A Letter from Dr Hodgkinson

Feel competitive but don't look it? Men can have facelifts too - and they work!
Dr H tells all...

Dr John Doyle, Dermatologist, responds to your queries about getting rid of those wrinkles

An award from the Mayor of Lapu-Lapu City for the Operation Restore Hope founder

Continuing educational opportunities for General Practitioners at the CRSC

Cosmetic surgery for men is fast becoming as widely accepted and sought after as its female counterpart.

I recently spent an absorbing morning with Mr Vitek Czernvszyn who wrote a very interesting feature article on 16th July 2000 in the Telegraph noting the growing number of male patients seeking cosmetic surgery.

At the CRSC, our interest in male surgery goes back 20 years ago when in Southern California we saw a number of men, especially those involved in the movie industry, seeking to maintain their personal image through cosmetic surgery.

The advent of liposuction and body implants opened up a huge avenue for men to improve their physical appearance. Of course, we still strongly support a sensible nutritional and exercise program for all men as a primary aim.

I recently had a patient from the United States who is working in Australia for whom I performed body liposuction and chest wall implants.

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The response from his girlfriend has been "Wow, you really have a hard body!" without, of course, the knowledge that he actually had pectoral implants in place. The patient is absolutely delighted not only with his own personal appearance but also with the response from his good lady. In my opinion, there will be a dramatic increase in males having facelifts in the future, There is now virtually no stigma in men trying to improve their appearance this way. In fact, nowadays preserving and upgrading one's appearance is expected, not the least at senior executive level.

There is also a large gay community in inner Sydney who are showing the way in maintaining their physique and appearance. Approximately one third of the male patients I operate on are gay and they are usually a highly responsible group of patients who appreciate our attention to detail.

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Tales from Taiwan

In July 2000, I had a great opportunity to visit the plastic surgery unit at the Chang-Jung Hospital in Taiwan. This is the largest plastic surgical unit in Asia with 125 beds devoted to plastic surgery.

Their main strength is in the management of children with cleft lip and palate deformities, and it was exciting to see the live surgery by the master technicians at the centre. Through my Asian contacts, we have had a big boost in interest in Operation Restore Hope and are expanding our commitment to the Philippines by 50% next year.

We are planning to provide surgical services to nearly 200 children and are most grateful for any financial support for our mission. When you consider that all the doctors and nurses give their time free of charge and Operation Restore Hope has to supply all equipment and soft goods used by the mission, you can imagine just how huge a financial and temporal surgical commitment this is.

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Q: What are the side-effects of Retin A?

A: Tretinoin should not be used by any woman who is pregnant or breast feeding, but the main side effect is dryness. This can be overcome by using a low concentration of tretinoin, applying a small amount and using the cream less frequently. If the skin becomes a irritated or chapped (especially in patients with very fair or sensitive skin) it will sunburn more easily. It is normally suggested that the tretinoin be applied at night. Improvement will not be noticed for at least 3 to 6 months, but many women (and men) have successfully used Retin A cream for years.

Q: Where do I obtain Retin A?

A: Retin A is available only on prescription. The active agent tretinoin is also available in Retrieve and Stieva A creams, also prescription items. A number of cosmetics contain Retinols. These products are also derived from vitamin A but have not undergone the extensive scientific studies performed on tretinoin.

Dr John A. Doyle MB, BS, FRACP, FACD, DIP American Board Dermatology

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Dr Margot Campion used the Precision Microdermabrader on a patient.

Dr Margot Campion, Gail Farrugia and our nurses Kim and Vicki will be involved in the delivery of this excellent non-invasive procedure.

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Our Clinic is expanding!

In the next few months, you will see building activity going on at the Cosmetic and Restorative Surgery Clinic, Double Bay. Our building will be expanded with three new rooms to provide further facilities and offer our patients the optimal in treatment and personalised care. We appreciate your understanding if there is any slight inconvenience during our building phase which we hope will be completed by the end of the year.

The new extension will be built here at the back of the Clinic>

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Dr Hodgkinson addresses the audience at the Looking Good Expo