This article is part of a series on aesthetic doctors. For more reviews, click here.
Famous for being the doctor to the stars, Dr Georgia Lee is also known for her botox and filler treatments. Through her fashionable instagram photos and the hours she puts into her clinic, you would think that this doctor has 48 hours in a day. The mother of two spends a substantial amount in her TLC Lifestyle Practice, but even so, to book an appointment may entail a 2 month wait.
Sitting front row with the queens of Caldecott hill
IN THE WAITING ROOM
I arrived 15 minutes before my scheduled appointment. Situated in Holland Village, TLC clinic occupies the upper floor of shop space, while DrGL loves DrSPA occupies the lower level. The cozy clinic is decked out in green, and the first thing I noticed was glass vases filled with empty vials of botox and thermage (an invasive anti-ageing treatment).
Didn't I tell you there were many botox vials?
There were a few other visitors to the clinic, so I patiently chatted with the receptionist and staff. I found out that due to Dr Lee’s popularity, the average waiting time to book an appointment is two to three months (this is despite the fact that the clinic opens from Monday to Saturday, with very long hours each time). But if you have an emergency (such as a reaction to the products or treatment), Dr Lee will see you on the day itself.
I quizzed the receptionist about the empty botox and filler vials, and she confidently told me that they are testament to the many procedures Dr Lee has done.True to form, while I was waiting for my turn, three to four other patients emerged from the rooms, and judging by their faces, they just had a jab or two.
Through the conversations, I almost forgot that I had waited in the clinic for a good hour or so.
CONSULTATION
As if she had sensed that I had waited for a long time, Dr Lee’s first remark to me was “I’m so so sorry!” with her arms wide open and an honest sad face. The first thing I noticed was how different the consultation room is from your usual sterile clinic - there were ornaments and decorations, well-intentioned cards, as well as photos of Dr Lee with her friends and family.
I sat down and began explaining what my problem was. After I was done ,Dr Lee paused, washed her hands, and began to examine my face with a magnifier.
After a while of having my face screened, Dr Lee told me that my clogged pores weren’t the main issue of my face (I gasped at this point) instead, it was the Seborrheic keratoses that I had growing all over. (Google the term at your own risk. For the wary, they are actually just extra pieces of flesh that look like milia seeds).
Despite this new piece of information, Dr Lee still gave me a very detailed five minute tutorial (with personally drawn illustrations on a whiteboard, I must add) on the formation of pimples and clogged pores, and the many different ways I could go about treating them.
TREATMENT
To treat the blackheads, Dr Lee gave me a prescription-only cream for my clogged pores which I was to apply every night. And as she still felt that Seborrheic keratoses was my main issue, she suggested that I remove them using Surgitron; a treatment that used radiofrequency currents to “burn” off the wart-like piece of flesh. She told me all about the procedure, what it would entail, and the downtime.
Game for anything, I gave it a go.
I was promptly escorted to one of the five treatment rooms in her clinic, and her staff began to apply numbing cream on the small area that Dr Lee had circled. (She wanted to try it out on a small area first, to see how I would react).
When it was time to zap those ‘warts’ off, Dr Lee was surprisingly very calm and chatty. She warmed up to me like I am a regular patient, and she was very happy to tell me all about her day and was very interested in hearing about mine. I felt quite at ease even though “electric” currents were being transferred to my face every other second.
HAPPILY EVERY AFTER
The zapping was done in less than five minutes, and I was good to go. I just had to collect the prescription medication for my clogged pores, as well as some creams to make sure my wound healed properly. I was told that the review of this procedure will be in three weeks, and in the mean time if I had any questions ━ she was just an email away!
RECOMMENDED FOR
Botox and filler treatments, if you go by the number of vials in her clinic. Or if you want a personal touch to your consultation. Dr Lee makes an effort to warm up to her patients, and connect to them on a personal level.
For patients who wish to undergo plastic surgery, Dr Lee told me that she visits doctors in Korea to observe their procedures, and the months proceeding after (to see the healing process, and the final results). And only if she is satisfied with the skill of the surgeons does she recommend them to her patients. So yes, you really get the personal touch with this doctor.
PRICE: $$$$
WAITING TIME: ⌚⌚⌚⌚⌚
To read more on our Aesthetic doctors series, click here.
Dr Georgia Lee is the founder and medical director of TLC Lifestyle clinic at 27 Lorong Liput Singapore 277738, and she has her own skincare range, DrGL, found in leading departmental stores. For more information, visit www.drgl.com and follow the brand on Facebook.