23MD: The Temple of Well-Being

Whether in London, Beirut, or soon in Dubai, 23MD is above all an atmosphere of confidence, physical and spiritual well-being. Leading names in the world of aesthetics and dermatology, Dr. Suha Kersh and Dr. Martin Galy, founders of 23MD, answer as follows our questions. 

Q1- Dr.Suha Kersh and Dr. Martin Galy, you are very eminent figures in the world of aesthetics and age management. Tell us about what does 23MD stand for.

SK: Harmony. Internal and external health linked. We try to create an holistic and personalized journey for every patient: one that educates, energizes and refreshes them. Above all, we work in partnership with our patients to act as health advocates, giving patients the right to choose their treatments with informed knowledge.

MG: We believe in combining traditional medicine and cosmetic technologies in an innovative way – not simply to meet our patients’ goals and expectations, but to surpass them.

Q2- You are at the origin of the "4D facial method", an innovative method in the field of aesthetic care that you apply in your clinic in London, Beirut and soon Dubai. Tell us more about it.

SK: My 4 dimensional approach assesses

A. Skin Condition

B. Wrinkles

C. Volume Loss.

D. Health and wellness

It is an holistic consultation which takes into consideration all the needs of the face. This includes anti-wrinkle injections, dermal fillers, skin tightening and collagen banking. Furthermore, I check the existence of any internal factors that might be affecting their skin. For instance, time, stress and hormonal alteration may lead to a drier and thinner skin than usual. I also check on their mental health and their emotional projection. My patients will often complain of looking angry, sad or tired and I need to take that into account while making my assessment and try to reverse those facial emotional projections.

MG: because it is the inside out approach at 23MD, patients needs are assessed in an holistic way, and referred for the appropriate treatment within our clinic to meet this need. In my case, replenishing unbalanced or lowered hormone levels in women, can often help their collagen banking and boosting treatments at the clinic.

Q3- Apart from your excellent reputation as a doctor, it is undeniable that you attach particular importance to the relationship that binds you to your patients. What attitude do you think a good doctor should have towards their patients?

SK and MG: we both fed the same on this questions. Doctors are here to provide honest, up to date and evidence based treatment options to fit their patients’ needs. Honesty and transparency is at the core of patient care. And always active as an advocate for patients and empowering them the knowledge to make realistic decisions about their future health and wellness is very important to us.

Q4- How do you define beauty? What do you think are the essential criteria?

SK:True beauty comes from confidence, self-love and contentment. I don’t employ the traditional criteria of beauty. I believe that every person has beautiful features, which I focus on and work to re-energize and refresh.

MG: Love and self acceptance, with balanced hormones on the inside.

Q5- What is your idea of healthy ageing?

SK: Treating the body, mind and face with equal attention ensures a strong foundation for future years. This involves feeding and nourishing the skin with active ingredients as well as supporting collagen with skin booster and mesotherpay, and energy based treatments like Ultherapy and radio frequency.

MG: There are 3 pillars to healthy ageing. Lifestyle. Hormone optimization. Mental health maintenance.

• Lifestyle involves eating well, staying active, no smoking, and modest amount of alcohol
• Hormone optimization means getting your hormones checked and maintain them as you age
• Mental health is best maintained with regular exercise and laughter.

Q6- How can you set the foundation for a patient contemplating dermal fillers?

SK: For successful dermal fillers I like to ensure that collagen and skin health are optimized. Therefore, Prior to delivering dermal fillers to my patients, I usually recommend skin boosters for hydration, followed by radio frequency and or Ultherapy to lift and tighten, and possibly micro-needing and laser to improve skin tone and complexion. Above all, I need to establish the patient’s motives and expectations in order to harmoniously balance and enhances their best facial features.

MG: At 23MD our cosmetic specialist are aware that women hormones (particularly estrogen) are important when considering dermal fillers, as it is well know that estrogen supports and maintains collagen.

Q7- Why are collagen stimulation big news right now?

SK: Collagen boosting and maintanence is at the core of preventative skin health. Treatments that stimulate collagen will help strengthen thinning skin, and target early signs of ageing and spur skin turnover. In younger patients using simple measures like exfoliating and micro needling can achieve this. And in more mature skin, treatments like Ultherapy, radio frequency and skin boosters will help to reboot and maintain collagen.

MG: Collagen is important for skin and it is now well accepted that estrogen supports the production and maintainene of collagen. Having adequate amounts of estrogen is very important for collagen maintenance .

Q8- Is Hormone deficient often mistaken for mental health issues?

SK and MG: declining hormones (estrogen for women and and testosterone for men) can indeed manifest as alteration in mood, sleep, and motivation in women and men. Being able to recognize and properly treat hormone deficiencies is 23MD specific area of expertise. Some people present for cosmetic treatments because of a sudden change in mood. It’s important that doctors can recognize this and advise appropriately.

Q9- Your clinic, 23 MD, which you created with your husband, Doctor Martin Galy, has a branch in Beirut and soon Dubai. How has it been able to retain its place as a beauty and wellness hub during these times of crisis in Lebanon?

SK and MG: The crisis has deeply affected the clinic and we suffered damages similar to most other businesses in Lebanon. We’ve all faced so many changes due to the pandemic and to the financial crisis. Naturally, we are very sensitive to the people of Lebanon and our patients who also face these challenges. However, we decided a long time ago that we will maintain the clinic presence in Lebanon and stand with resilience and tenacity of the Lebanese people to survive obstacles.

By being positive, strong, confident, kind to my patients, looking after them and advocate for them. And if you can spread that around and have the patients leave your clinic feeling well, happy and confident, it will project forward to the society.

Q10- Since your work is mainly oriented towards skin rejuvenation and wrinkle reduction, what is your opinion regarding the desire of Lebanese women to preserve their beauty, especially those who undergo a lot of surgeries?

SK: I believe that the Lebanese woman is naturally very beautiful. I have admired the way she takes care of herself, especially during the various crises in Lebanon. Our treatments  aim to maintain, refresh, and harmonize her natural natural features, with an emphasis on a minimal rather than excessive approach.

Q11- What are your go-to treatments for yourselves?

SK: Hydrafrim and skin booster for skin rejuvenation and tightening. Fillers and Botox for lifting and contouring.

MG: Coolsculpt for my neck. I have a natural double chin and CoolSculpting has helped shave off some of the excess fat and reduce the heaviness.

Q12- What are the future plans for 23MD?

SK and MG: 23MD Beirut will be expanding the treatments available to our patients based in Lebanon. We are excited for the opening of 23MD in Dubai soon in mid-November. And We look forward to providing the 23MD ethos and approach to our patients in the region.

FUTURE PROOFING TREATMENTS

• Best for Hydration: A combination treatment of Profhilo or Volite skin booster, along with Hydrafacial and Mesotherapy will hydrate and plump the skin to help improve laxity and collagen production.
• Best for Collagen Boosting and Skin tightening: A customized combination of Profhilo or Volite Skin booster, with Radiofrequency, Morpheus8 fractional micro needling and face tightening Ultherapy, delivered in sessions over a period of 3-6 months is a stealthy route to efficiently renew collagen.
• Best for Healthy Hormones: Long lasting health and happiness lies in hormone maintenance. A BHRT (Bioidentical HRT) consultation will set you in the right path.