Les Encres Threads Podcast: Lux Clinic

Hello, everybody, and thank you for taking the time to join us today to the Les Encres Threads podcast.  I am joined today with Kaylee Walker, who is the owner of the Lux clinic in Perdido Florida. Welcome, Kelly.

Welcome. Hello, thanks for having me.

I am super excited that you have joined us because you are not only a very successful and experienced PDO thread user, but you are opening your own Med Spa in northern Florida, which is a huge undertaking.  I’m sure everybody’s going be excited to hear about that.

Yes, I am super excited. I knew after injecting probably for three years, I’ve been an injector for five years. I knew at the three-year mark, I was like, eventually, I’m going to open up my own place. Here I am five years later, and I’m finally doing it and I’m super excited.

Not to put you on the spot here. But what was the precipice or the final factor in making you make that change from injector to owner?  Why did you pull the trigger now?

For me, it was being able to choose what products I have on the shelf and having that flexibility, making sure I have everything I need in the clinic. Sometimes when you do work for other places, they have a preference themselves, the owner maybe wants a different PDO thread company, maybe he wants a different filler brand so you you’re limited to certain things. That’s really what helped me pull the trigger.

Awesome, the ultimate freedom of entrepreneurship. That that’s a true entrepreneur right there. Yes. Congratulations, we are very excited to watch you grow. Tell us some of your approaches to integrating threads into your daily practice.

In my practice, I do see that we’re doing a lot more filler.  With a lot of practices, I think it’s popular now and I think we’re trying to get away from doing too much filler and let’s instead of adding more syringes of filler, let’s go ahead and stimulate collagen and help with that top layer of skin. It’s an easy choice for me when threads started to become a trend.  I do think I jumped on that bandwagon right away. Because I love the results that I’ve seen so far with the Les Encres threads and collagen stimulation.

It does make quite a difference versus filler and there’s certainly a place for both of them in combination therapies as well, but PDO threads address all layers.  What are some of your favorite thread treatments and why?

I have looked at other PDO thread companies and your multi thread is by far one of my favorites.   Just because I pretty much I haven’t seen anyone bruise with those and there’s way less risk of bruising with the multi threaded being a cannula versus a needle.  I love that you get multiple PDO threads and one with one entry point so I just absolutely love that my patients love it too. It’s a super easy appointment, takes 15 minutes to do and they’re in and out.  With little to no downtime, they really don’t look like they’ve had anything done and then they just have to wait for the results. That’s by far my favorite.

It’s a quick way to turn a room and make some profit with a with a very high on return investment for that PDO multithread. It’s a great, great product. Where do you like to use it the most? What parts of the face?

My favorite is the nasal labial fold, because it’s an area that we used to inject it’s actually the injector trainings for beginner courses will always teach to do filler in the nasal labial fold.  But experienced injectors, we know not to do that. We don’t want anyone looking like a who from Whoville. I’m like we want to put too much filler there because we don’t ever lose fat in that area. So what we really need is collagen stimulation to improve that and make it look more natural.

We are all after that natural look, aren’t we? Yes, thank goodness that trend is now here. Tell us some of the most commonly held beliefs or things you hear the most often about PDO threads that you actually disagree with.

Yeah, I do have clients that think some of them think that they have to be put under some of them! There is a video or a picture going around right now where they are outside of the skin. I guess there’s so many things and misconceptions online. So people see these videos, and some of them are from overseas. I don’t know where they get this information but they come to me and they’re like, Oh, are they going to, you know, be poking out?  I think I hear that the most. Some of them think that they don’t dissolve. Some of them are like, is it gonna stay under there forever? I’ve heard that and I’m like, no, they dissolve eventually. Those are some of the misconceptions that I’ve heard and then some people think that actually will add a ton of volume like filler does.  I definitely make sure that the clients know it’s way more natural. It’s not going to be like a syringe of lip filler and the lips, if let’s say we did PDO threads, it’s just going to be more natural.

Excellent. What is one thing about your journey with PDO threads that’s happened or that you’ve learned that you didn’t quite expect when you first started out?

I would say, just dealing with a complication, when they do happen.  I have had a couple patients, it’s not a lot but when they do come out and how to deal with that.  Having the client come back in, and it is a pretty quick and easy I’ve never had an unsuccessful fix for when they do come out.  I would say that that is the challenge that I faced and I’ve come to deal with that and with no problems at all.

Most of the time when they do come out or if they do come out, do you find that it’s someone not following post care instructions or placement?

Yes, I definitely think it was the one that maybe massaged or rubbed on the area.  I’m better to instruct clients to just let it be, you know, whereas with sculpture, they massage after, it’s like don’t touch it after. Let’s not massage or touch the area.

That kind of answers my next question, when you look at your career as an injector for the last five years or so, what’s something that you’ve learned that would be really important for a new injector to know?

I definitely think that we don’t teach collagen stimulation. We don’t. Most of the injectors I train, they come to me for private trainings. They just right away ask about filler and botox, but no one’s asking about collagen.  I definitely add that to all of my beginner courses. In my one-on-one trainings with new injectors I say, let’s instead of adding four syringes to the cheeks, maybe let’s do two syringes and put in some lifting PDO threads to just give that overall glow and natural appearance.

Absolutely, very smart.  What do you perceive is the biggest challenge facing the aesthetic industry today?  I know that’s a big question, what are some of the trends or some of the things you’re seeing as an injector that you kind of get a little raised eyebrow on?

Overfilling lips, I definitely think that and not knowing how to deal with it.  Not being confident on the amount of product to use, I see a lot of newer injectors and even experienced injectors have never used hyaluronic acid, I’ve actually had a patient who had a vascular occlusion after lip filler injection. Hyaluronic acid was what I did help reverse that.  She had come from another clinic and then I also have experienced vascular occlusion of the lip. I also do elective reversal, those patients that have too much lip filler above the lip, I’m very confident in my dosing on the hyaluronic acid and how to get rid of it, but keep a little bit in the lips.  I think that is the challenge that and I’m hoping we quit overfilling faces and we just like you said, do that combination therapy, do some filler and then do some PDO threads or do some collagen stimulation. Because I think that those patients, I’ve had some of them now five years that I followed up with and they still appear very natural and they’ve had you know, four syringes of filler but over time, but they’ve also had PDO threads in combination with it.

I definitely think just in attending the multitude of shows even globally from a PDO thread perspective, that word natural is really starting to create a theme in the aesthetic industry of people searching for that natural look now.

Me too. We mentioned in the very beginning that you are just opening your own clinic.  I think it’s going to be very interesting to hear your response for people that might be in your similar position or wanting to transition. What are some of the biggest challenges you’re facing in your business right now? Or what are some of the big fears that you have coming up with your new clinic?

I would say one thing is in Florida, and I feel like there’s going to be a lot of sun worshipping, right?  Some of the challenges I see is not right away, offering everything, I’m not going to bring the lasers in right away and I am going to keep my staples of Botox, filler PDO threads. And then, you know, just growing it slowly, I guess my biggest fear would be I immediately have 10 to 12 clients every day, and I’m needing to hire people, but I’m too busy. I’m finding myself asking, how am I going to hire this help when I’m the one that’s the owner and the main injector in the beginning? I might find that I need to get another injector quicker. That’s my biggest fear, but that would be a good problem to have. Right?

Would be, absolutely. I love love love asking people this question, because it’s always fun to hear the responses other than lip filler or overfilling, what is something that everyone in our industry should start doing? And stop doing?

All right, so start doing I think everyone should start, skincare, I would say still 80% of my clients, when they come to me, they aren’t using a skincare regimen, they aren’t using sunscreen, they aren’t using a retinol or Retin A of some sort. As far as stopping, I’m gonna go with it again, stop overfilling their lips. My hope is that we start to use Les Encres PDO threads, put them in the borders at the vermilion border. a I have seen great results with that and making it look different so there’s some change, it’s looking more youthful, but then it’s looking more natural.

Right, right. Absolutely. I agree. It sounds as if you have really gained a high level of confidence in your skill set which is incredibly impressive. What are some of the ways in your busy schedule that you find to self-educate and really continue learning and growing as an injector?

I love to go to those courses through AmSpa.  Those one on ones and even reaching out to experienced injectors, those are my favorite. Being able to do advanced Tear Trough training with like Shelby Miller, she is one of my favorite injectors. Virtually is actually the way, I’m so glad honestly, with COVID that we’re able to open up this virtual world because that makes it easier for a business owner to be able to attend the trainings and also run the business.

Absolutely. And just as a side note, we have jumped on the bandwagon of virtual training as well. And we have sessions available for injectors and business owners just like you who can schedule a time with one of our clinical specialists and really get that specific one on one education piece that they might be missing. Other than PDO threads what are some of the most underrated tools that are indispensable to you and your practice and it can be anything?

I would say I do love radiofrequency which is so funny as far as devices I think I would love to have that be my first device but then there’s that education with the PDO threads you know, hold off for a little bit but I do I think it’s underutilized. I do see really good results as far as cellulite there was I’m not gonna mention names but there was an injectable that was on the market I think that it may have come off of the market. So doing those less invasive treatments. I really do like the radiofrequency and then I guess just back to Botox and filler. Those are my main staples and then using them in ways that were like with the brow lift, do some PDO threads above the brows, add in that Botox to help relax that muscle. So just the combination treatments are underrated. I feel like a lot of people are scared to do two things at once when they’re first starting injectables, and it’s okay to, as long as you trust your injector, and I can see lots of those before and afters and those results of what she’s educating you about.  I would definitely try those combination therapy. People are scared though they’re like, I just want to try one thing my first time.

We love combination therapies. Absolutely. In combination therapies. This is the question of the hour, your preference PDO PCL or PLLA threads, do you have a preference?

I go back and forth between the PDO and the PLLA.  I did do some lines with the PLLA threads and I absolutely loved the results. It’s just certain areas like nasal labial folds, I really love that multi thread. So the PDO threads, but then there are certain tougher areas like smoker lines, if they’re deeper, they’ve been there longer, I’ll pull out those PLLA threads.

I’m going to switch gears here a little bit. Can you think of or can you share with us a patient that recently touched her heart and why?

Yes. I have a lot of patients I see and there is one who is a nurse practitioner like me. She recently went through a divorce and had lost 100 pounds. She came to me to help with that skin laxity so we did multiple treatments for the body, but then PDO threads on the face and her results, they’re actually on my Instagram page. She’s one of my favorite. She’s cried and said you girls have changed my life. Because she needed that confidence after going through a divorce, she had been married for 30 years. It was something she didn’t even see that was coming and so it was unexpected.  She was just thrown off and she needed some help. Sometimes, having that outward confidence really boosts the self-confidence inside as well.  She is just shining now she’s getting jobs, she’s becoming, a nurse practitioner, she graduated school, she’s continuing to lose weight and continuing to see us too. She’s been a regular client to help with the lack of collagen and she’s, in her young 50s.  She’s definitely lost some collagen overtime but she’s more like family now we everyone at the clinic we just love her.

Love that story. That’s awesome, I’m gonna ask you this again at the end but can you give a shout out your Instagram handle?

Yes, it’s @theluxclinicflorida

Okay, excellent, good, because I know everybody wants to pick up their phone and look at those before and afters, so we’ll get that shout out again. For those of you who are listening and not watching on video, Keeley is sitting in her car outside of a busy parking lot because she is a busy woman and I’m curious for maybe new injectors or just other injectors who are just as busy as you what are some of the life hacks for productivity that you’ve uncovered in the last couple of years that have helped?

Meal prepping for sure and paying for meal prepping!  There’s always someone I feel like at a local gym that is willing to meal prep for you.  I think that is like having food I’m going to be in a better mood I’m going to be more productive and that right there’s my number one life hack.

Yep, like that you’re going to have someone prep it it’s not just you doing it but having someone else do it is definitely a huge time saver.  Anything that would be more specific and I didn’t ask this question but more specific to the clinic as a life hack or something where the light bulb went off and it’s changed your practice or your daily habits?

I like to order like have more product on the shelf I know some people are feel fearful of that having maybe less skin care product on the shelf. Because I know that’s a lot of people will think that that’s you know, a waste of money. But they can order online now in a lot of those companies for medical grade skincare will still reimburse you the same for the online sales too. So having less of that and then more just supplies I think that really helps. Because if it’s not there, you may have lost that client so keeping more product on the shelves for sure. I’m gonna have like three bags, maybe five bags of every different kind of PDO thread. I’m going to be ready.

I love that and to be fair, folks Kelley and I did not practice that answer. I often scratch my head and see some of the orders that come through, people are at times paying $125 to rush overnight, one bag of threads, which I just desperately want to pick up the phone and say, let me help break this down for you. Yes, $125 that’s eating into your profit. And while they are very profitable, you multiply that if you do that five or six times a year. That’s, that adds up very quickly.

Yeah. It really does help. It does for sure.

Is there anything else you’d like listeners to know about PDO threads or  in general, because, again, I look at you with such admiration, and just how bold of a woman to be opening your own Med Spa. It’s just it’s really, really impressive. Any final words of wisdom to injectors out there like yourself?

If you haven’t started offering Les Encres threads, I would definitely look at Les Encres, you guys have been a great company. I have used other PDO thread companies and because like I said, the practice wanted to go with a different brand.  I just love the Les Encres options. Les Encres has more options of the different threads than any other company I’ve seen.  I really would utilize PDO threads if you haven’t started, and some people are scared to they think it’s a more advanced thing, but I actually think it’s more of a beginner thing and that there’s less complications with threads as well.

I agree. And again, tell listeners where they can find you online.

Yes, you can find me on Instagram right now would be the best @theluxclinicflorida on Instagram. And then there’s also in NP Kelley on Facebook. I am actually just starting I was looking at domains for the website for the clinic I’m opening, and I think it’s gonna be the Luxclinicflorida.com, but I’m not sure yet. So I’m looking at that right now.

Love it. How exciting. Well, I know I will continue to track your progress. And I look forward to seeing your website up and operational. But in the meantime, we all will track you on Instagram. So thank you. Thank you. Have a great day.