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Over the coming months, we’ll be checking in with some of our region's most talented – a Hunter Valley chef at the top of their game, the local queen of aesthetic beauty, our city's go-to cheery artist and illustrator, and mother-daughter floral duo – to hear about how they marry together their core passions whilst successfully running a small business.

Dropping into the luxurious beauty-focused clinic in New Lambton, we caught up with Stockton born and bred queen of aesthetic beauty, Teah Blayden of Luma Aesthetics.

We hear how she’s taken her business from a one woman show to becoming one of Newcastle’s most sought after cosmetic injectors.

You officially launched Luma Aesthetics in 2021 within New Lambton-based collaborative space, GOLDN [now Clae.] – how did it all begin?

After working as an emergency nurse at John Hunter Hospital for seven years, I transitioned into a cosmetic injectables clinic environment in 2016. 

I undertook extensive training and development to get my skills to an advanced level before taking the plunge into business ownership. I really wanted a solid foundation of theoretical knowledge and practical application to ensure I could deliver exceptional results from the moment I went out on my own.

In 2021, I decided that it was the right time to build my own business. For me, the driving force behind creating my own brand was getting myself into a position to deliver the client experience that I wanted.

I could build every part of the experience from the ground up and eventually mentor a team that is loyal to the values of quality and ethical cosmetic medicine.

What inspired the name Luma Aesthetics?

The name Luma pays homage to light and natural, elemental beauty. It’s connected to our values and has inspired a lot of our visual identity as a brand. The way in which ‘light’ reflects from the face also greatly impacts our perception of overall facial beauty.

You had the name, the space, the expertise, and the service – what came next?

Before I launched, I went through the full operational set-up process with an open mind and spoke to others in my industry looking for recommendations.

Square was a system that I had heard great reviews on, and I felt like it would integrate perfectly with my other technology and software.

How does Square help with the day-to-day running of the business?   

We use Square multiple times a day for point-of-sale transactions and it’s reliable, trusted by our clients, and the support is there if you have any trouble. Ease of use, price, and accessibility were all important to me as a new business owner and Square ticked all of those boxes. 

In a short time, Luma Aesthetics has quickly built a reputation and demand in the beauty industry. Talk me through the current business growth and how you manage to stay on top of the latest industry trends?

I had my first team member come on board in 2022 and since then, we’ve added another team member and launched our dermal therapy services to complement our cosmetic injectables.

Alongside our client treatments and the day-to-day running of the business, I also work as a Clinical Trainer for Teoxane, which helps me stay at the forefront of the latest techniques, products, and developments in the industry.

The cosmetic injectable industry has seen extraordinary growth over recent years. How do you make your business stand out?

The cosmetic injectables field can at times cop some criticism, but at Luma we’re strong advocates for celebrating individuality and we value natural looking beauty enhancement over unnatural looking augmentations. We consult with each patient thoroughly and we’re very focused on patient safety and education.

We start every patient journey with an extensive consultation in a professional yet friendly environment, followed by a full-face assessment where we analyse the patient’s unique anatomy and suitability of their preferred treatment.

We listen to their concerns, aesthetic goals, and provide realistic recommendations to develop a suitable treatment plan and approach.

We’re proud to attract clientele who value our expertise and skill and we take a quality over quantity approach where we will allocate a full hour to a patient, to ensure we aren’t rushed and can dedicate the necessary time to discussing their concerns and achieving result satisfaction.

You offer a selection of cosmetic injectables and dermal therapy treatments – can you expand on your available treatments?

We’re passionate advocates for the way skin health and cosmetic injectables can and should work together to achieve optimal aesthetic outcomes for our patients. So, it was always the plan to create a service menu that allowed our patients access to a variety of evidence-based and medical-grade treatments.

In terms of injectables, we utilise premium HA dermal filler, anti-wrinkle, bio stimulators, and bio-remodelling injections to assist with enhancing facial shape and proportions, restoring volume loss, contours, and addressing deep lines.

Our dermal therapy range of facial treatments and skin needling seeks to correct skin concerns related to congestion, tone, and texture. We also carry two medical-grade skincare ranges – Aspect Dr and Skinbetter Science – for at-home use.

You’re meeting new people on the daily and helping them on their aesthetic beauty journey – what would you say is your favourite part of the job? 

Connecting with lovely like-minded people and being able to assist them to feel happier and more confident in themselves. I often say having worked in both emergency and the cosmetic injectables industry, it is a beautiful thing that healthcare can be both life-saving and life enhancing.

What piece of advice would you give to emerging small business owners?

Stay true to your business model and ethics. Be passionate and driven but also patient knowing that anything great and worth having takes time to grow. Also, remember to celebrate the small wins.

What does the future look like for Luma Aesthetics?

Our industry is evolving, and there are plenty of new cosmetic injectables businesses joining the Newcastle market, so we really try to focus on staying true to the business model that has served us and our patients well so far.

We’re currently undergoing a luxury fit-out of our brand-new clinic in Newcastle’s East End which will open in spring. We also have plans to expand our team and treatment range – there will be plenty of excitement to look forward to for the remainder of 2023.

With Luma Aesthetics having only been a part of Newcastle’s small business scene for two short years, we’re excited to see Teah and her team continue to make waves in the cosmetic injection industry.

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