FOREWORD
‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.’ This phrase has taken a whole new meaning since i started my journey in 2015, some 14 years ago. Venturing into the realm of the botox and fillers, delivering treatments and results which i deem as the most appropriate and best for my patients, while managing and meeting their expectations and aspirations of what they hope to achieve and become.
I would like to say that ‘Beauty is in the hands of physician’. Proper communication has to be established to understand the concerns and the problems the patient faces, questions and history regarding the issues at hand have to be sought out very much like playing Sherlock Holmes which would be useful in determining the most appropriate treatments and their outcome. Then comes careful assessment and examination of the conditions, leading to the final decisions being made for the selection of treatments or procedures. Once these are explained and agreed upon, the treatments and procedures will be performed, fine tuned along the way, results tracked and measured, culminating to the outcomes according to the expectations of the patient or what science can allow. There are many other intricacies that go into the process and experience, but the role of the physician is pivotal throughout the whole process in determining patient satisfaction and result outcomes. It is a partnership forged between the doctor and the patient, moving towards a common goal and objective of which the patient originally came for that is first and foremost.
These 14 years of my life i have dedicated much into my work. It is nothing short of hard work, long hours and its fair share of ups and downs. It is not without lessons learnt, awakenings and humbling experiences. Looking back, i feel so blessed to have been given the opportunity to do what i like to do and grow in the face of challenges. It has made me the man that i am today, a better one, not just in what I do in my work, but also in my body, mind and soul.
I have been taught and become so much more. There are so many things that I have learnt, and to list them all down would be to write a book. Here are a couple that I would like to share:
1) There are more to just treating the aesthetic concerns of a patient. Sometimes the aesthetic concerns are a reflection of the self-image, self-worth and insecurity of the patient. Instead of just treating the aesthetic concerns, I have to dig deeper to figure out the reasons why, and occasionally realized that what the patient needed was not treatment for aesthetic concerns, but treatment for the heart and soul. Many a times I find myself staring at someone who has just lost their loved ones, someone who was gutted in a relationship, someone who was being told that they were not good enough as a person or aesthetically when they were young, or someone who was extreme in vanity. It is not just humane to find out why but sometimes it is to realize and understand why the patient has unrealistic expectations, or was rash in wanting certain risky procedures done, or simply behave in a manner that reflects hostility, anguish, dissatisfaction or unpleasantries. As a physician, it is important to understand that sometimes there are underlying reasons to certain actions and reactions, and that the patient should be treated as a whole, as a human. All they need is just a listening ear, to be shown empathy and compassion, and be told that what they need is not an aesthetic procedure. A true doctor and patient relationship goes beyond procedures and treating what is on the surface and appearance, it’s going that extra mile sometimes that makes it human and special.
2) I have the pleasure and blessings to have known so many people from all walks of life in my work. I have learnt so much from everyone and every day of interaction is another day of learning for me. There is so much to offer and learn from the people we meet in our daily lives. The fact is that before I embarked on this journey, I have never interacted with so many women. I have come to know, understand and respect women in every sense of the words. They have so much passion in their lives, and in this modern world, they have to be career women, great mothers, good wives, not to mention that they still have so much desire to want to look good! They have so much passion to look good and take care of themselves from top to toe, from their hair, to their toe nails, and everything in between! I’m sorry men, but the women do have so much more passion about living, juggling between so many roles and certainly able to multitask than us men for sure! Here’s a sincere and big salute to all the women in the world!
3) The more important lessons that I have learnt since I began my career, in the most personal way, came from my faith and God. There were many lessons of growth, maturity, enlightenment, humanity, the good and the bad. As I connect back the dots, it is clear to me that everything happened for a reason and from a religious stand point, it is to make me better spiritually and as a person, and importantly, the people whom I come into contact with better too. There are so many opportunities for us to show who we are on a daily basis, so many choices to make, so many tests, how we treat people, how we let people treat us. The little joy that we have, the simple appreciation and gratitude, the empathy and understanding, the forgiveness and love. Working both ways, in giving and receiving. It is on a daily basis, day in day out, some big some small, in what we think, say or do. Whatever happens, whomever you meet, no matter how bad they are, they are there for very good reasons, as long as you have the absolute faith that it does. So keep the faith always!
Every day, I would pray to bring joy, peace and harmony for the clinic, to protect it from danger, harm and evil. That I would be blessed with the wisdom to choose the most appropriate treatments for my patients. That my hands would be guided to perform the best of procedures, with the best possible outcomes, with the least possible side effects and complications. Let those who encounter side effects and complications recover well from them. And let those who are prone to complications not do the procedures.
When I was asked to write this foreword, I was thinking, should it be short and sweet, should I just be politically correct, should I get on with it and write how it should be written like the others. In the end, the only way that I can write is from my heart, from the inner most part of me. And in my opinion, that is how everyone in this world should be.
