Most recently, a one-stop beauty destination founded by Kim Lim has proven to be a serious respite for scalp-to-toe pampering, situated in i12Katong. 

Opened in April, this sprawling 3,800sqf wellness sanctuary houses Illumia Medical, which offers bespoke medical aesthetic treatments; Illumia Therapeutics, a medispa specialising in advanced beauty solutions for your face, skin and body; and medically-backed hair loss centre, Papilla Haircare, all under one roof. It is the company’s first three-in-one mega outlet, which boasts a comprehensive list of transformative and restorative services—all of which are to be enjoyed in spacious treatment rooms and VIP treatment suites.

At Illumia Medical, clients will get to consult with and get treatments done by resident doctor, Jason Lau. Similar to the company's philosophy that believes in enhancements versus transformations, Dr. Lau specialises in aesthetic medicine and minimally-invasive procedures that help to lift, tighten and rejuvenate miens while reducing the effects of natural ageing. Personalised treatment plans comprise everything from lasers to injectibles, and can be done at your convenience, be it as part of a well-deserved beauty weekend or a quick lunch time fix.

Don’t miss: Illumia Therapeutics, Singapore’s Latest Full-Service Medispa, Lets You Address Your Beauty And Wellness Needs In One Place

Past the reception and gleaming walls of Illumia Therapeutics is the Illumia beauty bar, a plush, sun-lit lounge where consultations are conducted over tea and sweet treats if you please. Here, a therapist talks through your beauty concerns and goals before recommending the relevant beauty solutions, as well as an introduction to the state-of-the-art technology that goes into those signature treatments. 

I was recommended the Triple Gold Ultrasound Lifting facial during this visit, to cater to my sensitised, duller-than-usual complexion—and my perennial desire for plumper, tighter and more even-toned skin.

Once cocooned in the plush treatment bed, all facials begin with a luxurious double cleanse to sweep away all traces of make-up and impurities, like a build-up of excess sebum that could potentially be the cause of enlarged, clogged pores. Combining gentle-to-firm circular motions, the face massage that comes with the cleansing step is honestly something else, making it hard to stay awake—but be sure you do to thoroughly savour and understand the ensuing steps and benefits of such high-tech facials.

After the “human touch” massage comes the state-of-the-art one: the Triple Gold Ultrasound Lifting facial harnesses triple-ultrasound technology with the latest—and super speedy—19MHz frequency to achieve a powerful ultrasonic wave, which generates micro-massages that can target both the superficial and deeper layers of skin. These micro-massages have been scientifically proven to reduce MMPs values, or Matrix Metalloproteinases, which are a group of enzymes in the human body that manifest themselves in various medical conditions like acne, eczema, dermatitis and skin ageing. This key innovation has the ability to degrade MMPs, reducing the damaging effect of these enzymes on tissues and in turn, stabilising and rebooting skin’s metabolism. This then enables—and empowers—better skin recovery and self-regeneration from the inside out, with results including a visible reduction of acne, acne scarring, fine lines and rosacea; a boosted healing process of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation; and improvement in texture and tone for a smoother, tighter mien.

Following this pain-free, non-invasive step is a mask tailored to your specific skin needs, and mine was a soothing, rehydrating concoction that instantly calmed and brightened my complexion from the moment it was lifted from my face after a hard-to-resist 15-minute nap. A final slather of products later—which again, are selected based on your skin type and condition—and I was ready to head over to Papilla Haircare.

There’s only one thing I love more than a face massage—and that’s a scalp massage. Sparked by a pre-mature hair loss diagnosis in my early 20s and sustained by a love for luxurious hair washes, scalp treatments have long been my go-to mode self-care for years. At Papilla Haircare, the S.E.P Activator treatment combines the best of both worlds: efficacy and sensoriality.

Scalpelectroporation, or S.E.P for short, is an FDA-approved breakthrough alternative to injections. It is the world’s only needle-free procedure that allows the transdermal delivery of cell-conditioning formulas applied topically onto the scalp, using varying low electrical pulses that create non-damaging channels within the skin tissues. This non-surgical, non-invasive treatment is proven to improve serum absorption by 17 times, thus enhancing the efficacy of such nutrient-packed stimulants. These are selected based on your scalp environment and hair growth conditions, and include everything from follicle-repairing salmon PDRN and nourishing botanical extracts, to a cocktail of vitamins, amino acids, hyaluronic acid and collagen. All in all, this treatment helps improve the DNA synthesis and cellular repair to stimulate overall hair growth and rejuvenation.

Of course, this non-ablative, zero-downtime treatment begins with a deep cleansing—and toe-curling—hair wash and scalp massage, and culminates with a beautiful blow-out so you leave the spa not only feeling refreshed and deeply rejuvenated, but looking healthy and luscious as well.

Illumia Therapeutics, Illumia Medical and Papilla Haircare | 112 East Coast Road, #03-05/06/07 i12 Katong, Singapore 428802 | +65 6518 4545 | info@illumiatherapeutics.com

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