The master of the Tweakment, Dr Roman can transform a face with the subtlest of touch to give an incredible ‘untreated’ look. Ever discreet, he will not reveal any of his celebrity clients (and rightly so) but given the A-List celeb that walked through the door when I was there – with her totally natural looking face – I can only imagine how his client list reads! I think I’ve found the guy responsible for all of those ‘how does she look so good?’ women!
French born and originally an A&E doctor, Dr Roman has all the finesse, straight-talking, know-how you can only wish for in your aesthetic doctor.
Hello, Dr Roman and welcome to StyleNest! You’ve been an Aesthetic Doctor for many years now, can you tell us what changes you have seen (positive and negative!) in this time?
The main change we have seen, is that a lot of people want to do have these procedures done! When I first started, there was like a ‘social guilt’ associated with having these procedures done, whereas now, people are almost proud about the work they have. This enthusiasm is a generally a great thing, however, with the accessibility of these treatments now, we have to be careful that the enthusiasm doesn’t fall into the excessive.
Another positive change we have seen is the security of the filler we use; 15-20 years ago, the quality of the product was an issue. The introduction of Hyaluronic Acid filler, a molecule already present in the body (along with the education of the doctors and the techniques) has brought an incredible amount of safety to the procedures.
How would you describe the French aesthetic approach compared to that of the ‘Instagram/Love Island look’ we are seeing more and more of?
The French have a very subtle approach to beauty; their objective is not to ‘change’ but simply to enhance. We, French, embrace the human body as a life, not as an object. The Instagram look you talk of is more like a doll – an object. It may be a pretty doll, but we are humans not dolls! We communicate with people, not objects, and so much of our beauty is shown in the way we connect to one another.
The anti-ageing aspect of our treatments and improving the quality of the skin is far more important than aesthetic changes, we love to maintain a natural look that enhances the personality of our patients.
What is your opinion on people in their teens and early 20s having injectables and aesthetic work done?
In my opinion it is fun! Young people have broken that barrier of ‘embarrassment’ about having aesthetic treatments, they have a much more relaxed attitude towards it which makes it enjoyable. I support young people wanting to do these types of treatments as long as they put their safety first and are educated by the doctor about what they are doing. Again, their treatments should be about enhancing, not changing. It is a yes from me, let’s enjoy life!
Many of the younger clientele are ‘showing off’ the work they have done now, announcing it on their social channels, as opposed to the generation before that denied all ‘work’ no matter how apparent it was! What is your opinion on this?
It shows how relaxed and more accepting society is about this form of self-care now and that is good. The thing that worries me about this, is when people are having these treatments done in an unsafe environment and are promoting this. The freedom non-medical people have to promote their aesthetic business (more so than doctors) is also a concern, the ‘influence’ they hold is often stronger than the training they have obtained, ‘influence’ should not be the deciding factor when choosing a practioner.
But! if it is a safe product, in a safe environment, and the person is expressing their happiness, it is a very positive thing.
The recent influx of quick training courses (for injectables) available to non-medically trained people is a hot topic at the moment. I, personally, do not agree with this and only recommend having these types of treatments done by somebody with a medical background. Can you explain to our readers the pitfalls of having injectables by someone without medical training?
First, I should say, as a doctor I am a little bit surprised about this situation. An injection is an injection! It is a medical treatment that should be undertaken by a medically trained person. A penetration into the body without medical knowledge of the body, is dangerous, presenting risks with irreversible consequences. Recently, we have seen an explosion of very dramatic problems on members of the public that we were not seeing before (sic) before so many non-medically trained people were offering these treatments, including blindness and necrosis (death of the skin cells – resulting in skin loss and scarring).
The big issue isn’t necessarily about the ‘look’ of the treatment, the big problem is; do they know how to deal with (and quickly treat) a problem if it arises? They do not have the background knowledge and training of a medical practitioner to be able to directly deal with problems quickly and effectively.
Doctors are regulated very well, nowadays most of them carry out a 2 years medical training course to be able to undertake this type of work, including the psychology of the patient which is incredibly important when you are dealing with the well-being of the patient – these treatments must support the physical and mental well-being of the patient and a part of our training as Doctors is identifying when NOT to do a treatment for the benefit of our patient. The products we use now are incredibly safe as long as they are in the right hands.
Are you able to correct all aesthetic mishaps?
No! It is a pity but, no. We can fix a lot, we can improve many things but we cannot regain the sight of a patient that has been blinded due to filler being injected into a blood vessel, and sadly this is something we are seeing more and more often (*this problem is not restricted to filler being injected around the eyes) anyone can use a scalpel but it is only safe in the hands of a surgeon – it always comes back to proper training.
We cannot fully heal the damage caused by necrosis, although we can sometimes improve the appearance of the scar it leaves – it is ironic that often people choose to go to someone less qualified based on cost when the cost of corrective work can become so much more.
We are seeing slightly less problems now from ‘bad product’ but it does still exist because these types of practioners are not regulated in the way that doctors are.
There are SO many positive and confidence building aspects to aesthetic treatments, do you have a favourite treatment for making clients feel great about themselves?
I LOVE the mesotherapy because it is a treatment for the quality of your skin and your radiancy. It is such a simple treatment that gives fast and fantastic results. When you feel good about your skin, it really improves your confidence and quality of life overall. It can do really amazing things for people!
What treatments do you expect to be doing more of in 2020?
First of all, Ultrasound. This is amazing, on the condition that you have a great machine, and of course, a well-trained doctor! With my Double Lift, for example, you can impact the muscles and contract them without surgery – on the face and on the body. It is a non-invasive treatment, with virtually no side effects, and it works! The demand for this has exploded in the past two years because it is such a fantastic treatment, tightening the skin and the muscles, in previously hard-to-treat areas, so effectively with no downtime.
Secondly, Temple Filler. By increasing the volume here, you really wake up the look of the entire face – you can take off 5-10 years, it is incredible! The radiancy it gives is magical. As we age, we lose volume in the face but by putting back a small amount of volume in the temples, you can create a mini-lift and rejuvenate the eye area – this is very beautiful, the eyes are where you see the soul of a person.
I imagine the possibilities for aesthetic work will continue to grow and (hopefully) give better and more natural results, often taking our lead from Hollywood. Which Hollywood stars, in your opinion, do you think are having the best aesthetic work at the moment?
I would say the ones that I treat – they are looking good! But I never discuss my patients. I will not comment on other people’s work either, everyone deserves their privacy, but also, there is not ‘one beauty’ it doesn’t exist, we all have a different opinion of what is beautiful.
Lastly, what treatments/trends will you be glad to see the back of?!
I would say the big lips. I love that the young are doing their lips, I think it is positive and it is a great treatment but right now it is excessive. People are hiding behind the lips and it is not benefitting them – huge lips do not make you look better! So, I would love that to reduce a bit. Lip enhancement can add so much beauty to the face when it is not so disproportionate.
Thank you for your time Dr Roman!
For an appointment please call 0207 323 2123