April 6, 2018

WHAT: Epion Clinic specialises in medical aesthetic treatments such as medi-facials, dermal fillers, botox, laser treatments, pigmentation removal and more.

WHERE: Tudor Court in the prime Orchard district, next to Tanglin Mall.

WHEN: Recently opened in March 2018.

THE LOOK: Epion Clinic is a boutique medi-aesthetics centre that feels like a luxury insiders’ clubhouse. Designed in collaboration with award-winning interior architecture firm LAANK, its bold black-and-white interiors riff off Tudor Court’s distinctive black timbre and white plaster exterior. The Art Deco-inspired space is finished with elegant touches of matte gold and hunter green, bringing a seamlessly modern uptake to the 1920 heritage establishment.

WHO: Dr Melvin Tan, an aesthetics doctor with 15 years in the field. He trained and practised in the U.K. and possesses 10 years of local experience.

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WHY: “Starting a practice of my own stems from wanting to share my philosophy on how to treat skin and improve an individual’s appearance based on what I’ve worked out in the last 10 to 15 years.”

“I love art and design and I think if I wasn’t a doctor I would have become an architect. Medical aesthetics gives me the opportunity to fulfil that creative side through creating beauty and helping others improve their appearances, while still practising medicine.”

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On Beauty: “I feel beauty is instinctive. When you glance at someone, your brain registers mathematically the proportions that it sees in that moment and tells you whether they are beautiful or not. I think that split-second transmission between the eye and the brain is so clever. A lot of it comes from the appearance of your skin, but the framework that you have in terms of proportions and balance also holds subtleties that one can address as well.”

His strengths: “My strong suit as I’ve been told, is in the assessment of faces and beauty. I want to share that while understanding that everyone has a slightly different version of what they want for themselves. Besides developing my eye for beauty, I feel I’ve grown most in the past decade in learning how to communicate and complement my vision with what the client wants.”

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HOW: “We curate the best kind of treatments using various technologies and techniques to deliver efficacy for our clients. We’re addressing a lot of issues in the 1 to 2 hours that they spend with us, with optimal results and minimal downtime.”

His method: “It’s so important to find the right doctor. You’re trying to find someone who shares your vision. There are so many intangibles in an industry like this, and it’s not about injecting the same amount everywhere, or giving someone a sharper-looking nose or chin. You create with the patient.”

THE PHILOSOPHY: “The true standards of beauty are very subjective, but there are some fundamentals that will always hold. There’s always going to be some structure which you can use as a guide, to often create a look that is pleasing to the eye. And having great skin is an important landmark of beauty.”  

On plastic surgery: “One doesn’t have to resort to surgical options to be beautiful. Proportion is extremely important in creating harmony in a face, which is why I like to work with fillers and botox. They allow me to reshape, contour and change features to effect subtle yet dramatic improvements.”

On checks and balances: “We always have to question what is the aesthetic improvement for and if it will change their outlook significantly. Sometimes patients become focused on one thing that they fail to consider other options. It’s really my position to educate and let them know what else they can do and what we can offer with the technology and services available in the market.”

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THE EXPERIENCE: A consultation with Dr Tan is first on the cards, as you discuss with him your skin and facial features that you wish to improve on. This includes a state-of-art 3D photo rendering of your face and skin, which is especially useful for visualising the effects of Botox, fillers and non-invasive thread-lifts.

We tried Dr Tan’s signature EPION S.T.A.R. (Skin-Tightening, Aqua-dermabrasion & Rehydrate) facial treatment ($550), which is a unique combination of the Sciton Skintyte 2, and the Hydrafacial MD.

The Sciton Skintyte 2 is a non-invasive, FDA-approved infra-red light treatment that increases collagen and elastin production for intense skin firming and facial contouring. Conducted by Dr Tan personally, one experiences warm sensations as the applicator glides in contouring strokes across the face. Our skin felt noticeably tighter and firmer after the treatment, and more even-toned with a reduction of old scars and capillary veins.

The Hydrafacial MD is a zero-downtime skin resurfacing facial that infuses the skin with booster serums for greater moisture levels and a dewy glow. On its own, the Hydrafacial MD is a useful bi-weekly refresher for the face, and we found the experience particularly pleasant, since it does away with the typical painful facial process of extraction by poking, prodding and picking at skin clogs with metal lancets.

For a healthy complexion, a 24-karat gold revitalising mask was applied on our face to lock in the radiance and suppleness. Our skin felt soft and supple; minor bumps under our eyes, plus white and blackheads on our T-zone were also eliminated.