BUSINESS INSIDER
BEAUTY
DR JOANNA LOVATT Dr Joanna Lovatt BM currently works at the Southern Independent Medical Practice, a private GP surgery where she also runs cosmetic clinics, after having qualified as a doctor more than 15 years ago Are you originally from Salisbury? No, I was born in Northamptonshire in a small town called Brackley. I went to university in Southampton, which meant my first medical jobs were based in the region. I have always loved the area and decided to settle here once my training was completed. Tell us a little about the background to setting up your company? I spent many years working in General Practice, working as a GP at the Salisbury Walk-in Health Centre for seven years and also at the Southern Independent Medical Practice where I am currently based. I decided that I wanted to continue as a GP but wanted to balance that with a different branch of medicine and fancied the challenge of setting up something myself. Why this branch of medicine? I chose to go into aesthetics as this is a cutting-edge area of medicine that is continually growing in both popularity and technology. Whereas once it was the preserve of celebrities it is now much more accessible to the public and the methods have become safer and less invasive. Does your company have a philosophy you try to live by professionally? I live by the mantra that I would never suggest a treatment that I genuinely did not feel would be of benefit to or work for a client. It takes a shift in mentality from being a GP treating medical disorders to offering a paid service for cosmetic purposes but the principles of medicine are well ingrained and I think this transfers extremely well into offering aesthetic treatments. What are the highs and the lows you’ve experienced in running your business? The highs have been seeing the results the treatments can achieve and the positive effect that has on people – when someone comes in feeling low and lacking self esteem because of their body shape, and I can help them to change that and restore their self confidence, that is a fantastic feeling. The lows – of course the worries about whether it is
going to work out, having made a financial investment. Also the amount of time it takes to set up and maintain your own business, as well as continuing with another job and being there for my family. Are there any negative perceptions associated with your work? Yes, definitely. I think some people feel that we should not be messing with nature or that if people want to change their body shape they should “just eat less” or “go to the gym”. For many of my clients they do exactly that, are active, fit and healthy but still cannot achieve the body shape they wish. Now they can address these areas in an affordable and proven way, why shouldn’t they? People who suffer with veins on their faces can just cover them up, but if there is a safe, effective treatment available that means they don’t have to hide their skin under a layer of concealer then why not make the most of that technology? Any memorable clients? I think my most memorable client was a lady who had gained weight around the abdomen after taking some medication. She just could not lose it at all and was very despondent about ever being able to change the way she looked. After one treatment and losing 4cm around her waist she was so over the moon she gave me a big hug! The change in her confidence and demeanour from right after that first treatment was truly remarkable. Have you had treatment yourself? Yes, of course. It is so important to know what the treatments feel like and be able to properly describe it to clients and to know that it works. The training for 3D-Lipo, for instance, was all done on delegates. If I wouldn’t be prepared to have it done to myself then I don’t think I would feel happy doing it to other people. What’s one thing about you that would surprise people? That my other business, which I run with my husband, is a ukulele store.
Dr Joanna Lovatt, Southern Independent Medical Practice, 5 Wyndham Road, Salisbury SP1 3AA; 01722 632633; www.drjoannalovatt.co.uk
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