Happy Summer from Emily Self Aesthetic Skin Clinic!

I hope you are all enjoying the summer holidays — and, most importantly, I hope you are all remembering your SPF every day, even when the weather is cloudy! ☀️

It has been a busy few months at the clinic, with lots happening behind the scenes, so I thought I would share a little summer update.

Dermatology Diploma — completed!

I am very pleased to finally say that I have completed my Diploma in Dermatology!

My final results are still pending, but all of my work has now been submitted and I am very relieved to have reached the end of what has been a very busy year of studying alongside running the clinic.

The additional dermatology knowledge has been incredibly valuable in my day-to-day practice. It has strengthened my understanding of skin conditions and, importantly, my ability to recognise when something falls outside the scope of an aesthetic clinic and requires further investigation.

Over the past year, I have seen a number of lesions that have raised enough concern to warrant an urgent dermatology referral. Being able to recognise when something doesn't look quite right and make sure the patient is directed to the appropriate service is an important part of safe practice.

It is one of the reasons I am so passionate about looking at the health of the skin, rather than simply its appearance.

Mole checks

A little reminder that I also offer mole checks within the clinic. Where appropriate, I can assess lesions and advise whether further investigation is recommended or whether removal may be suitable.

If you have a mole or skin lesion that you have been meaning to get checked, please don't keep putting it off. If something has changed, is new, looks different from your other moles or simply concerns you, it is always worth having it assessed.

Introducing AI into the clinic

You may also notice a small change happening behind the scenes at your appointments.

I will shortly be introducing Heidi, an AI-powered clinical documentation tool, into the clinic.

Don't worry — I haven't suddenly decided to replace myself with a robot! 🤖

Heidi is designed to help healthcare professionals with the time-consuming part of consultations: documentation. With appropriate patient consent, Heidi can listen to a consultation in real time, transcribe the conversation and help generate structured clinical notes, which I then review, edit and approve myself.

For me, the biggest benefit is hopefully less time spent typing and more time concentrating on you.

Patient privacy and data security are, of course, extremely important when introducing any technology into a healthcare environment. Heidi states that consultation audio is not retained after transcription, and its UK privacy information states that UK customer data is stored within the UK, with processing within the UK or EEA. It also states that patient data is not used to train or improve its AI models.

I will always explain its use and obtain the appropriate consent before using it during your consultation.

AI is becoming increasingly useful across healthcare, particularly for reducing administrative workload and helping clinicians spend more time focused on the person sitting in front of them. I think it is about time I embraced it too — and if it makes my life a little easier at the same time, I'm certainly not complaining!

Exciting new treatment coming soon!

A huge thank you to everyone who took the time to complete my recent market research questionnaire about IPL.

Your feedback genuinely helped me decide to invest in an IPL device for the clinic, and I am very excited to say that my training takes place on 25th August!

The new technology will allow me to broaden the treatments I can offer within the clinic, including treatment of:

• Pigmentation and some forms of sun damage

• Visible vascular threads and redness

• Skin rejuvenation

• Hair reduction

One of the things I am particularly excited about is being able to offer more treatments within the clinic rather than having to refer patients elsewhere.

As always, treatment suitability will depend on your individual skin, concerns and medical history, and a consultation will be required before treatment.

For many of the concerns we will be treating, IPL offers a non-invasive approach, with no needles and generally minimal downtime compared with some alternative procedures.

I will share much more about the technology, treatments and when appointments will be available once I have completed my training.

A new practitioner at Little Massingham Manor!

You may also have noticed some new advertising around the local area for Osteopathy with Hannah

I'm very pleased to introduce you to Hannah — because she happens to be my sister!

Hannah is a fully qualified osteopath who has been practising for around five years, previously working in Essex before recently moving up to Norfolk.

She has now started her own clinic here at Little Massingham Manor, so we are officially a family business!

Hannah is currently taking bookings and is offering 10% off your first appointment during August.

You can find Hannah and her practice here:

Instagram: @hannahtheosteopath Facebook: Osteopathy with Hannah

If osteopathy is something you have been considering, do give her a follow and find out a little more about what she offers.

Thank you, as always, for continuing to support my little clinic.

It has been a really exciting year of learning, developing and expanding what I can offer, and I am very grateful to all of you who have trusted me with your skin and taken the time to give me feedback along the way.

There are lots of exciting things happening behind the scenes, and I can't wait to share the next chapter with you.

Have a wonderful summer — and don't forget your SPF! ☀️

Emily