Efem Notes
On Growing Older
Recently, I came across some old photographs of myself. There were pictures from medical school, my residency years, and the early days of opening my clinic. Naturally, I found myself comparing those versions of me to the person I see in the mirror today.
Yes, I looked younger. But if I am being honest, I would not want to go back.
Because many of the things I value most today only came with time. Experience. Perspective. The ability to understand people better. Even something as simple as staying calm when life becomes complicated.
Perhaps that is why I have never had a problem with getting older.
During consultations, I sometimes notice that people say they are afraid of ageing. But after talking with them for a while, I often realise that what they are really afraid of is not ageing itself. What they fear is looking tired.
And those are two very different things.
Someone can be fifty and look vibrant, healthy, and confident. Someone else can be much younger and still appear exhausted, stressed, or worn down.
That distinction is important.
For this reason, my approach to aesthetic medicine has never been about making someone look dramatically younger. In fact, I do not believe that should be the goal.
What interests me far more is helping people look like the best version of themselves.
Restoring energy to the face.
Helping someone look healthier.
Helping someone look more refreshed.
And doing all of that without changing the features, expressions, and character that make them who they are.
That is where the real challenge begins.
Because aesthetic treatments can create change. The harder part is knowing how much change is enough.
Most people do not actually want to look like someone else. They simply want to feel better when they look in the mirror.
I understand that completely.
When I look at my own face, I see the years that have passed. But I also see my family, my friends, my students, my successes, my mistakes, and everything I have learned along the way.
Would I want to erase all of that?
I do not think so.
Perhaps ageing well is not about fighting time. Perhaps it is about moving through time gracefully while still feeling comfortable in your own skin.
