After 25 years at the forefront of New Zealand’s cosmetic medicine industry, Dr Catherine (Cat) Stone is taking a well-earned break. As the founder of The Face Place, she has been a pioneer in injectables, driven by her commitment to innovation, education and patient care. Her decision to press pause, prompted by a courageous five-year cancer journey, wasn’t made lightly. As The Face Place transitions to new ownership, Dr Cat reflects on career highlights, lessons learned and what it means to step back without stepping away.

PC: You’ve been a trailblazer in New Zealand’s cosmetic medicine space for over two decades. Looking back, what are you most proud of achieving through The Face Place (TFP)?

Dr Cat: I’m probably most proud of our team and culture, and the positive impact we’ve had on thousands of lives over the last 25 years. We have an incredible team who love coming to work, really enjoy working with each other, and often comment on what a supportive work environment we have.

From a personal perspective, I loved being on the TV programme 10 Years Younger and am proud to have done the pilot and all three series. It rated highly and went global to over 44 countries! I’ve also enjoyed opening the discussion around sexual rejuvenation and intimate wellness when I started offering the O-Shot and P-Shot back in 2015.

When you first opened the clinic 25 years ago, did you ever imagine the journey it’s had?

Definitely not. Interestingly, I originally opened the clinic with the intention of franchising, but after interviewing three franchise consultants I realised that franchising would not suit my ‘perfectionistic Virgo’ high standards, so I decided to focus on the boutique, high end of the market instead. When developing the business plan for the MedSpa (over 20 years ago – we launched the MedSpa in 2004) I had ‘world domination’ plans of having five to six high-end clinics nationally, 20–30 mall clinics, and a training academy, but the Global Financial Crisis got in the way of those plans.

In 2000 (left), Dr Cat left a promising career training towards surgery to pursue cosmetic and medical BotoxⓇ. In 2001 (right), she opened her first clinic and later played a key role in launching BotoxⓇ into New Zealand.

What have been some of the most rewarding moments of your career?

I definitely loved the impact we had with the TV programme 10 Years Younger – being able to educate the public about cosmetic injectables and showing that they were for everyday people, not just the rich and famous. I feel like the programme showed people that injectable treatments were simple and not as scary as they sounded.

I’ve also been passionate about providing training. We’re renowned for having a lot of team training and we’ve invested heavily in ensuring our team reach the highest standards. I really enjoy educating people – whether it’s team members, industry colleagues, patients, or just someone I’m chatting to – and seeing the glow in their eyes when they ‘get it’.

You’ve spoken openly about your health journey. How has that shaped your perspective on leadership, business, and your aspirations moving forward?

As many may already know, a life-threatening health scare often prompts people to reevaluate their lives. I’ve poured my heart and soul into TFP over the years, and in the last three to four years I shifted away from actively injecting to focus on my health. Moving into more of an oversight role allowed the team to rise and blossom into new positions. It showed me how I could lead from the side rather than the front, guiding and encouraging rather than having to ‘do’ everything. I don’t sweat the small stuff as much as I used to, and now my priority is living as much life as I can with whatever time I have.

In 2018, The Face Place opened its second clinic on Auckland’s North Shore.

How did you know the time was right to step back from ownership?

Mexico. Having space away made me realise that while my team had been incredibly supportive of me taking time to focus on my health, they deserved to have a doctor who could be present in the clinic to support them on a daily basis, and I wasn’t sure if or when I might be able to return to that. Since making the decision it has felt absolutely right – for the team, the business, our patients, and me.

What was it about Jenni that made her the right person to carry the torch?

She’s excellent clinically, incredibly supportive, has aligned values, and understands and will maintain our culture. Jenni was wonderful to work with and I see her stepping in to support the team and take them to new heights.

Last year, The Face Place unveiled a stunning new clinic downtown overlooking Waitematā Harbour.

Will you still be involved with The Face Place in any capacity?

You’ll still see me in newsletters doing updates. I’m still working out with Jenni whether she wants me to locum occasionally or run the Vampire Academy.

What have been some of the biggest shifts you’ve seen in the aesthetics space since you began?

Oh, so many more options – both in treatments and providers. I don’t believe the commoditisation of our industry is doing it any favours. We had much higher standards when we were a smaller industry. Now every man and his dog is getting in on the action, and the level and quality of training for many clinicians is not where I would like it for someone injecting my face. Regulation is also reducing, especially for dermal fillers, and many new entrants to the industry aren’t doctors or nurses. I’m also not a fan of the ‘overdone’ aesthetic that’s been prevalent in the last 10 years.

On a positive note, the range of treatments available has burgeoned since I started. These days there are so many options and a larger toolkit for clinicians to work from. It’s been nice to see more people in the industry adopt longer initial consultation appointments. We’ve had one-hour initial consults since we first started 25 years ago and continue to have one of the longest and most comprehensive initial consult appointments in the industry. To me, it’s important that your clinician really understands your goals, provides in-depth education and consent, offers a comprehensive assessment, and builds a relationship with you from the first meeting.

What advice would you offer to the next generation of aesthetic practitioners?

Treat your patients and your team really well, remain curious, and always look at how you can learn more and upskill to become an even better injector. Take time to do a full clinical assessment and really build a relationship with your patients – it’s an honour that they trust us with their face.

No doubt we’ll still be seeing more of you in the future, but for now, what’s next for you?

I have more breast surgery due in the next couple of months and I also want to focus on my next two books Grow Younger With Great Sex and The Beauty Of Survival. Longer term, I’m curious to see what unfolds. Alongside cosmetic medicine I’ve been passionate about longevity, biohacking, and different modalities of healing. In the last five years I’ve trained in psychedelic-assisted therapy, somatic trauma release, and kundalini activation, so maybe some retreats, coaching, consulting, or online programmes are in my future. But for now I’m focusing on my health and living life to the fullest, which for me means enjoying travelling the world and doing the things I love.

On behalf of ProCollective and the New Zealand cosmetic medicine community, we thank Dr Cat for her incredible contribution and lasting impact on the industry. Your passion, leadership and dedication have inspired so many. We wish you continued health, happiness and fulfilment in this next chapter and can’t wait to follow along!