Bench Skin Expert: Lipo without fear, beauty fixes without tears

Filipino global brand Bench takes the lifestyle concept a notch higher with the launch of Bench Skin Expert, their line of premier face and body centers. Together with Fix Salon, the two form a formidable duo in the Bench beauty brand category, both powerhouse concepts that are sure to set the standard for holistic beauty in the local aesthetic industry.

Developed under the leadership of Bryan Lim, vice president for business development of Bench, the Bench Skin Expert brand has a crystal-clear mission — to provide high quality, fair prices for full value, non-invasive, non-surgical alternatives to beauty and dermatologic treatments for the mid market. While there is no shortage of aesthetic salons and spas, none have the backing of a trendsetting, highly innovative, successful and reputable brand for 26 years like Bench. 

At Bench Skin Expert certified dermatologists are always on hand to give expert advice to each and every client; they are assisted by select and highly trained aestheticians that all have medical backgrounds. Careful to reinforce the highly regarded reputation of the Bench brand, the Bench Skin Expert teams treat every client with care.

Following in his uncle’s footsteps: Bryan Lim, vice president for business development of Bench and nephew of Ben Chan, is responsible for the creation of Bench Skin Expert.

“We make sure to ask each client if they have any existing medical condition; we are very honest about setting realistic goals and schedule treatments according to the medical protocol established by the international dermatologic society,” explains Dr. Melissa Reyes-Zosa, in-house dermatologist at the Bench Skin Expert-Glorietta 4 branch. “We do not espouse multiple body treatments all at once even if the clients insist.”

To a potential client, multiple and frequent body treatments may mean better efficacy and quicker results, but according to Dra. Reyes-Zosa, that isn’t necessarily so. “For example we have a body treatment that reduces the appearance of cellulite and the amount of fat that requires the use of ultrasound; since our bodies are capable of taking only 45 minutes of ultrasound per week, we do not recommend having this treatment more than once per week,” she tells me. “We encourage clients to have a one-time trial treatment as a safeguard and ask them to return to the center at a later date to evaluate the initial result and devise a treatment plan. We create a patient chart, take measurements and photos before the treatment plan begins and we review this as we progress. Each patient responds to treatments differently so we remind clients that it is always best to incorporate exercise and diet with the treatment to achieve optimum results,” she adds.

This piece of critical information is good to know because sometimes, in the interest of a quick fix, women can go overboard, make rash decisions and spend money on treatments they don’t necessarily need.

Bench Skin Expert uses only botanical products made in Europe and the United States for their impressive roster of personal care and beauty services. In the Philippines, Bench Skin Expert exclusively carries the Advance Dermal Method (ADM) from France. They are also the only face and body care center to have the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved slimming machine Perfect Contour, which has a completely safe cavitation and lymphatic drainage system to treat localized fat deposits and cellulite for maximum body sculpting and dramatic results.

So what are the other “crown jewel” treatments at Bench Skin Expert? There is the Maxi Sculpt technology — another must-try, I was told — if getting rid of pesky fat and cellulite is your concern. It uses a combination of focused TriLipo Radiofrequency (RF) technology and Tri-Lipo Dynamic Muscle Activation (DMA) for body sculpting and facial contouring, plus the reduction of stretch marks and tightening of the skin.

Then there is the DuoLift Intraceutical Facial Therapy, which uses ultrasound and luminology together to induce cellular regeneration, collagen and muscle stimulation for younger-looking skin. SpotOut is a de-pigmentation mask that removes blemishes and dark spots and evens out skin tone. The Infralight Hair Removal is the latest in painless depilatory treatment that makes use of Advance Fluorescent Technology (AFT), a new-generation IPL to eradicate unwanted hair. This particular AFT technology is exciting because it removes any possibility of burning and can get the job done in the least number of treatments as compared to those currently available in the market.

Bench Skin Expert also carries injectables and infusion treatments, from flattening raised scars (keloids) to smoothening out unwanted wrinkles and folds around the mouth, nose and forehead. They also have sclerotherapy to improve the appearance of unsightly varicose veins.

If pampering and maintenance is what you are looking for, Bench Skin Expert has a yummy menu of facials, masks and peels to choose from, and men are most welcome to get their fill.

I asked Dr. Reyes-Zosa if they would ever consider providing surgical treatments and her answer was no. “We want to keep our focus on non-surgical beauty solutions; we are even developing our own clinical line of products,” she shared.

Bench Skin Expert is clearly worth the visit; the dermatologists and aestheticians were all very courteous and professional, with welcoming smiles that helped quell any trepidation on my part. I love that the center is awash in white with touches of baby blue and chocolate brown — the immaculate interiors brought an immediate sense of calm and relaxation to my mind and body. The treatment rooms were spacious, minimalist and luxurious all at once, spotless and very clean. There was no sense of being rushed or business-as-usual around me; rather I had a tingling feeling of expectation knowing I was in great hands and in for a satisfying treat.

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Bench Skin Expert is located on the second floor of Glorietta 4, Ayala Center, Makati City, beside Ascott, The Residences. For more information on their services, call (02) 625-0012 to 13 or e-mail glorietta@benchskinexpert.com. Visit their website at www.benchskinexpert.com, follow them via Facebook or Twitter at benchskinexpert.