Ageing Gracefully - Raffles Medical Group

Did You Know
Raffles HealthNews Feature 21
One may experience hair
loss as early as the teen
years and the result may
be partial or complete
baldness.
“Titan” Your Skin
Redundant facial, neck, or body laxity is
another major feature of ageing. Just a few
years ago, treatment of skin laxity could only
be done by surgery. As technologies evolve,
procedures that once required major surgical
intervention are gradually being replaced by
minimally invasive techniques. Titan is one
such non-surgical method.
“It involves the use of infrared light to
heat the skin, which causes collagen
to contract, leading to tighter looking
skin. Subsequent to the procedure,
progressive collagen remodelling occurs,
resulting in longer-term tightening of the
skin,” Dr Chris Foo, a Dermatologist and
Consultant at Raffles Aesthetics and
Raffles Skin Centre, explained.
The advantage of this non-surgical method
is that no surgical incision on the skin is
needed. It would therefore be a good option
for those who want to avoid surgery and
its risks, and are looking for a non-invasive
method of skin tightening.
Keeping Your Hair On
As we grow older, it is perfectly normal for
our locks to be less lustrous than they were
in our youth. However, if your hairline is
receding, it is best to consult a dermatologist
with an interest in hair disorders to find
out the possible causes and available
treatments.
Pattern baldness or androgenetic alopecia
is the most common form of hair loss. It is
characterised by hair loss at the temples
and crown in men, and the front, sides and
crown in women.
“The treatment of pattern hair loss includes
Minoxidil (an over-the-counter medication
that you rub into your scalp twice daily)
and Finasteride (this comes in the form of
pills and is available only by prescription).
Minoxidil has been shown to prevent further
hair loss. Some individuals may even
experience new hair growth,” said Dr Foo
Dr Foo added that Finasteride has only
shown effectiveness in men thus far. Many
men taking Finasteride experience a slowing
of hair loss and some may report new hair
growth. However, positive results may take
several months and some of the rare side
effects of Finasteride include a diminished
sex drive and sexual function.
The benefits of both treatments stop once
you cease using them. New hair resulting
from Minoxidil use may be thinner and
shorter and some people do not respond to it
as well as others. If you experience minimal
results within six months, your doctor may
recommend discontinuing use.
Alopecia areata is another common cause
of hair loss. Baldness occurs in small,
round, smooth patches. It is thought to be
an autoimmune disease in which the body
mistakenly treats its hair follicles as foreign
tissue and suppresses or stops hair growth.
“In most cases, the hair will regrow but the
condition may recur. Some people may be
severely affected and lose all their hair. The
chances of hair regrowing in such cases is
lower,” said Dr Foo.
One form of treatment for alopecia areata
is the monthly injections of cortisone into
the scalp. Ointments and lotions can also
be used but they may be less effective
than injections. A chemical known as
diphencyprone (DCP) may also help with
hair regrowth in more severe cases and
in those which do not show response to
corticosteroids. A doctor or nurse applies it
weekly onto your scalp.
Screening your Health
Contrary to what some may believe, anti-ageing
is beyond keeping a youthful physique.
It is about keeping your biological age
(i.e. how old your body actually is in terms
of its functioning), young.
90% of all adult illnesses, like heart disease,
most cancers, adult onset diabetes, and
stroke are due to degenerative processes
of ageing. Many of the dreaded diseases
are preventable, treatable, and even
reversible with proper modification of life
styles, nutrition and medication.
As Dr Caroline Low, a Family
Physician at Raffles Aesthetics and
RafflesHealthscreeners puts it- the
“optimum” of wellness and longevity can
be preserved through early detection
and appropriate intervention.
Health screening is a form of anti-ageing
medicine as it is based on early detection,
prevention and reversal of age-related
diseases. It also allows diagnosis and
management of illnesses to be done
appropriately.
“Instead of visiting the doctor only
when you are sick or exhibiting
symptoms, you should visit the
doctor around one or two times a
year to get your health-screening
done. This is to monitor potential
illnesses or conditions – before
they occur,” said Dr Low. HN
Did You Know
Keeping fats below 30%
and cholesterol intake
below 200mg per day will
significantly cut your risk of
heart disease.