Tips to choose a plastic surgeon in Hong Kong

Cosmetic surgery, like any major procedure, carries potential risks and complications. For a patient to make sure they are in good hands, finding a doctor with the right qualifications, expertise and experience is essential. Here are key points to consider when searching for a plastic surgeon:

Qualifications

Aside from checking a doctor’s professional certifications, a patient should bear in mind that all specialists need to be registered with the Medical Council of Hong Kong which can be checked here.

Specialization

Cosmetic surgeries can range from breast implants and nose reshaping to so-called non-invasive treatments, such as Botox injections, dermal fillers, and laser treatments.

According to Dr. Daniel Lee, a certified plastic surgeon and member of the Hong Kong Society of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgeons, not all doctors can perform cosmetic surgeries although doctors need not specialize in plastic surgery to perform non-invasive cosmetic procedures such as Botox and dermal filler injections, and laser treatments. These procedures can be performed by certain certified general physicians and dermatologists.

Referrals

Seek out people who have done cosmetic procedures themselves and ask for their experience and recommendations. Alternatively, general physicians can also provide a list of practicing surgeons in the area.

Communication

A good doctor is one who will put patients’ mind at ease before, during and after the medical procedure. The most ideal situation is for the doctor and patient to discuss clearly the objectives and reasons for the cosmetic surgery and assess the way the doctor offers compassion and clear information that will manage patients’ expectations, pre-surgery and aftercare process.

Tips to pick a plastic surgeon in Hong Kong gafencu (5) cosmetic aesthetic procedure feature

Experience

Asking relevant questions can give the patient a good idea about the doctor’s experience and track record in a particular procedure such as:

  • What type of operation does the doctor specialises in?
  • How many times has the doctor performed the specific procedure?​
  • How many years has the doctor been operating?

Access to hospital facilities

Like any surgical operation, cosmetic surgery carries its own risks and complications. Even a simple procedure like Botox injections, especially near the nose, can cause blockages in blood vessels. In the extreme case that something goes wrong, the patient would certainly want a doctor who has access hospital facilities where you can be treated.

 

 

Find a qualified plastic surgeon in Hong Kong

Find useful information on cosmetic procedures

The city’s best known celebrity hair stylist

To keep up with with the lifestyle of beauty and style routines in a cosmopolitan city like Hong Kong requires habitual visits to the best known parlours in the city. But the most discerning among of us value reliable experts who know best what they are doing and understand what we need. These are the city’s most sought-after hair stylists, with solid credentials built after decades of training with the best while amassing an impressive clientele among high-profile socialites and A listers.

The city's best known celebrity hair stylist gafencu magazine il colpo ii alchemy
ii Alchemy Hair & Nail at Jardine House, Central

Justinpaul Chambers (Il Colpo Alchemy)

The Creative Director of one of the top hair salons in Hong Kong, Il Colpo Alchemy, located at Jardine House, Central. Chambers has been a leading influence in the hair and beauty industry and has styled many prominent high society socialites and celebrities, both local and international, including Aaron Kwok, Michelle Yeoh and George Clooney.  Although a fresh cut of tresses from Justinpaul Chambers will set you back by HK$3000, your can rest assured that his expert judgement and recommendations will take the stress off you and your hairline. 

The city's best known celebrity hair stylist gafencu magazine bruneblonde

David Gouygou & Roland Boutin (BruneBlonde)

Both co-founders of the French named beauty parlour, BruneBlonde, have chalked up years of experience rooted in top salons of Paris. Now based in Grand Hyatt, Wan Chai, Boutin has amassed a large clientele of the most prominent editorial clients with the likes of Harper’s Bazaar and Marie-Claire, and was the hairstylist for Celine Dion and billionaire businessman Steve Wynn. While Gouygou has mastered the art of both styling and colouring and has cultivated a clientele of high-profile celebrities, including the likes of Naomi Campbell, Lauren Hutton and Nicholas Cage. A fist-time hair cut from either one of the directors could rack up to 3000, it will be well worth the price to experience the same high stndard of service that is received by the world’s most influential A-listers. 

The city's best known celebrity hair stylist gafencu magazine kim robinson
Kim Robinson Salon at Landmark Charter, Central

Kim Robinson

The legendary Kim Robinson remains to be the most sought-after and most expensive celebrity hair-stylist in Asia. Born in Australia but has called Hong Kong his home since 1997, he has established over 40 years of  industry experience and a world-renowned reputation. His very high-profile clientele includes the likes of Kate Moss, Michelle Yeoh and the late Princess Diana. The price of his his signature dry cut will catch you off guard at a whopping $13,000, but his expert eye and sophisticated understanding of hair is unmatched and will leave you feeling great about your cut for several months.

Our phones are damaging our skin: Prevent blue light effects on skin

Blue light can be found anywhere, from sun rays to our computer screens and smartphones. Although blue light has been approved in skin therapy for killing bacteria and removing acne, new research on the effects of blue light have proven to produce signs of premature ageing and damage to skin-repairing cells if exposed to an excessive amount. 

Although our devices let out only a fraction of the sun’s blue light emission, long exposure to blue light can cause premature ageing in the form of what dermatologist, Doctor Sejal Shah explains as, “oxidative stress” and “hyper pigmentation”, which causes wrinkles, dark spots and a loss of collagen. Here are a few ways that we can take better care for our skin to prevent harmful effects of blue light. 

gafencu blue light damages the skin how to prevent it good habits

Build good habits that benefit your skin

A common knowledge in skin care is drinking plenty of water which keeps your body hydrated and improves your skin elasticity. On top of that, because a long exposure to blue light can cause oxidative stress to skin, incorporating antioxidants to your skin care routine and diet can neutralize and promote skin-rejuvenation. 

 

gafencu blue light damages the skin how to prevent it limit screen time

Reduce blue light exposure

There is no question that our dependency on our devices does subject us to long exposure to blue light. A conscious effort to limit screen time can reduce long exposures to its harmful effects. Especially for those who work at night or have a habit of scrolling through their feed before bedtime, blue light may experience sleep problems which can ultimately deter how our skin effectively absorbs nutrition and minerals. 

 

gafencu blue light damages the skin how to prevent it skin care

Adapt a skin care routine

A healthy skin care routine including washing your face and applying skin care products with the right ingredients can combat the harmful effects of blue light, such as products with medical grade moisturizer and ingredients containing antioxidants such as cacao and Camilla flower extracts. Doctor Marcelo Antunes advises using mineral-based sunscreens with iron oxides which reflects blue light. 

 

There is still a need for more research in order to determine the degree of damage blue light emitted from digital screens can have on our skin. Nevertheless good habits and the right products can help prevent the damage that blue light cause on our skin

Natasha Moor mascara and eyeliner will make you smile with your eyes

These days, masks have become a daily accessory to our outfit. Although not the most fashion forward  statement, there’s no reason it should keep us from smiling. It’s time to give our eyes all the tender love and care it deserves, which Natasha Moor does not shy away from. Including into her existing line of self-affirming make-up products are the Kohl it Magic eyeliner and Moor Power mascara by Natasha Moor Cosmetics.

Natasha Moor Cosmetics self-affriming mascara and eyeliner gafencu
Courtesy of Natasha Moor Cosmetics

Although a fresh face to the cosmetics world having launched only three years ago, Natasha Moor  —who advocates for women’s happiness through her line of self-affirming make-up products  —is nothing less than an expert in beauty as she has earned her reputation for being one of Hong Kong’s very own go-to bridal make-up artist, inspiring confidence and self-love to women of all backgrounds.

Natasha Moor Cosmetics self-affriming mascara gafencu
Courtesy of Natasha Moor Cosmetics

Impressively packaged within a reflective gold casing and a tapered brush, The Moor Power mascara adds volumes to your fluttering lashes and wears perfectly with the ultra-long lasting Kohl it Magic eyeliner. Wear your confidence where your smile shines through —your eyes!

Natasha Moor Cosmetics self-affriming and eyeliner gafencu
Courtesy of Natasha Moor Cosmetics

NARS Cosmetics That Bring Out Your Inner Beauty

A woman’s eyes are the windows to her inner beauty and her smile, the reflection of her love.  NARS, the French cosmetics and skincare company, insists that beauty is in your character and what’s real. With NARS’ soft and buildable Climax mascara and Deep Throat blush, you’ll bring out your natural look… and desires, captivating him (or her) with alluring eyes and a natural flush. 

Nars Climax Mascara soft buildable gentle intense

Featherweight but not short of volume, NARS Climax mascara will keep you stroking for more. The Climax mascara packs a flexible formula that will build on volume and intensity. Dipped in black pigment is a ribbed bristle wand that is gentle to the touch. Build up the intensity with its clump- and smudge-resistant Lash Moisture Complex formula that will keep you stroking back and forth for more volume and a prolonged lift. 

Nars Deep Throat Blush soft micronized powder buildable gentle sheer

There’s no need to shy away with NARS Deep Throat Blush. Instantly liven your complexion with the Deep Throat blush’s micronised powder that flatters any skin type with a natural and healthy look. Its range of iconic shades pigmented with subtle pink lets you wear light but glow with an ultra-sheer look that highlights your complexion. Its superfine powder blends with minimal effort, allowing you to play with soft, buildable shades.

Nars Deep Throat Blush soft micronized powder buildable gentle sheer pink

Les Epures des Parfum: Cartier unveils trio of delicious scents

Cartier’s master perfumer Mathilde Laurent pays homage to the art of perfumery by drawing back the curtain on three all-new olfactory scents as part of the Les Epures de Parfum collection.

Les Epures des Parfum by Cartier

Drawing on the concept that perfume is akin to living pieces of high jewellery, each fine fragrance purportedly ‘captures a sense of life and spontaneous freshness’ by capturing the very best scents of Mother Nature within a bottle.

Cartier Les Epures des Parfum Mathilde Laurent
Cartier master perfumer Mathilde Laurent

The first of these new Les Epures de Parfum creations is Pur Murguet. Blending classic flourishes with a wholly contemporary vision, its key ingredient is the aromatic lily-of-the-valley flower. Then, there’s the Pur Kinkan, all cool, refreshing citrusy notes with a barely-there appeal. Finally, the Pur Magnolia boasts an evocatively romantic aroma that is at once sophisticated and refreshing.

Truly Poutful: The latest luscious lipsticks that deliver that perfect pout

Every fashionista knows that luscious lipsticks are an absolute necessity in their make-up arsenal, with these beautifully hued cosmetics imparting a plethora of eye-catching shades to jazz up any look, no matter what the occasion. Keen to showcase their impeccable know-how and skill in this arena, the world’s leading make-up brands have served up some hot new creations to help you welcome the summer months in true style.

Luscious Lipsticks - Dior

Long a master of crafting delightful lipsticks that deliver a perfect pout, luxury maison Dior has unveiled a fresh collection of notably shimmery items – the Dior Addict Stellar Halo Shine. Fashionistas can opt for one of 15 shades, each offering 24-hour hydration and promising notes of vanilla.

Luscious Lipsticks - YSL

For its part, French cosmetics company YSL’s three new limited-edition Rouge Volupté Shine lipsticks promise to embrace the spirit of springtime, with their effortless glide-and-go delivery system ensuring all-day moisture.

Luscious Lipsticks - Gucci Beauty

With a self-professed eye on “electrifying traditional beauty ideals”, the new Rouge à Lèvres Gothique lipstick from Gucci Beauty features nine dazzling hues, each with names taken from iconic ’20s Hollywood movies and characters. Incorporating special 3D-effect pigments, these all-day-wear creations impart seductive metallic sheen to the lips.

Luscious Lipsticks - Fenty Beauty

Songstress Rihanna’s cosmetics brand Fenty Beauty, meanwhile, has added three new shades and two limited-edition mini models to its Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer lip gloss range. Boasting a long-lasting, stick-free formula, they can be worn alone or layered over lipstick for a softer, dewier finish.

Essential Essences: High-class hydration at its very best

Winter’s brisk winds and chilly weather undoubtedly take their toll on sensitive skin, leading to uncomfortably dryness and chafing. Looking to tackle this on, many of the world’s leading cosmetic brands have created essential essences that inject much-needed moisture right back to where it’s most needed.

Essential Essences spread

A prime example is French luxury label Dior’s new L’Oléo Essence Lumière, which embraces traditional Chinese medicinal wisdom by harnessing three potent all-natural ingredients – rose essence, white rose oil and natural PHAs (naturally-occurring polyester beads). Collectively, they not only boost hydric and lipid flows in the skin, they also help remove any impurities or dry skin cells.

Essential Essences Dior Prestige-White L’Oléo Essence Lumière
Dior Prestige Light-in-White L’Oléo Essence Lumière

Equally inspired by ancient Asian wisdom is CHA LING’s Moisturising Treatment Essence, which is said to be imbued with hero ingredient B-DT Complex – a powerful antioxidant developed from pu’er tea leaves, which apparently forms an anti-pollution barrier, helping provide round-the-clock moisturisation for your sensitive outer layers. Substituting pu’er for green tea essence, meanwhile, is South Korean Amorepacific’s Vintage Single Extract Essence. Intensively charged with powerful catechin antioxidants, it’s said to protect the skin against free radicals and ably restore your youthful glow in just four weeks.

Essential Essences CHA LING’s Moisturising Treatment Essence
CHA LING’s Moisturising Treatment Essence

Next, Spanish beauty company Natura Bissé’s Diamond Cocoon Hydrating Essence focuses wholly on pollution protection. This sees the prebiotic skincare product making use of antioxidant and vegetal complexes to create a skin barrier that wards off heavy metals and solar radiation, thus ensuring a truly natural radiance is maintained.

Essential Essences Amorepacific’s Vintage Single Extract Essence
Amorepacific’s Vintage Single Extract Essence

Finally, French luxury fashion label YSL’s Hydra Bounce Essence-in-Lotion claims to boost the skin’s ability to adjust and respond to seasonal changes in order to remain optimally healthy skin. Incorporating orange blossom extract and vitamins E and B3, it forms a shield against external aggressors, allowing you weather the winter chill with your very best face forward.

Essential Essences YSL’s Hydra Bounce Essence-in-Lotion
YSL’s Hydra Bounce Essence-in-Lotion

Bathing Graces: Bath oils to bless your body with

Ever since personkind first accidentally fell into a forgotten mammoth trap,  the ritual of bathing has been embraced not only as a means of removing the whiff of slightly-dead wooly elephants but also as a serene experience in its own right. Across the centuries, this ever more popular practice has only been enhanced  by the introduction of countless odour-positive bath oils. It’s a practice that continues to this very day, with every season many of the leading skincare brands launching new ways to make your daily dip yet more delightful.

bath oils

One such in-tub treat – J’Adore Shower and Bath Oil –  comes courtesy of French luxury maison Dior and is said to leave you steeped in iconic J’Adore floral notes, while also imparting a delicate sheen to the skin. A similarly floral allure is on offer from British luxury skincare label Bamford’s B Silent Organic Body Oil, while utilises chamomile, lavender and sativa to relax the body and optimise sleep patterns.

bath oils

Looking more firm up body contours, meanwhile, is Brazil-based beauty brand Costa Brazil’s Kaya Jungle Firming Body Oil. Infused with  such rare Amazonian ingredients an antioxidant-rich cacay oil, it promises healthier, firmer skin, but then, don’t they all?

bath oils

Not to be overlooked, Natura Bissé, the much-loved Spanish skincare label, currently with two new premium treatment oils on offer – the energy-boosting Natura Bissé Energizing Dry Oil and the muscle-soothing Natura Bissé Fitness Dry Oil. Bringing up the rear, meanwhile,  London-headquartered Aromatherapy Associates Forest Therapy Bath & Shower Oil incorporates several powerful healing ingredients – notably Andean pink pepper and Macedonian juniper berry – as a way of both nourishing the skin and instilling a sense of deep relaxation.

bath oils

Text: Tenzing Thondup

Happy New You: Get the look

glow
Sisley SS20 Look

Greet the upcoming Lunar New Year with a truly rosy glow, courtesy of Sisley’s smouldering SS20 look. Set the scene by first evenly applying Tom Ford’s Tone Up Foundation Hydrating Cushion Compact across your facial features, before dexterously dabbing on a little of Givenchy’s Prisme Libre loose powder. Then give your eyes a little appealing prominence courtesy of Sisley’s Phyto-ombre Metallic Pink eyeshadow, before carefully contouring your brows with Shu Uemura’s Flaming Reds Hard Formula eyebrow pencil. Next, add a healthy blush to the cheeks with Fenty Beauty’s Killawatt Foil Freestyle Highlighter in Red Richez and Dior’s Backstage Rosy Glow blush. Moving to the lips, make a bold statement with the Afterglow Lip Balm from NARS, and round out your look with a tactical application of Dior’s Vernis #372 to the nails in order to ensure you remain digitally unmissable as you salute the incoming Anno Rattus.