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He’s the hottest secret in town; an A-lister’s

most frequently dialled number. EUGENIE KELLY

meets DR HKEIK, the man behind Australia’s most covetable complexions

Once upon a time, Australia’s prettiest and most powerful resigned themselves to packing their bags and schlepping off to Beverly Hills or Belgravia in a bid to get A-list-worthy skin. So it’s odd to think that Hollywood wives and the London arts set are now flocking here to enlist

the services of the man behind this country’s most famous complexions, simply due to word of mouth.

Sandwiched between the second and fourth floors of a nonde-script modern office block on Bourke Street in Darlinghurst, you’ll find one of Sydneysider Dr Joseph Hkeik’s two All Saints Cosmedical clinics, frequented by the city’s most fashionable. A good chunk of his patients are those who live on beauty’s front line: mega-models, fashion designers, pop stars, eastern suburbs heiresses; those constantly trying to cheat their DNA and wipe away the years. So what is he giving these women (and men) that

makes them look so good? It’s more than just a poreless, even-toned complexion. It’s like you’re looking at their face from five years earlier. Forget the fake, filled look; these people don’t appear to have had anything done. Even in their selfies — no filters, no Facetune. That’s what sets Hkeik’s work apart.

“I attract people who want to remain real and look better — not different,” agrees the Lebanese-born 49-year-old. “It’s like looking at a puzzle and knowing which piece is missing.”

Raised in Beirut during the civil war, the young Hkeik turned to sculpture to deal with the daily trauma around him, and by the age of 15 was staging exhibitions. “I focused on replicating women’s figures with nails and string to create shape and form via three-di-mensional figures. I loved the contours, their faces, their features; the way things were made, made sense,” he says. “I considered becoming a priest, an interior designer and an architect, then settled on medicine.” When his family moved to Australia, he

enrolled at Sydney University to do general surgery, but felt something was missing. “So I also enrolled at the National Art School to work on my ceramics, sculptures and paint-ings, dabbled in film production and even tried acting.”

Hkeik’s father could see his son was torn between the arts and medicine, so persuaded him to open a medical centre in western Sydney with the aim that the business could eventually run itself while he pursued his creative passions. Cue a chance meeting with a cosmetic surgeon, and, intrigued by what people were achieving with Botox and fillers, Hkeik set out on a new path. “As an artist I understand the ‘art of face’ and have the ability to track what is missing and to precisely replace it. I only fill what is needed to balance and harmonise features. More and more women are moving away from that overfilled look.”

Dealing with A-listers means Hkeik enjoys a motivated clientele, monitoring their progress via regular emailed selfies, “though it’s no substitu-tion for a face-to-face consultation,” he stresses. In his world, going under the knife and invasive procedures are O.U.T. Instead, it’s about an artistic approach to injectables and encouraging patients to be obsessive about skin maintenance. Along with everything that touches their lips — it’s got nothing to do with shedding kilos, however. When he preaches no salt, caffeine or sugar, he’s talking skin texture and pore structure. “Skincare begins in the kitchen,” he argues. “Salt in high doses causes dehydration and fluid retention, resulting in puffy skin and puffy eyes. Caffeine also leads to dehydration. Sugar causes premature ageing due to chronic inflammation. Dairy is good in moderation, but, like caffeine and sugar, it has an acidifying effect on body fluids and tissue. I tell all my clients to consume a plant-based diet to achieve a balance of alkaline-acidic levels.” A gold-standard meal is chickpeas, avocados, chicken or fish, brown rice, a green leafy salad, a squeeze of lemon and a drizzle of flax or olive oil.

Step two is skincare. “Once I’ve educated clients to change their old habits, they need to start using the purest form of powerful skincare ingredients. I have to consider what changes are needed in their skin to ensure it photographs well,” he says. After scrutinising their complexion in graphic detail — recording everything from pore size to sun damage — and quizzing them on their geneology and lifestyle factors, he then prescribes a few specific products from his favourite brands (see sidebar). “There are key ingredients you need to make a positive change. And I’m not only looking at their current skin condition but also foreseeing potential problems.”

Because morning TV or a red-carpet situation is unforgiving when it comes to breakouts, Hkeik is a pro at stopping them in their tracks. “Firstly, breakouts should never be allowed to occur in the first place!” he declares. “That means cleansing the skin twice daily (and at least once with a lactic acid cleanser), applying makeup lightly and removing it thoroughly, and using a vitamin A cream regularly.” But should the unthinkable happen … “I swear by CosMedix Clear Clarifying Mask, which contains

salicylic acid, niacinamide and sulphur, and that can be used as a spot treat-ment or on the whole face. It often clears inflamed pimples within 24 hours. Other solutions include the blue LED Omnilux light and, with larger pimples, a steroid injection into the pimple [administered only by a doctor] to help settle things fast.”

Pimples were once A-listers’ worst nightmare, but these days a taut forehead, overly-plump cheeks and pillowy lips — faces that look “done”, in other words — easily trump zits. After all, there’s nothing more unattractive than suspecting someone is desperately ashamed of how old she is. “Women see Botox as this ‘freezing agent’,” Hkeik says with a sigh. “Botox should be seen as a tool to reshape and lift, then to remove wrinkles. Freeze an area

and you won’t achieve the first two. Freezing the muscle for a long time is easily achievable, but it’s not healthy long-term. I care how my patients will look 10 to 20 years from now. I’m not a fan of too much Botox in the lower face. Small doses, yes, but larger doses eventually make the patient look older.”

Fillers also come under fire. “Women are making decisions based on price,” he says. “A doctor will say they can have 2ml in the cheeks, which in a 30-year-old might be the right thing to do. But the correct approach is to use the 2ml to do a full face rejuvenation, addressing the eyebrows, the cheeks, the nasola-bial fold and the lower face. As a general rule, if you think your cheeks are getting hollower, chances are other parts of face are equally suffering, so we need to treat these areas as well.”

One of the keys to Hkeik’s beloved status among the A-list is his reputation for erring on the side of caution. Plus his slow and steady approach — something a lot of crap practitioners out there aren’t willing to adopt when they get dollar signs in their eyes. So what are his tips for finding a great dermatologist or cosmetic physi-cian? “Check first with the Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery [accs.org.au] — on their site is a list of their member plastic surgeons, cosmetic surgeons, cosmetic physicians and cosmetic clinics in your area. When you go to meet the doctor, take a look at their face and skin, along with their staff. Take a look at some of their work — not photos supplied by the company that supplied the product. And never rush into a decision. Take a friend if you’re nervous — they can help you make a better decision. And don’t fall for a discount or promotion in order to help you commit to it on the day. Ensure they’re registered. Trust your gut feeling.”

Contact Dr Hkeik at All Saints Cosmedical Clinic, Sydney, 1300 142 536, allsaintscosmedical.com.au.

P O T I O N P R E S C R I P T I O N

Want celebrity skin? Here’s what the

doctor swears by …CosMedix Simply Brilliant 24/7 Brightening Serum,

$72.60. “To ensure my clients’ skin is glowing

and healthy for future light-based treatments and

chemical peels, I tell them to use this lightening, brightening cream.”

DermaQuest Nourishing Peptide Cream, $119.

“An amazing moisturising, nourishing cream containing

peptides that promote collagen stimulation

and restore luminance.”Ultraceuticals Ultra B2 Hydrating Serum, $99.

“Not only is this the perfect moisturiser for

all skin types, it doubles as a post-treatment homecare product,

smoothing, hydrating and conditioning the skin.”Elizabeth Arden Pro Triple

Action Protector, $99. “It has everything you need for anti-ageing if you crave a simple skincare regimen.

SPF, antioxidants and a DNA enzyme complex.”Results Rx Eye Doctor, $220. “This eye lotion is

a liquid crystal serum that replenishes damaged,

thinning skin around the eyes by stimulating collagen

and elastin formation to reduce the appearance of

fine lines. It also doubles as an awesome lip hydrator.”

Call Dr Hkeik

1300 142 536

THE DOCTOR

IS IN

H A R PE R S B A Z A A R . C O M . AU June/July 2015168 169 H A R PE R S B A Z A A R . C O M . AU June/July 2015

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