UNITED KINGDOM-BASED businessman Haddon Mutanda is eyeing the lucrative Dubai market five years after the successful launch in Zimbabwe of Iconic Aesthetics, a fat reduction business.
Following his own battle against obesity, Mutanda, who hails from Chitungwiza, was inspired by the success of his CoolSculpting fat bulge treatment at a clinic in London.
He told NewsDay Life & Style that Iconic Aesthetics, located in the leafy suburb of Mt Pleasant in Harare, offers local clients the latest in the beauty technology industry.
Mutanda said they brought the heart of London into Harare five years ago when the business was launched in Mt Pleasant.
“We have basically ripped the heart of London and brought it to this place. When you look at how beautiful this place is and when you go to London, sometimes you will think ‘I have seen better’, that I can assure you.”
He added that following its success in Harare they launched the same business in the UK and are seeking to expand it to Dubai.
“We are hoping to go to Dubai. You know Dubai is an upcoming market that is full of young professionals who care about how they look.
“It all started when I had my own CoolSculpting procedure in the Cavendish Clinic in central London, the UK. It was quite expensive and the first impression that came into my head of assuming that it was my business and I was making that kind of revenue excited me,” the Iconic Aesthetics boss said.
“The machines are so good that they only target fat instead of normal cells. I will tell you I was so excited to pay the £4 200 and the following weekend, I did my first procedure and two weeks later, the second. Truth be told, my tummy was gone. So all I had to do was to keep going to the gym, maintaining it and eating responsibly.”
Mutanda, a former Dynamos FC and Black Rhinos FC junior teams player, said he started gaining weight when he stopped playing football.
Upon his relocation to the UK, his job as an accountant did not make things any easier, as sitting all day caused his body to accumulate more fat and he gained more weight, resulting in health-related issues, he added.
“I went to the gym for many years, but I still had that little protruding tummy. It wasn’t going away because I spent the whole day sitting down,” Mutanda said.
“I am an accountant and I have got more than 600 to 700 accounting clients, so as you can imagine, there are new jobs coming up every day, so it’s a sitting gig.”
Following the removal of his massive tummy, Mutanda bought the machines and beds and shipped them over to Zimbabwe.
With the launch of Iconic Aesthetics five years ago, apart from CoolSculpting, they now offer other fat removal processes such as cavitation, laser lipo and derma rolling, among others
“When we started, we had a lot of clients coming in and we have developed relationships with our clients. We are happy with the new business.
Bethel Kutama, a young practitioner at Iconic Aesthetics, said they had added a few procedures to make their business a one-stop visit for any beauty-seeking client.
“This is now a ‘beautiful body centre’ and we encourage more people to come and enjoy a whole range of procedures that we are offering,” she said.
CoolSculpting is the brand name for cryolipolysis, a non-surgical procedure that was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to safely freeze and eliminate fat cells in areas such as the abdomen, thighs, arms and chin thickness areas.
The FDA is responsible for protecting the public health by ensuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products.