Acne and Andrea - My acne story led me to start The Skin Manifesto.

This month’s blog is a little different from our others. This one is very personal to me.

Each month, I focus on a particular skin concern or treatment and deliver a blog bursting with essential information so you can make informed decisions about treatments, skincare and what your skin needs.

But this month, as it’s our seventh birthday, I felt it was the perfect time to get personal and share with you -  MY BIG WHY, why I do what I do and why I started The Skin Manifesto in 2016.

Where it all started.

The Skin Manifesto is rooted in a desire to make a difference. But this desire was birthed from my frustration and despair dealing with teenage acne, which lingered long after adolescence, turning itself into adult acne. 

No matter what type of acne, grade of acne, or acne scarring - if you have acne or have had acne, you know how bitterly annoying it is. Impacting your confidence, day-to-day life and the things you love doing.  It’s an exhausting struggle, and forever search for the right solution to alleviate and eliminate your acne for good.

My search drew me to the beauty industry after high school, where I studied and earned my beauty diploma. I wanted to learn all I could about how the skin functions, what acne treatments and acne products make a difference and which ones were a waste of time.

• I wanted to understand what you need to treat teenage acne and what causes it.

• I wanted to know why adult acne occurred.

• I wanted to understand how to heal acne scarring or what were the best acne treatment products to avoid it altogether.
  
  I wanted to see women get results.

• I wanted to see them win their war with acne!
  

This is the most rewarding thing: seeing women in the same shoes I once stood in, now living without restraint because they have access to acne treatment that works. 

Something needed to change.

After dedicating years to professional growth, continuous learning, and empowering women, I still wanted to do more.

I aspired to elevate my career to new heights while extending my impact to a broader spectrum of women. This aspiration led me to embark on a nursing degree—a path that not only facilitates a deeper understanding of the intricate workings of the human body and skin but also would award me the advanced skills to administer transformative cosmetic injectables.

These injectables, a nexus of science and art, hold the power to deliver remarkable outcomes, particularly in addressing concerns like acne scarring. Beyond that, they also offer a constellation of confidence-boosting benefits, spanning from anti-ageing solutions to enhancements that define and accentuate natural facial features. These treatments would amplify the positive and uplifting changes I could offer women, and I was here for it all. 

Armed with these credentials, I almost had all I needed to make my dream a reality.

How the vision of The Skin Manifesto became a reality.

Establishing The Skin Manifesto wasn't without its challenges, but determination prevails in everything I set my mind to do. Through meticulous research and a stroke of luck, an ideal location in Miranda revealed itself. My heart was singing, as what once was only visible in my mind was now establishing itself physically. Aspiration Achieved!

As an increasing number of women embarked on their quest for solutions, fate directed them to us, while others were referred by those who had experienced our remarkable results. 

We were growing, and this did not stop, but our triumph can only be attributed to our exceptional clientele; their role in making my dream a reality is immeasurable. Enduring the tumultuous trials of two years of COVID-induced lockdowns and restrictions was possible only thanks to them.

This achievement gains even greater significance when considering the precarious nature of businesses during the establishment years, where so many companies fail to surpass their third or even fifth anniversaries, and for us, these years were smack bang in the middle of a world pandemic.

Standout client transformation stories.

There have been so many standout client transformations, but two come quickly to mind today. The first is a client I have been treating now for four years. When she had her initial skin analysis consultation with me, she suffered dreadfully from skin sensitivity and Rosacea. Eight years, enduring flashes of hot red flushing and blushing. During this time, the doctors and dermatologists she looked to help her couldn’t help her. Nothing worked until she walked through our door. With us, she finally found relief and a complete skincare routine that included in-clinic treatments and Lira Clinical homecare products that exclusively calmed the skin and immediately removed skin redness and soothed irritation.

Truth: It never gets old hearing her tell me how many compliments she still receives about how amazing her skin looks. I live for this stuff!!

The second client that comes to mind is a lady I’ve had the privilege of working with who was burdened by facial structure concerns she had attempted to address through treatments elsewhere, yet her dissatisfaction lingered. 

My approach to cosmetic consultations is to delve into the depths, exploring the aesthetic dimensions of treatment and the emotional underpinnings propelling clients to seek transformation. What visual aspects are they after? I need to understand the underlying motivations driving their quest for transformation.

In this case, I meticulously examined the intricacies of her needs to facilitate a holistic sense of looking and feeling her best. The initial step involved a subtle adjustment of anti-wrinkle injections targeting the depressor anguli oris (DOA), the facial muscles around the mouth that help you frown. The decision to begin with the most minimal dosage stemmed from her wish to avoid any further appearance of her looking sorrowful, a sentiment incongruent with her genuinely joyful demeanour. 

The result: following her subsequent appointment, an undeniable transformation had occurred – a mix of elation and contentment painted her expression. Finally, after being extended genuine attention and understanding where others had fallen short, I assisted her in attaining the look she had longed for.

Reiterating with resounding enthusiasm, echoing throughout the expanse of Sydney… I live for stories like this!!

My passion is transforming insecurities into resounding self-confidence, all with the power of effective skincare and treatments.

If either of these stories resonates with you, please reach out. A simple call, click of a button, or email is all it takes to initiate your skin analysis consultation, putting you on the path towards complete skin revitalisation and refreshing.

I look forward to hearing from you so we can share your success story together —one that could potentially transform another person's life.