Celebrity Life

Lisa Chan grew up with a condition that made her self-conscious about her outward appearance but made her aware of the importance of inner beauty. She opens up about how two doctors inspired her to join their profession and dedicate her life to helping others feel beautiful inside and out.

Everyone gets asked this question at some point in their childhood: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” For Lisa Chan, there was no question about it: she wanted to become a doctor. Chan was diagnosed with Graves’ disease as a young girl, an immune-system disorder that causes an overproduction of thyroid hormones. It affects the body in a wide range of ways, most noticeably a swollen neck due to an enlarged thyroid gland, bulging eyes and weight loss.

Puberty is already a difficult time for any teenage girl, but Chan endured painful years at school being the odd one out and recalls hiding in the school library during breaks, safe among books, and ridicule from a clueless teacher who, unaware of her condition, compared her to a goldfish in front of her classmates.

Chan recalls all of this with barely a hint of trauma. She grew up shy and lonely but was very much loved by her family, who instilled in her the value of beauty in all its forms – not just in outward appearances.

“I used to be really self-conscious about my appearance, and I guess that’s partly why I was drawn to things like art and music,” she says. “Even sad experiences can have a beauty to them if it’s made you grow. You relate better to the world around you, and you become more resilient.”

Her saviours were Gary Wong and Wai Fan Chan, the two doctors who ultimately cured her and became her lifetime mentors. Kind and considerate, they’re credited by Chan for instilling in her the belief that there’s good in everyone, for inspiring her to pursue a career dedicated to serving humanity and helping others, and for bringing confidence and normalcy back into her life.

Chan remains stoic while recounting her tough childhood, but when talking about her two mentors she chokes back tears of emotion.

“I owe everything I do to them. They really showed me that a doctor’s office doesn’t have to be a scary place, and they did everything they could to look after me, to look after my parents, and give us hope that everything would be OK one day.”

While recovering from the illness, Chan made many trips to the hospital for treatments and blood tests, but ultimately surgery was inevitable. When she was just 16, Chan tells me, the gland in front of her throat had grown so large that it made breathing difficult. Dr Chan Wai Fan, her surgeon at the time, was with her every step of the way.

“He told me he’d hide the scar between my collarbones, so it wouldn’t be too visible when I grew older,” she tells me, while subconsciously patting the base of her neck. “He kept his promise; the scar is barely there anymore.”

Today, Chan is a general practitioner and the co-founder of EverKeen Medical Centre with her husband, Alvin Lee, also a doctor. Perhaps due to her own experiences and her upbringing, she also has an avid interest in aesthetic medicine.

Chan graduated from the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) and has a Master’s in Practical Dermatology with Distinction from Cardiff University; as well as Diplomas in Dermatology from Cardiff University and Queen Mary University of London. She also obtained a Diploma in Advances of Medicine at CUHK and a Diploma in Child Health at the University of Sydney. Since 2018, she’s obtained a second master’s at Queen Mary University of London with a research interest in anatomy, dermal fillers and threading, and has received further overseas training in aesthetic gynaecology.

I ask how she’s managed to do all this while running two clinics and, laughing, she replies, “My father-in-law is also a doctor and, along with my husband, we study a lot together. It’s a family bonding time for us and it also almost makes studying easier, as we can share notes and work on assignments together.”

For most people, a doctor’s office is an intimidating place, where the smell of antiseptic is strong and the lights are stark and cold. But Chan’s Tin Hau clinic is an entirely new world. I tell her it feels as if I’ve inadvertently walked into a spa or even a girl’s fantasy bedroom. She smiles, her eyes crinkling with warmth, and says, “I’ve put a lot of thought into creating this space, so people can feel relaxed and comfortable, just like how my own doctors made me feel safe and comfortable in their clinics.”

In a way, Chan’s clinic is an outward representation of who she is. All her hopes, dreams and convictions are on full display in every corner of her newly renovated office. A large mirror printed with the Hippocratic oath sits at the entrance to her office.

“I walk past it every morning and see my own reflection in it,” she says. “It’s a daily reminder of the oath I’ve taken – the part in the Hippocratic oath where it says: ‘May I always act so as to preserve the finest traditions of my calling and may I long experience the joy of healing those who seek my help.’ That really resonates with me.”

Even tissue boxes are printed with inspiring quotes, such as: “You were born an original work of art.” Art she’s painted herself, of white horses and cats and blue skies, and beautiful Chinese calligraphy by her own hand are placed sporadically around her office.

One particular piece, a singular Chinese character that says “Dream”, sits on her desk, next to a photo of herself and her mother.

“My mother introduced me to the world of art when I was small,” she says. “She brought me and my brother to classical music concerts and bought us a lot of beautifully illustrated storybooks. She loved classic movies and often talked about the actresses who inspired her – Audrey Hepburn and Julia Roberts were two of her favourites. She always emphasised their inner beauty, their kind souls, their authenticity and generosity, and not just their outer elegance.”

Chan’s own role models include Helen Keller, Florence Nightingale, Marie Curie and Emily Jane Brontë, influential women who also helped shape her own concept of beauty.

“They lived the lives they dreamt of and never let themselves be limited by any of the supposed restraints on women at the time or even physical disabilities,” she explains. “They made me realise that beauty is also about giving back and leaving a lasting legacy for the better.”

Today, her patients come to her for any number of problems, ranging from dermatological issues to aesthetic procedures. To Chan, medical aesthetics aren’t about guaranteeing or even encouraging perfection. But what she hopes she can do is to give her clients a small boost of confidence and to restore their self-worth.

“True beauty will radiate from the soul,” she says. “I particularly love this quote from Audrey Hepburn: For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.”

The post Lisa Chan: Beauty Inside and Out appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Given the passage of time and the effects of gravity, sun exposure and lifestyle, even the most beautiful pair of eyes aren’t immune to signs of ageing. Dr Lisa Chan describes how to take care of and protect these wonderful assets.

Often described as the windows To the soul, the eyes are an integral part of how we communicate and are perceived by others. A glance can convey a multitude of meaning and emotions, and looking deeply into another’s eyes can build trust and affection.

It comes as no surprise, then, that seeking to enhance the beauty of our eyes has a lengthy history. From Cleopatra’s famous kohl rims to modern eyeliners, concealers and mascaras, the desire for magnetic and alluring eyes is a time-honoured tradition.

Regrettably, with the passage of time and the effects of gravity, sun exposure and lifestyle, even the most beautiful pair of eyes aren’t immune to signs of ageing. The average pair of human eyes blinks 24,000 to 28,000 times a day, and at only 0.33 to 0.36mm, eyelid and periorbital skin is only a fifth as thick as that covering the rest of the face. The combination of these factors, as well as certain genetic expressions and facial structures, results in the skin around our eyes being susceptible to dehydration, wrinkling, sagging, discoloration and puffiness.

So how can we combat these dreaded signs of ageing? Moisturising the delicate periorbital skin, especially during drier winter months, is key. Other minimally invasive options for those looking to turn back the hands of time include botulinum toxin injections or volumisation with hyaluronic acids and biostimulant filters. Rejuvenation and tightening is also possible with the insertion of polydioxanone threads, or the use of high-intensity ultrasound and radiofrequency energy-based machines.

Aside from getting in our prerequisite hours of beauty sleep, diet and exercise play important roles in maintaining youthful-looking eyes and clarity of sight. We can incorporate foods rich in antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins C and E, zinc and lutein, and stay at a healthy weight to prevent age-related ocular diseases such as macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and cataracts.

When stationed outdoors for prolonged periods, we should also take care to use a good pair of sunglasses that can block 99-100 percent of UVA and UVB rays. Squinting will hasten the onset of wrinkles, and excessive ultraviolet-light exposure is related to macular degeneration and cataract formation. With society’s increasing reliance on technology, it’s also a good idea to take a break from screens every 15 minutes or so – your eyes will thank you, as will your neck and shoulders.

The eyes are our first point of contact with the outside world, so it’s imperative that we take good care of them – after all, we only get one pair for life. Not everyone can be born with long-lashed doe eyes, but clear vision and a healthy lifestyle will always reflect that youthful joie de vivre within.

Follow Dr Chan on Instagram for more beauty tips and musings.

The post Dr Lisa Chan on How to Combat the Signs of Ageing of Eyes appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Dr Lisa Chan begins her series of monthly columns by concentrating on that most expressive and sensual element of the face: the lips. "Beauty is power; a smile is its sword,” said John Ray, a 17th-century English naturalist and philosopher. As fashionable as a moody, pouting model on Instagram may be, it’s still the curve of a lip and a sensual smile that attracts the eye. I’ve had patients who worry that they come across as aloof and unwelcoming, due to naturally thin lips or droopy mouth corners.

Sometimes this is also caused by ageing – with a loss of subcutaneous fat and collagen, a thinning of the lips and sagging around the mouth area can occur. This can often be corrected with the Smile Lipt (lip-plus-lift) technique, which is a minimally invasive procedure that combines the use of botulinum toxin and hyaluronic acid fillers.

Botulinum toxin reduces the contraction of muscles, such as the depressor anguli oris, which is a muscle that pulls the lip corners downwards. When this muscle is weakened, the lip corners will naturally curve upwards. The effects of botulinum toxin will take a few days to be seen, and can last anywhere from three to six months.

Hyaluronic acid fillers can re-volumise areas and strengthen lip definitions for an aesthetically pleasing result. The effects of fillers are seen instantly and can last approximately a year from injection, depending on viscosity and cross-linkage.

Popular lip shapes include:

• The Cupid's Bow: a classic lip shape with a well-defined vermilion border and the upper lip volume at 70 percent to the lower lip. This lip shape is set off beautifully with red-hued lipstick.
• Heart Shaped: a fuller-bodied lip shape with a gentle curve to the upper lip and a smooth contour to the lower lip. This lip shape is well suited to pink- and peach-toned lipsticks.
• Petal Shaped: an Asian favourite, with its delicate pout effect and lifting of the lip corners. The contours of this lip shape can be highlighted with two-toned lipsticks (darker in the lip centre, then fading out at the lip borders).

To avoid the dreaded trout pout caused by overfilling, an experienced injector will take care to inject in a ratio best suited to individual facial proportions. To minimise bruising, I typically ask my patients to refrain from aspirin, multivitamins and fish oil a week before injections. Other minimally invasive options for an irresistible smile include lower face lifting with the insertion of polydioxane threads, or the use of machines delivering high-intensity focused ultrasound or radio frequency energy. A range of treatments is available, which can be tailored to your needs.

All these options should be discussed with your physician, together with your medical history and aesthetic goals, in order to formulate the most appropriate treatment plan.

Follow Dr Chan on Instagram for more beauty tips and musings.

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