Dr Ayham Al-Ayoubi has been asked by many media sources to give his views regarding the controversial new project of Sir Alan Sugar to open a series of Anti-wrinkle injections clinics offering wrinkle-busting facial fillers, after he awarded newly qualified NHS Dr Leah Totton – who won the apprentice 2013 final – a sum of £250,000 to inject into her project ‘Dr Leah’.
Under normal circumstances Dr Ayham Al-Ayoubi would not be expected to be talking about a reality TV programme, but last week that was all EVERYONE in the aesthetic industry and wider press was talking about… BBC`s The Apprentice.
Dr Ayham Al-Ayoubi is an international leading surgeon, lecturer and tutor for Smartlipo and Collagen Stimulation. He is also well known in the medical and cosmetic industry for his expertise on-going teaching and lecturing worldwide on “How to establish and run a successful aesthetic clinic”.
“Congratulations to Dr Leah Totton for winning The Apprentice 2013” was offered from Dr Ayham Al-Ayoubi.
Dr Ayham Al-Ayoubi wishes Dr Leah every success in this venture and hope that despite being bombarded with criticism she will see this as an opportunity to learn how best to take her idea and career development forward.
Anti-wrinkle injections empire
Dr Ayham Al-Ayoubi shares the views of many senior colleagues including the points raised by consultant plastic surgeon Dr Nigel Mercer, a former chairman of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons who believes Dr Totton “lacked the requisite medical skills to carry out the cosmetic procedures.
Dr Ayham Al-Ayoubi has said it took him 23 years of learning and practicing surgery to gain enough experience to deliver the standard of treatments he does today with the type of care required to achieve each individual patients desired results.
“It’s not just about having a beautiful setting which may be aesthetically pleasing, it’s about the quality of cosmetic treatments and results that are delivered safely by a qualified and experienced doctor, after all these are medical cosmetic procedures which need to be administered with quality and care.”
Sir Alan Sugar was quoted as saying on the BBC show on Tuesday evening was a key factor in why he awarded Dr Totton his winner over baking entrepreneur Luisa Zissman. Although he admitted that the medical aesthetics market was completely alien to him.
Dr Ayham Al-Ayoubi said: There are many more factors to be considered when venturing into such a business plan especially aside from profit margins which seem to be Sir Sugar’s main concern.
“This isn’t the first project of its kind and won’t be the last that has failed. Take for instance Harley Medical group who experienced success but were caught out cutting corners by using cheap materials and poorly experienced doctors from oversees which led to the bankruptcy following the huge PPI implant scandal.
Dr Ayham Al-Ayoubi added “In this country until now we are lacking regulations of such cosmetic treatments, however the government is working hard along with the official Medical organisations such as The British Medical association and other associations to put adequate regulations in place on who should perform such treatments.
However Dr Al-Ayoubi is very impressed with the approach Lord Alan Sugar is taking in regards to the regulation cosmetic medical industry and hopes that his position at the House of Lords in parliament can have a huge positive influence to get the cosmetic medical procedures to be regulated.
The main concern, as well as her own skills in offering such treatments to the public, comes in her proclamations in the final episode of the reality show where she is seen pitching to industry representatives about how she plans to train other doctors and nurses during the set up of each branch of her clinic chain before moving on to set up another.
As expected, this has drawn huge criticism from an industry which is currently seriously trying to raise training and practice standards and improve the regulation of those involved in medical aesthetics via the action plan from Keogh and the European CEN standards process. Three major organisations, BAAPS, BAPRAS and BAD have issued a press release condemning the young doctor.
Patients should take cosmetic treatments very seriously and cosmetic doctors should remember that they are practising medicine not business.
View all posts by Dr Ayham Al-Ayoubi, click here
