As the former Miss Universe renews her collaboration with Merz Aesthetics as the “face” of Ultherapy, Pia candidly shares her views on a host of subjects, including not setting unachievable beauty standards on social media by digitally hiding flaws and enhancing features.
Text and photos by Alex Y. Vergara
Even a seemingly strong-willed and nearly perfect human specimen like Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach has her good and bad days, weaknesses and insecurities that she has to constantly deal with and overcome. She even admitted to being on the brink of depression during a period of her reign as Miss Universe.
Self-awareness—including the occasional pampering as well as sticking to a healthy diet and regular fitness program as she trains for her first marathon—openly talking about the problem with friends and loved ones, and her decision to seek professional help enabled Pia to eventually bounce back even stronger and with a renewed sense of purpose.
In a recent talk she participated in as she renews her collaboration with Merz Aesthetics as the “face” of Ultherapy, Pia candidly shared her experiences and views on beauty, self-love, coping with the pandemic and social media’s influence to inspire as well as destroy young people’s lives. As an icon of beauty, for instance, Pia confessed to shunning the use of filters when posting images of herself on Instagram not because she looks down on the practice.
“I feel I have a responsibility, especially to young girls, to look as natural as possible,” she said in the presence of event host Issa Litton and fellow speakers Drs. Edgardo Juan Tolentino, a psychiatrist, and Irene Gaile Robredo-Vitas, a board-certified dermatologist, at the Shangri-La Fort’s Bonifacio Room.
And that means posting unfiltered images of herself on social media despite the occasional flaws—from her weight fluctuations to stretch marks—in an attempt to be more true and relatable to her followers. At the same time, she is cognizant of her role as a celebrity and the challenges it poses for her to inspire people by being always the best version of herself.
This is where Ultherapy, which Pia says she undergoes twice a year, and other self-love beauty treatments come in. Ultherapy, Pia swore, helps her look and feel more confident even under the scrutiny of the public, whose critical and often judgmental eyes expect their beauty icons to look impossibly flawless.
“It’s important to always devote some me-time, especially before you retire at night,” said Pia. “I use that time alone to reflect on what transpired during the day and remind myself and plan my day tomorrow.”
Me-time, of course, also includes pampering yourself on occasion. It’s normal, she said, and something we should all embrace instead of being ashamed of. And for Pia, one of the best forms of pampering is undergoing Ultherapy.
Dr. Vitas, who owns and operates a skin and aesthetics clinic, heartily agreed.
“When they’re stressed or want to relax, they go and get some me-time,” Dr. Vitas shared of her patients. “What’s important is that they see and feel the difference in the treatments they get. This is the reason they keep going back for Ultherapy.”
With more than two million treatments worldwide and a 95-percent patient satisfaction rating one year after treatment, Ultherapy is the only non-invasive ultrasound treatment that allows you to see below the skin’s surface, promoting and assuring both doctors and patients safe and effective treatments.
It’s no wonder that Ultherapy, even as the world slowly emerges out of the pandemic, remains the “gold standard” in skin lifting and tightening on the brows, chin and neck areas, as well as improve lines on the décolletage.
Ultherapy, Pia affirmed, is going to be an indispensable partner for many people as we “step back into the light,” which was the theme of the entire talk, build back our lives better in what everyone hopes is the start of a “better normal.”
“Admittedly, there was a time during the pandemic when I also lost a bit of motivation to look good and take care of myself,” she said. “Just like everybody else, I asked myself what for when we hardly go out and see other people in person anyway.” Her good sense though eventually prevailed. And the minute restrictions were eased, Pia picked up the pieces of her disrupted beauty and fitness routines.
These days, the erstwhile beauty queen is setting her sights on joining her first marathon. She’s being a good girl, she declared, as she tries her best to eat healthy and balanced meals. On days she is unable to run, she tries to squeeze in a bit of brisk walking to buoy her spirits up and keep her in tiptop shape.
“There have been times when I feel too lazy to move my butt,” she said with a toothy grin. “The temptation to lie in bed and do nothing is always great. But I try to fight it by sticking to my fitness routine. And almost always, at the end of my run or walk, I’m happy that I did it.”
But just a year go, amid the ongoing pandemic, it took a lot of guts and a great deal of strength for her to open up on her YouTube channel and talk about her struggles while growing up, as well as leading to and during her reign as Miss Universe.
It was the first time Pia opened up about her mental health struggles in public. Her purpose was clear: to paint a picture not of a perfect beauty queen leading a charmed existence, but of a real-life person living through real-life experiences and challenges. There’s no shame, she said, in admitting you aren’t perfect and there’s no harm in admitting that you need help.
“I was determined to stay strong, to continue my mission, my purpose, and to turn things around,” she continued. “I wanted to face my demons and finally take care of my heart, something which I didn’t do or never cared to do.”
The occasion also doubled as an opportunity for Jorge Libanan, Merz Philippines general manager, to share the news about the first-ever “aesthetic” app in the Philippines dubbed as the Merz Aesthetic Serendipity Journey or MASJ Myself app. Again, said Libanan, the development is an affirmation of “how the company continues to be driven by our purpose: to fuel confidence and help Filipinos look better, feel better and live better, now at their fingertips.”
Ultherapy, Merz Aesthetics and Merz Aesthetics Serendipity Journey are registered trademarks of the Merz group of companies. For more information, visit www.ultherapy.com , www.merzaesthetics.com , and follow them on Facebook and Instagram @UltherapyPH and @MerzAesthetics.ph.
