Business, Brains and Beauty
When you listen to Dr Hanna Kinsella you can’t help but feel motivated to get up and follow your wildest dreams. Here, the dentist, entrepreneur and Real Housewives of Cheshire star, shares insights into her multiple businesses and explains how she juggles TV commitments, alongside being a mum, releasing a new book, and how she looks good while doing it.
Juggling a busy schedule
What’s your schedule like at the moment?
Wow this is a question! I’m juggling quite a lot. Currently I’m overseeing management and treating dental patients at my practice Kiln Lane Dental in St Helens in Lancashire every Friday, and I’ve been filming the Real Housewives of Cheshire (RHOC). This takes up to five months and it’s a very hectic filming schedule of three to four days per week. Between this I have my Icy Bear dental product business, which requires a lot of behind the scenes. I also run a few aesthetic clinics doing dermal fillers and botulinum toxin once a month. Oh… and I have a baby now too!
You mentioned your newest business venture Icy Bear, what is it?
This was a dream of mine that started with so many people asking me what dental products I use and what works, so I created my own brand that has a professional edge, but also looks good on the bathroom shelf. It’s bringing a bit of luxury to dentistry! We have teeth whitening strips, an electric toothbrush, and a toothpaste which contains very fine diamond dust that gently cleans and remove stains. We are also working on creating new products, such as gummy supplements for teeth and gum health, a mouthwash, and a tongue scraper. We’re also looking to branch into a kid’s range, which I’m really excited about!
How do you balance your busy schedule?
It is tricky, especially during RHOC filming periods as it’s a huge commitment. For all my projects I have amazing teams of people who help me, as well as a PA, and I wouldn’t be able to it without them. I think the key is delegation, and this can be really hard, especially when it’s your business and you want to be hands on and in control. I’ve found that sometimes the best thing to do is to oversee and delegate, and if you do this you can get so much more done!
"I’ve found that sometimes the best thing to do is to oversee and delegate, and if you do this you can get so much more done!"
Hanna talks tweakments and beauty
What aesthetic procedures have you had?
I’ve had a lot of non-surgical treatments – with my husband Dr Martin Kinsella being such a good cosmetic doctor it’s hard not to! I’ve had Restylane hyaluronic acid dermal filler in my lips and Ellansé collagen stimulating fillers in my cheeks. I’ve also had antiwrinkle botulinum toxin injections in my forehead to reduce my frown, which I have really loved. Toxin in my chin was also a great treatment because it really just softened my lower face as I have really expressive chin muscles!
Why do you like having fillers and toxin?
I don’t get these treatments to look different, or to change my face, but to slightly enhance the nice features that are already there and to feel better. Living a busy lifestyle and having a new baby can really make you start to feel and look tired, so it’s more about instilling confidence in myself and it makes me feel fresher. I am a massive fan of non-surgical treatments!
“I think we owe it to each other to actually say, yes I’ve had treatments, and this will help break the taboo”
Would you ever consider cosmetic surgery?
I haven’t had any cosmetic surgery, but you know what, it’s not something I’m frightened of. If I don’t feel confident later down the line, I would absolutely consider cosmetic surgery... why not? Especially after having babies! I have friends that have had tummy tucks or boob lifts and it’s really made them feel better about themselves.
If you could only have one cosmetic treatment, what would it be?
Definitely toxin! Mainly because I don’t want to go wrinkly. I think toxin is one of those treatments that you can’t live without if you want to avoid lines for as long as you can.
What does your current beauty and skin regime entail?
I love taking care of my skin! I’m currently using…
• Dermaceutic Cleanser: a gentle glycolic acid cleanser which I love using morning and night.
• Dr Dennis Gross vitamin C serum: an antioxidant to help with skin damage.
• Clarins UV Plus Anti-Pollution SPF 50: I use sunscreen every day and I like this one as it applies well under makeup.
• Universkin night serum: probably my favourite product because it’s customised to me and my skin’s needs – I really rate this. After a consultation your practitioner creates a bespoke product that has up to three pure active ingredients for optimum effect – mine contains retinol, phytic acid, and kojic acid and I’ve had great results.
What’s your favourite facial?
I love facials, and I especially like HydraFacial. Every time I have one, my skin feels a lot better. You feel so refreshed! I also love that you can see the gunk that comes out of your face.
You are so open about your cosmetic treatments, why do you have this approach?
These days there is so much pressure on us women to look a certain way and be ‘photo perfect’. I think we owe it to each other to actually say, yes I’ve had treatments, and this will help break the taboo! I think it’s especially important for celebrities to be more open as people directly compare themselves to them. Tweakments are becoming more accepted so we should really be open about it.
Teeth whitening is huge at the moment… what works?
Firstly, know that prevention really goes a long way, so be mindful of the long-term impact of smoking and drinks like black tea/coffee and red wine! Things you can do at home include investing in a good whitening toothpaste – this is a must – and using teeth whitening strips, like what we have through Icy Bear. However, nothing really replaces professional teeth whitening such as in-chair whitening or at-home bleaching. It’s important to see a dentist for this as bleach products containing strong ingredients like peroxide can lead to burnt gums and sensitivities.
What’s it like living with your cosmetic doctor?
Being married to my husband Dr Martin Kinsella definitely has its perks! I have one of the best practitioners in the industry that can help with whatever I need. It’s not often you have a husband that knows more about skin and beauty than you do, and it’s funny because his skincare routine is longer than mine! We laugh about it all the time.
Getting used to motherhood
Congratulations on becoming a mum! How does it feel?
Well, it’s been a very steep learning curve! When I had Maximus, I said to my mum that no one told me how hard it would be. There are no breaks, and the lack of sleep is really tricky to get used to. But it’s amazing having this love for something far more than you love anything else – you can’t describe it! I’m also so thrilled to have just announced that I will be expecting baby number two! It was a huge shock and totally unexpected but now we’ve come to terms with it. I’m so over the moon that our family is growing!
What challenges have you faced as a new mum?
I really struggled with breastfeeding. Before I had Max, I was convinced I would be breastfeeding until he’s two and I had visions of sitting in the nursery with him feeding away. Initially he had a little tongue tie, and it was quite difficult – the cracked and bleeding nipples and the pain was awful! I persevered for eight weeks and then I couldn’t do it anymore and I really beat myself up about it. But, when I turned to bottle feeding, I realised that I didn’t need to feel this way because he was absolutely fine and still a healthy, happy baby.
“Don’t put pressure on yourself as a new mum, don’t feel guilty and listen to your body”
A lot of mums struggle with their body changes after having children, how have you found this?
The big shock was that I was expecting my belly to just deflate after having the baby! But you do have a belly for a while. I was lucky I didn’t get stretch marks and the biggest change has been my boobs – I feel like I used to have really good boobs, but now I feel like they have been sucked dry! I remember looking into my wardrobe and wanting to cry, feeling like I’d
never fit into any of my clothes again. But in the end, I did, and I’ve learnt that you just have to embrace it and remember that having a baby is the most natural thing in the world. I really advise others to eat a healthy diet and get active as soon as you can, and this really helped me feel better about myself.
Tell us about your new collaboration with the Mama Society…
As a new mum you can sometimes feel isolated. The Mama Society provides fun events for mums and baby/toddlers to go to. We do brunches, talk about different topics like weaning, and we throw two or three events per month. It’s a recent thing I’ve got involved in and I'm really excited about it!
What’s your top tip for other new mums?
Mums put so much pressure on themselves and get this mum guilt that they aren’t doing things right – mentally this is quite a challenge. So, I’d say don’t put pressure on yourself as a new mum, don’t feel guilty and listen to your body. I just think happy mum, happy baby!
Inspiring a new chapter
Congratulations on your exciting new book Brains Are The New Tits! What made you decide to write this?
During lockdown I had a lot of young women asking me about my business tips, advice on building confidence, and starting a career, so I wrote few bits and bobs down that I had learnt. I reached out to 15 different inspirational female entrepreneurs of different backgrounds and businesses, collated all our wisdom into 10 golden rules to following your dreams and turned it into a book. It’s an inspirational and motivational read and I really enjoyed writing it.
In your book you talk about your challenges growing up in a conservative Iranian family, how did you learn to overcome these?
Growing up in a first-generation Middle Eastern Iranian home was hard at times because the culture is very different to the UK and as a kid you just want to be like everyone else and fit in. I found it tough – I had issues at school, my brother got bullied and we both got called names and I always really struggled with my identity. My parents didn’t really believe in a lot things I wanted to do which are normal in this country, so the key thing I learnt was to keep in mind what you want and be strong enough to persevere.
What do you hope readers gain from this book?
I hope people can find inspiration from it and help them to focus their energy into what they want to do. It is meant to be a motivational book, looking at things like imposter syndrome, building confidence, finding the right people or tribe to be around you and some amazing inspirational stories from all different backgrounds.
What’s your most important piece of advice to others?
Dream big and know that nothing is out of your reach! Focus on what you want to do and where you want to be in five to 10 years’ time. Write things down – I am also a big believer in asking the universe what you want, which I think really helps with motivation and achieving your goals.
To find out more about Dr Hanna Kinsella’s projects follow her on Instagram @hannamiraftab