Plain-language explanations of the terms used in aesthetic medicine — what they mean, and where they apply. Compiled by IN Eternity Clinic, Orchard Road, Singapore.
These are the terms patients most often encounter when researching treatments. Each is defined plainly, with a link to the relevant treatment page where one exists.
Focused ultrasound energy delivered to deeper layers of the skin, including the SMAS layer, to stimulate collagen and firm tissue without surgery. View treatment →
Energy that heats the deeper layers of the skin to stimulate the body's own collagen, used for firming and tightening on the face and body. View treatment →
A treatment combining fine needles with radiofrequency energy, delivering heat into the dermis to remodel scar tissue and firm skin. View treatment →
A technique that releases the fibrous bands tethering a depressed scar to the tissue beneath, allowing the scar to lift. View treatment →
Narrow, deep acne scars that extend into the dermis like a small puncture. Because they are deep and narrow, they respond to depth-focused techniques. View treatment →
Acne scars with sharply defined, vertical walls and a flat base, giving a box-like depression in the skin. View treatment →
Broad, shallow acne scars with sloping edges that give the skin an undulating appearance, usually caused by tethering beneath the surface. View treatment →
A laser that removes the outer layers of skin to prompt renewal. Generally involves more recovery than non-ablative approaches.
A laser that heats the deeper skin to stimulate collagen while leaving the surface largely intact, generally with less recovery.
A laser that treats the skin in tiny columns rather than the whole surface, leaving untreated skin between to support healing.
The process by which a treatment prompts the skin to produce new collagen, the protein that gives skin its firmness and structure. View treatment →
An injectable gel used to restore volume or contour. Hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers can be dissolved; non-HA fillers cannot. View treatment →
A substance naturally found in skin, also used in many dermal fillers. HA fillers can be reversed with hyaluronidase. View treatment →
An enzyme used to dissolve hyaluronic acid filler. It does not dissolve non-HA fillers such as Ellanse or Sculptra.
A filler such as poly-L-lactic acid or polycaprolactone that works by prompting collagen rather than adding volume directly. These are not reversed by hyaluronidase. View treatment →
An over-filled, rounded appearance that can develop when too much filler is placed over time, blunting natural facial contours. View treatment →
Looseness or reduced firmness of the skin, caused by the natural decline of collagen and elastin with age. View treatment →
Sagging soft tissue along the lower face and jawline that blurs the jaw's definition. View treatment →
The lines running from the sides of the nose to the corners of the mouth, which deepen with volume loss and descent of the mid-face. View treatment →
The superficial musculoaponeurotic system — a deeper layer of connective tissue in the face that surgical facelifts reposition and some energy treatments target. View treatment →
Surgical eyelid correction. Some energy-based lifting treatments are used as a non-surgical alternative where suitable. View treatment →
A procedure using inserted sutures to reposition facial tissue. A threadless approach achieves lift through stimulated tissue tightening instead. View treatment →
A pigmentation condition causing brown or grey-brown patches, commonly on the face, often influenced by hormones and sun exposure.
Darkening of the skin after inflammation such as acne, more common in darker skin tones. View treatment →
Lingering redness after acne, caused by dilated blood vessels rather than pigment. View treatment →
Separation of the abdominal muscles, commonly after pregnancy. This is a muscular issue and differs from loose skin. View treatment →
Non-surgical treatments that refine body shape and firm skin, distinct from weight loss. View treatment →
Reduced firmness of the vaginal tissues, which some women notice after childbirth or with age. View treatment →
A doctor recognised by device manufacturers for expertise, who trains other physicians and speaks on the use of their platforms. View treatment →
Subcutaneous fat beneath the chin, one of several causes of a double chin — distinct from skin laxity or a recessed chin. View treatment →
A yeast-driven follicular eruption that resembles acne but is not acne, and does not respond to conventional acne therapy. View treatment →
Book a consultation at IN Eternity Clinic on Orchard Road, within reach of Somerset, Newton and the Central town area.
WhatsApp +65 8815 3008 →