Practitioner Spotlight: Rosey Drewitt-Staples

Hi Rosey! Thanks for joining me today. I know you’ve been a registered nurse for a long time, but tell me all about how you became such an aesthetic pro.

I was a registered nurse, midwife and health visitor for many years, and was towards the end of my journey in the NHS. One day, I got chatting with a GP associate of mine, who told me about her work in aesthetics. I was intrigued by the industry, but envisioned it being a totally different world, like something from Absolutely Fabulous. She invited me to sit in on some consultations, which I did, and I realised I was totally wrong about it. It was amazing to see that you could help boost someone’s self-esteem and confidence so much, and the treatments were just mind-blowing.

Once I realised nurses could train in this, I was off. I did loads of training, initially - probably about five or six courses - but I didn’t feel confident enough to just get going. One of my friends gave me a nudge and I decided to jump in. I didn’t want to just go ahead and rent a room at that point, so I applied to some well-known aesthetic groups, got an interview and was taken on for three days a week, continuing two days a week in the NHS.

After a few years, I opened my own clinic and dedicated all my time to that. It got busier and busier, which was great. But I also wanted a bit of corporate experience alongside it, so I applied to another major aesthetic clinic, and it was there that I was highlighted to Allergan, who would later go on to invite me to become a member of the Allergan Medical Faculty, where I’m one of only three nurses in the UK to be part of it. My clinic has just snowballed since, and we have relocated, renamed and rebranded, which has been amazing. It’s much more accessible, geographically, now.

Training is also a huge passion of mine. I train doctors, dentists and surgeons, and I have my own training arm. I just love it! I’ve been in the industry for 15 years now and I feel so lucky. The relationship with clients is also phenomenal. The joy you feel when they pick up that mirror after a treatment is worth far more than money. I just want to help people more and more.

Sounds like a great journey, Rosey! And it’s so great that you’re so passionate about it years on. What’s your clinic ethos?

The most important things to me are to be approachable and open, to be very honest and ethical in the treatments I’m proposing, and to build and continue that relationship afterwards - to support and be there for patients and keep contact with them so they can feel safe and secure. I will only ever advise a treatment I feel is going to match what we discuss in that consultation. If a patient calls me after a treatment and asks if they can have a bit more filler, for example, I invite them back in for a chat and a coffee, and I’ll always assess them honestly. Once I’ve seen them, if I say ‘No, it’s not right at this moment”, and I explain why, I generally get a text message later saying, “You’re right. I didn’t need it. It wasn’t feeling great on that particular day.” If you’re making the right judgement, you’re on sound ground as a practitioner. And that’s when the clients are going to be happy.

Do you have a favourite aesthetic treatment to perform?

That’s a difficult one! I actually really like full face enhancement, so something like midface treatments alongside jawline definition. That used to be called the 8-point facelift, but it’s now been modified to include more points. It’s really natural rejuvenation. If you focus on one area, like the cheeks, that’s ok, but the thing is, if someone needs rejuvenation to the cheeks, they’re going to probably need rejuvenation to the jawline as well. It’s important to get that synergy so that everything looks natural.

I do also like beautification. So for younger clients I like enhancement of the cheeks with dermal filler where they would put their blusher and their contour. Sometimes I’ll add a bit in the chin as well to strengthen their profile. It’s very natural but it’s a treatment that enhances, and is not one that restores in this instance.

I love the changes you can get with skincare too. The key is to use leading medical products with good data behind them. If they’ve got that efficacy and evidence behind them and the client uses them as you’ve advised them to, they’re going to get the results. It’s 1+1=2. There’s no arguing with that. We’re an ambassador clinic for Obagi, and I use it myself. I don’t have any particular skin issues but it’s been fantastic on my skin. It’s brilliant from a preventative standpoint, if you’re 30, but it’s also great from a corrective point of view, for helping with pigmentation, fine lines, acne and loads more. It’s a great, affordable skincare range.

People are so used to buying highstreet skincare products and thinking they’re doing good, but the highstreet can’t correct anything. Obagi products are very similarly priced to Clarins and Clinique, but the difference is in the delivery and the results.

Do you see many clients who don’t like to talk about their treatments outside of your clinic?

Yes. I see a couple of mothers and daughters who don’t know that the other comes in. I also have some people who come in and say, “You saw my friend [for example,] Sally last week.” But due to confidentiality, I can’t confirm or deny whether that was the case. They sometimes also say, “I want what Sally had.” But it’s really not as easy as that because each individual needs to have a full consultation to see whether or not that treatment is actually right for them.

Many people’s partners don’t know they’ve had treatments, but that’s part of the beauty of a tweakment. You don’t want it to be obvious; you just want for them to look like an improved version of themselves. No one’s going to notice that they’ve had any work done, because a lot of people who think of treatments like fillers are thinking of the ones that have been overdone and are obvious. In reality, the majority of really good ones look natural.

Some of the clients I’ve seen have gone away so pleased that they’ve told their friends, and then the friends have booked in. And these are the clients you would never imagine would want to talk about what they’ve had done.

What’s been the most amazing point in your aesthetics career to this point?

Being invited to be part of the Allergan Medical Faculty. It’s the world’s most established faculty, and I think every practitioner would love to be invited to be part of it, so to actually be recognised was amazing. I’m not very good at stopping and reflecting on my achievements, but that’s definitely the pinnacle at the moment. I can’t quite believe it really, and have often asked myself, “why me?” There are tonnes of great injectors out there.

You’re too modest! What are your ambitions for the future?

I’m always looking to add new services and treatments to the menu, and I’d love to possibly open another clinic. I’m also in the process of a CQC registration. I just want to develop a bigger, stronger business and to become more recognised by doing more public events. Treatments are just a small part of it - it’s really busy behind the scenes. I just want to be out there.

Sounds exciting! Thanks so much for sharing your story with us, Rosey! All the best with it and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for you.

If you're a Glowday practitioner and want to share your story, drop me a message on Instagram @victoria.glowday or email victoria.palmer@glowday.com