5 Completely Unexpected Reasons I Fell in Love with Aesthetic Medicine

It’s no secret at this point that I am incredibly passionate about medical aesthetics. But what began as an off-shoot of my interest in plastic surgery has grown into the favourite and most treasured aspect of my medical practice. But when I think about what parts of it I’ve fallen in love with, the answers surprised me.

The one thing my dad would always teasingly say to me growing up was that I was a “shrinking violet,” and this would drive me crazy. As a society I think we definitely praise and admire the extroverts around us, and this can be especially true in areas like medicine or business.

And there is no doubt I am an introvert and always have been.

So it came as a bit of a surprise to me that I was motivated to keep doing so many things that actually made me uncomfortable - posting on social media, doing Instagram Lives, promoting myself and my business, networking, reaching out to people I looked up to and putting myself forward, interviewing and speaking to journalists, giving presentations.

And what’s more, I found that not only are medical aesthetics treatments empowering for patients, but the very process of becoming an aesthetic clinician has been incredibly empowering for me. When opportunities arise or when I feel like I need to do something to develop my practice, I just do it. I don’t even give myself the option to shy away even if I’m nervous or uncomfortable, and that is because I am loving what I’m doing so much.

I always joke around slightly when someone asks me what my non-medical fiance does. I will say his job title, then trail off and mutter he works as a “business something-something” and wave my hand airily because “business” is so far out of my remit.

Well not anymore.

The process of starting my own practice was equally bewildering and so exciting. I loved every tiny piece that allowed me to flex my creative muscles and do something I never would have dreamed of tackling in my NHS work. Website design? Social media? Clinic rental? Inventory? Insurance? Advertising? All new to me, and so exhilarating!

This was incredibly unexpected - I would never have dreamed branching into a specialist area of medicine would get me writing so much again.

I have always loved writing, ever since I was a child and would scribble short stories that I inflicted on various members of my family. Sure, I did plenty of writing as a student but that is so different from writing about something you genuinely find fascinating.

I never imagined that this job would lead me to create The Aesthetics Edit or have the opportunity to write for journals, websites, or trader and consumer magazines.

My greatest ambition in life was to be a writer when I was younger, and suddenly I find that half of my job has become just that!

My first degree was pure science - biology. While the fundamental concepts of biology underpin a lot of medicine, you don’t tend to use your knowledge of cell biology or biochemistry every single day when you’re a doctor on the wards or operating on a patient.

But stepping into aesthetic medicine I was suddenly learning all about skincare and cosmetic dermatology, and guess what? That is nothing but cell biology and biochemistry! I was suddenly remembering all the things I’d learned at Carleton, pulling out old science textbooks and reviewing old notes, and I remembered how much I loved biology pure and simple in the first place.

Again, did I ever dream beginning a career in non-surgical cosmetics would lead me back to my beginnings? No.

I’ve heard the phrase “Your vibe attracts your tribe,” quite a few times from several wonderful women in this industry. And it really could not be more true. There are so many wonderful, prominent people in this field who want to do nothing but give back. The skill, expertise, and willingness to mentor I’ve experienced from amazing clinicians (who I have looked up to for years now) is unparalleled. And the same can be said for the people in business, marketing, and sales who are passionate, ethical, and incredible at what they do. There is kindness, compassion, and lack of judgment for our wonderful patients and for each other - something that I’ve found can be lacking in general in medicine and in the world.