8 questions to ask your aesthetic doctor   Being in the know is your best protection if you’re considering any aesthetic procedure, says JANICE YONG.     bOTOX, CHEMICAL PEELS, intense pulsed light (IPL) and fractional lasers – they are but some of the aesthetic procedures that account for the booming industry in Singapore, estimated to be worth $200 million a year. And the numbers, as well as the type of treatments offered, and the number of women open to the idea of such treatments, are growing. In March, the Ministry of Health (MOH) warned the public about 11 controversial aesthetic procedures here: microneedling dermaroller, mesotherapy, skinwhitening injections, colon cleansing for detoxifi cation, carboxytherapy, endermologie, growth hormone therapy to combat ageing, stemcell application for skin rejuvenation, vacustyler, slidestyler and bio-resonance. With hundreds of aesthetic treatments and procedures – and more than 1,000 doctors offering them – how do you make sense of the myriad treatments available? And how do you go about choosing a doctor for your needs? Before undergoing any form of treatment, be prepared and informed about the possible risks, recovery period and expected results by asking the right questions. Treat it like you would any other form of surgery – it is your life and looks at stake after all. 1 Can I see your certification? Ask to see certificates of where and when your doctor was trained. Singapore doesn’t have its own aesthetic medicine certification board but some local doctors have been certified by the American Academy of Aesthetic Medicine, which provides intensive, hands-on courses for board certification. If you’re thinking of invasive procedures like eyelid surgery, liposuction, breast enlargement or a facelift, you’re shopping around for a plastic surgeon. Dr Ivor Lim, plastic surgeon and medical director of The Medspa says: “Documents to look out for include: Certification of Specialist Acceditation in Plastic Surgery, issued by the Ministry of Health, as well as the Certificate of Specialist Registration issued by the Singapore Medical Council.” Dr Lim adds that plastic surgeons will also be Fellows of the Academy of Medicine and have FAMS (Plastic Surgery) at the end of their names. 2 Can I tour the clinic? Hygiene and sterility are crucial in a clinic. Although MOH routinely inspects clinics to ensure they adhere to hygiene standards, Dr Alvin Wong, medical director of SKN MediAesthetics, says you should keep an eye out too. Treatment areas should be well-ventilated, clean, uncluttered and without carpets. A clinic that’s messy, with machines and equipment cluttered about untidily, may compromise on cleanliness. Sloppylooking support staff may also not be particularly meticulous with hygiene and sterility. For operations performed under sedation or general anaesthesia, there should be full monitoring facilities and a recovery area where patients are monitored post-op. 3 Can I see samples of your past work? Ask to see “Before & After” patient photos. Make sure the pictures are of actual patients, and not taken off the Internet or from some other doctor. And look at a series of patients’ photos to ensure that your doctor can produce consistently good results. “Be mindful of whether the before and after results are real or modified,” says Dr Kelvin Chua, medical director and aesthetic physician at Skinlab Medical Spa. “Compare the photos to ensure characteristics like moles and stretchmarks are in similar positions.”   MAIN PHOTO CORBIS PRODUCT PHOTOGRAPHY JUSTIN LOH