Every city has its stories. Some are written in skyscrapers and boardrooms, others whispered at dinner parties or exchanged in the glow of school gates. But there is one story that runs through them all: the story of beauty — how it is pursued, displayed, judged, celebrated, and, at times, feared.

As a plastic surgeon on Harley Street, I have the unusual privilege of seeing this story unfold from a unique vantage point. My consultation room is a confessional of sorts, where brilliant women — executives, artists, mothers, daughters — share not just their aesthetic wishes, but their unfiltered truths. They talk about ageing and ambition, about the silent competitions of beauty, about the subtle biases that creep into boardrooms, relationships, and even friendships.

It struck me that these conversations deserve a stage beyond four clinic walls. Because what women wrestle with privately is often what society wrestles with collectively. And so, Beauty and the City was born: : a bi-weekly column blending wit, culture, and my perspective as a plastic surgeon in London.

Here, I’ll explore how beauty collides with modern life — in careers, in relationships, in motherhood, and in culture. Each article is part social commentary, part personal reflection, part professional insight. Together, they trace the ways beauty shapes not only how we see ourselves, but how the world chooses to see us.