Being an aesthetic doctor isn’t as glamorous as you think. Dr Kellyn Shiau tells us what it takes to be one.
Being an aesthetic doctor isn’t as glamorous as you think. Dr Kellyn Shiau tells us what it takes to be one.
“People assume that it’s the glam life when you’re an aesthetic doctor,” admits Dr Kellyn Shiau. “But they don’t realise that a lot of blood, sweat and hours go into becoming a good doctor and practitioner first.” So if you think you can saunter into a private clinic and lead the glam life like a doctor on Nip/Tuck, you’re so wrong.
Going into the aesthetics side of medicine is a specialisation, and before you can do that, you need to rack up years in med school, do attachments in hospitals and be on call for 36- or 48-hour shifts. “You’re always on your feet attending to patients,” recalls Kellyn. “Sometimes, things would get so bad that I wouldn’t even have time to eat or go to the toilet!” And forget about a social life – while the rest of us are partying it up over the weekend, doctors like her are either in bed resting for their next shift or at the hospital prepping for a potentially busy night.
But for Kellyn, aesthetics proved to be too alluring. “I was fascinated about the science and anatomy behind faces,” admits Kellyn. “The beauty aspect of medicine just appealed to me.” But unlike specialisations like cardiology or neurology, where practising doctors can be attached to hospitals to hone their skills, aesthetic doctors must carve out a career for themselves in clinics, and continue to keep up with aesthetic trends and evolving technology. “It’s a lot of intense studying. You need to know where the nerves and veins are on the face,” says Kellyn. “One wrong jab in the face and you could hit a vessel or nerve.”
Aesthetic doctors like Kellyn might not bring their work home in the literal sense, but they spend the bulk of their free time attending conferences and reading up on new techniques.
And even though the hours are more stable when you’re working in a private clinic, it’s still not all glitz and glamour. “I could be injecting fillers for one patient, and then checking out abscesses, then cleaning lacerations on the feet of the next patient,” says Kellyn with a chuckle. “That part of the job keeps me grounded, and changes up the day a bit for me.” And we couldn’t resist asking who she thinks has the most beautiful face ever. Her answer’s not surprising – it’s Angelina Jolie. I think we can agree on that.
FACE TIME
Dr Kellyn Shiau shares with us how she makes her aesthetic decisions.
Shifting tides
Beauty trends always change, and what looks good now may not be so 10 years later. “Thankfully, what we do here at the clinic is mostly noninvasive and reversible,” says Kellyn. Regret getting that “aegyo-sal”? No problem – there are procedures to totally reverse that.
Best interests at heart
“Beauty is guided by the golden ratio and proportions of the face,” says Kellyn. This is why it’s Kellyn’s job to discuss with her patients on the best options available.
No means no
“Some patients come in with very specific requests,” says Kellyn. “Some even ask for procedures that are not yet approved in Singapore.” While some patients understand the limitations and relent, Kellyn says that there have been some who were extra pushy. “When that happens, I’ll just do an overseas recommendation.”
