On Tackling My Biggest Insecurity and Trying #UlthraLift For The First Time

I have been blogging for almost a decade now (turning 10 years old this December!) and even long before that, I have always been very open about my thoughts and ideas thru my written words. I have also always been open about my insecurities and how I deal with them – but never about tackling them, until now. I was with Oracle Aesthetic Clinic when they first opened here in the Philippines, and now that they are on their 3rd Year, they still offer Korean Beauty Expertise, with a heart for Filipinos, and Affordable Skin Care at its best.

Who is Oracle Aesthetic?

“Established in November 2015 under Auracle Wellness Corporation (a company that aims to provide beauty and wellness product and service innovations from all over the world to the Philippines), Oracle Korean Aesthetic Clinic is the first franchised clinic in the country from Oracle Skinland, South Korea, the largest networked dermatology, plastic surgery and obesity clinic in Asia-Pacific. Its founder, Dr. Ro Young Woo, is a multi-awarded dermatologist who pioneered in this field in 2004. Oracle has 80 branches in South Korea, China, Japan, Mongolia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, Hongkong, and the Philippines.

Oracle is staffed by dermatologists, doctors, plastic surgeons, registered nurses and
aestheticians with years of experience in relevant fields and who have undergone extensive training in South Korea under Dr. Ro. Its clinic in Makati offers a full range of treatments from problem skin management, non-invasive, age-reversal procedures to surgical interventions. Only the latest state-of-the-art US FDA-approved technology and equipment are used. True to its mission, Oracle provides intelligent, innovative and effective services that provide results likened to the beautiful complexion of top Korean stars. Oracle boasts of relaxing and efficient facilities to make your experience pleasant and comfortable, with sleek contemporary interiors with touches of Asian hospitality.”

Confession time: My biggest insecurity is my face. I’m not sure when exactly, but the lower half of my face started turning asymmetric a few years back. After reviewing my X-rays, my Orthodontist decided it was because of an extra bone that prevented my upper and lower jaw from aligning. I had a lot of discomfort growing up. These presented in misaligned teeth, back pains and jaw problems. As a child, I had really low self-esteem, and realizing I had this problem only contributed to that. That is, up until I grew up, matured, and learned to accept the things I do not have and made the most out of the things I do. Now that opportunities present themselves and we now have the resources to help alleviate some of those issues, I decided to face my fears (by talking about my insecurities openly) and doing something about it – by undergoing a process called UltraLift.

What is UltraLift?

ULTHRALIFT is a revolutionary, non-surgical and time-tested procedure that uses high-focused ultrasound technology that effectively lifts and tightens skin on the face and body. Oracle’s Ulthralift uses gentle yet powerful micro-focused ultrasound to lift not just the skin but also the deep muscle layer underneath, without distressing the surface. It helps intensify the growth of new collagen, eventually bolstering and toning one’s skin from within. During treatment, warm pulsation of ultrasound energy are dispensed deep under the skin that results to muscle contraction yet the heat also helps buoy up the healthy, natural process of skin cell reconstruction by producing renewed collagen that will make skin, face and neck firmer, tighter and more vibrant.

“Oracle’s Ulthralift is good for the face, neck chest, abdomen and flanks. The procedure
comes without any downtime and our clients are able to return to work or do their daily routines right away. In one hour or less, clients will feel an instant improvement with a single Ulthralift procedure. But achieving a long-term boost, or a tighter, more young-looking skin builds over time,” says Jennifer Stelton-Jose, Oracle’s General Manager. “It is the best way to go for people whose skin is less firm, those with lowered browline, sagging arms or eyelids, and dry, maturing skin that needs lifting, but are not mentally and financially ready to undergo surgical skin lifting. And clients can avail of it anytime as we have the best price in the market.”

So here’s what happened during my treatment.

Step 1: First, you have to remove your makeup. Oracle thankfully has a very spacious bathroom with all the toiletries you could possibly need! After that, “before” shots would be taken so they could document your progress for your next visit.

Step 2: You would be taken to the treatment room and will be asked to lie down. There was really no special preparation since the procedure will be done on the face. The Doctor would then draw guide lines on the area to be treated, and a Nurse will then place a topical anesthetic and leave it on for at least thirty minutes.

Step 3: The Doctor will now start the treatment. Real talk – I was not expecting it would hurt as much as it did! I have a very very high pain tolerance, and usually fall asleep during facials and brazilians (lol) but this one kept me wide awake (when I badly wished for the opposite) Thank goodness for the numbing cream because I probably only felt 40% of the actual intensity! It felt like very tiny hot rubber bands flicking against your skin multiple times per shot of the machine. How did I manage, you ask? Well, I distracted myself! I kept talking to my Doctor, asking questions and all that, then when I got tired I went inside my brain and thought about happy things and how I would look like one month from now (while my hands clasps each other so tight in the hopes I could redirect the source of pain haha!) I am a brave girl but this was probably the most painful thing I ever had to undergo in my whole life so far! Haha!

Step 4: The clean up and the glorious cold anti-inflammatory cream.

To be honest, it took me this long to write this article not because I fear being judged, but because I was afraid of my own reaction. I have always been my biggest critique, but this year I vowed to love myself more and that includes being less self-critical. And so, here are some before and after photos taken on November 17, 2018 and January 5, 2019.

Some questions:

How much is it? – Call +632 801 4131 / +63 916 223 8821 for a quote.

How long is the procedure? – Less than an hour, depending on the area to be treated!

When will I see results? – Some clients see results immediately after. In my case, I saw it ten minutes in. However, the real deal came when I checked in almost 2 months after and took my “after” photos. It all depends, but the general timeline was – the area after an UltraLift session only gets better with time.

Was it worth it? – Yes, yes, yes! The pain was nothing next to my new found confidence (and new favorite photo angle/profile haha!)

Again, only the right side of my face was treated (this was to try and solve my asymmetric muscle mass) The most notable change physically would be my more defined jawline, but this treatment was more of what I felt than what I ended up looking like. My face felt a whole lot firmer, my skin more taut, and generally more younger-looking! The Doctors told me the result would look better as the months progress, so I think I’ll do another update once we get there!

And before I end this post, I would like to leave you with some words I read in one of the books I picked up on recently.

“If you only shine light on your flaws, all your perfects will dim”

If you knew me well, you would know that I am not the type of person who dwells too much on the negative things in life – I am actually exactly the opposite. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have my down days! If we actively choose to focus on the things we have, rather than those we don’t, slowly we would learn to appreciate ourselves more than we used to.

Thank you so much Oracle Aesthetic for the life changing treatment! I can’t wait to look back to this post in the future and see the difference!

Oracle Korean Aesthetic Clinic is open from Monday to Saturday, 10:00AM-8:00PM. The clinic is at the Republic Glass Building, 196 Salcedo Street corner Soria Street, Legaspi Village, Makati. To know more about Oracle, set an appointment by calling +632 801 4131 / +63 916 223 8821 or by checking their website, Facebook or Instagram