Dr Anshul Gambhir Of Gambhir Cosmetic Medicine On 5 Things Anyone Can Do to Have Healthy, Radiant, Flawless Skin

An Interview With Athalia Monae

Use available technology like Botox, retinols, microneedling, lasers, collagen building tools etc. Do not overdo it. Flawless skin must be balanced with the concept of graceful aging so we maintain our natural selves.

Each day, millions strive to unlock the secrets of blemish-free, luminous skin, yet many find this goal frustratingly out of reach. In a market saturated with quick fixes and fad trends, it’s vital to cut through the noise and understand what truly works. Our skin is our largest organ and the shield between our bodies and the outside world; it deserves more than just a superficial approach. As part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Anshul Gambhir.

Dr. Anshul Gambhir is one of the founders of Gambhir Cosmetic Medicine alongside his wife Dr. Vibha Gambhir. Dr. Gambhir attended the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. He then completed his medical degree at the Temple University School of Medicine and his residency training at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Drs. Gambhir founded Gambhir Cosmetic Medicine in 2005.

Their focus on non-surgical procedures have helped countless patients regain their youthful appearance without invasive surgery. He is a top 2 provider of Botox and Juvederm products in the nation and #1 in the Philadelphia area. His journey into this realm of cosmetic medicine was guided by his firm belief that looking younger profoundly motivates us to lead an overall healthier and happier life.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dive into our discussion about networking, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about what brought you to your specific career path?

I had four loves when I was in high school; biology, business, art and a passionate desire to make a difference in the world. I began my career in medicine in Family Medicine in solo practice. I thrived on helping patients from mundane issues to complicated medical issues which led me to care for them in the intensive care unit. My wife, whom I met in college, became my fifth and one of my most important loves in life. I saw my wife suffering in pain from waxing and decided to help her and simultaneously pursue my passion of business and medicine by integrating laser hair removal into the medical practice in 2004. My sixth and seventh loves also rose to the top of my list — my two children who were born in 2003 and 2004. I now needed to find a way to find an intersection of all 7 loves. Cosmetic Medicine became that gateway. It allowed me to be an artist in the world of medicine, have more time for my family, while exploring my interest in business and allowing me to pursue one of my most favorite parts of my job — interacting with and caring for my patients.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

Interesting can be defined in many ways. If we are talking about medically interesting, we need to talk about diagnosing a rare adrenal tumor in a patient based on her high blood pressure, or diagnosing melanoma while performing routine Botox, or picking up an insidious cancer based on some leg discomfort, or Lou Gehrig’s disease based on a twitch in someone’s arm. The most interesting part of my career through my personal lens happens every day as I am privileged to be given a window into my patients’ lives. One patient shared a story of her trek on the Appalachian trail where her dog was quilled and then helped by a country vet who drove to the middle of nowhere to save the day. Another patient shared her utter exhaustion as a mother after a hard day with her family. Another patient who is a CEO of a pharmaceutical company shared her excitement about a new medicine her company was launching. The list goes on and on. Human connection with patients is the most interesting part of my career.

You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?

• Tenacity. Many good things take time and hard work. At every step of growing the company, staying the path with determination as a computer system would fail, or an employee would drop out or when COVID shut us down in 2020. Thinking of ideas in the shower, when sleeping or waking — sometimes finding it hard to shut down and remembering to focus on the things which we love most in our life — family. Being relentless in the pursuit of success must be in the heart of any successful founder.
• Perfectionism. A business must be built with an eye for perfectionism in each facet from the preparation of medicines, choice of delivery needles, choice of syringes and alcohol pads, to the monitoring the temperature of our medicines, to the more mundane including the lighting, the font size or the load times on a web page. Making sure this perfectionist approach is revisited regularly by coming back to each item and reworking it to perfect the patient experience.
• Compassion. Finding the right blend of compassion and kinship with your team, while at the same time being the leader that is required to drive change and bring order to the initial chaos that comes with each business initiative. Always remembering at each moment of the day that the business is nothing without the value that each member brings to the team.

What are your “ 5 Things Anyone Can Do to Have Healthy, Radiant, Flawless Skin”?

1 . Lead a healthy lifestyle for mind and body inclusive of meditation, diet and exercise. Eat Healthy

2 . Avoid the sun- wear sunscreen or protective clothing if going out in the sun- UV rays damage our skin.

3 . Moisturize- skin needs hydration!

4 . Cleanse Daily- removes dead skin and excess dirt in pores.

5 . Use available technology like Botox, retinols, microneedling, lasers, collagen building tools etc. Do not overdo it. Flawless skin must be balanced with the concept of graceful aging so we maintain our natural selves.

What are the most common misconceptions about daily skincare routines that prevent people from achieving radiant skin?

People tend to think the more products the better. This is far from the truth. Consistency with a few simple products like cleansers, moisturizers and sunscreen and some specific products targeting your skin’s needs based on age and skin type is all you need. For patients with acne, controlling breakouts to minimize damage to our collagen factory, for aging skin using topicals as simple as retinol to resurface the skin and build collagen. Work with an expert to choose products that work for your skin type but focus on quality and consistency over quantity.

Could you share your insights on how diet and nutrition directly affect skin health, and perhaps suggest some superfoods for skin radiance?

Nutrition plays a significant role in skin health.

Vitamins are crucial for overall skin health. Vitamin C is essential to collagen production. Collagen production promotes elasticity and structure which decreases wrinkles, fine lines, and sagging as we age. Aging is inevitable, but with extra collagen production, we are able to diminish the look of aging. Vitamin A works to improve our skin’s scars, fine lines, and tone through cell turnover. Vitamin E promotes moisturizing properties which can increase elasticity. It can be found in foods like fatty fish, berries, nuts and seeds, and leafy greens are key superfoods to include in your diet for skin hydration. Those foods also contain antioxidants, protein and omega-3 fatty acids which help maintain the skin’s lipid barrier, protect the skin from free radicals, produce collagen, keep skin firm, and reduce inflammation. Health can be improved through eating healthy superfoods but it is important to watch out for fruit and vegetables containing pesticides and look for organic NON GMO foods. Drinking plenty of water is also KEY to your overall skin and body health. In general, eat a variety of natural colors in whole foods which are organic and NON GMO while maintaining the right balance of protein intake.

How do you recommend individuals tailor their skincare routine to address the unique needs of their skin type and environment?

We are all unique and there is some advice that is one size fits all, but then the remainder of the advice must be unique to our skin type and environment. A patient often knows their skin type the best. Skin type can change with the time of the month or our hormonal status in life, stress levels, seasonal changes, travel etc.

Working with an expert is the easiest way to make sure you are getting the right advice.

For patients who are in areas with more environmental pollutants, they should consider cleansing twice a day, or maybe using a skin brush for a deeper cleaning regularly if their skin can tolerate it.

For patients with more fragile or sensitive skin — handle the skin delicately so as not to create more inflammation. Use a gentle non-foaming cleanser and try to avoid skin brushes and dermaplaning that could cause more inflammation. Avoid retinols and vitamin c and try to use more calming topicals to address what collagen needs, like exosomes.

For patients with oily skin consider a foaming cleanser with adding in salicylic or retinol if tolerated or required. Be careful not to over moisturize the skin if your body is producing enough natural oils.

The variables in skin type are vast and really goes much beyond oily, dry or combination skin and must be addressed individually.

What advances in skincare science or new ingredients are you most excited about that promise to enhance skin health and radiance?

Exosomes!

Exosomes are natural communicators between cells. They carry bioactive molecules such as proteins, lipids, mRNA, and miRNA that help stimulate wound healing processes such as cell proliferation, differentiation, and scar recovery. Exosomes can do this because some are derived from adipose-derived stem cells, also known as ADSCs. ADSDCs promote collagen synthesis and regeneration of the skin (cell turnover). Exosomes can also be used to treat hyperpigmentation issues and hair loss.

Many have used microneedling combined with exosomes serums to help penetrate the skin and allow for more deeper absorption. Doing this will stimulate the skin’s repair mechanisms and allow it to sink further into the skin; more than it would if it was applied just as a serum. Microneedling exosomes into your skin can also target specific areas and skin issues such as fine lines and skin tone, while increasing the time of scar healing from acne. The plus side of combining the two is that exosomes reduce the inflammation from microneedling.

When talking about serums, many formulas such as the (plated) Intense Serum have hit the ground running on the new science behind exosomes. (Plated) Intense Serum is an anti-aging serum that uses highly concentrated exosomes to reverse common signs of aging like wrinkles, age spots, redness, and dullness. It also repairs the skin and protects it from daily free radical exposure. The amazing thing is that it is good for all skin types!

Can you describe a holistic approach to skincare that encompasses not just topical treatments but also lifestyle and wellness practices?

Skin is one of the organs of the body. If we take this perspective, then all that we do for our general health care applies.

1. Eating whole foods — non-processed — minimal to pesticides — farm-to-table.
2. Controlling weight.
3. Controlling blood pressure.
4. Controlling cholesterol.
5. Meditation to control stress levels.
6. Considering age-appropriate supplements to boost function as the body responses change.
7. Considering cold plunges.
8. Focusing on controlling excess inflammation.
9. Skin specific protection — minimizing sun exposure — moisturization, physical sun protection through hats, shirts, sunglasses, etc.
10. Skin procedures: Procedures such as microneedling and Thermage, and injectables like dermal fillers and Sculptra all help stimulate collagen production which help improve skin quality.

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

The greatest movement I could imagine at this time would be to introduce course work into primary and secondary schools on how to increase our emotional quotient or EQ. Along with our physical health, our emotional health underpins the happiness in our lives. A high EQ allows us to more successfully implement all the wellness changes that not only help our skin — but help the whole mind-body axis.

How can our readers further follow you online?

@gambhircosmetic on Instagram and TikTok

@GambhirCosmeticMedicine on Facebook and YouTube

Visit our website at www.drgambhir.com

Thank you for the time you spent sharing these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!

About the Interviewer: Athalia Monae is a product creator, published author, entrepreneur, advocate for Feed Our Starving Children, contributing writer for Entrepreneur Media, and founder of Pouches By Alahta.