Hi, my name is Nurse Chelsey. I am a Registered Nurse and I own and operate Ottawa’s newest cosmetic injectables clinic. We are The Cosmetic Clinic Inc. and our goal is to create a service that has all the right ingredients to be replicated all over Canada. We picked our headquarters to be conveniently located in Barrhaven for many reasons. I promise I will get to them.

What do cosmetic injectables mean? Well yes, it means injecting a pharmaceutical past the skin. Yes, it means fillers and toxin therapy (Botox®) and other clinical skin treatments. To me however, it means so much more. You should never get to cosmetic injections without first going over patient needs, fears, medical history, expectations, budget and questions.

Needs, interests, desires; they all mean the same thing. They are precursors to a journey for asking questions to the right people who can hopefully help them. Needs are what direct a consultation and the practitioner asks questions in return to determine what it is the client is looking for and how we can play a part in the journey. If your injector is not asking you questions, they are not engaging with your needs. A consultation is pivotal.

Fears. We fear anticipated change and maximize personal safety. This is a good thing! It is in our DNA to feel fear to protect us from potentially harmful situations. When it comes to my line of work, anticipated change is what people are looking for, however, there can always be the fear of looking “too different,” also for good reason. We should always have the goal of still looking ourselves. How do we feel good about refreshing ourselves if we do not even look ourselves in the end? Then we have the fear of safety. Are there risks with injectables? Yes! Therefore, for all aspects of your fear, the consultation is so important. We explain the risks for each procedure but then we also explain what we do to minimize risks. The injector must know facial anatomy. No exclusions. Wherever a needle is injected, there must be anatomical knowledge of what is underneath. I like to talk while I am injecting, I feel it is important to express to the patient that I have a calculated reason for everything I do.

Pain. This is the most common fear I see expressed in patients. We explain during the consultation the different and appropriate ways we minimize pain. Pain management has come a long way in medical history and many advancements have been made. Research shows relieving pain during and after procedures has positive effects on healing.

How do we know if injections pose a threat to you personally? We ask the right questions. Through a careful analysis and medical history, we find out your individual potential risk for the most and least common complications. We ask the questions to tease out these risks. The medical history is tailored to aesthetic medicine and the specific treatment you are interested in. It is a very specialized history.

Expectations. This is the most challenging portion of my work. We do have limitations and we need to work within them to keep this industry alive and credible. It is our job to determine what our patients expect, so we can deliver with confidence or explain why it is not realistic. Generally, patients know what aesthetic changes they desire before they come in; the rest rely on our professional opinion. However the desire manifests, we still need to manage what you are expecting out of your treatment.

I am going to include budget in managing expectations. Do not expect a facelift on a very small budget. That being said, it is only respectful and necessary to ask about budget because it is a factor in determining how we should proceed. We need to know what your most important concern is and focus the budget on that. Perhaps we have an opinion on how we can get the best bang for your buck to get you closer to your goal in a way you did not think about. Does this feel like this is about trust? Great! The relationship between a medical professional and the patient is reliant on trust. I rely on it as much as the patient does.
Questions. The point of rendering consent for a medical procedure (which is mandatory) is to protect you. After reading your consent, if you have any further questions you must ask them. Your questions guide us to your safety, your desires, your aesthetic result and your expectations. The consent form provides the information you need to proceed with engaging in a medical treatment. Please ask questions if you do not understand any portion of the treatment. This is true whether you are in my clinic or an emergency room.

After going over needs, fears, budget, questions and establishing some trust, then we can proceed with the treatment. If you noticed, all the information you need about cosmetic injectables comes out during the consultation. The consultation is the guide. We pride ourselves in taking time to show you that your safety and results matter. Do not expect that when you come in, we put you in the chair and start injecting. NO! There is an entire list of items to go through first. It is said that people remember how they felt more than a person’s name or title.

This industry is exciting for me. I am constantly in awe of the possibilities. I smile the moment I hear “I absolutely love it!” or “this is lifechanging.” There is a level of trust that I appreciate about providing a cosmetic injectable experience. It is a privilege. Yes, this career involves a lot of education, training, certifications and experience however, you can technically select any injector to do this for you. So, when you come to my clinic, it is my duty to provide a genuine experience. You will notice my care in your comfort. When it comes to safety, I am in charge but when it comes to your experience, you are, which is a part of the reason I began the first Cosmetic Clinic in Barrhaven.

Barrhaven boasts a vastly growing commercial and residential area. People matter here. Barrhaven is a community. It has free parking and quick access to major highways. It has newness and heritage. It has farm community and bustle. It also still has room for growth, and I do not mean in size or number of houses. Barrhaven represents a lot of what matters to The Cosmetic Clinic and Nurse Chelsey. We must build our foundation from a spot that is most congruent with the values and virtues of the company to create a recipe for replication.

I am so pleased to introduce myself to you and to represent Barrhaven to the rest of the greater Ottawa area and beyond. I ask one question of you in return; at any point you have questions about cosmetic injectables, you make your first stop at 900 Greenbank, suite 204. It is my prerogative to get you the right knowledge and to put you first while doing it.

Sincerely,

Chelsey Brown, RN and Owner of The Cosmetic Clinic Inc.