Cathy Dobson
A female patient with just a few extra inches around the waist lies in a treatment room at Dr. Khalid Al-Saadon’s new anti-aging clinic on Christina Street.
A wide bar attached to a machine called Vanquish is fixed about an inch above her midriff. It transmits a radio frequency that Al-Saadon explains is heating up water in her fat cells and killing them without burning the skin or surrounding tissue.
She is one of the clinic’s first patients and is paying $1,585 for four, 45-minute treatments that promise to trim one to two inches of belly fat. The price reflects a 30% discount for being one of the first.
“You can work out until the cows come home and there’s some fat that won’t go, but this takes it away just like that,” the patient beams. “Bye-bye, it won’t be coming back!”
Al-Saadon, 55, an internist who has practiced in Sarnia since 2013, says he invested $1.7 million in equipment for his Sarnia Anti-Aging Clinic. The radio frequency machine is considered a big technological breakthrough and alone cost $300,000, the doctor said.
“It’s new. Nobody has these machines in Canada outside of Toronto,” he said. The fat won’t magically melt off before the patient’s eyes. It will be one to two months after treatment before the results are visible.
“Medicine is evolving and is becoming more high-tech,” said Al-Saadon. “These technologies are coming and I don’t want to miss out on them.”
He completed his medical training at Kuwait University and studied internal medicine at the University of Ottawa. He practiced in Saudi Arabia and most recently in Cornwall, Ont. before moving to Sarnia.
So why is an internist so interested in anti-aging medicine?
“Two years ago, someone asked me to do Botox and fillers. I went to a conference about them for proper training and was introduced to these new treatments including adult stem cell technology.
“A lot of people say I‘m taking a risk with this clinic but I’m living my passion. I want to have a clinic that offers many options and is a one-stop shop for people all over Canada and the United States.”
Stem cell technology is in its infancy, but Al-Saadon said he believes stem cells can be extracted from adults and used to treat a range of conditions and diseases including asthma, arthritis, stroke and heart disease.
He has trained over the past year at the Ageless Institute of Aventura in Florida to understand the stem cell technology and, once fully approved in Canada, intends to offer it at his clinic.
Meanwhile, the clinic provides everything from laser and light therapy for wrinkles and scars to laser hair removal and non-surgical facelifts. One of his clinical rooms has a robotic hair transplant machine he says is only the 10th sold in Canada. None of the treatments are covered by public health insurance.
The Sarnia Anti-Aging Clinic is located at 546 Christina St. North in the Royal LePage building. For more information, call 519-491-6091 or visit www.sarniaantiagingclinic.com.
CURVES FOOD DRIVE IS ON
You’ve got until March 31 to drop off non-perishable food items at Curves (1362 Lambton Mall Road) and support their annual food drive. You don’t need to be a Curve’s member to contribute. All items go to the River City’s Community Centre food bank, a lesser-known facility that’s often a last resort for people in need.
For every five pounds of food, the donor is entered in a draw. A bag of canned goods means Curves will waive its enrollment fee.
“We love helping the community and everyone loves to save money,” says co-owner Lynae Morningstar.
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Got an interesting business story? Contact Cathy Dobson at [email protected] or 226-932-0985.