“There is no room for complacency when you really want something”
Dr Zainab Al-Mukhtar illustrates her journey from dentist to aesthetic practitioner and clinic owner
Born in Scotland and the eldest of four daughters, Dr Zainab Al-Mukhtar grew up in a family steeped in medicine, inspired by her surgeon father and dentist mother. As a child, her family frequently relocated because of her parents’ work. When Dr Al-Mukhtar was seven, they moved to London, before relocating again to Oman when she was 11. She says, “Going to international school in Oman was an amazing experience. The school had extremely high standards around exams, which ingrained that culture in me and helped me later in my dental career.”
When her family returned to London five years later, her mother opened a dental practice, which ignited Dr Al-Mukhtar’s interest in dentistry as she became fascinated by the way it combined science, artistry and patient care.
However, her path into the profession was not straightforward. A fire at their family home disrupted her A-level education, and she narrowly missed the grades needed to secure a place at King’s…
