BUSINESS INSIDER
HEALTH AND BEAUTY
PLASTIC FANTASTIC
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Simon Lee Clinic on Redland Hill specialises in facial plastic surgery, cosmetic breast surgery and body sculpting – but let Simon himself tell you more . . .
imon sums up his job title as “a reconstructive plastic surgeon treating patients with both functional and cosmetic problems, from paediatric birth deformity and trauma to purely cosmetic treatments in adults”. He opened his eponymous clinic with its staff of five in November 2011. “For me, it is an additional thing I do,” he explains. “I remain, before opening and now, a consultant plastic surgeon with both a large NHS and private practice.” OK, first things first: let’s get the nomenclature right . . . Is an ‘aesthetic medical surgeon’ different from ‘cosmetic surgeon’? Very different. I do cosmetic surgery at the Spire Hospital Bristol. The Clinic specialises in the non-surgical minimally invasive cosmetic treatments that have minimal downtime. I opened it because patients often receive poor advice on non-surgical treatments and are very confused on where to go and who to believe. To give us an idea of the range, what’s the most radical procedure you perform, and which the least invasive? Obviously the most invasive is surgery but this is not performed at the clinic. Ablative laser skin resurfacing looks quite radical, but results are very impressive treating wrinkles lines and acne scars. Personally I think having the technology to freeze off fat deposits is unbelievably ‘radical’. Our simplest treatments would include microdermabrasion, laser hair removal, and CACI radiofrequency skin rejuvenation.
still gives me a warm fuzzy. “You have changed my life”. Restoring self-esteem is a fantastic gift to give anyone. What misapprehensions about aesthetic medical treatments do you face, and what is your response? ‘Only vain people seek cosmetic treatments’. Nothing could be further from the truth. Vain people are narcissistic, self-loving and egotistical. 99% of patients I meet have one or two aspects about the way they look that undermines their self-confidence. They want to feel better about themselves. Are there any new cutting edge-treatments that you’ve introduced recently? Yes, radiofrequency ablation of sweat glands. It takes an hour and stops or reduces sweating for life. Life changing for those who sweat copiously. No antiperspirant required – probably forever. What single thing could people do at home to improve the quality of their skin and generally look better? Stop smoking! Whether you do or don’t smoke, you should exfoliate.
THE ETHOS OF THE CLINIC IS TO LISTEN, BE HONEST AND EDUCATE
Which treatments are the most popular with patients? That’s easy, the ones that work! Especially those where we have been the first to bring them to the UK or are the only providers outside of London. With so many different treatments, from fraxel repair to micropeels, how do I know which one to choose? A lot of people struggle with this. The nurses and aestheticians who work at my clinic are experts in their field. They are there to advise. The ethos of the clinic is to listen, be honest and educate. We only offer the best treatments, but even so sometimes the advice is not to spend your money. People respect this and recommend us to others. We imagine the greatest job satisfaction comes from patients who are thrilled with their improved appearance. Can you quote us a testimonial that you’re especially pleased with? It’s a cliché. However the frequency and honesty with which it is said
Can you give us an idea of the kind of investment involved in obtaining the latest equipment? I have invested many hundreds of thousands of pounds on the latest and the best technologies. I could have bought cheap Chinese copies for a fraction of the cost (5-10%!) but they do not work and they often have a poor safety record. This is a problem because they give the industry a bad name, and leads to patients being taken advantage of. When you meet people or watch TV, do you always know when someone has ‘had work done’? Often yes, but only if it has been done in an unnatural way. Are you someone who is able to switch off the emails at weekends and the evening? Evenings no, but at weekends yes if I have no patients in the hospital and I am not on call. How important is social media to your business and which do you find to be the most effective platform? That’s a tricky one. It is a valuable tool for patients to communicate with each other, sharing experience. We are experimenting with direct engagement with various platforms. For more www.simonleeplasticsurgeon.co.uk
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