Alice Hart-Davis
Anti-Ageing Specialist
Alice Hart-Davis is the founder of The Tweakments Guide, a content platform that provides independent information about non-surgical cosmetic procedures and effective skincare, and lists highly rated practitioners. As an award-winning beauty journalist, Alice has been reporting on and reviewing non-surgical procedures and skincare for over 20 years. Her latest books are The Tweakments Guide: Fresher Face and The Tweakments Guide: Start with Skincare.
Q&A's
One bit of advice you want to give to all Healthista readers?
Just one? Look after your mind first, and then the rest of you. You can eat all the vegetables, and do all the exercise, and use all the best skincare, but if you’re not happy in your mind it makes every aspect of life so much harder – and makes it harder to look after those around you.
So, you first, and your mind first of all. If you’re struggling, get help. The stigma around discussing mental health issues is fading fast, thank goodness and there’s a lot of help available if you look for it.
One thing you do daily that you wouldn't be well without?
Meditate. It just helps with everything and makes me a nicer person to be around. I’ve been writing about wellness for decades, and had heard so much about the benefits of meditation was, but I couldn’t get into it. I tried tapes and courses, I’d tried staring into a candle-flame…
Then Andy Puddicombe launched Headspace in 2010 and I took to it like the proverbial duck to water. He makes it very, very simple. All you need to do is sit down and do it. It took a while for the penny to drop, that the point of meditation is that it is a practice.
Something you do for the sake of doing the practice, rather than, say, trying to learn to be ‘good’ at it. Now, I know that my mind, and my life, are a bit easier and less frantic if I just sit down and do it every morning. Preferably while wearing an LED red-light mask, to give my skin a boost and give me an extra reason for taking the time to sit still.
What will you be bringing to the Healthista Collective?
An honest and open approach to the topic of tweakments, aka cosmetic procedures like Botox and fillers. I know they’re not for everyone but for those who are curious, it isn’t helpful that so much shame and fear still hangs around these treatments.
Why is that a problem? Because it stops general discussion of medical aesthetics, and consequently people don’t realise how vital it is to educate themselves about procedures, and what they are and how they work, and to seek out a really good, experienced, medically trained aesthetic practitioner.
Unfortunately there is so little regulation of the whole tweakments area that it is perfectly legal for you or I or your next door neighbour to buy fillers and needles and set up shop injecting people, and that is causing a lot of problems. I’ll be helping you understand which procedures and products are good and worthwhile, and how to find great practitioners who do excellent work.
Advice to my 20-year old self?
Don’t sit around wait to be asked. Be brave and find your voice. Learn to ask for help. Get better at saying no and setting boundaries. Find mentors. Don’t keep things for best.
Stay kind, and be kinder to yourself. Start meditating. Stop worrying about how you look, and what other people think. People-pleasing is a waste of energy, as is constant dieting. Dance more. If you hate a job, quit it.
Read How to Make Friends and Influence People (I still haven’t, but…) Know that you are enough, as you are. You don’t have to be good at stuff to be loved.
Wear sunscreen.
Find ways to give back. Accept that you are never going to feel like a real grown-up, even when you’re nearly 60… And don’t worry if this sounds like gibberish to you now, just mull it over from time to time…
The Healthista Expert Collective
Abigail James
Facialist
abigailjames1Abigail James is one of the most well respected skincare and wellbeing experts within the UK. Skin expert and author of 'Love Your Skin'
Alice Hart-Davis
Anti-Ageing Specialist
alicehartdavisAlice Hart Davis is a British journalist who writes about beauty and cosmetic procedures.
Charlotte Dormon
Healthy Lifestyle
healthyloveslondonTracking down the best places, products and experiences to give your health and wellness some extra Va Va Voom
Sarah Lindsay
Personal Trainer
roarfitnessgirlA three-time Olympian, Sarah Lindsay is a personal trainer like no other.
Dr Larisa Corda
Obstetrician & Gynaecologist
drlarisacordaDr Larisa Corda is an Obstetrician and Gynaecologist and Fertility Specialist MBBS BSc MRCOG.
Dr Heather McKee
Health Behaviour Change Specialist
Dr Heather McKee is a health behaviour change specialist and keynote speaker. She supports people to build healthy habits that last and believes that living a healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to be cruel or punishing.
Finola Burrell
Physiotherapist
finolaphysioFinola Burrell is a physiotherapist based in London who is passionate about giving people the knowledge and tools to help them lead the life they want, without pain or injury stopping them.
Dr Gemma Newman
Medical Doctor
plantpowerdoctorDr Gemma Newman has worked in medicine for 15 years and is the Senior Partner at a family medical practice where she has worked for 10 years.
Georgie Wolfinden
Founder of The Agent's Secret
theagentssecretGeorgie Wolfinden is a brand, trends and marketing expert. She began her career in London with MTV working to launch MTV Europe going on to support their creative department to compile sell out book ‘Sneaker Size isn’t everything’.
Kate Moyle
Relationship Therapist
katemoyletherapyAs a CORST accredited Psychosexual & Relationship Therapist, I specialise in working with those that are struggling with difficulties with their sex lives and sexuality, including many in their twenties and thirties who are impacted by the stresses of modern life.
Maude Hirst
Meditation Teacher
maudehirstMaude is a born and bred East Londoner. She's an actor, writer, and yoga teacher best known for her role as Helga in the hit TV show 'Vikings'.
Rick Hay
Fitness Nutritionist
rickhayukRick Hay is an Anti Ageing and Fitness Nutritionist with many years clinical experience in nutrition, naturopathy, botanical medicine and iridology.
Rosie Stockley
Women's Fitness Specialist
mamawellukRosie is a personal trainer focusing on pregnancy, postpartum and beyond. She is passionate about helping women feel strong and fit at any life stage and using movement to support them both mentally and physically. She is the founder of The Mamawell Method for pregnancy & postpartum and Club Mamawell for all women.
Una Jefford
Aesthetic & Dermatology Specialist
dermalhealthukÚna Jefford is an Aesthetic and Dermatology specialist with prescribing and skin surgery qualifications.