McLennan News Medical clinic provides solutions for increased self confidence. Emily Plihal: Spotlight. April 26, 2006 Dr. Pieter De Wet's Laser and Skin Care Clinic moved to a new location but will still be providing the same services. The centre which was once located across from the I.D.A. in McLennan in the Associates Medical Clinic is now located by the Coffee Connection just off Main Street. De Wet's office provides such treatments as Botox, laser hair removal, photo rejuvenation, acne treatments, Restylane injections, and Lipodissolve. "What motivated me to begin these treatments is that I'm a very hairy person," says De Wet. "I saw an ad in a newspaper for the hair removal treatments and realized how expensive it was. I wanted to find an alternative that would be affordable and available to everybody." De Wet explains that many of these treatments are considered to be strictly esthetic but in reality they can be used for medical purposes. "Botox is a good example of a cosmetic process that can be used as a treatment," he says. "It can be used to ease serious migraines, tension headaches, severe sweating, as well as the line and wrinkle problems." In addition to Botox which paralyzes muscles on the face to reduce appearance of lines, Restylane can be used to fill in the wrinkle creases. "If you take a person's wrinkles away they feel very good about themselves," says De Wet. "Some have seen superstars have the procedures and would like to try the treatments. Now they can afford them." Lipodissolve treatments can be used to break down fat cells, especially around the abdomen area where love handles are prevalent. The clinic also specializes in Levulan treatments that can treat pre-cancer cells. This involves a chemical process that can reduce the chance of the cells turning into cancer. "We have two clinics now with one in McLennan and one in Grande Prairie," says De Wet, who also is general practitioner in McLennan. "They're the only two full laser centres north of Edmonton." De Wet stresses the importance of taking care of skin by staying out of the sun and making sure the epidermis is well moisturized. "A sunblock with an SPF 35 should be used to keep the skin healthy," says De Wet. "It's critical to use a good moisturizing cream such as Oil of Olay or Vivien We can al- ways tell when our clients have used good products because their skin is in much better condition than someone else the same age as them that haven't used the right products." "I would rather see people spend time in the sun than in a suntan booth. Suntan booths have to use the most dangerous ultraviolet rays that damage the skin." On your first visit to the clinic a group of photos will be taken of your skin to determine the damaged areas. Dr. De Wet will analyze the spots, pores, porphyrins, wrinkles, UV spots, and evenness of your skin to determine what treatments you require. The clinic also offers a strong referral system. If you refer your friends to the clinic you will get a 10 per cent discount of what ever they spend on your next treatment. "If your friend comes in and spends $300, you will get $30 off of your next visit," says De Wet. "We think our customers deserve to be treated with great respect. They come in as clients but they leave as our friends." Procedures will run between $8 and $480 depending on length and type of session. To learn more about the procedures phone the Associate Medical Centre at 324-3054. www.LaserAtMcLennan.com Email:   twnmcl@serbernet.com