S

ome people say that inner beauty is more important, but we all know real beauty also means being beautiful and attractive on the outside.

This includes having healthy glowing skin and a slim and cellulite-free body. Studies on social psychology confirm that being physically attractive can boost people’s confidence and improve their self esteem, which leads to being more successful in life.

Therefore, the beauty industry continues to flourish and finds a market anywhere in the world, as beauty treatments and products help one to feels good about oneself.

In Indonesia, the burgeoning beauty industry offers a wide range of options for all budgets and preferences from traditional to the ultra modern treatment.

For those eager to preserve their youth and beauty, spas and massage centers are there to help restore wellness of body and soul amid the hectic metropolitan life — the first step in feeling beautiful.

Massage aficionados can easily get their favorite treatment from salons or spas found in every corner
of Jakarta.

Among the favorites for many residents of the busy capital are Bale-Bale and Lely Dewi salon as well as Puri Santi Garden Spa in South Jakarta that offer good yet affordable treatment that women love.

Martha Tilaar Spa is a household name in Indonesia and among the pioneers in traditional beauty treatments. Martha Tilaar Spa outlets can be found in most major cities all over the country and abroad under the brand name Dewi Sri and Eastern Garden Spa.

For a more modern treatment, Jakarta has also witnessed a growing number of beauty and slimming centers offering various treatments for removing cellulite and stretch marks, post partum slimming and anti aging, a science that used to be a novelty that only people with high purchasing power could afford.

Jean Yip, started in Singapore 1982, and came to Jakarta few years ago and has so far achieved success among its women clientele.

The center offers slimming and body care treatments that help women lose weight in a fast and safe way: Therma tight to rejuvenate skin, and laser treatment to remove unwanted body hair. Its face and beauty care treatment helps customers get rid of acne scars through roller skin therapy and oxygen treatment rejuvenation.

Skin center Erha Clinic has benefited from the increasing interest in skin treatment in Indonesia although it could be the other way around — Erha has set the trend.

Erha opened its first outlet in West Jakarta in 1999 and has grown into one of the most trusted beauty centers for many as it provides good and affordable treatment.

Erha’s branch in Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta is the biggest skin care clinic in Asia.

Customers, ranging from children to seniors, can enjoy general treatment for skin rejuvenation, acne and hair problems to more complicated procedures such as plastic surgery.

Indonesians also like to seek beauty advice and treatment from overseas, mainly Singapore, which is well known for its advanced modern treatment including plastic surgery.

It is not uncommon for people to travel to Singapore for medical purposes including beauty treatments at major beauty centers, such as slimming procedures, plastic surgery and varicose treatment.

While we often hear that beauty is only skin deep, these days it goes deeper thanks to the advances in varicose veins treatment.

More importantly, people with varicose veins problems can now expect treatment that is less painful and even without surgery.

Singapore is a country well known for advanced vascular surgery and many Indonesians go there for varicose vein surgery. One of the renowned hospitals, Pacific Healthcare Singapore Ltd. offers a new minimally invasive procedure which offers a shorter downtime and a less painful post-surgery experience though the VNUS Closure procedure which uses radio frequency and gives patients less discomfort and a shorter recovery time.

Dr. John Tan who conducts the treatment explained the new Vnus Closure procedure is a modification of endovenus laser (EVL) treatment that has a track record of at least 10 years. Both procedures use ultrasound and involve inserting a small tube (catheter) into the vein though a small opening in the skin.

The EVL treatment uses a fine laser wire to fire laser pulses through the catheter.

While the EVL treatment only uses the tip of the catheter to burn and close the vein, the Vnus Closure procedure uses the catheter to deliver radio frequency heat to the vein wall, which effectively shrinks and seals the vein.

Dr. Tan said that patients who went through the new procedure experienced less pain, bruising and tenderness than those who went through the old procedure.

In this modern age it seems that beauty treatments do not always have to be painful, but they surely come at a price.