Dr Jessie Lim, Aesthetic Physician, Kaiteki Medispa

Dr Jessie Lim – Kaiteki

In this interview, Dr Jessie Lim from Kaiteki Medical Spa shares her top skincare tips and tells why it’s so important to only do treatments with medically certified professionals.

What do you do and how did you get into the industry?

Hello! I am a Ministry of Health board-certified Aesthetic Physician. My name is Dr Jessie Lim, MD (UPM), AAAM (USA), LCP (MOH), MAC. Before I got into the aesthetic medicine industry, I was with the Hand, Plastic & Microsurgery team in Hospital Selayang. On a daily basis, I dealt with trauma cases where unfortunate patients lost their limbs and left deep scars. Scars, they do not only leave a defect on our physical appearance, but they also leave a mental wound carried around for the rest of your life. I spent time searching for ways to help improve scarred wounds and throughout the journey, I found my new passion for aesthetic medicine.

Why aesthetic medicine?

I believe in the saying, “Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” What’s better than making a living while doing what I love at the same time? The other reason I stepped into aesthetic medicine was that it’s still pretty taboo or frowned upon among Malaysians to undergo plastic surgery. Minimally invasive aesthetic procedures bridge the gap for people who want to look better yet are not ready to go under the knife.

What’s the best/ worst part of your job?

My best days are when my patients walk out of my clinic looking more confident about themselves. Little do they know, their smiles on their faces absolutely make my day. The worst days can be worrying when we doctors see some of the public getting aesthetic procedures done by beauticians in hotel rooms. I have seen a handful of botched treatments with complications that cannot be reversed or treated. It is sad to see people get unregistered products injected into their faces by unqualified practitioners.

What’s one of the craziest things you’ve seen behind the scenes?

I wouldn’t call it craziest but there are emotional days when we have crying patients coming in to seek advise from botched jobs by beauticians. I have once seen a patient with necrosis (blackish patch) on the nose after getting a questionable ‘liquid nose job’ in a hotel room. It was definitely challenging calming an emotional young girl down at the same time trying to treat the complication. It took us two weeks of seeing her daily in the clinic to correct the defect.

What’s the most popular treatment in your clinic?

It has to be our Signature Facial Laser. This 2-in 1 treatment involves our customer’s favourite HydroGlow medifacial and the ProYellow brightening laser treatment. It is painless and there is no downtime. The treatment improves skin tone and texture, at the same time stimulates collagen & elastin production in the skin.

What treatment do you think gets the best results for money?

For the skin, I’d suggest skin boosters. They’re usually reasonably priced. Most of the times, certain luxurious skincare products might cost even more. With skin booster microinjections, the ingredients are placed directly into the skin via microneedles. If one has got dry, ageing skin that doesn’t seem to be getting better with skincare, skin boosters can be considered for long-lasting skin hydration.
For feature enhancement, it has to be dermal fillers. In the right hands, dermal filler does wonders.

A day in the life of Dr Jessie Lim is…

Having a good time with my patients and team. After work, I go home to a supportive husband and spend quality time together, sometimes over Netflix, occasionally with wine.

The perfect day off would be…

Chilling somewhere at a café with cakes on one hand and champagne on the other. *winks*

What do you do for fun?

I cook and paint. At work, I paint faces with syringes. At home, I enjoy painting calligraphy when I have the luxury of time. Shopping is fun too, not to forget. *grins*

What’s something you’d like people to know about Kaiteki?

Our services. Kaiteki practices omotenashi that translates into detail-oriented Japanese hospitality and whole-hearted customer service. Kaiteki means physically comfortable. It is our topmost priority to make our patients feel comfortable throughout the experience.

What are your top three skincare tips?

SPF, SPF and SPF. Your skin will thank you later. =)
Also, choose the right skincare based on your skin type and hydrate adequately.

Who does your aesthetic treatments? Do you do them on yourself?

Of course, I do! *laughs* A little botox and injectables don’t hurt. Most people mistake me for being younger than I am and ask what is my secret. My immediate response will always be ‘Good maintenance and injectables.’

What’s your view on the aesthetic medical industry in Malaysia?

It has certainly matured over the years. With more clinics sprouting across Malaysia, aesthetic treatments are definitely much more accessible (and acceptable) to the public now.

Where do you see the aesthetic medicine industry headed in Malaysia?

More advanced. With more bespoke machines and technologies, we will be able to achieve greater heights and provide better results for patients in the future.

What’s in store for you in the upcoming months?

My focus will be setting up more clinics and medical spas that provide cutting edge technologies and doctor’s professional skills for skin and body treatments, without compromising on the customer service. We will also be conducting more educational talks in updating the public on skin health awareness. We welcome anyone who loves to find out more about skin and aesthetic services to drop by for a free consultation anytime.

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