The short answer
An aesthetic clinic in Singapore should hold a Ministry of Health licence under the Healthcare Services Act. Its doctors must be registered with the Singapore Medical Council, known as the SMC. These are basic checks, and you can do them before you make any booking.
After that, the useful questions are about process. Who examines you? Who performs each step? What are the limits of the treatment? How is the fee set out? A clinic should be able to answer each of these plainly.
Aesthetic clinic in Singapore: the basic checks
| What to check | What it means | Where to look |
|---|---|---|
| Clinic licence | The clinic is licensed by the Ministry of Health under the Healthcare Services Act | Ask the clinic, and look at the licence details |
| Doctor registration | The doctor is on the SMC register | The Ministry of Health's Healthcare Professionals Search |
| Product registration | Devices and injectables are registered with the Health Sciences Authority before supply, except the lowest-risk device class | Ask which product is being used and have it named in writing |
| Doctor title | An aesthetic physician is not the same as an accredited dermatologist | Read our aesthetic doctor guide |
How this guide relates to our clinic
This page explains general checks that apply to any clinic. It does not rank anyone. To see how we work, read about our medical aesthetic clinic, the clinic standards we follow, and the rules set out in our regulation guide. Dr Sin Yong is an aesthetic physician, with MBBS, MRCS and two MSc degrees. He is not an accredited dermatologist, and we encourage you to check his registration yourself.
How concerns are matched to treatment
VF Lift or Time Freeze Laser LCLR®, chosen by whether the area is lean or heavy.
Ultrasound-guided hyaluronidase for hyaluronic acid filler, as our pillow face page explains.
R2T2, after the cause is identified.
The S3 Resurfacing Lift for deeper scars, and FSX Laser for superficial ones.
FSX Laser, after ptosis has been screened for and referred if present.
Doctor, salon or medispa
Salons and medispas sit outside the healthcare licence. They may not inject filler or botulinum toxin. Dermal fillers fall into the highest-risk device class in Singapore, so they belong in the hands of a doctor. If you are unsure who will treat you, ask before the appointment. It is also fair to ask whether any step is handed to someone else. Here, Dr Sin Yong carries out the assessment, the injectables, ultrasound-guided correction of earlier filler, and every laser or device pass himself.
What a first visit should cover
Questions to ask at consultation
Ask who assesses you, and who performs each step of the treatment.
Ask for the name, and whether it can be reversed. Hyaluronidase acts on hyaluronic acid filler, but not on every filler.
A clear answer on limits is as useful as an explanation of benefits.
Every treatment has risks as well as benefits. Ask which apply to you, and who to call if a problem occurs.
You should be able to take the plan home and think it over.
Signs to slow down
Responses differ between people, so no outcome can be promised.
Doctor advertising may not use patient endorsements, claims of superiority, price inducements or post-treatment appearance photographs.
A plan cannot be set properly until the doctor has examined you.
A first visit is an assessment. No decision should be expected on the same day.
If nobody can name what is being injected, ask again before you agree.
What a clinic cannot do
No clinic can promise your result, and results vary between people. A good consultation may end with a referral. A skin disease may need a dermatologist, and a condition such as eyelid ptosis or marked skin excess may need a plastic surgery specialist. Some visits end with no treatment at all. That is a valid outcome, since the aim is to avoid treating something that does not need it. If you have had treatment elsewhere and are unsure about it, a second opinion can help you understand the next step.
How fees are usually presented
Advertising rules restrict how prices can be promoted, so we do not publish fees. A quote is written after assessment, and it is itemised by treatment, area and consumables. The fee depends on the area, the device or product and its consumables, the number of passes or zones, and whether treatments are combined. See how we quote for an explanation. The consultation has its own fee, which is stated when you book through our contact page.