Hello everyone, and welcome to another of my reviews. In this article, I’ll be reviewing my experience at local aesthetic clinic ONLY Aesthetics.
After undergoing aesthetic treatment with Lux Aesthetic previously, I became more aware and conscious of my other bodily flaws – specifically excess fat in my facial and abdomen areas. After googling for solutions, I chanced upon two Youtube videos by ONLY Aesthetics on its ONLift and ONLISculpt treatments. Intrigued, I decided to pay a visit to its RB Building outlet to give both treatments a try. Let’s see how my experience went.
ONLY Aesthetics – the Brand
ONLY Aesthetics was founded in 2005 by Adren How and Jermaine Teo, with the mission to make cutting-edge aesthetic treatments accessible to the masses. You can actually see Adren in this CNA documentary on Biohacking, which was where I first got to know about the brand.
Interstingly, ONLY Aesthetics describes itself as primarily a technology company, not an aesthetic one. The brand “prides itself on its state-of-the-art technology and exceptional results that have allowed them to be a multi-award winning company”, which has also allowed them to remain in business for almost two decades – no mean feat for any industry, but especially so for the extremely competitive aesthetic space.
Without further ado, let’s see how my experience went!
ONLY Aesthetics – the Experience
The RB Building outlet of ONLY Aesthetics was quite hard to find – do note that Google Maps is wrong, and that it’s actually located in the same building as the DBS branch.
ONLY Aesthetics occupies the entire 9th floor of the building, and visitors are greeted to a decently spacious waiting area upon exiting the lift. Curiously, I noticed plenty of Revolution/The Rake magazines available for browsing, instead of the usual lifestyle magazines.
The corridors of ONLY Aesthetics are decked out in black, with a marble-like texture that gives it an upscale touch. I was surprised by the number of rooms available – if I were to hazard a guess, I would say there are almost 20 rooms, which speaks to the sheer variety of treatments that ONLY Aesthetics offers.
I was ushered into a rather spacious treatment room, where the walls are similarly decked out in black for a luxe touch. There’s quite a big backlit mirror for one to admire oneself before/after treatment, while the solitary bed makes the room look even bigger.
A sizeable wardrobe was also available for customers to store their clothing and belongings. There’s another mirror here, really reinforcing the aesthetics (pun intended) nature of the room.
Clients are provided with disposable shorts, as well as a clean towel. The shorts are similar to those provided at massage parlours, and are given for the same reason – the aestheticians do not wish to accidentally damage/stain your (expensive) pants.
Before starting treatment, the aestheticians will take photos of the relevant body parts. In this case, as I was doing the ONLift treatment on my face, photos were taken of…my face.
Similarly, as I was going to undergo the ONLISculpt treatment on my abdomen, photos were taken of that area so before/after comparisons can be made.
The ONLISculpt machine is decked out in black and is considerably larger, utilises a number of electric handheld devices as well as metal platings (see second row of tray in the picture above) to transmit “patented 448 kHz monopolar radiofrequency energy deep into the skin’s dermis and sub-dermal layer without damaging the external layer of skin”. According to the brand, this stimulates collagen production, and is especially useful in treating cellulite and sculpting the body by reducing visceral fat.
Before commencing the ONLift treatment, the aesthetician first cleansed my face to remove any impurities/oil that may have built up throughout the day.
Next, a sort of gel was applied to the face, which was meant to act as a conduit for the ultrasound pulses to be delivered into the face more effectively.
With the gel applied, it was time to start on the actual ONLift treatment. ONLift primarily utilises a small handheld device that stimulates facial muscles, along with a bevvy of gels and creams. ONLY Aesthetics states that it “is a non-surgical facelift utilizing Multi-Sequential Ultrasound technology that delivers multi-sequential pulses into the skin without needles and with no side effects”. It’s been compared to HIFU, though I have no experience with the latter so I wouldn’t be able to make a comparison. What I can say is that it was mostly painless. There were some instances where it felt sore (similar to the feeling one gets after a long workout), especially around my cheekbones, but there was never a sharp pain, making this a good alternative for those that want to get a facelift but are scared of needles or side effects.
The duration of the ONLift was about 30 minutes, which I felt was appropriate – any longer and it would probably be too sore, any shorter and one would probably feel short-changed. After the treatment, the aesthetician painstakingly wiped the remaining gel off the face.
As I signed up for two treatments for differing body parts, the aestheticians from Only Aesthetics decided to conduct both treatments concurrently.
Like the ONLift treatment, a gel is first applied to the abdomen for better absorption. Thereafter, a handheld device is used to transmit “patented 448 kHz energy” that ONLY Aesthetics states can shrink fat cells and is especially useful in treating cellulite and sculpting the face and body. It’s also supposedly effective in toning the body, treating varicose veins, improving human immunity, and relieving joint pain. I can’t speak to the testament of the latter three, but the USP (unique selling point) of ONLISculpt is that it comes with a bevvy of additional benefits aside from simply reducing visceral fats.
The ONLISculpt process utilizes heat, so it can get uncomfortably hot at times. At certain moments, I had to feedback to the aesthetician that it was getting too hot, to which she will switch to another area. I would say there’s definitely more discomfort as compared to ONLift, though again nothing too unbearable as long as you’re vocal with your feedback.
ONLY Aesthetics – Before and After
Since ONLY Aesthetics isn’t a clinic – the procedures were done by aestheticians, not doctors – I’m technically allowed to show before/after photos (which I wasn’t legally able to for Lux Aesthetics).
I was actually quite impressed with the results of ONLift, which promised to deliver a more “V-shaped” face. My cheekbones were noticeably slimmer after the treatment, while even the forehead area was less “protruding”. In other words, my face looked slimmer after the treatment. The aestheticians relayed that the results will be even more obvious after two weeks, so I’ll post an update after a fortnight.
In comparison, I would say that the effects of ONLISculpt are a tad less obvious. I can still see a slight reduction in the love handles, but I didn’t see a considerable difference in weight or body fat percentage after the treatment. The aestheticians stressed that multiple treatments are needed to see the desired effects, while other factors – such as diet and exercise – also affect the results. I would recommend viewing ONLISculpt as a complementary treatment to dieting and exercising, and not a magic bullet for stomach fat reduction.
Conclusion – so ONLY Aesthetics “shiok” or not?
I was especially impressed by the immediate effects of ONLift – I can see it coming in handy if you’re planning to impress a date in a pinch, or simply as a maintenance treatment. Facial fat is one of the hardest to lose as well, so I can definitely see the value of ONLift. I would say that ONLISculpt is more of a mixed bag as it’s more uncomfortable than ONLift, while the effects are also less obvious. That’s not to say that results won’t be more evident after multiple treatments, but that will also be cost-prohibitive. It’s perhaps best for those that have already tried dieting (and either hated it or simply couldn’t stick to it) as well as regular exercising, but still can’t lose that belly fat – a last resort, rather than a first option.
Those wanting to try out either treatment can take advantage of a trial price – $598 for ONLISculpt, and $798 for ONLift. If you’re satisfied with the results and would like to continue the treatments, you can quote “WAHSOSHIOK” to enjoy 10% off your first package for ONLY-branded treatments (excluding hair removal, Coolsculpting, doctor treatments and products). The only caveat is that bookings must be made directly to ONLY Aesthetics’ Lead Team for the discount to be applicable – either to Sarah at 81237714, or to Jaz at 83614868. The bookings are applicable for any of the brand’s 6 locations across Singapore.
View more information about ONLift here.
View more information about ONLISculpt here.
View the full range of ONLY Aesthetics’ treatments here.
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P.P.S: Do check out the new “Discounts!” page for exclusive discounts for Wah so Shiok readers! More brands will be added very soon – stay tuned!
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P.P.P.P.S Shiok is a common word Singaporeans use to express admiration or approval. As of 2016, you can find the definition of the word in the Oxford English Dictionary.
