A life spent in planes, swallowing long-haul flights. Businesswoman Déborah Alessi has decided to counteract the long-term harmful effects of jet lag by supporting her body with a heavy dose of vitamins. Highly sensitive to beauty and well-being, she also co-founded The Beverly Hills Wellness & Aesthetics Clinic with her husband, a prominent figure in aesthetic medicine. This top-tier clinic spreads its expertise and Hollywood glamour to cities that never sleep. A meeting with this charismatic Scotswoman, ready to conquer Paris.
Your lifestyle and your address book inspired the creation of The Beverly Hills Wellness & Aesthetics Clinic. What is your approach, and what solutions do you offer?
Déborah Alessi: Doing business across all time zones is part of the daily life of top entrepreneurs for whom time is the most precious resource, alongside their health. Starting your day in Zurich, continuing in New York, and finishing it in Miami is the lifestyle of these individuals. Even with the best lifestyle habits, the adrenaline of business, passion, and the love for challenges, we are still human, and our bodies eventually say ‘stop.’ The Beverly Hills Wellness & Aesthetic Clinics was founded with the idea of supporting these individuals who wish to stay in top physical shape, maintain satisfaction with their appearance, and never fall into excess. By this, I mean a form of aesthetic medicine and surgery that radically transforms people. That’s not what we do.
Beauty and well-being, for me, is about giving you confidence and supporting you daily. There will never be a standardization driven by a single model. This French sophistication is closer to who we are, and indeed, it’s what our clients want.
You’ve made a name for yourself thanks to the importance you place on taking vitamins. Legislation varies greatly from country to country when it comes to intravenous vitamin infusions. It’s an exploding market…
Yes, clearly. Our lifestyles have boosted this activity. From the outset, we made it a cornerstone of our establishment because there was a demand from very active people, both professionally and socially, who needed help. It’s a true medical gesture that cannot be done outside this framework. Some places offer very low prices, which is not a good sign. It’s essential to maintain the quality of the products and the training of the doctors. The formulation of our Vitamin Drips, IV Therapy, is revolutionary! It’s a full-fledged therapy designed to treat specific deficiencies at the cellular level, with immediate results on vitality, freshness, and, more sustainably, on aging.
Previously reserved for an elite (celebrities, star entrepreneurs, top-level athletes…), vitamin therapy has become more accessible.
This concentrated mix of vitamin C, B12, Zinc, and minerals has effects on immunity, which explains the strong demand, especially in this pandemic era. In the U.S., the U.K., Italy, and the United Arab Emirates, it’s an even older phenomenon. More and more French people are coming to see us.
Your journey began in the very chic neighborhood of Beverly Hills. However, the other countries where you are established are much more advanced in this field. How did you become a must-have destination in Dubai, your most dynamic market?
There are several reasons. First of all, there is a standardized beauty that ultimately excludes many people. If you don’t fit into the brunette or blonde Barbie model, then there won’t be any great doctors for you. You should know that in the U.S., we are no longer bound by that standard. Now, we advocate for “Less is more,” meaning that people around you should find that little “something” that makes you look sublime. Secondly, more than anywhere else, Dubai has seen an incredible boom in aesthetic medicine and surgery! Everyone aspires to it!
But paradoxically, doctors aren’t the greatest experts. Out of thousands, you’ll only find about twenty excellent ones. Moreover, this destination didn’t offer a five-star experience, which people rightfully expect given the prestige level of the hotels.
The Beverly Hills Wellness & Aesthetics Clinic has quickly found its place.
Déborah Alessi: “Now, people don’t come with a picture of a star they want to look like, but with their own selfie. Instagram and its unreal filters inspire people—both men and women.”
How is this “five-star experience” translated?
First, through the medical team. Every doctor recruited had to be THE expert in their field (facial, anti-aging, slimming, etc.). This prerequisite must go hand in hand with their listening skills. For me, it’s essential that the practitioner knows how to show pedagogy, engage in dialogue about good proportions, and follow the right protocols with patients who are well-versed in aesthetics and sometimes resist when we explain our reservations. Nowadays, people don’t come with a picture of a star they want to look like; they come with their selfie. Instagram and its extraordinary, unreal filters inspire people—both men and women. In Dubai, we showed that there is an alternative path to achieving beauty and well-being.
Furthermore, the five-star experience is reflected in the very Hollywood-like setting of our clinic. Beauty is also in the design, the service, and the treatments we offer.
There’s a lot on the menu! What are the most popular protocols?
It’s Beverly Hills (laughs)! Accessing treatments reserved for stars is our promise. I would spontaneously mention “Morpheus,” a revolutionary laser combining microneedling and radiofrequency, whose results are spectacular both for body reshaping and facial rejuvenation. Methods like “Cleopatra,” “Forma,” and “Inmode” are also very popular due to the immediacy and long-lasting benefits they provide. All these protocols are non-invasive, and until recently, they were the best-kept secrets of celebrities.
What do you think of those fifty-something celebrities who still attract flashbulbs on the red carpets?
It’s amazing to see this generation of fifty- and sixty-somethings still shining in Hollywood and beyond! Non-invasive aesthetic medicine has reached a technological milestone because today, 60 is the new 50. For a long time, we hit a plateau at 50 after doing wonders in our 40s. We will continue to see new achievements, meaning that the third age will be physically and physiologically delayed as long as the right lifestyle and protocols are followed.
On a less light note, you are also involved in defending victims of domestic violence, human trafficking, or road accidents through your charity Face Forward International. How do you support them concretely?
Face Forward International is my greatest pride! One day, I know I will pass the baton for The Beverly Hills Wellness & Aesthetics Clinic, but I will never abandon my philanthropic commitment. I want to take my charity further and have a greater impact on the lives of these abused individuals. We intervene in the care of victims—often disfigured—of violence, helping them rebuild physically through reconstructive plastic surgery. We also offer emotional support to give them a fresh start.
As we were talking earlier about online platforms, unfortunately, they have become a hunting ground for some predators who track young children falling into human trafficking networks. Face Forward International works closely with institutions, big tech companies, and NGOs to clean up these virtual spaces and raise awareness. We are one piece of the puzzle.
Even though it’s emotionally tough for me, I fight to help more victims.
