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The Origins of DokterEs: From Skin Tightening to Botox and Polynucleotides
For years, DokterEs has been a well-known name in Eindhoven and the surrounding area. We are known for our personal approach, great expertise and achieving natural results within skin improvement. However, what many don't know is exactly how our concept originated and how I, as a doctor, took the path to cosmetic medicine, so in this blog I'd like to tell you my story and share with you why, as a doctor, I traded in the white hospital gowns for an injection needle (and why I don't regret it for a second).
From White Doctor’s Coats to Injectables
As a child, I wanted to be a veterinarian. Eventually, I became a doctor. And ended up, surprisingly perhaps, in the world of aesthetics. But always with a stethoscope in my heart.
As a little girl, I was fascinated by care, precision and contact. While studying medicine, that love shifted from animals to people, from cuddly to acute. My training spot as a pulmonologist took me past the ED, MC, ICU, internal, cardio and MDL. Night shifts full of CPR, adrenaline and pagers formed my rhythm for years. But one night, somewhere between a CPR and a blood gas, I asked myself that one question, "Can I keep this up for 30 years?" The answer was painfully honest
An Unexpected Turn of Events
My career took a different turn when I was introduced to cosmetic medicine. Not superficial beauty, but medical refinement. No glossy lips, but anatomical precision. No filters, but realistic expectations. And that hit me. I decided to get serious: additional training, internships, international conferences, gaining experience in different clinics. I could keep the medical depth, only now with a different kind of impact.
The Birth of Something New
In 2017, I started my own practice, DokterEs. Aname that refers both to my first name and to "dokteres," or female physician. That name arose spontaneously at the kitchen table when my mother called out enthusiastically:
"Ah look, there's our dokteres!"
It felt warm, personal and just right.
What started in a small treatment room grew into a clinic with a complete range of services: injectables, skin therapy, CO₂ lasers, minor surgery, and skincare: all under one roof. No quick tricks, no "Instagram faces," but subtle, lasting results. No "done" face, but a look that suits you.
Behind Every Wrinkle Is a Story
Many people still think of aesthetics in terms of plumped-up lips and angular cheekbones. But that's not the story I see every day. Most clients say correctly:
"I don't want to look young, but I do want to look fresh."
What they mean is: I want to be myself - but with a look that matches how I feel inside. As a doctor, I work with faces, but also with identity, emotions, self-image. There is no standard solution to that. It requires nuance. Empathy. Medical knowledge. And above all: listening.
From Night Shifts to Autonomy
My transfer was not an escape from the hospital. I had everything: a training spot, appreciation, adrenaline.
But I missed one thing: autonomy.
Now every day I work with clients who blossom. Not because they change, but because they recognize themselves in the mirror again. What about me? I still use my medical baggage - only now in a profession where medical expertise and personal attention come together.
My path was not straight. Not logical, perhaps. But sincere.
And that may be exactly what entrepreneurship is all about: daring to deviate from the paved path, using your compass by feel.
Much Love,
Esther de Vries
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