Vicky Eldridge chats to Dr Charlie Attariani from Ego Dental Clinic about becoming the first UK clinic to install the new Soprano Titanium laser.
Originally published on Aesthetic Medicine UK magazine • May 2019
The establishment of an award winning UK clinic
Aesthetic Medicine: “Please tell us a bit about your background and how you came into the aesthetics side of the industry?”
Dr Charlie Attariani: “My wife and I always wanted to have our own practice. We took over a beauty salon which had eight treatment rooms. We had to apply for change of use as the usage is different for dental and medical purposes, but we decided to keep four of the beauty rooms and add the dental surgeries into it. I found that to be a very good combination. People who are interested in looking after themselves and are having facials, waxing and laser hair removal are often also looking to enhance other areas too, so aesthetic dentistry fits in quite nicely.”
The Ego Dental UK clinic
AM: “When you started looking at what equipment you were going to invest in, what were your thought processes and how did you decide which brands you were going to use?”
CA: “Technology was the most important thing for me. People are busy, they don’t have time to spend on themselves. So when it comes to our dental work we try to do everything here. We don’t send anything to the lab; you can scan everything here and can make crowns the same day. We can also show patients how their smile will look afterwards using the latest technology. This philosophy worked well for me in dentistry so I carried that over into the beauty and aesthetic side of the business.
Soprano was one of the lasers that people actually came in and asked for. People didn’t come in asking for hair removal, we got people asking for Soprano. So, I started looking into it. As a dentist, I come from a scientific background; I like to do my own research and not rely on what manufacturers tell me. I spent six months speaking to different laser companies and doing research before I decided that Soprano met our criteria.”
Recognizing the superiority of the Soprano laser brand
AM: “What is it specifically about the Soprano Titanium that makes it a good fit for your business?”
CA: “The new Titanium laser hair removal device is absolutely great, it’s just so fast. It’s the latest technology and it has good research behind it, and it suited my business. People are busy here and they want to save time. The Soprano Titanium laser helps us with that. We were perhaps the first UK clinic to get the machine. Normally to be the first in something in medicine is not the best, because you don’t want to be the guinea pig. However, Soprano was already a brand with a good reputation and research behind it, so I didn’t have any doubt about being one of the first to get the new system.
AM: “Why did you specifically choose the new Titanium model over the established Soprano ICE Platinum?”
CA: “Many UK laser clinics have used the previous and highly successful models-The Soprano ICE and Soprano ICE Platinum lasers. So for us it was very comfortable to go with the Soprano by Alma. However, we’re also happy to be one step ahead of the rest by acquiring the new model with the latest features.”
The new Soprano Titanium laser at the clinic
AM: “Other than the treatment speed, what else does the new system offer?”
CA: “It combines different lasers together – it has Alex, diode and ND: Yag wavelengths all in one. And it’s easier for my laser technicians to deal with as well. My therapists used to get very tired using some of the older laser machines as they were often quite heavy. I do laser hair removal and tattoo removal, and I found the older systems too clumsy to hold over my shoulder. In every aspect the Soprano Titanium is very favorable, it’s very easy to use.”
Looking forward to further aesthetic treatments
AM: “What are your plans for the future of the business?”
CA: “Quality not quantity is a very important motto for us. We want to add more treatments, particularly for the body, but we don’t want to bring in things for the sake of it. At the moment, we’re extremely strong in the head and neck area, but body treatments is something we’re looking into. Just as with lasers, there’s so many different system out there, so it’s very difficult. You need to look at the research and know what type of research to pay attention to, that’s the key thing for me. There are many companies that have paid for research so the results are not going to be unfavorable. You must know where to look, and do your research before making any decisions.”
