Fancy keeping that just-off-the-beach holiday glow long into the next six months and beyond? Ondy Sweeting gets the heads up on where to go and why to book early.
Across the island walk-in walkout Botox shops abound but not all are created equal so when in Rome – or Bali – do as the locals do. Be selective about who you pick to perform the all-important beauty fix.
Bali has a thriving cosmedical industry and excellent clinics offering everything from top brand fillers and Botox for regularly maintenance through to PRP vampire facial, cutting edge laser and ultrasonic treatments, teeth whitening and thread lifts. These low-key procedures have little down time and broad options that will have travelers polished and luminous with glamour months after the languid Bali chill has subsided.
Radiance has a team of savvy women doctors who specialise in creating and preserving natural beauty. Dr Siti is well known among Bali’s ultra-glam expats for her gentle touch and cautious path. Less is more in this Kuta clinic. Her number one tip is not to expect fillers or Botox while your face may still be suffering from cruel effects of altitude. Simply wait until you are relaxed and chilled.
An excellent Exit treatment at Radiance is a four-in-one laser session with the GentleLASE Pro from Syneron-Candela – an FDA approved therapy. This technology treats pigmentation, age spots, sun damage, facial veins and fine lines. It is also regenerative for collagen and cell production. This procedure is also good to zap leg veins and haemangioma into non-existence. It feels a bit like a small blast of sunburn when the laser is applied to the face but this is eased by a cryogen, that is sprayed onto the skin, cooling the upper layers. This same technology is used for hair removal and given that active sun avoidance for a week and lots of strong sunblock are a necessity post-treatment, it is a device best saved for the final day of vacation.
Dr Siti is a safe pair of hands for thread lifts, medical peels and radio frequency treatments and treating patches of spider veins. Add some Botox and fillers – Radiance uses only original products including Allergen, Restylane, Juvederm and Teosyal – for regular upkeep and maintenance.
In the bat of a mink eyelash the highly trained team will deliver a more comprehensive clean up and whip away any annoying skin tags, moles and cysts. They have a thriving dental practice offering everything from a clean and scale through teeth whitening, braces and dental veneers that offer great value for most of western civilisation.
If you have been partying a little too hard, ask for a Vitamin B injection and a Vitamin C jab with collagen and you’ll have the energy to fly home without going near the airport. Book early to avoid disappointment at this Australian run outfit because this month Radiance s offering 10% off Teosyal dermal fillers and tooth whitening is being offered at Rp2million.
Another Australian-owned operation is the Cocoon Medical Spa – a popular destination for visiting Antipodeans seeking champagne products for chardonnay prices. Founder Louise Coogan says that one or two days before leaving Bali is the window to use for most laser treatments that universally require clients to keep out of the sun for at least 24 hours. Louise suggests a session of Fractional laser therapy before heading home. It is the go-to treatment to reduce pigmentation while reducing sunspot colouration and closing enlarged pores. Another recommendation to keep that dewy Bali bloom is PRP – or Platelet Rich Plasma – or Vampire facial, which jealously holds its places as one of the world’s hottest beauty treatments. Once used to help athletes heal from chronic pain from tendon injuries, PRP is perfect for the face and décolletage. Blood is drawn and put through a centrifuge and subsequent platelet rich plasma is injected back into the face to regenerate collagen, fatty tissue and new blood vessels. If it is good enough for a Kardashian …
While Cocoon offers regular Botox and fillers the clinic has set itself apart from other cosmedical operations by using technology to create wellness and beauty.
“You don’t need surgery if you look after yourself in your 30’s and 40’s. While there is room for Botox, I believe in a holistic approach where women want healthy glowing skin and not to be frozen. Our Naked Skin Package is tailor made for these women,” says Louise.
Several therapies have been rolled into a 2.5 hour, Rp4.7 million package that includes microdermabrasion, which gently blasts away all that sunscreen, followed by Dermapen, PRP and LED therapy to activate collagen at deep levels to create a super smooth finish.
A demi-god among Indonesia’s bold and beautiful and a seriously popular doctor among expats is Dr Murino’s Rejuvie Aesthetic and Anti-Ageing clinic in Kuta. In 2013 he became Indonesia’s first doctor to be certified in Aesthetic Medicine by the American Academy of Aesthetic Medicine. He is also a member of the Australian Anti-Aging Medicine Association having studied at Curtin University in Perth, among other universities. He still travels the world to attend live demonstrations, workshops and seminars on new technology and developments to bring to Bali. Rejuvie believes that the way to hold onto the holiday allure is via a Sygmalift, which uses both ultrasound and laser to reposition the fat pads under the jowls and tighten muscles to lift cheeks and reduce double chins. This is the cool new technology that aims to deliver a pretty ‘v’ shaped face without any downtime. Having given this machine a whirl, I actually dozed throughout the painless 45-minute treatment. Two or three sessions are recommended and clients need to use plenty of sun block and keep out of the sun for the rest of the day. Couple this with some judicious use of Botox and fillers and you’ll be heading home looking years younger. Rejuvie has a vast menu of therapies including Clearlift, which is a non-ablative laser – perfect for tender delicate skin around the eyes, mouth and neck – though this treatment demands 24-hours out of the sun so it’s best left to the last day. Laser tattoo and mole removal practices are super popular for last minute grooming. The clinic has a liquid nitrogen procedure that is used for extensively sun-damaged skin and can be used as a pre-cancer treatment and to treat small problems early.