What to expect at an aesthetic consultation, step by step

What happens at an aesthetic consultation?

An aesthetic consultation is a conversation and an examination before any treatment. Someone trained looks at your skin and your concern, asks about your health, medicines and previous treatments, and explains which options suit you, with the downtime, risks and price, before anything is booked. At SkinRev Lab, your first visit begins with a consultation that covers your concerns, whether a treatment suits you, and realistic outcomes and timelines.

A typical consultation runs in this order:

1. Your concern in your own words: what bothers you, how long it has been there and what you hope to change.
2. Health and history: medicines, supplements, allergies, pregnancy, skin conditions and previous treatments.
3. Examination: your skin and the area of concern, in good light.
4. Options: what could help, what would not, and what doing nothing would mean.
5. The plan: the treatment, the number of sessions, the downtime, the risks and the price.

Spa consultations are usually short and can lead straight into a session if you wish. Medical consultations with Dr Sin Yong take longer because diagnosis comes first. Either way, you should leave knowing what is recommended, why it is recommended and what it costs. The address, opening hours and booking details are on the contact page.

Start on WhatsApp: what to send before your visit

The quickest way to start is a WhatsApp message to SkinRev Lab on +65 8266 9585; enquiries sent through the website form are answered by WhatsApp within one business day. A short, specific message helps the team point you to the right person and book the right length of appointment. It helps to include:

• your concern, where it is and how long you have had it;
• any treatment you have had for it before, with dates if you know them;
• two or three clear photos in daylight, without filters or make-up, if you are comfortable sharing them;
• whether you are pregnant or breastfeeding, and any medicines you take regularly;
• any date you are planning around, such as a wedding or a trip;
• that it is your first visit.

WhatsApp is useful for working out whether your concern suits a spa treatment or a medical consultation, and for checking availability. It cannot replace an examination: medical treatments such as filler, lasers or thread lifts are planned only after Dr Sin Yong has assessed you in person. Booking ahead is recommended, although if you are nearby you can message to check whether a walk-in slot is available.

SkinRev Lab is at #B1-28 CityLink Mall, connected to City Hall MRT by an underground walkway, and open daily from 11am to 8pm, including public holidays. Directions are on getting to SkinRev.

Who you meet: an Aesthetic Therapist or Dr Sin Yong

Who you meet depends on the treatment. SkinRev Lab has two sides, and each consultation is led by the person who performs that kind of treatment.

• Spa treatments: an Aesthetic Therapist. HydraFacial Syndeo, SKINLIFT®, SKINSHAPE®, SKINTIGHT®, SKINSCULPT, SKINLDM, SKINPINK, SKINGLIFT, the Needleless SkinBooster, facials and waxing are non-medical treatments performed by Aesthetic Therapists at the aesthetic centre. Your first session starts with a short assessment, described in your first facial visit; the devices are listed on the technology page.
• Medical treatments: Dr Sin Yong. Lasers, injectables, HIFU and radiofrequency lifting, scar procedures, embroidery removal by laser, hair loss treatment and prescription treatments are performed by Dr Sin Yong after a consultation with him; see the medical treatments list.

Dr Sin Yong is SkinRev's medical adviser. He is registered with the Singapore Medical Council and holds an MBBS from the National University of Singapore, MRCS (Edinburgh), an MSc in Aesthetic Medicine and an MSc in Practical Dermatology. He is not on the SMC Register of Specialists as a dermatologist; the difference is explained in dermatologist vs aesthetic doctor.

The two sides refer to each other. If a therapist sees a concern that belongs with a doctor, such as melasma or deep acne scarring, you are told at the first visit and offered a consultation with Dr Sin Yong, with no obligation to take it up.

What to bring to your consultation

Bring anything that helps the person assessing you understand your health and your treatment history; it makes the plan more accurate and lowers the risk of problems. The American Academy of Dermatology, for example, advises telling the doctor before filler about every medicine, including non-prescription ones, about supplements, allergies, cold sores and bleeding problems, and about previous cosmetic treatments.

• A list of medicines and supplements: prescription and over-the-counter medicines, blood thinners, fish oil, vitamin E and herbal supplements, plus any oral acne medicine, prescription retinoid or prescription lightening cream, including ones you have stopped recently.
• Allergies and conditions: allergies, including to fish, which matters for PN boosters; pregnancy or breastfeeding; a tendency to keloids; autoimmune conditions; bleeding problems; and cold sores.
• Your treatment history: what you had, where, when, and the product or device names if you have them, for example from a receipt or aftercare card.
• Photos of previous treatments: pictures of the area taken before earlier treatments and while it healed, which show what has changed and how your skin responds.
• Your skincare: the products you use morning and night, or photos of their labels.
• Your calendar: events or travel that limit how much downtime you can take.

Come with skin you are happy to cleanse for the examination. Do not stop a prescribed medicine before a consultation without asking the doctor who prescribed it; the decision about pausing anything belongs with your doctor.

How your skin and concern are assessed

The assessment is there to find the cause of what you see, because problems that look alike can need very different treatment. Brown patches can be sun spots, freckles, melasma or post-acne marks; a heavy jawline can be loose skin, fat or a strong jaw muscle; under-eye shadows can come from pigment, hollowing or visible veins.

• At a spa assessment, the Aesthetic Therapist looks at your skin, asks about your current skincare and any medication, and suggests where to start, for example with a facial or SKINLIFT®, or refers you to Dr Sin Yong.
• At a medical consultation, Dr Sin Yong assesses your concern and your suitability, explains realistic outcomes, timelines and risks, and examines anything that must be checked first, such as a mole or spot that is changing. If you have had filler before, he can map it by ultrasound before planning more or dissolving it; see filler correction.

An honest assessment can end with a smaller plan than you expected. SkinRev says it will tell you honestly if a treatment is not right for you, and if a non-medical treatment, or no treatment, is the more suitable choice, Dr Sin Yong will say so. Some treatments are not offered at all, such as surgery, PRP and electrolysis; the what we do not offer page explains the alternatives. If you are unsure where your concern fits, which treatment for my concern is a useful place to start.

Questions to ask any provider before you book

Good questions protect you wherever you are treated, and a good provider will be glad to answer them. The NHS advises asking about the procedure, the products used and what could go wrong, and choosing someone trained and experienced in the procedure you are having. Useful questions include:

1. Who will perform the treatment, and what are their qualifications?
2. Is it a medical or a non-medical treatment, and why?
3. How often do you perform it, and on skin like mine?
4. Which product or device will be used, and why this rather than an alternative?
5. How many sessions are likely, and how far apart?
6. What downtime should I plan for, and what is normal afterwards?
7. What could go wrong, how would I recognise it, and who do I contact?
8. If I am unhappy with the result, what can be done? For filler, can it be dissolved?
9. What is the total cost of the plan, and does the price include GST?
10. Do I need to pay for a package upfront, or can I pay per session?

In Singapore, the Singapore Medical Council's guidelines on aesthetic practice ask doctors to be particularly careful about informed consent, and to tell patients about side effects and adverse outcomes beyond the more common ones. If the answers are vague, or you feel rushed, take more time. The NHS reminds patients that they can walk away if they are not completely comfortable.

How a plan and price are given at SkinRev

At SkinRev Lab you see the plan and the price before anything is booked, and how the price is given depends on the type of treatment.

• Spa treatments have published prices, before GST (waxing prices include GST). For example, HydraFacial Syndeo is S$288 (Signature), S$388 (Deluxe) or S$438 (Platinum); SKINLIFT® Face is S$888, excluding eyes and neck, and Double Chin is S$488; SKINSHAPE® is S$288 per 15 × 15 cm area. You pay for the session you book, with no package attached, and a course is estimated at consultation rather than sold as a fixed upfront package. The full list is on the prices page.
• Medical treatments are priced at consultation. Dr Sin Yong gives the price once he has examined you, because it depends on the area, the product or settings, and the number of sessions you need.

The plan itself should be specific: which treatment, how many sessions and how far apart, what downtime to expect, what to avoid beforehand and afterwards, and when progress will be reviewed. Every plan at SkinRev starts with an assessment, not a package, and treatments are recommended only where they suit you.

If you are comparing offers that bundle many sessions, read our guide to facial and slimming packages before prepaying for anything.

Preparing for your consultation, and deciding afterwards

Prepare a little, then give yourself time to decide. A few steps make the consultation more useful:

• Keep the area visible: light make-up is fine if you can remove it for the examination.
• Avoid a fresh tan: laser and energy treatments are often deferred on tanned or sunburnt skin.
• Do not stop prescribed medicines on your own; tell the doctor and follow their advice.
• Ask about skincare to pause: retinoids and exfoliating acids are often paused before lasers, and you will be told when.
• Allow time: book a slot without rushing to another appointment, especially for a medical consultation.

After the consultation, you do not have to decide on the spot. The NHS advises that you should be offered a cooling-off period after any consultation with a practitioner, and at SkinRev you pay only for the session you book. A referral from a therapist to Dr Sin Yong carries no obligation.

If you go ahead, you will be given aftercare for the specific treatment and settings used. Follow those instructions first, and keep the WhatsApp number to hand in case you have questions in the days afterwards.

Signs of a good consultation, and when to pause

A good consultation leaves you with a clear diagnosis, an explained plan and a price, without pressure; if any of these is missing, it is reasonable to pause and ask more. Signs of a good consultation:

• you are examined before anything is recommended;
• risks and downtime are explained as clearly as the expected change;
• you are told who will perform the treatment and what will be used;
• the price is clear, including whether GST applies;
• you are told when a treatment is not suitable, or when no treatment is needed.

Reasons to pause:

• pressure to pay for a large package on the same day;
• a specific result promised, or one that sounds too good;
• no questions about your health, medicines or previous treatments;
• unclear answers about who performs the treatment or what product is used.

Most aesthetic treatments go smoothly; a review of filler complications, for example, noted that most treatments succeed, while complications do occur, which is why these checks matter. To book your first consultation at SkinRev Lab, WhatsApp +65 8266 9585 with your concern, or read about SkinRev to see how the team works.