Find out more about the new Hourglass Aesthetics clinic launching in Aberdeen
We’re delighted to officially announce the opening of our brand new four-storey clinic in the heart of Aberdeen city centre this Autumn. This venue also represents the first aesthetics training hub in the North East of Scotland!
To find out more about our exciting new headquarters, we caught up with Dr. Hassan Abbas, Aesthetic Practitioner and Director of Hourglass Aesthetics, to ask him some questions about the clinic and what he’s looking forward to with this new space…
What motivated you to establish an aesthetics clinic in the first place?
“Working in the care sector already and having a passion for looking after people and procedural specialties in general, I took the leap and formed Hourglass Aesthetics in 2017. The poor regulation of the industry in the UK and the lack of high quality training locally, was an engine for championing both a medicalised model of aesthetics and a training academy that promotes excellence in safe practice. Over the last five years I would say we’ve done very well as a company - I've been able to build a very loyal clientele and associate Hourglass with a reputation for high standards of care, attention to detail and follow-up support. The team has also grown and we now have four fantastic nurses that work alongside myself.”
“The demand for our services can no longer be entirely met within our current setup, nested within a dental clinic, so this new venue will really cater for the increase in demand for both our clinic treatments and training.”
“There's a lot more demand for professional training. We have supported trainees from all over Scotland and north England, including the Highlands and Islands, so to have a dedicated space where we can improve the training capacity and experience, is a logical progression.”
What services is your new clinic going to provide, and how would you describe your clinic to someone who didn't know about it?
“The clinic would act as a central medical aesthetics hub that provides a range of popular injectable aesthetic treatments like botulinum toxin and fillers, including advanced procedures like facial contouring and thread lifting, which will be provided alongside traditional beauty therapy services and skincare. A one stop shop! The entire upper floor will be the new Hourglass Aesthetics Training Academy, which is the first dedicated venue I believe in the North East of Scotland that will help us promote safety and excellence in the field.
“We'll be able to train bigger groups and offer more frequent sessions through structured courses, masterclasses and clinical supervision where practitioners can advance their skills, but in a safe environment with someone experienced. Joining our family of courses soon will be an Advanced Botulinum Toxin course and a Complications and Safety in Aesthetics course.”
How would you say your offering differs from other similar companies?
“Aesthetic treatments have become hugely popular in recent years, so there's a lot of people providing these treatments - but that doesn’t necessarily mean these procedures are being done well. What we’ve done from the start is set a high standard and be consistent and unwavering about that standard. Safety - both physical and psychological well being - always comes first.
“What worries me are clinic setups whereby one simply points to a treatment on a ‘menu’ and that treatment is delivered regardless. At Hourglass Aesthetics the approach is medicalised. We have thorough consultations and utilise our medical expertise when it comes to the aesthetic assessment and balancing of risks and benefits (both physical and psychological). We pride ourselves on being more of a medicalised clinic rather than a ‘retailer’ of procedural ‘products’ where treatments are dispensed without question or discussion.
“The common denominator with most things we do is that we’re trying to achieve something that looks natural or respects your natural proportions, rather than create something that doesn't bring harmony to the face or potentially causes psychological harm. This goes back to understanding things like anatomy, aesthetic principles (including being objective at assessment and treatment planning), psychological factors, cultural expectations and gender identities, which sometimes aren't respected enough or at times, considered at all.
“Aesthetics isn't very well regulated in the UK - you really don't need to know much or have any background to get into an aesthetics career which can be dangerous. Obviously, we don't endorse this at Hourglass Aesthetics - our team is made up of trained and regulated healthcare professionals and the training standards for our academy is high. We only train regulated healthcare professionals. We feel strongly that safety and precision should underpin all treatments, and that they should be led by experienced healthcare professionals. I felt obliged to take the lead and set that high standard in the training we provide, at least at a local level.”
Are you going to be creating new jobs with the clinic opening?
“We're going to have a post for a clinic coordinator, as well as an opening for a traditional beauty therapist who can be part of the skincare team. We already have four aesthetic nurse practitioners in addition to myself. So there will be at least two new jobs created in the immediate future but this could increase in time.”
How would you describe the overall style and atmosphere that you're trying to create in the new clinic?
“It's a welcoming, contemporary, stylish vibe. We’ve worked hard to tie in some of the ethos of Hourglass Aesthetics into the interiors of this new clinic, such as respecting natural beauty and proportion, while keeping things safe and appropriate. We’re using a lot of natural textures, exciting colour choices and organic tones, with foliage, wood grains and concrete throughout. You’re going to love it!
What would you say that you pride yourself on in terms of your work at hourglass?
“I'm proud that we've managed to medicalise the clinic and attract a lot of people who appreciate that ethos. To me, it seems like we’ve been able to dispel a lot of negative connotations people have around aesthetics, especially for clients who have had a bad experience getting a treatment done elsewhere.
“We’ve created an inviting, friendly environment, but by keeping it medical and scientific, I find that there’s less prejudice about who should or shouldn't get aesthetic treatments. Aesthetics is quite gender stereotyped for example, but of course it should be accessible for people from all backgrounds and gender identities.
“For many years, due to the lack of medicalisation of aesthetics, treatments were associated with stigmas and expectations of looking “strange” or ‘having had something done’. We pride ourselves in being able to reveal some of the rewarding things that you can achieve with aesthetic treatments. It’s always very satisfying to influence people in a positive way, especially people who have had bad experiences. The medical model works very well, no matter where people are on their aesthetic journey, and we feel strongly that this should be the way any procedure is done.”
What are you most excited about with regards to the new clinic?
“I'm very excited to be based in the heart of Aberdeen - it’s more accessible so we’ll be able to cater for a wider audience and a higher volume of clients which will be great. I'm looking forward to showcasing the design of the clinic, there's been a lot of effort and thought put into the experience and the aesthetic of the clinic itself. I’m secretly also very excited to be able to nip into the art gallery over lunch break!
“Ultimately, I can’t wait to finally have a venue that reflects the ethos of the clinic and the services we offer. We’re creating a space that is welcoming, contemporary and gender-neutral, which ties in with our team’s values of respecting natural beauty and proportion.”
Want to know more about us? You can get to know our fantastic nurse practitioners and the treatments they provide in our ‘Meet the Team’ blog post series…