I strive for natural results, while enhancing people’s appearance. This can transform their whole outlook on life. I may not be saving lives in the true sense of the word, but I believe I am transforming many lives in a positive way.
I would have loved to be an architect or a photographer, where aesthetic forms are analysed, captured and created.
It’s about what we eat, how we move and what we think and feel. Neglecting any of those areas compromises our health. We need to be healthy in mind, body and spirit.
Healing is the process by which the body and spirit repair themselves to the original state they were in before a specific insult.
Every plastic surgeon I have trained under. I have learned and gained knowledge from their expertise, and I continue to grow through contact with my colleagues. But there were two women I need to mention. The first I never met: Suzanne Noel — the first female plastic surgeon in 1878. She was one of the remarkable first generation of aesthetic surgeons produced from the battlefields of France, and was described as “a grand lady”. The second was Dr Joan Roberts, one of the few female plastic surgeons for many years in SA.
I don’t think it is that so few choose to be. The road to becoming a plastic surgeon is just not that simple. You can’t just decide you want to specialise in plastic surgery. There are only one or two posts available each year in the country to start specialisation in plastic surgery (compared with 14 for anaesthetics, for example). The competition is really high to be the one chosen for the post. In general, more men enter the surgical specialisations and so the number of women finally entering plastic surgery is lower. I do, however, believe that women are ideally suited to the profession, as we can strongly identify with the need of another woman to look aesthetically pleasing.
The perfect doctor should have the knowledge — that’s a given. But more importantly, the perfect plastic surgeon should firstly posses a strong capacity for understanding and patience, both while operating and when listening to patients. Secondly, they should have technical aptitude and dexterity, with a high degree of precision, but also leaning towards artistic design. Finally, sincerity and love for the work are indispensable for the ideal surgeon.
I often wonder if there is ever the perfect patient. The perfect patient would be someone who is patient and realistic about expectations.
I could make a list of a thousand things. There are many people in my life that inspire me — my mom, dad, brother, friends and colleagues, and many others in the world. Sometimes I am even inspired by my friend’s children. I also draw my inspiration from things I’m interested in like art, nature, music, and architecture. It’s amazing what you see if you truly open your eyes every day of your life.
I agree. I think after 40 it’s quality that counts. In our 20s, we are amateurs, and develop in our 40s into connoisseurs, where we can enjoy things much more. In your 40s, you are allowed a midlife crisis where you are forgiven for doing crazy things.
I am generally a controlled person, but a while ago I went diving and on the way back from the dive, we saw a whale shark. We were told we could swim with him around the boat but to stay close. I, however, decided to hold on to his dorsal fin and was taken a few hundred metres away from the boat into deep sea. But I knew the boat would come and collect me. I have also got onto stage very late at night to try my debut at becoming a singer. Obviously I can’t sing and therefore I am still a plastic surgeon.
It is simple to live a healthy life. The immune system requires energy to remain alert and intact, and by maintaining our energy levels we can prevent our bodies from becoming overloaded. I believe that a healthy individual will eat, exercise and live positively. And contact with nature is a healthy and necessary counterpart to life in the fast lane.
I always start the morning with all-bran cereal and a glass of lemon water. Lunch is a salad and dinner varies from pastas to vegetables and fish. I rarely eat meat. During the day I drink water and rooibos tea. I never drink any fluids with caffeine.
I try to run three to four times a week. If the weather isn’t great, I spend time in the gym. I also do kineses — great for all-round toning. I play golf for pleasure, and never take a golf cart.
I have my regular non-surgical treatments, and had a small, irritating pocket of fat liposucked from my knees. I do believe plastic surgery has its place, and I would consider the odd nip and tuck as gravity starts to slowly affect the face and breasts. I believe in the policy of maintenance rather than repair. There’s a wonderful saying: “We restore an old piece of art; is the human body not a piece of art too?”
Obviously any plastic surgeon has daily stresses in theatre. But I manage my stresses calmly, so as not to allow them to affect my energy levels. I never really experience negative stress. The odd Botox injection helps to maintain my calm appearance.
Good French champagne.
Charlie’s chocolate cheesecake.
Alive — Madonna. Dead – Freud, although there are also a billion other interesting people I would love to have a conversation with.
My parents taught me that you could be who you want to be and accomplish almost anything through persistence and hard work. That has motivated me throughout my education and career.
To live your passion and enjoy what you do, because you will be doing it for a long time.
Discover the key to immortality, so I would be healthy and young enough to do all the other 100 things I want to do before I die.
That in the end, my life won’t really matter — that I will die without having made a tiny difference in the world.
Most of mine have been fulfilled, but I would still hope for greater happiness, compassion and kindness in our world.