At the age of 44, Ahmed Al Qahtani is a very young-looking immunologist. “If you see me, you will think I am 26, guaranteed,” says the busy Emirati doctor.
He credits a product of his own invention – AQ Skin Solutions – not only for his appearance, but an increasingly booming business in aesthetics.
Head of his own company, with offices in Dubai and Irvine, California, and an assistant professor with the College of Medicine and Health Sciences at the United Arab Emirates University in Al Ain, he is keen to talk about his patented ingredient: growth-factor technology developed using donated human tissue.
The body’s growth factors can be found in microscopic amounts in every human cell, and they do just what their name suggests: stimulate various types of growth and regeneration.
They are not to be confused with stem cells, which require growth factors to adapt to the body’s needs in replacing lost or damaged cells.
It is possible to manipulate cells, for example, by increasing or reducing glucose levels, or adding amino acids, or minerals, to produce a desired effect, whether that be prompting hair growth or speeding up the healing process.
Al Qahtani spent several years in the mid-2000s in his lab doing just that, working with skin cells he obtained from a hospital tissue bank, before he was satisfied with his results.
“Basically, I had the foundation to be able to work with cells, to manipulate cells to be able to get them to do what I wanted them to do,” he says. “My idea was if we collect the right growth factors, we can use them to promote healing faster and better.”
The skincare line he launched in 2008 in the United States is now available in 42 countries, including the UAE, and sells more than 100,000 units per year.
There are six products, including skin and eye serums, a hair complex and lash booster.
“There are two types: one you take home, one you do in the clinic,” he says. “I ask people to start with the second, then use the home care.”
The results are so effective, there are now 48 doctors in UAE – among them dermatologists, plastic surgeons, gynaecologists and orthopaedic surgeons – who use AQ products on their patients.
Dr Francisco de Melo, a consultant plastic surgeon at Aesthetica Clinic, Dubai, began using AQ products in his practice about three years ago.
“It does make a big difference in elective surgery,” he says. “The healing process goes faster, there is less inflammation and less scarring.”
The product can also speed healing in problem wounds, improve sensation in old scars that have resulted in numbness, reduces inflammation during acne breakouts and lighten the appearance of stretch marks, he says. The hair and lash growth serums work well too, he adds.
Aside from its medical uses, AQ Skin Solutions promises good results when used to treat more commonplace facial issues, including the wrinkling and sun damage that comes with ageing.
Al Qahtani, who grew up in Dubai and now splits his time between there and Al Ain, published a book on skincare, Real World Skin Solutions: The Science of Modern Skin Care, in 2014. He is also frequently invited to speak about his research at medical conferences.
Some of his best customers, he says, are on the cosmetic side and, for the most part, they like to remain anonymous.
“The thing is, a lot of the people who use this product, they don’t want to talk to people about it,” he says. “A lot of ladies in LA are using it.”
amcqueen@thenational.ae
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Du Football Champions
The fourth season of du Football Champions was launched at Gitex on Wednesday alongside the Middle East’s first sports-tech scouting platform.“du Talents”, which enables aspiring footballers to upload their profiles and highlights reels and communicate directly with coaches, is designed to extend the reach of the programme, which has already attracted more than 21,500 players in its first three years.
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Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
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Score
Third Test, Day 1
New Zealand 229-7 (90 ov)
Pakistan
New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat
Most match wins on clay
Guillermo Vilas - 659
Manuel Orantes - 501
Thomas Muster - 422
Rafael Nadal - 399 *
Jose Higueras - 378
Eddie Dibbs - 370
Ilie Nastase - 338
Carlos Moya - 337
Ivan Lendl - 329
Andres Gomez - 322
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hall of shame
SUNDERLAND 2002-03
No one has ended a Premier League season quite like Sunderland. They lost each of their final 15 games, taking no points after January. They ended up with 19 in total, sacking managers Peter Reid and Howard Wilkinson and losing 3-1 to Charlton when they scored three own goals in eight minutes.
SUNDERLAND 2005-06
Until Derby came along, Sunderland’s total of 15 points was the Premier League’s record low. They made it until May and their final home game before winning at the Stadium of Light while they lost a joint record 29 of their 38 league games.
HUDDERSFIELD 2018-19
Joined Derby as the only team to be relegated in March. No striker scored until January, while only two players got more assists than goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. The mid-season appointment Jan Siewert was to end his time as Huddersfield manager with a 5.3 per cent win rate.
ASTON VILLA 2015-16
Perhaps the most inexplicably bad season, considering they signed Idrissa Gueye and Adama Traore and still only got 17 points. Villa won their first league game, but none of the next 19. They ended an abominable campaign by taking one point from the last 39 available.
FULHAM 2018-19
Terrible in different ways. Fulham’s total of 26 points is not among the lowest ever but they contrived to get relegated after spending over £100 million (Dh457m) in the transfer market. Much of it went on defenders but they only kept two clean sheets in their first 33 games.
LA LIGA: Sporting Gijon, 13 points in 1997-98.
BUNDESLIGA: Tasmania Berlin, 10 points in 1965-66
The specs
Engine: 2.3-litre, turbo four-cylinder
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Power: 300hp
Torque: 420Nm
Price: Dh189,900
On sale: now
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
AL%20BOOM
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The Laughing Apple
Yusuf/Cat Stevens
(Verve Decca Crossover)
