If you’ve ever spent your morning commute daydreaming about starting afresh with your career, this feature is for you. Each Monday, we speak to someone from a different profession to discover what it’s really like. This week we chat to award-winning aesthetic doctor Dr Ed Robinson.
The most frequent procedure is… anti-wrinkle injections. They are most non-surgical clinics’ bread and butter, typically costing £200 to £350 per treatment. Recently biostimulators and laser resurfacing have surged in popularity as people seek skin quality improvements rather than just wrinkle reduction.
Employed positions might start around £30,000… while experienced practitioners can earn £50,000 to £70,000, and sometimes significantly more with commission or profit share. An injector’s salary varies hugely depending on their medical background, location, patient base and whether they are self-employed or employed.
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In a typical week, I work two full days… for the NHS (approximately 28 hours) and four days in clinic. Sunday is my day to rest and recuperate. As a business owner, it is very hard to not find something to be doing all the time, and establishing boundaries is something that is becoming increasingly important to me.
It is not uncommon for patients to reference celebrities… in their consultations, and social media videos analysing celebrity glow-ups tend to draw a lot of attention.
But… treatments should be bespoke and celebrate individuality, not trying to make everyone look the same or like someone else.
The best recent example of excellent celebrity cosmetic work is… Kris Jenner. A full face approach, respecting her anatomy and almost impossible to say exactly what she’s had done. Undoubtedly, a mix of non-surgical and surgical treatments but she still looks like herself, only refreshed, younger and rejuvenated.
Do your research before committing to a practitioner… One of my patients developed a series of nasty abscesses on their face after dermal filler injections from a non-medical practitioner. They had to be drained, with multiple rounds of dissolving with antibiotic coverage. The patient had been given poor aftercare advice from their practitioner and was left with significant scarring. We have now done many rounds of skin resurfacing to improve this, which is working well, but it’s a slow process.
Warning signs include… treatments offered in non-clinical settings, prices that seem too good to be true and lack of medical background. Almost all complications require rapid assessment and administration of prescription medication, which non-medical practitioners are simply not qualified or equipped to do safely. Do not be afraid to ask about qualifications, insurance and complication management.
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We have seen big rises in… requests for lip fillers, jawline contouring and skin tightening after posts by celebrities such as Kylie Jenner, while on the other hand when Molly Mae candidly talked about dissolving her filler, we saw a large uptick in this too. While they raise awareness of aesthetics, it can create unrealistic ideals and expectations (especially when celebrity budgets are taken into account). It’s important to understand that treatments should be bespoke and respect the anatomy of the patient.
I turn clients down if… the treatment won’t benefit them, isn’t safe or if they’re seeking results driven by comparison rather than personal confidence. If something will look unnatural, I will say no. Sometimes saying no is the healthiest option.
The biggest mistake I’ve made is… not managing patient expectations. I now like to underpromise and overdeliver in my practice. Non-surgical “tweakments” are about making small adjustments which can build up over time, but it requires patience and compliance with treatment plans. Patients who are expecting dramatic changes are often going to be disappointed, and managing these expectations and the difficult conversation of saying no to someone is definitely something I have learnt over the years.
Social media pressures and filtered images… drive unrealistic expectations and many younger patients are influenced into having treatments by people they follow online. Education, regulation and open conversations about body image are really important and clinics must take responsibility by refusing inappropriate treatments. I’m a strong advocate for encouraging my patients to dissolve dermal fillers which don’t suit them.
My top tip for keeping your skin looking young, fresh and wrinkle-free without intervention is… daily SPF. It’s the single most effective anti-ageing step anyone can take. UVA and UVB contribute significantly to the ageing process and it’s present all year round. Combine it with good sleep, hydration and a balanced lifestyle for maximum benefit.
For the clean girl aesthetic… focus on skincare: gentle cleansing, hydration, vitamin C and SPF. If you don’t want to explore the injectables route, regular medical facials can lay the groundwork for healthy skin. The effect of optimising lifestyle factors like sleep, stress, fitness, diet and hydration is massively underrated.
I spend an enormous amount of time in clinic treating patients on… GLP-1 analogues like Mounjaro who have experienced a reduction in facial volume and skin quality. It’s not due to the drugs per se, but just rapid weight loss in general. Biostimulators, which regenerate tissues, are particularly good for this. It’s important to keep things like this in mind when losing weight, especially as we get older.
The age of ageing gracefully isn’t over… it has simply evolved into positive ageing. Many people now see treatments as part of self-care, no different to fitness or skincare. The focus is on looking well and feeling the best you can for your age, not erasing age entirely or trying to look like someone else.
The biggest threat to the industry is… the lack of regulation in the UK. Non-medics can perform injectables with no regulatory oversight, which puts patient safety at risk. Stronger regulation is urgently needed to improve conditions for patients and prevent avoidable adverse outcomes.
