![Official] Smart Skin Clinic｜Aesthetic Dermatology Group (Jimbocho, Yokohama)](https://smartskin-clinic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Smart-skin-clinic-ロゴ500-×-100-px.png)
To those concerned about "Smart Skin Clinic being suspicious": Reasons for affordability and our commitment to medical safety [Official]
This is Smart Skin Clinic.
Thank you for visiting our website among the many aesthetic clinics available.
If you're reading this page right now, you may have typed "Smart Skin Clinic suspicious" into Google and arrived here feeling uneasy.
When you looked at our price list, you may have wondered, "It's clearly cheaper than the going rate—is that really okay?"
Being wary and thinking "you get what you pay for—won't this end badly?" is, in a sense, only natural.
Since you are entrusting your precious face and body to a medical institution, being cautious is by no means wrong.
If anything, we see it as proof that you are taking yourself seriously.
The very fact that the word "suspicious" appears as a search suggestion is something we, as a medical institution, must take to heart.
That is precisely why, instead of making excuses,"Why can we offer this at this price?"and "How do we protect the quality of our care?"—on these points we would like to share our clinic's official position openly and honestly.
This will be a somewhat lengthy read, but we would be grateful if it helps you understand our philosophy and the way we work.
To begin: that "sense of unease" is not mistaken
The first thing we want to say is that the instinct you felt—"too cheap means suspicious"—is a very sound protective instinct given the current state of the aesthetic medicine industry.
Unfortunately, in the world of aesthetic medicine, there are more than a few cases of "low entry-level prices, but being pushed into an expensive contract once you visit" or "less effective products being used on the cheaper plans." If you have come across such information, it's understandable to look at our prices and suspect "there must be a catch."
However, let us assure you of this one thing: there is a logical "reason" behind all of our affordability. We absolutely do not dilute products, lower the quality of our physicians, or engage in improper cost-cutting.
We achieve fair pricing by thoroughly reviewing and cutting "costs that have nothing to do with our patients' beauty." Let us explain the three specific reasons.
Why is it cheap enough to seem "suspicious"? The three costs our clinic has cut
The reason our clinic can keep costs lower than typical major aesthetic clinics is that we have cut the following three "operating costs."
Reason 1: Because physicians conduct examinations directly, we have no dedicated sales "counselors."
This is the biggest difference between our clinic and others, and the greatest reason for our affordability.
Many aesthetic clinics employ a large number of staff in a role called "counselor" (or concierge), separate from the physicians.
While this is an important role in attentively listening to patients, it is also not uncommon for that role, given the clinic's business structure, to become "securing contracts (sales)."
When counselors have sales quotas and earn incentives (commissions) based on revenue, those labor costs inevitably get added on to the treatment fees that patients pay.
Our clinic does not have this "counselor" role. Examination, assessment of your skin condition, treatment recommendations, and explanation of risks—all of these, from the very start,are carried out directly by a physician.
By not employing "dedicated sales staff," we can significantly reduce labor costs. We pass those savings directly back to you in our treatment prices.
We also believe that by having the physician speak with you directly, we can simply convey only recommendations grounded in medical evidence, not sales talk.
Reason 2: Our policy is to avoid high advertising costs and pass the savings back into our treatment prices.
Aesthetic clinic commercials that play when you turn on the TV, ads hanging in trains, huge street billboards, PR campaigns featuring celebrities.
These are effective for raising a clinic's profile, but they cost an enormous amount—hundreds of millions to billions of yen a year. And ultimately, recovering that advertising spend comes down to the treatment fees of the patients who visit.
We asked ourselves: "Do patients want to shoulder high advertising costs? Or do they want to receive treatment at prices that are easy to keep coming back to?"
The answer was clear. Our clinic does not run any flashy advertising in the mass media.
Thankfully, more and more people now find us through web searches, social media, and word of mouth from patients who have actually received treatment here. Because we don't spend money on advertising, we keep prices down and pass the savings back to you.
This is our clinic's basic stance.
Reason 3: We keep the interior to the bare minimum simplicity appropriate for a "medical facility."
When you visit our clinic, you may be surprised by how simple the interior is. There are no lavish chandeliers, marble floors, or fittings like those of a luxury hotel.
As for location, too, rather than prime spots in Omotesando or Ginza where rents are extremely high, we chose "Jimbocho" and "Yokohama," which offer a good balance between accessibility and reasonable rent.
"Enjoying a princess-like feeling in an extraordinary, luxurious space" is also one of the lovely experiences of aesthetic medicine.
However, the value our clinic wants to provide is not the "space" but the "treatment results." If we have the means to pay interior contractors and high rent, we would rather reflect that in our prices and create an environment where patients can keep coming back over the long term without financial strain.
We take thorough care over cleanliness and safety, but there are no "Instagrammable" touches. We would be grateful if you understood that we put that money into the substance (the treatments) instead.
Proof that it isn't "cheap and nasty." The "transparency" we uphold to protect quality
Even if you understand our reasons for cutting costs, you may still feel uneasy, wondering, "Aren't they skimping on the all-important products?" or "Aren't they diluting them?" With injection treatments in particular, it's only natural to have such doubts precisely because so much is out of sight.
As a medical institution, we make no compromises whatsoever when it comes to "safety" and "transparency."
So that everyone can receive treatment with peace of mind, our clinic strictly upholds the following as rules.
Immediately before treatment, we always open the "unopened product" right in front of the patient.
Saying "we use the real thing" is easy. But we want to prove it through our actions.
At our clinic, as a rule, after the patient is lying on the bed, the attending nurse or physician brings over the "unopened box (or bottle, or bag)."
And we carry out the following steps every single time.
- Checking the actual item: We show you the package and have you visually confirm the product name and that it is unopened (brand new).
- Opening it in front of you: We break the seal right there.
- Showing the preparation:It may be a little hard to see from the treatment table, but you are welcome to let the physician or nurse know and have a look.
This is a step that takes extra time and effort in terms of clinical operations.
However,A state in which there is no way to misrepresent "what" is being used and "how much"We believe that showing you this directly leads to your peace of mind. "Opening a brand-new product right before your eyes." We consider this the ultimate proof of quality.
We use only genuine products and never compromise on the quality of our care.
We never use parallel imports of unknown origin or copycat products whose safety has not been confirmed, simply because they are cheaper.
All of the products used at our clinic are genuine.
For Botox, for example, we use only products with medical evidence and a proven track record, such as Allergan's "Botox Vista," approved by Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, and "Botulax," approved by South Korea's KFDA.
Using "cheap, substandard products" to turn a profit is something our ethics as a medical institution will not allow. We promise you that the source of our affordability lies solely in "reducing operating costs," never in "reducing the quality of our care."
To be a "smart" clinic: our efforts not to take up your time
Our name, "Smart Skin Clinic," carries not only the meaning of a wise (Smart) choice, but also that of being efficient and waste-free (Smart).
This is because, for busy people today, we believe "time" is also a valuable cost.
Waiting time is about 10 minutes at most. We operate fully by appointment for a smooth experience.
Have you ever had the experience of being kept waiting for over 30 minutes in the waiting room despite having an appointment?
So as not to waste your valuable time, our clinic operates on an appointment-only basis.
Through our proprietary appointment-management system and in-house operations,any wait during your visit is about 10 minutes at most,and our entire staff works to keep it that way.
We recommend only the treatments you need. We do not engage in pushy upselling.
As mentioned earlier, our clinic does not have counselors with sales quotas. This is also an environment in which physicians can make only "medically sound judgments."
We do not engage in any sales maneuvering for the sake of revenue—such as "sign up today and it'll be cheaper" or "a higher-priced plan would be better"—nor do we keep you for long periods.
We examine your skin condition and recommend treatments if they are needed; if they are not, we honestly tell you, "You don't need this in your current condition." We believe that what should exist between physician and patient is not sales talk, but only a fair and honest diagnosis.
In conclusion: on those our clinic's approach "suits" and those it "does not"
Thank you for reading this far. We hope you now have at least some understanding of our way of thinking and the reasons behind our affordability.
Finally, to prevent any mismatch after you visit, there is something we would like to share honestly.
Because our clinic pursues "efficiency" and "fair pricing," we may not be the ideal clinic for everyone.
For those who value the balance between quality and price, this is the ideal choice
- Those who feel it is not reasonable to pay for "advertising costs" or "interior costs."
- Those who want only "product quality" and "physician skill" at a fair price.
- Those who want to see the "opening in front of you" with their own eyes and receive treatment without any doubts.
- Those who want to fit in a quick, efficient visit between a busy job and household chores.
- Those who find it hard to turn down sales pitches and prefer to decide at their own pace.
If any of the above applies to you, we are confident that our clinic can be the "smartest choice" for you.
Finally: from the physicians to you
If this piece has eased even a little of the anxiety of those who searched "Smart Skin Clinic suspicious," and made you think "Maybe I'll give this place a try," nothing would make us happier.
What we offer is not some magical, special treatment. Under "reliable products,", in response to"responsible diagnosis by physicians,"andwe provide it at a "fair price." That's all—we simply do, thoroughly, what is only natural for a medical institution.
We are by no means a lavish clinic, but we take pride in sincerely addressing your skin concerns and providing honest care.
If you'd like, please come in for a free consultation and see the actual atmosphere of our clinic and the physicians' manner for yourself.
All of us, physicians and staff alike, sincerely look forward to welcoming you.
Smart Skin Clinic
