Exclusive Interview with Dr. Zainab Mogul-Ashraf (Dr. Z) of Hebe Medical Spa
Interview and Photography by Maxwell Alexander
Maxwell: Thank you for the interview opportunity and an amazing photoshoot, Dr. Z! I must say you are a natural when it comes to modeling. Great job! Please tell us a little bit about yourself and how did the idea of Hebe Medical Spa manifest in your life.
Dr. Z: Well thank you! 🙂 We have done a few photoshoots the last couple of years and I can say I definitely feel more comfortable with it now! Not so much in the beginning.
I am an internist and I have always been interested in aesthetics, beauty, and fashion. I grew up with 3 sisters and we always played with makeup and were always interested in skincare. I also found great satisfaction in helping people feel better about their appearance and felt getting into aesthetics was a natural progression for me. I felt my training as an internist led med to look at the body as a whole and focus on wellness and beauty from the inside out. This gives me a different perspective and approach when it comes to working with my clients. About 3 years ago I met my business partner Irina in the gym. We were the only 2 women at 5 am in the morning pumping some serious iron. One day we started talking and we clicked and found so many things in common. We were both professional women, we were both into a healthy lifestyle and also believed in empowering men and women to be the best version of themselves. We formed a close friendship and one day I shared with her the idea I had to open a medical spa and I asked her if she would be interested to be my business partner and help me bring this idea to life. And the rest is history…
Maxwell: Wow! Great story and a testimony to the fact that great minds think alike! Today I’d like to talk to you about the concept of eternal beauty and what it means to you as a beauty industry expert. Looking at the beautiful masterpieces of art, like the Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci, that depicted beauty in his time, we all can see that the definition of ideal human body composition has evolved dramatically throughout the history of civilization. At the same time, we can draw some parallels that do stay current and priceless even today. What is your take on that?
Dr. Z: We believe that beauty comes from the inside out and outside in. What I mean by that is that for one to be the best version of themselves they have to feel good on the inside. They can achieve that through a wholesome diet, exercise, and daily meditation, or any other form of relaxation and self-development. There is also a lot to be said about waking up, looking in the mirror, and loving what you see. A lot of our clients come to us and one thing they say they want is to have clear skin so they don’t have to wear makeup. Clear skin is youthful skin. Having flawless skin, less fine and wrinkles and feeling youthful and beautiful is such a confidence booster. This is where we come! When a person feels good about themselves, they are more motivated to do better in all areas of their lives. Our client’s age ranges from the early ’20s to the 80s. The young ladies in their 20s and 30s understand the importance of prevention and they start their Botox and care for their skin with facials, lasers, and good medically graded skin care products. We have a lot of clients in their 50s that come to us and their goal is to look as refreshed and youthful as possible. We can help with injectables, laser skin rejuvenation, and correction of sun damage, tone, and texture of the skin. For our ladies in their 60s and 70s, getting old is a gift, and bc we are getting old it doesn’t mean we can’t feel vibrant and beautiful.
Maxwell: Seems like our generation has gotten a lot closer to finding that elusive fountain of youth, I guess 🙂 But what about some other natural beauty concepts that you come across in your line of work?
Dr. Z: Hebe Medical Spa is one of the best spas in the Hudson Valley and we offer numerous treatments from any injectable neuromodulators, dermal fillers, injectable bio stimulators, hair restoration, bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, laser skin rejuvenation, robotic micro-needling, laser hair removal, body contouring, weight loss program, IV vitamin therapy and more. When a client comes for a consultation I start with what their concerns are and figure out what treatments will be the best suited for them to help with those concerns. I always prioritize the treatments by safety first, second is downtime and last is cost. Also, I always think about not only delivering short term results for my clients but also long term effects of the treatments. I spend a lot of time and resources getting trained by the best injectors in the world and keep up with the latest injectable techniques because I always strive to deliver the best and most natural results for my clients.
One of the treatments that have gained tremendous interest lately is lip enhancements. I think thanks to IG and the Kardashians big luscious lips have become quite of a trend nowadays. I love doing lips, I take my time to make sure I create size and shape that enhances my client’s facial structure. The smile on their faces when I am done is very gratifying. We have a sign in the spa that says “ you live once, buy yourself lips” I think that sums it all.
Maxwell: Fascinating! And yes, I can relate to some of that myself, but that’s going to be another story 🙂 Talking about your clients – the general assumption is that it’s the ladies who are so particular about their looks and the appearance of age, but what about the guys? What are they into when it comes to your services?
Dr. Z: You will be surprised to know but men are one of the fastest-growing patient segments in aesthetics and why shouldn’t they be??? Men, just like women want to look like the best version of themselves and age gracefully. Taking care of their skin has become part of their grooming. Botox and dermal fillers for men can reduce the signs of aging. Of course, the approach to male aesthetics differs from that of females. Men have a squarer face, a more angled and larger jaw, and equally balanced upper and lower facial proportions. Facial muscle mass, subcutaneous tissue, and blood vessel density are also increased in men relative to women. So the techniques and amount of injectables I use are different for men and women. Men are great candidates for laser skin rejuvenation, laser hair removal, IV vitamin therapy, hair restoration, and bio-identical hormone replacement therapy. We also do regular facials. So if someone has no experience and is not sure where to start a facial membership is a great start and build from there.
Maxwell: I’m on it, Dr. Z! Now I know that it’s never too early to start on my Botox shots 🙂 When is your next Botox party? … Anyways, in an interview a couple of years ago Hebe Med Spa had a goal of bringing all the state of the art beauty treatments to its clients in Fishkill, New York, today your clients are coming not only from all over the Hudson Valley, but all the way from New York City and even from across the country! What happened here?
Dr. Z: You got it right! One of the things I am very proud of is the reputation we have developed as skin and beauty experts in the area and I think a good reputation travels very fast nowadays. Hebe Med Spa has established itself as an expert in medical-grade beauty treatments and thanks to our big following and overwhelming support from social media we see more and more clients from beyond the Hudson Valley region. We also get tons of client referrals, which to us is the biggest compliment we can get and we truly appreciate the support! We have a big range of treatments form the state of the art equipment for skin rejuvenation, body contouring, robotic micro-needling, laser hair removal, bio-identical hormone replacement therapy, IV Vitamins, hair restoration, ample assortment of dermal fillers, Botox, collagen-stimulating injectables, PDO threads for non-surgical facelifts using the latest and most advanced techniques to create beautiful and natural results. We also have facial and laser memberships that are very affordable and make achieving and maintaining beautiful skin accessible to everyone. This month we are also launching Botox and filler membership and we are very excited about it. Taking care of your skin and staying fresh and youthful should be a part of your grooming and the memberships make that available to a lot more people.
Maxwell: Just wow! And the way to go! So what’s next? What new beauty treatments should we discuss in our next sit down?
Dr. Z: As you know we are committed to always bringing the best, most advanced, non-invasive devices and procedures that deliver amazing results in the safest way possible. Here at Hebe, the best medical spa in Hudson Valley, our ethos is clear skin is youthful skin! No matter how much filler and Botox we inject in your face if your skin is not up to par you will never be completely satisfied with your results. But if you get your sun damage and pigmentation cleared, shrink the size of your pores, improve the tone and texture of your skin and minimize your fine lines and wrinkles that will make a permanent improvement. And this is where the lasers come in very handy. We have different devices that address different skin concerns. For example, our newest device is a skin resurfacing laser that resurfaces the top layer of the skin, it’s a beautiful treatment for fine lines and wrinkles, moderate sun damage, tone, and texture of the skin. The results are amazing and it is minimal downtime. We just introduced PDO Threads for facelift and collagen building. We are the only provider in the area that offers the PDO threads. We also have a Botox and filler membership that we are introducing in the month of October that will allow our clients to stay on schedule with their treatments without breaking the bank. I think the culture is changing the services we offer are no longer a luxury, they are becoming part of our grooming. We love what we do and we love our clients! We have created a beautiful environment for our clients and we have an amazing team! Please, come and let us be the one helping you with your pro-aging journey to become the best version of yourself.
Maxwell: Thank you so much, Dr. Z and I can’t wait for our next story about the laser skincare treatments, it feels like the future is already here 🙂
