Best anti-ageing facials? We review 8 well-loved lifting and firming facial treatments to streamline your search

6. DrSpa

Reviewer: Kristen Juliet Soh

You might have heard of Dr. Georgia Lee, fashionista, socialite, and celebrity doctor. DrSpa is the spa extension of her popular clinic. Using products from her skincare line DrGL, DrSpa promises to heal both mind and body and it didn’t take me too long to experience it.

I stepped into DrSpa, located at Pacific Plaza, which is conveniently located in Orchard but at the quieter side of the bustling shopping belt. I was greeted with a sense of tranquility and a friendly therapist who explained to me about the anti-ageing treatment – Repair and Rejuvenate – I was about to go through.

How is the anti-ageing facial done at DrSpa?

Tapping into the power of ionwave technology and products with plant-based ingredients, the Repair and Rejuvenate treatment is designed to deliver skin cell repairing and complexion brightening benefits. While effective, the treatment is gentle enough so it’s suitable even for those with very sensitive skin.

Your skin’s condition is assessed before the optional Aqua SilkPeel microdermabrasion cleansing step is included in the treatment. In my case, my skin was suitable for this and I’m glad I was.

This step involves the therapist using a tool that has gentle suction power to get rid of dead skin cells from the surface of my skin. The great thing about this compared to other exfoliating step that you may have seen in other facials is that it is very gentle but leave your skin unclogged and smooth thereafter.

Overall review of DrSpa

The 60-minute treatment seems to whizz past quickly, and before I know it, we were done. I looked into the mirror and notice a smoother- and brighter-looking complexion. My fatigue skin looked refreshed and I was confident enough to step out of the spa with nothing more than a touch of colour on my lips to go for my next appointment.

DrSpa is located at Pacific Plaza #11-06. Call 6465-8880 to book an appointment or visit their website to find out more.

7. Aesthéa Medical Aesthetic Clinic

Reviewer: Kristen Juliet Soh

Helmed by Dr. Chris Looi, Aesthéa Medical Aesthetic Clinic is the latest aesthetic clinic that promises to help their clients achieve radiant skin through customised beauty treatments.

How is the anti-ageing treatment done at Aesthéa Medical Aesthetic Clinic?

I tried Light Years Ahead, their signature rejuvenation treatment. This is a four-step facial that consists of some of the most sought-after technologies that you might have already heard of. They include:

• the latest High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HI-FU) that can be used to repair and revitalise skin and achieve lifting effect,

• the gentle Casmara peel that brightens skin,

• Spectra XT Laser Toning to improve skin’s collagen regeneration

• BBL PhotoFacial to stimulate lethargic collagen-producing cells

Dr. Looi first did a consultation with me to understand my skin concerns and the results I’d like to see. Based on what I’ve shared (I told him I want to prevent the appearance of signs of ageing, especially the deepening of laugh lines, and have started noticing some spots appearing at my cheeks and nose), Dr. Looi customised the Light Years Ahead treatment to address them.

I liked that he always explains to me clearly what to expect of each therapy I was going through so I was always informed.

Of the four therapies, the HI-FU therapy was probably the one that is most painful, even though numbing cream has been carefully applied onto my face before the session. Depending on your pain tolerance threshold, you should speak to the doctor if you’re feeling very uncomfortable. For me, while it was painful, it was at a bearable level.

Dr. Looi customised the way he did the HI-FU therapy so it would be able to deliver the lifting effect to improve the look of laugh lines, and to give my facial contour a V-shape appearance. The improvements will gradually be seen over the next few weeks, I was told.

Overall review of Aesthéa Medical Aesthetic Clinic

In approximately an hour, the entire treatment was over. My pores appeared more refined, which makes my complexion look and feel smoother. In the next few weeks, I also noticed that my jaw-line appeared more defined.

Dr. Looi recommends going for six monthly sessions of Light Years Ahead to achieve the best results.

Aesthéa Medical Aesthetic Clinic is located at 26 Beach Road, The South Beach, #B1-24. Call 6386-9639 to make an appointment or visit their website to find out more.

8. Atlas Medispa

Reviewer: Alyson Tay

Like almost every other young adult, I am concerned about the appearance of signs of ageing on my skin. It’s never too early to begin the fight against ageing, which is why the Atlas Korean Age Reverse Stem Cell Induction Therapy at Atlas Medispa appealed to me so much.

Inspired by the art of Korean beauty, Atlas Medispa – helmed by Medical Director Dr SM Yuen – uses the latest technology and techniques from Korean aesthetics and pampering therapies to create a unique experience.

This 100-min medical-grade facial is designed to reverse ageing by inducing collagen and elastin production, which results in lightened pigmentation and age spots, reduced fine lines, and improved skin tone, texture, and elasticity.

Atlas Medispa is located on the 24th floor of Ngee Ann City Tower B, with their own laser and aesthetics clinic beside. I was greeted by Cheryl, and ushered into Atlas Medispa after a brief tour of the aesthetic clinic. The consult and waiting area was bathed in warm lighting, easily putting me in a relaxed mode for my upcoming facial. After filling in my personal particulars, Cheryl explained the science behind the facial, and shared with me the unique aspects.

It was said that stem cells help to replace damaged cells in our skin, and play an important role in inducing collagen and elastin. As we age, our stem cells are weakened, resulting in those pesky wrinkles, fine lines and reduced skin elasticity.

Cheryl shared that it’s not possible for beauty drinks and cosmetic products to contain real active stem cells, as they are unable to live at normal conditions outside the human body. That’s why Atlas Medispa uses stem cell culture media, the essence and medium required for stem cells to live and develop. These stem cell culture media are researched and developed in a Korean lab, and helps to nourish existing stem cells and allow them to function optimally.

How is the anti-ageing facial done at Atlas Medispa?

 

It began with a welcome step of settling me down with an aromatic lavender scented head massage, followed by double cleansing to remove my makeup. My therapist, Ying Ying, had deft hands as they were gentle when touching my face, but had the right amount of pressure during massages.

Ying Ying brushed a masque-like cream onto my face for exfoliation purposes, and told me that it was infused with jasmine and goji berries. While the cream was working its magic, Ying Ying gave me a neck and shoulder massage, followed by a face massage after she removed the cream. I was spoilt rotten from the massages I was been receiving – it felt heavenly, to say the least.

For the uninitiated, micro-needling involves using micro-needling device with tiny needles to poke tiny holes in the skin’s epidermis, effectively creating a controlled skin injury that would prompt the skin to produce more collagen. This technique is meant to be effective with sunken acne scars, plumping of the skin and fine lines, and combating stretch marks. At Atlas, the unique stem cell culture media are penetrated into the skin during this process.

It does sound painful, but you can skip this step if you’re worried. I’ve never tried micro-needling, so I chose to continue with it after I was told that my skin is suitable for this treatment. Ying Ying mentioned there would be a prickling, scratch sensation that might feel more painful around the forehead, and redness after. True enough, I did feel that sensation. Honestly, it feels like what is it – needles being dragged across your skin, but I’m happy to say I did not feel much pain except around the forehead. Apart from that, everything was more than bearable. My threshold for pain is not very high, but on my pain scale, I would rate this at 3/10, with menstrual cramps being at 8/10.

The Photo Dynamic Therapy treatment is an intensive 10-15 minute light treatment with various wavelengths for skin needs. It uses an LED light source with a solution that reacts to the light to target the treatment area. From what I know, red is for rejuvenating purposes, green for sensitive skin and blue for acne prone skin. As my skin was not too red from the micro-needling, Ying Ying used red light on me to further stimulate collagen growth and improve skin tone and texture. When undergoing this treatment, a pair of goggles will be placed over your eyes to protect them from the harsh light.

After the PDT treatment, a hydrating mask was applied onto my face. Unlike other facial spas I’ve been to that leaves me alone in the room, Ying Ying gave me an arm and hand massage in that 20-minute duration. Seriously, the number of massages I have received in this facial is spoiling me. Complete with stretching (just like the end of a Thai massage), I felt thoroughly pampered and relaxed at the end of the session.

Overall review of Atlas Medispa

After the facial, my face immediately felt smoother, radiant, and more plumped up. My skin tone looked more even too, and I could even walk around Orchard road without makeup. As for the appearance of acne scars, I was told that effects will not be immediately visible as collagen production does not happen overnight, and instead I will see improvement to my skin as time goes on. This is something that left me really pleased as the effects don’t just stop at the facial – it will continue to work its magic even months after.

All in all, I left Atlas Medispa feeling thoroughly rejuvenated and relaxed. The Korean Age Reverse Stem Cell Induction Therapy really was one luxurious and decadent facial treatment that incorporated the latest Korean technology targeting all the common skin concerns with plentiful massages that made for an all-rounded luxurious experience.

Atlas Medispa is located at Ngee Ann City Tower B #24-10. Call 6556-0829 to book an appointment or visit their website to find out more.