Championing patient confidence

With the launch of Aesthetic Medicine’s Women in Aesthetic Medicine group, founding member Dr Sabika Karim considers the impact Sinclair’s study has on patient confidence

Working in the aesthetics industry, practitioners can see first-hand the impact that societal pressure can have on men, women, and non-binary individuals when it comes to how they look. Likewise, they are perfectly placed to acknowledge the perceived judgement that individuals seeking aesthetic treatments may overcome.

Now, key findings from a new global study on women’s attitudes towards judgement, power and dermal fillers have caused aesthetic doctors to speak out in a bid to champion patient confidence.

The research, conducted by the global medical aesthetics company Sinclair to garner insights for its MaiLi dermal filler brand, discovered that 97% of women feel they have been judged based on their appearance. That’s despite 90% stating that women should be able to do whatever they want with their looks.

In response to the jarring statistics, AM spoke to Dr Sabika Karim, an award-winning medical aesthetics doctor who champions women’s power, equality, and positivity.

“Women should be able to have treatments without judgement and everyone should have the freedom to be who they are, or who they wish to be”, she says. “Having treatment is part of that freedom, as it can help people feel more comfortable and happier in their skin. I advise my patients to avoid following fashion trends or conforming to a specific look or shape; instead, I hope that they can feel comfortable in themselves and their reflections.”

The Sinclair study – which surveyed more than 10,000 female-identifying women aged 18+ from the UK, Germany, Spain, Mexico, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia – found people felt judged similarly around the world.

However, in the UK, where Dr Karim’s Skin Medical clinic is based, people were revealed to worry the most about the opinions of others when it comes to opting for cosmetic treatment.

Dr Karim wants to challenge that perception: “We should be free to go about our lives and do whatever we want to make ourselves look – and feel – better,” she says. “It’s not about looking a certain way; it’s about being comfortable in ourselves. So, we really shouldn’t care about other people’s views.”

That said, Dr Karim is quick to note that “essential to confident choices is the support we offer each other to take control of our lives and become happy people”. Adding, “We’re often tentative about what we do and how far to take things, and sometimes we worry about what people will say. This study shines a spotlight on the fact that we’re all feeling the same. We’ve all been judged, whether we’ve had treatments or not, and it shows us that we must stand up for each other, stand together and stop being judgemental.”

Dr Karim also reaffirms her commitment to championing patient choices, encouraging other aesthetic doctors to do the same.

“So many of my patients initially start by feeling nervous that they’re going to get judged for their treatment,” she reveals. “They say they need the treatment to be natural. Now, I’m only ever going to make it look natural, but it’s interesting how their philosophy over time changes as they become more accepting. They go from hiding it from everyone to, once they feel comfortable and realise that they’re doing it for themselves, they start to tell their friends. I think that’s how we break barriers down one at a time.”

When I was a GP, I was told I didn’t look like a doctor, and I’ve been in situations where I was bullied because I’m a woman

”In my mother’s generation, people never admitted to having grey hair and they would be mortified if they had to say to someone that they were having their hair tinted,” Dr Karim continues. “Now, my active conversation with my friends is, ‘Oh goodness! I’ve got to get my roots done.’ It’s an accepted norm to change your appearance in that way. I feel that having a proper medical treatment to help enhance the way you look should become as acceptable as removing grey roots by colouring your hair.”

The society we live in is certainly changing. Consider social media which can both normalise and inform individuals about aesthetic treatments but also contributed to the experiences of 61% of women in the Sinclair survey who reported receiving negative comments in person or online.

“Social media has opened up the aesthetics sector to make it more acceptable. People see the treatments and outcomes, and it normalises ageing in the way it should. So, whether it is showcasing preventative treatments or those that change the appearance slightly, social media can be great for sharing information,” says Dr Karim. “But at the other end of the scale, people can be trolled and receive negative comments about their choice of aesthetic treatments. One thing I teach my children is that if you don’t have anything nice to say about someone, just don’t say anything at all. I wish that rule applied to social media.”

MaiLi’s new #SayNoToJudgement campaign, for which the global survey was conducted, is designed to encourage just that. It aims to empower looks-based confidence and remove the stigma attached to aesthetic treatments. This is a topic close to Dr Karim’s heart, as her patient testimonies show first-hand how interventions can be a tool for empowerment in the right hands.

“When I first heard about this campaign by Sinclair, I was delighted because it is disruptive to the market,” Dr Karim says. “It shows that Sinclair is a company that not only puts consideration in terms of safety and clinical performance at the forefront but is also prepared to break barriers, carry us forward and ensure we take into account the psychology behind why people have treatments, how they feel and how we can all push through and be better.”

Off the back of the study, Dr Karim now wants to see an increasing focus on the role that psychology plays in patient decisionmaking: “It is important to learn why people are coming to us for treatments”, she says. “We need to understand how our clinical care impacts our patients going forward – there’s a huge element of psychology involved. When people have treatments, they’re in our hands, they’re often vulnerable and they trust us to do the best for them. It is our duty to know why they are there so we may help them achieve their goals. It’s not just the clinical outcome that matters, and it’s not just a line or a wrinkle – it’s a mindset, it’s a philosophy and it’s a feeling.”

Of course, it is not just female clients that are subject to judgement. Dr Karim also shared her own experiences.

‘I’ve faced discrimination my entire life, not only for being a woman but for the choices I’ve made, whether it’s having a career and choosing to spend less time with my family or having a family during my training”, she shares. “The judgement I faced in hospital medicine was immense. On ward rounds, people would mistake me for the hospital administrator because I was the only female in the team. When I was a GP, I was told I didn’t look like a doctor, and I’ve been in situations where I was bullied because I’m a woman. But I’ve grown stronger by standing up for myself and that’s why I’m a firm believer in female power. I’ve seen my patients’ lives improve as they gain more confidence, take back power and find the strength to change their lives.”

This is a sentiment shared by many women in the survey, highlighting that, despite the unfortunate findings, aesthetic doctors can make a positive impact by championing themselves and patient confidence, whatever their gender, in-clinic.

DR SABIKA KARIM

Dr Sabika Karim is an award-winning aesthetic doctor and founder of Skin Medical, who has garnered a global reputation as an innovative and highly skilled thought leader. After she completed her MBBS and MRCGP in London and a fellowship in Aesthetic Medicine in New York, USA, Dr Karim chose to specialise in aesthetics, moved by its ability to give her patients confidence.