 mm) on the outer layer of the eye,
6. Accessing of the eye through the pars plana, part of the eye’s Sclera,
7. Insertion of a microscope and fibre-optic light to see the inside of the eye,
8. Use of a vitrectomy probe to cut the vitreous gel,
9. Use of a suction tool to remove the vitreous gel,
10. Depending on the eye’s condition, the surgeon may peel back the scar tissue away from the retina, drain any unwanted and harmful fluid from the eye, or use a laser probe to destroy abnormal growth of blood vessels and close any holes or tears in the retina,
11. Replacing the vitreous gel with either a saline solution, silicone oil, or gas bubble,
12. Application of antibiotic ointment to the treated eye,
13. Covering of the treated eye for protection while recovering.

Retinal detachment prevention

While we always say that prevention is better than cure, it is unfortunate that the same cannot be said about retinal detachment. However, for people who are at high risk of experiencing one, such as those with myopia or a family history of this condition, it is best that you consult with your ophthalmologist to get your eyes checked for early detection of retinal tears or holes and apply treatment that can lower your chance of getting a detached retina.

Asia Retina – Eye Specialist in Singapore
#15-10 The Paragon, 290 Orchard Rd,
Singapore 238859
+65 6732 0007