Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and so is the beauty business’s success. For over a decade, Dermaster has thrived as the top choice in Thailand for beauty and aesthetic services, commanding an enviable base of customers that includes A-list celebrities and royal personages from around the world. Back when industrial-style clinics based in shopping malls were the norm, Dermaster’s founder envisioned aiming for a more exclusive market by offering high-end, stand-alone beauty clinics set in relaxing, luxurious surroundings.

From the first branch in Ekkamai, Dermaster has gone from success to success, opening four more clinics in Bangkok’s prime areas of Chidlom, Sathorn, Asoke-Rama 9, and CDC. This year, the institute is taking a big step with its Ratchaphruek boutique hospital, set to open next year. This top-notch facility is being designed to be a true game changer in the wellness sector. Its services will be full-scale and world-class, which should soon result in an accreditation by the Joint Commission International (JCI), whose standards for patient safety and quality of care are internationally recognised.

“Opening a specialised beauty hospital has been our aspiration for a long time,” says Nicha “Mint” Lojanagosin, Dermaster’s Managing Director. “The dream came true with the 2,000-square-metre Ratchaphruek hospital, where we can – from the start – design everything to be state-of-the-art, both in terms of technology and customer experience.”

Mint has worked alongside her elder cousin, Teepakorn Lojanagosin, CEO of Dermaster, from the onset. A graduate of Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Commerce, Mint started off in marketing then worked her way up. Currently, she oversees all operations.

She’s also set a grand goal with the Ratchaphruek branch. With an investment to the tune of hundreds of millions of Baht, she’s keen to pin the boutique hospital on the global map of aesthetic solutions. Dermaster should be regarded as the go-to name and destination for people seeking top-end beauty or anti-ageing treatments, just as Thailand is one of the world’s great medical hubs.

So, why did she select the outlying and more residential Ratchaphruek area, when the other Dermaster branches are in the central business areas of Bangkok, such as Ekkamai, Chidlom and Sathorn? “We view the fast-growing Ratchaphruek district as the new capital of Thonburi (west side of Bangkok), which is the largest residential community area with this high-end demographic. It’s an area that has high purchasing power.”

The young executive adds that the health and beauty industry, which reportedly generated about 15 billion Baht last year, is intensely competitive with hundreds of new players, including well-established hospitals, coming in for a share each year. Through it all, Dermaster has stayed strong. According to Mint, the institute’s core strengths, which set it apart from other beauty clinics in the country, are that it is both service- and result-oriented.

The institute’s five medical centres – plastic surgery, skin-lasering, body sculpting hair restoration and replantation, and anti-aging – cover all these needs in a single stop. Dermaster’s doctors are not just skin doctors, but certified specialists with vast experience in the field.

“Our doctors observe a very high ethical standard,” Mint points out. “They will not provide a treatment if it’s not safe and suitable, or if it doesn’t make anything better. The level of expertise and care that we maintain is what makes a difference in the customer’s experience.”

She shares that Dermaster has come this far because it strives to uphold these high standards; being honest, with customers thus earning their trust and returning. “It’s not just the doctors or technologies that we take pains to select, but also every single product. Not every silicone or botox brand can enter our institute. We choose only the best, like Motive Joy, which is available at only 19 clinics in the country.”

Dermaster takes utmost care with each customer’s experience and privacy. Clients can rest assured that their visits will always be comfortable and confidential. And while corrective surgeries, including breast augmentation, body contouring and nose surgery remain most popular at Dermaster, the next frontier for the beauty and wellness business lies in gene-based, preventive technology.

“The latest thing we are watching is NAD-boosting (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, also known as NAD+) which, according to studies, can reduce the shortening of telomeres or telomere dysfunction that in turn slows down the ageing process,” she reveals.

Having been in the business for more than 10 years, Mint has noticed how so-called beauty standards have gradually changed, and the evolution gives her a thrill.

“Gone is the stereotype that women must only look like this or that to be considered beautiful. Nowadays, diversity is beauty. We don’t need to have the same nose shape, lips, or body type. Everyone can be beautiful in their own way.”

What keeps Mint going is the joy of seeing how her dedication – and the hard work of the team at Dermaster – can make someone’s life better. “There are people who have come to us with problems – for example, women whose bodies completely changed after childbirth, and who thus lost their self-esteem. It pleases me to see them happy again, to know that we are part of the process that restores confidence and self-respect.”

Beauty products and technologies are moving in the same direction, and the latest trends point towards the preference for natural beauty; for technologies that enable cosmetic enhancement to make people feel as natural as possible. “I’m excited because the change corresponds to our philosophy, that people can be beautiful in many different ways. Our mission is to help you become the best version of yourself. As our slogan says: Discover Your True Beauty.”

Mint also notes that her customer profile has diversified as well, from mostly women to now including about 10-15 percent male clients. “I believe that change in social norms and prevalent social media posting prompted men to feel they need to take care of their appearance. For now, botox, fillers, facials, hair restoration, and body contouring are the most popular services for male clients.”