Defy Age Defy Age visited The Clinic Holland Park to review a few treatments (read our review here). We also asked two of the founders several questions about The Clinic Holland Park, their expertise/treatments, and some their recommendations.
Dr. Jennifer Doyle – Aesthetician, Ophthalmologist and Oculoplastic Surgeon
Can you tell us about some of your signature treatments (such as the ‘lunchtime facelift’)?
We have a few treatments that stand out amongst our repertoire. By far, the most popular and with the most impressive results for skin rejuvenation is our combination treatment of BBL and moxi from Sciton. If you want new skin, this is the ultimate treatment, tackling pigmentation, redness, facial vessels as well as fine lines/ wrinkles and texture. With minimal downtime and exceptional and consistent results it is by far my most popular treatment.
Our lunchtime facelift is also incredibly popular and again one where the results speak for themselves. We are the only clinic to my knowledge where a thread lift is performed in a surgical theatre- greatly minimising any risk of complication to the patient. For jowls, nasolabial folds and general lift to the lower face, this treatment gives impressive results.
Your background is both as an aesthetician and surgeon. How do these professions complement each other? Where do you draw the line for patients who are looking for a change and are not quite sure what procedures they want? Similarly, where do you draw the line for patients looking to imitate a social media ‘filter’ look?
I started my career as an eye surgeon and developed a special interest in oculoplastic surgery. I realised that in order to get the best results for my patients, it is often best to be able to offer both surgical and non-surgical treatment options. More and more, with the busy lives we lead patients are looking for tweakments that can be performed with less down-time and less invasiveness than surgery, so it is great to not only have knowledge of these treatments but be able to offer them. At the clinic holland park, my mentor and friend Mr Richard Scawn performs the surgical treatments and I specialise in the non-surgical. We often do joint consultations for patients wanting to explore all options to get the best results.
Also my years of experience performing microsurgery is why I think many patients comment on my gentle touch with injecting!
The majority of my patients want a natural look. I of course get the odd enquiry from patients who have been influenced from social media, but will always encourage patients to stick to a natural appearance. As professionals, we have a duty of care to our patients and need to be able to recognise and sometimes manage the influence that social media can have on our patients. For those looking for an unnatural appearance, I will often have to decline treatment, but will try and help them realise the dangers and pitfalls of striving for some of the trends seen on social media.
As an ophthalmologist, what are some day-to-day care procedures we can practice for healthier vision (dietary, lifestyle, etc.)?
There are lots of measures we can do to protect our eyes! Starting with skin.. it is important to ensure sun-protection (SPF and UV blocking sun glasses are key). In my NHS practice a large portion of the work is helping patients who have unfortunately developed skin cancer around the eye, so for all my patients one of the first questions I ask is “are you using sunscreen?”.
Dry eye is a hugely prevalent condition affecting many, especially now most work on screens etc. Taking regular breaks, using lubricating eye drops if needed, and using supplements like flaxseed or omega-3 can often make a huge difference on symptoms from this.
Finally, I would encourage everyone to see their optician on a regular basis, as they can monitor general eye health and refer to an ophthalmologist (eye surgeon) if needed.
Increasingly, fillers and botox are recommended to women in their 30s as a ‘preventative’ or precaution to aging. What is your opinion on this?
Botox to younger women in their 30’s onwards can be appropriate if they are particularly expressive and are starting to develop static lines at a young age. Each patient is of course different so I would recommend discussing your individual situation with your practitioner.
Filler treatments are primarily treatments to treat volume loss with regards to aging. In our mid-30’s, the fat pads in our cheeks start to deflate and this is why some may suddenly notice their nasolabial folds worsening. Other areas such as lips can be regarded as beautification treatments in this age group. There have been lots of studies talking about certain ratios that are considered desirable. Again I would encourage patients to speak through what bothers them with their practitioner and as long as you are aiming for a subtle and natural result would find this a suitable reason to treat.
Sun damage is now recognised as one of the leading causes of aging. Are there any sunscreens that you would recommend?
There are a lot of sunscreens out there, in general something broad spectrum and as close to factor 50 is the thing to go for! Personally I recommend the AlumierMD sunscreens and we stock these in our clinic/ give patients who are having treatments such as Sciton laser resurfacing these products as part of their treatment plan as they are medical grade and a physical block so extremely safe to use all year round. They also helpfully come in various tint options or acne-friendly formulations so you can tailor the choice to what the patient’s skin tone or concerns are.
Dr Richard Scawn – Ophthalmologist and Oculoplastic Surgeon. Eyes & Eyelids
You are already established in numerous practices across the UK. Why was the Clinic at Holland Park created as another outpost?
I am a specialist eyelid surgeon and that covers reconstructive as well as aesthetics. I divide my time equally between NHS and private. My other locations include Chelsea & Westminster, which is major burns and facial surgery unit – here I do reconstructive surgery for NHS patients with burns, trauma, eyelid cancer etc., as well as children who may be born with eyelid or facial abnormalities. I also teach the next generation of surgeons the techniques I have learnt from my training in the US and UK. I work privately in St Johns Wood and Harley Street looking after eyelid issues but I found patients wanted non-surgical treatments alongside surgery or perhaps they were not good candidates for surgery. I wanted to offer a broader range of options under one roof with experts in non-surgical eyelid and facial treatments such as Jenny Doyle provides, as well as Dermatology, Private GP, Hormone, Nutrition. The Clinic Holland Park is designed to offer patients my services but also seamless consultant delivered medical and aesthetic care to deliver the best outcomes.
Can you tell us about The Clinic Club Membership.
The clinic club membership was started to provide patients with access to a private GP at a low monthly fee of £70 a month for a person or £110 for a couple. We recognise the pressure NHS GP services are under and wanted to offer patients access to a single GP who will get to know them, be available to them and offer them continuity. The Club membership has expanded by demand to aesthetics to include a monthly subscription for anti-wrinkle injections as well as laser skin treatments
Why and how is an Ophthalmologist and Oculoplastic Surgeon equipped to do elective/cosmetic procedures?
Most Ophthalmologists don’t do cosmetic surgery but Oculoplastic surgeons are trained in eyelid plastic surgery. I myself spent two years in California doing a prestigious fellowship in Oculofacial surgery 2012-2014 including hundreds of aesthetic procedures before doing two further oculoplastic fellowships in London before becoming a consultant in 2015, so I consider myself very experienced in cosmetic procedures.
Can you tell us about some of the oculofacial treatments you offer at the Clinic at Holland Park?
I tend to focus on surgical aspects while my colleague Jenny Doyle focuses on non surgical treatments. My most popular operation is a blepharoplasty which removes excess skin, heaviness and hooding from the upper or lower eyelid. I also do plenty of simple operations to remove cysts, styes and moles from eyelids.
As a follow up question, can you tell us what patients should expect post-procedure (in terms of recovery time, location and post-surgery follow ups)?
For upper eyelid blepharoplasty, ptosis surgery or brow lift recovery is 5-7 days. For lower lid blepharoplasty recovery is 10-14 days. For eyelid cysts and lumps recovery is usually 24 hours
Are there any new exciting developments in opthalmology that could revolutionise this type of surgery in the future?
The exciting thing for the future is combining surgical and non-surgical treatments using experts in each area to give patients the best results. This is the ethos of the clinic and what elevates us as a brand.
Interestingly, joint experts working on patients to give best reconstruct outcome is something I do in my NHS reconstructive surgeries with my fantastic colleagues from Craniofacial, Neurosurgery and ENT. What I have tried to do at The Clinic Holland Park is simply carry that through to aesthetics.
