This week, I spoke to Dr Dorota Chudek of Ethical Aesthetics - aesthetic practitioner and member of the Royal College of Surgeons - about her passion for safety in the industry, the moment she knew aesthetics was for her and her slightly unusual favourite treatment to perform. Read on to find out more.
Hi Dr Dorota! What was the moment you first knew you wanted to work in aesthetics?
I've had training in facial plastic surgery, and I’d wanted to get into aesthetics for a while but I lacked the courage to try it. So, when I had a few months off between jobs, I saw this as the perfect time to start training. For me, injectables are such a nice addition to surgical options, as not everyone wants such invasive treatments. It’s nice to be able to offer both. I find it fascinating how a small amount of filler can have such a huge impact on the way someone looks and feels.
The main reason for going into aesthetics, for me, was that there are so many aesthetics clinics popping up everywhere and I’ve come across so many patients who have experienced complications as a result of treatments by people who aren’t qualified to deal with them. I wanted to work in this area and do it right. I have the right skill set and knowledge of anatomy to do it. I think people deserve to go and see someone who is a well-trained medical professional, and know that they’re in safe hands.
I feel passionate about safety in aesthetics. Botox and fillers can be so beneficial to the right patients - if they’re done well and are done by the right people. Many people have so many misconceptions about aesthetic treatments, and that’s because they only notice the ones that look fake and overdone. They can look natural and be safe if they’re done by the right people.
So, I imagine your ethos as a practitioner centres around looking natural.
Yes. My ethos is to subtly enhance natural features. There are so many negative connotations associated with aesthetics, and I’d really like to change the message and the way it’s portrayed. For me, it should be about making people feel good.
The negative feelings come from seeing people who are not trained well and who don’t know how to correct complications. The fake look that some practitioners do puts a lot of people off, as they think this is the norm when, really, their friends might have had something done but it looks so subtle and natural that they’d never be able to tell.
What’s your favourite aesthetic treatment to perform?
I love the blanching technique, which basically involves using very superficial injections of low density filler to fill in slightly deeper lines that can’t be fixed with Botox. It’s quite a niche treatment but I’ve been getting really great results with it. I’ve seen quite a few patients who had been told elsewhere that nothing could be done to treat their deep lines - such as smokers lines and frown lines - but I’ve tried this on them and it’s worked wonders. These are the kinds of treatments that non-medics would never even think to try.
What do you wish you’d known before starting your own aesthetics business?
The business side of aesthetics is something that most medics just aren’t used to. I wish I’d known how much time and effort it takes to run social media and sort marketing all while getting clients and making sure they feel happy, safe and comfortable. It requires multiple skills and isn’t as easy as it might seem.
Thanks so much for taking the time to talk to us, Dr Dorota!