What are your basic and preventive skin care tips that you direct to women in the Middle East?
Sun protection of course, even sun avoidance in the case of major concern with pigmentary or those with skin cancer risks. I recommend dry sunblocks in humid areas such as the mist for daily use and moisturizing ones in dry areas. Hydration is important but without excess to avoid acne. For a skin care routine, my preference is for Vitamin C and Retinol for their anti-aging effects, to be started as early as the mid-twenties.
What are the most popular treatments in the region?
Botox and Fillers are extremely popular and have stood the test of time, yet they are sometimes over used. PRP is now established as a nice boost for rejuvenating skin and promoting hair growth. Laser hair removal has been extremely popular since the 90’s, and new lasers and devices that control acne, improve scars or tighten the skin are the new trend. Lasers that tighten eyelids and remove dark circles are also gaining popularity. The craze today is radiofrequency microneedling which can result in nice skin firming, and deep skin boosters for the face and body. The results and safety of these treatments depend on their proper use, and they are highly operator dependent.
How is the process of choosing the right cream or treatment, does the choice depend on skin type or age?
The choice of any treatment depends on several factors, including age, skin type, genetics and skin aging, external factors and people’s expectations, and sometimes their ability to withstand treatments and even their cost. Most importantly, each treatment is customized and selected to suit these factors precisely to obtain a result that will look natural.
Each of us wants to preserve our skin’s freshness and youth without surgery; What is the best solution in your opinion?
It is possible today to address the issues that cause sagging and delay the need for a facelift as long as possible. This requires patients to take the rejuvenation journey at an early age and seek proper medical expertise that is able to customize treatment plans to deliver those results. How we do that is by expertly combining injectables, with Botox for the face and neck, fillers and PRP, lasers and other firming or lifting devices, along with proper nutrition and wellness advice. So, a full-face lift is rarely needed nowadays, but I think that some patients may need the more limited neck lift when they have thin skin, weight loss that caused excessive sagging, or when they are not able to keep up with regular treatments.
Injection and filling technology has become the most popular today. Tell us about the latest and most successful technology.
This is true, and the Middle East is one of the regions in the world where these injections are used the most, and they have become basic needs for many people for their role in fighting the signs of aging. When applied properly, these treatments not only restore a more youthful face and tightening of the neck, but also improve people’s aura, and instill positive energy and improve some psychological disorders such as depression and anxiety. One of its new uses is to improve the neck, chest area, hands, and others.
Tell us about your move to Dubai?
I established my practice in Beirut 20 years ago. Since then, I have been consulting in the GCC on a part-time basis, but having a practice in Dubai was on my mind for a long time. The day after the Beirut explosion, I decided to establish this clinic in Jumeirah. Today, I am proud to have assembled a superb team of dermatologists, plastic surgeons and dentists and an excellent supporting staff in a beautiful space. I am excited about the expertise, the customized advanced solutions and treatment plans which are a huge added value that we are bringing to the UAE.
What is skin cancer and which are the most common types and how can you treat them?
Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer and is on the rise and I am surprised by the number of cases that are referred to the clinic. My team and I specialize in the early diagnosis and cutting-edge treatments of the most common skin cancers but also the rarest ones. The most common types, the c tend to grow on sun exposed skin and resemble pearly or red lesions that usually invade locally and may bleed easily. Melanoma, usually a black irregular mole that has evolved from an existing mole or a growing new one, is less common but more serious and can disseminate and cause death.
What are the symptoms of skin cancer and what are the latest treatment techniques?
At Skin Experts Polyclinic, we specialize in the precise diagnosis of all types of skin cancer, and apply the most appropriate treatments, using evidence-based solutions, from topicals to laser, photodynamic therapy, and of course, surgery. For the most delicate cases, particularly on the face, we offer Mohs surgery, which is done in the clinic, and under local anesthesia. This unique procedure allows the complete removal of cancer cells, as we examine the margins microscopically during the surgery. In addition, Mohs surgery ensures that no healthy tissue is wasted, and esthetic reconstruction with barely visible scars!
“SKIN EXPERTS POLYCLINIC IN DUBAI IS DEDICATED TO EXCELLENCE IN FACIAL REJUVENATION, LASER, HAIR RESTORATION, SKIN CANCER,AND COSMETIC SKIN SURGERY”
