spider veins are a common problem and complaint for both men and women and we at SAI are continually evolving our treatment protocols for “better result-less downtime” procedures. There are various options when treating visible spider veins, but they all seem to include pain, surgery, needles or downtime…. Until now!

At SAI we offer Laser Leg Vein Removal

Our Palomar® Laser offers you a non-invasive and no-downtime option to clear your legs of spider veins. The laser uses pulses of light to degenerate the vein. By targeting the veins responsible for visible leg veins with the correct laser wavelength the vessel itself constricts and disappears before your eyes.

How does it work?

The laser light passes through the epidermis, only affecting blood vessels, so there is no injury to outer skin – therefore making the procedure virtually pain free. Laser treatment for spider and reticular leg veins with Palomar technology uses a 1064nm wavelength laser to send energy into the vein walls, where it is absorbed by haemoglobin.

The haemoglobin is heated by the absorption of energy, and the vessel coagulates (congeals) and closes off. The constricted vessel then degenerates, and the leg vein is no longer visible from the surface of the skin.

This means quick, pain free and effective treatments for you – and you don’t have to be injected, worry about infection or scars.

Benefits to our SAI Patients:

• High patient satisfaction
• 100% non-invasive
• Fast and effective treatment
• Zero downtime
• Comfortable treatments

If you are interested in finding out more about our spider and spider vein treatments, please call SAI on 011 883 3116 or simply book an appointment and let a member of our team help you achieve your spider free leg dreams.

There is no doubt that combination treatments work wonders in turning back the hands of time. In most cases combination treatments refer to combining i.e. Botox and Dermal fillers or Chemical Peels and Micro-needling, but we are achieving better and better aesthetic results by simply combining areas for treatment.

Combining areas very often offers more cost effective treatments that treat specific areas with fantastic but natural results.

Lips and chin

The mouth is often in the centre of attention. It is also particularly exposed to ageing, both from sun, wind and our South African lifestyle, but also because you use it every day when you laugh and talk. Similarly a subtle change to your chin can change the profile of your face and alter your visible age. Treating the Lips and Chin area can take you from sour and sad to shapely and beautiful without making an obvious change to your facial characteristic.

Dermal fillers like Restylane can be used to restore lost volume, smooth out wrinkles or simply to rehydrate your lips. Restylane can also be used to alter the shape of your chin. Botox is also very common in the lip and chin area to subtly manipulate your jawline and to soften “smoker lines”

Cheeks and nose

Treating this “midface” region your face can regain lost volume in a subtle and natural way. By replacing the volume in some parts of the face you can achieve a more youthful look by recreating that “upside down Triangle”. The ageing process leads to sagging cheeks that create jowls and nasolabial folds. Simply adding volume to the cheek area will turn back the age clock subtly.

Treating the nose can also add symmetry and with Botox and Fillers we can lift the tip, drop the tip, straighten out the bridge and even widen the nostrils. Cheek and nose procedures will soften wrinkles and create facial symmetry.

Eyes and forehead

There are a number of treatment options when it comes the eyes and forehead. Botox was first introduced in aesthetic medicine to treat glabellar lines and forehead wrinkles. Chemical Peels also work wonders in rejuvenation the area. A treatment with Restylane can smooth away worry and frown lines, and give your tired eyes a soft lift to achieve that fresh look you want.

Wrinkles and lines do not always add character to a face – sometimes it actually gives the opposite impression. Forehead and eye treatment combinations brighten your face and enliven your eyes. This makes you look young subtly.

Skin hydration

As a rule everyone interested in anti-ageing should be interested in skin hydration. Hydrated skin is plump and moist, as it is when you are a baby. Thick and hydrated skin has less ability to show wrinkles. The hydration also aids in skin elasticity and this results in firmer skin with less sag causing wrinkles.

Homecare and Restylane Vital restore the Hydrobalance and improve skin structures and elasticity of the skin to make the skin soft and smooth with lustre and glow.

At SAI we use scientifically proven products and techniques to improve skin quality and can be used to rejuvenate for example the face, neck, décolletage and hands.

Conclusion

If you have an area of concern but are worried about cost or an unnatural result, fear not. Latest techniques and procedures allow for specific areas to be treated, and these treatments are designed to softly affect the rest of the face. Now you can still age gracefully, just not as fast…

If you are interested in learning more about combination area treatments, please call SAI on 011 883 3116 and book your appointment with Dr Clark now.

An international faculty attended the AMWC from 4-6^th April 2013, with members from over 95 countries. As well as to keeping up with worldwide practices, Dr Clark attends this congress as the South African representative for Restylane to not only teach and lecture, but also to enhancement the capabilities at SAI.

Constantly on the lookout for the development of Preventive and Anti-Aging Medicine, Dr Clark had the opportunity to attend numerous advanced academic and clinical sessions with lectures presented by experts in the field as well as from research centres and universities.

This congress is the premium preventative and anti-aging congress and Dr Clark and his team will introduce the new techniques and procedures to you during your next visit.

To make your appointment with Dr Clark at SAI, please call 011 883 3116

Winter is the perfect time to treat those unsightly spider veins. Wearing warm winter clothes allows for a big vein free leg reveal in spring. So start the protocols now with our May 2013 specials.

For the month of May 2013 only, SAI are discounting their Laser Leg Vein Removal treatment by 20%.

The normal cost is R6700, but for May 2013 only you can benefit from varicose vein free legs for as little as R5360.

Call the team at SAI now on 011 883 3116 to book your first appointment.

Ask about our Silkpeel Treatments

In our teens we all experience or expect some form of acne based purely on pubescent hormones, but the occurrence in adults is something entirely different and needs to be treated as such.

The modern lifestyle of stress and environmental pressure are key triggers for adult acne and we at SAI are seeing more and more patients, both men and women, presenting with this condition.

Psychological impact

Adult acne can have a significant psychological impact on both ones social and professional life and we at SAI consistently upgrade treatment options to solve the acne problem. Depression or lack of self-confidence are closely related to the onset of adult acne, and that is why Dr Clark and his team at SAI keep themselves so up to date with latest acne treatments.

Botulinum Toxin for clinical indications

Botulinum toxin (Botox®) has and is used at SAI to treat clinical indications like:

• Sweaty palms/soles
• Sweaty underarms
• Migraines

Now more and more patients are turning to Botulinum toxin for acne treatment, and in trained hands the treatment is proving successful.

Botox for adult acne

Dr Clark can now inject Botox ® directly into the skin to reduce large pores, excess oil production and therefore acne breakouts. Acne occurs when your sebaceous glands produce excessive amounts of sebum (oil) into pores in the skin. This excess oil is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria, which in turn, causes the pores to become inflamed forming pimples.

It is believed that the injection of Botox® into the skin blocks chemical receptors responsible for excess sebum production, and similarly temporarily paralyses the tiny muscles in the skin responsible for expanding pores.

Not for everyone

This treatment protocol for acne is not for everyone, and Dr Clark will need to assess your skin condition and hormone levels before administering Botulinum toxin for adult acne. Dr Clark will also not treat teenagers using this technique.

Alternative treatment options for acne include:

• Chemical Peels
• Laser
• Dermal Fillers
• Homecare regime
• Silkpeel

The team at SAI will be able to assist you whatever your acne problem, be it hormonal, stress related or in puberty. The most important decision you make is to be treated by an expert in the acne arena.

For more information call the rooms on: 011 883 3116

If you had asked 5 years ago what the limits of dermal fillers would be, the unanimous conclusion would have been that lip filling, wrinkle correction and cheek augmentation would be where the progression would end. Aren’t you glad we were all wrong? In fact today we see dermal fillers driving evolution in aesthetic medicine and only the top doctors are able to stay abreast of the market changes.

What is driving this continued evolution?

As more and more people are becoming accustomed to using dermal or soft tissue fillers in the treatment of wrinkles and facial augmentation the industry is gaining a clearer picture of the longevity and safety of dermal fillers. This means that trained doctors with a special interest in aesthetic medicine are trusting filler products in areas otherwise thought impossible to treat.

With this product trust comes technique progress and placement advancements. This means patient demand and understanding is now matching trained doctors skill and more and more areas for dermal filler injection are becoming available.

Common areas for treatment

Dr Clark still suggests that the most commonly requested treatment areas are:

• Wrinkle correction
• Cheek enhancement
• Lip volumising
• Skin rejuvenation

More and more however he is seeing requests for:

• Tear trough correction
• Non-surgical rhinoplasty
• Hand and neck rejuvenation
• Facelift mimic treatments

The future of dermal filler treatments

Not many people are aware how important the mid-face is in the treatment of wrinkles and Dr Clark believes that soon, tear trough rejuvenation and cheek enhancement will be matched in popularity with non-surgical rhinoplasty as the most common aesthetic procedures.

Non-surgical Rhinoplasty

Non-surgical nose reshaping is the perfect procedure for any man or woman who has less severe irregularities of the nose and who is looking for a non-invasive, non-surgical procedure to improve the shape and contour of their nose.

A non-surgical nose job can:

• Disguise bumps,
• Improve hooked noses,
• Lift tips,
• Fix asymmetry,
• Lift bridges

All with virtually no downtime, low cost, very low risk and fantastic, predictable results

Injecting into the nose can be tricky for the inexperienced, but Dr Clark is a pioneer in the non-surgical rhinoplasty technique and has developed various techniques to predictably and safely treat ailments in the nose. It is important to understand though that there are limitations when undergoing non-surgical rhinoplasty and if need be Dr Clark will refer you to a qualified plastic surgeon.

Cushion Injections

“Cushion” Injections refer to carefully placed product into the heel or ball of the foot to assist with wearing of uncomfortable shoes and heels. Many women believe in the aesthetics of heels but the pain deems them impossible to wear. Not any longer.

Dr Clark has discovered a technique to inject dermal fillers beneath the heel or ball of the foot, or both to effectively cushion the pressure from wearing heels. Hence the term “cushion” injection.

As with all new dermal filler placements however you must ensure you work with a trained professional. Cushion injections do have risks and complication factors to consider and Dr Clark might require you to undergo a scan of the foot before injecting to ensure safety and longevity of the product.

The future?

Dermal fillers injected into the heel and ball of the foot is a clear indication that there is scope for dermal fillers to be used to correct body defects and aid in comfort. There will be more and more drive from patients to avoid undergoing the knife and mimicking surgical results will a continuing evolution in dermal fillers. If you have any suggestions please feel free to leave a comment on our Facebook page and we will get back to you, alternatively, please make an appointment to see Dr Clark now by calling 011 883 3116.

For the second year in a row, the team at You Magazine Makeover have contacted Dr Clark at SAI to assist in awarding a FREE makeover to a lucky reader. Aimed at giving someone a second chance on life, You Magazine select a suitable lady or man to undergo various treatments to refresh their look and give them a new start.

Dr Clark and his team at SAI are delighted to give something back and assisting in the transformation from melancholy patient to a proud and confident woman is worth the time and effort. The treatments will begin shortly, and the magazine will be available on the shelves this October.

With the consistent growth in popularity of aesthetic medicine it is little wonder that patients are starting to budget treatments into their monthly routine. Similar to hair and nail budgets Dr Clark and his team are finding aesthetic success with long-term patients returning consistently for multiple but minor treatments.

A Changing mind-set

Internationally Matrix Treatments or “calendar treatments” have been the norm but the South African public being new to aesthetic medicine have been taken by the dramatic once-off anti-ageing results performed at SAI and shied away.

Slowly however with guidance from the team at SAI this mind-set is changing and more and more women are retuning for milder, minimal downtime procedures to turn back the hands of time, over time.

What are Matrix treatments?

Dr Clark and his team at SAI offer a variety of Matrix Treatments. They are in a nutshell an on-going treatment protocol to minimise downtime while achieving significant anti-ageing goals.  Instead of undergoing multiple treatments in a day or week, the team at SAI are finding that aesthetic treatments spaced over the course of a year will not only have you looking younger for longer but ultimately reduce your spending.

The theory is that the allowing time to heal between treatments will allow accurate further anti-ageing correction. Also by undergoing consistent treatments you will be exposed to all treatment options that treat very specific indications.

Example of a custom annual matrix treatment protocol

By the end of the year you will have experienced all aspects of aesthetic medicine will have the benefit of undergoing all of them at optimum times for optimum results. Of course this is simply an example, and each Matrix Treatment program can and will be customised according to your monthly budget and desired outcome.

If you would like to know more about te optimum treatment period based on your skin and desired outcome then please don’t hesitate to contact Nicolette  on 011 883 3116, who in conjunction with Dr Clark, will devise a matrix for you

A leading light at the WCAM 2013, Dr Clark has returned to SAI with a few new strings to add to his bow…..

As a key opinion leader and international representative for:

• Restylane
• Palomar
• Dermapen
• Syneron
• Botox

Dr Clark has the esteemed privilege of being privy to new product launches and mingling with the international who’s who. Being recognised as a peer amongst this group makes it easier to swop ideas and share tips in all things aesthetic and now some of these ideas are available at SAI.

Don’t be shy to ask any questions about any of the above procedures or others available at SAI.

For many years doctors with an interest in aesthetic medicine have known the anti-ageing benefits of needling. The treatments however were tedious and slow, and when compared to the likes of laser and chemical peels the results were not drastic enough to offer the procedure regularly. That is until SAI introduced the Dermapen.

The science behind needling

The principle idea behind needling is that micro injuries to the skin promote collagen and elastin growth as a by-product to healing. Essentially, as your body heals the skin increases the production of collagen and elastin and this production leads to fresher, younger looking skin.

By creating micro injuries there is no real tissue damage and the produced collagen and elastin are therefore in excess to normal skin condition. As collagen and elastin are key building blocks in your skin ability to fight the onset of wrinkles it makes sense to stimulate as much growth as possible.

What does the Dermapen treat?

By providing skin rejuvenation boosts the team at SAI have successfully treated a number of difficult skin conditions including:

• Acne scars
• Surgical scars
• Wrinkles and fine lines
• Stretch marks

These conditions do have alternative treatment options, and the team at SAI will decide what treatment course is best for you, but in most cases the price and minimal downtime will lead them to favour the Dermapen.

What makes Dermapen so special?

In the past needling techniques were slow and painful, and as technology advanced doctors tried to invent “rollers” and other devices to speed up the treatment time. With all alternative options the doctor has minimal control over the depth of penetration and therefore comfort levels and due to the size of rollers, there was very little accuracy too.

The Dermapen offers a smaller tip for treatment of the entire face, but also of fully controllable head. The 11 needles can now be set at the required depth and at a prescribed speed. This means consistent and predictable results and the ability to quickly treat sensitive areas too.

Combination procedures

The Dermapen is a superb treatment option when you are undergoing any aesthetic treatment. As part of a matrix program the Dermapen will provide collagen assistance to additional treatments like:

• Dermal Fillers
• Botulinum toxin
• Laser

The team at SAI are very proud to introduce this new Dermapen to you and remind you that should you have any questions, please feel free to post them on our Facebook page. We will stay in touch.

For more information call the rooms on: 011 883 3116