GRAZIA’s international beauty editor Kaniz Ali glams up and interviews dental surgeon and facial practitioner Dr Yusra Al Mukhtar
The multi award winning aesthetic doctor opens up to Kaniz exclusively speaking about work, life, balance.
Kaniz: What made you go into the world of medicine ?
Dr Yusra: My decision to enter the field of healthcare was really instigated by a personal experience at a young age.
When I was eight years old, I had an accident where I slipped on the edge of a bath tub that had a broken tile that resulted in a deep laceration on my lip and chin.
I needed to have a minor oral surgical procedure and was left with multiple stitches to my face. When I went to school the next day, I looked absolutely terrifying as my mouth was sutured shut and my school friends and teacher were horrified. My teacher asked me to sit at the back of the class so as not to scare the other children and nicknamed me “baby horror” which stuck with me for several years. The laceration developed into quite a prominent scar as I grew up and I was always very self-conscious of it as people would often notice and ask me about it.
I knew then, at that young age, that I wanted to go into facial reconstruction and help people with traumatic scars or facial concerns as I understood first hand the impact it could have on your self esteem. I grew up in a household of healthcare professionals as my mother was a dental surgeon and my father a consultant general surgeon and that certainly gave me invaluable insight into what it meant to be in the service of others. My parents are my biggest inspiration.
Kaniz: Talk to us about your background in medicine ?
Dr Yusra: I graduated first from Medical Science and Management at Imperial college London with a First Class Honours degree and Distinction. I then qualified from dental surgery at Kings College London with a First Class Honours and Distinction. I then completed my vocational dental training and went on to training posts as a senior house officer then a specialist doctor in oral and head and neck surgery for 3 years in various trauma units and hospitals in London. Here I developed my surgical skills and management of facial traumas, head and neck cancers and skin diseases. Surgery runs in my blood as my father was a general surgeon, and my mother was an oral and dental implant surgeon and both were incredibly dexterous and talented with their hands. I always found their work fascinating and rewarding in equal measure. During my training in oral and maxillofacial surgery I treated patients with oral cancers, trauma to the face from road traffic accidents, or domestic violence, skin cancers, and congenital facial deformities. I had a deep interest in congenital facial deformity and also the impact that the treatments had on our patients well-being. During my time at Whipps Cross hospital, I worked at the orthognathic surgical department, looking after young adults and teens who were having major reconstructive surgery to reset their jaw. This was often quite traumatic and would be a difficult postsurgical healing experience as their mouth was wired shut, they had
to be on a liquid diet for 6 weeks and the aesthetic change was drastic and patient’s would struggle psychologically to adapt to it. Patients would often wake up looking very different and their friends, colleagues and family would often comment about their new changes appearance, leaving them feeling very self-conscious and struggling emotionally with it. Unfortunately, in the NHS, there was little funding for the psychological support that was needed to help the adaptation process, and I conducted an audit at the time about this looking into the support that patients would need to support them through this period. It was then that my interest was sparked
in non surgical facial aesthetic treatments, and I wondered if they were non surgical treatments that we could provide that would yield similar results without the trauma of surgery, the downtown of surgery, and a challenging psychological adaptation process. And that is how I discovered the world of non surgical facial aesthetics and decided to embark on training in this field over a decade ago. I immediately fell in love with it and realised I could combine my
3 loves, art, science and people to create empowering transformations from the inside and out, helping my patients to live their life fully without feeling held back by their aesthetic appearance.
Kaniz: What made you head into the world of aesthetics ?
Dr Yusra: It was my own personal experience with my accident as a
child, but also when I was a teenager, I developed acne, and then acne scarring, and that really impacted my self-esteem. I was always drawn to facial surgery and reconstruction because of that and the evolution from surgical to non-surgical facial rejuvenation was a natural and organic one. When I first started non- surgical facial aesthetics there was no such thing as non surgical reconstruction, and most people were using dermal fillers for beautification and treating minor lines and wrinkles.
I knew when I first entered into the field that it wasn’t enough for me, and that chasing lines and wrinkles alone would not quite satisfy my greater sense of purpose. Years into performing and providing facial rejuvenation treatments, I learnt about the option of correcting congenital facial deformities like a dorsal hump deformity, or a bump in the nose and a weak chin, and I recognised the vast potential for significant improvements we could make with soft tissue fillers and other non surgical techniques.
Kaniz: Talk to us about the services you offer in both Harley Street, London & in your Liverpool clinic ?
Dr Yusra: We offer a full range of facial aesthetic injectables as well as body sculpting treatments in both clinics. This includes non surgical rhinoplasty, profile balancing, chin augmentation, cheek augmentation, temple augmentation and lip augmentation. We also treat skin concerns including acne, hyperpigmentation and scarring. We offer non surgical face tightening including high intensity focused ultrasound with our Ultracel device and radiofrequency Microneedling as well as CO2 fractional laser resurfacing to improve acne scarring, sun damage, lines and wrinkles. We also offer Endolift, an internal laser utilised for skin tightening and jowl fat reduction to treat the ageing jawline.
Kaniz: What makes you different from other aesthetic doctors?
Dr Yusra: I approach the patient and the face holistically with the aim of creating truly empowering transformations from the inside and out. I provide holistic assessments, looking at lifestyle, nutrition and skincare and look to see how I can optimise my patients health and well-being which will radiate on the outside. And I assess the face as whole, and challenge the idea that we all need to look like clones of each other to be beautiful, and that there is beauty in our individual characteristics. I aim to enhance my patients aesthetic beauty by bringing out the best of them, reducing the burdens or concerns that hold them back, and ensuring their full face is harmonised without distortion or over filling, so we keep people guessing. The idea is that they look fresh, not fake. And look good, not done. My mission is on my clinic wall and this is to create “radiance on the outside and wellness on the inside”. I’m driven by professional integrity which is at the core of my practice values. That means always providing honest, ethical, evidence based advice for the individual patient so our treatments are results driven. Safety comes first and foremost and all the treatments I provide are backed by science and clinically proven to work with a low risk profile and high safety profile. This means we don’t cut corners, and we may not be the cheapest but we will always only source the best products, dermal fillers and devices that have been rigorously tested, and are safe and effective. Ultimately supporting my patients to be confident is my why, and I treat them as individuals. I listen, and provide a highly tailored bespoke experience for my each person that walks through our doors.
Kaniz: What is your favourite treatment and why ?
Dr Yusra: I am probably most known for my love of profile balancing and facial harmonisation. To me that is the most satisfying treatment to provide, a holistic pan facial treatment to balance and harmonise the face in all angles.
This usually involves treatment with non surgical rhinoplasty which can be truly life changing for so many patients who tell me they “hate” their profile or their nose. For those patients who present with a weak chin, I often pair this with chin augmentation to balance profile. Most patients will be fully aware and dislike a bump on their nose and are often unaware that a weak or undeveloped chin will results in a perception of a large nose.
This treatment can address volume loss where this is present, and blurs away signs of tiredness, sadness or anger and creates a lifted, sculpted outcome that looks fresh and reduces facial and jawline sagging. It provides an immediate and effective refreshed look, that is significant yet discreet, and makes my patients look fresh, but never fake, and look good, but never done. It is THE epitome of elegance and artistry and watching my patient’s joyful emotions when they see their results and their new found confidence is incredibly rewarding and often an emotional moment to witness.
My favourite device led facial tightening treatment is a treatment I would never be without- Ultracel. This is an effective, safe, non surgical facial tightening treatment perfect for sagging jowls and sagging eyebrows, with no downtime or pain. It tightens the sagging muscle layers of the eyebrows, face and neck and creates a lifted tighter jawline without the need for needles and is such a low risk yet effective treatment. My patients and I love it!
For body, I’m a big fan of Coolsculpting for localised pockets of fat, and Emsculpt Neo for abdominal muscle tightening and strengthening the core to build power and ability. I combine this with Emerald Laser, a green low level laser light therapy to reduce body circumference which is FDA approved for those even with Obesity. We get incredible results in strength and body contouring which gives our patients a whole new lease of life.
Kaniz: How do you make your clients feel at ease and comfortable ?
Dr Yusra: I’m passionate about creating a safe space in my clinic where we can talk about anything and everything. We don’t run a conveyer type clinic and it isn’t “one in, one out”. I take time to get to know my patients, hear their concerns, their goals and their fears.
I educate them without talking jargon, and I normalise their experiences by sharing my own, and by talking about whole body concerns, so they know they are not alone and we can talk about all their concerns from facial rejuvenation, to weight loss to intimate health.
I’ve been doing this for over a decade, and in that time I’ve grown and I’ve watched my patient’s grow. I’ve known them from their younger ages and life phases when they meet their partners, get married, have children and when some even come away from those relationships. I’ve heard their struggles at home and at work, and I’ve supported them in all their life stages and phases, and there’s something truly special about that relationship. That is what motivates me to get up and get to work every day- it’s truly meeting so many wonderful people. It’s so humbling to have the trust of my patients and I thank God every day for allowing me the privilege and opportunity to perform my art and do what I am so passionate about. I am thankful and honoured to be a small but consistent part of my patient’s life and provide a friendly ear to them when I see them for their MOTs! Many of my patients have become like wonderful friends and its a true privilege to love the art of what I do, be fascinated by the science of how I do it, but also enjoy every minute with the people I see and treat.
Kaniz: What are the treatments your clients love having from you ?
Dr Yusra: Oh there are so many! One of the things everyone wants is radiant skin, and so we do a lot of skinbooster treatments in my clinic. This is a filler designed to restore the hydration of the skin, the flow, the luminosity and reduce pores and pigmentation. Which skinbooster I do depends on the patient and may be Profhilo for hydration, Restylane Skinboosters for acne scarring or Belotero revive for pigmentation. I treat thousands of patients every year for non surgical rhinoplasty, a procedure I have performed for several years and treat noses post surgical complication (those with undesirable results post surgery), those with bumps, asymmetries or downward drooping tips. I have patients who travel from Pakistan, India, Dubai, Qatar, Saudia, Kuwait, Oman, America, and all of Europe to see me for non surgical rhinoplasty if I had to choose 2 treatments my patients are always requesting I would be non surgical rhinoplasty and skinboosters!
Kaniz: Decribe your approach to developing an individualized treatment plan for each patient
Dr Yusra: I don’t believe in a one size fits all approach and I always will perform a
full face holistic assessment. This means I assess skin quality, texture, inflammation and discolouration. Then I assess facial volume loss and sagging from a frontal and side view. Then I assess proportions between the upper face, mid face and lower face, again from a frontal and side view. I assess expression and see how the face animates and where the lines and wrinkles develop and which areas may benefit from intervention. I assess facial asymmetry. And I teach my patients about the ageing process.
I explain the anatomy. That the face is 5 layers, skin on the outside, superficial fat, muscle, deep fat and then bone at the deepest layer. I explain that all 5 layers of the face ages, and changes, and for natural results we need to address all 5 layers so all 5 layers are in the same decade! Otherwise, a narrow approach and field
of understanding results in overfilling and distortion to the tissues. And that’s the look I always advise my patient’s against. Over filling distorts the natural architecture of the face and is inadvisable. Then I make a plan with my patient’s about what suits them. What layer of the face we will focus on. And this means each patient will receive a highly tailored individualised holistic treatment plan that suits their
own face, their own budget and their own desired outcomes.
Kaniz: How do you handle a patient who has unrealistic expectations for their aesthetic outcome ?
Dr Yusra: This is always a delicate and sensitive conversation. Research shows that our industry attracts approximately 20% of those with Body Dysmorphia, and has shown that those patients seeking aesthetic treatments have a higher risk profile of having body dysmorphia, a condition where patients believe there to exist a problem that is not detectable clinically. We are duty bound to assess for and safeguard those who do have it from having unnecessary treatments. With the rise of filters on every social media platforms, patients often seek
to look like a filter – which simply isn’t achievable and certainly isn’t advisable. I am not afraid to say no, and I think it’s vital that we know both when to treat, but also when not to. My sister taught me a saying “it is kind to be clear” and I always say this to my patient’s, approaching them with honesty and explaining where appropriate if their expectations cannot be met with non surgical treatments. I counsel my patient’s about alternatives that maybe better suited to them.
Kaniz: What is the best treatment for fat loss and why would you recommend that particular treatment?
Dr Yusra: There is a difference between fat loss and weight loss.
When it comes to fat loss, a permanent treatment that is FDA approved for a permanent reduction is Coolsculpting. This is the only cyrolipolysis device that is FDA approved worldwide and has been shown to permanent reduce fat in the treated area by up to 27% in each session.
For reduction in body circumference, I love the Emerald laser which is a low level green laser light therapy that creates a transitory pore in the fat cell. This allows it to leak out its fatty content and become a more efficient lean fat cell whilst also optimising energy production, mitochondrial function and general wellness. The Emerald laser is an FDA approved treatment for reduction in body circumference that has been clinically proven to be effective in patients with a BMI of up to 40. This means those who suffer with obesity can be treated effectively with the Emerald Laser. It has been clinically proven to reduce body circumference by up to 11 cm.
I often combined this treatment with Emsculpt Neo which is a combination, dual, modality treatment. It utilises radiofrequency to heat, and melt both superficial and visceral fat, which is the fat that lines the organs and contributes to the development of disease. The Emsculpt Neo also combines high intensity focused electromagnetic stimulation, which is a treatment that improves muscle strength and muscle quantity, thus improving the abdominal core strength, and also the appearance of the patient and reduces waist circumference.
Kaniz: What does your clinic specialise and what they most known for ?
Dr Yusra: Professional integrity, holistic full face treatments, and a comprehensive treatment menu for facial harmonisation and non surgical face lifting. We have 5 suites in our clinic designed for the patient in mind to look after our patients skin health, aesthetic health, body health and dental health. We have a Skin Suite, an Aesthetic Suite, a Wellness Suite, a Smile Suite and a Sculpt Suite. Personally, I specialise in facial reconstruction and perform thousands of profile balancing and non surgical rhinoplasty treatment annually.
Kaniz: You are married and a mother of 3 young children. How do you manage home life and a very busy work life?
Dr Yusra: There is no secret sauce, and I would say that it takes careful planning, teamwork, and support at home and often sheer hard work. I do not raise my children by myself, and I have a very hands-on husband who is a wonderful father to our three children and has been the wind beneath my wings.
I always seek to surround myself with people who are who have growth mindset, who believe in my ethos, my values and my mission. At work I have a wonderful team who echo this, and are always seeking to progress, improve our services for our patients, and are problem solvers.
I think you become like the five people you spend the most time with so I’m very selective about my inner circle. and of course, nothing that I have created would be possible without the grace of God.
Kaniz: What’s the best advice you can give to a mother who is looking to have a children but l conscious it will affect there career ?
Dr Yusra: There’s so much to say on this, and I think I need to be very responsible in my messaging.
I don’t believe any of us can have it “all at the same time” and “having it all” will be look very different person to person.
I have learnt over time that my definition of success is not necessarily the standard definition of success or hitting a financial goal. For me, success is having a happy home life, a content mind, a healthy body, a happy soul and this means enjoying my work life and feeling fulfilled in my field whilst also having the time with my family that they, and I both need.
I would say to those looking to have children and have a career- please do not fear having children.
You do not stop or start with being a mother. If you choose to be a mother, you can certainly do both. The reality is if you
want to be good at both being a mother, and in your career then it is likely that for a certain time period particularly when your children are young, that you will need to spend a little less time than full time in both these roles. It is a fine balance but balance is key. I am both a leader in my field and a present and loving mother and I take my role as a mother, very seriously. I am grateful for being a mother, and certainly raising my
3 children is one of my greatest joys. I want my daughter to know that there is no glass ceiling for her, and I hope that she will see me as her role model both in her professional life, but also in her role as a mother if she one-day chooses to become a mother. That she knows that her life doesn’t start or stop when she becomes a mother.
I would also want to say to all those considering children and considering delaying children- that there is no perfect time. I remember always being afraid that I wasn’t ready and waiting for the “perfect time” to start a family. This simply doesn’t exist, and you can find 100 reasons to keep delaying having children, but the reality is we do not have an endless biological ability to have children and the biological scientific truth is that as women, we do have a biological clock to be mindful of when family planning.
I know and treat many women who have put off having children due to their career, andand they are now having IVF which can be emotionally taxing.
I think women need to be informed of this scientific fact early on, so that they are aware and can therefore plan their individual life journey accordingly.
Whilst there is no perfect time, I also think the right time is when it happens, and that when and if you do decide to purse being a mother and a career woman, know you can do both. There is no sugar coating that you need a supportive home environment, whether that’s your life partner taking on a share of the home work load or external or family support, it boils down to teamwork, and having a solid routine. And you need balance. When I’m at work I need to be fully unapologetically focused on my patient’s and then when I’m at home with my children, I need to be fully unapologetically focused on my children. I have worked hard with my team to create a workable schedule and system in order to enable me to fulfil both of these roles to my best ability.
Kaniz: Describe a typical week in the world of Dr Yusra Almukhtar
Dr Yusra: There is no typical week when you have three children and two clinics in two cities and lead a team of 20 people. Monday morning, I often wake early with my baby and breastfeed him before handing him over to my husband who takes the children to school. I then get ready and head to work for my 9am Monday morning meeting with the entire team in Liverpool where we discuss the plans for the week, any challenges that we need to navigate and things that we need to work on to improve our services. This is a great way to set the tone for the week and ensure that there is ongoing open communication between all members of the team so that we can deliver the best possible service or patience.
I then have a full day of clinic that usually starts around 10 o’clock and ends around 6 pm.
My day will usually consist of a range of different treatments, but almost always includes consultations, profile balancing and nonsurgical rhinoplasty treatments, laser skin resurfacing, and anti wrinkle treatments. I may also see women concerned about fat loss and hair loss particularly associated with hormonal changes and we discuss lifestyle health coaching with them and plan treatments to help. I may have Endolift procedures scheduled in which tend to be at the end of the day.
I start the week with intermittent fasting, and when I break my 16 hour fast, I have a milky coffee with ashwaganda and macca powder, as well as my NAD+ and multi vitamin supplements to reduce cellular ageing and my collagen drink to boost my skin from the inside out.
I try to share snippets of my day on social media to educate and help my patients gain some insight into what we do.
At the end of the day, I come back home and have dinner with my children before finalising any homework with them and getting them ready for bed. My husband and I usually take the 3 children upstairs and then we team up with our bedtime roles! I take the baby to bath and bed, and he reads books and does prayers with our older children before bed. I try to complete any outstanding paperwork or emails once the children are asleep and aim to get to bed around 10 o’clock if possible. The optimal sleep cycle for cellular rejuvenation is between 10 pm and 2 am to get into the deep REM sleep where our body and mind detoxes. I try to be protective of that sleep window!
Tuesdays tend to be a very busy clinic and I start the day with my London clinic team meeting to ensure the London team are well supported and go through any patient treatment plans and approve every single patient plan. The day usually runs later into the evening and again will be a range of treatments. Oner Tuesday, we have all of her doctors in including Dr Lauren and Dr Emily, and so we hold joint clinics which means our patients can benefit from all
of our joint experience so it’s a very busy productive day!
Wednesdays are a little easier, as I start the morning with a meeting with our medical team before going into patient treatments. I work until 3 pm on Wednesday and this is the day that I get our earlier and have the pleasure of picking up my children from school. I then take my children to the various after-school clubs and I am invested in home and mum life!
Thursdays, I have a half a day session of admin and the other half is in clinic with patients.
I tend to spend Friday, Saturdays and Sundays in London once a month, seeing all of my patients in the Harley St clinic and this is long 12 hour shift clinics. Every Sunday evening at 9pm, I go live on social media on my Skincare Sunday Live- where we discuss various topics and patient’s from all over the world can come and join me and ask any questions that they may have. I have also just released a podcast and release four episodes a month, and this is called Aesthetics & Wellness by Dr Yusra. It’s a hugely educational podcast, discussing lifestyle, ageing, skincare, health and wellness as well as treatments available. It’s a no-nonsense honest discussion with various experts to help our patients navigate the unregulated work of aesthetics and cut out the noise.
You can listen on Spotify or Apple podcast so make sure you download it!
Kaniz: If Yusra was not a doctor what would she be ?
Dr Yusra: I will probably be a human rights lawyer as I am hugely passionate about human rights and in particular children’s rights and spend my time outside of work supporting children’s charities.
Other than that it I would probably be a painter as I absolutely love painting and
art, and always find myself looking for and creating art pieces. I can get lost in painting for hours on end and sculpting, and really, that is my happy place!
Kaniz: How do you maintain a healthy work, life balance ?
Dr Yusra: There is a fallacy that we all have balance at all times. There are times when we are deliberately imbalanced
and need to lean in, for example, when we have an exam or when there is a huge work project. Otherwise, I think it takes strategic planning, team work and being really mindful of bandwidth and capacity. I have learned about the power of saying NO and use that more now than ever before. If something does not align with my goals or will overfill my plate, I will take it off plate and I will very much protect my bandwidth. This means that I can show up in all aspects of my life giving the world the best of me, not just the rest My goal is not just to live long but also to live fulfilled and healthily, and that means not running around with rushed woman syndrome, trying to do everything all at the same time.
I realised at one point that to be my best, internally and externally, I needed to consciously disembark from the hamster wheel and be the painter of my own life picture. If there is one thing I will say to everyone is being very aware that we have been told to always spend our lives chasing the next big thing until we are 6 feet under and that we we need to be careful that in the process, we don’t miss out on what we have, which is always in the here and now.
