Hello everyone!
The ‘kiasu‘ mentality ingrained in the Asian culture has led us to believe that bigger is always better. But when it comes to the size of our face, we tend to favour smaller visages which, unless blessed with this desirable face shape by birth, is only be attainable with plastic surgery, right? Well, newsflash – thanks to a breakthrough discovery by Yakson House, reducing the size of your face can now simply be achieved with a massage!
Yakson Singapore
The first of its kind in Singapore, Yakson (literally meaning “mother’s hand”) is a Korean aesthetics brand that provides a unique range of natural and non-invasive aesthetic treatments with zero downtime. Established in 1979 with over 120 outlets worldwide currently, Yakson is also the coiner of the now-ubiquitous K-buzzword Golki therapy.
Golki therapy…?
Golki therapy, or bone therapy, is a method of remodelling the face and body through unique bone massage techniques to realign the bone structure (which shifts with age, bad posture and misuse) to its original, symmetrical shape. It is based on the guidelines set forth by Julius Wolff (i.e. Wolff’s law), an orthopaedic surgeon in Germany in the 19th century, who theorised that repetitive dynamic (rather than static) loads on the bone trigger remodelling (to adapt to the stress). Moreover, the facial massage promotes blood and oxygen flow, which in the long term increases collagen production and therefore lending a youthful glow.
S P E C I A L O F F E R
New customers enjoy 1-for-1 a la carte session with free consultation at all three outlets in Singapore!
This technique, however, may not be the most ideal for those looking to achieve immediate and drastic results because a minimum of 20 consecutive once-weekly sessions of the treatment is recommended for it to reach its maximum potential. That said, a slight lifting effect may still be observed in the face after a single session. As a way of measuring efficacy of the Golki therapy programmes, a plaster mask of the face is made on the first, 10th and 20th lesson of the treatment so that clients will be able to compare and see the measurable changes in their facial structure. But this service wasn’t necessary for me since my experiential treatment only lasted for one session.
Plaster mask of one of Yakson’s customers (source)
Additionally, those with low pain tolerance may also not be accustomed to the intense pressure applied to the face (at least for the first few sessions). But as the saying goes, “No pain no gain”, and if you ever decide to bite the bullet, you can rest assured that your face will be in good hands as the therapists performing the Golki therapy are native Koreans who have undergone extensive training by the founder himself at the Yakson headquarters in Seoul before they are certified to practise in Singapore.
Inside Yakson Singapore
As a testament to Yakson’s popularity, they are often fully booked across all three outlets here so fixing an appointment with them (especially on closer dates) can be a challenging process. For this reason, the House maintains a rather strict policy on punctuality in order to fulfil all scheduled appointments and ensure customer satisfaction. In case of late arrival after the 10-minute grace period (it almost happened to me because of slow traffic along the expressway 😫), the duration of the treatment would be shortened to fit into the remaining appointment time.
To prevent no-shows, a reminder SMS will also be sent one day prior to the treatment to which the customer has to reply to confirm her (sorry guys, treatments offered in Singapore are currently catered only to females only) attendance by 6pm; otherwise the appointment will automatically be cancelled. The message was condensed to 160 characters on my Conversations screen (Samsung users will understand) and had left out the do-reply instruction (which was right at the end), so I didn’t know I had to respond until a second reminder came in a few hours later 😆
With the only slot available on a weekday morning at their Harbourfront Centre outlet (the farthest from my place of residence) then, I had to drag my nocturnal self out of bed. But at the same time, I took comfort from the fact that I would likely be able to repay some of my sleep debt during the 1.5-hour treatment. Boy, how wrong I was!
Yakson (Harbourfront Centre outlet)
Yakson (Harbourfront Centre outlet)
Upon arrival at Yakson, I was ushered into a treatment room where I changed out of my outfit into the massage attire (which was quite frankly pointless because I had to be naked for the body massage anyway). Rather than having a designated area for storage like the other outlets, I noticed every room at the Harbourfront Centre outlet is installed with an electronic locker. Taking centre stage in the room was a thermal massage bed which had a clear plastic covering and was heated to a comfortable temperature enough to keep the chills away throughout the session.
Treatment room
Sandals
Massage attire
Treatment: Small Face Care
Aimed at streamlining the face for a more proportionate profile, the Small Face Care treatment promises better-defined features that will complement any hairstyle. The effects are long-term and permanent with the proper lifestyle changes and if weight is maintained (an additional course of treatment may be necessary with sudden weight changes of more than 4 kg).
Back massage
The treatment began with a quick question from the masseuse: “Do you want [to concentrate on the] front or back?” to which I hastily answered, “back” because it had a larger surface area to work on because I wanted to ease the strain from the long hours of sitting in front of the computer. With her expert hands, she massaged my upper back, arms and scalp to relieve any tension before getting me to flip over to remove my makeup.
Eye makeup removal
Eye makeup removal
Foundation removal and cleansing
Cleansing
Towel-drying
Towel-drying
End of part 1!
Once that was done, another lady speaking Korean-accented English – presumably the Golki therapist – took over her place and administered the next round of massage on my rib area and shoulders, working towards the collarbone (i.e. the most sensitive part of my body – was on the brink of laughter so I had to tell her to move on 😫) and both sides of my neck before proceeding to the highlight of this treatment – Golki therapy for a slimmer face.
Therapist takes over – upper frontal body massage
I had to turn my head in this manner on both sides
Working her magic on the temples
Squeeze those Pikachu cheeks!
Upward prodding
Double chin, be gone!
My very flexible cheeks, haha
Skilfully and carefully, the therapist vigorously kneaded into my bare skin, going back and forth five to seven times (and you know it wasn’t exactly enjoyable when I was conscious enough to count in my head, hoping to arrive at the magic number at which she would get on to the next area 😂) predominantly along my jawline and cheeks, eliciting a sense of soreness and prompting me to clench my teeth. But amidst all the upward kneading, squeezing and prodding, I could actually feel my facial structure shifting like the Earth’s tectonic plates and paving the way for a more chiseled-looking appearance (without the need for a contour kit!).
Pre-mask. My (more) prominent jawline!
The other side
Following that, a soothing sand-coloured mask (made from natural and herbal ingredients) was applied on my face and left on for a couple of minutes to cool the skin. The whole treatment then ended with a few more finishing kneads (shorter and less painful this time), and cheeks still flushed from the exertion of the massage. Despite the discomfort (and the subsequent aching sensation in my cheekbones) the treatment had brought on, it was surprising to note the tightening effect it had on my skin, and how refreshed and supple my face felt after just one session.
Mask time! The mask looks like baby food 😋
Letting the mask set (without flash)
LOL looks like my foundation colour
Finishing touches
The end! How I wish there’s Golki therapy for the eyes as well to make my teeny weeny Asian eyes appear bigger and brighter 😁
But a word of caution: even though the products used in the treatments are suitable for acne-prone and sensitive skin, as a former acne sufferer, I must warn that the constant rubbing from Golki treatment would be too harsh on moderately to severely blemished skin and may aggravate the condition. Alternatively, you may want to consider trying the skin treatments offered by Yakson.
Smaller face… or your money back!
To further boost your confidence about the treatment, money-back guarantee is also offered to customers (between 20 and 60 years old) who do not see any improvement in their facial structure. On top of that, Yakson is particularly transparent about their prices; they are fixed with no hidden costs and are made publicly available on their website (though prices reflected are before GST) to obliterate any ambiguity, thus giving customers a piece of mind knowing that there aren’t so-called preferential rates and they won’t be subjected to hard-sell tactics.
Tea is served
Yakson cares! Let them know how you felt about the treatment.
What are your thoughts about this all-new non-surgical way to achieve a slimmer face? Will you be keen to try it? Let me know what you think in the comment below!
Thanks for reading!
Yakson Singapore is located at Harbourfront Centre (1 Maritime Square Harbourfront Centre #02-17 Singapore 099253), The Star Vista (1 Vista Exchange Green #B1-24 Singapore 138617) and Wheelock Place (501 Orchard Road Wheelock Place #05-12A Singapore 238880). For more information, visit their website or like them on Facebook.
Treatment was complimentary in exchange for this review but all opinions expressed are my own.
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