Dr. Claudine Roura, M.D. — a Philippine pioneer in Vaser Lipo — talks about how to transform your body, mind and self-image.
Dr. Claudine Roura comes from a family of dentists but early in life she already wanted to do something different. She took up internal medicine at the Makati Medical Center, and then later moved to dermatology and dermatological surgery and loved it so much that she chose it as her specialty. After finishing her residency, she took a couple of preceptorships in the US and Colombia, studying laser treatments, phlebology, liposuction, tummy tuck, etc.
Later she underwent a fellowship training in phlebology and then started her own practice as a cosmetic surgeon in Manila. The turning point in her career came when a friend brought in Vaser, which Claudine describes as a high-definition liposuction machine that is gentler and less invasive than traditional liposuction. She became the Vaser Systems Application Specialist and her job was to train other doctors how to use the machine properly, do demos, and instruct them and their staff about maintenance and settings.
By the time advanced training for Vaser users was offered by the Vaser-certifying body in Colombia, she was already an expert, so she went back to learn refinements in the Vaser liposuction techniques that were way beyond what everyone else was doing in the industry. Because Dr. Roura was the first who could perform these advanced procedures, she set up her own facility – the Contours Advanced Face and Body Sculpting Institute. It was a very exciting and busy time for her but after several years, it became too stressful to continue full-time. She resolved to be less aggressive and settled on opening a non-surgical extension of her practice.
LASER FIT ZERONA
She and a business partner brought in Zerona, a cold laser non-invasive body contouring treatment that reduces inches from the waist, hips and thighs. The treatment calls for a certain amount of time spent lying on a table while five low-level lasers are applied to target areas. Adding the Zerona to their services was an excellent way to bring in people who weren’t ready for liposuction and it offered the exact easy, quick-fix that people were looking for – pay up and lose weight. But Claudine wanted to make the process more effective, more long-term. Noting that what the Zerona did was to release fatty acids and make it available to be used up for energy or waste, she implemented a complete program for her clients that included nutritional guidance and exercise which she aptly called LaserFit. Their slogan is, “We melt it, you burn it!”
The best part about the LaserFit program she created was that she made sure it was completely doable by just about anyone. She offers 10-minute exercise sessions along with the Zerona and the client can do it in their studio, with an assistant to see that the moves are being done properly, or at home. They have a large variety of exercise types to choose from, ranging from beginners to high-intensity, so the clients don’t get bored. The nutritional guidance is simple, being based on an eating plan that focuses on eating less rather than deprivation, portion control over actual dieting.
PATIENT FEEDBACK
She says that most of her clients have tried many other methods before so they don’t want to have to exercise a lot. The 10 minutes of exercise aren’t intimidating for them because anyone can do 10 minutes even if the workout is a bit challenging. They know that they only have to give up a short amount of time and effort. And because they can successfully accomplish the 10 minutes, they feel good about themselves and are willing to do it again next time. Because of the combination of fat being released and fat being actually burned, they see more results than if they just lay on a bed receiving the laser therapy The euphoric feeling they get from the exercise endorphins keeps them coming back for more.
The whole process is effective and motivating because it brings about constant changes, which is the most important feature of the LaserFit program – it’s a makeover that doesn’t stop and it makes you want to do even more for yourself and your body. If you no longer see yourself as the one creating the problem—the one who’s not exercising, the one who overeats, the one who created the bad image in the mirror—then you feel empowered enough to continue.