Skin is the largest organ of the human body and it has many important functions. It protects us from heat, cold, germs, and forms a barrier against dangerous substances. It also acts as an overall indicator of healthchange in color or feel of the skin can be a sign of a medical problem. The study of skin, the science of dermatology, has undergone significant transformations throughout the centuries, following the evolution of contemporary medicine.

Dermatologists are experts in diagnosing and treating skin, hair and nail diseases and they can manage cosmetic disorders including hair-loss, acne and scars. One such dermatologist is Dr. Nelly Ismail, who is creating a difference in people’s life through her services as a dermatologist and cosmetologist at Tajmeel Specialized medical center (part of Burjeel Holdings, one of the healthcare providers in UAE). Dr. Nelly, has worked extensively in various dermatology and cosmetology procedures, in Egypt and UAE, including psoriasis, rosacea, eczema, acne, warts, melasma, keloids, Botox, fillers, lasers, face lift, micro-needling and more. In an exclusive interview with the Women Entrepreneur team, Dr. Nelly talks about her passion for Dermatology and Cosmetology and her roles and responsibilities as the Head of the Department at Tajmeel Hospital, UAE.

Tell us about your professional journey and what inspired you to venture into dermatology and cosmetology? What are some of the procedures that you have mastered over the years?

I completed my graduation in 2001 from Egypt and at that time cosmetology was not very popular but dermatology has always been an interesting field. I decided to pursue it because people are more concerned about their skin as it is a mirror to the internal environment of the body. Cosmetology has seen a boom in the last 8-10 years with procedures like fillers, Botox, peeling and more. It is a constantly evolving industry and for a patient it can be a life altering experience. I shifted to UAE and joined Tajmeel after realizing the potential the country has to offer. I can treat all the skin diseases including eczema, allergies, hair-fall and for cosmetology we provide services in fillers, Botox, lasers, laser hair reduction, face lifting, radiofrequencies, micro-needling, body shaping, augmentation and so on.

What are some of the challenges that you face in your profession as a dermatologist and cosmetologist and how do you overcome it?

As a dermatologist, one needs to have an expert eye at diagnosing a skin condition as most of the lesions are papules or rashes and we need to make most of these diagnosis without any tools at hand. The challenge as a cosmetologist is even bigger because it's all about customer satisfaction and most of the patients have extremely high expectations from the procedures. Explaining and aligning a patient with the reality to overcome comparison is a very demanding experience in cosmetology

What are some of the significant milestones that you have achieved in your professional journey and what are the driving forces behind your success?

The first milestone was choosing dermatology and cosmetology because it’s a very delicate specialty and it allowed me to open a private clinic in Cairo. Second milestone was when I became the head of the department at One Day Surgery in Egypt and the other achievements are my shift to UAE and becoming the head of the department at one of the most reputable clinics, Tajmeel Specialized Medical Center. I completed my graduation from Egypt. It was very challenging to find a suitable source of information to learn and grow professionally but I was lucky to have good guidance during my thesis and post-graduation. Through it all, my driving force has always been the belief in myself and hard work to gain knowledge, experience and continuous updates.

“The dermatology and Cosmetology department At tajmeel specialized Medical center offers new Procedures that are less Painful and more natural”

How do you see Dermatology and Cosmetology evolving in the UAE market in the coming years? Also, are there any specific trends that you see developing in the future?

Cosmetology has a very good future as the R&D makes sure we have innovative, more advanced, less invasive, less painful procedures. "People are informed, educated and aware of the cosmetic procedures and are concerned about the outcomes.” Plastic surgery also gives excellent results but the healing time is more and this concerns the patients. Cosmetology on the other hand has minimal downtime and less painful procedures, less recovery time and more natural look. In the future, cosmetology procedures will dominate the market not just in UAE but globally.

Who are your ideals and what advice do you have for young women and girls who aspire to enter the industry in the future?

My ideals are Dr/Sir. Magdi Yacoub and Dr. Shamsheer Valayil. Dr/Sir. Magdi Yacoub is Egyptian-British cardiothoracic surgeon, who left behind the life comforts and decided to serve and treat the under-privileged people in Egypt for free.

Dr Shamsheer Valayil, built chains of hospitals the UAE which is Burjeel Holdings (which is a chain of hospitals including Tajmeel, Medeor, LLH, Burjeel, Lifecare, and more) Dr. Shamsheer helped a lot of people  to lead a healthy and better life and he is a real kind human and we all know his contributions and donations. I know that the journey to success is never easy or smooth but we have to be persistent. Sometimes, we might fail but if we lose the battle, it means we have lost the war. Pick yourself up and if something seems unattainable and difficult, the first step to achieving it is to start. My advice would be to have courage and leave the rest to God.

Dr. Nelly Ismail, Head Of The Department, Tajmeel

Dr. Nelly Ismail is a renowned dermatologist and cosmetologist at Tajmeel specialized medical center in UAE. Dr. Nelly’s commitment to the field of dermatology and continuing medical education, kept her pace with advances in fillers, Botox and aesthetic medicine at various Egyptian and British academies