Confessions Of An Aesthetic Doctor

By: Dr. Stephen Chu, Medical Director and Founder of The Aesthetics Firm.

As we all know the current aesthetic industry in Asia is worth… blah blah blah… who cares? You are reading this because you are hoping that this article isn’t the same old boring medical information that you have been bombarded daily through social media.

By now you have probably seen enough ads on laser, injections, facials etc. But they don’t tell you anymore other than price and the typical phrases like “anti-aging” “glowing face” “Hollywood face” etc. BORING!  Or 2-5mins videos on the difference between PICO lasers etc. SNOOZE TIME!

Let’s get real:

What you are really interested is what can I do to look beautiful. To look gorgeous. Give me that perfect super model face. Probably by now you would have visited a few clinics and done a few treatments. Some worked some don’t. But think back how much you have spent!

For the ones who have never done aesthetics you are probably still a “newbie” and reading non-stop trying to figure out what the hell is the difference between Pico. What about all the different machine brands and treatments? How come one clinic is cheaper than another?

These are the questions that boggle the greatest mind of consumers of the aesthetic world. It’s a good question and I will go through with you, holding hands, to guide you to be more aware, attaining true enlightenment. That’s if you still have the patience to keep reading!

Let me share with you real aesthetics and what it is about:

There are generally two types of aesthetics people I have encountered. The ones who have skin issues like pigmentation or scars, or the other who are more blessed and want to shape their face to get that supermodel look.

Ultimately, we are all in the same boat: Improve me, make me look beautiful, make me look sexy!

Firstly, 50% of beauty is not from looks but how you carry yourself:

Your confidence, personality, demeanor and never forget about poise. Poise matters! The other half is where people like me step-in. So no matter how good the doctor is, if the former 50% is not worked on then you can only ever be so beautiful so to say.

I won’t digress to that area as that will be your homework. Hey it’s a joint effort here. It takes two to tango and two to get the best results, namely you and I together.

You have probably experienced when you step into an aesthetic clinic asking for one thing, e.g.  Lip fillers, you end up being hard-sold or “recommended” to do 20 other things – WRONG!

This should not be the way. The first thing to understand is that there is no magic trick to aesthetics. No magical formulation nor treatment. Everything requires work. You want to lose weight, you exercise persistently. You want to get a promotion or a performance bonus, you got to work hard in your company.

Same in aesthetics. Anyone who gives you the “in one week you will look like a celebrity” is total bullshit. No treatment, no skincare can give you that at least currently.

So what does that mean? Patience is a must. Patience will be your best friend in the aesthetics world. You want quick treatments go get scammed then come back to me. Go flush your money down the toilet, there is no difference. If you don’t have the patience then don’t bother doing aesthetic treatments.

Secondly, priorities:

Some of us are not blessed with just 1 issue. Most have a several issues or “room for improvement”. But hey we don’t have unlimited funds, most of us are not a bank.

So, the first question you should ask yourself even before going into an aesthetic clinic is “what is it that drives me crazy that I would like to improve or fix first?”.

This is a critical question.

Walking into an aesthetic clinic and asking what you should do is like walking into a used car sales store and getting all the ridiculous unknown add-ons for your car that are unnecessary. The consultants will be drooling and smiling non-stop like wild hyenas who haven’t eaten in days!

Don’t trap yourself in this position. Keep in mind, you are the patient, it’s your face no theirs! If its just two scars on your face that drives you nuts then get rid of them despite you may have other issues. I assure you; you will feel a thousand times happier after those two small scars that have been driving you nuts have been removed!

Every beauty consultant and doctor can give you a million treatment advices. But YOU matter the most. Everyone’s face is different. Everyone’s concerns are different. No one has a perfect face!

I have encountered some people who want everything done to their face at once. They don’t care about the price, nor the downtime. Its not a race dude! You don’t get a prize if you do everything asap. Remember it’s the turtle that wins the race! Why rush art? Michelangelo didn’t paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in a week. Neither should you do treatments in a week either!

Lastly, pricing:

Yes, the dreaded question of all aesthetic treatments. Aesthetic treatments are not just for the wealthy. Nor does it mean the more expensive the treatment is the better. That being said if it’s too cheap it’s garbage! Would you buy a branded handbag for a ridiculously cheap price? You would probably question its authenticity. Voila!

Same with aesthetics.

If someone is offering a ridiculously cheap price for a treatment maybe the solution is diluted? Maybe it’s a generic machine that you could buy yourself off the internet. Keep in mind an aesthetic clinic is no different than other retail stores in this regard. We have margins and baseline costs of the products to cover.

So, when people complain that they paid “X” amount of dollars for a treatment that didn’t work, what do you expect when the treatment price is a fraction of other clinics? Bamboozled! No free lunch in this world and that is the truth! Keep it simple. “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”. Small changes on the face can have drastic changes on beauty.

What is the takeaway message from all this? Simple follow these steps:

• Patience is key
• Know what you want to do before going to an aesthetic clinic
• You pay for what you get
• Keep it simple
• The Whole is Greater than the Sum of its Parts

I will stop here for now. The human attention span nowadays when it comes to reading is not that far from a goldfish!

Stay tuned for part two where I talk about treatments, which are effective and which are just marketing exercises. Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me!

The Aesthetic Firm is located at 160 Robinson Road, Unit 05-01, SBF Center (Medical Suites) 068914

Comments? Questions? Please feel free to email us at contact@theaestheticsfirm.com.sg