Beauty’s Brain Era Is Here—Here’s How ExoMind Fits In

At first glance, the treatment looked more like a clinical procedure than a pampering session. There’s no sculpting massage, no high-frequency facial tools, no glow-inducing mask. Instead, a small part of the machine is placed over the head, the lights are dimmed, and for the next 25 minutes, the focus shifts entirely away from the skin—and to the brain.

This is ExoMind, a new brain health treatment at Luminisce, one of the Philippines’ leading beauty clinics. Using Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), it sends gentle magnetic pulses to specific parts of the brain linked to mood, focus, and mental clarity. Once mostly found in medical settings, TMS is now adapted into a calm, comfortable session that requires no medication or downtime.

“ExoMind is like a gym for your mind,” explains Dr. Kristina “Kaycee” Reyes, founder of Luminisce and a Well Aging expert, specializing in holistic approaches to healthy longevity. “It applies targeted magnetic pulses to activate neural pathways and improve mental well-being.”

ExoMind taps into a growing shift in the beauty and wellness space—where mental well-being is as essential as physical indulgence. Take the Lush Validation Spa in the UK for example, where skincare meets self-worth as typical facial rituals are combined with a soundtrack of affirmations that soothe the mind while enhancing the skin’s glow. Locally, The Farm at San Benito in Batangas offers more than spa and facial treatments as guests embark on medically supervised programs combining detox, mindfulness, and integrative retreats that aim to restore both body and mind. Riding that same wave of mind–body synergy, beauty clinics are taking the concept further by creating spaces where treatments for skin and body concerns coexist with services that nurture mental clarity.

The Science Behind the Calm

Though it may seem cutting-edge, TMS has decades of history. “The technology behind Exomind—TMS—has been around for several decades,” Dr. Reyes continues. Modern TMS was first invented in 1985 by Dr. Anthony Barker in Sheffield, England, building on earlier 19th-century research into electromagnetic effects on the brain. Initially used in research and later for treating depression, TMS gained FDA approval in 2008 for medication-resistant depression. ExoTMS is the latest evolution of this technology, representing over 10 years of innovation by BTL to make TMS faster, more powerful, and more comfortable.

Today, ExoMind is FDA-cleared for treating depression in adults, with approvals in Canada and Europe for addressing anxiety, OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder), and binge-eating tendencies. What was once a purely clinical tool has now evolved into a wellness experience that bridges mental health and beauty.

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Mind-First Beauty

For years, beauty clinics have focused on the visible: skin clarity, toned bodies, and sculpted features. Clinics offering ExoMind treatments are now starting to take a different angle, focusing on what’s happening inside the mind.

“In a clinic like Luminisce—known for skin lasers and aesthetic treatments—ExoMind might seem like an outlier at first,” says Dr. Reyes. Yet its role aligns seamlessly with Luminisce’s holistic philosophy. “We’ve always believed that true beauty and wellness start from within. Mental wellness is a fundamental part of overall wellness, and when your mind is healthy and balanced, it shows in your life and even in your physical appearance  (think of how stress can dull the skin or how a calm mind gives you a certain glow). Luminisce introduced ExoMind as a natural extension of this inside-out approach.”

By introducing ExoMind, Luminisce emphasizes that wellness comes in many layers. Stress, poor sleep, and mental fatigue can subtly shape your skin, posture, energy, and even your confidence and focus. In this approach, beauty reflects the strength and balance of your mind, aside from the visible results.

“Mental wellness is a fundamental part of overall wellness, and when your mind is healthy and balanced, it shows in your life and even in your physical appearance.”—Dr. Kristina “Kaycee” Reyes, founder of Luminisce

The clinic has even created combined packages, called “Mind + Glow,” where a client might receive an ExoMind session followed by a signature facial or other relaxing treatment, where the idea is to rejuvenate both mind and body in one visit. Dr. Reyes noted, “We wanted to carry this machine because it’s different in a good way: it addresses the emotional well-being of our clients. Many of our patients are busy professionals or individuals under a lot of pressure; giving them a tool to improve their mood, reduce anxiety, and sleep better not only improves their quality of life but also enhances the results of our other beautification treatments. When the mind is well, your whole life begins to glow.”

Redefining Mental Wellness

So, what does mental wellness actually mean at a beauty clinic? For clinics such as Luminisce, mental wellness isn’t merely the absence of illness. As Dr. Reyes explained, “Mental wellness refers to a state of healthy mental and emotional well-being–not just the absence of mental illness, but the presence of positive attributes like resilience, balance, and a sense of fulfillment.”

“Mental wellness means you generally feel like the best version of yourself mentally: you can manage day-to-day stress, maintain a positive or stable mood, think clearly, and maintain healthy relationships,” she said. “It’s a dynamic state–an ‘internal resource that helps us think, feel, connect, and function’ even as life throws challenges our way.”

ExoMind works by stimulating the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), the brain region responsible for mood regulation, decision-making, and emotional control. “Over a series of sessions, this stimulation increases neuroplasticity (the brain’s ability to form new, healthier connections) and helps reset abnormal activity patterns,” said Dr. Reyes. “By repeatedly activating the brain’s mood-regulation center, ExoMind can boost the production of neurotransmitters and neurotrophic factors (like BDNF) that improve neural health and connectivity. This leads to improvements in how the brain handles stress and generates positive mood,” she said.

The results are measurable. Clinical studies and patient feedback indicate that a full course of six sessions can elevate mood, reduce anxiety, improve sleep, and sharpen focus. Even a single session can offer a subtle lift, similar to the mental clarity you feel after a power nap or meditation session. According to Dr. Reyes, patients have reported a lighter mood and a sense of clarity after a single session. Plus, there’s no grogginess, no downtime, and no medications involved, so patients can continue with their day fully alert.

While these first-session benefits vary from person to person, they offer a glimpse into how ExoMind gently nudges the brain toward calm, focus, and mental clarity. With each session, these subtle changes accumulate, gradually enhancing overall well-being and transforming the treatment from a simple pause into a tangible boost for mental balance.

Inside the ExoMind Session

Before the session, I was asked if I had consumed caffeine that day, since it can influence the brain’s response to the treatment. The doctor explained that too much caffeine can interfere with the procedure—she even recalled a previous patient who had to postpone her session because of it. I was then guided to lie down on the treatment bed, and the session began with a simple motor reflex test. With my palms up, I didn’t feel much happening, but the doctor explained that the test allowed the machine to detect the correct placement and calibrate for the treatment so the magnetic pulses target the right parts of the brain.

Once the test was done, the headset was positioned above my head. I felt a series of gentle, rhythmic tapping pulses on the top of my head. It wasn’t painful, but just noticeable enough to focus on. Over the course of the 20 to 25-minute session, I felt my body relax gradually. My shoulders, hands, and jaw loosened, and the stiffness I didn’t realize I was carrying eased.

Unlike some patients who reportedly drifted off during treatment, I stayed awake, though in a very relaxed state. Interestingly, the tapping sound itself became a kind of anchor for my attention. It pulled me into the present moment, grounding my thoughts in a rhythm I could follow. In a way, it felt like meditation through touch and sound.

By the end of the session, a subtle sense of calm settled in. My body was looser, my mind was clearer, and there was a lingering sensation of lightness, almost like I had just come out of a restorative nap. That night, I slept better than usual, waking up feeling quite recharged.

Why the Mind Matters for Beauty

Beauty today, as it seems, now stretches beyond the surface, encompassing how you feel as much as how you look. Experiences with treatments like ExoMind highlight how calm, emotional balance, and overall wellness can be as noticeable and impactful as traditional aesthetic results. “Many of our patients are dealing with stress, burnout, or sleep issues. Mental wellness isn’t separate from beauty—it shapes the way you feel, move, and even how your skin looks,” says Dr. Reyes.

Ultimately, integrating tools like ExoMind into aesthetic clinics reminds us that beauty doesn’t have to be just skin-deep. Taking care of your mental well-being—the calm, clarity, and balance of your mind—can shape both your inner state and the way you carry yourself outwardly. This inside-out approach shows that wellness starts in the brain, and the glow may follow naturally, showing how mental balance is just as essential as any facial, body treatment, or skincare ritual.

Photo from Aesthetics Journal.