DOCTOR YES
Metrosexual men want to age “youthfully” according to specialist, Dr Stephen Lowe. And, yes, this can be done without the “frozen” look, he says.
Your official job title is Cosmetic Doctor. What does that mean?
Dr Stephen Lowe: I’m a medical doctor with a specialist interest in non-surgical cosmetic treatments. I use various medical treatments to help correct the signs of ageing and also enhance natural facial features to create an even more attractive version of clients.
How is that done?
By combining different treatments: antiwrinkle injections, dermal fillers, bio stimulates and platelet regenerative therapies with laser and radio frequency treatments together with good skin care and nutrition.
Are you passionate about your work?
I’m passionate about creating the perfect balance between each facial feature to help create better symmetry and beauty. It is really satisfying when this all comes together.
What kind of cosmetic procedures do men most ask about – and is that different to what they actually need?
Patients generally come in discussing symptoms of ageing – lines and depletion. We educate our clients on the cellular causes so treatments are longer lasting and look more natural. Patients don’t know how to diagnose and prescribe treatments and we remove the mystery.
Do gay men ask for different things to straight men?
Gay men seem to be more passionate and aware of their ageing process and they want to preserve their youthful looks for as long as possible. I find gay men have a better knowledge of what kind of treatments are available, however, with grooming being in fashion for both straight and gay men the metrosexual man wants all they can have to age “youthfully”.
What’s the easiest way to quickly freshen up your look?
A little bit of Botox and a tweak with some dermal filler along with a medical grade skin peel or microdermabrasion will help. If you’re looking to maximise your looks into the future, we often look to the bio stimulate fillers such as Sculptra to achieve longer-term results.
How do we stay looking young and still maintain the character in our faces?
We might consider using a combination of injectable products combined with plateletrich plasma treatments to help improve the skin surface. We might suggest some Botox or dermal filler to soften up some lines or tweak any little imperfections or imbalances. We make sure people look great but retain the character in their face. I steer away from the “frozen” look that many people associate with cosmetic practice.
Botox is accepted as standard grooming these days. Is that a good or a bad thing?
I think it’s great that people have so many options available. The cosmetic industry overall has developed at an incredible rate, making treatments more affordable and attainable than previously.
We’re often told to stay out of the sun to avoid ageing and then we’re told we don’t get enough vitamin D because we’re staying out of the sun. How do we find the happy medium?
It’s all about careful exposure and moderation. The sun provides us with lots of health benefits and for most people about 10-15 minutes of sun exposure a day is generally sufficient for adequate vitamin D levels.
The grooming and beauty industry is constantly changing – how do you keep up with all the innovations?
I’ve just come back from the annual international conference for platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in Venice. PRP improves wrinkling and skin texture but can also be used to reduce scars and stretch marks and can also be used on thinning hair. Other new developments discussed may have applications with erectile dysfunction.
What do you do in your down time?
I bought a house recently so most of my free time has involved sanding, painting and landscaping, however my initial enthusiasm has worn off a bit! Apart from that, I run and I try and practice yoga about four times a week.
more: Dr Lowe is a practitioner at Face Today Mediclinic. Go to facetoday.com.au.