A specialist skincare clinic has expanded after just six months in its new home in Dunfermline town centre.
Julia Hart Skincare Clinic opened its doors in January after owner, Julia Hart, secured funding with the help of Business Gateway Fife from Fife Council’s Town Centre Investment Fund that went towards the creation of the medical-grade treatment room in Chalmers Street.
Since then the appointment book has been full, and the 52-year-old skin care expert and clinical nurse specialist has had to create a beauty therapy room and nail bar in the building’s basement.
The physical expansion arose after Julia saw a significant increase in people with acne, rosacea, and psoriasis booking treatments as well as a 10% increase in those wanting cosmetic procedures such as Botox, lip fillers and dermal fillers.
She said: “We’ve seen a massive increase in the number of people wanting to take care of their skin, particularly those with medical problems who are then investing in facials to increase glow and support skin function. Up until now I’ve been sharing a treatment room with my beautician. By expanding downstairs it provides me with exclusive use of the medical grade room and my beautician with her own space. This will allow us to provide even more clients with a more holistic approach to skin health and techniques to rejuvenate and restore the function of their skin.
“I’ve invested a lot in the clinic and with the help of my Business Gateway adviser I was able to secure a £5k from Fife council as well as access the support I needed to prepare, launch and succeed in business. By helping me secure time with a consultant through the Expert Help Programme, which is funded through the European Regional Development Fund, I was able to ensure my clinic was ecologically friendly. She also referred me to the DigitalBoost programme which was invaluable. Getting 21 hours of 1:1 support from a specialist adviser helped me create a professional website and buy an IT system that is suitable for the clinics’ needs, something I wouldn’t have been able to do so easily on my own.”
Catherine Bartle, Adviser, Business Gateway Fife, said: “Julia is highly regarded in her field and by opening the clinic she has allowed people, many of whom have debilitating skin conditions, to access her knowledge. Although she is an expert in skin care she needed our support and connections to secure funding and the additional specialist advice she needed to help get the business off the ground.”
Having qualified as a registered general nurse in the early 90s in London, Julia moved back to Scotland to work within neonatology and became increasingly interested in the structure and function of the skin.
During her honours degree she focused on skin care practices which led to several changes in skin care practices and wound care guidelines. On becoming a clinical nurse specialist her interest in aesthetics grew, studying to find skin care regimes and non-invasive strategies which she uses today to help her clients achieve the results they long for.
She said: “It’s taken a great many years of study and practise in the field to become an expert in both the anatomy and the physiology of skin and face. Over that time I have learned how to manage and importantly avoided complications and I take great pleasure in providing solutions to complicated skin issues that no one else has been able to resolve.”
For more information on Julia Hart Skincare visit http://juliahartskinclinic.co.uk/.
If you would like to find out how Business Gateway Fife can support your business, please contact us on 01592 858333 or email success@bgfife.co.uk
