STORY Aesthetics provide accessible anti-wrinkle and rejuvenation treatments for the face through injectable and no-needle options through a holistic approach to aesthetics. STORY is led by expert aesthetic doctors in Marylebone, London and Southwell, Nottingham and is the only aesthetic clinic where all medical staff have a Level 7 Qualification in cosmetic injectables.
We caught up with Dr Emily Mehta to find out more about STORY and the world of non surgical facial aesthetics.
Dr Emily Mehta
How did it all start?
Story was launched 2 years ago when myself, my husband and my brother in law (we are all aesthetic doctors) decided to create a clinic brand that focused on specialist facial injectable treatments whilst also providing holistic treatment plans. Together we also own and run the UK’s largest cosmetic medical school – teaching other doctors how to perform injectable cosmetic treatments. Prior to Story we each had our own separate clinical practice that we offered alongside our academic and training work.
What makes STORY different?
Story is focused on our area of expertise – non surgical facial aesthetics. All of our staff are full time specialists in the treatments that they perform which is actually very unusual in this industry. We believe that to be excellent at something you have to firstly be educated to the highest standard and then secondly to perform a lot of the treatments that you offer. Our medical staff are also all professional educators who alongside their work at Story teach other practitioners as part of medical aesthetics courses and qualifications.
Tell us about the holistic approach you take to aesthetics from consultation to follow up
Our holistic approach refers both to the care of the individual and to the type of treatments offered. Everyone has their own quite personal reason for seeking cosmetic treatments and understanding that ‘Story’ is essential to give them best results – because the ultimate result is how they feel about their aesthetic result!
We start with a thorough ‘getting to know you’ consultation and jointly work out a treatment plan that suits the patients needs. Skin and aesthetic treatments are not permanent and so working out an ongoing maintenance plan is part of the process – providing a single treatment in a simple transaction has little value in the long term. During the patients journey through their treatment plan we will provide multiple touch points for follow up appointments (which are always free) and post treatment check-in calls.
The treatment plan itself also has a holistic aspect to it; most of our patients visit us because they want to address skin and facial shape changes that arise from the ageing process. The face is constructed of many layers (epidermis, dermis, subcutaneous fat, muscle, deep fat, bone) which all age simultaneously and in different ways – if only one of these layers is treated then it is unlikely that best results will be achieved and so we recommend treatments that take these multiple factors into consideration, often combining devices such as laser with injectables and skincare.
What treatments can men have at STORY and why should they come to you?
All of the treatments that we offer can be suitable for men – men have the same skin concerns that women do. However the treatment techniques often need to be adapted to account for the difference in skin thickness and texture and the different facial aesthetic proportions. Male vs female facial aesthetics is a science all of its own but unfortunately many practitioners out there are not skilled or educated enough to treat male faces appropriately. At Story Aesthetics our staff are not only educated on this to a high level but are even involved in teaching others who to adapt treatments for the male face.
STORY is the only aesthetic clinic where all medical staff have a Level 7 Qualification in cosmetic injectables. How does that make a difference to patients?
In the UK we have a completely unregulated industry (unlike most of the rest of the world) which means that cosmetic practitioners need no medical background and no more than one days training in order to legally inject facial implants that when performed incorrectly can have quite terrifying consequences.
This is a huge public safety issue and is one that I feel very strongly about – this is the reason why I have made aesthetics education the focus of my career. The only way that patients can feel truly confident that they are in safe hands is to know that their practitioner is a medical professional who can prescribe the appropriate medication, who has been trained to the required standard and has passed the relevant qualification to prove it.
The Level 7 qualification is the only postgraduate qualification specifically focused on Cosmetic Injectables in the UK but so far only about 10% of practitioners in the country have one. At Story all of our doctors have achieved this qualification – we are the first clinic in the UK to have this as our minimum standard, we hope others will follow.
You and the other doctors are all also trainers in aesthetic treatments. What does that mean for patient care?
I think there are two main advantages to having a practitioner who is also a trainer. One is that we have to constantly keep our skills and knowledge up to date and up to scratch in order to teach. In a rapidly evolving, innovative field like aesthetics this is important so you can rest assured that we ‘know what we’re doing’. The second is that we are good at communicating; we will explain the treatments thoroughly and answer as many questions as you have in a way that is understandable with minimal medical jargon.
Tell us about the STORY guarantee
The Story guarantee is our promise of best practice to our patients for their safety and care. They are a list of things that any good clinic should already always be doing but that patients are often not aware of. For example we promise to always be accessible – we have a phone line that can reach one of our senior doctors on any evening or day that the clinic is closed (including Sundays and Bank Holidays) so that if one of our patients is concerned about something related to their treatment they can always talk to someone.
What is the future for aesthetic treatments in the UK?
I think that the future for aesthetics in the UK will be influenced by changing standards in education. Already there are signs of legal changes coming into play later this year which will require practitioners to have a specific license to offer treatments and to obtain this license they will need to have a qualification. The general standard and safety of cosmetic injectable treatments across the UK definitely has a lot of room to improve and better knowledge and skill of the practitioner is what is needed to raise the bar. Additionally I see year on year the concept of cosmetic treatments becoming less ‘taboo’ and more widely accepted – this openness is a good thing in general but it also has meant that younger and younger patients are seeking treatment which is not always right for them. At Story our minimum age is 25 rather than the legal minimum of 18 but in practice we very rarely treat anyone under 30.
To discover more, visit: storyclinics.com
All imagery courtesy of STORY Aesthetic Results.
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