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Known for pioneering the shift in conversation around Botox and fillers, Megan Kozak of The Pout Clinic talks exclusively with the WedLuxe Global Trend Report about the benefits of facial enhancements, her signature application method, and the best injectable treatments for brides.
Thank you for speaking with us! First off, can you tell us a bit about you and your company?
The Pout Clinic is a specialty practice focused solely on injectable treatments for the face. No facials. No lasers. No nonsense. Simply injectables. The concept to provide only injectable procedures was inspired by my concern over industry standards declining. I felt that expertise in the industry was hard to find and that consumers were always confused about where to go when seeking out Botox and filler services. From doctors to nurses, medspas to surgery centres; the range of choices is plentiful, however, many times results fall short. We have all seen poor facework before and this is the biggest consumer fear. Therefore, it was an easy decision to go against the grain and build a specialty practice. I knew the type of place I would want to go to if I were the consumer so I built this company for consumers who are me. The face is a person’s most precious asset and for me, I would want to see a specialist. When I asked myself what makes a specialist, Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000 hour rule always came to mind. This solidified the decision to only offer injectables and create an environment where practitioners could truly master the injectable craft.
What do you love most about your job?
There are two things I love most about my job; the first is educating. I always tell patients that 90% of my job is simply talking, whether it’s educating my patients or educating my team. (I drink about five bottles of water while working simply because I talk so much.) I get to debunk myths and teach patients about the aging process so they can better understand my approach and recommendations. The second is finding original “before” photos of patients after we have completed a full-face treatment. I have a rule that when I start a full-face procedure (which can sometimes take months to complete due to complexity and budget), the “before” photos stay in the vault until the entire masterpiece is complete. When the patient comes for their final check-up, we open the vault and spend about ten minutes laughing/screaming/crying in awe of the gorgeous transformation. It truly is the best feeling.
How and when did you get started in the industry?
I entered the beauty industry at the age of 19 as a model. Everything in that phase of my life was all about the aesthetic. I found myself lost in the intricacies of that world, something far from what real life was supposed to be, but real enough to train my eye to be highly sensitive to all of the details. When that chapter came to a close, I found myself getting my nursing degree and always knew I would mesh the science nerd with the fashion model to build a career that I was truly passionate about. My injecting career began in 2013 at the age of 27 and since then I have never looked back. My type A personality is perfect for this career and my passion for the industry in general sets my drive to a different level. I like to push the boundaries all in an effort to discover what truly is possible with these procedures so I can share my knowledge with others.
What does The Pout Clinic pride itself on?
The Pout Clinic prides itself on results-based procedures. There is no such thing as “I just want one syringe” or “just give me ten units” because we will simply tell you exactly how much or how little you need to accomplish a perfect result. “But can we compromise?” Absolutely not. To compromise on a result is to compromise on our standard of work, which is completely against what we stand for. My famous saying that patients quote me on is, “I don’t decide what your face needs because your face tells me exactly what you need”. Some may call it harsh, but I call it reality.
Can you tell us a little bit about your team of practitioners?
As a control freak of all sorts, building my team was a challenge. With an inbox full of resumés, it was a grueling process to find the right fit, but the universe came through. The most important thing to me when adding practitioners is to identify their desire to learn and their drive to be the best. If they have these qualities, then they are the perfect fit for The Pout Clinic. My team works under my direction and follows my signature methods for all procedures.
Can you tell us a bit about your signature method of application and how you came to develop it?
My brain works equally in terms of logic and creativity so it was only natural for my art to become systematic. My meticulous habits are responsible for creating my method and my hands are responsible for getting it on paper. This was necessary in order to build my team and maintain my standard of results. The reality is that it takes years to build experts and with a busy clinic waiting years to develop experts is not an option. Think of the method in terms of the ideal assessment tool; my set of eyes guiding the practitioner to see what I see in the face. When we have someone guiding us, our eye becomes trained much faster than trying to spot the details on your own. Step by step, from top to bottom, analyzing each area of the face on each individual; this is how we get the perfect result.
What is your process when someone books a consultation?
I would like to say that when a patient comes in for a consultation, I listen to their concerns and do my best to address them, but to be honest I stopped listening a long time ago. I think this is the reason patients come to The Pout Clinic now, simply because we are known for seeing the bigger picture. Patients get extremely hyper-focused on individualized areas and completely forget that the face does not age in one area, it ages globally. Therefore, we must take a global approach to get the optimal outcome.
Can you describe your custom treatment plans?
The treatment plans are a collaboration between patient and practitioner; identifying all areas, the order in which they need to be completed, and a timeline of when the patient would like to accomplish everything. I try to explain that this is not injection, it’s architecture. Anyone can push a plunger with product in it, but not everyone can build a face plan and then execute accordingly. Some plans have taken me as long as eleven months to finish and others I have finished in three hours. (Yes, you read that right… three hours injecting one person with 23 syringes.) Each person has their magic number and of course it varies with the complexity of the case. My goal is to teach patients to do the appropriate treatments prior to hitting their expiry date so their number never becomes 23 in the first place.
What sort of treatments do you recommend for brides before their big day?
Bride or not, step one is always Botox. I say this because we could do the most beautiful filler treatment on anyone, but if there is noise in the background (meaning wrinkles on the forehead or around the eyes), it is simply a distraction and the refreshed appearance of the filler work will fade into the abyss. Step two would be to brighten the eyes with a complete midface correction using filler to create a frame around the eye and remove the tired appearance of the eye. Step three would either be a subtle lip enhancement OR profile balancing (which could include nose refinement, chin enhancement, and/or jaw contouring), as brides want to look amazing from all angles.
How far in advance of her wedding day should a bride book an appointment for a Botox or filler treatment?
If the bride is a procedure virgin, I would recommend starting the process a year in advance. This gives you time to check out different providers, hear their recommendations, and find the practitioner that you truly mesh with. It also gives you time to get your feet wet with procedures (sometimes it’s nice to sample before jumping right in). Botox takes two weeks to take full effect and lasts three to four months, therefore I recommend coming six weeks prior to the wedding date as my personal favourite sweet spot is the six week mark. For filler, I suggest three to six months in advance as some plans require time to achieve the optimal result.
What are some of your most popular treatments?
Our popular treatments have definitely shifted over the years. We were originally known for our signature “pout” of course, but the past year has been all about the midface correction with under eye treatment and the full face overhaul. Kylie Jenner spawned the lip injection trend, but the trend now is really moving towards looking like yourself, just better.
What are the main benefits of Botox?
Botox is simply magic in a vial if administered correctly. The benefits of Botox include softened wrinkles in the frown, forehead, and crow’s feet, plus I can’t forget to mention the preventive measures of the magic drug. There is nothing better than a line that never forms in the first place. For real though, if you haven’t tried Botox, you truly are missing out on feeling like a superhuman.
Why do you think there has been a rise in requests for Botox and fillers in the last few years?
Two words. The Kardashians.
Anti-aging and rejuvenation treatments are becoming increasingly popular among men. What treatments does The Pout Clinic have available for men?
Men are seeking the same outcomes as women actually. They too want to look like themselves, just better. Men will come in for their Botox treatments, however, with men I usually say twice a year is good instead of three to four times a year, which is what most women do. Men are able to do less treatments because too much Botox over time will create a more feminine look due to muscle atrophy. When it comes to filler, we are doing very similar midface/under eye corrections, as well as jaw contouring and chin enhancement to create more masculine features.
What is The Pout Clinic currently working on and what’s next?
What I can tell you is that we are working on something exciting, however, the details are top secret. This next chapter is all about sharing the knowledge I have gained in my career and pushing the limits of what it means to welcome the future of beauty. I am extremely passionate about this next chapter as I know I have more to give to the industry beyond the art of injection.
Is there anything else you would like our readers to know about The Pout Clinic?
As I mentioned above, we are working on a top secret project and because of this, my time is limited. This is the reason I started building my team of practitioners; so they can take care of the masses while I am building the next chapter. To all of our existing patients, thank you for trusting The Pout Clinic with your most precious asset. And to all of your readers, we hope to see you soon.
