SW1 is possibly the most Instagram-worthy aesthetics clinic I have ever seen, and that is no exaggeration. The entire space is decked out in millennial pink, with plenty of soft furnishings in similar pastel hues. If there is ever a place for an Instagram influencer to feel at home, this is it. Once you arrive, you are ushered into a consultation room—also very Instagrammable—and served snacks and drinks that would not look out of place in a hipster cafe. And as you leave, the clinic also offers fully-stocked beauty cabins where you can apply on a light layer of makeup, should you have removed it for a facial treatment.

I had my consultation with Dr Low Chai Ling, the founder of SW1. She had formerly also founded The Sloane Clinic in 2003, and left to create SW1 in 2017. Her expertise in high-tech aesthetic treatments, however, is undisputed.

Like I mentioned in the introduction, Onda's Body Magic treatment is a proprietary new technology that uses microwaves to simultaneously destroy fat cells and tighten skin in the treated area. It also has the added plus of effectively diminishing the appearance of cellulite, which is thought to be caused by the interaction between connective tissue in the skin and the layer of fat underlying it. Onda can also be used to reduce dimpling and lumpiness post-liposuction.

The secret behind the Onda Body Magic lies in the handpieces, which generate microwaves at a specific frequency—2.45GHz—that are preferentially absorbed by fat molecules, but not by water molecules (unlike the electromagnetic radiation in kitchen microwaves). Onda calls these Coolwaves™. Since the skin contains mostly water but no fat, the Coolwaves pass through it harmlessly and targets the underlying fat layer. This helps to reduce the damage and discomfort to the skin from heat, resulting in a safer and more comfortable treatment. This also means that the treatment will not bruise, as tends to be the case with fat freezing treatments. The microwaves also target the connective tissue, shrinking and stimulating collagen fibres in the treated area for a skin-tightening effect.

The treatment is carried out much like radiofrequency treatments that serve to tighten skin. The skilled nurse uses the handpiece in circular motions around the treated area, allowing the microwave energy to be dispersed into the tissues more evenly. The treatment begins quite comfortably, but you can slowly feel the area heating up as time goes by. While it may not become as hot as other skin-tightening treatments, the treated areas can still heat up enough to cause mild discomfort.

I tried this treatment on my thigh area, which has long been a trouble spot for me. It did heat up to a level where I felt some discomfort, but it was nothing too painful—the nurse was also very careful to ensure my comfort at all times. There was no downtime, but the treated area did feel warm and stayed red for a few hours post-treatment.

The Onda Body Magic treatment is supposed to have optimal results after two to four treatments. I only tried it once, but I was impressed because I could nonetheless feel that the treated area had become slimmer and firmer. The effects were not felt immediately, but manifested themselves a few weeks post-treatment, after the destroyed fat cells had had the time to be flushed out by my body's natural detoxification processes. Having tried many, many skin-tightening and fat-busting treatments in the same area before, I have to say that the results were far better than I had expected, given that I had only had one session. It didn't magically give me Gisele Bündchen's thighs (even though I wish it could have), but it did noticeably slim and smooth the area.

Overall, I was quite pleased with my experience at SW1. Not only did the clinic feel luxurious in a different way from other aesthetic clinics, the Onda Body Magic treatment was also efficacious enough for me to recommend it wholeheartedly.

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