By Crystal Chan

COMMUNICATIONS manager Cecilia Tan, 33, used to visit beauty salons for facials.

But since last year, Ms Tan began visiting Neuglow, an aesthetic clinic run by Healthway Medical Group, for chemical facial peels to improve her complexion.

Never mind that the peels cost $600 per session - at least six times what salons charge.

She said: "Doctors have been professionally trained, and unlike salons, there's no hard-selling or pressure to sign packages. It's a real stress-free environment."

Miss Tan is among a growing number of people flocking to aesthetic clinics to look good, doctors said. Aesthetic clinics, run by general practitioners, are commonplace these days and they are going head-to-head with beauty salons.

Popular services include laser treatment to rejuvenate facial skin, Botox jabs and hair removal.

Dr Shiau Ee Leng, medical director and founder of the ClearSK Aesthetic Centres, told The New Paper on Sunday that many of her clients were disappointed with their experiences in beauty salons.

She said: "They experienced over-claims, hard selling and hidden costs. Some customers developed skin problems such as burns or scarring due to untrained beauticians using inappropriate machines."

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