How Do Beauty and Aesthetic/Cosmetic Medicine differ?

When it comes to beauty and aesthetic medicine, there can often be some confusion as to how they differ. When we think of ‘beauty’, we generally think of anything that can help to make our appearance more ‘aesthetic’ according to the media or what we personally perceive beauty to be. 

Everyone has a different perception of beauty. Put simply, beautifying something is making it look prettier. With beauty practices, we generally think about make-up, tanning beds, fake lashes, eyebrow threading, face masks, waxing, along and other ‘beautifying’ practices. 

Aesthetic medicine sometimes gets lumped into the same category, when it is actually an entirely different area of expertise. Aesthetic Medicine is now defined as:a sub speciality of medical and surgical practice comprising a comprehensive group of health interventions, including preventative, minimally invasive and operative procedures involving human tissues, performed by duly qualified and registered medical, dental and advanced nurse practitioners, in order to maintain, improve or restore physical, psychological and/or social wellbeing of patients, using techniques which combine both medical and aesthetic considerations for the patient.

Aesthetic medicine takes a more medical and scientific approach, looking at the structure of the skin and delving deeper into how your body functions. From a medical perspective, understanding what goes on within your body can help aesthetic practitioners to determine the cause of the problem and then plan a solution best suited to your health and wellbeing. Unlike beauty, aesthetic medicine is essential for maintaining and improving the health of your skin from within, not just what can be seen from the outside. Beautifying practices are more likely to take a surface-level approach that doesn’t always satisfy our complex needs.

Another point to make here is that aesthetic medicine isn’t fundamentally about ‘beauty’. Of course, aesthetic treatments can help you to feel more ‘beautiful’ but there is a clear distinction between feeling more beautiful and feeling healthier. Investing in aesthetic medicine is all about taking time for yourself and trusting that your aesthetic doctor will always give you all the knowledge and advice so that you can make an informed choice having explored the pros and cons of proceeding with any skin treatment.  As we age, we often become more tired-looking and haggard, which can make us feel insecure. Finding the right aesthetic treatment for you can help to refresh your skin, making you feel more like your old self again. 

At Cosmetier, we are committed to clinically assessing a patient to bring back what has been lost through the ageing process. This assessment and diagnosis specific to your skin ageing pattern is absolutely essential for you to attain the most effective treatment for you. Words and phrases that are frequently used in the aesthetics industry like ‘enhancing’ or ‘transforming’ can sometimes mislead people. Here, we don’t aim to change your natural appearance, we only seek to boost confidence through restoring balance to your facial profile and health to your skin so that you feel better about yourself.

Why is it important to understand these two concepts?Why is it important to understand these two concepts?

The reason why you need to grasp the difference between beauty and aesthetic medicine is because it will help you to figure out what you truly want and who you trust to deliver the treatment and be there for you post treatment. Beauty certainly has its place in helping us to feel better about ourselves and can even improve our health in the short term; for example, if you choose to wear make-up, this can make you feel less self conscious, leading to less stress, which therefore positively impacts your wellbeing and your skin too.

The problem with solely relying on beauty practices is that you can get caught up in what’s trending in the media; this means that those who are interested in looking like a particular celebrity might get skincare advice from Tiktok and Youtube videos. However, searching for these tips and tricks is not always the best way to solve an ongoing problem. Ultimately, beautifying practices help you to feel better on the outside and aesthetic medicine helps you to feel better on the inside as well on the outside.  

It is a similar concept to losing weight. When you decide that you want to be thinner, it’s easy to look for a quick fix that will solve all your problems within a matter of days; that’s why often people look for a miraculous formula like diet pills which promise to transform their bodies into the stuff of dreams. 

The truth is, we know the best way to lose weight is to eat a healthy, well-balanced diet and exercise regularly. It is the exact same idea with your skin. To achieve healthy, glowing, and refreshed-looking skin, you need to think about what is going on inside. This is why having a consultation with Dr Sharma is such an important first step. She can help you to better understand your skin and make an informed choice about which treatment is best for you. It may seem like the more boring option compared to a 3 day transformation, but it ensures that you look and feel better in the long term.

“It’s Not Just About The Skin”

Another key idea to get your head around is that aesthetic medicine is not just about skin. We are looking at what’s underneath the skin and how we can restore and protect the supporting structure. Rather than treating the superficial aspects of the skin that you can see, we clinically assess what’s going on.. An aesthetic doctor must look beyond the surface and consider both medical science and art.

When we think of skincare in terms of beauty, there is often a relaxing element to it; for example, you might enjoy a spa day getting facial massages and a dead sea mud mask. Again, this may be beneficial for your mental health, making you feel soothed and calm, but it doesn’t treat the skin as a medical professional would. 

It’s Not Just About The SkinProcedures like the Hydrafacials can also be relaxing, but they do fall under the aesthetic medicine umbrella because they have a medical component to them. A Hydrafacial, differs from a beauty treatment as it penetrates deep under the surface of your skin, looking to improve circulation, drain lymph nodes and remove toxins.

Aesthetic medicine takes a systemic approach, analysing the internal goings on of your body and figuring out how to improve it. People can sometimes look like they are tired, haggard or unwell because of what is happening to them internally. Whenever you have digestive problems or you are feeling anxious or stressed, this is reflected in your skin. Beauty practices (like make-up) can cover up these breakouts, but aesthetic medicine can holistically resolve the issue from within. At Cosmetier, we help you to feel beautiful on the inside as well as reversing the signs of aging which make your skin look better on the outside.

What can you expect from Dr Sharma as your Aesthetic Doctor?

If you were going to the doctor to discuss a medical issue, you would expect a certain level of knowledge and expertise and it is the exact same with aesthetic medicine. As aesthetic practitioners, we have accountability to whoever comes through our clinic doors. There are certain rules and regulations that we must abide by so that our patients always feel safe and care for. 

In every consultation, Dr. Sharma deals with every patient in a medical & professional manner. First things first, she listens to what is really bothering you so that she can get the bottom of the issue. You know your body more than anyone else because you are experiencing it, so you know if there is something that isn’t quite right. Just like your GP, Dr Sharma will listen to your symptoms, concerns and worries to try and figure out the best course of action. When you come to our clinic, we want you to know that you are in a safe, judgement-free space. As with all Medical professionals Dr. Sharma is bound by confidentiality. So, whatever is said in your consultation stays in the consultation. We understand that our patients can feel vulnerable when talking about their faces, but you can open up to Dr. Sharma and know that you are in safe hands.

Dr. Sharma is an expert in the field of aesthetic medicine and is committed to delivering the highest quality of patient care; she is registered with SaveFace, as well as being regulated by other authorities such as the General Dental Council. She is a member of the Royal College of Surgeons (Eng)  and spent 3 years at university getting her Masters (MSc) in Non- surgical Facial Aesthetics. When you have your consultation, you might initially ask to have  treatment in one area but after a thorough analysis by Dr.Sharma, you may realise that you need a different treatment in another area to get the effect you are really looking for.

At the end of the day, the beauty industry certainly plays a crucial role in helping you to feel more confident, but if you want to scratch below the surface and get long term results while still being you, book your consultation with  Dr. Sharma. The consultation really is the most important step in getting all the information that you need to make an informed choice as to what treatment is best suited for your skin. Book a free video consultation here.