Tag: The Curator

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If there’s one thing celebrities know, it’s how to glow under the flashing lights. But what’s the secret behind their perfectly sculpted faces? Enter Karmen Lamer, founder of Toronto’s Tight Clinic, who has been on a relentless mission to bring the latest and most advanced skincare treatments to Canadians.

Lamer’s journey into the world of aesthetics wasn’t exactly conventional. She spent 15 years in the jewellery industry before a personal battle with cancer at age 30 changed everything. “I literally saw my face melting in front of me,” Lamer recalls of the toll her treatment took. Naturally, she became determined to find non-invasive solutions to reverse the effects.

A fateful encounter with an article in Vogue about Forma, a then-unheard-of treatment in Canada, led her to quit her job, invest in the celeb-adored technology and take facial appointments right from her condo. “I would fully bribe the front desk lady with bottles of wine, like, ‘Look the other way!’ There were like a thousand people coming up to my apartment every day.” Fast forward to now, and Tight Clinic is one of the most sought-after destinations for high-tech skincare in the city.

With an insatiable curiosity for global beauty innovations, Lamer scours the world—from Korea’s ultra-advanced aesthetic hubs to Japan’s skincare sanctuaries—to bring breakthrough treatments and products that celebs are loving to her clients. From NAD injections to exosomes and even salmon sperm skincare (yes, you read that right), we sat down with Lamer to chat about the biggest (not-so-secret) skincare secrets of 2025.

 

What inspired you to bring these cutting-edge products and treatments to Tight Clinic?

“I love doing research—discovering new, hard-to-find treatments that actually work. When I first started in this industry, everyone was doing the same thing. When I introduced Forma, I was one of the first in Canada to offer it—before that, the only way to get it was by traveling to LA and paying around $800 USD per session, which wasn’t realistic for most people. Seeing how exciting it was for women to finally have access to it made me realize how important it is to bring innovative, effective options to people. I’ll go to Japan, I’ll go to Korea, I’ll go over to Asia to discover the latest innovations.”

 

How do NAD injections work to slow aging, and what results can clients expect?

“I’m the guinea pig for everything at Tight Clinic. I started [NAD] in October, going twice a week—just a small injection, a quick pinch in the stomach. Most people begin with 0.5 mL and then move up to 1 mL. NAD is something your body stops producing as you age, but it plays a crucial role on a cellular level—not just in hair, skin and nail health, but also for energy and clarity. The brain fog you have completely goes away—it’s pretty unbelievable. NAD needs to build up in your system. Some clinics offer IV therapy, but they administer a large dose in a short time, which can cause side effects like feeling cold and achy and sick. It’s best to come twice a week for at least four weeks and then after that you can come twice a month or as often as you feel your body needs.”

 

 

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Exosomes are being hailed as a breakthrough in skincare. What makes them so special?

“Exosomes are basically a cell-to-cell communicator. If you use exosomes post-procedure you’re going to heal twice as fast, which is pretty amazing. After double cleansing at night or a single cleanse in the morning, apply two pumps of exosome skincare to a completely dry face and let it absorb for ten minutes before you put anything else on. It’s going to help prepare your skin to move those products overtop down to your cells. A lot of times when people are putting things on it’s topical, but [exosomes] work on a much deeper level. It’s amazing for acne-prone skin, for aging skin—for all skin types.”

 

 

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Salmon sperm (PDRN) in skincare sounds unconventional—what’s the science behind its benefits?

“PDRN has been used in Korea for so long. It is one of the most anti-aging things you can do for your skin. When I went to Korea it was shocking—imagine one of the largest countries in the world, and on every block is just ten floors of plastic surgery clinics, skincare clinics… they’re everywhere. Department stores will be like ten to fifteen levels and there will be two to three levels dedicated to skincare alone. Over there, regulations are different and they’re able to inject PDRN. They’ll do a hundred little boluses in your face and you kind of blow up for a couple days, but then after the results are incredible. PDRN is amazing for cellular renewal for fine lines and wrinkles, for anti-aging, for creating collagen–all of it. It sounds disgusting, but it works! I have this serum that I’m obsessed with: The Mediucbe PDRN serum. There’s also a spray that I carry in my purse and I just mist my face with salmon sperm, all day long.”

 

 

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The Medicube Age-R Booster Pro has gone viral–thanks to Hailey Bieber. What sets it apart from other at-home beauty tools?

“In Korea, one of the things we went to was a giant beauty trade show–we went for four days and there was an entire section just for at-home devices. After talking to companies and doing research, this [device] actually works and is fairly clinical grade. It has electroporation which basically opens up little tiny micro channels in your skin, driving skincare over 700 per cent deeper into your face. There’s also microcurrent, LED light and electric microneedling. If people are consistent with it, it’s incredible. I use it every night. And if I’m being lazy while watching TV, I just use the booster mode, which helps drives in product.”

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Speaking of LED therapy, it has also become a major trend in skincare, with at-home LED face masks gaining popularity. How does LED therapy benefit our skin in the long-run?

“LED therapy is so healing for people. It’s amazing for cellular renewal. People with acne scarring can sit under blue light and it’s going to kill bacteria and really really help. And red light is super anti-aging—the benefits are unparalleled. I ordered one of those giant panels that’s like four feet by three feet for at home.”

 

 

 

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What do you think will be the biggest skincare trend of 2025?

“I feel like this is the year of minimalism. When I talk to our filler reps and people selling filler, they’re not buying as much now because the blown-up lips and puffy cheeks are over and done with. I think the biggest skincare trend of the year will be PRF (platelet-rich fibrin). It builds on PRP (platelet-rich plasma), but with an added step—by introducing a gel-like component, it turns into a substance that can be injected into areas like the nasolabial folds and under the eyes. It’s doing all the amazing things PRP is doing but it’s adding that volume safely and you can’t look crazy because it’s your own body plasma–it’s not filler. I think a lot of [celebrities] are doing that, [along with] resurfacing treatments like CO2 laser and light surgeries. Like Lindsay Lohan’s brand new face. People just want to look like themselves. Do you remember ten years ago when Kim Kardashian did not look like herself? Now, she’s in her mid-forties and she’s looking better and better.

The other treatment I think will be a big trend this year is HIFU, or high intensity focused ultrasound. Basically, it’s the treatment you would do if you’re not ready for a facelift yet, but you’re getting jowls and really want things to be tightened and snatched. It goes down to this mass layer of your face. Picture a piece of bacon cooking. When you cook the bacon, it shrinks and tightens it up—that’s what’s happening to this mass layer of your face.