Business: I’m pivoting my clinics from aesthetics to longevity medicine

When we look at what we do in aesthetic medicine, you could argue that we have only been focusing on the tip of the iceberg when it comes to ageing, putting a ‘sticking plaster’ on the symptoms (the lines and wrinkles) instead of treating the underlying cause. But what if we could treat the ageing process more deeply for our patients? What if longevity is the essential link that is missing between aesthetic medicine and traditional medicine?

To find out why a successful cosmetic nurse specialist who has built three aesthetic clinics in Canada in four years is choosing to pivot towards longevity, Dr Tim Pearce sat down for a podcast with Chelsey Brown, RN from The Cosmetic Clinic.

This blog gives an insight into their discussion and shared interest in longevity. Watch the full podcast, shared below, to reveal their journey into exploring ways to extend patient lifespan and improve health span.

A meeting of minds: embracing the future of healthcare with a proactive approach to wellness

Nurse Chelsey has a background in studying biology before getting her nursing qualifications. When she met Dr Tim at the Inner Circle event in Switzerland a year ago, they discovered they shared an interest in longevity. This led Chelsey to rediscover her passion for understanding genetics, and their potential for improving health and ageing.

Dr Tim has previously shared his personal experience with his mother’s illness and how it sparked his interest in finding ways to prevent age-related diseases and why he is moving on from aesthetics and embracing longevity.

During the podcast, the two engaged in a deep and insightful conversation about longevity, the epigenetic theory of ageing, the difference between lifespan and health span and the need to focus on tangible, measurable outcomes rather than abstract ideals to engage patients on the journey.

They emphasised the importance of measurability in all interventions and discussed the connection between ageing and disease. Dr Tim shared his belief that control over health is essential for mental well-being, likening anxiety and depression to a lack of control.

Nurse Chelsey described her clinic’s approach to introducing longevity concepts to patients, focusing on education, incremental and influential changes, and providing measurable data to back up the manipulation of the biological systems through ongoing blood tests. They both stressed the importance of making longevity approaches accessible and enjoyable for patients, rather than seen as deprivation or austerity.

Despite some societal resistance to the idea of extending lifespan, they highlighted the goal of improving quality of life, maintaining strength and vitality – living well – rather than simply increasing the number of years lived. It’s not just about adding years to your lifespan; it’s about adding life to your years.

Both expressed optimism about the potential of longevity interventions to empower patients to live healthier, more fulfilling lives and emphasised evidence-based practices and the need to cut through the noise of social media and sensational headlines. It is vital to focus on the science of longevity and health, rather than getting caught up in fads or extremes perpetuated online.

Nurse Chelsey talked about recently visiting the Museum of Florence Nightingale in London, an emotional experience that was incredibly inspiring. Her journey, as a nursing pioneer is a powerful reminder that sometimes, to make real change, you must push through adversity and follow your intuition, even when others doubt you. Nurse Chelsey embodies this dedication to pioneering the field of longevity and hopes, like Dr Tim, to make a difference.

Pioneering proactive healthcare: introducing longevity into an aesthetic clinic

You can watch the full, hour-long podcast below, but here are some snippets on the key conversation points. Their conversation broadly reflects a shared, deep interest in disrupting traditional healthcare notions in favour of a more proactive, wellness-focused approach, while recognising the practical challenges and business opportunities inherent in such a transition for most aesthetic clinicians watching the podcast.

• An opportunity for aesthetic clinicians in longevity medicine – There is a growing consumer interest in longevity medicine, both in the USA and UK, aesthetic clinicians have a unique opportunity to capitalise on this trend by offering innovative solutions tailored to individual patient needs. You can embrace the principles of proactive healthcare and position yourself at the forefront of this new movement.
• Shifting towards longevity and wellness – The emerging field of longevity medicine means we, as aesthetic medical practitioners, will prioritise wellness over simple disease management and cosmetic intervention to optimise health and live longer healthier lives.
• Aesthetic clinicians versus mainstream healthcare professionals – There is a difference in approach between aesthetic practitioners and traditional physicians or healthcare practitioners, the latter often focus on restoring health to a baseline level while the former prioritise optimisation and enhancement. Consider a shift in mindset towards proactive wellness and longevity and share this with your patients to help them live life to the fullest.
• Challenging the Status Quo – There is a need to challenge traditional, conventional medical practice, but be prepared to embrace criticism for pushing the boundaries and questioning established norms. Use scientific rigour to counter scepticism and empower your patients to make informed decisions about their health.
• Business and healthcare – There are financial considerations involved when implementing new approaches into an established clinic business that will require funding, but this is countered by potential profitability from offering innovative longevity and health solutions, from supplements to medical testing, there is a wealth of opportunity for clinicians to provide value-added services while generating revenue that makes this a sustainable business model.
• Building trust and credibility – Fostering strong relationships and building patient trust is a core foundation; you will establish credibility as you guide your patients towards making positive lifestyle changes. Whilst some information is freely available online, but may be incorrect, health advice from a trusted healthcare professional will motivate them to act, empowering them to take control of their health and instilling confidence in longevity medicine.
• The need for effective communication – communicating scientific research and effectively educating the public about longevity medicine is paramount; the medical practitioner’s role is to bridge the gap between scientific advancements and public understanding.

Both Dr Tim and Nurse Chelsey believe that the future of healthcare lies in proactive wellness. Traditional models of reactive treatment are giving way to proactive approaches focused on optimising health and longevity.

“I have asked people, ‘If you could live longer, would you?’ Most people reply with, ‘I don’t want to because I’m going to live the extra years frail for longer and it’s just more suffering’. So, I say, ‘What if you could live longer but live like you are now?’ At that point, the answer has almost always been ‘Yes’. It does not matter if they have any education on this (longevity) or not, and that for me is the whole goal. I don’t want to live longer…I don’t think that is the goal and the messaging that I am putting out there is about a healthier life, while we are here, and I think if you put that together properly, it’s not going to be a hard sell.”

There is an immense potential for proactive healthcare to transform lives; by embracing innovation and collaboration in longevity medicine, aesthetic practitioners can lead the charge towards a healthier, more vibrant future for us all.

If you have any questions or want to see additional insight, you can find Dr Tim Pearce on Instagram, follow Dr Nichola Conlon on Instagram, or find her cosmetic and regenerative medicine clinic, The Cosmetic Clinic on Instagram.

Longevity in aesthetics

Learn how to introduce longevity to your aesthetics clinic with a new eLearning course from Dr Tim Pearce, with insight from leading longevity experts: Dr Simisola Elizabeth Oke, Dr Nichola Conlon, and Nurse Chelsey Brown.

Aesthetics Mastery Show

I’m pivoting my 3 clinics from aesthetics to longevity. Here’s why you should too!

Dr Tim says:

“What if longevity is the essential link thats missing between aesthetics and medicine? I really wanted to find out why a super successful nurse clinician who has built 3 aesthetic clinics in 4 years is choosing to pivot towards longevity, so I sat down with Nurse Chelsey to dive into it all.”

Watch the full Aesthetics Mastery Show here.

The video has some great feedback, including:

@soyounglee7054

“Thank you for utilizing your platform to deliver/share such vital information. I have been on my own healthspan/longevity journey for the past decade and greatly appreciate these conversations/info which speaks volumes. I too : ) am a Bryan Johnson(if we all could measure our own data as we go would be the dream) admirer/supporter and know there is great need(now more than ever) for expansion in these relevant areas. Looking forward to your next posts!”

@livingsmart

“It’s great to see that longevity is getting traction in many different places. Hopefully it will spill into the better research funding so we can combat the bottlenecks limiting us at 120 (like glycation, loss of elastin etc) which today is mostly limited just by the lack of the public interest.”

See more feedback and comments from practitioners and clients on our YouTube channel – feel free to join the debate!

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Dr Tim Pearce eLearning

Dr Tim Pearce MBChB BSc (Hons) MRCGP founded his eLearning concept in 2016 in order to provide readily accessible BOTOX® and dermal filler online courses for fellow Medical Aesthetics practitioners. His objective was to raise standards within the industry – a principle which remains just as relevant today.

Our exclusive video-led courses are designed to build confidence, knowledge and technique at every stage, working from foundation level to advanced treatments and management of complications.

Thousands of delegates have benefited from the courses and we’re highly rated on Trustpilot. For more information or to discuss which course is right for you, please get in touch with our friendly team.