A Dundee skin clinic has reported an increase in people seeking cosmetic treatments and procedures to enhance their appearance.
The Renu Cosmetic Medicine and Skin Centre in North Lindsay Street expects demand for its services to continue to rise.
The venture was founded by husband and wife team Iain and Kristeen Geddes.
Before embarking on opening the clinic, Iain was previously an engineer for an oil company and his wife Kristeen is a registered nurse prescriber.
It was in her former job that Kristeen saw how skin conditions can affect people’s self-esteem.
Renu Dundee formed from ’empathy’ to help others
Kristeen said she felt a “deep empathy and desire” to help.
She said: “My passion and care as a nurse made me embark on a journey to establish a clinic that prioritised the well-being and confidence of my patients over commercial gains.”
Renu started trading from premises in Strathmartine Road in 2008 before moving to its current premises in 2019.
Kisteen said the move came because she wanted to look into more surgical procedures, but the old site could not accommodate this.
Renu registered as a surgical clinic in 2022 to offer surgery for eyes and had to build a minor surgical room.
Kristeen was the only member of staff initially, but expansion has seen team numbers increase to 10.
She said, with the addition of more staff, the firm has been able to offer a lot more treatments. Those include hydrafacials, dermatology, eyelid surgery, skin cancer screening and mole removal.
“We also offer trichology hair loss and DNA genetic testing which is our latest and most exciting part of the business,” she added.
As for the most popular treatments, she said the neck lift and upper eyelid surgery has been a game-changer in the last year.
Coping with Covid and cost-of-living crisis
The business has faced a number of challenges since opening its doors 15 years ago, not least the pandemic-related restrictions.
More recently, Renu has been impacted by the UK cost-of-living crisis, which Kristeen said this led to an increased demand for affordable products and services.
She added: “Patients were looking at budgets and looking for more-affordable options.
“As a team, we got together and looked at offering a value-for-money service on a few of our treatments as well as a pay-monthly scheme .
“This has had a huge positive impact on our profits while also keeping patients’ budgets in mind. It works so well.
“But on the negative side, there has been the increased operational costs and rising prices for consumables.”
Renu Dundee boss looks to bright future
The business has come through those challenges, and Kristeen said the reasons for Renu’s success to date include its expertise.
She said: “We ensure that our clinic has experienced and qualified nurses, surgeons and aestheticians who stay up-to-date with the latest advancements in the field.”
She said this should also stand her business in good stead moving forward.
Kirsteen said: “We’re able to offer advanced treatments in cosmetic procedures and specialised treatments that are high demand.
“This includes innovative non-surgical injectables, and emerging technologies in the field of cosmetic dermatology.”
Conversation