Those who opt for cosmetic procedures range from teenagers to seniors. For example, about two-thirds of rhinoplasties, or nose jobs, and 54 per cent of breast augmentations globally are performed on 18 to 34-year-olds, according to the 2024 Isaps report.
But, overall, more procedures are done on 35 to 50-year-olds than on other age groups.
So, while Botox is popular across different demographics, most (47.1 per cent) of such procedures are performed on those aged 35 to 50.
Even as these treatments become much sought after, customers can occasionally get more than they bargained for.
For instance, sometimes when patients go overseas for treatments, they rely on translators who may earn a commission from the clinics, said Dr Shens.
“The doctor may recommend something, but the translator may recommend more treatments than the doctor did,” he explained. “They work on commission. For example, if I sell a S$20,000 product compared with (one that costs) S$10,000, I’m going to earn double, right? So why not sell more?”
Even in Singapore, many aesthetic clinics are run like businesses and hire young doctors who may have gone through only a few days of aesthetic treatment training, he noted.
Some of them could have an investor backing them, and they could have a scheme whereby, when a patient walks in, someone attends to them, analyses their skin using a machine and then starts to sell them a package, said Dr Shens, who trained in South Korea for a year in the early stages of his career. “By the time they see the doctor, the package is already sold.”
Knowing the risks
Dr Lee, too, noted that most of his patients are above the age of 40. Anti-ageing treatments are favoured by this group, and they have a wide array to choose from.
These include non-invasive filler injections as well as skin-tightening procedures and energy devices such as Thermage and Ulthera that can help address common issues like sagging tissue and lower eyelid wrinkles.
Those in this demographic also have more disposable income, he noted, which could also explain the popularity of cosmetic treatments among them.
‘If the machines are used improperly, it can cause burns, pigmentation issues and scarring.’
– Dr Shenthilkumar Naidu, a Singapore-based plastic surgeon
“Whereas if you look at specialists like dermatologists and plastic surgeons, the front desk doesn’t usually sell anything.”
Also, being non-invasive does not mean that these procedures have no risks.
If the machines are used improperly, it can cause burns, pigmentation issues and scarring, warned Dr Shens. “It’s important the practitioner shares with patients upfront that these things can happen.”
Patients should also understand the dangers of going under general anaesthesia or sedation for these treatments in Seoul, he added. Under Singapore regulations, patients must be assigned a dedicated anaesthesiologist during procedures. In South Korea, however, this rule does not exist, which means clinics can have one anaesthesiologist overseeing several rooms of patients at a time.
“If something goes wrong and (the anaesthesiologist) has to attend to one patient and, at the same time, if something else goes wrong in another room, he’s not able to attend. So there have been casualties,” he said.
Nose jobs for youth, Botox for those 45 and older
IMAGES: ADOBE STOCK GRAPHICS: GARETH CHUNG, BT (WITH AI ASSISTANCE); YU KEXIN
