I heard this song on a movie title “Easy A” starring Emma Stone and I couldn’t get it out of my head ever since. It’s not a bad show – catch it if you can. :)

Incidentally, did you know that I am quite the junkie to this online computer game, “Defense of the Ancients 2″ or DOTA 2 for short. (Please don’t tell my son when he grows up, in case he says “But Mummy plays it too!”)

This is a game based on Warcraft, of 2 opposing teams building up through the game to eventually reach the enemy Ancient and take it down. Not exactly the most edifying game, I must say, but it’s fun because every game is unique in terms of team makeup and human interaction. You can choose to use any of 112 hero characters, with different skills and possible avatar builds. Choice of heroes, practice, diligence and teamwork is vital to winning the game. My personal hero favorites are Luna the Moon Rider and Traxex the Drow Ranger.

It’s not a small time game. There was a DOTA 2 tournament held in California, USA last year with a prize pool of more than US$1 million. Imagine that, making a living as a professional online gamer.

The game requires precise hand-brain-eye coordination, which I suppose is a personal talent required in my current line of work too! I also find I’m attracted only to games which involve a lot of unique human interactions, such as Gunbound when I was in medical school. I even had a clan back then and was playing until 5am the night before my Pathology exam. OMG. Thank God I passed anyway! I definitely won’t make it in life as a professional gamer. Haha.

The most surprising thing- even to me- is many girls actually play DOTA online too! I’ve met countless (albeit, faceless) girls in the games I’ve been in. Ha, don’t despise us weaker vessels, we can trump many, many guys during the game too! :P

If you play the game, add me! My nick is Lady_TY. Don’t mind me if I’m noob though. :D

Posting from my hubby’s office at 11.10pm, after a hard day’s work at my clinic… Whew!

Many people think that the main difference between chin augmentation by filler and chin augmentation by implant is simply this: filler is temporary whereas implant is permanent.

But it’s not as simple as that.

If you are thinking about chin augmentation at all, the most important consideration is, of course – you want you to look better. So which is better – filler or implant?

These are 2 pictures after chin augmentation, one by filler and the other by implant.

Can you tell which is the one by filler augmentation?

It’s the one on the left side, which looks pointier and more feminine.

Indeed, filler augmentation for the chin tends to create a sweeter looking chin than an implant is able to. Chin implants tend to look bulkier and (so it seems to be) more difficult in achieving a sweet V face. Sometimes, in order to achieve the right chin length, the implant chosen may be oversized and create a heavy-looking chin or leave a deep mental crease. Frankly, I hardly see an implant that has been able to achieve the right effect most Asian girls want in chin augmentation. The right chin shape is easier to achieve with filler augmentation. Disclaimer: for guys or females of bigger builds, this observation does not apply. :)

So if you are considering chin augmentation, do consult with your aesthetics doctor to see which is a more suitable option. Permanence of result should not be the only consideration in your choice. The only good end point is seeing the right look you want to see in your dressing mirror!

Coco Chanel has a new fragrance - Mademoiselle. Hubs got it for me when he was in the USA… the scent is awesome! Do try it too. ;)

I also recently got a new eyeshadow color palette by Urban Decay from Sephora – Naked 3. It’s all rose gold and shimmery, but I realize there are very few situations I can use it. :( Should’ve gotten Naked 2 instead – more practical.

In my recent foray to South Korea, I got this really sweet peachy blouse with a huge ribbon bow on the front. Love the look! I loooooove to shop in Korea and Japan for fashion items – dresses, shoes, bags and accessories. I can always find stuffs that I never see in Singapore, that I simply adore and must buy back to wear!

Ok, enough ranting on girly stuffs for the week. Stay tuned for more on my next blog post!

Til next time, folks! :)

The makeup is awesome! Looking forward to the August issue of Female magazine! :)

Are you grinding your teeth?

You may be able to tell whether you have grinding if you have clicking or painful jaw joints, sensitive teeth, headaches in the temples from over grinding, etc. Or your family may inform you that you are making grinding or tapping noises at night even though you are not aware of it.

Your dentist is also able to advise you on whether you are doing so, by looking at the degree of wear and tear on your teeth such as cracked or fractured teeth and at your temporomandibular joint (TMJ, the movable joint at the back of your jaws).

This is known as bruxism, defined by excessive grinding of teeth or excessive clenching of the jaws. It is actually very common but frequently unnoticed or undetected by the people suffering from it until it is too late, where the teeth become very worn down.

Most of the time, the cause of grinding is unknown or unresolvable. Fret not, this does not spell the end of the world for grinders. You can control the damage caused by persistent grinding with the following ways:

1. Visit your dentist for a mouth guard to wear during sleep, especially if you are a night grinder.
2. Decrease the strength and intensity of grinding by relaxing your chewing muscles — the masseters — with injectable botox treatment. This places a suitable amount of botulinum into the grinding muscles so as to relax them and thereafter reduce the intensity of grinding and the damage it can cause.

At the same time, the relaxation of these muscles will also help the muscles to shrink in size and bulk. Big masseter muscles are a common problem among grinders (just like bodybuilding) and gives the appearance of a round or square face. Slimming these muscles will then restore the appearance of a slimmer face.

If you are suffering from teeth grinding, leading to painful joints, weak teeth or a big face, hesitate not to seek medical treatment immediately to alleviate those troublesome symptoms and unjustified appearance of big square jaws!

You may also read up more about botulinum treatment for the jaws here: http://www.tiffinyyangclinic.com/facial-slimming-jaw-reduction/

Many people ask me how I keep my skin so great. Well, I’ve also been thinking over this question and analyzing my personal skincare regime to deduce what is the best formula to keep skin looking flawless.

My skincare routine is actually quite simple and without frills: cleanse, moisturize and sunblock daily. On top of that, I have my usual laser treatment every month in my clinic as maintenance to battle pigmentation. I hardly ever go for facials. If I have the occasional blackheads that I so hate, I ask my lovely therapist to help me out with them every once in a while. If I get acne once in a while, I institute the appropriate treatment into my usual routine until it clears.

On top of that, I don’t smoke, love my greens and get my beauty sleep. I am a little deficient in my daily fluid intake — I’m working on that.

I guess at the end of it, the formula is this:

ANTIOXIDANTS > OXIDANTS + HYDRATION = GREAT, HEALTHY SKIN

ANTIOXIDANTS < OXIDANTS – HYDRATION = POOR, DAMAGED SKIN

Simple, but true. The skin is a biologically sensitive organ that heals and regenerates well if you supply it with a lot of antioxidants, but degenerates and dies with the lack thereof.

How, then, to increase antioxidants to the skin?

1. As mentioned above, I love my greens. Get your diet balanced with lots of natural fruits and veggies; supplement if necessary. I occasionally take some collagen supplements when I feel like it.

You can also decrease the exposure of oxidants to the skin.

2. I use my sunblock (broad spectrum SPF 50++) daily — ultraviolet rays generate a lot of free radicals on the skin.

3. Don’t smoke — smoking creates a lot of free radicals that overwhelm and is sure to cause aging earlier.

How about hydration? As I also mentioned doing in my skincare routine, moisturizing daily and sufficient fluids daily is an indispensable part of keeping your skin healthy.

Having great skin isn’t rocket science. It is a habit you form early and your rewards will surely come with time. :)

Happy Birthday, Singapore! Looking forward to the celebratory weekend~ :)

Adios!

This post is wayyyy overdue, but it’s better late than never! :D

Before…

6 months after treatment with my own platelet rich plasma…

Fuller cheeks, lesser eye bag, smoother skin. On the whole, looking less tired and haggard! It’s like a youth elixir for immortality. ;) Can’t wait to get my next fix.

In life, you win some, you lose some. (You gotta take it in your stride when it happens, cos what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.)

I was recently slung mud at by a critic, who identifies herself with a category of nuts, so let’s just call her Miss Nuts. It may be true or untrue- I’m in no position to judge fairly- but it sure is malicious and disproportionate to reality. It’s ok, I forgive her.

Speaking of being an experienced doctor or not, here are the facts: I’m in my early thirties and my medical experience is close to a decade. I won’t deny that I’m not 52 years old and so-called “experienced” as my seniors in the field – which professional liar is able to pull that off? But hey, I certainly don’t have trembly hands or a rusty mind or failing eyesight either. :D

Let me also expound further on this unique thing known as a doctor-patient relationship (I’ll call it D.P.R. for short). I find it rather peculiar, because it is such a very, very personal service. It’s as personal as your hairdresser or your beautician– nah, MORE SO, since it involves the sanctity of bodily modifications. It seems there is an element of destiny in it… It’s sometimes like looking for the love of your life. You gotta click with each other and have the right chemistry, otherwise it just doesn’t work out. Everyone must also have gone on dates where you just can’t get it on with. 没有缘，就别勉强。

On top of that very peculiar dynamics, there are the attendant risks of performing medical procedures, which carry medical risks. Medical risks are independent of medical skills in many cases and can occur even with experienced doctors, because good hands are not perfect hands– it’s even worse if the patients expect to become Cinderella with a wave of the syringe.

At the very least, for every naysayer or Miss Nutcase, I have ten other happy regulars and the D.P.R. is bliss. TYAS won’t fail to serve them with the best assured and to ensure their well-being, their safety and most of all, their good looks! ;)

Mama give you all my very best;

All I hope for you is that you will always take good care of yourself.

There are so many brands of facial fillers on the market these days, many find it hard to decide which is most suitable for them. My two cents’ worth below– hope it helps!

1. Restylane

This is the oldest USA FDA approved facial filler, so I guess it can be used as a control to compare all the others! I love to use this brand of filler on the tear troughs and lips because its range e.g. Vital Light and Lip Volume is soft and natural enough for these areas. Perlane and SubQ are harder types suitable for other areas of augmentation but I find it too hard for my liking.

2. Juvederm

Also a very popular and well marketed brand that is also USA FDA approved. Quite costly though. Its range of Ultra Plus and Voluma is suitable for areas like the nasolabial folds, cheeks, nose and chin. From experience, Voluma tends to give a bit more swelling– I don’t like it for that reason because in the first week, the swelling may give rise to a wrong impression of asymmetry which settles quickly but causes a lot of worry in the meantime. It’s known to last slightly longer for a hyaluronic acid based filler. Its range Ultra seems very effective as a filler for scars and wrinkles.

3. Revanesse

This is a relatively low profile brand made in Canada but has quite a number of worthy clinical studies to back it. Its range Ultra seems very versatile and gives good results for nasolabial lines, nose, chin and cheeks (in that order of preference). Surprisingly, it gives very little problems– seldom cause lumpiness or migration, and settles very well to give a most natural result. Perhaps the only shortcoming is it doesn’t give as great a volumising / lifting effect as Juvederm Voluma or Radiesse. Revanesse basic, a softer type, also is effective for scars and wrinkles.

4. Radiesse

I absolutely love the effect this filler gives for the cheeks. The lifting effect is good and immediately visible even with a very little amount, as long as it’s in the right place. I find it best in the cheeks, nose and chin.

5. Aquamid

An almost permanent filler that can last 2-5 years cos it’s a plastic gel. Considering the cost vs the length of time it lasts, it’s easily the most economical filler. The obvious pitfall is, of course, the risk for lumpiness, as with any longer lasting filler. In the event of lumps, it cannot be dissolved easily like the hyaluronic acid based fillers. You can wait it out or massage it down or opt to remove it surgically.

Filler choice varies, depending on your specific requirements, budget and desired area of treatments. There is no “one size fits all” in this regard. It’s ok even if you may need different fillers for different areas of treatment as they seldom cross react with one another. It’d be worse if you try to force a certain type of filler in an area it is not suitable for. Discuss with your aesthetic doctor what you are looking for and get the best recommendation for you! :)

Busy week with seminars and workshops — we’re constantly striving to improve and serve you better!

Was in Incheon, South Korea, last weekend with Dr Lee Young-Seob on the use of Dysport for dermal skin lifting. This is a very interesting off-label use to effect skin tightening without surgery.

This is one of our subjects for the workshop. Well, she’s not exactly the best example because she’s pretty young (really pretty and young), so her skin is still very tight and lifted. But can you tell which side has been treated and tighter?

If you guessed it to be the right side of the picture (patient’s left hand), you are right!

Dysport is a better choice for this treatment because its diffusion and effect on skin contraction is better and more predictable.

My hubby came with me too~ Handsome man~

Also had too much Korean BBQ and ginseng chicken and kimchi…

Also had a workshop last week on the use of Macrolane as body filler for the chest and buttocks. Dr Per Heden was present to share his techniques on how to create a masculine beefy chest as well as perky butts.

For those agonizing over not looking so great on the behind, buttock augmentation is something to consider as a safe procedure with low downtime. :) Possible side effects:

1. You may require cushioned seats for a few days after;
2. You may start to spend too much on pretty skirts and dresses. Just kidding. :D

That’s all, folks!

Disney has always been a great inspiration to many many. Now they’ve done it again with the new hit in Frozen! I guess Let It Go is so well-loved because it’s such a liberating song. You feel so free listening to it, makes you wanna run and leap! :D The choreography in the show is perfect.

Theme in the song: be true to yourself! Theme in the show: the most dangerous thing is a frozen heart, but perfect love melts away all fear.

Enjoy, folks! :)

Guess where we went for our clinic retreat this year? 4 days 3 nights in Tokyo, Japan! :) Jane and Lynette had an awesome great time indeed.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t join them this year because by the time we planned the trip, I was 4 months preggie. Alas! ><

Instead, I attended a charity gala dinner instead. It was a event held in efforts to kick sarcoma. In fact, that’s the title of the event. Sarcoma is a little known cancer that affects many people too, and it’s pretty debilitating because diagnosis of the cancer and subsequent treatment can potentially disable a person for life.

The dress theme was Arabian/Persian/Indian… anything silk. As my dress choices were pretty limited by now, so I went chiffon instead, matched with a scarf that was silk. (Scarf unfortunately not shown in the pic below!)

Pretty much rested for the rest of the time. Hope my staff girls enjoyed themselves thoroughly! We all need a break to refresh and recharge so we can continue to run our engines for a long time to come. As they always say, sometimes you gotta take a step back to take a leap forward! ;)

Cheers to all~

One of my favorite patients asked me about jaw cutting surgery today. She was interested to do it because she wanted to correct her cross bite. Her orthodontist have told her that she is not suitable for correction by braces alone and advised her to consider surgical correction.

I’ve always known the high risks of such invasive surgery, but when she asked me for advice, I decided to read up more about it out of concern for her and the information I found was rather appalling.

Understandably, she may actually need this kind of surgery to correct her cross bite and it could be her only solution, but it’s actually a rising fad in South Korea as a beauty treatment. That’s grossly understating the dangers of undergoing a procedure of such extent only to look better, without real medical need.

Jaw surgery is a surgical procedure carried out to correct facial bone deformities in people who are unable to bite or chew properly, by realigning upper and lower jaws. It takes months to recover from such a procedure and carries 50% risk of complications such as facial numbness or even paralysis. Other potential complications include a skewed jaw, chronic jaw pain, misaligned bite and inability to chew or smile. For a previously healthy and well person who does not suffer any physical ailments until the surgery was done, this is debilitating.

This radical procedure is much more dramatic than minimally invasive procedures such as botox or filler injections – yet people with no real dental flaws are opting to go through it to achieve a small pretty face. There have been incidents of suicides after the surgery due unbearable complications and a significant reduction in quality of life. Deaths from the procedure itself due to excessive bleeding and suffocation are also not uncommon. You hear about it happening here and there but there has yet to be stricter controls for the advocation of such dangerous surgery for purely cosmetic purposes.

In my two cents’ worth, unless it is medically indicated for you, such as in maladjusted bite, the risks surely outweigh the benefits. There is nothing wrong if you desire a slimmer face in the name of beauty. Consider safer, less invasive ways to achieve it, such as with botox jaw slimming, chin filler augmentation or skin tightening treatments. Even liposuction for the face or mesotherapy may be better options than radical open jaw shaping surgery. Consult with your friendly aesthetic dr for further and better particulars if you need! :)

News articles for your reading pleasure:

• http://yourhealth.asiaone.com/content/concerns-grow-over-jaw-surgery
• http://iamkoream.com/jaw-cutting-plastic-surgery-comes-with-big-risks/
• http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2332785/Dangerous-double-jaw-surgery-rise-South-Korea-women-encouraged-face-risks-bone-cutting-procedure-beauty.html

There is a safer, much less invasive way to achieve your desired slimmer face:

Dr Tiffiny Yang’s V shape face treatment

Check out my column in December’s issue of FHM:

The festive season is right around the corner and it’s time to start looking great for the parties! Here are some tips to look your best for the fun-filled times ahead.

Start Now

It’s never too early to start grooming. There are facials and mani-pedis to get to, shopping for party wear to do. By now, it’s probably too late to consider a full-blown nose or eye job under the surgeon’s knife, but if you need the last minute quick fix, there’s always a nose or chin filler injection for the great chiseled look everyone envies.

Take Care of Your Skin

This is the season for letting your hair down — long parties, late nights and too much junk food are hard to avoid, but it doesn’t mean you should let the season’s fun take its toll on your skin and make you age twice as fast as you should. Catch up on your sleep when you can, drink lots of water, use skincare products that fight aging (such as the new Tiffiny’s Secret Age Defense serum) and the no-downtime laser skin rejuvenation at your friendly aesthetic doctor’s.

Relax and Have Fun

Last but not least, after you’ve done everything you need to do to look your best, forget the not-so-stellar moments of the past year, let go and have fun! You’ve never looked better than when you are the most confident and comfortable in your own skin, so go on and let that swag shine through.

After months of baking this little cookie in my oven, he’s finally arrived! :) Welcome to the world, Emmerich. May the Lord be as much your Keeper as He is your Maker.

In between feeds and diaper changes during confinement — which definition is really, to be imprisoned in a bubble of having only everything hot and smelling of ginger, DOM and sesame oil — I watched this major production by Beijing and Guangzhou: 蘭陵王. It’s a love story between this 战神 and 天女, a descendent of the 巫族 (clan of witches, but I assure you, she ain’t got warts or a hooked nose). Very touching love story — I’d recommend it!

So it is, I’ve favourited a song from the show and posted it below. Enjoy! ;)

We just created our own line of skincare products, beginning with the best: a youth restoring serum containing the best ingredients for fighting aging or dull skin!

It’s a combination of all the following good stuffs:

1. Retinol, undisputedly proven in countless clinical studies to reverse the signs of aging, reduce fine lines, increase thickness of the skin, etc.

2. Matrixyl, the most recently discovered growth peptide to increase collagen of the skin and reverse aging. It’s the latest craze for maintaining youthful looking skin.

3. Licorice root extract, for brightening of the skin.

4. Antioxidants to protect your skin from free radicals that accelerate aging.

After 6 months’ testing on both women and men, we have had great reviews on it! Results as follows:

• 100% of subjects reported definite visible improvement of their skin.
• 90% of subjects conceded to reduction in fine lines.
• 80% of subjects conceded to reduction in pores.
• 60% of subjects reported brightening and smoothening of skin complexion.
• 30% of subjects felt their usual acne outbreaks were lessened.

Because I believe in it, it’s now an indispensable item on my night dresser as part of my nightly beauty routine! Certainly helped my post pregnancy skin. ;)

For more information, check out the website here: http://www.tiffinyyangskin.com/#!science-of-the-secret/cx85