A proud moment at CCR, and the story behind it

I’m delighted to share that on 2 October 2026, I won Most Challenging Aesthetic Case Study at the CCR Aesthetics Results Awards in London.

It is a recognition I’m very proud of, made all the more meaningful by the person behind the case. Here, I’ll refer to her as SL. She was 48 at the time described in the case submission, and had come through cancer treatment with changes that affected far more than her appearance.

I wanted to share a little of her story, because her own words explain why this work matters to me better than an award announcement ever could.

Feeling like yourself again

SL had undergone surgery, radiotherapy and several reconstructive procedures for cancer of the nasal cavity. She speaks with enormous gratitude about her ENT surgeons. Alongside that gratitude, she was struggling with how her face had changed and what that meant for seeing friends, returning to work and recognising herself in the mirror.

“I felt like I had lost not just parts of my face, but parts of my identity.”
SL, written testimonial

When we first met, she mentioned a bump on her nose. In her testimony, she explains that much more was troubling her, but she worried that saying so would sound ungrateful to the people who had saved her life.

I think there is something in that which deserves to be heard. You can be deeply grateful to be alive and still miss feeling like yourself. There should be room to say both.

Taking it one step at a time

We started by talking about what mattered to SL and what we could realistically hope to improve. Her previous surgery and radiotherapy meant we needed to be particularly careful. Complete correction was not possible; our aim was gradual improvement, with time to review how her tissues responded before deciding on the next step.

For me, that listening and reassessment are as much a part of the work as the treatments themselves. This was care shaped around one person’s history and priorities, not a plan to repeat for everyone else.

In her account, SL describes feeling more comfortable with friends and family, more herself at work, and happier to be in photographs again. She sums it up simply:

“They have helped me feel like me again.”
SL, written testimonial

Those are her words and her experience. Every patient’s circumstances are different, and neither this story nor the award can tell us what would be safe or effective for someone else.

This recognition also belongs to our team at Esteem Life Medical Group, who worked alongside me throughout SL’s care, including delivering treatments over the course of her plan. I’m grateful for the care and commitment they brought to this work over time.

SL, thank you for your trust and for putting into words what this journey has meant to you. My thanks also go to the cancer and reconstructive teams whose care came before ours. Our work belongs alongside theirs, and I’m grateful to have played a part in this later stage of your recovery.

Congratulations, too, to the other winners and finalists at the CCR Aesthetics Results Awards, and to the teams behind their work. It is a pleasure to celebrate alongside colleagues across our profession.

Winning at the CCR Aesthetics Results Awards is a lovely moment to celebrate. Being able to share the human story behind it makes it all the more special.

Photograph: Dr Cemal Kavasogullari with business partner and co-founder Mr Alp Oganalp and clinic doctor Dr Mucadiye Demirel at CCR 2026.

A moment from the CCR Aesthetics Results Awards, 2 October 2026.

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