The beauty doctor
Most of you will have heard the name Dr Susanna Hayter – she is a practising GP at Cookham Medical Centre. But you might not know she also runs a private medical aesthetic clinic in Marlow offering non-surgical anti-ageing and beauty treatments. So, if you want rid of your frown and worry lines, or long to lose the muffin top and spare tyre, make your way to My Beauty Doctor at The Marlow Club. I sat down with Dr Hayter to discover if you can really turn back time and enhance your skin, and how she juggles two businesses with three children…
‘My dad was a GP and I always liked the idea of being able to help people, so I went down the same route. I have fulfilled that dream and now work at the Cookham Medical Centre. As part of my medical training, I learnt all about dermatology - I’d say approximately 40% of GP consultations are about the skin,’ says Dr Hayter. ‘I enjoyed the dermatology side of my studies, perhaps more so because on a personal note, I suffered from really bad skin. When I was younger, I was advised by a doctor to sit out in the sun to clear up my acne spots, which worked, but we also now know the sun can cause long-term damage. Anyway, when I became a GP, I wanted to do something extra to help people with skin problems and to cure them safely.’
In 2005, Dr Hayter set up My Beauty Doctor at The Marlow Club, offering medical spa treatments.
Her philosophy was to provide a personal service and to only endorse treatments that actually work.
‘I started small, offering non-surgical anti-ageing treatments such as Botox and Dermal Fillers, and discovered there was a massive demand for these. I think women also found it reassuring that a doctor was administering the injections - that it was safe,’ says Dr Hayter.
‘I practised on friends and relatives. I knew I specifically wanted to treat acne as the condition had had such a negative influence on me, affecting my self-confidence. It impacted my life, so I wanted
to help others who were suffering. I did a lot of research into treatments, and then I saved all my earnings from doing the Botox and fillers and bought a machine that can treat acne and rosacea
and thread veins.’
Looking at Dr Hayter, I find it hard to believe she ever had bad skin. She’s young, slim and pretty. ‘I have had a lot of the treatments myself,’ she admits. ‘Permanent eyeliner, Botox, Dermal Fillers, chemical peels, and I’ve used prescription-strength skincare… but I’ve tried most of them and I’m happy to carry out all of them on my closest friends and family as they’re all safe. I do tell people if they don’t need something doing, too.’
Dr Hayter was a woman on a mission. Business was booming and she wanted to add to her portfolio. ‘The people I treated soon began to ask what else I could do to make them look and feel even more beautiful. I read all about new treatments and added the ones that were safe and worked to my list. I’m constantly training and learning new things. I am training for the 1 stitch facelift this weekend.’
A year ago, she began offering non-surgical fat treatments, such as fat freezing and injections. ‘I have a serious shopping habit – for medical machines!’ Dr Hayter says. ‘Whatever money I make from my business, I reinvest by buying a new machine.’
But how does she fit it all in – five sessions per week as a GP, running her own beauty clinic plus she is a mum to three children? ‘I always knew I wanted a family,’ says Dr Hayter. ‘I have three children – Jack, seven, Max, four, and Ella, two. And what’s interesting is every time I got pregnant, I suddenly had an amazing drive to evolve and enhance my beauty business. Each time I felt as if I could achieve anything. While pregnant with Jack I launched with the Botox and fillers, with Max I bought the skin rejuvenation machine and trained in chemical peels and mesotherapy, and with Ella I did a diploma in semi-permanent make-up. I think perhaps I knew that when my children were born they’d need my full-time care for the next 12 months, so I had to improve my business while they were growing inside me and had the time! I fit it all in because I love what I do. I work at the clinic on a Sunday, Tuesday, and after working at Cookham Medical Practice on a Wednesday.’
So what’s the most popular treatment at the moment, I ask. ‘Coolsculpting,’ she answers without a beat. ‘It’s a non-surgical treatment for fat reduction which has been clinically proven to work.’ As she shows me some pictures of women before and after the treatment, I try not to look down at my own love handles I could do with shifting. Mmm, tempting… ‘And the anti-ageing Dracula facelift (PRP Therapy) is in high demand as well,’ she says. What?! She goes on to explain this involves blood being taken from the patient’s body then injected back into the face. It promotes healthy skin growth and makes the skin appear more vibrant. Wow!
Dr Hayter really knows her stuff, and is obviously passionate about what she does. And I get the feeling she totally understands the concerns women have about their appearance – because she’s been there.
So what’s next for the beauty doctor? ‘My goal for the future is simple - to carry on making women feel beautiful by looking amazing on the outside.’
My Beauty Doctor is offering 25% off Coolsculpting
For more info, call 0800 410 2020 or 07917 718986. Or visit
