Ten years ago, Dr. Aivee Aguilar Teo and her husband Dr. Z Teo embarked on their first solo undertaking, a beauty and wellness clinic on Burgos Circle at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig. It was a big leap from a clinic Aivee shared with another doctor a block away. But Z told her, “You build it, they will come.”
It marked the beginning of the Aivee Group, which now counts a total of five clinics and a legion of patients who proudly call themselves the “Aivee Leaguers.”
Aivee’s initial success was propelled by word of mouth — testimonials from happy patients who spread the word about this dermatologist with the light but deft touch, a trove of effective machines and an arsenal of the latest approaches to skin care. It is a testimony to the couple’s hard work that they have not only sustained their patients’ loyalty, but have also gained new “leaguers” in the last decade.
“I think it is because we work with our heart. We’re very sincere,” says Aivee when I pressed her to give the formula to her success, like the formula she bottles up and prescribes for skin rejuvenation.
“Also honestly and integrity,” adds Z.
“It is very important to be honest with what you’re doing. This is the face and body you’re talking about,” continues Z, who met Aivee while the latter was training in Singapore. It was love at first sight for Z, a cosmetic surgeon.
Seeing how hardworking her father, former mayor Nene Aguilar, was when he was building his real estate business laid the foundation for Aivee’s work ethic. It was also her father who encouraged her to be a doctor.
Aivee says that she and her husband never lose sight of the fact, that “first and foremost, we’re doctors, we’re not business people.”
“We have a responsibility to our patients and our responsibility is to make sure that we give our best, we give results and that we really work with integrity because that’s the calling of a doctor,” Aivee believes.
She says that between her clinics and their patients, it’s not just the numbers. ”It’s about relationships. It’s really about trust, creating friendship, making sure that the patients don’t lose that connection. Because, first of all, we’re doctors and there are so many options, you can go to any doctor you want, but why do you choose this doctor? Because you trust this person, you’re comfortable, and you believe in your doctor. So our first priority is to make sure that we really value that trust and make sure that we don’t break it.”
True, the clinics have to make money, but Aivee believes that you have to be a trustworthy doctor first. Then, the money will come.
“But (the money) is not our first priority. And I guess that’s always been our mantra in our work,” says this mother of three, Ken-Z, 12; Kenzo, eight; and Keli, seven.
Z tells the doctors in the Aivee group, “Don’t push, don’t hard sell.”
Aivee, who makes time to conduct free clinics in underprivileged areas, says that when prescribing treatments to a patient, “Be a conscientious doctor; always give them what’s necessary and what they’re comfortable with. And you always talk to your patients, this way you will find out what they want, and you also see what they need. We’re also psychologists in a way. It’s not just about giving a treatment, but also making sure that your patients go home happy.”
Aivee says she invests in time with her patients, that’s why she knows virtually all of them. “I find out what they do, where they’re from, what their interests are, what they want to achieve.”
This empathy with her patients Aivee got from her mother, Las Piñas City Mayor Imelda Aguilar, “who always thinks of others before herself. May malasakit.”
Z believes his wife’s empathy with her patients makes Aivee’s skills more than just skin-deep. “It makes the work very human. The patient is not just a digit.”
Aivee nods. “What we do is not like fast-food.” One thing one notices about the couple is that they agree readily on most things, though Z is the bolder spouse, and Aivee, the cautious one. Z is the visionary and Aivee is the one who executes the vision.
The latest
Of course, it’s not just the couple’s bedside manners that have made the Aivee Group a success. Aivee and Z also make sure they constantly train abroad and bring home the latest machines to enhance their patients’ looks.
“We do a lot of research. We’re both driven and we are so fascinated with our profession. I think that is something that’s important. If you are passionate and you love what you do, you always want to learn more,” Z points out.
So what’s the latest in the world of dermatology and beauty?
“There is a lot of new technology for the body. Right now body is the new face. Because we already have the technology now to make your face prettier and younger. But for the body, people are now going for what’s going to make them look fit, look thin. So you know, you can be 50 or 55. But you have the body of a 35.”
But that doesn’t mean there’s a face-off between the face and the body now. It’s just that more attention is now being given the body compared to before.
“For the face, there are new threads for nonsurgical face-lifting. We have a lot of new machines for skin tightening and facial contouring. Almost painless and quick,” reveals Aivee.
“Remember,” Z points out, “this is the age of selfies.”
“Everybody wants to just have a nice contour. And no double chin. Nice jawline. I think that there’s also a demand for skin that has that ‘no makeup’ look.”
The couple, who are devout Christians, also strive for a work-life balance, and though they sometimes work till midnight, their Sundays as well as their children’s school holidays are sacred to them.
“Z taught me to really push myself, to believe in myself. When I have doubts, he tells me, ‘You have to know that you can do it, don’t give up, just move forward and go for it’,” Aivee says.
And that’s the body of truth about Aivee and Z Teo.
(You may e-mail me at joanneraeramirez@yahoo.com. Follow me on Instagram @joanneraeramirez.)