What to expect
A consultation has one job, which is to work out what is going on and what your options really are. Dr Sin Yong sees you himself, at the consultation and at any treatment. Nothing is expected of you on the day except honest answers about your history.
Some visits end with a plan. Others end with advice to wait, to do nothing, or to see someone else. Each of those is a proper outcome, and you will be told the reason. Treatment suits some people and not others, and results vary.
The aesthetic consultation in Singapore, step by step
What to bring
A list of what you take, so that the doctor can check it against any option.
The product, area and date, if you have them. The assessment goes ahead without them.
Write them down. It is reasonable to ask about the doctor, the product, the risks and what happens if something goes wrong.
How the examination works
The doctor looks at the area at rest and in movement where that matters. Ultrasound may be used for filler concerns, to see where product sits and at what depth. Photographs may be taken with your consent. They are for your medical record and treatment planning, and they are used to compare at review. They are not used for advertising, and you can ask to see them. The aim is to find the cause. Two concerns can look alike and need different answers, so a treatment name is not the starting point.
Questions worth asking
What is being treated, and why? What can it not do? What happens if I choose no treatment?
Which product or device will be used, and how much? Is it registered with the Health Sciences Authority?
Who performs each step? How do I check the Singapore Medical Council register?
What review is included? What would correction involve? Whom do I contact if I am worried?
How consent works
Consent is a conversation, and it is a process, not a signature. You should understand what is being proposed, why it is being proposed, what could go wrong, what else you could do and who will do it. More invasive procedures call for a cooling-off period. You can withdraw or change your consent at any point before treatment. Consent for higher-risk procedures is documented. If you feel unsure, that is a good reason to wait. A plan can go home with you, and you can come back with questions.
What a consultation cannot do
A consultation cannot promise an outcome. It cannot remove the risks of a procedure, and it cannot predict exactly how your body will respond. A message or a photograph cannot replace it, because an examination needs you in the room. It also does not commit you to anything. Some problems sit outside aesthetic practice. A changing mole, an unexplained rash or a surgical need may be referred, for example to a dermatologist or a plastic surgery specialist. You will be told why.
Common reasons the answer is wait or no treatment
Recent filler can look worse in the first weeks, and swelling can mimic excess product.
A treatment aimed at the wrong cause will not help, so another route may fit.
Skin disease or a surgical concern may go to a dermatologist or a plastic surgery specialist.
If doing nothing serves you better, you will be told so.
Who may need to wait
Tell the doctor. Elective procedures such as filler and laser are generally deferred.
Treatment waits, and this includes a cold sore.
Earlier reactions to filler or anaesthetic change the advice, so please mention them.
If you have urgent signs after treatment, do not book a routine visit. Read complication care and act now.
Risks and how they are explained
Every treatment carries risk. The doctor explains the common effects, such as swelling, redness or bruising after injectables, along with less common but serious problems for the option you are weighing. Written aftercare lists what to expect, what to avoid and which signs to report. You can ask whether a product or device is registered with the Health Sciences Authority. You can also ask for product lot numbers and for the complication protocol. Our clinic standards page explains how this is recorded.
Fees at a consultation
A consultation fee applies, and it is stated when you book. Treatment fees are set out once a plan exists, and before you agree to anything. Singapore Medical Council guidelines call for fees to be known before services are provided. Our page on how we quote explains what affects a fee.