Special Feature

Skin-deep

KAYA Skin Clinic is a medi-spa; a dermato-clinic with a spa like ambience that helps you relax while providing professional medical solution to skin problems. The Kaya Clinic takes a scientific approach to beauty.

While at first glance, one might mistake it for just another premium beauty salon, in reality, it is much more. Dr. Piyali Mukherjee, AMC, Kaya Clinics in Kolkata explains, “In beauty salons they give the same treatments to all oily skin, but here, because we have doctors, we can determine the reason for your oily skin. Think about pigmentation. There are some 100 types, and at Kaya, we would first determine what kind, and then deal with it accordingly. Advanced beauty parlours would use a dermoscope and would be able to determine skin types, but we as doctors would know why it is dry at one spot and oily at another. We come to help with medical expertise.”

Explaining further, Mukherjee says, “When you go to Kaya we diagnose the cause for your skin problems medically and have specialised regimes and products for your skin, so there is no need to go for regular facials. One must keep in mind that we don't compete with parlours. Our services are totally different.”

Well anything, no matter how good and reliable they sound will have side effects or expected consequences as Kaya experts put it, and Mukherjee has her defense ready.

“We are not into invasive treatment so the side effects of our services, other than looking good, are very nominal. For any medical treatment, the process takes its own time to heal and the expected consequences are natural redness that are intermediary and improves within 48 hours. There is maybe a one percent chance of problem but we have experts to take care of it, and complaints are extremely rare.

“Our products are in line with internationally acclaimed brands tested on Indian/ brown skin, then all our doctors personally and medically test them. Our products are cosme-ceuticals, coupling the beauty benefits of cosmetics with the medical boons of pharmaceuticals. Kaya products are not sold over the counters but are prescribed and every client is told what is being recommended for them.” Mukherjee clarifies her point.

Kaya in Dhaka
In December 2002, after conducting extensive research, Marico identified an emerging need in the market in the form of an aspiration to look and feel good. On furthering this understanding with consumers, a more focused but still untapped need of having flawless, naturally healthy skin was identified.

The first Kaya Skin Clinic was thus launched with the single-minded objective of delivering flawless skin solutions customised to the client's skin, through the use of the latest technology available around the world customized to South Asian skin.

Bangladesh is the newest region to receive their unique and customized offering. Today, Kaya has 100 clinics and Bangladesh will be its 101st, the first clinic is being launched in Gulshan, with a soft opening starting from end December and commercial launch tentatively around 7 January, 2010. The clinic also highlights specialised local dermatologists who would be available for providing one-to-one consultation to clients.

“Sub continental skin needs are homogenous, and already we have clients coming from Bangladesh. These people come for medical services, to remove scars, dead cells, lasers for skin tightening, removal of acne scars, scar treatments, laser hair removal, and botox treatments. These are affluent people wanting to go for Kaya's premium service. Thus we decided that Dhaka is now a hotspot where Kaya can comfortably fit in,” says Suvodeep Das, Head, Marketing, Kaya Skin Clinic. Kaya provides premium services that has, as Das puts it, 'a do good and feel good factor to it.'

“People are willing to pay to look good. Kaya has a basket of services, and each one customised to special need. We are also offering a Bridal Need service, where they go for a 90-day regime to keep the 'wow factor' going even after you come back from the honey moon and are ready to meet the new family,” says Das.

The Clinic also provides exclusive services for male clients.

More about Kaya
Under the care of dermatologists and experienced skin practitioners, Kaya offers a host of services that help you to attain, preserve and protect the intrinsic beauty of your skin.

Starting with a detailed evaluation of your skin, a customized skin care program will be designed to get rid of your skin concerns such as pimples, acne, dark patches. Kaya Permanent Hair Reduction Treatment is also offered to rid clients of unwanted body hair in a painless, risk-free manner.

Other services include Kaya Bridal Services, Anti Ageing and Hair Care packages. There is also a dedicated service for men, which includes enhancement and grooming solutions as well as solutions for specific concerns.

By Raffat Binte Rashid, back from Kolkata

The personal experience

KOLKATA for a day? The offer sounded too good to resist. What red-blooded woman would pass up a chance at all that super shopping? The assignment itself was icing on a very lucrative cake. For someone who resembles a ripe red lychee, the opportunity to visit the Kaya Skin Clinic and experience their services was nothing short of a godsend. So the moment the press briefing ended, yours truly made a beeline for the clinic.

It was like walking into a spa centre. The soothing sound of falling water, the spotless cleanliness, the smiling personnel, the refreshing drink playing out the welcome note, all worked to create an atmosphere of calm that invited one to relax and talk about one's skin queries.

The formality of jotting down my history went smoothly, but there was still the dreaded doctor's check up to come. Everyone wants flawless skin; few are lucky enough to be blessed with it. Personally, just to be free of the red patches, breakouts and blemishes was a tall order. Moreover, there is something very off-putting about doctors who blame it on weight issues, and refuse to help unless there is a chance of their patient getting on a beauty pageant. Which is why Dr Piyali Mukherjee was a welcome change. With her approachable personality and motivational way of addressing the issues, it was more comfortable to open up to her and go into lengths about skin analysis and treatment regimes. For a first time patient with extensive skin issues, being able to stay calm and go through with it was a big deal.

Then it was on to the skin practitioner, Bishal, who did the actual clean-up session recommended by the doctor. As per the recommended treatment, he eschewed the glow peels and masks in favour of a clean up peel. One must keep in mind that anyone with a history of sensitive skin would be chary of new treatments, no matter how experienced the specialist is. There is always the fear that something will go wrong and lead to a breakout or worse. But Bishal, with his charming manner managed to assuage all fears as he conducted the surprisingly painless patch test, and proceeded to all the cleaning, peeling and massaging.

When the work was done, the results showed and glowed. Miracles don't come easy, but a look in the mirror, and a bone-deep contentment said that this was the beginning of the beautiful experience of finally being comfortable in one's own skin. Thus it is that this very-satisfied writer eagerly awaits the launch of the Kaya Skin Clinic in Dhaka.