Film stars and the rich have always been partial to a bit of cosmetic enhancement whether it’s Botox, fillers or skin peels.

But now – due to more acceptance of enhancements and falling prices of treatments – it’s becoming more common among the general public.

“It’s growing so fast it’s frightening,” says Dr Ravi Jandhyala who set up Enhance, a medispa offering everything from blow-drys to facelifts, in Banbury 18 months ago.

As well as surgical options, the clinic offers a host of other medical aesthetic treatments.

“They are a lower cost than surgical procedures and require less downtime. Most treatments take up to an hour out of the average client’s day and can be fitted in around other diary commitments easily,” he says.

His clients, mainly women aged 35 to 55, turn to him for a variety of reasons.

They vary from professional women to ladies who lunch and those who have a younger partner. And about one in seven people wanting botulinum toxin are men.

The common denominator seems to be having disposable income to spend on looking good and making the most of your assets.

Celebrities too have an influence on what people are looking for.

“Invariably famous people do influence, to one degree or another, which treatments become popularised,” says Dr Jandhyala. “Cheryl Cole, at one time, was a celebrity that women in their 30s wanted to emulate, she was especially attractive for her lips and white teeth.”

But while a lot can be done, there are limits.

“Don’t think you’re going to walk out looking like Linda Evangelista,” warns Dr Janhyala, who goes on to say most people are realistic about what can be achieved.

He has devised the Treat-To-Goal (TTG) approach using photographs to illustrate start points and treatment goals to better inform clients what to expect and provide a means of measuring the success. This provides a greater degree of clarity than simply saying ‘Your wrinkles will get better’,” he says.

But even if you don’t end up looking like a supermodel, he is convinced those who enhance their looks are happier afterwards – and not just with their appearance.

The doctor, who qualified from Imperial College School of Medicine in 1999 and was awarded membership of the Royal College of Surgeons of Glasgow in 2004, recently published a paper claiming the latest in botulinum toxin type A technology – to reduce frown lines, crow’s feet and wrinkles – has a significantly positive effect on many other areas of the patient’s life.

His research, involving 53 women with an average age of 39.5 years, showed those whose appearance had been enhanced by the treatment reported that the quality of their life had been enriched in primary areas.

“Family, work, finance, relationships and health were the five most frequently cited areas of life deemed most important to individuals at the start of the process. Others listed included appearance, social life, friends, marriage, pets and religion,” says Dr Jandhyala.

“Patients identified the five areas of greatest importance to them, weighted the areas as to their relative importance and also rated them on a visual scale before treatment.

“They went through this exercise again 28 days later. It was interesting that while they focused on the same fields they felt important before treatment, a number introduced new areas in which positive change was noticed.

“For some, priorities had altered and other areas of personal importance had markedly improved.

“Overall quality of life scores had advanced in addition to the more obvious increase in satisfaction with their appearance.”

Quality of life is important to him, he’s married to aesthetic nurse Sonia – the couple met when they were both working at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital – and they have three children, Luca, six, Sophia, five, and Theo, three.

Dr Jandhyala put his ambitions to own his own business on hold to concentrate on his family when Luca was born with Apert Syndrome (which stops bones growing properly) and Sturge-Weber Syndrome (characterised by port wine stains to the face).

When he and Sonia, originally from Cirencester, decided the time was right to move from London they found the former doctors’ surgery in Horse Fair on the internet and “fell in love with it”.

Luca now attends Frank Wise School in Banbury and Enhance recently raised £2,000 for the school with a fashion show.

Another keen area of interest (and worry) for Dr Jandhyala is the lack of regulation around medical cosmetic treatments. He has set up the United Kingdom Society for the Study of Aesthetic Medicine (UKSSAM) with the aim of promoting best practice in the use of toxin, dermal filler and laser treatments. In the meantime he warns those considering a quick wrinkle fix: “The most important thing is to go to a reputable clinic/practitioner and avoiding ‘botox parties’ and being injected anywhere other than a clinic.

“Talking to existing clients of a practitioner is invaluable and gives a good first hand indication their actual results instead of those from a magazine or website.”

 

MARRIED TO A COSMETIC SURGEON

When I tell people what my husband does, the reaction is always: ‘what do you have done?’ or ‘how wonderful to have all of those treatments at your fingertips’,” says Sonia Jandhyala, who is an aesthetic nurse at Enhance.
“I always tell them I have tried all our treatments, because I feel that to perform a treatment on somebody, it is important to know how it feels, and the only way of knowing is to try it.
“I work with our philosophy, which is to look as natural as possible.
“Having had three children in quick succession, with all the associated stresses and strains, I have Botox regularly. It just gives me that freshness in my face that all those sleepless nights have taken away.
“I have also had laser hair removal, which is great, provided I have the time to fit in my own treatments. My most favourite treatment at the moment though has to be ProShock Ice. I have been using it on my stomach to help regain my post babies body, alongside pilates and a healthy diet.
“I think it is fair to say that being married to a cosmetic surgeon has its perks, provided, that is, I can pin him down!”

 

TRIED AND TESTED

Walking into a clinic specialising in a wide range of aesthetics procedures, cosmetic treatments and specialist cosmetic dentistry can be a little daunting.

But while the staff look just as polished as you’d expect in an establishment which also features a hair studio, health spa, make-up and beauty centre, they offer a warm and friendly welcome.

I was there to try Proshock Ice, a new way to “melt away” fat and cellulite, a non-invasive, painless treatment with instant results.

The clinic believes it is the first in the country to offer the treatment.

The science behind it was explained to me but put simply - apparently, all your fat cells are frozen and then shattered by ultra-sound.

First a device to freeze the cells was put on my stomach and sides numerous times for a minute at a time. Then another machine was passed over which lived up to its description of being like elastic being flicked gently on the skin.

It was quick, easy... and I lost nearly an inch around my stomach.

Being a cynical journalist, I’d measured myself before going and after leaving and was delighted to find my scepticism unfounded. The inch came off and stayed off. Result! - Jaine Blackman 

Proshock Ice costs £2,000 for up to six treatments.

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