It has been so lovely to welcome our Senior Nurse Marilou back after maternity leave, and have her sweet smiling face (and fabulous skills) back in clinic! Welcome back Marilou, you have been missed! If you get in quickly, you might even be able to get a booking with Marilou before the end of the year 😉
We had a fabulous Xmas celebration on Sunday for our team at the stunning Chuan Spa at The Cordis, followed by a delicious high tea. It was lovely for our well-deserving team to be pampered with spa treatments, and to hang out together in the pool and spa area, then get ready together for the high tea – and a reminder of the importance of refilling your cup with self-care, especially when our team spends so much time and effort looking after other people. I felt so proud looking around the room at our beautiful team and grateful that we have such delightful, engaged and caring people who so obviously love working together.
Adding to the celebration was the recognition of our skin team leader Lauren’s 10th anniversary with TFP on 3rd December. Lauren joined us when we were back in the second Vulcan Lane clinic, and has been instrumental in growing our skin team into the wonderfully trained clinicians that they are, giving such great advice and magnificent treatments to get your skin glowing and healthy. Healthy, glowing skin is the best complement to everything we do with cosmetic injectables, and the skin team are vital in helping us to get the best possible results for you. Ten years is a significant milestone, and we are delighted to celebrate it with Lauren. Thank you for your years of dedication and service!
We had our quarterly team training on 13th November, and I was fortunate to get a treatment this time, with some filler into my midface, mouth corners, chin area and lower lip to reduce the early ‘sag’ that has been creeping in, and make my face a little happier at rest. I’m delighted with the subtle but significant results!
Christmas spirit at The Cordis
A lovely set up for High Tea
My before and after photos from treatment on Team Training day
It’s been a busy month for me personally, despite not yet being back seeing patients. My mum flew over from Mexico to have special family time with me and my brother Jamie, and his family, after dad’s passing last month. We were super lucky to get to celebrate mum’s birthday with her while she was here. Unfortunately, I was moving house (after 7 years in the same place), so the majority of mum’s ‘special time’ with me was packing boxes and cleaning! I also popped over to the Gold Coast for my dear friend Leila’s 40th, and to Adelaide for our Business Forum retreat with Entrepreneur’s Organisation, while mum went down to Ashburton to visit my brother and his family. After the business forum, I flew down to Ashburton, and Mum and I had a lovely day at the Methven Thermal Pools (in our matching bikinis 😹), then lunch with her cousin Mike and his wife Sue before a lovely special birthday dinner with Jamie and his family.
Birthday celebrations for my beautiful mum
Off to Adelaide with Entrepreneur’s Organisation for our Business Forum retreat
With friends in the Gold Coast for Leila’s 40th
It was so lovely to catch up with my girlfriends in the Gold Coast, as we are all scattered around NZ and Australia these days, and most of the girls have family which makes it harder to get away. There were a couple of special surprises for Leila for her 40th – a stretch limo that turned up with our friends Trevor and Shav to take us to the brand new European-style beach club that her party was being held at, and the other was our friend Anna, who turned up from Bali halfway through the night! We had such a blast and it felt just like the old glam times when we used to all go out in Auckland together!
My next surgery is on 13th December – next Tuesday – where my plastic surgeon, Janek, will improve the shape of the reconstructed breast with some fat grafting, and I will finally get a ‘nipple’, through some pretty cool ‘skin origami’. In about 6 months’ time, once the ‘nipple’ has settled into shape, I’ll then get an areola tattoo, and hopefully, my journey with breast cancer will be complete. I’ll be recovering for about 2-4 weeks after this op, and heading down to Ashburton for Xmas with Jamie and his family. I’ll also be popping down to see them this weekend, before the surgery, for my nephew Lachie’s very important 10th birthday 🎉💝
Special times with my mum
At the stunning Methven Thermal Pools
Birthday lunching with mum and the extended family
Our training calendar for The Cosmedic Academy for cosmetic injectors is now up on the website, and if you are a cosmetic injector, you can also register for an informative session with the wonderful plastic surgeon, Rita Yang, speaking on ‘How to Respectfully Consult With The Gender Diverse Patient’ on 14th February 2023, 4-5.30 pm.
We’ve recognised gender diversity as an important area of learning for our team, and for our industry as a whole, so our whole team – clinical and non-clinical – will be attending Rita’s session. We’re extending an invitation to other cosmetic injectors to attend – to better understand gender diversity; the options that are currently available to those who wish to transition; what language is most appropriate and when; and to discuss how we (as injectors) might treat someone who is transitioning. We will hold the session at our Takapuna clinic but if interest exceeds its capacity we will move to a larger venue. A fee of $50 is required to attend. Register for this important and highly informative session here.
I know it’s been a pretty crazy year for a lot of people, so I wish you a very relaxing and calm holiday break, a wonderfully Merry Xmas, and every joy and success for 2023!
Experts at NIWA (National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research) are reporting that UV index levels are higher on average than this time last year meaning it’s shaping up to be a scorcher of a summer.
Given New Zealand’s extreme climate and high UV index, Skin Team Lauren says that taking every precaution possible will help to limit sun damage, and premature aging and decrease your risk of skin cancer. She recommends considering an oral sun protection supplement such as Heliocare 360°capsules along with a broad-spectrum sunscreen from the Heliocare range containing the amazing active ingredient Fernblock.
What is the function of a sun protection oral supplement?
reduce the signs of skin aging and prevent further deterioration
Why are oral sun protection supplements necessary?
Wearing sunscreen is important and useful but it’s not a surefire way of avoiding skin damage. Studies have shown that many of us don’t have adequate sun protection despite wearing sunscreen. Reasons for this could be – uneven application, not enough product used and failure to reapply the product after sweating, swimming etc. A supplement taken orally can help fill this gap when our sunscreen isn’t quite cutting it. Heliocare 360° oral capsules are a fabulous option.
Wearing sunscreen alone does not offer guaranteed protection. They are ‘screens’ and do not block out UV entirely, so taking an oral sunscreen adds another layer of protection. It is also important to maximize your topical sunscreen application by:
Applying it evenly and liberally
Reapply it 2 hourly or immediately after swimming or sweating profusely
What is Fernblock?
As in all Heliocare 360° products, Fernblock is an active ingredient in the capsules. Fernblock is a supercharged antioxidant extract derived from a tropical fern native to Central and South America that has powerful natural defences against the sun. It helps to block the damaging effects of radiation beneath the surface of the skin and is backed by a significant number of scientific studies.
The Fernblock technology comes from extracts of the Polypodium Leucotomos plant which over time developed ways of protecting itself and repairing as it evolved from water to land locations and increased sun exposure.
Various clinical studies have shown Fernblock to increase the skin’s resistance to sunburn. It’s proven to be highly protective and restorative against the 4 types of radiation (UVB, UVA, Visible and IR). Fernblock is also effective in combating long-term sun damage by preventing photoaging and pigmentation while also increasing collagen, hyaluronic acid and elastin which all help to maintain our facial structure.
Heliocare 360° Oral Sun Protection Capsules
The amazing Polypodium Leucotomos plant from which Fernblock technology is derived.
Shop the full Heliocare range with us online.
Lauren says the rules still apply – limit your sun exposure, reapply sunscreen every 2 hours or more frequently if necessary and stay covered where possible. These added precautions can go a long way to ensure the long-term health of your skin and as always consult your Medical Skin Therapist for more information on which product is right for you.
This month marks Skin Team Leader, Lauren’s tenth year with The Face Place. Many of you will know her as our skin guru – super knowledgeable and super talented at her craft of helping clients achieve healthier, glowing skin. She is also a fabulous human – caring, cheeky and much loved by our team and clients alike. We love to celebrate our long-standing TFP team members, so, we asked her to reflect on her time with the TFP family to date…
I joined The Face Place family 10 years ago at the Vulcan Lane location (some of you will remember the cowhide embellishments in the waiting room)! 😊
After being offered the role of ‘Skin Team Leader’, I had big plans for the place. I wanted The Face Place and its skin and medical team to offer a holistic approach to skin health and aging, believing that one should not be without the other; that injectables shouldn’t be without the support of skin health.
With 32 years of experience in the industry, I have adopted a systematic approach to changing skin for life. There are no quick fixes, only a gradual and progressive approach by feeding and nurturing the skin through nutrition, with both home care and in-clinic treatments.
I pride myself in the culture that has been instilled in The Face Place; it offers our clients a journey that allows their skin to blossom with health and vitality.
With Dr Cat at an event during our Vulcan Lane days
The skin team has grown to be a significant part of the Face Place business, with systems and protocols in place that allow our clients a consistent experience and results. Education and continued learning have been an integral part of our progression and have led us to be industry leaders.
I believe the most significant advancements in the skin industry are less about particular equipment and fads and more about the research involved in understanding the skin as a functioning organ and how we can use ingredients to manipulate and protect it. This part of the industry has had the biggest evolution over the last 20 years.
With Bryony and Irina at a Beauty Tech conference
Great memories of attending industry conferences with my Skin Team over the years
I have always thought about how lucky I am to work in an area that offers such a positive environment: people generally want to be there, and I can help them achieve incredible change in their skin. Some people view this as aesthetic or purely beauty: but I see it as an extension of general health. I am always incredibly excited about the results I see, even if I’m expecting them.
Some of my favourite memories with TFP are our overseas trips, from a week in Brisbane with Irena and Teresa for our advanced peel training (revision really – it was a great excuse for a lovely week in Brisy), to our Australian Society of Dermal Clinician conferences in Melbourne and travelling to Fiji with Teresa for an Environ conference with a few blissful days tagged on. But mainly it’s the everyday laughs and support with my TFP family that are my best memories.
We took our time finding the right person for our wonderful Takapuna skin clients and after much searching, we are so excited to introduce Tegan and welcome her to the TFP family. She has spent the last few weeks training with Skin Team Leader Lauren and getting her boots on the ground. We caught up with her for a little Q&A session to get to know her better…
Tell us about how you got started in Skin Therapy…
I got started in Skin Therapy when I was struggling with my own skin as a teenager. It made me curious about everything skin! The way it functioned and how the skin benefits from a holistic approach.
What led you to The Face Place?
I already knew The Face Place was the top in the industry. Being able to proudly represent them is such an honour!
What are you looking forward to about working at TFP?
Seeing the fantastic results in my clients and being able to guide them through that journey.
What are your favourite treatments to perform and why?
Needling, I’ve seen incredible results when combined with good skin prep and cosmeceutical-grade skincare.
What can clients expect when they come to see you?
A listening ear, as well as being able to guide and educate my clients on reaching their skin goals.
Some welcome flowers from the team on Tegan’s first day with TFP
Tegan with her hubby on their wedding day
Her beloved cat – Hazelnut
Tegan’s other precious cat – Toffee
What are some of the biggest misconceptions in skincare these days?
That skincare is only for women. The skin is the largest organ in the body and serves as a protective shield, anyone who has skin shouldn’t be ashamed of looking after it!
Describe yourself in three words…
Caring, fun, and humble.
What do you get up to in your spare time?
I love recharging after a busy week with a good TV series and snuggling up with my fur babies. I also love being in nature and going for hikes/walks somewhere new.
Tegan is open for bookings from November 2nd for Skin Consultations, Peels, Healite Light Therapy, and Skin Needling treatments. We recommend booking early as spots will fill up quickly in the lead-up to Christmas.
There is nothing quite like having a go-to person for all of our business systems and processes. We are so happy to have Jakob on board to assist us with all the backend processes that make your experience at TFP that much more enjoyable. Let’s get to know Jakob…
Tell us about your career to date and what led you to The Face Place…
I worked with my husband for many years on his businesses and have also worked as a part of the lead team for an NZ furniture/homewares retail brand for 3+ years. Then in 2020, I moved into the world of appearance medicine to look after the business systems for a chain of skin, laser and injectables stores, working with the same software that is used at The Face Place. During that time I worked closely with TFP’s now General Manager Nicci, so when she asked me to join The Face Place team I was more than excited to come over!
What are you looking forward to getting stuck into at TFP?
Honestly, everything technology systems-wise, there are so many exciting features we don’t yet use and plenty of ways to streamline the experience for both customers and improve on efficiencies with the team. I love bringing a fresh perspective to all things technology so really looking forward to working with all the team at The Face Place on some awesome projects that lie ahead.
Tell us about life outside of work – what do you get up to?
My husband and I have a cute as a button Maltese X Shih Tzu dog called Koko who is most definitely the queen of our house, with her own pink dog bed and everything. When we’re not taking 101 photos of her we’re probably in the pool or in the garden, we recently finished building our dream home in Coatesville-Riverhead, so there’s still a few things to finish off around the garden.
We are excited and delighted to introduce Tegan, our new skin therapist who has just started at Takapuna this month! Tegan is an experienced facialist with a passion for skin and especially needling. She has just completed her two weeks of onboarding and training with Lauren in ‘The Face Place’ systems. I was fortunate to have a lactic peel with Tegan (my first in many months!) and she has absolutely magic hands! We have been looking for the right person for a while now as we wanted a great fit. Thank you for your patience while we found the perfect person, we’re excited for you to come in and have a treatment with Tegan!
Towards the end of this month, we will have our lovely Marilou back from maternity leave! We can’t wait to see her back in clinic, and we know her regular patients will be super excited to be able to start seeing her again.
We have increased capacity in both skin and injectables, but it’s a busy time of year, so it’s important that you book your appointment now if you want to get in for the party season pre-Xmas! As usual, we will be closing off appointments for dermal fillers on the 17th of December, as a ‘just in case’ safety precaution to try and minimise the possibility of having to deal with any filler complications on Xmas Day or over the holiday break. I’m a bit superstitious that it’s Murphy’s Law – if a significant side effect is likely to happen, it will usually happen on the last day just before we go on holiday! So we are giving plenty of leeway to avoid this happening.
Over the pandemic and while we were in Level 2, we suspended the Green Fee for Sustainable Salons and decided to pay it on behalf of our patients, so we could continue with this important project. Now that all the restrictions have been lifted, you’ll notice that the $3 fee has been reintroduced for each appointment. This helps us to minimise our impact on the environment – using our famous biodegradable black gloves and recycling up to 80% of the waste that would otherwise go to landfill – with the proceeds of recycling going to support KiwiHarvest – helping to feed underprivileged people throughout NZ.
We had a good response in clinic to our Breast Cancer Awareness Month initiatives, with a fabulous ‘wear pink to work’ day and raising $1511 for breast cancer research. A massive thank you to everyone who contributed to this very worthy cause!
My dad passed peacefully on 9 October, with my brother and I both looking after him at home for the last few weeks before he died. He had been given a couple of days to live when I was writing my update for last month, and then held on for almost 2 weeks after stopping treatment before he finally passed! He had a wonderful ‘send off’ in Russell – with the car ferries doing double spins as they carried dad across the water for one final trip into Russell, and a powhiri back into his home where we sat with him and had visitors for the 3 days before his funeral. It was a very special ceremony, with locals lined up along the streets and on the front Veranda of The Duke, opposite where his boat Major Tom was always moored. I loved the beautiful surprise of the little yellow dinghy with the ‘Gone Fishing’ sign that the locals tied to his mooring for us to see on that walk back along the waterfront after the service. He was buried with an incredible view of the sea and Bay of Islands in the Russell Cemetery- a plot that he chose and paid for about 6 years ago! 😹
Dad’s beautiful resting place overlooking the ocean
‘Gone Fishing’ – a special tribute to Dad from the locals of Russell
With my brother and family for Dad’s farewell
I spent the months before dad died and the two weeks after dealing with dad and then winding up his estate, on top of going through another cancer scare – which fortunately came back 2 weeks after my ultrasound as ‘not cancer’ 😅. In December I’ll be going for further corrective surgery to the breast reconstruction I had on 15 November last year – it’s incredible to think it’s been almost a year since that surgery! My mum arrives from Mexico on 5 November for 3 weeks to be with me and my brother after dad’s passing, and to celebrate her birthday on 23 November. At this stage, it’s unlikely I’ll be back seeing patients this year. We will revisit this early next year once I’ve recovered from my reconstructive surgery. Our medical team are all highly experienced and have done such a magnificent job looking after my patients for the last year, and I am so grateful to them.
Just after dad’s funeral, I popped quickly down to Wellington for WoW – the World of Wearable Arts – with my friends and colleagues from Entrepreneur’s Organisation (EO). The show was absolutely spectacular and worth going to if you get the chance. The choreography and the costumes were nothing of this world, and it really is a world-class act in New Zealand. I had had to shorten my trip from 4 days to one night just for WoW, so missed most of the planned activities, but managed to catch lunch at Bellamys – the famous restaurant within the parliament buildings – before getting ready for VIP tickets with dinner and show before WoW started. Another little perk (thanks to my friend Clarke) was my accommodation for the night… on learning that my hotel had cancelled my 4 nights and then told me they were full (despite knowing the reason I was cancelling was that my dad had just died) Clarke offered for me to stay at Premier House – which was a very cool and special experience! Clarke had been a pallbearer at dad’s funeral and did the reading of the poem ‘If’ by Rudyard Kipling that was part of the service. Before dad died, Clarke had also arranged a personal message from Jacinda to dad, thanking him for his many years of service to the Labour Party. When I played the video to dad, tears came to his eyes, it meant so much to him in his dying days.
Then our monthly EO Forum meeting this month was held at the Warbirds Association out at Ardmore. We got a tour of the incredible old planes, some of which you can pay the pilots to take you for a fly! We didn’t have time this time, but I’m definitely keen to get out there again and have a play. There was an old WW2 ambulance there as well, and I couldn’t resist getting a pic with it in my ‘wear pink to work day’ dress!
At the WoW show in Wellington
At the NZ Warbirds Association for my monthly Entrepreneurs’ Organization forum
Couldn’t forget my dress for ‘Pink Week’ of course!
The energy that I have had over the last few months has been focused on training. We held another highly successful Profhilo Workshop this month, again with 10/10 rating from every attendee in their feedback. We are currently putting our calendar for training together for next year and will again be providing training in Hyalase, Profhilo, and Vampire Treatments, alongside planned training in treating Bell’s Palsy, and respectfully working with the gender fluid patient. If you are an injector interested in training, check our Training Academy Calender and plan for 2023.
My final training for the year will be an Allergan Fundamentals training of newbie injectors on 14 November. This is in my capacity as a trainer for Allergan, the company that makes BotoxⓇ and Juvederm. We are currently looking for a model for the training for cheeks, lips and chin. If you think you might be a good candidate you can sign up for our Model Register.
It’s hard to believe it’s only 54 days until Christmas, and it’s coming up fast! With Halloween out of the way, it’s officially party season, which means we’ll blink and it will be 2023. I want to say a massive thank you for all your support in such a personally crazy, intense year!
Sending you all love and hugs, stay safe and gorgeous this holiday season!
Toka Puia AT Carpark is the closest under-cover option at 15 Northcroft Street. Pay by Plate at the pay machine or via the AT Parking app ($2.50 per hour on weekdays / free weekend parking for a limited time only).
Other options…
Northcroft Street Parking (pay by meter) – One hour – $1.50 – Two hours – $3 – Hours thereafter – $3 per hour
Wilson Parking – 11 Northcorft Street (pay by plate machine or Parkmate app) – Casual – from $3 per hour – Earlybird (Mon-Fri) – from $14 valid for 12 hours – Night (Mon-Fri from 4 pm) – $4 flat rate valid until 8 am – Weekend (Sat-Sun) – $4 flat rate, valid for 12 hours from time of purchase
Anzac Street Carpark (pay by plate machine or via the AT app) – First 2 hours – $1.50 per hour – Hours thereafter – $3 per hour – Monday – Saturday (6 pm – 8 am) – No Charge – Sunday and Public Holidays – No Charge – Motorcycle and Mobility parking P180 – No Charge
Britomart Carparking
Currently, Britomart Carpark is offering 2 hours free parking* with a receipt of $50 or more from a Britomart store (such as The Face Place).
Britomart Carpark Valet Parking $20* for two hours (includes parking charges) $5 each additional half-hour to a daily maximum of $45 (to midnight). Available from 10am-8pm.
The Central Valet drop-off point is located on the corner of Gore and Tyler Streets, opposite Takutai Square. Drive in via the entrance on Gore Street, where you’ll be greeted by a friendly valet concierge. Leave your engine running, take your ticket and your car will be parked for you. Retrieve your car by taking your valet ticket to Britomart Car Park Reception on the corner of Britomart Place and Scene Lane.
Train An excellent alternative with Britomart Train Station being a short walk to us, plus, public transport is 50% off until 30th June 2023.
