Dr Kalpna Pindolia takes a heart-felt look at what makes you you and what role aesthetic treatments play.

Now, most people kind of know when they want an aesthetic treatment.

Friends may encourage you to have them. Family may be passionate about you not to having them. Then you have consider the horror stories of what can go wrong with the procedures.

And what about the barrage of conflicting information on the world wide web you have to contemplate? It is a lot to take on board.

After all of that you may still be considering an aesthetic treatment. This is my personal take.

In the cosmetic industry, a wide range of professionals focus on providing treatments that alter your appearance with the aim of improving psychological wellbeing from a physical perspective.

The aim of treatment seems to be to achieve added external beauty so you can take another step towards the ultimate goal of happiness.

I love the fact that the aesthetic treatments can help liberate someone from self-esteem issues and bring much positivity to your life. This essentially is why I love my job.

However, it is a significant decision and deserves some thought.

So, what is beauty? Does ageing challenge the definition of beauty?

Nefertiti is one of the most famous icons of feminine beauty. In ancient Egypt and now, she still continues to be the definition of beauty. She certainly demonstrates that in some instances beauty can be timeless.

Yet in the modern world, various influences including celebrity culture and fashion, exemplified by the effects of social media, constantly mould the ever-changing definition of beauty.

Our notion of beauty can become distorted when there is pressure to live up to this ideal standard of beauty. Many people are quick to condemn aesthetic treatments, particularly invasive ones, due to this reasoning. Perfectionism from trying to conform can tear your self-esteem apart. So, it is always worth remembering that you are a unique individual worth much more than your physical appearance, whether you want cosmetic treatments or not.

“I like the woman you became better than the girl you were. I like the story you’ve written on your face” ― Joanna Bourne, The Black Hawk

It’s ironic that as we strive to live longer, most of us would love not to physically age. Thankfully society’s attitude towards beauty and ageing is evolving in a positive way. The focus on empowering body confidence in younger people is increasingly broadening to include equally vulnerable older people, as well as men. Marketing statements like ‘turning back the clock’ or ‘anti ageing’, that suggest that beauty diminishes with time, are being replaced by terms like ‘refreshing’ and ‘revitalising’ to age gracefully.

“When you’re seventy-five, you are still going to be you.”  ― Linda Gray, The Road to Happiness is Always Under Construction

Prevention of age related skin change has its own increasing share of the market and is, in my opinion, a fundamental concept we have been missing a long while. The concept of the ‘quick fix’ is being replaced by holistic longer-term approaches that consider the person and the ageing process as a whole. Skin rejuvenation is becoming more popular as ‘radiant skin is in’. Equipment based treatments using laser and light are also flooding the industry. Non-surgical injectables represent a range of increasingly accepted treatments that can also help address facial concerns. Combination treatments are also widely agreed to have better outcomes as no one concern has a single factor in origin.

From the twenty something year old who wants to stride to work presentations with confidence, to the mum who is coping with such profound changes in her life challenging her self-image, and to the more mature woman who wants to refresh her look to bring out her playful eyes, they are all why I love the work I get to do in aesthetic medicine.

As a human, I simply understand what it is like to get older from a personal perspective. I am that person, just like you, critiquing my face in the morning when I am brushing my teeth.

Getting to know the actual person behind you is my great privilege. In taking time to establish rapport with my patients, I am invited on their journey of restoring self-confidence. This is why I am so passionate about driving ethical treatments and natural results when I train students and practice the art of aesthetic medicine.

Beyond the visible, intellect, personality and morality, all contribute to beauty. I truly believe we are all unique bodies encased in a fabric of heritage, culture, age and life experiences that weave into a blanket of our own versions of beauty.

It stands to reason that your individual choice must be central in any balanced decision to have cosmetic treatment. You should have the information you require and time to make empowered decisions about your body.

Those lines around your eyes will always let someone know your smiling, even if they can’t see your mouth. I will always love seeing those lines around the eyes which appear when a familiar friend genuinely smiles. But ultimately, it is up to you if you like, or dislike this feature or any other in yourself.

Let us put this is in context. After a detailed discussion with a patient last week, together, we decided treatment was not required. She was very happy that she had the information to make a balanced decision. It is equally important to recognise when a treatment may not be appropriate in each circumstance. There must be a sense of responsible balance in the pursuit of beauty. This relates particularly in the way we work as aesthetic treatment providers, and also how we all bring up our children in this world.

I hope that future generations cultivate internal beauty radiating out. Internal self-acceptance is the ultimate solution for beauty and happiness, not cosmetic treatments. But life is not perfect and it is up to us to treat ourselves with self-care and balance when considering aesthetic treatments which can be such a positive influence on happiness for an individual in the right context.

I suggest looking in depth at the ‘why’ you want a treatment in detail before considering aesthetic treatments. Are your expectations realistic? Will a treatment genuinely make you happy? There is certainly no rush to have a treatment.

Aesthetic treatments will not solve deep seated internal confidence issues, but can certainly make the day-to-day a happier existence. Working on your internal psyche is equally, if not more so, worth the investment.

They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I believe your beauty is for you to decide and own, no one else. Just always remember, you are enough and will always be enough. You are worthy in this world.

You can book with Dr Pindolia here: http://harleystreetemporium.com/doctors/doctors-kalpna-pindolia/