Dr. Noveloso and his wife established Nouvelle Clinic as a response to a growing trend in the dermatological industry. Both noticed that more and more dermatologists are practicing the cosmetic side of dermatology than dermatology itself—which focuses more on the treatment of the pathological diseases of the skin—since it pays better. But Dr. Noveloso is not a rebel nor dermatological messiah though.

Dr. Noveloso simply wants to practice a more balanced and thorough approach to aesthetic medicine rather than just frivolous and flashy cosmetic services.

“What I tell my doctors and my staff is that I don’t want our clinic to be perceived as a hard-selling aesthetic clinic. I want patients to see that we’re not just concerned with their physical problems but their wellbeing.

As much as possible, we spend time with them to assure them that we can address their concerns and get to the root of their problems. We also educate them on why they’re having this particular skin care or aesthetic problem and how long it takes to treat it,” says Dr. Noveloso.

Dr. Noveloso holds back on bringing clients straight to the operating table and would rather advise them of their non-invasive treatment options. He says that sometimes patients would show them a picture of someone they’d want to look like. The key is by counseling their patients, telling them not to set their expectations too high.

“One of the biggest factors that affect the success of treatments is when the patient is depressed. We don’t promise patients that we can do any cosmetic treatment they want—since they might not even need it in the first place. We help patients set more realistic expectations of the outcome of their treatment,” he says. He cites an obese patient who wanted abdominal liposuction as an example. Localized liposuction would not give the patient a proportional physique since only abdominal fats would be rid of. Instead of operating on the patient right away, Dr. Noveloso advised the patient to go on a diet first or avail of lipo-cavitation treatments which will help her shed the pounds until she reaches a certain weight that would make her an ideal candidate for liposuction.

“It should be a process. It’s not a one-time, big-time thing. The patient will end up unsatisfied of the treatment and both of you will have problems later on,” he says.

Medical Tourism
Situated along Scout Tobias in Timog Avenue, Quezon City, Nouvelle Clinic is housed in the new Cocoon Boutique Hotel, the first eco-friendly hotel in the Philippines. Having medical tourism in mind, Dr. Noveloso thought it was only fitting to establish Nouvelle Clinic at the hotel. With patients coming from outside Manila (e.g. Pampanga, Pangasinan, Cebu) and even outside the country, Nouvelle Clinic’s location makes it convenient for any traveler who’d like to avail their treatments.

Nouvelle Clinic also boasts of a clientele comprised of balikbayans and expats who usually discover the clinic and its services through its website or by word-of-mouth.

Nouvelle’s staff can arrange for the accommodations of their client should the latter wish to stay at Cocoon for a “beauty staycation”. Nouvelle Clinic also offers complimentary discounts for Cocoon Boutique Hotel’s guests. Marketing their services online and constant communication with several marketing arms have helped Nouvelle gain its foreign clientele. It also helped that Nouvelle’s surgical and non surgical treatments are extremely affordable.

When asked about the future of medical tourism, Dr. Noveloso has this in mind: “It’s going to take more time for medical tourism to take off. That’s because everybody’s doing their own thing to promote their services. The country doesn’t have an official agency that is ‘packaging’ the Philippines as a premier destination for medical tourism.”

“But the future is very bright for medical or beauty tourism. Our doctors are very skilled—not just in the field of cosmetic reinvention but also in orthopedic medicine. Even without advanced equipment, our doctors can do the procedures well. What more if we have the technology?”