When it comes to skin aesthetics, there is no miracle cure. There. It’s been said. And there’s no one treatment that will solve all problems.
“I explain to patients that treatments and products will definitely make a difference to their skin, but I also explain how important lifestyle is; that diet, exercise and sleep are all contributing factors,” says Dr Toni van de Merwe.
“Prevention is better than cure so if you start investing in your skin at an early age, the more aesthetic medicine will be a maintenance programme rather than a reversal programme.”
Dr Toni Van der Merwe obtained her MBChB from the University of Cape Town in 2005 where she qualified with first class honours. After practising as a medical officer in A&E for three years, and continuing her studies in family medicine, she chose a different path. Intrigued by the results achieved through aesthetic medicine, she moved over for more family-friendly working hours. She is also a member of The Aesthetic and Anti-ageing Medicine Society of South Africa.
A more natural look
Dr van der Merwe has built up a reputation as a doctor who achieves a more natural look. “I consider myself a conservative aesthetic doctor and believe in a less-is-more approach. The result I prefer to achieve for my patients is to look refreshed and rejuvenated, as apposed to completely different. I’ve built up a regular client base who come to me for injectables with a natural result. Some clients do prefer a more dramatic result, but in my experience the days of aesthetic medicine being about frozen faces are long gone.”
The right doctor, the right treatment
“When seeing a new patient, the consultation is so important. As a doctor, you have to have a very clear understanding what the patient would like to achieve. Patients so often hear of new treatments on the market, but it is very important to understand that each patient’s requirements are unique. What works for one patient doesn’t necessarily work for someone else.”
“Our treatment packages, that specifically address each patient’s needs, allow them to make sense of it all. It considers lifestyle and budget, the finer details such as frequency of treatments, what each treatment does and how they work together in combination with each other, as well as what the expected results will be.”
“It is, however, important to visit an experienced aesthetic doctor, because injectables – specifically fillers – can be overdone, which is often seen in the lip area. You would like your aesthetic doctor to advise you when it is enough.”
Posted in partnership with Skin Renewal.