Skin Whitening with infusions of Vitamin C as popularised by Big S or "Da S", is a very popular treatment offered by Dr Garsing Wong at the Auckland Cosmetic Medicine Clinic Ltd - Sapphire Appearance Medicine Clinic. We are the first clinic in New Zealand to bring this skin whitening, beauty treatment that can help to keep your skin beautiful and clear.

 

How does it work?

Vitamin C (Vit C) is known for its antioxidant properties and has been advocated as an anti-ageing remedy.  Vit C can restore beautiful and clear skin by enhancing collagen production or collagenesis when applied topically.  When Vit C is given as an infusion, it will enhance the whitening appearance of skin on the entire body in a safe manner.

 

VITAMIN C DEFICIENCY
This can cause anaemia, usually resulting in the red blood cells being paler, or occasionally smaller than normal. Sometimes the red cells can be larger than normal, and then the Vit C deficiency is associated with a lack of folic acid.

 

HOW MUCH VITAMIN C SHOULD YOU HAVE?
When you have a lack of Vitamin C, then you require at least 500mg per day. This is easily obtained through a balanced diet of fresh fruit and vegetables.  When high doses are given, then the excess Vitamin C will start helping your skin to look and feel younger.

 

IS TOO MUCH VITAMIN C DANGEROUS?
You should not have high doses of Vit C if you have G6PD or glucose-6-phosphate-dehydrogenase deficiency, a hereditary (X-linked) enzyme defect that can mean that exposure to certain medication or substances that produce peroxide such as salicylates, sufonamides, nitrofurans, fava beans - otherwise acidosis as can be precipitated in acute illness or high dose Vitamin C infusions (generally more than 75g per day) can be unsafe.

At the doses used for Skin Whitening, it is very safe.

 

WHAT ARE THE SIDE EFFECTS?
If the infusion is given too fast, then it can cause your blood sugar to fall, giving unpleasant symptoms of hypoglycaemia until this is reversed. You do not need to worry as Auckland Cosmetic Medicine Clinic Ltd - Sapphire Appearance Medicine Clinic staff are aware of this.

 

WHAT IS INVOLVED?
After a consultation to ensure that the procedure is appropriate for you, then the Vitamin C is administered intravenously through a drip. You are encouraged to have a small meal before the infusion, and fruit juice is offered during the infusion to prevent your blood sugar from becoming low.

 

HOW MANY TREATMENTS ARE REQUIRED?
You will need up to 11 treatments. Often patients like to combine this treatment with microdermabrasion, IPL (Intense Pulse Light) or Fractional Nonablative 1540nm Erbium:Glass laser or our latest machine the Venus Viva Nanofractional Ablative Radiofrequency device to remove specific sun damage skin or pigment problems.

 

Skin whitening infusions alone typically give you a more subtle response, although you will have improvement in your skin quality, the whitening effect is very subtle.  Living in New Zealand, means that we cannot avoid the high ultraviolet (UV) light here, which can reverse the effects of the skin whitening infusions.

 

Please click this link to book to see Margaret (Wen-Pei Chen) for a free consultation to see what procedure is best for you.

All our procedures are office based, requiring no time off work, with a compliment of pain free methods to give you the best results.

Speak to us about how we can help to maintain and care for your skin to keep you healthier and look more youthful.

 

Updated 21 July 2022