Talking skin, aesthetics, cosmetic dentistry and thriving in the lockdown with Dr. Rosie Petch.
Hi Dr Rosie, thanks for talking with me on The B Word, first of all could you introduce yourself?
Hello! I am Dr Rosie, a dentist working in the Leeds area with a special interest in providing smile makeovers and natural facial aesthetic treatments. I have a passion for helping others feel the best version of themselves, and I absolutely love creating longstanding relationships with my patients.
I studied Dentistry at Newcastle University and qualified in 2014. Since then I have lived in the Leeds area with my fiancé François (and our 2 ragdoll cats, Freddie & Ralph!). Over the years I have loved developing my skills and have completed Invisalign training, a PG Cert in Cosmetic & Restorative Dentistry, and a Level 7 qualification in Aesthetic Medicine.
So you are an NHS dentist, cosmetic dentist, facial aesthetician and ZO skin health specialist, tell me how what your typical working week looks likes? How do you fit it all in?
In short… quite busy! I work Monday-Friday in 2 different dental practices, and (when it’s not lockdown!) I fit most of my facial aesthetic patients in during the evening or weekends from my treatment room at home. I also carry out virtual skin consultations on a weekly basis, something which has grown massively since the pandemic. A goal for 2021 is to develop a better work/life balance, and a long-term goal is to drop a day of Dentistry so that I can dedicate more time to aesthetics and skin.
Last year you successfully completed your Level 7 Diploma in Facial aesthetics, firstly congratulations! What made you decide to extend your training further and do the Level 7? How do you feel it has benefitted your aesthetic career?
Thank you! And thank you so much for your support and mentoring on my Level 7 journey.
I always knew I wanted to train in facial aesthetics when I qualified, so I quickly booked onto a foundation training course. Although I gained a wealth of knowledge and skills from this weekend course, I soon realised that there was so much more to aesthetics than just injecting the face, relaxing wrinkles & plumping lips. For me, providing my patients with a holistic approach and safe procedures is so important, and that is why I chose to further my training and complete my Level 7 Diploma. Although I didn’t love writing essays again, I am SO glad that I have done it. The focus on professionalism, ethics, anatomy, consultations and complications are all aspects that you don’t necessarily learn at foundation training, but they are all essential. The mentoring aspect with yourself was also invaluable: I gained so much confidence having you there for so many cases & it was great to bounce ideas off each other. You are a brilliant teacher and mentor!
"For me, providing my patients with a holistic approach and safe procedures is so important, and that is why I chose to further my training and complete my Level 7 Diploma."
It's safe to say that you have had amazing success in establishing yourself as a ZO skin health provider but also generally as an expert when it comes to skin. What advice could you give to others thinking of starting to provide medical-grade skin care or to anyone who is struggling to get their skincare off the ground?
Thank you! This has been one of the positives I have experienced during the pandemic. Skin has always been a huge passion for me having struggled with my own for so many years, so I am absolutely loving that I have been able to help many others with theirs!
My top tips would be:
- Make sure that you have a good background knowledge of skin – anatomy, function, disease, and evidence-backed active ingredients. And be aware that you don’t always get this baseline knowledge from a skincare brand’s training. This knowledge will ensure you understand why you are recommending certain products and protocols, and will also fill your patients with confidence when you can answer any questions they might have.
- Try the products for yourself first. You need to believe in the products that you are selling, otherwise you’ll not get anywhere. Also share your own results if possible – It will fill your patients with confidence seeing you genuinely using & loving the products that they are about to invest in.
- Although it is so important to listen to the patient, try not to be led by the patient. There is so much information online for patients to absorb about skincare, and so many influencers plugging different products (that might not do anything!). I have experienced a few patients that have self-diagnosed and requested to buy specific products that I don’t think are best suited to them. Remember that you are the expert, you’ve done the training, and stick to your guns.
- Try and be both consistent and informative with your social media posting. I am definitely guilty of falling off the wagon with this, and I am personally making a real effort to create more content that will actually benefit my followers. It’s also an opportunity to show off that you know your stuff!
"Make sure that you have a good background knowledge of skin - anatomy, function, disease, and evidence-backed active ingredients."
It would certainly seem that you have flourished during the pandemic and extended your reach to help more patients across the country. How have you adapted the way you work during Covid?
Thank you! I have wanted to increase my focus on skin for a while, and I am now helping over 5x more people than I was prior to the pandemic, so I feel very lucky. It has given me the nudge I needed to be more active on social media, sharing both myself and my skin history, as well as information about products and their benefits.
I have been offering virtual skin consultations (either via Zoom or simply photos & Whatsapps!) which have been very popular. I adopt a very personal approach, and I have found that by making myself very accessible through Instagram DM, emails and WhatsApp has given my patients a lot of value. Although it can be very time consuming, I love it! I have made so many strong connections to these men and women, and find it so rewarding hearing how they have finally seen positive changes in their skin, and subsequently their confidence.
It's fair to say that anyone who knows or follows you already will know you for your enviably glowing skin. Can you tell us a bit more about your own personal skincare journey?
It is still a “pinch me” moment when I receive a compliment about my skin. Anyone that knew me in my teens and 20’s will know how much I have struggled with my skin. I developed moderate to severe acne at the age of 13, and throughout my teens tried literally everything that my GP could offer me. Eventually, when he was satisfied I had exhausted everything, I was put on Roaccutane when I got to uni, aged 18. It had really affected my confidence and I found it hard to maintain eye contact with people, or talk to boys. One person told me that they even thought I was stuck up when they first met me because I often had my head down and wouldn’t look them in the eye! Roaccutane helped my skin loads, but after university my cystic acne returned. This time I was working and earning so I decided to try treatments such as laser and expensive skincare from Space NK, but with little success. Finally at age 27 the dermatologist put me back on Roaccutane, but this time on a low dose for over a year. This coincided with me working towards my Level 7, learning more about skin, and completing my ZO Skin Health training. Roaccutane cleared my acne, but ZO transformed the condition of my skin, and I have been hooked ever since!
Finally, what are your top three skincare products you cannot live without?
- Sunscreen – The best, most cost-effective anti-ageing product going. Most sun damage occurs in our mid 20’s, so preventing this from happening in the first place is paramount. Remember that drugstore moisturisers and make-up containing SPF isn’t enough – this typically only provides UVB protection, and not UVA protection (and UVA rays are what age you!)
- Cleanser – if you’re not cleaning your skin thoroughly then it can prevent anything else you put on your skin from penetrating, reducing its efficacy. It can also have damaging effects on your skin barrier, leading to all sorts of problems such as sensitivity, redness, breakouts or dryness.
- Retinoids – this group of actives probably has the most good quality scientific evidence behind it. It is brilliant for anti-ageing, acne, texture, pigmentation, basically everything!