In this sizzling issue, Grazia’s International Beauty Editor – Kaniz Ali interviews and creatively directs award winning NHS and cosmetic doctor
DR AHMED EL MUNTASAR on his exclusive shoot. Based in London, Leeds and Cheshire UK – the Libyan born medic is the go to facial aesthetic practitioner for many.
CEO: Zahraa Saifullah
Managing Editor: Nashmia Amir Butt
Creatively Directed By Kaniz Ali
Photography By Danny Singh
Stylist: Peter Bevan
Assisted By Iman Chana
Location: Jeru, Mayfair
Interview By Kaniz Ali
KANIZ: Talk to us about your background
DR AHMED: I was born in Libya and came to the UK at 16 to study medicine, becoming the youngest foundation medical student ever at St. Andrews University in Scotland. I was the only international Arabic student on the course. Young Ahmed was pretty brave.
After completing a foundation degree and a BSc in medical sciences, I moved on to Manchester University for my medical degree. I have always been driven by a zest for learning, as a self-confessed science nerd who loves sharing knowledge, so after qualifying that lead me to UCL in London where I obtained a Masters in health professions education and medical leadership to develop my skills as an educator and trainer. But I wasn’t done there, because later, I also went on to undertake GP training.
Aesthetic medicine was not even mentioned when I was at medical school but I was introduced to the specialty by medical colleagues; ever the learner, I quickly caught up with more training courses in facial rejuvenation techniques including cosmetic injectable treatments. I opened my first aesthetic clinic in Mayfair, London in 2018, aged 26. I am also still a practising NHS general practitioner, devoting 25% of my time to primary care services.
KANIZ: What inspired you to head into the world of medicine?
DR AHMED: Growing up in Tripoli in Libya, I was aware from an early age that my home country was a developing and volatile country, with a healthcare system still in its infancy. I witnessed many health inequalities and that served as an impetus for wanting to join the world of medicine. I wanted to try and make a difference by helping and supporting my local community, and becoming a doctor seemed the best route. I set about trying to get a placement to study medicine in the UK, not an easy plan at 16, but I made it to St. Andrewsand got my head down to study and fulfil my dream.
My original plan was to return home to Tripoli once I was a qualified doctor, but sadly that took a turn thanks to repeated civil wars that broke out in Libya between 2011 and 2020, which disappointingly precluded by return due to the obvious dangers. Instead, I set about making a difference in my new home country, the UK, joining the NHS and practising in hospitals and as a GP.
KANIZ: Talk to us about your background in medicine?
DR AHMED: Whilst undertaking my medical studies and upon graduating, I covered clinicpractice in several specialisms, although my focus was very much surgical with a leaning towards plastic surgery. I participated in studies and gave presentations on various research work related to cancer, breast surgery, leg and back pain, and pelvic surgeries including bowel surgery, to mention a few.
I worked in a variety of NHS hospitals and departments including the East Lancashire Teaching Hospital where I implemented various improvements methods that were presented to foundation doctors and trust boards for implementation; this was an early opportunity for me to share my knowledge and make a meaningful impact. I slowly moved away from my original desire to specialise in plastic surgery, it just did not sit right with me, and I started training to become a general practitioner. After a ‘lightbulb’ moment thanks to some medical colleagues, I moved into aesthetic medicine when it became apparent that I could achieve some of the aesthetic goals sought by plastic surgery patients using much less invasive methods; I was back on track with my original passion, but this time, I could reduce the risk and recovery impact for my patients. That was a winning combination for me.
KANIZ: What inspired you head into the world of aesthetics?
DR AHMED: As I said, my initial ambitions at medical school, and with ongoing clinical practice and research lay in becoming a plastic surgeon, but after working and studying in the field, it just did not feel right – I wanted to focus on something that was less invasive, offered less risk, and increased safety to the patient, and that is when I was introduced to aesthetic medicine. I knew I had found my medical niche at that point, offering non-surgical methods to reach patients’ cosmetic goals.
KANIZ: Talk to us about the services you offer in both in your clinics?
DR AHMED: I specialise in non-surgical facial rejuvenation for men and women predominantly with injectable-based treatments, including botulinum toxin, dermal fillers, skin boosters, polynucleotides, collagen stimulators, and platelet rich plasma (PRP) treatments, alongside bespoke medical-grade skincare.
KANIZ: What makes you different from other aesthetic doctors?
DR AHMED: I continue to dedicate 25% of my time as an NHS general practitioner to keep me grounded in day-to-day primary care medicine. Being a GP makes me a better aesthetic practitioner with many transferable skills, particularly the fundamental patient interaction of a consultation. My consultations are a hybrid of a typical aesthetic consultation, where patients discuss skin concerns and point to their wrinkles, and a medical GP examination, checking their medications, allergies, lifestyle habits, plus present and past health concerns.
My cultural heritage means I attract ethnically diverse patients to my aesthetic clinics, exposing me to treating differing skin types and communities. This also means that I consult a wide range of patients of differing faiths and religions which can impact their treatment choices and means I need to be sympathetic with the options I can provide. For example, I understand how the permanency of results is a concern for my female Muslim patients and endeavour to provide options that will meet cosmetic needs whilst being mindful of religious convictions.
Being North African, and one of only a handful of visible doctors from that region practising aesthetics in the UK, it is important to me to represent cultural diversity and ensure gender and sexual inclusivity within aesthetics. I often work with influencers to highlight beauty in all forms.
I am strong through adversity and hope to inspire the next generation of healthcare professionals starting in medical aesthetics, particularly those who are LGBTQ+ or ethnically diverse, to show that, like me, you can be openly gay and non-native yet representative and successful, without prejudice.
KANIZ: What is your favourite treatment on patients and why?
DR AHMED: My favourite treatment is full facial rejuvenation, using hyaluronic acid based dermal fillers to harmonise and rebalance the face, restoring beautifying proportions.
Treatment can involve the temples, forehead, the mid-face including the cheeks, tear troughs under the eyes, smile lines and marionette lines around the mouth, lips, chin, and jawline – all the areas which may be lacking in contouring, shaping, or natural volume, which can be restored with careful placement of hyaluronic acid gels. The results are quite striking.
KANIZ: How do you make your clients feel at ease and comfortable?
DR AHMED: I find that being a practising general practitioner often puts my aesthetic patients immediately at ease. It’s a huge positive for the patient-doctor relationship because as well as being medically trained as a GP, I am a highly trained aesthetic practitioner, and this reassurance is important to them, especially with the lack of regulation in the UK wherelay practitioners can legally pick up a needle.
Some medical professionals also take the leap into aesthetic medicine quite early into their primary medical career, so they are not building up their background in clinical practice skills or going on to do further sector specific upskilling before treating patients – many complete only the necessary foundational aesthetic injectable training required for medical indemnity insurance. Whereas I can demonstrate a significant history in NHS hospital practice, and general practice, alongside much more extensive ongoing learning in advanced aesthetic techniques, across differing product types, and the management of complications.
I champion good medical practice, patient safety and patient care when practising aesthetic treatments, and my patients seek me out because of it.
I have quite a bubbly personality too – you can probably spot that from my social media posts – and this also helps me make patients feel relaxed as we chat during consultation and treatment.
KANIZ: What are the treatments your clients love having from you?
DR AHMED: Patients love a multi-layered approach, starting with medical grade skincare to improve skin health and skin quality, moving on to injectable treatments to rebuild, reshape, and recontour the facial structures underlying the skin.
I like to think of the whole face as being a little bit like a cake – with the frosting or icing on the top layer being where we can use topical skincare products to maximise the smoothness of the surface, the skin being our first impression of how a ‘cake’ looks. Then we can use skin boosters, dermal fillers, anti-wrinkle injections with botulinum toxin, or laser treatments to improve the deeper structural layers of the dermis, or the sponge cake, adding volume between the dermal layers, which would be the jam between the sponges.This multi-layered approach creates the ‘showstopper’ result of full facial rejuvenation.
KANIZ: Describe your approach to developing an individualized treatment plan for each patient
DR AHMED: Everyone’s needs and desires are different, so you really must talk to your patients, but more importantly, you must listen.
Being a GP means that I’m highly adept at using the ICE consultation concept (Ideas, Concerns and Expectations) to understand the motivations people have for seeking cosmetic treatment to avoid poor diagnosis and overtreatment. This makes me a better aesthetic practitioner and I can combine my aesthetic consultation with the more medical examination of a GP for a thorough and well-documented experience that looks at medical history, lifestyle, psychology, skin concerns and cosmetic goals before I recommend and deliver a treatment plan that is holistic and suitable for the patient.
KANIZ: How do you handle a patient who has unrealistic expectations for their aesthetic outcome?
DR AHMED: It’s not always easy to spot people who have unrealistic expectations from potential treatment outcomes, but you can often get an idea when they explain their initial concerns to you, especially if they are very minor in nature, or if they believe that treatment will help them get a job promotion, appease or attract a partner. I’m afraid in those cases, it’s a no from me.
For this reason, I use mental health screening, incorporating questions from the Body Dysmorphic Disorder questionnaire, to identify underlying psychological issues or unrealistic body image concerns. This helps to assess a person’s emotional stability and readiness for the physical and emotional challenges of aesthetic treatments, and whether they have realistic expectations and will be genuinely satisfied with the treatment outcome. If they are not suitable, I will decline and can refer them onwards to mental health services if appropriate. I have quite a high ‘no’ rate and am not ashamed to admit it; patient safety is why I say no.
KANIZ: What is the best treatment for fat loss and why would you recommend that particular treatment?
DR AHMED: I don’t personally perform a lot of treatments for fat loss, because it’s not my primary area of expertise, so I wouldn’t like to comment on what is best, because that can be very patient specific.
However, I do use fat dissolving injections like Aqualyx which harness the power of well-studied enzymes to help reduce localised, stubborn pockets of fat that are resistant to diet and exercise in those patients who have a good diet and healthy lifestyle, but just cannot get rid of some small deposits that bother them greatly. The results can be quite amazing.
KANIZ: What does your clinic specialise in and what are you most known for?
DR AHMED: I am most known for specialising in treating the area around the eyes – so-called tear trough treatments. I use dermal filler products with mid-face support to reduce the hollows under the eyes that can appear darker and more ageing.
Patients also seek me out for non-surgical rhinoplasty, the liquid nose job, which is another specialty that uses injections of hyaluronic acid gels to correct bumps, dips, or irregularitiesalong the bridge of the nose to create a straighter profile or raise and reshape the nasal tip.This is an advanced treatment technique that carries additional risks due to the anatomy of the nose and requires considerable additional training. It is a popular non-surgical option for those who do not want surgical nose correction, which can be quite invasive, with much more downtime, and I enjoy being able to see the difference it can make to someone’s confidence.
KANIZ: How do you manage home life and a very busy work life?
DR AHMED: This is probably one of my biggest struggles, and a common complaint with business owners in every walk of life.
Finding time outside of work to spend with friends and family can be very difficult. I can say that I am ‘working on it’, and my partner will attest to how much of a battle it can be for me to balance home and work more evenly. I do try and find time every day to decompress and be ‘normal’, enjoying time together, without thinking about work, answering emails or calls. I really do try!
KANIZ: Describe a typical week in the world of Dr Ahmed?
DR AHMED: During a typical week, I split my work and clinics into different days. Mondays are for admin and content creation for my social media. I have a studio at home that I use to shoot long and short-form video content with top tips and advice for my audience, and reaction to trends or things in the press across Instagram, TikTok, and You Tube. Mondays may also be a day that I’m involved in PR or press information events. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays are my clinic days at my cosmetic clinic locations in London, Leeds, and Chesire where I see patients for consultations and treatments; Tuesdays are also GP surgery days.
I see aesthetic treatment patients from all over the world, many for the London clinic have travelled to see me, especially because the transport infrastructure makes it so easy; they come from Indian, Pakistan, American, the Middle East, and Europe. I love seeing and treating such diverse patients. My clinic days are long, well into the early evening, but I enjoy them greatly. Fridays allow me to catch up on anything I didn’t get done on Monday!
One or two weekends per month, I am usually travelling to conferences in the UK, Europe, or further afield either to present as a speaker and share my knowledge, or to soak up as much new learning and innovative thinking as I can from those in the same specialty who also love to educate.
KANIZ: If Ahmed was not a doctor, what would he be?
DR AHMED: That is quite a tough question, and not something I have ever considered.
I have always had a logical, science-driven mind, so maybe if I was not a doctor, I would have followed in the footsteps of my father and become an engineer.
My father was a civil engineer who was involved in construction projects across Tripoli, especially after many periods of war time destruction. My underlying desire to help people – and why I was drawn to medicine – could easily have led me down the engineering route too. Although, I think my DIY skills show that I chose the right profession in the end.
KANIZ: How do you maintain a healthy work, life balance?
DR AHMED: Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is very important but, as we have established, also very difficult. I try to make time to write a journal and go to the gym, spend time with friends and family, and to have time to relax and do nothing so I can recharge my batteries and support my mental health.
KANIZ: You have won many awards, a huge congratulations. Talk to us about your lead up to it.
DR AHMED: I have been blessed and lucky to have won several awards including Rising Star and Best Aesthetic Practitioner (London) at the 2020 British Aesthetics Awards and the Safety in Beauty Rising Star Award in 2022. I am currently a finalist for two Safety in Beauty Awards to be announced later this year, including Best Doctor 2024.
Behind the awards is many years of hard work in the lead up to getting the recognition and plaudits from my peer group; that is the part that people don’t see, it is a long journey, you don’t just win.
I am also proud to think that my wins might inspire the next generation of youngsters -seeing that I came to the UK from Libya, aged 16, on my own, studied medicine and worked very hard to prove I could achieve this level of acknowledgement for my work. I want others to know that they can do it too.
KANIZ: What’s the best advice you would give about skin boosters?
DR AHMED: Skin boosters are one of the specialty treatments that I do in my clinics. My favourite product is Stylage HydroMax from Vivacy which combines pure hyaluronic acid with antioxidants to help improve skin hydration, glossiness, and elasticity, to tighten and brighten the skin.
I recently undertook a Double Boost Skin Renewal treatment trial where thirty patients received a combination of Stylage Hydro and Stylage HydroMax to evaluate improvements in hydration and elasticity of the face, neck, decollete, and back of the hand. Following two treatments, hydration levels improved by 55% and skin glossiness by 400%. My patients said they felt more confident in their own skin and noticed improvement in texture and fine lines and wrinkles, as well as hydration. Honestly, the results are incredible, my patients love it and even better, it can last for up to a year, so they get amazing value from this treatment.
