Esther Emenike-Okorie, an aesthetic nurse in the United Kingdom is also the Managing Director of Shujo Medical Aesthetic Skin Clinic. In this Interview with SEGUN KASALI, she speaks on distinguishing features of aesthetic nursing from normal nursing, nonexistent aesthetics nursing in Nigeria, women in marriage, weight loss and other issues. Excerpts:
What is the difference between traditional nursing and cosmetics nursing?
Cosmetic nursing looks at patients that have gone under surgery such as breast enlargement, Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) and so much more. So, we cosmetics nurses look after them — after they have recovered or when they are recovering and those were the years when people would go more under the knife. So, as the year went by, people were shifting from surgery to non-surgical treatment which is what I am currently doing. So, instead of people going under the knife to have facelift, we started using injectibles on the face and other areas of the body. Aesthetics dermatology is an area where non-surgical treatments which could be machine or injection are used to treat skin, face, body, and hair. You are not going under the knife. It is non-surgical. So, when it is surgical, you are going under the knife, they would put you to sleep and they would do the surgery. I have been doing aesthetics for the past 12 years. I am also a Dermatology Nurse Practitioner. I also carry out other medical services like medical weight loss clinic, blood test, menopause clinic and I am also a nurse prescriber.
Do you agree that aesthetics nursing is nonexistent in Nigeria?
Yes it is not. It is not called aesthetics nursing but just aesthetics. Here in the UK, we are specialised; we have aesthetics nurses. So, you are a nurse but all you are doing is this area of expertise. And we don’t have this in Nigeria. What we have are people called aestheticians or doctors carrying out this treatment. But, the Nursing and Midwifery Council in Nigeria does not recognise aesthetic nurses. Aesthetics nursing is a recognised part of nursing that all you need to do is aesthetics. You don’t have to go to the hospital to work. But, it is not like that in Nigeria. Anyone practising it is just doing it on a personal level.
You have to remember that nurses have gone through the basic anatomy of physiology. They are trained nurses. They know infection control policies and they are taught how to maintain clinical standards. They are taught waste disposal and several things. It is better for those kind of people to be trained in aesthetics to carry out this kind of procedures.
Some believe many women don’t look after themselves in marriage, what will you say about this?
You have to remember that you married that man before kids. There was something he saw in you. Obviously, as you get older, your physiology is going to change. But, it is very important to understand that you owe it to the man and the man owes it to you to look after each other. This is because if you don’t look after yourself or lose yourself because you have given birth, there would be a time both of you would lose interest in yourselves. So, it is very important for us as women because we are the ones that feel a lot of stress in our body. We have stress with child bearing, thinking so much for the family, and all that have effects on our bodies. So, it is just you understanding that you have to take care of yourself. It does not mean you need to have so much money. And one of the ways of looking after yourself is watching what you eat. Let your body be healthy. Do some exercises.
How have you been giving back to the Nigerian society?
To be very honest, I have always thought about doing something in Nigeria. For me, it is about empowering people. I love women in business because I am an entrepreneur. I love seeing young girls in business. My son started his business when he was only 17 and started with only 150 Pounds. So, i want to be able to get into the Nigerian space and partner with government, corporate organisations, individuals to be able to give back by training nurses and individuals who want to go into aesthetics in a way that is going to be affordable and be able to provide start-up aesthetics kits for people within the area that they want. For instance, I can train them on weight loss, skin care, etc. I also want to help the government maintain clinical standards when it comes to aesthetics industry, so that people can be safeguarded because there is no regulation in Nigeria regarding this industry. We want a body that can regulate the kind of things that people do so that the public do not have quacks treating them.
YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
Labour suspends strike after NSA intervention
The organised labour in Nigeria has suspended the nationwide strike that commenced on Tuesday, November 14, 2023, to protest the brutalization of NLC President Comrade Joe Ajaero in Owerri, the Imo State Capital....….
Nigeria’s inflation rate hits 27.33%
Nigeria’s headline inflation rate for October skyrocketed to 27.33 percent from 26.72 percent recorded in September. The latest figure marks the 10th consecutive rise in the country’s inflation rate this year……..
Appeal court upholds Sanwo-Olu’s election
The Lagos Court of Appeal has upheld the tribunal’s decision, validating the victory of Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Obafemi Hamzat as the Governor and Deputy Governor of Lagos State. The justices of the appellate court unanimously rejected the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) appeal, citing a lack of merit....….…
Ex-JAMB Registrar Prof Ojerinde’s money laundering trial stalled again
The trial of the former Registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Dibu Ojerinde, and his four children on money laundering charges has again been stalled at the Federal High Court, Abuja.…..…
Visa Cancellation: Passengers didn’t fulfil entry requirements — Saudi embassy
The Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia has disclosed that those passengers who were denied entry and subsequently deported to their initial destinations didn’t fulfil the entry conditions and requirements in accordance with the applicable rules and regulations of the Kingdom, as they submitted incorrect information to obtain a category of visa that doesn’t apply to them, which was discovered upon their arrival......…
Old naira notes remain legal tender indefinitely – CBN
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has extended the legal tender status of old N200, N500, and N1000 notes indefinitely, removing the initial deadline set for December 31, 2023. This is according to a statement on Tuesday signed by Director of Corporate Communications, Dr Isa AbdulMumin, the apex also disclosed that it is working to vacate existing court rulings on the old notes…..…
and then