Cover Meet the faces behind one of Malaysia's fastest growing beauty centres, One Doc

The future of skin wellness is being led by One Doc to help you become the best version of yourself

A chance meeting led two young enterprising doctors to set up what has now become a multi-award-winning beauty brand with the largest number of PicoPulse devices in Malaysia. One Doc, a locally established PicoPulse centre that started in 2016, prides itself as a one-stop destination offering non-invasive facial treatments for skin-related problems such as acne, pores, pigmentation and ageing skin.

By providing accessibility to everyone seeking to attain clear, radiant and youthful skin, One Doc has quickly stood out from the rest within the beauty industry. “For One Doc, we were very clear on what we wanted the business to be and that was to focus on non-invasive treatments from the get-go,” says Dr Michael Ong, chief executive officer of One Doc.

“We wanted people to know that they can come to One Doc for help if they are suffering from pimples, pores and pigmentation which consists of more than 95 per cent of common skin issues. It’s as simple as that,” shares Dr Terrence Teoh, managing director of One Doc.

Armed with research and development, One Doc co-created a brand new technology named PicoPulse with Korea’s number one Pico manufacturer, Wontech Co Ltd. The PicoPulse treatment produces dramatic results that can be achieved with lesser treatment sessions, lower costs, minimal discomfort and downtime, faster recovery and it is almost pain-free.

One Doc’s PicoPulse treatment uses non-surgical, non-invasive radiopulse technology where ultra-short pulses of energy are sent to targeted areas. The pulse’s impact on the skin is intense, shattering the problem skin pigment or particles. These are then eliminated naturally by the body. It is regarded as one of the most advanced skin treatments currently available in the market that suits all skin types.

With the success of their face treatments, it was only natural that One Doc soon diversified to hair growth. “After two years of starting the business, we established our very own hair treatment centres called Hair Doc. Here we focus on non-invasive hair growth solutions for all types of hair loss, dandruff and flaky scalp,” shares Ong.

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Above Dr Michael Ong, chief executive officer of One Doc
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Above Dr Terrence Teoh, managing director of One Doc

Burning Ambition to be the Best

According to Teoh, “Our unwavering vision when we started this business was to be the number one derma care of choice. This is reflected in the meaning behind the company’s name, One Doc. One for number one and Doc for Dermacare of Choice.”

And they have certainly achieved that with a total of 34 outlets nationwide.

Since its founding, One Doc has been acclaimed for its game-changing approach to personalised beauty solutions. Both Ong and Teoh agree that this and other key factors have helped steer the company to success. “We ensure that we are transparent and honest with the treatments that we offer, from our pricing to the treatment process itself. This helps build trust with our clients. Another factor that the company is proud of is its high level of professionalism among our staff. Everyone from our consultants and therapists are professionally trained by doctors and equipped with the knowledge to perform satisfying skin treatments on clients,” shares Teoh.

“As a brand we are also very result-oriented. We look at in-depth clinical studies and advanced technologies to ensure that we are delivering effective and expected results for our clients. Prior to the pandemic, we used to travel to Korea often to work closely with our counterparts there,” adds Teoh.

“With the best results, safety is also a priority. We understand that many of our clients want fast and convenient service yet very effective. That’s where the non-invasive treatments that One Doc offers are able to deliver.”

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Above Both hailing from Taiping, the doctors are good friends as well as colleagues

Facing the Pandemic Head-on

According to Allied Market Research, the skincare market in Malaysia is expected to reach US$1.28 billion by 2027. However, the beauty industry, like many other industries, was severely impacted during the pandemic.

It was no different for One Doc. The temporary closure of all their outlets when the pandemic set in saw approximately 90 per cent of the company’s revenue decline. Innovation has always been imperative to the company so in order to adapt to this shifting landscape, the founders made a decision to preserve it. This meant continuing to invest in research and development while not laying off employees.

“We had almost zero income during the pandemic,” Teoh recalls. “Yet we took that as an opportunity for us. Keeping our staff updated and acquainted with the latest technology had always been a major goal of the company but it was something that we didn’t have the time to focus on. The pandemic allowed us to do just that.”

He continues, “We spent a significant amount in upskilling our staff, doing intensive training on a daily basis and chose to grind through it with the expectation and the belief that the market would come back.”

The market did come back, and strongly, with the company’s staff performing better and more effectively than before.

He adds, “I’m most proud of the team we have, the progress we’ve made, and the fact that we have not lost sight of the original motivations behind starting out in the first place. There is nothing better than the daily feedback we get from clients about how our treatments and services have helped people in their beauty journeys.”

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Above Dr Michael Ong and Dr Terrence Teoh

A New Market Conquered

While One Doc commands a leading position in the beauty aesthetics sector, the founders are following a clear growth plan to stay ahead of competitors and to keep innovating for clients. In January 2022, the company started the year strong with the birth of Slim Doc. This groundbreaking 360-degree holistic approach for body slimming, contouring, skin tightening and muscle building program combines cutting-edge technologies from Korea with treatments that are non-invasive, safe and effective.

Based on the National Health and Morbidity Survey, conducted every four years, 50.1 per cent of Malaysians were overweight with 19.7 per cent of them facing obesity in 2019. This translates to one in two adults being overweight.

Says Ong, “There are several factors that lead to excess weight and these include our daily diet, lack of exercise, environmental factors, health conditions, genetics, stress and emotional factors. In order to tackle weight gain effectively, we must find the root cause of it through a thorough consultation and body analysis. We are then able to customise an effective treatment plan based on the client’s actual body status.

“Slim Doc’s Signature EMSlim treatment is a non-invasive High-Intensity Focused Electromagnetic technology that uses a powerful but harmless form of the electromagnetic wave to stimulate muscle contraction in a targeted area. It helps to build muscle and burn fat at the same time. Targeted areas include the abdominal area, buttocks, thighs, calves, triceps and biceps. It’s a form of exercise through the stimulation of targeted-muscle contraction.”

According to Ong, 30 minutes of a complete EMSlim treatment over the abdomen is able to give clients the equivalent of nearly 20,000 sit-ups or crunches. With the combination of good diet control, clients are able to see results within a three-month duration. “For an effective result of EMSlim treatment, six to eight sessions at intervals of two to three days are usually necessary with at least 48 hours in between. Just four to six weeks after the last session, you can look forward to the effect of the treatment, which will only increase over the next few weeks,” says Ong.

If awareness of the new brand continues to grow at its current rate, the opportunities for Slim Doc in the local market are huge. Six months into its launching, Slim Doc has expanded to 12 outlets. Over the next 18 to 24 months, the company plans to strengthen research and development efforts for its dietary supplements in the next quarter to complement Slim Doc’s existing treatment plan. Outlet expansion will also be a major focus, with the company already eyeing locations in Sabah, Sarawak and the region.

Credits

Photography  

Brian Fang

Styling  

Azza Arif

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