The Truth About New York Skin Solutions (Step-by-step Facial Review + Pros and Cons) 2018
Saturday, January 20, 2018
Pollution, stress, aging - these are just some of the factors that make our skin look dull, unrefined and blemished. I'm sure most Singaporean girls include monthly facials as part of their upkeep routine and are spoilt for choice by the different beauty services on the market. Today I'm sharing my honest, unpaid opinion about my experience with New York Skin Solutions. I know there are a lot of mixed reviews out there, which prompted me to write a post detailing the behind-the-scenes of their facials. Hope this gives you some insight before you go for that initial visit or decide whether or not to purchase their package. Now, shall we begin? (Be prepared for a very detailed post...)
The Beginning: Preamble
Towards the second half of 2017, my skin was getting out of control. Not crazy, but bad enough for people to comment on. Just a backgrounder, my skin is the oily-type and comedone-prone. The blemishes don't seem apparent in photographs or at a distance - basically oil that has been trapped beneath the skin. Not only that, due to the grime accumulated in the epidermis, my face appeared dull, dark and made me seem older than I actually was.
The last straw was when my straight-talking colleague made a negative comment on my skin and suggested that I go for facials to improve it. Normally I wouldn't be fazed and but she wasn't the first to do so. Up till that point, I've never really believed in facials - I mean, beauty and health gurus always talk about better diet, exercise and hydration to a better complexion but that has never worked for my comedone-prone skin no matter how much water I drank, or fruits and veggies that I ate. She mentioned that she once went for a free facial at NYSS and would continue if not for the price. I knew I had to act, but it wasn't urgent and the exchange with my colleague was dismissed for a while...
...Until a few days later, when a lightbulb moment went off in my head as I saw an advertisement for the $28 Hydro-Collagen facial at the train station. It was a pretty interesting coincidence and it was a sign telling me to do something for my skin. The before and after photos on the display hooked me in - dull, blemished skin, and the after photos, much whiter, smoother, dewier and plumper skin.
I had my reservations - the reviews online for New York Skin Solutions were overwhelmingly bad, but for $28 as a trial price, it was pretty value-for-money. I knew I might be sold a package but if the results were good, why not? There has to be a reason why most Singaporean women have facial packages. And so I booked my first appointment in October 2017...
Initial Thoughts and Observations
The Environment: I picked the Ngee Ann City outlet located at level 5 for its ease-of-access and also because most of the online reviews said the malls in town had better service.
The Signup Process: You will be asked to fill up some forms. A consultant will do a skin analysis for you and talk you through your skin problems + what you hope to achieve + what NYSS can achieve for you.
The Treatment Rooms: Afterward, you are led to a ~1.75m*2.5m room with a bed, told to change out into a tube robe, and lie down on the towel covered flat bed.
Initial Thoughts: To be honest, I was pretty intimidated at this point - the beauticians here all have very, very good skin and made me feel a little sorry for myself in comparison. But hey, I take it as a good sign! If they spend time treating their skin with the same processes, my skin can hopefully become as radiant as well. My skin analysis was also done by the branch manager, who was a very experienced saleswoman. It was like she belonged more in a Mediacorp drama than a beauty salon.
The Actual Facial Experience: 15-step process (**very detailed**)
Just a disclaimer here that although the steps are similar, the products used for your facial are customized to you every time you arrive at New York Skin Solutions. This will be written down on your customer profile for you after every session - I look a peek and boy are they detailed! There are about 7-8 different products used (they appear as secretive serial numbers only; I'm guessing this is to keep your skin treatment process a secret for your privacy!).
Also, what you're about to read is a guesstimate (as indicated by a *) of the products used as the actual process is secret. Your eyes are mostly covered throughout the facial.
- Makeup Removal: (I usually skip this step as I don't wear makeup to my appointments.) Two pads soaked in makeup remover are applied to your eyelids, while your lipstick is removed gently. The cotton pads on your eyes are then folded under your eyelashes as the beautician uses an eyelash brush to remove your mascara. Your foundation is then removed with more cotton pads soaked in lotion.
- Cleansing Serum A*: A semi-viscous liquid is then applied to your face in circular motions. After absorption, it is patted dry with tissues.
- Cleansing Serum B*: A thinner liquid is applied to the face, neck, collarbone and upper chest area in rhythmic motions and cleansed off with towel patches. During the process, these towel patches are washed in a basin, and the water the changed several times. Neck and shoulders and also slightly massaged.
- Hot Towel - A hot towel is then applied to your neck and upper chest area while the serum is wiped off.
- Sheet Mask - Two cotton pads soaked in lotion are placed on your eyelids. A sheet mask is then applied (the properties vary depending on your skin condition on that day, but the last time I went it was a hydraulic acid mask*). An oxygen mist is then directed to your face and the mask is left on for 10 minutes.
- Massage - While the mask is still on your face, a tea tree lotion* is applied on your shoulders and upper chest. Your neck, shoulders and upper back is then massaged Swedish-style (soothing, calming strokes) for about 3 minutes. The mask is then removed.
- Eyebrow Plucking and Trimming - You will be given an option to fix your eyebrows here.
- Extraction - The most dreaded portion of all facials. For those of you that are new to facials, this is the step where the beautician extracts the gunk from your blocked pores and pimples using a variety of sanitized and single-use tools such as needles, scissors and sticks with specially-shaped heads like metal or triangular loops. Search extractions on Youtube for a better idea but basically it's as its namesake suggests - squeezing the pus out from your pores and pimples. The beautician also uses q-tips or finger pressure. Sometimes it's so painful that I ask them to skip this step halfway through, but it gets better the more you do it as your skin clears up and your are desensitized.
- Anti-inflammatory Lotion: After the painful extraction step, which can sometimes take up to 20min, a calming and anti-inflammatory lotion is applied all over your face (it doesn't sting!)
- Collagen + Ultrasound: This step has 3 parts. First, collagen is applied all over your face with a brush. Secondly, a smaller ultrasound applicator is used to massage in the lotion around your eye sockets and upper cheek areas. Third, a larger, flat ultrasound applicator is used to go over your neck, jawline and the rest of your face. This purportedly tightens the skin and gives you a slimmer V-shaped jawline. The cleansing mini-towels make a reappearance and the gel is wiped off.
- Collagen + Massage: Another layer of collagen is applied on your face with a brush while your eyes are covered with wet cotton pads. That stuff is cold! You are also given a neck, shoulder, upper back and upper chest massage again, this time focused on acupuncture points and knots in the shoulders. It's very brief though.
- Clay Mask*: This part might be a little claustrophobic for some - while your eyes are still covered with two cotton pads and your skin is damp with the collagen gel, a gauze is placed over the face. The beautician then steps out to mix a concoction of a thick, green liquid mask, which she slathers over the gauze and your neck, leaving a space for only the nostrils. It seems to be a sort of purifying clay* mask which hardens over 15 minutes as your peacefully zone out.
- Removal + Cleaning: This is the most satisfying part of the facial - the 1cm thick mask is then peeled off (it's totally hardened! In fact when it comes off it's in the shape of your face and neck). The towelettes are then soaked in water so any residue is wiped off.
- Lotion: A lotion is then applied to your face after cleaning.
- Very Brief Shoulder Massage: You are then helped back into a sitting position and your shoulders are squeezed.
- BONUS: You are then greeted at the front desk with a collagen drink and a beautician who will book your next appointment.
The Results
After my first facial there, I was convinced that my skin became plumper and whiter due to the 1.5h pampering session. There's also the fact that it was the first time my skin came into contact with the collagen and ultrasound combo, thus it was more sensitive and receiving towards them. If you're worried about the radiation from the ultrasound, don't worry as it's minimal. It's only applied at suitable intensity and for the correct period of time. There is also some debate about the merit of extractions and whether they harm your skin - expect a lot of tiny red welts where the extraction tools are used, but they go away after a night of good rest.
Pricing and Negotiation
This is another main concern - will they hard sell you? I'm not going to lie and say that there isn't an expectation after going for their trial treatment. But results are really immediate after one session as they claim (unless your skin condition is really very bad but in the end it still helps a little). I wavered as the price was really quite high and the commitment is long. In the end I negotiated a little and got the following deal:
- Trial session waived
- 20 sessions for $3,600 excluding GST + 1 free session (paid over 2 years in monthly instalments)
- 1 complimentary session for a friend or family member
- Set of New York Skin Solutions skincare products worth $388 (2 cleansers, 1 toner, 1 moisturizing cream, 1 powder)
- An additional $200 discount off the total price so I'm paying ~$177 for 23 sessions (trial+1+friend's session+20sessions)
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- New York Skin Solutions has been in the market for ~15 years and have 12 outlets island-wide. Compared to a smaller and newer establishment, you won't worry about them closing shop and running away with your money. I'm sure a lot of you have heard what happened to the Laser Clinic - you don't want that to happen after paying a few thousand dollars for a package!
- Your treatment products are all mixed to suit your skin need at that particular session and follows a plan on which item to use to treat your skin over the course of the package (this is my guess, as the beauticians will refer to your customer sheet to see which are the lotions and serums used in prior sessions so there's continuity).
- Customer service is good, depending on certain factors. The beauticians actually remember their clients and track their skin progress (albeit informally). They are also personable and good at making small talk. I was complimented on my eyebrows a few times!
Cons:
- Up-selling. The first few sessions of my package, I was allocated to this beautician who made my experience slightly stressful. She was always talking through the facials and commenting on how bad my skin was and how much this package was going to improve it. She was very pushy about asking me to pay more to upgrade my package. When I told her my budget was tight, she actually suggested that I spend less on food, eat less so I can buy more of their services. @#$%^& was that? I sharply replied to her "So you suggest that I starve?" and that was the end of the up-selling. Moral of the story: Be firm with them to communicate what you're comfortable with and what you're not.
- And more up-selling. There was a session where a "special consultant" came to offer me vouchers and high priced services, citing special anniversaries and such. However, for the past 3-4 sessions they have stopped hard-selling me and I am able to enjoy a hassle-free experience - walk in, treatment, make an appointment and walk out, without any sales pitches. No idea if the hard-selling will reappear in the future though.
- The price!!! At almost $180 a pop this is considered the middle to high range of facials out there. I rationalize by thinking this is a 15 step process and that the experience have been improving 8 times into the package so this whole purchase is a value-add to me.
Final Verdict
I started my package at the start of October 2017. It has now been 3.5 months and 8 sessions into my treatment process. My before and after photos aren't that apparent but I have received a quite few comments from my friends and family - that my skin has improved. I used to go to NYSS twice a month as my skin was so clogged, but now it has improved and most of my comedones are gone, I go every three weeks for maintenance. This coupled with a change in skincare (I've started using the Lancome Sensitive Genifique) and more diligent upkeep (weekly masks, daily mineral water face spray) and I have noticed quite a material change in my skin complexion. I'm slightly fairer and my nasolabial folds are less prominent. My comedones have also reduced by A LOT! I had small breakouts that was chalked up to my blocked lymphatic drainage system, and the tea tree lotions during the facial helped a lot. Overall it's a good experience after they stopped hardselling me (and the beautician changed to a nicer one).
Conclusion
That was a pretty long and in-depth review now was it! It's very objective as I'm not sponsored by them. I hope it was informative and it helps you in deciding whether or not to become a long term client with NYSS. As for now, I've another 1 year to go with them and still thinking about renewing. I've heard of stem cell facials and those seem to be all the rage in Taiwan and China recently so let's see how that goes. Let me know what you think in the comments below!
14 commentors
HydraFacial is a safe and an effective treatment for Men & Women you should take it if you want to improve your skin quality.
ReplyDeleteThat's entirely right!
DeleteI just went to the same treatment yesterday for a bargain of RM12 (SGD 3.95++) from Fave. The result as you say was apparent after one treatment and i signed up for 10xsessions (SGD114/sesh). Yeah its the same in Malaysia, they up-sell them hard, it grates on your nerve sometime. But hey lots of free products cater to your skin and its a full size too, and few other perks as well 😁
ReplyDeleteHi Azma! Thanks for your comment. Yes it's true but I feel after a while your skin doesn't look as fair or plump as the first session, but is this to be expected?
DeleteGood share. I don't know much about skin care stuff and I've only had a facial once. Is it good to have it on a regular basis or every once in a while?
ReplyDeleteHi Michael, yes it's actually good to do a facial every 3-4 weeks. Hope that helps!
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