To Extract or not to extract?
It is still an ongoing debate in the beauty industry. Most of the beauty advisors and facials therapists whom I’ve met actually advocates extraction as it is one of the best and more efficient ways to unplugged black and whiteheads, keeping your skin blemish-free. More importantly, they added that extraction needs to be performed by a skilled professional. These professionals know how to apply the right pressure on the skin without disrupting the integrity of your skin follicles. There are several schools of thought when it comes to extraction. Based on experience, I believe that extraction should be done in a way with minimal bruising of the skin. I’m glad that I’ve discovered another facial salon, Indulgence Beauty, who believe in this same beauty principle as I do.
I did a Signature Extraction Treatment Facial at Indulgence Beauty a couple of weeks ago and here is my review of the salon. Read below to find out more.
Salon Amenities
Indulgence Beauty is located at Tanjong Pagar area which is only a stone throwaway from Tanjong Pagar MRT. To get there, you will just need to walk over to Tanjong Pagar Plaza and climb a flight of stairs to the second storey. It isn’t too difficult to search for the place at all. The treatment rooms, albeit small, are clean and well-maintained. It is pretty quiet, so I find it really conducive to have your beauty treatments done there.
There is also a private washroom within the salon, so you do not have to step out of the salon to use the shared public washroom which I find it a hassle. There are also lockers for you to keep your bags as well.
Digital Skin Analysis and Consultation
The Skin analysis is done using a skin scanner which could examine the deeper layers of the skin to highlight underlying skin conditions such as pigmented spots and UV spots. I’ve done such digital skin analysis before at aesthetic clinics, and it is my first time doing it in a salon. With the use of such advanced tools, the therapist would be able to come up with an effective customized facial treatment for your skin type and condition.
The whole process takes about a few minutes or so. As the tool scans your skin, there will be a sudden bright flash emitted from the machine. You will just need to close your eyes during the analysis.
The signs of aging are showing up on my face, and as what I’ve expected, I’m starting to have pigmentation on my cheeks and eye areas. These are already tell-tale signs that I would need to use skin products with higher antioxidants to lighten the pigmentations.
The therapist also uses a tool to measure the moisture and sebum levels in my skin. As you can see from the picture below, the system analyses the other skin characteristics such as elasticity. From the results shown, it looks like my skin is deprived of moisture and elasticity. As such, I was advised to do a hydrating facial first to replenish moisture back into my skin. Once my skin is balanced, I would be able to try other facial treatments targeting other skin problems such as pigmentation.
Products: MD Dermatics
Indulgence Beauty uses products from the MD Dermatics line, a Dermatological range of skincare products, which has first started out in 1997. It was my first time hearing this brand and trying them out on my skin. Their products are actually designed with aesthetic procedures in mind (e.g lasers and plastic surgery) and thus are more clinical-based. How do the products fare on my skin? The products used on my skin were mainly fragrance-free or contain little fragrance. As such, I feel that such dermatological products are great for those with sensitive skin.
My Verdict
Their facial process differs not too much from the other salons other than the products they used. The differentiating factor for Indulgence Beauty lies in their skin analysis and consultation where they use advanced equipment to diagnose the skin accurately. With that, they are not only able to tailor a suitable treatment to address your skin concern, but you would also get to understand your skin condition much better based on the result analysis. The therapist who did the treatment for me was also rather skilled in extraction. She applies an advanced extraction technique where fingers are used. This extraction technique is more precise and focused than normal extraction using metal extractor which can result in the bruised skin. Overall, the extraction was not too painful, and there was no redness.
*Indulgence Beauty had shifted from Tanjong Pagar Plaza to International Plaza.
