Connections Over Cash

Most people don’t visit an aesthetic specialist for therapeutic procedures; however, Dr. David Yew, M.D. is not your average aesthetic specialist. Before every botox treatment, Dr. Yew conducts a meditation with his clients to get to know them and connect with them on a deeper level. His artistic, spiritual sensitivity to others is what’s helped him maintain his longevity with his clients, both in their looks and in their loyal return. “A few years ago, I had a realization,” said Dr. Yew and owner of Aesthetics Hawaii. “Everything I ever wanted came true and yet I was miserable, living a selfish life. God brought me humility, and having children changed my life. That’s when my focus shifted from being a business to being a faith-based practice that serves others.”

In 2010, Dr. Yew had maximized his business’s profits, seeing several clients per hour, all of whom were prepped by his assistants. He performed quick and efficient 15-20 minute procedures, spending very little time to get to know his clients. Now, after what he says was a divine call to the Golden Rule, Dr. Yew spends a minimum of an hour with each client, truly taking the time to get to know each person.

Cello, classical piano music, and metronome tempos play during Dr. Yew’s sessions to ease his clients’ minds and bodies and relax their muscles into receiving treatment. By pacing his pokes to the cadence of the music, Dr. Yew ensures that the body anticipates injection and has less resistance, resulting in less bruising and pain. He also gives his clients control of the timing for needle pokes by giving them a squeeze ball to hold and release—the release signals to him that it’s okay to go ahead and poke a needle into their facial tissues. This patience with his clients allows him to gain their trust, talk with them, and have them open up to him, building a relationship that a quick session would never allow. “I get the most joy from hearing their story at some point. The vast majority of people come to me at a time of death or renewal—they are seperated, started dating again, have a new job, or have experienced a loss.” Compassionate to the vulnerability of his clients, Dr. Yew donates to charities throughout the islands to help foster a counterculture mindset that will hopefully help clients feel good about themselves on the inside, so they feel less need to change so much on the outside.

Putting on a costume genie hat and glasses, Dr. Yew humors me while continuing our online Zoom interview. “Aging is not a bad thing. Aging is the only option and it’s a privilege,” he notes. “No one is perfect, no one has both eyebrows shaped exactly the same. In fact, when we try to make both sides of our face look exactly the same, we don’t look human—we look robotic.” Dr. Yew hopes to heal his clients’ self-esteem by helping them accept aging and imperfection. He chooses clients who understand his long-term blueprints of minimal layering, instead of wanting that short-term fix.

Dr. Yew tries out all of his products with a watch period before he suggests them to his clients. Ninety percent of the modalities he’s tested have failed his standards, and he only suggests a very small percentage of the treatments he tries. “I need to be the patient’s advocate so I can be honest with them,” says the self-proclaimed medical guinea pig. His outstanding moral quality attracts high-end clients from around the world who fly him monthly to Dubai, Tel Aviv, Singapore, Seoul, Tokyo, New York, and Sydney.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Yew and his staff have implemented the use of proper face masks, hospital-grade sanitizers, UV disinfectant lights, flexiglass barriers, and temperature checks upon entry. While he has not been flying during the past few months, he has been booked further out than normal. The close friendships he’s developed with people from around the world is what he’s missed most due to the restrictions put in place from the COVID-19 pandemic; but, during this time, he’s been able to give back to youth foundations in the community with HUGS Hawaii, Drill Team Hawaii, Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children, and Compassion International.