I am a leading aesthetic doctor

WE ARE a nation obsessed with beauty treatments.

An estimated 900,000 Botox injections are performed each year in the UK, while beauty services and non-invasive treatments are experiencing huge growth.

New treatments and clinics pop up almost daily, which means the world of esthetics can feel like a minefield.

With a decade of experience in the industry, over 1 million Instagram followers and three clinics across the country, Dr. Ahmed El Muntasar says – AKA The Aesthetics Doctor – I don’t know, it’s not worth knowing.

Here are his top tips to consider before booking an appointment.

Place your treatments

“Fight the problem at every level of the skin using a mix of at-home devices, injectables and lasers, as well as supplements and living a healthy lifestyle.

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“There’s never one thing that gives patients all the results they want,” explains Dr. Ahmed.

“There’s a lot skin care can do.

“It’s amazing for hydration, skin barrier repair, pigmentation and redness.

“But when it comes to things like deep wrinkles, volume loss and tissue repositioning, you need a little more than just skin care – and that’s when patients come and see us,” he says.

Aesthetic medicine is still medicine

“People often forget that esthetics is still medicine – it’s really important to make sure you understand that it’s a medical treatment.

“There are things we need to ensure happen before, during and after the procedures to ensure they are safe and effective,” says Dr Ahmed.

“Before treatment, we always look at the whole picture: your medical history, any medications or supplements you’re taking, and whether anything needs to be stopped.

“We also recommend avoiding alcohol beforehand, as it can increase the risk of bruising, as well as being careful with active skincare ingredients – for example, strong acids or retinoids – if the skin is irritated or degraded.

“And there’s aftercare, like not wearing make-up, as this can lead to infection, and smoking, as it restricts blood flow,” she adds.

One size does not fit all

“Even when two patients come in with the same concern, the treatment plan can be very different because there are so many factors to consider,” explains Dr. Ahmed.

“Things like skin quality, age, muscle structure and bone structure play a role.

“So two people may have the same problem or present with the same reports of what they want to look like, but the design is actually very different.

“For example, for a person ‘dark circles’ can be hollowness, the loss of volume under the eye that creates shadow, and in these cases a subtle filler can be effective.

“For someone else, darkness may be pigmentation, which often needs a completely different approach, such as lasers, skin-enhancing treatments like polynucleotides, and a customized skin care plan.

“For another patient, what they call ‘dark circles’ could really be swelling caused by fat herniation, which is not something filler should treat, and the most appropriate option may be surgery.”

Dermal fillers are not the devil’s work

“Unfortunately, in the past, patients were over-injected by the wrong people, using the wrong product and the wrong technique, which gave fillers a bad name – but that’s changing,” he advises.

“It’s one of the best solutions for bulk loss and a good quality product injected by the right person using the right technique will stay where it was injected – rather than migrating elsewhere – and your body will naturally metabolize it over time.

“It can be two or three years before the same area needs treatment again, so it’s very low maintenance.”