Put your best face forward
With a no-cookie-cutter approach, About Face is dedicated to creating bespoke treatments for its clients. We speak to founder Marianna Glucina about what sets her clinics apart when it comes to creating skin confidence.
Marianna Glucina launched About Face more than 30 years ago with the ethos of “inspiring women to grow” and it’s still her mission today. Running the seven Auckland clinics alongside her brother Paul, they are committed to investing in the best when it comes to technology and training for their skin experts, ensuring quality of care and great results for clients. “We’re all about enhancing what our clients have and not changing who they are,” she says.
If someone is thinking about treatment for a particular skin concern, what’s the first step they should take? It’s very easy to get stuck in a rabbit hole on Google; it can be overwhelming and confusing. The best option is to seek one-on-one advice from a professional who can help guide you to the best solution. At About Face, we have broken the process into three easy steps: Diagnose, Fix and Maintain. It’s that simple. By having a thorough skin consultation, your therapist can begin to understand the journey you’ve been on with your skin, work out the leading cause of your concern, the level of cellular damage, and your overall skin health. This ensures they can create a bespoke treatment plan for your individual needs, leading to real, achievable and long-lasting results.
There are so many different treatments to choose from, how do you know which one will work best? Skin type, diet, hormones, genetics, lifestyle, budget and the time a client has available to commit are all factors that must be considered when designing a plan. We have amazing 3D “tools” like Visia and Observ skin analysis scans to allow us to see the skin at a deeper level and any underlying issues. However, I truly believe our biggest asset is our therapists’ knowledge and ongoing education. No technology can beat a passionate, experienced expert who loves transforming skin!
Can you structure treatment plans differently for those who are time-poor but want noticeable results? Yes, definitely! We completely relate to the pressure Auckland women are under trying to balance work, kids, traffic and me time. Our treatment plans are all bespoke, so we factor in time restraints as well as budget as part of the process. Most lasers and advanced treatments are pretty quick and the majority require little to no downtime. Our go-tos for the time-poor who want maximum results are our two gold-standard lasers, Fraxel and Clear + Brilliant.
How do you decide which types of treatments and technology you offer at About Face, and what type of training do your therapists undergo? I spend a lot of time researching and investigating new technologies. We only select scientifically backed treatments and focus on treatments we know can achieve real and long-lasting results. Our reputation relies on us providing more than just passing trends and instead offering effective treatments. We pioneered IPL (intense pulsed light), Fraxel re:fine and Clear + Brilliant into New Zealand, due to the science behind these gold-standard treatments. They have proven themselves time and time again with the results seen by our clients. I believe in investing in our team of therapists; they are our biggest asset. Two dedicated trainers and I coach and mentor our therapists. We set industry standards and I will never compromise on the quality, standard of practice and ongoing education that About Face is known for.
What do you love most about what About Face can do for your clients? I love seeing the skin confidence of someone no longer worried about having to layer on heavy makeup to cover up her “flaws”. I love helping people with facial or body hair issues, and healing acne and removing scars is pretty awesome, too. Seeing a client who knows Fraxel has just wound back the clock five years and it’s all her, all natural, no fillers or Botox – she feels amazing!