As I arrived at the compact but very serene Mayfair clinic, all hot and bothered during this year’s turbo heatwave, I was met by a calm, almost bemused, Dr Hasaneen Al Janabi – or Dr Hass, as he is chummily known.
I felt both unpolished and a bit stressed, but he sort of instantly knew I needed to sit down and talk for a bit before he got any needles out.
London’s Mayfair is awash with aesthetic clinics, all promising plump skin, fat dissolving, eternal youth – whatever your weakness may be – so what makes this one any different?
Rather than a conveyor belt of Botox or hard-selling treatments on the latest but inevitable, very costly machine, Dr Hass, a member of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, actually sits and listens to your concerns with no rush – and I went on at length.
As a mum in her forties to a young child and a busy, full-time job with a long commute, I’m time poor, tired and often overwhelmed – not great ingredients for glowy, youthful skin.
So I needed a plan. Dr Hass was also honest: ditch the designer skincare in pretty bottles; I needed prescription-grade bad boys to target redness, photoaging, and lack of collagen, especially around my eyes. And it wouldn’t be overnight.
He was also honest about downtime with certain more invasive treatments – maybe not a good idea to get under-eye polynucleotides if you have an important meeting the following day.
We discussed various options, and since we only had about an hour and he wanted something with a more “instant” result, we chose an injectable skin booster packed with hyaluronic acid to improve hydration, texture, and elasticity, so my skin looks fresher, smoother, and more radiant.
Dr Hass used the Fox Pharma Autentica because he said it is “really great for precision” and contains 64mg of ultra-pure hyaluronic acid to further boost hydration.
The procedure was quick, but a bit stingy, so if your pain threshold is low, ask for numbing cream.
My skin looked fresher and clearer within a few days, and the buildable effect lasted for about a month. It’s a quick, easy and affordable hit for tired skin that can be done every six weeks or so, with no visible downtime.
More targeted treatments were needed for a complete skin overhaul – so to be continued – but what was so great about Dr Hass was his unhurried, relaxed manner and great skincare advice.
My top three questions were:
What are your top three hero treatments?
XERF laser – an advanced, non-invasive skin-tightening treatment born in Korea, plus Botox and microneedling.
Breaking down skincare, what are the three “must-haves”?
SPF factor 50, moisturiser, and a simple cleanser.
What about the dreaded photoaging and redness?
Again, I recommend SPF (to prevent worsening) and avoiding direct sunlight and sunbeds. Prevention is key! I also recommend high-strength tretinoin cream, azelaic acid for redness, and LED light therapy for anti-inflammation.
Honest, realistic, high-skilled, and efficient – I will be back.
Images courtesy of the clinic.