The Face and Body Institute in Kraków was not set up by a British dermatologist; it as created by a young Polish lady with the help of a British dermatologist. I would never have done it alone.
Paulina Pyka is a very mature young lady with a go-ahead attitude. It was entirely her idea to create the clinic and provide something very new to the Polish market – a cosmetic clinic based on my experience as dermatologist who specialises in cosmetic medicine. Paulina worked as a receptionist and later clinic manager at my clinic in London, where she was impressed by the loyalty of the clients, as well as and their desire to maintain their looks and the faith that they invested in my team of specialists. Every client was delighted with the treatment that they received at the clinic in London, and would always book their next appointment before leaving. Paulina could see that this was a clinic with a future.
Technology was adding new procedures virtually every month, and this brought its own excitement and stimulus to follow development, select good procedures and be able to reject those that were substandard. This suited Paulina’s youthful outlook and desire to be at the forefront of a new market; indeed to create a new market in the heart of her beloved Poland. Paulina, unlike many Polish, wanted to return to Poland and take something back. Thus began the Face and Body Institute.
Finding a suitable location was easy; Kraków has many beautiful buildings. Paulina’s mother, Alicja, did a lot of the leg work for us and her knowledge of the Polish property market - not to mention her negotiating skills – allowed us to find a beautiful location in Pilsudskiego, close to the city’s charming Old Town.
The main challenge was to find suitable medical staff. Cosmetic medicine is very different from classical medicine, and we insisted on a completely new style of doctoring for our clinic. What is the difference? Cosmetic ‘patients’ are clients who have a choice. They do not need to have treatment, they choose to. This is an essential difference and one that drives the business.
The relationship between doctor and client is very different too; it is very open. Doctor and client are equal, and there is an exchange of information between them. In many cases the client has done their research on the internet, and understands the science behind the procedure. It is the task of the doctor to ensure that the demands of the client match the expectations of the result.
Furthermore, we needed to find a doctor that enjoyed treating people who were in good health, but who wanted to improve their appearance and well-being as well as their health. We needed our doctors to treat our clients seriously; to many Polish doctors, this was quite an unusual concept, and many of our interviewees failed at this point, though not as a fault of the Polish medical establishment. In terms of cosmetic medicine, the United Kingdom is ten years ahead of Poland, yet ten years behind France. New ideas about the role of medicine had yet to reach Poland – something that we were discovering this fast.
We also insisted in considering highly skilled individuals who were not necessarily academic. Exam results do not necessarily translate into a warm, caring personality with good interpersonal skills and high manual dexterity. These doctors tend to undervalue themselves and not present themselves for interview. How do you find a shy doctor whose skills do not show in an exam?
Recruiting suitable staff was our first challenge. The next challenge was to bring them to England and instil our mind-set into them. Again a difficult task, but nevertheless essential. We lost some staff at this stage.
Attracting clients has never been a challenge – everybody wants to look great for their age, and Polish people are no different from anybody else. Of course there are financial considerations, but we have procedures to suit just about every budget, so we have been able to cater for all. Paulina insisted on offering discounts and reward schemes to suit the Polish people. This is certainly not the British way, but it works well in Kraków.
We have created a significant challenge for ourselves: not to be ahead with technology, because we are, but to conquer minds and ideas with our new technology. One of the problems that we face when introducing new treatments and procedures is making the market aware of the options that are available. Things that are commonplace in London take a lot of explaining in Kraków.
One of our great successes has been the introduction of Mole Mate into the clinic. Mole Mate is a computerised dermatoscopy device that allows us to look at skin lesions in 3D, enabling us to make a diagnosis before cutting the mole out. In most cases, there is no need for a biopsy, in fact since we introduced Mole Mate to the clinic, we have saved hundreds of people from undergoing biopsy, and continue to provide immense peace of mind when it comes to moles, lumps and bumps.
It has taken two years for the clinic to reach maturity. We can proudly say that we have a team of lovely, caring doctors who perform magic with their hands. They learn quickly and even try out new procedures on themselves so that they can then explain how things feel and how long they take to work. This is true empathy.
The Face and Body Institute offers effective treatments that combat the signs of ageing and enable clients to look and feel their best, including dermal fillers, skin rejuvenation, mesotherapy, lipotherapy, and peels. Minor surgery for the removal of moles and skin tags is also available, and we have also introduced other treatments, including massage for stress relief and to ease muscular pain, therapies to aid weight-loss, podiatry and advanced cosmetology.
All of the staff are continually improving their skills, attending training sessions in both Kraków and London – wherever the best tuition is available. Through my clinic in London, we are able to access the best medicine from the across Europe, and indeed the world.
Paulina remains firmly in charge of the Face and Body Institute, even though we have proudly added another member to our management team; Cosmetologist Agnieszka Gomolinska, who has recently been appointed onto our board of directors. She has already made a positive contribution to the clinic in the twelve months that she has been working with us.
When we set up Face and Body Institute, we decided to use my experience as the solid base on which to build the business. From that base we planned to add Paulina’s youth and enthusiasm to drive the business forwards. Now, with Agnieszka on board, we have achieved more than we expected, and expect to achieve more. Watch this space!”
About the Author
Dr Elisabeth Dancey is one of the original practitioners of cosmetic medicine, having trained and practised Belgium and the United Kingdom. She has been at the forefront of aesthetic medicine, and has worked on several commercial projects associated with her early work on cellulite. She oversaw the consumer trial of Roc's anti-cellulite cream and later assisted Vibrant Medical with their pilot study and then launch of the Vibrotone cellulite reduction system. She is the author of ‘The Cellulite Solution’ and later produced the video, ‘Beautiful Legs’.
Dr Dancey has also featured in the original television series ‘Ten Years Younger’ and regularly appears in the media.
Further Information
Face and Body Institute
Piłsudskiego 36/1, 31-111
Kraków
Tel: +44 (0) 12 430-18-81
www.faceandbodyinstitute.pl
Kraków
Phgotography Courtesy of the Face and Body Institute, Kraków
Polish Express
Panorama
Discover Poland
Polacy.co.uk
Fortis Media
PolskaPlusTV
1 GBP = PLN
