Aesthetic nurse and clinic owner Kerry Hanaphy shares her inspiring career journey. Starting out as a single mum with a side hustle, she drew on her natural talent, determination and great instincts, to eventually establish a skincare empire.
When we delve into her career journey, I’m surprised at how down-to-earth Kerry is, as she bluntly shares the struggles she’s faced to get where she is now at the top. Like all of us, she had to start somewhere. “In the 1980s, there wasn’t much work available, so when I was 17 I travelled to London to train as a nurse.” Kerry worked in clinics in various departments, including A&E, haematology, respiratory nursing and pharmaceuticals – gaining valuable experience along the way.
For two years, Kerry worked out of gyms and salons on the side, earning an extra £200/300 a month – and quickly realised that she “absolutely loved it!” Aesthetic nursing was her true passion. Soon, she felt it was time to return home to Dublin with her daughters and see if she could turn her hobby into a career, hustling like she never had before.
“We also offer skin-boosters – injectables that hydrate and rejuvenate your skin, and polynucleotides – which are the next generation in skincare. I’ve recently taken on the training of Polynucleotides for Ireland from our supplier, and I am very excited to upskill clinics and healthcare professionals across the country on the treatment.
Luckily, Kerry says she has been able to keep her prices down because of her sole ownership of the clinic with no investors. “It’s about having good results at the right price, which is a hard balance because the cost of everything is going up like our rent, and people’s disposable income is reducing. People sometimes wonder how can we do our prices and it’s because I own it. I don’t have to pay any shareholders.
When asked what her favourite treatment to do is, Kerry said it’s still very much lips. “My creative side comes out and it really relaxes me. It’s one of the nicest treatments to do because you see the confidence you give people. They jump off the bed, they hug you, they kiss you – you’ve changed their life. You can see how when it’s done badly, it can change people’s lives negatively, so it’s great to see them react so positively.