Meet Chony: The Story Behind Vue Aesthetics + Skin

If you had told me years ago that I would one day own a skin and aesthetics clinic, I probably would have laughed.

I was incredibly low maintenance when it came to my appearance. I didn't grow up knowing much about skincare or self-care, and because I never really experienced teenage acne, I never developed much of a skincare routine either.

The funny thing is, that didn't mean I didn't have skin concerns.

My skin was dry. I had pigmentation. I was starting to notice fine lines and changes in my skin, but I genuinely didn't know there were things I could do to support it. I didn't know what professional skincare was, what different treatments did or even what questions I should be asking.

I simply didn't know what I didn't know.

My first experience with aesthetics

Eventually, someone I knew mentioned having a medical aesthetic treatment. It sparked my curiosity and I decided to explore treatment myself.

At the time, I was a mum of three young children with a fairly tight budget and absolutely no understanding of the aesthetics industry.

Walking into a clinic for the first time was intimidating.

I remember feeling overwhelmed and quite rushed. I didn't really understand what I was having, why it had been recommended or what my other options were. More than anything, I remember leaving feeling like perhaps I should have known more or should have been doing more with my skin already.

I felt a little bit like a number.

And I hated that feeling.

The interesting part was that I enjoyed aspects of my treatment experience afterwards. It led me to become curious about skincare, and I started investing in products and learning more about my skin.

For quite a few years, though, I remained a very occasional patient. I might have visited a clinic a couple of times a year when I felt like I wanted a refresh.

I enjoyed taking care of myself, but I never forgot how uncomfortable it had felt being the person who knew absolutely nothing walking through the door.

I didn't realise it at the time, but that experience would eventually influence the entire philosophy behind Vue.

From nursing to aesthetics

My original career was nursing.

I was drawn to nursing because fundamentally, I wanted to help people. I loved caring for people, but after years working in healthcare and around shift work, I started wondering what else might be out there for me.

I have always had an active mind. I love learning, I love having something to work towards and I'm probably happiest when I have twelve ideas happening at once.

Aesthetics had been sitting somewhere in the back of my mind, but I also knew it was an industry that required a significant commitment to education and ongoing training.

Rather than jumping straight in, I decided to enrol in a weekend course to see whether it was genuinely something I wanted to pursue.

I absolutely fell in love with it.

What surprised me was just how much science sat behind everything.

Anatomy, physiology, ageing, skin biology, wound healing, product formulation, assessment, treatment planning and the constant evolution of techniques and technology. There was always another layer to understand.

It combined so many things that I loved about nursing with an entirely new area of medicine and skin health.

I was hooked.

The part that mattered most to me

The science drew me into the industry, but the people are what made me want to stay.

Appearance can sometimes be dismissed as vanity, but I think the relationship people have with their appearance is much more complicated than that.

We see it in so many areas of life.

Someone might be bothered by scarring. Someone else may have experienced significant changes to their skin. Another person might simply look in the mirror and feel like what they see doesn't quite reflect how they feel.

That doesn't mean everyone needs treatment, and it certainly doesn't mean there is something that needs to be "fixed".

Sometimes people simply want to understand their options.

For me, there is something incredibly rewarding about being able to sit down with someone, listen to what is bothering them and give them education and information that helps them make an informed decision for themselves.

Sometimes that involves treatment.

Sometimes it means skincare.

Sometimes it means creating a longer-term plan.

And sometimes the right answer is doing nothing at all.

That conversation is such an important part of what we do.

Why I started Vue

When I started imagining what my own clinic might look like, I kept coming back to that younger version of myself walking into a clinic for the first time.

She had no idea what she needed.

She had young children, a budget to think about and very little knowledge of the industry.

She didn't need someone to make her feel like she should have started sooner.

She needed someone to sit down with her and say, "Tell me what's bothering you. Let's look at your options."

That is what I wanted Vue to be.

I wanted someone who had never owned professional skincare to feel just as comfortable walking through our doors as someone who had been having skin and aesthetic treatments for years.

I wanted people to be able to say, "I don't know what I need," without feeling embarrassed.

I wanted the person who has tried multiple treatments elsewhere and isn't sure what to do next to feel comfortable coming in for another opinion.

And I wanted people who are interested in looking after their skin long term to have somewhere they could continue coming back to as their needs changed.

Because they will change.

Your priorities in your twenties aren't necessarily your priorities in your thirties, forties, fifties and beyond.

Your skin changes.

Your lifestyle changes.

Your budget can change.

Your health can change.

What bothers you can change.

A treatment plan should be able to change with you.

More than choosing a treatment from a menu

One of the philosophies I've carried into Vue is that you shouldn't need to diagnose your own skin or decide which treatment you need before booking an appointment.

That's our job.

I would much rather someone come in and tell us what they're noticing, what bothers them, what they've tried previously and what they're hoping to understand.

From there, we can assess the skin, take a medical history, talk about lifestyle and skincare, discuss appropriate options and explain the potential risks, benefits, alternatives, costs and recovery considerations.

Then you can decide what feels right for you.

There doesn't need to be pressure to do everything at once either.

For some people, their plan might start with one skincare product.

For someone else, it may involve professional skin treatments over several months.

Someone else may be interested in discussing medical aesthetic treatments.

There isn't one version of a Vue patient.

Education is probably my love language

If you know me personally, you'll know I'm slightly obsessed with learning.

Something that has been consistent throughout my life is that when I decide to do something, I want to do it to the absolute best of my ability. I love challenging myself, understanding the why behind things and continually finding ways to get better.

Long before nursing or aesthetics, I started my working life in finance. In my first year I was awarded Rookie of the Year, and by 21 I had stepped into an acting Branch Manager role. When I later decided to go to university and pursue nursing, I approached it with that same mindset. I became a high distinction student and, in my first year working as a nurse, was incredibly proud to be awarded Graduate of the Year within the hospital.

So when I discovered aesthetics and realised this was an industry I genuinely loved, naturally I went all in.

I invested heavily in education, training and developing my skills, and being awarded Lip Augmentation of the Year at an industry awards night was a really special moment early in that journey. Not because I ever feel like I've "made it", but because it represented the time, practice and learning I had put into something I was genuinely passionate about.

And that hasn't stopped.

If anything, the more I learn, the more I realise how much there still is to learn. That's one of my favourite things about this industry. The science, evidence, techniques and technology are constantly evolving. There is always new research to read, another training session, a different technique to understand or a new piece of technology to investigate.

My husband laughs because on a quiet Sunday morning, I can quite happily sit with my coffee watching clinical education videos or reading about something I've been researching.

That's genuinely relaxing to me.

My phone is full of notes and ideas, and there is nearly always another course, conference or piece of education I'm looking forward to. That's just how my brain works. I love learning, I love challenging myself and I love getting better at whatever I put my mind to.

Owning Vue has given me somewhere to channel all of that curiosity. I can learn something, investigate the evidence behind it, continue developing my skills and bring that knowledge back into the clinic to have better, more informed conversations with our patients.

I never want Vue to become a clinic that simply follows whatever treatment happens to be trending.

I want us to understand why we're doing something, what the evidence tells us, and who it may or may not be appropriate for.

I don't think I'll ever reach a point where I feel like there is nothing left for me to learn, and I wouldn't want to. Continuing to learn, question and improve is a huge part of the practitioner I want to be and the clinic I want Vue to continue becoming.

What I hope you feel when you walk into Vue

More than anything, I hope you feel comfortable.

I hope you feel like you can ask the question you think might sound silly.

I hope you can tell us your budget without feeling uncomfortable.

I hope you can tell us you're nervous.

I hope you can say you've never used skincare before.

I hope you can tell us you've had lots of treatments before.

And I hope you feel equally welcome in every one of those situations.

Vue isn't about expecting everyone to look a certain way or follow the same treatment plan.

It's about having somewhere you can come for a conversation, understand your skin and your options, and make informed decisions about what is right for you.

That's the clinic I wish I'd walked into all those years ago.

And that's the clinic I will always want Vue to be.