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Kerry Hanaphy, aka Ireland’s ‘Lip Queen’, has been at the helm of beauty tweakments for over 20 years. Her journey is an impressive one – beginning as an aesthetic nurse who went salon-to-salon offering lip filler training, she has since grown her beauty brand to include three clinics specialising in anti-wrinkle treatments and non-surgical tightening techniques, as well as a clinic-quality skincare range AND a collection of lip colour products. (Is there anything she can’t do?!)
Today, I’ve travelled to her principal clinic on South William Street and am greeted by a modern, sleek interior draped in Kerry’s signature red and black colour palette. Her expert team kindly greets me, and Kerry does so with a professionalism and ease that assures me of her vast experience and passion.
When we delve into her career journey, I’m surprised at how down-to-earth Kerry is, as she bluntly shares the struggles she’s faced to get where she is now at the top. Like all of us, she had to start somewhere. “In the 1980s, there wasn’t much work available, so when I was 17 I travelled to London to train as a nurse.” Kerry worked in clinics in various departments, including A&E, haematology, respiratory nursing and pharmaceuticals – gaining valuable experience along the way. “When I look back on my life, I realise I was working in clinics and learning how they operate,” Kerry says. “It was just a different type of clinic from the one I’d start one day.”
It wasn’t until Kerry was 23 and had her first daughter, Emily, that she was introduced to the world of aesthetic nursing. “I had my oldest daughter Emily, who was born with a facial birthmark – a port wine stain on her face. We went up to Great Ormond Street quite a lot for different laser treatments (I think there were at least 13!). It was my first understanding of the laser world back then. I had no idea I would end up in this field.”
At the clinic, 2024 is all about “the year of me”, says Kerry. “It’s the year of my patients and looking at everyone in a holistic way. Everybody’s been through a lot. The human race has been through a lot. So it’s time to find things that make you feel good. It’s not for vanity – we’ve gone from that. Now wellness isn’t just for Hollywood stars, it’s a proper industry. Now it’s about what makes you feel better and what makes your skin looks good. It’s not about changing and filling it up with loads of fillers. It’s keeping you looking as you are for as long as possible.
“Before the world of aesthetics was all about change, but now it’s about becoming comfortable in your own skin with a little tweak here and there. Recently, I had an elderly lady come into me for the first time, and she was dying. Her grandchild brought her in and she said, ‘I want to have my lips done before I die because everybody seems to be doing it’. And she loved it! So, there’s no age limit for it.
“I’m 53 but I don’t feel 53. I still feel like I’m in my late 30s but I know I don’t look it. People in their 50s are not old anymore. Now everybody’s working and will be until they’re 70. We’ve changed the world, fortunately. I’ll probably still be sitting here when I’m 70 doing another interview saying I feel like I’m 40,” Kerry laughs.
It’s refreshing to hear from a beauty industry insider with such directness and expertise. Stay tuned for “the year of me” and all that comes with it from Kerry Hanaphy. As someone who never stays still, there’s so much more to come.
To learn more about Kerry Hanaphy Aesthetic Clinic, shop their products or book a treatment, visit www.kerryhanaphy.com.