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Dr Anisha Singh brings the medi-spa to Chaguanas
Central Beat Features Desk
The beauty industry in Chaguanas is a thriving trade in hair , skin and nails with hundreds of salons and spas to be found throughout the borough and perhaps more salons per capita than any other part of the country .
There is no doubt that the women , and many men , of Chaguanas and outlying areas , care passionately about how they present themselves to the world and to satisfy that passion hundreds of salons and spas have sprung up to meet their demand .
Even as the industry thrives it is also changing , moving into the relatively brand new world ( for TT ) of the medi-spa . Trini women are no longer satisfied with the minimal changes they get from over-the-counter acne and skin products , or facials , makeup and massages – they now want to change their skin and bodies in more long-lasting ways and for that they are now turning to cosmeceuticals , fillers and injectables , lasers , radiofrequency machinery and so much more . One of the people leading the way in the medi-spa business is skin specialist , Dr Anisha Crystal Singh . Anisha is Chaguanas-born , starting her education where many prominent Chaguanas figures did , at the Montrose Vedic School . She then went on to secondary education at St Augustine Girls High School and from there she went on to do her medical degree at the Faculty of Medicine at Mt Hope . She earned her Master ’ s in Clinical Dermatology , with honours , at King ’ s College , London and then earned a certificate from the American Academy of Aesthetic Medicine .
All this to say that her bona fides are undeniable and she may be part of a new revolution in skin care and beauty in Chaguanas .
“ I was always interested in skincare growing up and was the girl in the store who stood there reading all the ingredients in a product ,” Anisha told Central Beat recently . “ I struggled with acne
Dr Anisha Crystal Singh
since my teenage years and experienced the shame of people pointing out the scars and pimples on my face . However , it was only when I worked as a house officer at the Dermatology outpatient clinic at Port of Spain General Hospital with a brilliant boss that I began to understand the extent to which issues with the skin can affect all aspects of patients ’ lives .
“ I have seen people who have lost their jobs and have had failed relationships due to skin disease , as well as patients who have expressed suicidal thoughts and attempts all because of the way that a skin condition had affected them . I was also exposed to a world of skin conditions I never even knew existed which piqued my interest .” Anisha says that her history and her training in the Dermatology Unit have made her able to sympathise deeply with her patients and she gets a strong sense of fulfilment when she can help them in any way , and improve their quality of
life .
“ You would be surprised ,” she adds , “ at how many children are ashamed to go to school because of teasing by their peers , and because they are scorned by teachers , for conditions that are non-infectious and chronic — for example eczema .”
The young doctor , who was married in 2011 to Dr Narindra Ramnarine , told CBeat that she always intended to return home after her studies because this is where her family is , but also because she wants to help the variety of patients in her home country .
“ I was born and bred here and I looked forward to following in the footsteps of my parents who opened and ran their business in this area .”
When she returned home from her Master ’ s programme she worked at the Eastern Regional Health Authority ’ s Dermatology Outpatient Clinic where she ran the dermatology clinics in Toco , Sangre Grande , Cumuto , Rio Claro and Mayaro for one-and-a-half years .
It was just less than a year ago that she set up her practice at Rodney Road , Chaguanas under the name Crystallina . Already she has attracted an array of clients who are eager to take that next step towards better skin be it for medical or aesthetic reasons .
“ When I opened my small business only less than a year ago , my initial intention was to have a space where I can just see my patients , but this quickly developed into an office where I am able to see my patients to treat conditions of the skin , scalp and nails , plus offer services such as laser hair removal , chemical peels , Botox , dermal fillers , dermarolling ( also known as microneedling ), microdermabrasion and excision of moles , warts , lumps and bumps .
“ I have also been able to become the distributor of Bellederm products which are medical grade products that have proven to be very effective with many of my patients . I hope to expand my business over time to be able to fully meet the needs of the people of Chaguanas . I aim to make each patient and client feel valued and very comfortable when they come to my office , and also that their privacy is maintained .”
She believes that while salons and spas have an important role to play in skincare , patients must be mindful that certain procedures should be dealt with by those with a certain level of medical training .
“ While I like the idea of skincare being easily available to the general public , there are things that must be considered before visiting an establishment for any type of treatment or procedure ,” she notes . “ Cleanliness is at the top of my list . While the skin has certain defence mechanisms to fight bacteria , most procedures , including a basic facial , can make the area being treated more prone to allowing bacteria in . If the environment and the equipment being used are not sanitary , this can cause infection , making any pre-existing condition much worse or possibly cause a new one .”
She notes that clients / patients must consider if the procedure that they wish to have done is really a medical procedure .
“ For example , injection of drugs , liposuction , surgical excision and cautery of certain things found on the skin can have very serious adverse effects if not done correctly . In the event that such an adverse effect does occur , one must ensure that the person performing the procedure is properly qualified to deal with the problem and be able to treat accordingly in order to prevent worsening of the situation .
“ This is another situation where selection of an appropriate client for procedure is very
May 2017
important . Selection of the wrong client for something that sounds as simple as laser hair removal can have devastating effects leading to severe burns and permanent scarring . My practice is run as a doctor ’ s office which is directed toward cosmetic procedures and the medical treatment of conditions of the skin , scalp and nails .” Anisha says the response to her clinic so far has been very positive and many of her patients have been referring their family and friends to the clinic .
“ I do anticipate that competition both in the area as well as in terms of procedures will increase , but I hope to continue to improve on our current services as well as make more services available as my small business grows with time . In this industry of beauty , rather than one establishment taking business away from another , I hope that we can instead work alongside each other toward a mutual goal , once the quality of overall service and the quality of treatments remain high .”
In terms of offering advice to women and men on their dermatologic concerns , Anisha suggests that people be cautious in their rush to buy the latest wonder ingredient .
“ There will always be new products that promise to do miraculous things to our skin , especially these days when there seems to be a new product every day . I always tell my patients that the more expensive a product is , doesn ’ t make it better than the rest . We all know that it is so easy to get carried away trying everything possible when we ’ re desperate to get that acne cleared up or to get those stubborn dark spots to disappear . Some products however , due to the strategic combination of ingredients are quite expensive and are sometimes necessary , depending on the condition being treated .
“ I believe that a gentle approach is always best , and that treatments should be done in a step by step manner . Jumping to the strongest medication first may be unnecessary and in some cases , can actually do more harm than good . Again , this of course depends on both the individual and the condition being treated .” She notes that the simple things are often the best : a good , gentle cleanser , a good quality sunscreen and a suitable moisturizer for your particular type of skin .
“ People are always amazed by the way these three simple things can make a world of difference in just a few weeks . I cringe when people tell me that they have previously been told to use harsh soaps multiple times each day , to scrub their skin to death or that they should never moisturize .”
Her pet peeve in the tropics is that people do not use sunscreen enough .
“ My husband jokingly tells everyone to just say yes if I ask the question , ‘ you wear sunscreen everyday right ?’ Otherwise they would need to brace themselves for a lecture on the topic of why it is so essential .”
She adds : “ After years and years of cumulative unprotected sun exposure ultraviolet rays cause a number of conditions including skin cancer and melasma , the latter affecting a very large portion of our population .”
Topical applications and treatments are just a fraction of what contributes toward the way your skin looks , Dr Singh notes . A good diet full of fruit , vegetables and grains , as well as staying active and exercising play a major role .
“ If you supply your body with the vitamins and minerals found in these foods , then it will directly show in your skin . People always ask me how to get that glow , and while there are treatments that do help a great deal , they can only do so much on their own . A proper diet and exercise are essential in getting that glow .”