I have had Dr Ahmed’s number saved in my phone for a few years – keeping it safe as my secret beauty insurance policy. He was the first to introduce me to Botox years ago, and while the results were satisfyingly subtle, I didn’t immediately tumble into the injectables spiral. Instead, I stuck to my SPF evangelism and flirted with every non-invasive laser that promised me post-facial bounce and angelic glow (for about 48 hours at a time).

Then just like that, autumn arrived, and after months of plane travel, late nights and hotel air-con – which may sound glamorous, but actually is the kiss of death for healthy skin, I realised I needed a serious pick me up. And as November is my birthday month, rather than hide my head in the sand, I knew that some preventative action was needed!.

So I booked in with Dr A at his gleaming new clinic just off Bond Street – all townhouse chic – like a Mayfair Beauty Members’ club – flattering lighting and calm efficiency. We discussed the mission: not a new face, just a fresher version of my own. A lift in spirit (and brow), a smoothing of lines earned not through age but through sheer over-commitment to good living. Baby Botox was the prescription – ultra-targeted and almost offensively painless.

Ten minutes later, I was back in Mayfair shopping for birthday treats, feeling smugly like someone who sleeps eight hours and drinks warm lemon water, despite all evidence to the contrary.

And the results? As any respectable aesthetics devotee will tell you, the best tweakments are the ones people can’t quite place. Friends said I looked “rested” and “really well.” No one mentioned needles!

Of course, timing is everything. Autumn isn’t just for knitwear and existential reset. It’s also prime injectables season – lower UV, calmer diaries, and just enough lead-in before festive gatherings to settle into that “Who, me? I woke up like this” radiance. Plan your tweakments now and glide into winter socials looking quietly excellent rather than trying to panic-polish a stressed-out face in late December.

In an industry that can veer from cartoonish to clinical, Dr Ahmed sits in that elusive sweet spot: medically rigorous, aesthetically restrained, and refreshingly human. The sort of doctor who won’t let you overdo it,  which, frankly, is worth its weight in hyaluronic acid.

Call it maintenance, call it self-respect.  Either way, consider this your sign to time your glow-up wisely and keep good numbers in your phonebook.

Book your appointment with Dr Ahmed here

7 Duke Street, Mayfair, London, W1K 5NX