‘First, to do no harm’ should be the goal
Irish Medical Times
by ATAI
February issue

The so-called Hippocratic ideal of ‘Doing no harm, above all’ is not dead, according to the Aesthetic Training Academy Ireland

Primum non nocere
It is the guiding principle in medicine. Aesthetics is framed too often as amounting to only injectable procedures, which leads to the question ‘Is the oath often forgotten in favour of high hourly rates?’ Aesthetics clinics are popping up on every corner, yet the majority of these clinics are performing injectables only. While injectable treatment does provide an immediate effect, if underlying skin health is suboptimal, then the results of injectable treatment will also be suboptimal. While it is understandable that new practitioners wish to train in botulinum toxin and soft tissue fillers, too often that is where the education ends. Injectable treatment should be the last procedure performed after underlying skin concerns have been addressed. If the only tool you possess is a needle, then every concern can only be targeted with that single implement, leading to mismatched therapy and ultimately patient dissatisfaction.

View/Download PDF: https://www.atai.ie/download/3471/

Why does Botox have such a bad reputation?
Irish Medical Times
by Dr Jennifer Owens
January issue

Botox has an unfair reputation among the lay community of being “toxic and extremely dangerous”, writes a faculty educator for the Aesthetic Training Academy Ireland, Dr Jennifer Owens, who ponders the possible reasons for this misunderstanding

Within the last 100 years, the perception of botulinum toxin A has evolved from that of a poison to a versatile clinical agent with various uses. It has been described as “the treatment looking for new diseases”,54 and even Time magazine describes it as “The drug that’s treating everything”,56 due to its impressive performance across numerous complaints in both therapeutic and cosmetic arenas to date. “The range of conditions for which doctors are now using Botox is dizzying, reflecting the drug’s unique characteristics as much as the drug industry’s unique strategies for creating a blockbuster.” Time Botulinum toxin A with

View/Download PDF: https://www.atai.ie/download/3403/
Read on IMT: https://www.imt.ie/clinical/botox-bad-reputation-17-01-2019/

To jab or not to jab?
Irish Beauty Magazine
January issue

As a therapist, should you practice what you preach and have the treatments you recommend to your clients?

“Practice what you preach” has always been my motto. So too has “stand by your beliefs.”

Which leads me to my predicament.

January is upon us. With that, we witness the overuse of the term “new year, new you” whilst we all strive to better ourselves, try new things and dare I say it, be “the best version of you”.

Let’s rewind to about 17 years ago when I was a baby-faced junior therapist in a popular aesthetic clinic being offered Botox and fillers for the first time. Both horrified and humoured, I declined.

View/Download PDF: https://www.atai.ie/download/3387/

Irish Medical TimesTaking on aesthetics education
Irish Medical Times
December issue

Aesthetic Training Academy Ireland aims to produce competent aesthetic practitioners by tackling the scourge of poor quality courses offered by providers who take advantage of the lack of regulation in the aesthetic sector, Patrick Ryall, Director of ATAI, recounts

It is said that frustration, or a market need, are two of the best motivators for starting a business. Aesthetic Training Academy Ireland (ATAI) was born of both. It began through the frustration of poor training in laser therapy. The vast majority of all aesthetic laser operators came out of beauty training colleges, and unfortunately incompetencies in training mean burns and ineffective treatment are rife in the industry. In a shocking turn of events, beauty colleges were — and are — awarding people laser qualifications after only teaching them on an intense pulsed light platform (IPL). ATAI initially set out to provide robust training for laser and light modalities taught on the right technology platform.

After initial success in the laser and light training sector, ATAI have turned their attention to the broader aesthetics market.

View/Download PDF: https://www.atai.ie/download/3331/

Times are changing - Irish BeautyTimes are changing
by Emma Ryall
Nov/Dec issue of Irish Beauty Magazine

Is the casual language promoted by social media showing a lack of professionalism or a more human side in business, asks Emma Ryall…

It’s more apparent than ever how the use of text message and social media has a negative impact on us all in the professional world. When signing off a text message, ‘tnx, tty 18r’ appears to be perfectly acceptable rather than many thanks, talk to you soon’ and in person ‘thanks hun’ has also replaced ‘thanks for visiting Mary’. But where do we draw the line between being friendly and too casual? Should we be showing our more human side in using less formal speak?

View/Download PDF: https://www.atai.ie/download/3147/

Know your rightsKnow Your Rights
by Emma Ryall
Sep/Oct issue of Irish Beauty Magazine

For too long a blind eye has been turned to unacceptable employment policies in the workplace – and bullying is common. Time for it to stop, says Emma Ryall

Bullying and harassment In the workplace are both unacceptable and thriving. II Is detrimental to a workplace and more Importantly the future of any Individual. We are all aware of employment acts. so why are they not adhered to? When I reflect on my days as a junior therapist, fresh out of college and exploding with enthusiasm. I remember vividly the dark cloud that cast a shadow over my early employment. If was bullied. intimidated and harassed: I was working under unacceptable and illegal conditions – and I accepted It on a daily basis. I have had my property damaged. wages held back ‘due to having a quiet week at the spa’ and threats made that were entirely unjustifiable for any human being.

View/Download PDF: https://www.atai.ie/download/3025/

Commissions Motivator or Divider?
by Emma Ryall
Jul/Aug issue of Irish Beauty Magazine

When that walk in client appears at the door, you may hear your staff say I’ll take it’ or ‘I’m going on my break now shortly’. What exactly causes this divide? COMMISSION!

A commission structure, while more common pre-recession is also set in place among many Irish Hair and Beauty Salons and clinics today. From a business point of view, commission structures aim to boost revenue, increase sales, maximise staff utility and ultimately get more bums on seats. Before considering a commission structure for your business, you should first establish if it is profitable for your business. For example, a staff member should bring in three times their wage to cover business overheads.

Read it here: https://flickread.com/edition/html/5b3b3c55a432a#65

Temptations to Treat
by Emma Ryall
March/April Salon Magazine

Business is tough and a young business even tougher. While we are all aware of the do’s and don’ts, can and cants in the industry, too often we have witnessed both therapists and clients alike failing to follow procedures. In a bid to boost weekly figures health and safety standards lapse resulting in negligence.

Toying with the idea of a client willing to sign a waiver to proceed with treatment without a patch test or the therapist or proprietor who proceeds I am perplexed as to who is more foolish. I have carried out countless consultations where my client pleads with me to proceed on the same day with treatment. They ask to sign any waiver required. I always follow my code of ethics as well as health and safety standards by politely declining and explain exactly why.

Read it here: https://issuu.com/beautyprofessional/docs/salonj.a.web/54

Let's take back our industry (756 downloads)

The Changing Face of Beauty
by Emma Ryall
May/June issue of Irish Beauty Magazine

There are many good beauty colleges in Ireland and attaining your CIDESCO and CIBTAC/ITEC beauty specialist diplomas represents a foundation education that will serve you well. However, beauty industry today is at a curvature, with a defined split between traditional beauty salon treatments and medical device-led aesthetic therapies becoming more pronounced.

In Australia, there is a new four-year degree programme, and graduates are called Dermal Clinicians with their own regulatory body. In the UK, the JCCP (Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners), in partnership with the CSPA (Cosmetic Standards Practice Authority), has just launched.

The Changing Face of Beauty (730 downloads)

Let's take back our industry

Let’s take back our industry
by Emma Ryall
March/April Irish Beauty Magazine

As we all can attest, becoming a beauty therapist is no walk in the park. Courses are in-depth and intensive, requiring detailed knowledge of the body’s systems, while an abundance of postgraduate courses encourage continual education and advancement. From all this education and training, we have gained significant knowledge, vast amounts of relevant skills, formed our ideas and opinions, even perhaps carried out our own clinical trials – yet so often all of this is thrown out the window in favour of the opinion of a beauty blogger or vlogger.

Let's take back our industry (756 downloads)

Aesthetically Pleasing
by Emma Ryall
Salon Magazine

With the facial aesthetics industry growing, it’s a case of being ahead of the curve, writes Emma Ryall.

Aesthetics, it has quickly become the buzzword in the beauty sector. While surgical procedures are in decline, non-surgical procedures are growing year on year-on-year. It is estimated by 2020 that the facial aesthetics industry will be worth some €4.4bn worldwide. Markets and Markets is a leading provider of industry analysis; it forecast facial aesthetics is set to grow at 9.2 percent each year all the way through to 2020.

Aesthetically Pleasing (829 downloads)

Skincare 101: The commandments for combination skin
Independent
Article Link

“No two skins are alike,”  says Emma Ryall, the proprietor and skin specialist at Zest Skin Clinic. “With combination skin, there’s many types of concerns so you really have to zone off the area.”

It is often difficult to know what skin type you are, and Emma believes that every woman should make it a priority to visit a specialist to have their skin analysed. The specialist will then advise you about products and/or recommend a treatment programme.
“Most concerns can be managed and treated – if there’s a concern, don’t live with it. See someone about it and find out what your options are.

“A lot of people go straight for the facial, but seeing a skin therapist is where you can get the real knowledge from.