I cannot believe it is December already and my last blog of the year. What a privilege to be sitting here once again saying the biggest thank you to all my clients old and new for choosing me to treat you. This time last year I didn’t think I could get much busier – how wrong was I? Yesterday I saw my 721st client for consultation and this morning completed my 4,001st treatment. I’m truly flabbergasted!
The numbers game
I’ve just done a quick tally and during 2018 I attended 22 events (study days, training courses, peer review meetings) totalling 16 study days. From Yorkshire and Birmingham to London and Milan, I kept my promise to you all to find the best products, check that the techniques I use are the safest, and keep my medical knowledge as up to date as possible.
Along came Profhilo
Back in February I trained in the use of a brand new product – Profhilo. This has been a game changer here at Skin Deep Clinic.
If you’ve somehow managed to miss me raving about it all year, Profhilo tightens and brightens (bioremodels in my geek terms) and definitely proves that multiple invasive injections of dermal fillers are not always the first line of treatment. A little goes a long way! When our skin looks great yet natural those pesky signs of ageing are hidden subtly.
For that reason Profhilo fits perfectly into my work ethos, which is to make everyone look great but natural. It has been my golden key this year for unlocking the best beauty secret to reach our clinics in many years!
Introducing… Aliaxin
Motivated by the strength of Profhilo, it was only natural I would need to explore the manufacturer’s full product range… Through HA Derma, the UK distributor for manufacturer IBSA, I discovered a new dermal filler – Aliaxin.
Aliaxin has not disappointed. Not only is the range straightforward, it does what it says on the tin and each syringe is 20% bigger by virtue of not containing local anaesthetic. You may already know, but previous fillers I have used contain 0.8ml of filler and 0.2ml local anaesthetic, meaning less actual filler product.
Although I was nervous at first using a filler that hasn’t been pre-mixed with local anaesthetic, I soon realised that this was not a stumbling block. I now know there are more effective ways of numbing the lips and, after all, it means more bang for your buck (not one of my favourite sayings but very true in this instance).
PlasmaPRO and being honest
PlasmaPRO was another new investment this year for the clinic (unrelated to HA Derma, I should say). It’s essentially a skin tightening system, and is a fairly invasive treatment with a good seven day recovery, so won’t be for everyone. The swelling which results from a session can be hard to hide, and the treatment needs repeating after 3 months.
Whenever I am telling clients about the treatment I worry that I sound like I am trying to put people off! But I have an open and honest policy and would hate for anyone to get any nasty surprises after treatment. I hope this approach to my work has come across to my clients. Hence the reason I show a video of me having my own eyelids treated and the next three days of swollen eyes (the most unflattering close ups!).
HA Derma ( of course)
It goes without saying that HA Derma has been relentless in its support for me. From my initial training in Solihull back in February, to tripping over their stand in front of Manager Iveta at a major Aesthetics Conference and Exhibition in London in March… Well they say first impressions count (note to self: don’t wear high heels again).
Their belief in my small clinic has been refreshing and humbling in such a huge industry where new practitioners are popping up daily.
Save Face Accredited
With the introduction of “we train anyone in injectable treatment centres” opening in the UK (I won’t start to rant, don’t worry…) I decided to do even more to try to stand out this year.
After being awarded my Level 7 in clinical anatomy I then applied to be accredited with Save Face – a tough voluntary accreditation scheme in the UK that tested my exacting standards. The process was completed in August and I’m so glad I made the effort. Redecorating the clinic and replacing the furniture had been on my list for a while and the Save Face deadline had to make me finally decide on a paint colour!
Safety in Beauty
Save Face often appear in the news or discussions about the aesthetics industry – you’ve probably seen me sharing a few on my social media. Most of the stories tend to be about the horrible but true results of treatments completed by poorly trained or qualified practitioners. I’m a bit of a crusader when it comes to this subject as you may have guessed if you’ve read anything I’ve written or shared online. Knowing how to use a syringe and needle is one thing… but what you do with it can be catastrophic in the wrong hands. Enough said…
Signing off
This is turning into a bit of a Golden Globes acceptance speech ramble, but before I forget, I also wanted to say a thank you to the models and videographer who made my treatment videos possible! I hope the videos (all available to watch on my YouTube channel) have given an insight into my work for anyone interested (admittedly not for the faint of heart).
Now they’re ushering me off the stage and away from the microphone, so I’ll sign off with a giant THANK YOU and my best wishes to you all for a Happy and Healthy Christmas.
See you in 2019!
Wendy
