SkinLab, formerly known as Blush, was started by Dr Jamuna Pai 25 years ago. As the brand celebrates its silver anniversary this year, we take a walk down memory lane with Pai at her clinic at Riverside Villas, Boat Club Road. “When I got into the profession of becoming a cosmetic physician, this whole line didn’t even exist. It was my own fondness for beauty that made me pursue it. I was one of the firsts in the country who started doing botox treatments in 2000, by importing it in small quantities. It was only in 2003 that companies started distributing it in India,” says the doctor who now caters to the third generation of clients.
“Mothers brought their daughters, who are now bringing their teenagers to the clinics. Back in the day, demands were less, as these treatments weren’t easily available here. We would hydrate the skin, do regular de-tanning and facial to make it look healthier and reflect light. Then slowly people started demanding botox in the early 2000s. Laser hair reduction also became popular and other treatments for hair fall, open pores and such by 2005. Now people want to treat everything from acne to problems caused by vitamin deficiencies, hormonal imbalances such as thyroid or polycystic ovaries, and so on,” she says, adding, “The latest generation is bolder. Clients in their mid-twenties ask for lip enhancement, non-surgical nose correction or go for treatment for broad face or facial asymmetries, or even something like tired eyes.”
Her clientele comprised only women when she started, but now about 25-30 percent is men who come in for laser hair treatments to shape their beard in a particular way, or get the hair off their back and chest permanently. “They also come in for botox nowadays, and sometimes for fillers as well. But mostly for acne scares and hair treatments,” says she.
The doctor claims that “the body is the new face” in her line of work. “We’ve got a whole body section now where we do cold sculpting which involves reducing the fat by freezing. Some Harvard boys put together this technology when they noticed that children were loosing the fat on their cheeks while sucking on popsicles. We also have something called the Em sculpt which is not exactly a fat loss treatment for the obese, but it just enhances your six pack abs, tightens your butt or works on your biceps or triceps. It is for people who are already fit and on a clean diet living a healthy lifestyle, but who want a little extra aesthetics,” she says.
Cutting edge treatments
Pai shares how they have taken the PRP treatment a few notches higher. “For PRP treatment, we would draw blood and put it in a centrifuge machine where it would separate into plasma-rich, plasma poor and other cells of blood. We would then draw the top most plasma rich section into insulin syringes and inject it all over the face or scalp to improve the quality and texture of the skin or hair. Now, we have collection tubes with growth factor concentrate and stem cells that mix with the blood and only get potent when it is put in the centrifuge machine. I tell my clients that this treatment will completely stop hairfall if done once a month for three months,” says she.
Pai then explains the phenomenon of the body sending new cells to replace damaged ones when we get hurt. “So for acne pits, we numb the area and treat it with microneedling, where we poke it with fine needles so it swells and the brain sends new cells to the area. We also use another machine for tightening. The new cells fill up the pits and repair the skin from inside,” she says.
Her clinics also use dissolvable threads for facelift procedures, which help new collagen to form in the face. She also claims to perform injection treatments to dissolve small pockets of fat that might be missed by liposuction, which works best for those who want to get rid of their double chin.
They have a lymphatic draining suit that one can wear for 20-40 minutes and notice a real reduction in the water retention in their bodies. Micro pigmentation, like a tattooing of the eyebrows, is also becoming popular.
The current craze however, seems to be photofacial. “We use a blast of light on the face after the facial for enhanced results. This has been made quite popular by Kim Kardashian and there’s a whole science to it called chromotherapy. For anti-aging we use red, acne needs blue, yellow is for skin brightening and green for pigmentation,” says Pai.
Beauty through health
Pai is aware of the obsession with fair skin and slender figures that exists not just in our country but the entire world. “I always counsel my clients on how healthy skin is most important, not the complexion. I tell them that healthy dark or dusky skin should be celebrated all over the world. Your aim should be to have healthy skin, not fair skin,” says Pai, adding, “In terms of weight, I talk to them in context of health. If they develop type 2 diabetes or other problems then their health will only roll downhill. They have to be comfortable, but not lazy or complacent about their health, or ignorant even. Women tend to write off their excess weight to events like menopause or child birth, but there might be an underlying cause that needs to be checked out.”
She adds that the time for natural remedies is long gone. With urban lifestyle that makes one battle with pollution and stress on a daily basis, you do need treatments to help you look and feel good.
There are six SkinLab clinics across Mumbai, Delhi, Pune and Bengaluru, as well as a training academy for doctors and aestheticians, with plans of expansion this year.
