Beauty procedures: How beautiful is beautiful enough?

I knew right from the beginning of my studies that I wanted to pursue aesthetic medicine. Beauty and aesthetics have always fascinated me – whether it's architecture, interior design, cooking, or physical appearance.

I've tried several of the minimally invasive treatments I offer as a doctor—botulinum toxin, hyaluronic acid, and thread lifts. The first time was at 26, when I had my first forehead wrinkles treated. Once you start, you usually keep going—that's true for 99 percent of my patients, including me. Nevertheless, I'm a big fan of naturalness. My goal isn't to change faces, but to gently treat the visible signs of aging.

These days, more and more young women are coming to my practice, sometimes even minors with their mothers. I draw a clear line in the sand and refuse treatment. They may then go to another practice, but I still take the time to talk to them. These young girls are naturally beautiful! It's precisely their imperfections and individual characteristics that make them so charming—and that's exactly what should be preserved. I believe that the fact that women today often look very similar due to medical procedures is the wrong approach.

I talk a lot with my patients because I want to understand what they want. Often it's just a small change that helps them feel more confident – ​​before a job interview, after a breakup, or simply to regain more self-confidence. And often that works. But sometimes you realize that the dissatisfaction lies deeper and an intervention wouldn't change it. In such cases, I consciously advise waiting.

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When you work in aesthetic medicine, your own perception naturally shifts, and standards become higher. Nevertheless, I wouldn't say I'm particularly critical of my appearance. I try to stay grounded. And the fact that I don't have much time to look in the mirror in my everyday life is actually a good thing.

At the moment, I wouldn't have any major surgery done on myself. But if something bothers me too much at some point, I can certainly imagine it. But I don't have a problem with getting older in general. It's just about feeling a little more comfortable—and what's wrong with that?

Brigitte