Hello everyone, and welcome to another of my reviews. In this article, I’ll be reviewing my experience at the local aesthetic clinic DrPlus.
If Dr. Kenneth appears familiar, that’s because he was previously featured in my review of DrHaach. He has since established his own medical clinic, aptly named DrPlus.
DrPlus – the Brand
I’ve previously elaborated on Dr. Kenneth’s medical credentials in my review of DrHaach. After being in the aesthetic industry for over a decade, Dr. Kenneth finally struck it out on his own, leveraging his image as the “The Collagen Doc” to make collagen the differentiating factor for DrPlus.
Although DrPlus has only been around for a few months, the brand currently boasts a perfect Google Review of 5/5 from 38 certified reviewers. That’s pretty impressive – let’s delve into the review to see what DrPlus is all about.
DrPlus – Treatments
DrPlus is located on the third floor of SBF Medical Suites, with the closest MRT stations being Telok Ayer/Tanjong Pagar.
When I was previously at DrHaach, Dr. Kenneth noticed that I was suffering from significant chest acne, and conveyed that my substantial body hair could be a potential cause as body hair can trap dirt and sweat, resulting in blocked pores and therefore acne. As DrHaach doesn’t offer hair removal services, Dr. Kenneth invited me to his clinic – DrPlus – for the hair removal treatment, which I readily agreed to.
Hair removal is in vogue, with providers such as JapanIPL being stalwarts in shopping malls. There are several methods of hair removal: shaving (which is instantaneous but temporary), waxing (which is effective but painful), depilatory creams (which can burn your skin/cause allergic reactions), and laser treatments. The latter is perhaps the most popular due to its relative pain-free nature, with the catch being that it takes a substantial number of sessions (usually 4-6) before results start to show. At DrPlus, Dr. Kenneth explained that the laser he uses is medical-grade, and is technically safer and longer-lasting than IPL (which can still cause redness and peeling after treatment).
The treatment room is a good size, with the surroundings being clean, and the white walls giving off a medical-esque minimalistic vibe.
Before commencing the laser treatment, customers are recommended to have their bodies shaved beforehand. However, as I’ve previously had bad experiences shaving (suffered from folliculitis, or shaver’s rash, previously) I decided to leave the shaving in the capable hands of Dr. Kenneth. Yes – DrPlus offers shaving services too (though at an additional fee), so if you’re scared of shaving or simply too lazy, you can outsource the shaving component to DrPlus.
I think it’s great that DrPlus offers the shaving service, which not all clinics do (I suppose some doctors believe such menial labour are beneath them). That’s because certain areas – like the back of the neck – are near impossible to shave by yourself unless you happen to be a contortionist.
Once I was freshly shaved, it was time to start the actual laser treatment. To kick things off, Dr. Kenneth applied a laser of collagen gel on the treatment areas.
Given DrPlus’ focus on collagen, the collagen gel actually serves as a differentiating factor as compared to other laser hair removal services. According to Dr. Kenneth, the collagen gel not only allows for the laser treatment to be better absorbed, but also boosts the collagen production of the skin, resulting in a lightening of hyperpigmentation over time.
With the collagen gel evenly applied, it was time to get started with the actual laser treatment. As seen in the photo above, DrPlus uses a medical-grade laser machine – I can’t reveal the specifics due to confidentiality reasons – with a handheld laser device. By producing heat, the laser treatment removes the skin’s epidermis, therefore damaging/shrinking the hair follicles in the process. Over multiple treatments, the hair follicles get thinner, before ultimately being destroyed altogether resulting in hairless skin.
Overall, the laser treatment felt like a brief stinging sensation, similar to the Q-switch and Hyser laser treatments that I’ve done previously. The exceptions are areas where hair follicles are dense (such as the chin) where the stinging sensations can feel sharper and more uncomfortable. If the discomfort is too much to bear, you can request for Dr. Kenneth to lower the energy setting, though this also means that the laser treatment would be slightly less effective.
I decided to get the laser treatment on my chest, back, face and even my private areas. Yes – DrPlus offers Brazillian/Boyzillian hair removal services too! If you’ve been wanting to get a Boyzillian done, but were worried about potential awkwardness, I suggest getting it done by a doctor in a clinic setting. In my case, as Dr. Kenneth is a MOH-certified doctor, the interaction felt very professional and there wasn’t much awkwardness. This is in stark (pun intended) contrast to aestheticians in beauty salons. The entire process was quick too, with the laser treatment for my face, chest, back and privates taking about 15-20 minutes. That means that even including the shaving time (around 10 minutes), the hair removal process took around 30 minutes, making it a viable lunchtime treatment for working professionals nearby.
During the Boyzillian process, Dr. Kenneth casually shared with me about Valor Plus, which is DrPlus’ penile rejuvenation programme. It is essentially shockwave therapy for the penis to cause “harder and more spontaneous erections” (Dr. Kenneth’s words, not mine), and is a minimally invasive procedure which is safe without significant side effects. It tries to solve the root cause of erectile dysfunction by enlarging the arteries of the penis, resulting in better blood flow and therefore a stronger erection.
I humorously relayed to Dr. Kenneth that I’m a tad too young for erectile dysfunction treatment, to which he replied that “prevention is better than cure”. He relayed that most men neglect their penile health, and that although most men will eventually encounter erectile dysfunction (it’s more a matter of when rather than if), many do not seek treatment for it due to the taboo/awkward nature of the condition. He then gave the analogy of a car – regular servicing is important to preserve engine health (even if it’s a young car), instead of simply sending the car to the workshop when it breaks down. I was intrigued, and decided to give the Valor Plus treatment a try.
The Valor Plus treatment is delivered via a handheld device, which basically delivers shocks to the penis in order to relax the penile muscles and widen the arteries. The device comes with a few different tips – with differing purposes – and Dr. Kenneth can also tweak the energy settings of the machine depending on the individual’s condition. The treatment is again rather quick (no more than 15 minutes), and wasn’t too uncomfortable. It certainly wasn’t comfortable (and definitely not pleasurable by any means, in case you’re wondering), but I would say Valor Plus was actually less painful than the laser treatment. After the treatment, Dr. Kenneth pointed out how my penile arteries were visibly engorged, and said it was a positive visual sign of the treatment being effective.
For obvious reasons, I’m unable to show detailed pictures of the Valor Plus treatment. I can only report on my own experiences, and I have to say that I was quite surprised by the effects after around 5 sessions. I won’t go into too graphic details, so I’ll just say this: I didn’t have any issues with getting hard before, but I now notice myself getting harder. There’s also a formal questionnaire called the International Index of Erectile Function, which patients can attempt before and after the Valor Plus treatment. My self-reported results increased by 4 points after 5 sessions of Valor Plus (at a biweekly frequency), and I was surprised by the difference after a short 2-3 months. I’m not sure if the results would be more apparent or diminished for older gentlemen, but I can honestly say that Valor Plus was effective for me.
Conclusion – so DrPlus “shiok” or not?
I had a positive time with Dr. Kenneth at DrHaach, and I’m pleased to report that extends to him at DrPlus as well. In some senses, I prefer Dr. Kenneth at DrPlus – DrPlus felt more personal and laid-back (making it perfect for potentially awkward treatments such as the Boyzillian or Valor Plus) than the big chain image of DrHaach. It’s like going to your neighbourhood GP clinic versus going to Raffles Medical. There’s nothing wrong with Raffles Medical of course, but I personally have a slight preference for the homely feel of the neighbourhood GP clinic. After interacting with Dr. Kenneth (and his friendly receptionist – shoutout to Jess) for over three months now, I would like to say that we have become friends, rather than a strict doctor/patient relationship. And as for the results, I’ve found my body hair to be growing thinner and slower after the laser treatments, while the Valor Plus treatment was also noticeably effective. I’ll continue with both treatments – and perhaps try a few others – and continue to update this article after a few more sessions.
Those interested in laser hair removal can book a trial session here, while those interested in the Valor Plus treatment can do so here. There’s a booking form at the end of the respective links, and Wah So Shiok readers get to enjoy a special trial price – $9.90 for underarm collagen laser hair removal, and $88 for Valor Plus. Should you choose to sign up for further sessions after the trials, readers also get an exclusive 20% discount on regular treatment prices, which also extends to other treatments such as Botox, HIFU, Threadlifts, etc. Simply state that you were referred by Wah So Shiok in the booking message, and you’ll get to enjoy the affordable trial sessions and discounts. As always, the trial sessions are non-committal, so feel free to go for one and determine for yourselves if the treatments are effective afterwards. At such an affordable price point, booking a trial session is a no-brainer.
Book laser hair removal trial here.
Book Valor Plus trial here.
View the full list of DrPlus’ treatments here.
DrPlus’ location: 160 Robinson Rd, #03-10 SBF Medical Suites, Singapore 068914
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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.
