Nina Prisk is an award-winning skin and aesthetics expert and independent nurse prescriber. An ambassador for global industry brand L’Oreal, she is the founder of Update Aesthetics clinics in Cornwall and London’s Harley Street.
Tell us a bit about yourself, your background and your current role.
My medical career began back in 2006 when I started working as an emergency nurse for the NHS.
In 2017 I started working part-time in the cosmetic surgery area and during this period I became part of many patient journeys and witnessed first-hand how cosmetic surgery could improve confidence, and as a result, transform lives.
This drove my decision to train in facial aesthetics.
It took a huge leap of faith to leave a secure job and start my own business but I learnt about the power of manifesting and thinking big came to fruition when in 2018 I opened my clinic in Cornwall, and the following year London’s Harley Street.
Now I focus on giving patients a holistic 360 approach to skin health combining injectables and skincare to create bespoke tailored treatment plans.
I pride myself in delivering results that are right for each individual and helping clients feel like better versions of themselves. My aim is to use my skills to empower women.
Did you ever sit down and plan your career?
I always wanted to work in the medical field and the planning of this began when I was doing my A-levels. I took science-related A-levels to obtain a scientific degree, and ended up doing nursing so that I could start my career upon graduating. I built up, did a master’s, became a prescriber, worked in the NHS for ten years and then left to work in the private cosmetic sector where I built up my skills, experience and expertise within facial aesthetics before opening my clinics.’
Have you faced any challenges along the way?
Probably the biggest challenge I’ve faced was running a business during lockdown when clinics were forced to close. It was a very difficult time but I feel fortunate that we got through it and came out stronger.
What has been your biggest achievement to date?
There have been several achievements that I’m particularly proud of. Opening my clinic in Cornwall and then London’s Harley Street were both extremely momentous ones. But daily I feel proud of the positive impact that I’m having on the lives of individual people in terms of their confidence. Being such an important part of so many patient journeys is something that continues to be one of my biggest achievements.
What one thing do you believe has been a major factor in your achieving success?
I’ve always believed in the power of manifestation and hard work. Both of which I credit with getting me where I am today. In addition to that, I pride myself on maintaining high standards of ethics and patient care, which not only sets me apart from others but also ensures that patients continue to return and also to recommend me to others.
How do you feel about mentoring? Have you mentored anyone or are you someone’s Mentee?
Mentoring is important and I think it’s crucial to find a mentor when you first start. It’s beneficial to have multiple mentors too because it’s important to learn from different people and take the best of what you’ve learnt from different people. Then you can decide and develop your style accordingly. I like to mentor people because I think it’s important to share your knowledge for the future of facial aesthetics.
If you could change one thing to accelerate the pace of change for Gender Parity, what would it be?
Gender inequality is all around us and one area in particular that I see often is the fact that there is much less emphasis placed on how men in the workplace look compared to how women in the workplace look. I think there is more pressure for women to be what is deemed as ‘attractive’ or ‘well-groomed’ to be successful. This is something that we see in the media all the time and something that I think needs to be continually fought against to work towards gender parity for our children’s generation.’
If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self what would it be?
There are lots of pieces of advice that I could give my younger self but the main one is probably don’t worry about what anyone else thinks. Don’t worry about your competition. Stay in your lane. Be humble. Be the hardest-working person in the room. Manifest your dreams because thoughts become things. And finally, that you really can achieve anything that you want if you focus.
What is your next challenge and what are you hoping to achieve in the future?
In the future, I’m hoping to achieve more expansion of my business and to continue to work upon what I know whilst also building upon my profile as a trailblazer, educator and thought leader in the world of facial aesthetics.
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