Most of us don’t take too fondly to injections. Now, imagine 100 injections on your face. That thought alone should be enough to scare away anyone. I surprised myself by not freaking out but instead calmly remained lying on my back when Dr Hoe Ying Min – my doctor for the day – replied my question of the number of injections that would be given.
“A hundred,” Dr Hoe said without blinking an eye. “You won’t feel any pain at all.”
It was my first trip to Scinn Medical Centre, a 2,300 square feet one-stop medispa which offers non-invasive and non-surgical aesthetic procedures. And, I was there for PDRN (Polydeoxyribonucleotide) treatment. PDRN, created using salmon DNA fragments, is highly raved for its skin healing and rejuvenation properties. Apart from being able to help improve acne scars and pigmentation, it can also help retain moisture and lead to a better oil balance in the skin. When injected into the skin, PDRN will stimulate the skin to produce more collagen and hyaluronic acid.
My session had started with a consultation with Dr Hoe. I briefly shared with her the condition of my skin (combination, oily T-zone) and also my aversion to any laser treatment, having done a media trial which left my face permanently sensitive (and me permanently scared of any aesthetics treatment).
Dr Hoe took a quick look at my face and noticed some pimples on my forehead. “You can try the PDRN treatment,” she recommended. “It’ll be able to help your acne to heal faster. You will also be able to see results in just a week.”
According to Dr Hoe, there is also no downtime for PDRN treatment and I could resume my normal activity immediately. “You might just see some tiny marks from the needles,” she added and proceeded to show me her face which just had PDRN treatment the day prior. I peered closely at her porcelain skin and couldn’t see a single needle imprint mark at all. I was sold.
Photo © Scinn Medical Centre.
I was then brought to a room by a therapist where my face was double-cleansed to remove all dirt and oil. The therapist then put a numbing cream on my face for about 15 minutes before removing it.
Back in the treatment room, I was imagining a fearsome-looking syringe. I was reminded of the infamous vampire facial Kim Kardashian did. To my surprise, Dr Hoe showed me a device that looked relatively innocent. She pointed out to me the set of nine short micro-needles on the device. Ok, that doesn’t look so bad, I thought. My mind was set more at ease when I realised the treatment was not going to entail any syringe.
The PDRN treatment uses micro-needles. Photo © Scinn Medical Centre.
Dr Hoe was done with the treatment in less than 10 minutes. Indeed, I did not feel any pain at all. Each injection felt like a suction – very similar to how a blackhead remover vacuum suction feels like. I was given a mirror and my face looked normal; there was no redness or swelling whatsoever. My face looked even more normal than it would after a regular facial.
True to Dr Hoe’s words, I could go about with my normal activities after the treatment. I even went shopping after that.I only had to be mindful not to wash my face or apply anything for at least four hours after the treatment, and also not to go for any sauna or face massage for a week. The only minor discomfort was the numbed feeling on my face as the anaesthetic needed a couple of hours to wear off.
A close-up photo taken of my face after the treatment reveals no swelling or redness.
Fast forward a week, the pimples on my forehead have gone down and healed. My oily T-zone also doesn’t seem to be as oily as it was before. The fine lines on my face are still there but to be fair, I did read that at least three sessions are recommended at the start for first-timers to see more apparent results. And, to begin with, my complexion is relatively fine apart from the occasional zit and dryness after a flight.
So the question is – would I recommend PDRN treatment to anyone? It is more appealing than other procedures such as botox and fillers, which I’ve seen left aesthetically unappealing results on some of my friends. It’s more like a supercharger to improve your skin condition, compared to the latter two which alter the face unnaturally.
Now, if your pockets are deep enough, I would say go for it. That and if you can get used to the idea of having salmon DNA in your skin.
Scinn Medical Centre is located at 111 Somerset Rd, #04-12/13 TripleOne Somerset Singapore 238164. A trial session and consultation for PDRN treatment costs S$499 (nett) at Scinn Medical Centre.
