Not many months ago, we were all shocked by the news of a young lady’s death due to an aesthetic procedure done by an unlicensed medical practitioner. It is both saddening and frustrating to learn that some patients are still opting for lower cost and dubious aesthetic practitioners at the risk of their own lives.

Every aesthetic treatment requires skills and of course, the right qualifications to be done right and safely. Hence why as a patient, you will need to understand well the treatments you are about to undergo. We ask Dr Ong Jin Khang, founder and consultant aesthetic physician of The Retreat Clinic, to share what are the red flags to look out for before you decide on your next aesthetic treatment!

RED FLAG #1: There is no medical doctor to assess your condition

Choosing the right treatments for you is serious business. If you ever wondered why aesthetic clinics are unable to quote you a price over a phone call or online, it is simply because they cannot! An aesthetic medical clinic strives to provide the best solution to your conditions or concerns, and the way to do this is through a proper assessment, by a certified medical physician.

At The Retreat Clinic, we believe every individual’s needs are different, hence we always invite our patients for a free consultation first to have a good understanding of their condition. If you are not required to go in for an assessment prior to any treatments, that is indeed a little suspicious.

RED FLAG #2: Newborn years of operation

Years of operation does not necessarily define expertise. However, we do think experience is one of the key factors you should look at when choosing a clinic. Having ample experience will definitely give you a better peace of mind in the standard of operations that include customer service, safety, facility and equipment sanitary.

The Retreat Clinic has been operating for 8 years, while founder Dr Ong Jin Khang has over 10 years of experience in the field

RED FLAG #3: You don’t fully understand the procedure & risks

You are advised to undergo a certain treatment and you are excited about it, yay! However, do not ignore it if you find yourself still unclear of what to expect on the procedures and risks. Ask as many questions as you want – if they sound reluctant to help you understand, it may be a wise decision to reconsider your options.

Keep this in mind, a good clinic will try their best to ensure patients make a sound decision by providing them with as much information they will possibly need.

RED FLAG #4: You’re getting the treatments you want, not what you REALLY NEED

It may sound fantastic to be able to do that exact treatment you saw advertised. But the truth is, an ethical aesthetic clinic will first  identify if you are a suitable candidate, and then suggest the best solutions to effectively and efficiently address your conditions (you do not want to spend pennies and not get the best results you can actually get, right?). Hence why consultation with the professionals is a crucial important step.

RED FLAG #5: The doctor/clinic can’t produce a certificate

Price of life is non-negotiable. You would want to ensure that you are going to the right place with properly certified doctors conducting treatments on you. Make sure you have checked the clinic and doctor’s certificate and license- head to mmc.moh.gov.my to check your physician’s background from education and place of practice, or medicalprac.moh.gov.my to verify if the clinic premise is properly licensed.

You should also ensure all the treatments that you are undergoing are originals and FDA-approved. The Retreat Clinic only offers FDA-approved treatments because we value safety highly.

RED FLAG #6: The cost of the procedure is drastically lower than market rate

It can be tempting to opt for the cheapest treatment you see. You can shop around, but to bargain hunt when choosing a medical aesthetic clinic? It is just not the right strategy; you don’t want to “get what you pay for”! Take it as an investment for yourself. Watch out for any hard-selling tactics, as real aesthetic clinics should not chase to make sales. Unlike beauty salons, medical clinics always aim to get you the best results from medical solutions they can offer.

You are not only paying for your treatment, but for the expertise, quality, experience, facilities and safety. Don’t pay lower prices if that also means the conduct is cutting corners here and there!

RED FLAG #7: Treatment results lack comprehensiveness

Especially if you are looking for the best and long lasting results, you should check on how comprehensive your treatment plan is to get you to the best results possible. Some clinics may offer treatments that make you lose fats, but most do not take into consideration the importance of working on your muscles and saggy skin as well,as a result of the reduced fats.

As an example, The Retreat Clinic strives to offer a complete solution that targets all the important components to achieve a fit and toned body – FATS, MUSCLES, SKIN – and this treatment plan is called the #BodybyRetreat

FATS

Getting a toned figure has a lot to do with losing body fats. Excess fats that do not look good bulging out of place. But did you know that losing fats alone is not enough? Muscles need to be toned and strengthened, and skin needs to be tightened too!

World-known fat-reduction treatments are easily available at The Retreat Clinic. Depending on what will work best for you, our professionals may suggest you to undergo the FDA approved Vanquish Me to burn fats in large circumference areas, or Coolsculpting that effectively freezes off excess fat cells.

MUSCLES

After working on losing the fats, the area may not look the best hence why treatments for muscles toning need to come into the frame.

Emsculpt is a a very popular and safe treatment to induce 20,000 supermaximal muscle contractions (just like sit-ups!) in just 30 minutes. It is a completely non-invasive option that helps to tone up muscles while also burning extra fats!

SKIN

Saggy skin is a common side effect after a successful weight loss. The excess skin that was previously stretched to cope with the surface area of our body is now just hanging there. To better carve the body figure, treatments to help tighten and tone the skin is much needed.

That is why at The Retreat Clinic, we offer treatments like Exilis or Unison to help tighten loose skin tremendously.

All treatment plans at The Retreat Clinic are highly customised to individual needs. Every individual’s body is different, and we strongly recommend you to consult a certified aesthetic physician to evaluate your body in order to identify the best treatment solution. For consultations with Dr. Ong Jin Khang of The Retreat Clinic, please call +6011-3302 8232 to make your appointment. FREE mini consultation available!