My biggest piece of advice to myself when first starting out.. I could have written a hundred different things as I truly consider that we’re always on a journey of re-evaluating and evolving. However, I think my biggest piece of advice would be – to not waste so much time worrying! I worried about what would my ICU colleagues & family would think of my new career choice, did my patients like their results, had I followed the procedure exactly how my notes had taught me, and if I had altered a step, was it now going to go drastically wrong and my patient would be queuing outside of the no-win no-fee solicitors office. God, I look back and realise I lived those first years in a state of worry about everything and everyone – other than myself. Did it matter whether my ICU colleagues thought my new role wasn’t ‘proper nursing’? Truthfully, no not really. I was totally hooked on the speciality of aesthetic medicine. I lived and breathed the industry and my passion for it drove me to want to be the best. Surely finding something that gives you a fire to be the best you possibly can only be a positive? The comments soon came that aesthetics was superficial, a waste of a nursing degree and had no longevity. I should have held my head high and explained the scope of aesthetic medicine, the extent of my pharmaceutical & anatomy
knowledge, and the positive impact it has on physical, mental and emotional well-being. Aesthetics isn’t just ‘jabbing Botox for wrinkles’ and I continue to be (and always will be!) a ‘valued nurse’.
Additionally, when I wasn’t worrying about opinions, I was worrying about my patients. Did I have enough knowledge to give them the quality treatments? I spent so much time over-analysing both pre and post treatment images – I would obsess over whether one lip corner was always paler or if a right eyebrow was always higher than the left? I am sure that there are practitioners reading this who are still in this cycle now. Whilst it is normal to worry, it’s what helps us to strive for better because we truly care – it’s important to remember ‘worrying takes away today’s peace and not tomorrow’s troubles’. I wish I had believed in myself and my abilities more, ignored other’s opinions and enjoyed my patients journeys instead of worrying I had done something wrong.
On that note; yes that right eyebrow was always higher than the left, the pigment on the lip corner was naturally paler pre procedure, and no aesthetic medicine isn’t a fad which won’t last long. Aesthetic medicine is here to stay so if you are just starting out or considering the jump.. believe in yourself and enjoy learning in this ever-growing speciality! #believeinyourself
Grace Cobner
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