In this episode of Aesthetically Speaking, Paola Chellew sits down with Dr Des Fernandes, the Cape Town-based plastic surgeon who pioneered modern skin needling as we know it today, and founder of Environ Skin Care.
Dr Fernandes reflects on how the original idea began, including the influence of tattoo pens, what he discovered through years of research, and where skin needling can be most effective, including the appearance of fine lines, scarring, sun damage, and texture changes. He shares how the technique evolved from early clinical curiosity into a procedure now used in aesthetic practices around the world.
The conversation also explores the importance of skin health fundamentals, including topical vitamin A, C, and peptides, and how these work alongside procedural treatments. Dr Fernandes offers thoughtful insights into safety, treatment parameters, device quality, and what the future of needling may look like as research and technology continue to develop.
Whether you are a patient, practitioner, or simply curious about where skin needling began, this interview offers informed, practical context from the doctor who helped shape the field!
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Environ Skin Care
- Website: www.environskincare.com
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/EnvironSkinCare
- Instagram (Global): www.instagram.com/environskincare
- Instagram (South Africa): www.instagram.com/environskincaresa
About the author
Paola Chellew is a freelance journalist and regularly writes for a number of publications. A former professional contemporary dancer, she has always loved the arts in all their forms. She has been a freelance writer for many years and has been published in various magazines including Live Out Loud, Private Life and Do It now magazines. Her passion for beauty and skincare started in her teens, when she would read every beauty editor’s picks and reviews. Serious about skincare, she has researched medical-grade products for over ten years, as well as aesthetic treatments to restore and repair skin to look its best. Having turned 60 last year, she has dedicated her blog to the “over 50s and beyond Club”, shining a spotlight on a generation that is seemingly side-lined by the beauty industry. “There is no age limit for when you stop being beautiful – a gorgeous lipstick, a sexy fragrance, radiant skin- these are not synonymous with youth- they are just things that add an extra sparkle to my day”.
📸 Profile photo credited to Lerissa Kemp Photography
M.B.; B.Ch;F.R.C.S.E.
Plastic Reconstructive Surgeon
After qualifying M.B.; B.Ch. at the Witwatersrand University, Dr Des became a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons at Edinburgh. Following his training as a Cardiac Surgeon with Prof Christiaan Barnard, he started specialising in Plastic Surgery. His mentor was Dr David Davies who generously showed him the heights of creative plastic and cosmetic surgery. Dr Des started private practice with Dr David Davies in 1980.
Since about 1990, Dr Des concentrated on facial plastic, reconstructive and cosmetic surgery only. This is because he wanted to gain a more focussed experience in order to deliver the best results he could.
Since Dr Des Fernandes founded Environ Skincare in 1990, vitamin A has become the cornerstone ingredient in the Environ Skin Care philosophy. It is an essential skin nutrient that has to be replenished every day for skin to appear healthier and more resilient. The introduction of vitamin A into skin care formulations was a ground-breaking development. Dr Des Fernandes, rated amongst the top five plastic surgeons in the world, was a pioneer in this field in the 1980s, and was the the first to successfully use vitamin A and antioxidants in a cosmetic product.
Rochelle is the founder and driving force behind Aesthetic Appointment. With a passion for the aesthetics and pro-ageing industry in South Africa, she has been in the aesthetic publishing industry since 2012, dedicated to creating a valuable platform for insights and knowledge, bridging the gap between patients and doctors - delivering reliable, medical-based information. Rochelle firmly believes in the power of a good skincare regimen, especially when started at home, and is committed to educating consumers about the myriad of treatments, procedures, and products available to them.