Dr Fathima Nilufer Sheriff, CEO of ‘La Femme’ and its dermatology wing, HairFair Skin Clinic, is the most sought-out cosmetologist. She shares with Aswin Nandakumar how Keralites have begun adopting scientific methods of enhancing their looks.
Reema (name changed), a girl in her twenties met Dr Fathima Nilufer Sheriff of HairFair Clinic at Thrissur. She was suffering from skin acne. During the consultation, Dr Nilufer studied Reema’s lifestyle and beauty routine. Reema says she applies curd on her face. This was something which she picked up from the Internet.
Dr Nilufer, after studying Reema’s skin tone, told her to stop using curd and gave alternate remedies. In a week's time, Reema showed considerable improvement.
“Curd has lactic acid which acts as an exfoliating agent but at the same time it has the tendency to aggravate acne,” says Dr Nilufer, who believes that it is high time that Keralites change the way they take care of their skin.
Whenever women in Kerala want to get decked up, they have one standard routine -- a facial and a bleach! While some millennials take their grandmother’s advice of using turmeric on their faces, others skip through women’s magazines that provide homemade beauty solutions, in addition to the gazillion products that are available on the market.
But this is all done very casually. “We take expert consultation for the treatment of our vital organs, but when it comes to the treatment of the largest organ in the human body- the skin - we don’t do much,” says Dr Nilufer, who has treated 19000 customers in the past four years.
As an experienced dermatologist and cosmetologist she says that most people are following a default beauty template. “The role of a dermatologist/cosmetologist is not just a choice anymore for enhancing one's beauty but an absolute necessity,” says Dr Nilufer, who states that conventional techniques can often damage skin, hair and beauty.
A dual graduate degree holder from King's University London and the American Academy of Dermatology from the USA, Dr Nilufer always makes a history sheet of her client’s lifestyle. From it, she gathers the daily routine, food habits, travel routines, the frequency of salon visits followed by a close examination of their genetic and skin texture.
“Each skin needs a unique treatment,” she says. “And cosmetologists give the clinically perfect solution, keeping in mind this unique aspect while conforming to global medical standards.”
The doctor, who has all the leading actresses in Mollywood as her clients, says that the composition of a million different beauty products available in the market are not known to common folks and says that all products don't suit everyone. “I have treated so many young men who bought the most popular ‘brightening cream for women’ and got into trouble with their skin,” she says.
SETTING THE BEAUTY GOAL
When a customer comes to HairFair clinic they have a few requirements. “At our clinic, our job is to guide them to achieve their goals by providing everyday cleansing routines and picking the right products that will suit the skin. “If the client asks for a change in the character of the skin itself, she employs surgical treatments like lasers and others,” says Dr Nilufer, who has state-of-the-art equipment and devices imported from Germany and the USA.
DIFFERENT AGE DIFFERENT NEEDS
The young men and women in Kerala in the age group of 18 and 25 are largely concerned about having fair skin and preventing acne. For those in their 30s, Dr Nilufer says that they do not want to look their age. As for celebrities, they require a specific look for each occasion. This trend is not just among the women, but men too are serious about how sharp they look. “Recently, we did a survey and found that 49 per cent of our clients are men,” says the doctor who offers men a variety of hair-growth treatments.“Our treatment fuses Ginko Biloba (a Chinese herb), blood plasma and biotin serum to aid hair growth,” she says. “It the first of its kind in Kerala.”
The usual Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) treatment strengthens the existing follicles but it's not effective in the growth of new follicles. “With our Ginko Biloba treatment combined with micro needling, we have got astounding results,” she says.
For women who want to remove excess hair, Dr Nilufer has created a custom-made German machine which reduces the number of sittings to three when compared to other hair removal treatments available in the market that requires 12 sittings.
The vampire facial is another favourite among the creme de la creme of society. It is a non-surgical procedure in which a doctor injects parts of the patient’s own blood, after centrifuging it, into various areas of the patient’s face to remove acne, scars, wrinkles. This gives the patient a younger rejuvenated appearance,” she says.
THE MASTER IN GLUTATHIONE TREATMENT
She was instrumental in introducing Glutathione-based treatment to help repair the skin and prevent wrinkles. “Glutathione is an antioxidant in the body. At HairFair, we use this, along with amino acids, minerals and vitamins in the right proportion to aid fairness or to provide skin radiance - whatever the customer requires,” says Dr Nilufer, who exports more than 350 bottles of her in-house produced Glutathione to Qatar alone. “The Glutathione treatment prevents early ageing,” says Dr Nilufer. “We are the only clinic which does photo-facials in Kerala with laser. This causes micro damage to the skin,” she says. “The micro-damaged skin begins to repair itself bringing a fresh new look.”SALON FACIAL IS passé. MEDI-FACIAL IS THE NEW NORMAL
Medi facial is another section which has many takers at HairFair. The advanced technique using machines involves boosting of the optimal collagen production and activating the lymph nodes. It also includes the softening of wrinkles and lines and the enhancement of the skin’s moisture levels. The 10-minute facial massage facilitates the deeper penetration of active ingredients to stimulate the skin cells and to increase blood circulation. “In short, it’s a face gym programme,” says Dr Nilufer and promises that the latest techniques will result in a smooth and radiant skin tone, improvement in the appearance, removal of brown spots, and a tightening of the large pores.FUTURE
Dr Nilufer has a team of eight highly-trained doctors who provide all the advanced treatment procedures like PRP, micro needling as well as face sculpting technology.“People think HairFair is a very expensive clinic and meant only for celebrities. But the truth is, celebrities account for just 5% of our total client base,” says Dr Nilufer.
“Ozone Therapy, which involves converting oxygen to ozone and then injecting it into the body to prevent arthritis is another treatment that we have introduced,” she says.
INSTILLING CONFIDENCE
Beauty gives self-confidence and this propels personal and career growth. For thousands of customers who come for a solution at HairFair Clinic, the results have an impact on men and women alike. “The smile and the radiance on my client’s face is a huge motivation for me to give off my best,” says the doctor. “If women look sharp, it instills confidence. Every day can be celebrated as Women's Day.”
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Published in the Women's Day special supplement in the New Indian Express Kochi edition on March 8, 2019.
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