Ready for a New You

Start off the year with a personal transformation

Special Promotional Section

photo by istock

MAYBE YOU’VE GOT a wrinkle to banish. How about whitening dull teeth? Dare to go for cosmetic surgery, such as liposuction or eyelid surgery? Or perhaps you’ve decided it’s about time to see a dentist to improve your bite, or get rid of wearing glasses by correcting your vision, or start an exercise program.

You’re not alone if you’re looking for a “new you.” Nationwide, we are in the midst of a boom in self–improvement. Cosmetic procedures alone—from plastic surgery to nonsurgical treatments, such as Botox—have doubled from 2000 to 2006, with 11.4 million procedures done in 2006. Driven by market demand as well as breakthroughs in medical research, advances in technologies, equipment and medical science provide practitioners today with an amazing array of products, services and techniques with which to improve health and transform the human form.

But with such a wide variety, and changes happening constantly, how do you decide what will work best for you? What are some of the latest developments and treatments? Where should you start? And who’s the right specialist for you?

This special section aims to be a starting point for you to begin your personal journey to self-improvement. We talked to some of Hawaii’s outstanding healthcare, skin care and wellness professionals to provide you with a snapshot of the state of the art of today and the trends that are emerging in their specialties.

The Hawaii professionals interviewed for this section include Dr. Robert Baysa, Dental Arts LLC; Dr. Michael Dimitrion, MedicalSpa Skin Care Hawaii; Dr. Alan Faulkner, Aloha Laser Vision LLC; Edward Hope, Diagnostic Laboratory Services Inc.; Dr. Kenneth K.H. Kau, Bareskin Hawaii; Kevin Ledesma, Swissclinical USA Inc.; and Lora Nakai, Heaven on Earth.

They also include Dr. Kurt Nishiguchi, DDS; Dr. Robert Peterson, Athena Clinics; Dr. Cecile Sebastian, DDS; Dr. Mark Tasaki, Tasaki TMJ Headache Center; Dr. Diane Thompson, Queen’s Women’s Health Center; Dr. Keiko Watanabe, DDS; and Dr. Randy Wong, Straub Clinic & Hospital.

For anyone contemplating a new regimen or procedure, here’s the latest scoop on what’s available in Hawaii, as well as expert advice on what you need to know and how a particular specialty can benefit you.