The stars seek them out at Cosmetiderm

Like most comebacking actresses, Priscilla Almeda isn’t taking any chances in her return to the limelight. She wants that sexy figure around which many men center their fantasies. Never mind if she’s a self-confessed mother of a baby boy.

So she decided to do the most logical thing. She sought the help of a cosmetic surgeon who will ensure that she’s back to her old (fighting) form.

Priscilla went to the Cosmetiderm Clinic, owned and operated by husband and wife Manuel and Pie Calayan, a cosmetic surgeon and dermatologist, respectively.

The doctor-couple worked on Priscilla’s post-childbirth fat using the wonders of LipoDissolve, a non-surgical method that relieves the body of unwanted fat without the pain or hassle of going under the knife.

Another client is Patricia Javier who has been undergoing the procedure for a couple of months now.

"She’s too afraid to try liposuction, so when she heard of LipoDissolve, Patricia was happy to try it out and was even happier after it brought wonderful results to her," Calayan reports.

The list of celebrities who have visited Cosmetiderm, located at 1701, Medical Plaza, Makati; Tektite Tower, Ortigas and Timog Avenue, Quezon City, is long. They consist of established as well as emerging stars: Ai Ai delas Alas, Dina Bonnevie, Plinky Recto, Geneva Cruz, Bernard Palanca, Aiza Marquez, Danica Sotto, Claudine Barretto, Maui Taylor, Marjorie Barretto, Carmi Martin, Gary Estrada, Jen Rosendahl, Maureen Larrazabal, Tanya Garcia, Raymart Santiago, Pia Hontiveros, Rica Peralejo, Ruby Rodriguez and Vina Morales.

The Calayans are not telling who among them rode the private elevator in their Makati office that brings their celebrity client, veiled in the cloak of secrecy, from the basement parking, all the way to the 17th floor.

After all, confidentiality, especially in the case of privacy-challenged celebrities, is sacred in this profession. Who would, for instance, admit one had a tummy tuck, had his eyebags removed, her breast augmented, or undergone some drastic change of appearance?

Still, word travels fast. Even if some of their clients won’t admit having seen the doctor-couple, word of their expertise has spread like the proverbial wild fire. Celebrity clients knock on the doctor’s door, willing to wait in line for their turn.

Some of them visit Cosmetiderm very late at night, leaving the Calayans – who perform the procedure themselves – up to their neck with work.

"We cannot leave for abroad (where they attend medical conferences to update themselves on the latest technology) for more than two weeks because of this," they chorus.

But that’s okay. When you boost someone’s self-esteem and make him or her feel desirable, everything is worth it.