What beauty treatments can help you get better skin and your pre-baby body after giving birth? Get the answer from Singapore’s most glamorous doctor and super-svelte mother-of-two, Dr Georgia Lee.

Liposuction

How do I get rid of bulging belly pooch after giving birth?

You can consider Localised Fat Reduction (Liposonix®) which is a new treatment that uses ultrasound to destroy the fat cells beneath the skin surface. It takes about three months to see results but results are not always guaranteed. This treatment also has the added advantage of having some skin tightening effect. Breastfeeding will also help to burn calories and the suckling action helps to increase release of oxytocin from the mother’s pituitary gland which helps contract the uterus.

Contouring

I have a lot of loose skin all over after giving birth, are there any treatments that can help me?

There is a whole array of skin tightening devices such as Thermage ® for body contouring which has been around for a while and has quite consistent results. The main downsides to this single treatment device are its high cost and also the discomfort experienced during treatment. Regular massages with creams will also help but results may be limited compared to device-based treatments.

Help, the sleepless nights looking after baby are giving me dark circles and eye bags. What can I do about them?

Dark eye circles are due to sunken undereyes and poor circulation. Weekly sessions of Radiofrequency may improve circulation. You can then decide on the need to add some fillers to even out the sunken-in appearance beneath the eyes. Unfortunately, there is no cure for dark eye circles and regular maintenance is needed.

My skin is looking tired and dry, how can I get fresh, glowing skin?

a) Microdermabrasion – this when done on a regular basis, can help to renew skin cells. This is important as it helps the skin to absorb nutrients from products better and keeps skin glowing.

Skincare Treatment

b) Intense Pulse Light – this non laser treatment helps lighten superficial pigmentation and reduce redness. It may also plump up collagen to give a glowing appearance. It may however aggravate skin dryness.

c) Radiofrequency – for lifting and moisturising. A good partner with microdermabrasion. You may need more sessions to show results but is in general a safe treatment with no downtime.

d) Hyaluronic Acid injection – this is different from traditional fillers where the product is only injected in depressed areas. Non cross linked hyaluronic acid in this instance is injected all over to hydrate the skin from within. There is some downtime with needles marks (takes one day to subside) and possible bruising (takes seven to ten days to subside). The treatment is intended to give a plumped up and glowing complexion that may last about six months when primed.

After giving birth, I notice increased pigmentation on my face. How can I get rid of them?

Start with sun protection and be diligent about it. However, understand that there is no 100 percent sun protection so stay away from strong sunlight. Topical treatment products containing Vitamin C, Kojic Acid, Hydroquinone, Azelaic Acid, Arbutin, Licorice Extract or Retnoic Acid in various combination and concentration will also help. Some of these may cause redness and irritation, so it is better to start with a mild to medium strength type of ingredient and work with it, adjusting on the amount used and frequency to suit the skin response.

Pigment lasers like Q switch Nd Yag 1064 can help some types of malesma. There is no downtime but you may need multiple sessions to see improvement and there is a risk of hyper pigmentation from over treatment and hypopigmentation when the laser beam spills over to the normal skin area.