Hello, everyone, and welcome to another of my reviews. In this article, I’ll review my latest experience at DrPlus Aesthetic Clinic, where I underwent the Fotona 4D treatment.
I’ve had facial treatments with Dr. Kenneth before, most recently the NCTF Skin Booster treatment. However, that was over a year ago, so when I faced a breakout earlier this year, I decided to return to DrPlus for a facial treatment.
For those unfamiliar with DrPlus, the clinic is renowned for its collagen treatments and recently won an award for Collagen Treatment of the Year in the Asia-Pacific region for its proprietary collagen treatment, Collagen Plus, which I reviewed here.
When I walked into the clinic, a giant standee promoting the Fotona 4D treatment caught my eye, so I asked Dr. Kenneth about it during our consultation. An increasingly popular option for a non-invasive facelift, Dr. Kenneth shared that the four-step treatment removes micron-thin layers of the skin while stimulating collagen remodelling, paving the way for fresh, healthy-looking skin.
After learning that the Fotona4D treatment has little to no downtime and is relatively painless, I decided to opt for it and headed to the treatment room. First, the therapist cleansed the face, removing any gunk that might have built up throughout the day.
Afterwards, the therapist takes a “before” photo and sends it to you, allowing you to compare the differences in your skin after the treatment. However, MOH guidelines prevent me from posting clear before/after photos in this article.
With the face cleansed and the “before” photo taken, it was time to start the treatment. It’s essential to note that while there are many aesthetic clinics offering Fotona4D treatment, Dr Plus is one of the few clinics that can provide the Fotona4D Men treatment. As the name suggests, this treatment is specifically tailored to address male skin concerns. This is also a reflection of DrPlus’ focus on its male clients – so much so that the clinic now has a dedicated website targeting men’s concerns.
The first step of the Fotona4D treatment is called SmoothLiftin™, which is particularly effective in addressing nasolabial folds and marionette lines (i.e. smile lines).
I’ve often been asked: What’s the point of going to one aesthetic clinic over another, when most clinics use the same machines? Like a regular clinic, the key differentiating factor of an aesthetic clinic is the doctor in charge, who is responsible for adjusting the machine settings according to your skin concerns. A less experienced doctor may opt to use the same settings for all patients in a one-size-fits-all approach, rather than calibrating the settings individually.
After adjusting the settings, Dr. Kenneth used a non-ablative laser on the inside of my oral cavity to stimulate collagen production, which aids in skin elasticity and achieves a lifting effect. I was initially apprehensive about this (it felt like going to the dentist), but I was pleasantly surprised at how painless the laser was. There’s a slight warming sensation, but it doesn’t sting or prick.
Step 2 of the Fotona4D Men treatment is called Smooth Remodelling, which aids skin rejuvenation and collagen remodelling.
The laser is now applied to almost the entire face, stimulating collagen growth for a more even skin tone and brighter complexion. Again, this feels mostly painless.
Step 3 of the Fotona4D treatment is called the PIANO® Tightening mode, which delivers bulk tissue heating to tighten and firm the skin. Here, Dr. Kenneth switches to a longer handpiece, which allows him to target the deeper dermal layers.
By heating the deep dermal layers, this mode stimulates collagen remodelling, leading to improved skin elasticity and a more youthful appearance. This also means that the laser felt noticeably hotter than the previous modes, though not unbearably so.
Last but not least, the Fotona4D treatment ends with SupErficial™, which focuses on the skin’s surface by providing a gentle and controlled light peel to enhance overall skin texture, reduce imperfections, and promote a smoother complexion.
As the peel essentially strips away the uppermost layer of the skin, it does feel pricklier than the previous modes. However, this is a necessary evil that allows for skin renewal and helps to reduce skin pigmentation and acne scars.
With the Fotona4D treatment now complete, Dr. Kenneth ends the session by applying some of his in-house moisturiser on my face. As with every laser treatment, Dr. Kenneth shares that it’s essential to continue hydrating the skin over the next few days to aid in skin recovery and prevent redness.
Conclusion – so the Fotona4D Men Treatment at DrPlus Aesthetic Clinic “shiok” or not?
Seen as a versatile laser treatment that’s able to address a variety of skin concerns with minimal downtime, Fotona4D has been surging in popularity recently as a quick lunchtime procedure. After undergoing the treatment, I can attest to the benefits – my skin looks brighter, feels more elastic, and I’ve noticed slight improvement to my existing acne scars and pigmentation as well. All in all, I have no complaints about the treatment itself at DrPlus Aesthetic Clinic. However, it would be remiss of me not to point out that the Fotona4D treatment is relatively pricey, with sessions starting in the four figures at DrPlus. This seems to be the case as well at other aesthetic clinics though, so if you’re a guy and are interested in the Fotona4D treatment, I’ll still recommend that you head down to DrPlus as they are one of the few clinics locally that are able to provide the male-specific variant of the treatment.
The current trial pricing for the Fotona4D treatment at DrPlus is $1000. Those interested in trying out the Fotona4D treatment at DrPlus Aesthetic Clinic can quote “WAHSOSHIOK” when booking your trial to enjoy an additional Fotona Hair Restart treatment for free (U.P. $588). If the Fotona4D treatment is too pricey, I’ll also suggest looking at more affordable alternatives such as the NCTF Skinbooster treatment (starting from $399 for a trial) and or the traditional microfractional laser treatment (starting from $99 for a trial). If you choose to sign up for further sessions after the trials, readers also receive an exclusive 20% discount on regular treatment prices, which applies to other treatments such as Botox, HIFU, and thread lifts.
Book your Fotona4D appointment at DrPlus here.
View the complete list of DrPlus’ treatments here.
DrPlus’ locations:
SBF outlet: 160 Robinson Rd, #03-10 SBF Medical Suites, Singapore 068914
East Coast outlet: 66 East Coast Road #03-05 The Flow Mall, Singapore 428778
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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.
