Frequently Asked Questions

There are a few ways to begin your skin journey with SWA, depending on where you are, what you need and how much guidance you’re looking for.

Skin Strategy Sessions

If you’re ready to properly understand your skin and create a plan, a Skin Strategy is the best place to begin.

We assess where your skin is now, discuss what you’d love to achieve and map out the most appropriate pathway forward.

We have multiple Skin Strategy options available, both in clinic and online, so you can choose the level of support that feels right for you.

EXPLORE SKIN STRATEGY OPTIONS

Not in Canberra? Start online.

You don’t need to live in Canberra to work with us.

Our Online Skin Strategy and Skincare Routine Analysis allows us to understand your concerns, review your current routine and establish the home care foundations needed to start rebuilding your skin health from wherever you are.

We can recommend the appropriate clinical skincare and arrange to have it shipped directly to you.

BOOK AN ONLINE SKIN STRATEGY

Just have a question?

Sometimes you don’t need a full Skin Strategy yet. You simply need to talk to someone who understands skin.

Book a 15 Minute Skin Clarity Call with Kim and ask anything about your skin, products, treatments or where you should begin.

It’s a simple, low pressure way to get some clarity before deciding on your next step.

BOOK A 15 MINUTE SKIN CLARITY CALL

Perfect. You don’t need to.

We don’t expect you to diagnose your own skin or understand the difference between every peel, laser, device or treatment on our menu.

That’s what our clinical expertise is for.

We look at your skin health, concerns, history, home care, lifestyle and goals before determining what your skin needs next.

Sometimes the treatment you initially enquire about may not be what we believe will give you the best result. If that happens, we’ll explain why and give you the options so you can make an informed decision about your skin.

After more than 23 years working with skin, we know that meaningful skin transformation rarely comes from one treatment or a quick fix.

Our structured approach follows four stages:

Strategy → Rebuild → Regenerate → Maintain

Strategy We understand your skin, your concerns, your goals and where you’re starting from.

Rebuild We focus on improving skin health, function, barrier strength and tolerance.

Regenerate When your skin is ready, we can progress into more advanced treatments to target specific concerns and create further change.

Maintain Once we’ve achieved healthier skin and the results we’re working towards, we create a sustainable approach to maintaining them and continuing to pro age well.

It means we’re not simply asking:

“What treatment would you like today?”

We’re asking:

“Where is your skin now, where would you love it to be, and what is the smartest way for us to get there together?”

No.

We’ll recommend what we genuinely believe will give your skin the best outcome, but you are always in control of how you proceed.

Some clients love the structure and consistency of membership. Others prefer to pay as they go.

We’ll explain your options and help you find an approach that works for your skin, lifestyle, priorities and budget.

Our role is to educate and recommend.

The decision is always yours.

Home care is one of the most important foundations of your skin journey.

Before we ask your skin to respond to increasingly advanced treatments, we want to know that you’re consistently giving it what it needs at home.

We generally recommend establishing an appropriate home care routine early in your journey to begin improving your skin health, barrier function and tolerance.

And that doesn’t necessarily mean throwing everything you own away and starting again.

We can assess what you’re already using, identify what’s working, what may be holding your skin back and where your investment will make the biggest difference.

For many people, getting their home care right creates a significant change in their skin before we ever need to consider an in clinic treatment.

Every skin is different, and the answer depends on where your skin is starting and what we’re trying to change.

Some treatments can create an immediate improvement in hydration, brightness, texture and glow.

Concerns such as pigmentation, acne, scarring, collagen loss and more significant skin changes generally require a progressive approach.

We’ll be transparent about what we believe is achievable and what your individual journey may look like.

We also photograph your skin at important stages throughout a transformation so we can objectively review your progress together.

Sometimes the gradual changes you stop noticing in the mirror become very obvious when you look back at where you started.

Then we meet your skin exactly where it is.

More treatment is not always better.

If your barrier is compromised, your skin is inflamed or we don’t believe it’s ready for a particular procedure, we may recommend rebuilding and strengthening it first.

Sometimes the smartest clinical decision is knowing when not to push the skin.

Our goal is to progressively build healthier, stronger and more resilient skin so that when we do progress your treatments, your skin is better prepared to respond.

No.

Our responsibility is to assess, educate and recommend.

We’ll tell you what we believe your skin needs, why we’re recommending it and where we believe your investment will make the greatest difference.

Then you decide what feels right for you.

The relationships we build with our clients matter enormously to us. We want you to understand your skin and feel confident in the decisions you make for it.

Our physical clinic is located in Canberra City at:

Skin Wellness Academy G1/5 Constitution Avenue Canberra ACT 2601

But you don’t need to live in Canberra to begin your skin journey with us.

Not in Canberra? We can still help.

Our team and clinical skin expertise are accessible online, wherever you are.

Through an Online Skin Strategy, we can assess your concerns, review what you’re currently using and create a personalised clinical home care routine to begin improving your skin from home.

We can then recommend and arrange for the clinical skincare you need to be shipped directly to you, so distance doesn’t need to be a barrier to getting the right advice or getting started.

And importantly, not everyone needs in clinic treatments.

We often find that once someone begins using the right clinical home care consistently, their overall skin health improves significantly and many of the concerns that initially brought them to us begin to settle or improve.

For some people, that may be all their skin needs.

If we believe an in clinic treatment would help take your results further and you’re not able to visit us in Canberra, we can explain what type of treatment or technology we would recommend and why.

You can then look for an appropriately qualified clinic or practitioner offering that treatment closer to home.

Our goal isn’t to sell you as many treatments as possible.

It’s to help you understand your skin, give it what it actually needs and guide you towards the most appropriate next step, wherever you are.

BOOK AN ONLINE SKIN STRATEGY

EXPLORE SKIN STRATEGY OPTIONS

Visiting us in Canberra?

We’re located within the courtyard precinct near Nangari Street, opposite the Meriton Suites.

For your first appointment, we recommend allowing yourself a little extra time so you can find us easily and arrive without feeling rushed.

The easiest option is the Wilson car park accessible via Nangari Street and Rabaul Lane, next to the Meriton Suites.

There are more than 400 parking spaces and it’s only a short walk from the clinic.

We recommend allowing a little extra time for parking, particularly during busy periods in the city.

Open Wilson Car Park directions in Google Maps

Please complete your consultation and consent forms before arriving wherever possible. This allows your clinician to understand your skin, medical history and goals before your appointment begins.

Different treatments have different preparation requirements, particularly when it comes to active skincare, sun exposure, fake tan, injectables and other procedures.

Please review the pre and post care information for your treatment before your appointment:

If you’re unsure about anything, please contact us.

We would always rather you ask than arrive uncertain about whether your skin is ready for treatment.

If you still need to complete any forms, please arrive approximately 10 minutes before your appointment.

If everything is already completed, arriving around 5 minutes early is perfect.

Come in, settle down and enjoy a warm tea and biscuit before we begin.

We want your time at SWA to feel like time you’ve genuinely set aside for yourself.

As much as we adore little ones, we kindly ask that you attend your appointment without children.

SWA is a clinical environment with equipment and treatment areas that aren’t suitable for children, and our insurance and safety requirements mean we’re unable to accommodate them during appointments.

And importantly, this is your time.

We want you to be able to completely switch off and let us look after you.

Yes. We work with skin of all ages.

Skin concerns can begin well before adulthood, and early education and appropriate skin support can make an enormous difference.

For clients under 18, we recommend that a parent or guardian accompanies them, and parental or guardian consent is required for treatment.

Our recommendations for younger skin are always age appropriate and focused on skin health, education and what the individual skin genuinely needs.

Yes. We’d love to support your skin throughout pregnancy and beyond.

Pregnancy can bring significant changes to the skin, including pigmentation, sensitivity, dehydration, breakouts and changes in barrier function.

We have pregnancy appropriate treatments and home care options available.

Some technologies, ingredients and advanced procedures may need to be modified or postponed during pregnancy or breastfeeding, so please let us know when booking.

Your clinician will guide you towards what is appropriate for your skin and your stage of pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Your appointment time is reserved especially for you.

Our clinicians have limited appointment availability and we regularly have clients waiting for appointments, so taking a deposit allows us to secure that time exclusively for you.

Your deposit forms part of your payment towards your treatment.

We ask that you carefully consider your booking before making payment, as deposits are non refundable for change of mind.

We completely understand that life happens and sometimes plans need to change.

All we ask is that you give us as much notice as possible so we have the opportunity to offer your appointment to another client who may be waiting.

More than 48 hours’ notice

No cancellation fee.

Less than 48 hours’ notice

50% of the treatment value.

Less than 24 hours’ notice or failure to attend

100% of the treatment value.

Where a cancellation fee applies, you authorise Skin Wellness Academy to deduct the applicable amount from any credit held on your account and/or charge the card held securely on file.

If there is a remaining balance after available credit or authorised card charges have been applied, an invoice will be sent for the outstanding amount.

We understand that genuine emergencies and exceptional circumstances happen, and these may be considered with care and at our discretion.

Appointment changes or cancellations cannot be accepted through social media, as messages can easily be missed.

Please contact our clinic directly and ensure your request has been received and acknowledged by our team.

Please choose carefully, as payments made to Skin Wellness Academy are non refundable for change of mind.

Once you have placed a deposit or made a payment with us, we do not provide refunds simply because you have changed your mind about the treatment, service or purchase.

However, this doesn’t mean the value needs to be lost.

Subject to the applicable terms, the value of your payment or credit may be:

Transferred to another person

or

Used towards another eligible treatment, service or product available at Skin Wellness Academy to the same value.

We encourage you to carefully consider your purchase before making payment.

If you’re uncertain about what to choose, please speak with us first. We would much rather help you make the right decision for your skin from the beginning.

Nothing in our refund policy excludes or limits any rights you may have under Australian Consumer Law.

Absolutely.

Many of the people who come to us have spent years trying different products, treatments and advice and still don’t really understand what their skin needs.

You don’t need perfect skin to walk through our doors.

You don’t need to understand skin terminology.

You don’t need to know which machine, peel or facial to choose.

And you certainly don’t need to commit to an enormous treatment plan just to have a conversation with us.

Just bring us your skin and tell us what you’d love to change.

We’ll help you understand what comes next.