Axelle Mon Wen Pin,
Harmony of Body and Mind

I qualified as a GP nearly fifteen years ago. I love my job and the idea that a doctor can help their patients to live a better life. Healing others is not something that happens by chance, it requires a deep understanding of the patient in order to provide personalised care. This approach can be preventive – something I’m in favour of – curative and in some cases aesthetic. I love aesthetics, whatever the form: interior design, architecture, fashion, objects, paintings, sculpture, etc. I am particularly interested in the work of painters and sculptors because it allows me to see the various approaches used by artists when creating facial perfection. When it comes to my job, I believe the face is very important and that it is often easy to give it a harmony. I then specialised in cosmetic medicine where I had the chance to be trained by an excellent team led by Prof. Meningaud in Créteil. I advocate simple and elegant cosmetic treatments and I take great pleasure in working together with my patients, so we can make the most of their features by focusing on a very natural result. I work very gradually because we all see too many people who have overdone it. So I start with a lightweight treatment and if necessary complete it a few days later. To prolong the effect of my care or to help patients in the early stages of a cosmetic treatment, I prefer simple treatments such as Hydrafacial, which allows you to exfoliate deeply, extract impurities and moisturise, as well as kobido massage, an ancestral Japanese technique that boosts collagen.

Before I moved into my own practice, I temped a lot – a normal process for newly-qualified doctors. I have always been struck by the austerity of many practices – little or no decoration, zero personality, piles of old magazines and rows of functional rather than elegant chairs. And even in cosmetic establishments, I found that the decor was often minimalist and often white, which totally lacks warmth. I didn’t enjoy spending my days there, but also (and especially) I felt for my patients who were anxious enough at the prospect of a cosmetic procedure. When I decided to set up my own practice, I obviously wanted it to be pleasant and welcoming. I also wanted the decor to convey my idea of cosmetic procedures to my patients; simple beauty, where we enhance the natural with elegance, so they don’t become a caricature of themselves.

That’s a tough one to answer. It all happened very naturally in the end. Despite the differences between our two businesses, Guillaume and I frequently discuss our jobs. Just like him, I believe decor helps people feel at ease, and with regard to cosmetic medicine, my practice focuses on the body, particularly the face. My husband’s profession meant I found inspiration on an almost daily basis. We love to go on trips that inspire us. Our shared Pinterest is packed with images. The latest and the one that certainly influenced me is Coqui Coqui, part of a Mexican hotel chain featuring beautiful haciendas, decorated in an understated but very welcoming way – just stunning. I also bought a Lucia Sellier collage that I love, “Plein Soleil”, which I hung in the entrance. As soon as a patient arrives, they can dream and escape to the world this artist creates. My table is made of kitayama cedar, a Japanese wood known for being exceptionally straight and knotless, derived from sustainable forests, which my husband also uses a lot in his collections. The alabaster lights mean patients find soft, comforting lighting. I also installed large green plants because I find them beautiful and soothing. The time spent taking care of them after my consultations allows me a moment of calm at the end of the workday before I head home to my family.