“Forever young, I want to be forever young. Do you really want to live forever, forever? Forever young.” This song has become the theme song to millions of baby boomers and younger, who have been pursuing eternal youth with a variety of methods: diet, exercise, supplements, detox, Botox, hormones, modern machines and ultimately plastic surgery. All of these methods come under the heading anti-aging, a term that has become commonplace. You’ll find it on packaging for skin creams and supplements. In a spa, the term is used to describe certain facials or body treatments. Anti aging clinics encourage you to have facial treatments, injectables and now have hormone replacement therapy.
During the last ten years the trend in spas has changed dramatically. The original spas of Europe dating back to Roman times were places of healing with water. As time went by the spas became more clinical with doctors, nurses and licensed technicians treating the patients. It wasn’t until the 1980s that spas began to change into a place of beauty and relaxation. People’s lives became more stressed and more toxic as the food we ate became more processed, health began to deteriorate. Heart attacks and cancer rates rose. People started to realize that just having a massage helped them to relax and eliminate the toxins. People realized that they needed to detoxify, learn about eating better, get more exercise and most important they wanted to stop the aging process. The simplest way to pursue anti aging is through natural wellness of eating a healthy diet and exercise, reducing stress, eliminating toxins and by protecting and moisturizing the skin using natural products.
Spa Venus at Kubu Villas in Seminyak is a wellness centre with holistic therapies such as acupuncture, trigger point massage, organic Shankara facials, detox infrared sauna and detox programs. The infrared sauna is different from a conventional sauna in that the room doesn’t get hot, but it heats the body, creating more sweat, which eliminates more toxins. You can even read a book during the forty minutes and drink 2 glasses of water. The detox programs consist of 3 days or 7 during your stay at Kubu. The program includes special broths, fresh coconut juice, cleaning tablets and self- administered green coffee colon cleansing. At the end of the week you’ll have radiant skin, more energy, feel lighter and healthier.
ARC Anti Aging Beauty Clinic offers several face treatments to reduce wrinkles and sagging skin with injectables or their newest Cyrolift facial. Cyrotherapy is a type of cold shock therapy used on the skin and tissue for therapeutic improvements. Following an acid peel to remove dead skin, collagen is applied to areas of the neck and face then the instrument is guided over the area in upward sweeps at a temperature of -15 Celsius to penetrate the serum into the skin. It doesn’t actually feel that cold on the skin. Even after one treatment a visible difference can be seen with firmer skin. Six treatments are recommended at weekly intervals for best results.
Kaimana Spa is taking a modern approach by being the first to offer magnetic resonance therapy to add on to any of their traditional treatments. Like water and air, magnetic resonance (MRT) is vital to life, which is normally obtained from the earth’s frequencies. However, the average person spends 90% of their time indoors within concrete and metal structures that insulate them from these natural magnetic fields. Secondly, we are bombarded by unhealthy and unnatural pulsed electromagnetic fields, known as electro smog from cell phones, computers, microwaves, televisions, ect, which have adverse effects on our health. Magnetic Resonance Stimulation MRS restores lost energy and cellular balance to a normal healthy vibration. As a result, the entire cell metabolism is stimulated, blood cells are regenerated, blood flows with more oxygen, the immune system becomes stronger, bone structure becomes denser and organs such as liver, kidneys and spleen are able to detoxify themselves. It also accelerates healing of wounds and injuries, decreases pain, reduces symptoms of arthritis, improves sleep and slows down aging. It is also very effective in combating jet-lag by resetting our internal body clock. All of this in only 8 – 16 relaxing minutes of lying on an electromagnetic mat!
How do you know when you need to detox? If you have some of these symptoms: fatigue and low energy, impaired digestion, chronic constipation, frequent headaches, frequent colds, skin problems or food allergies; colon therapy is perhaps the most effective way to detox. This is a process of cleansing and flushing out the colon, or large intestine. The treatment is similar to an enema which can be done by yourself, which only cleans the lower portion of the colon. Colonic irrigation, which is performed by a trained practitioner, is able to clean the entire five foot length from accumulated hardened faeces due to a poor diet, constipation or other gastrointestinal problems. Waste and toxins that remain inside for a long period of time causes putrefaction and fermentation, which can cause gas, bloating, headaches, fatigue and skin problems. Diets low in fibre and high in red meat and other fatty foods are a major cause of this problem. Today sterile and safe colon therapy machines are available using filtered water. The process pumps body temperature water into the colon while the therapist massages the stomach to help release impacted material from the walls of the colon. Then the pump is reversed and the water is vacuumed out into a closed waste system. You’re able to watch the elimination through a clear tube. Morbid, I know, but there’s no mess or odour. Usually a minimum of three to eight treatments is necessary for a thorough cleansing. Red meat eaters may need a few more treatments. Victus Life has a detox program, which includes the colon therapy plus doctor’s advice on diet for the most effective detoxification. Some benefits of this program are reduction of weight, removes parasites, intestinal muscles are stimulated to improve digestion functions, clears complexion, and reduces dependency on sugar, caffeine, nicotine, alcohol and drugs.
Human Growth Hormone is becoming a popular anti aging treatment in older adults. Reported effects on hGH deficient patients include decreased body fat, increased muscle mass, increased bone density, increased energy levels, improved skin tone and texture, increased sexual function and improved immune system. HGH is a protein-based polypedtide hormone, man made by adding the hGH gene to a bacterium. It stimulates growth, cell reproduction and regeneration in humans. First a blood test must be taken to evaluate your cholesterol and hGH levels to determine the present levels. From the age of 30 hGH levels begin to decrease 24% per decade. By the age of 60 the hGH levels are usually 80% lower than when you were 20. After the treatments the hGH level should be raised to 70% of what they were when you were 30. However, this treatment must be continued to be effective. If the treatment is stopped the body will return to its former state.
Hormone Replacement Therapy offers solutions to andropause in men and menopause in women. For men testosterone levels in most healthy men average 400 – 1200, however with age the levels can drop as low as 300. With HRT the levels can be boosted to 500 – 800, which is considered to be a healthy level for men over 40. Testosterone deficiency in older men is associated with increased heart attacks, stroke, cancer, diabetes, reduced sexual function and aging disorders. For post menopause women, estrogen deficiency can result in drying skin, hair and nails, reduced metabolic rate, low libido, osteoporosis and aging. Victus Life offers 100 day programs to rebalance your hormones. First a saliva test is sent to Europe to assess your hormone profile with a physical exam for cardiovascular risks, metabolic panel and tumour markers. After your assessment the hormones are administered and monitored for the next 100 days. Diet and exercise programs are also advised. The HRT will improve your quality of life, live healthier and longer. Victus Life Longevity Institute is a partner of American Academic of Anti Aging, the largest organization on anti aging, providing education and training for doctors in Anti Aging Medicine. It also provides anti aging clinical care for the early detection and prevention for conditions associated with the aging process. They will host an international conference in October.
Medical spas are now appearing in many countries. Bali doesn’t have one yet, but you can count on finding one here soon. A medical spa is a hybrid of a medical clinic and a day spa that operates under the supervision of a medical health care professional such as a doctor. Treatments are performed by licensed professional practitioners. Many of the medical spas offer non surgical treatments such as laser treatments, laser hair-removal, IPL (intense pulsed light), microdermabrasion, photofacials aggressive chemical peels and injectables like Botox. Some may have a wellness focus with detoxification programs, colon-therapy, nutritional counselling, a naturopathic doctor consultations, acupuncture and now anti-aging programs with human growth hormones. These spas may also offer relaxing treatments like massage and body treatments. However, there are some medical spas that also have a cosmetic surgeon on staff. These spas often have luxurious accommodation attached so that a person can come in for example to have a facelift and stay at the spa during the recovery period. During their stay they may wish to lounge by the pool and indulge in massage until they are ready to face the public. Although cosmetic surgery has been around for many years, these surgeons are now doing a booming business with so many people wanting to retain their youth and enhance their good looks. Bangkok has become the plastic surgery capital of Asia boasting hospitals with the luxury of a five start hotel. Thousands flock to Bangkok for plastic surgery where it is a fraction of the price compared to western prices. Most of the plastic surgeons have been trained in Europe or USA.
But now you can get your cosmetic surgery done in Bali at Aesthetic & Laser Clinic. Dr.I.B. Suryahadi, who studied medicine in Indonesia, then went to Germany to get his degree in Cosmetic Surgery. His clinic in Seminyak has two surgery rooms outfitted with modern equipment from Germany in a sterile environment. He offers breast enlargement and reduction, face-lifts, lipo-suction and laser CO2 to name some of his services. He speaks excellent English and has a sunny personality. The prices are comparable to Bangkok. His clinic is in a hotel apartment building, so accommodation can be provided if needed.
