Dr Anoob Pakkar-Hull’s deep background in anaesthesiology and numerous other aesthetic certifications has led him to become a respected and experienced Medical Aesthetic Practitioner. Beauty Aesthetics is his passion, and personalised care through combining science and beauty are his specialties. He is the founder of Laila Aesthetics and also practises out of Harley Street Specialist Hospital in London.
We spoke to Dr Anoob about all things aesthetics and beauty.
How did it all start?
After 25 years working as an Anaesthetist for the NHS, I felt like I had achieved my goals and needed a new challenge. Besides my background in medicine, I have always had an interest in beauty. This led me to gravitate towards aesthetics and I developed a particular interest in shape, form, balance and symmetry.
In 2016, I decided to embark on a journey, undertaking a Basic Foundation Course and over the next two years, I invested in further advanced training, obtaining the American Academy of Aesthetics Medicine’s (AAAM) Certification, Diploma, and Board Certification (their highest qualification).
Since then, I have been performing non-surgical aesthetic treatments and building a client base in Yorkshire, Cumbria and most recently London. Year on year, I have undertaken training in more advanced treatments, adding them to my repertoire and leveraging my medical background to offer patients a wide range of safe, state-of-the-art, and medical-grade aesthetic treatments.
Tell us about your time as an anaesthetist in the NHS
I have worked as an Anaesthetist for the NHS for over 25 years with a specialisation in Acute Pain Management and Regional Anaesthesia. Looking back at all the years, I’m grateful to have worked with something I’m very passionate about, which has also allowed me to build a robust understanding of medical procedures, standards, and most importantly, over two decades of experience to rely on.
As a doctor, your role is very people facing, which is something I enjoy and has helped me in my transition into medical aesthetics. It’s all about building a relationship with patients built on trust, integrity and experience and a relationship where I can help them feel comfortable and well-informed.
Tell us about the scientific approach you take to beauty and aesthetics
With the rise of aesthetic procedures, we have seen a great surge in practitioners offering treatments across the UK. Unfortunately, the truth is many of them are not qualified enough to consistently provide safe and adequate treatments to their patients. Aside from the low-quality courses people are undertaking, a great medical understanding is not something you build in a day, even weeks or months – it takes years.
As a Medical Aesthetic Practitioner, meaning a qualified medical professional, I’m able to leverage 25+ years of medical background to ensure I’m offering safe, top quality treatments. Knowing the anatomy of the body, in particular blood vessels, nerves, and skin, and understanding the pharmacology of the product you are using, is extremely important. You need to be able to leverage that understanding to match your patient’s expectations.
I think these are the fundamental blocks of scientific basis for medical aesthetics. To put this into context, these days you are faced with a large array of choices in the market for anything from Botox to Dermal Fillers to machine related treatments. How would you be able to make the right choice of treatment? It’s not an easy decision, and this understanding of anatomy, assessing the skin, allows me to help you make the best choices.
In your 25 years of experience, what are your favourite treatments to carry out?
When it comes to aesthetic treatments of any kind, I have one main objective: to offer my patients a unique, tailored service where I provide only the best, personalised treatments. Every patient has their own unique need and their treatment plan will be tailored accordingly to suit their desired results. Often, I recommend a long-term plan, where we work with what you have and subtly enhance your best natural features, using patient-specific tailored combination treatments.
This long-term, no rush process is what I truly enjoy the most.
What are your top tips to someone who hasn’t had any aesthetic treatments to do before they choose a doctor/treatment?
- Check the practitioners’ credentials and experience: Do your research and see if they have an appropriate background and quality training.
- Find out what people are saying: Read their online reviews to see what their past patients are saying. Also check their social media channels for results and comments.
- Always compare: Make sure to compare a few different practitioners and if possible book consultations with a few of them to compare and see who you feel more comfortable with.
- See how you feel after the consultation: Did it make me feel 100% comfortable? Ensure there is a robust consultation and a review process in place. The best practitioners will dig deep to make sure they do what is best for you and create a tailored plan to ensure the best results.
- Don’t rush your decision: take time to research your practitioner and the treatment of choice to guarantee a well-thought decision.
What are your top 3 pieces of advice for taking care of your skin at home?
The 3 main aspects I always mention are hydration, a healthy lifestyle and SPF.
Hydration – make sure you’re drinking enough water daily. This will help keep your skin hydrated, maintaining its elasticity, as well as helping your body flush out toxins that damage your skin.
Healthy Lifestyle – enjoy yourself, but try to avoid smoking, alcohol and sugar as much as you can. Incorporate exercise and healthy eating into your lifestyle as these play a great role in your skin health.
SPF Everyday – the most important preventative action you can take is to use daily SPF protection. It is a must. Make sure to choose a product that protects against both UVA and UVB rays.
What are your most popular treatments and why?
My most popular treatments are toxin (anti-wrinkle) injections, fillers, and microneedling.
I believe these are the most popular treatments as they are pretty straight forward, with little downtime, but most importantly really help create a more rejuvenated look to the face. I think as the amount of screen time people spend is increasing drastically, more and more people are seeking skin rejuvenation treatments that can give them that fresher look.
What is next for you and your aesthetic journey?
Over the past two years, I have started to focus on training and education, looking to help young practitioners take the right steps towards becoming professional and ethical aesthetic medicine providers.
There are a lot of training courses out there, some which are being taught over the internet or even by unqualified trainers, and the quality of these courses varies hugely. I hope this improves in the years to come, with a rise in robust, holistic courses performed by experienced medical professionals, who have a grasp for the artistic side of things.
I’m currently working with the American Academy of Aesthetic Medicine faculty as a trainer for international delegates attending their courses, in addition to running online training courses on the educational platform Udemy. My goal for the next couple of years is to continuously educate myself through networking and training, while constantly looking for new ways to pass on my knowledge and hopefully play a part in improving the industry.
What is the next big thing in non surgical beauty?
I like to think it’s men seeking treatment – they are becoming increasingly interested in skincare. Up until recently, 9 out 10 of all aesthetic procedures and treatments I carried out were on women and this is no longer the case. The number of cosmetic procedures performed on men has increased significantly. More men are looking for treatments to help them look less tired, more alert, and more youthful. There is more of a focus on subtle rejuvenation treatments compared to volumizing or plumping treatments, as well as a tendency towards non-invasive treatments with less downtime.
To learn more, visit: lailaaesthetics.co.uk
Imagery courtesy of Dr Anoob Pakkar-Hull.
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