“Don’t be hairy, go see Mary!” is the elevator pitch that has helped Mary White build Marys Skin Care into the popular Prospect Vale business it is today.
White has been operating for fourteen years. She is a registered nurse and a corneotherapist, a specialisation that gives her an understanding of skin cell biology and the chemistry of cosmetic ingredients. Her services include intense pulsed light treatments, facials, collagen induction treatments, LED treatments and skin consultations.
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The clinic has built its reputation on word of mouth, relying instead on referrals from clients who range from teenagers navigating their first breakouts to an 89 year old woman who became one of her closest friends. Men are also welcomed (however male brazilian treatments are not offered, and clients are referred to other operators).
White’s catchy slogan dates back to her early Yellow Pages days. An advertising rep working on her listing came up with the line on the spot, and White knew immediately it would stick. She used it as her sign off at marketing events for years. Some clients write “Hairy Mary” in their appointment books.
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White’s work outside the clinic shapes how she runs it. She still works two to three days a week at Launceston General Hospital, currently in palliative care, a role she unsurprisingly describes as emotionally demanding. She finds it an honour to be with people at the end of their life, and calls the work at her clinic easier by comparison. Several long time clients of Marys Skin Care have told White she isn’t allowed to retire before she turns 90!
The clinic’s pricing reflects why White started the business – to help women dealing with unwanted hormonal facial hair. She recalls early clients who were waxing or shaving their faces daily just to leave the house. Her prices haven’t changed in fourteen years. While White shares her expertise, clients are encouraged not to take her word for everything and research their own skincare ingredients themselves.
Outside the clinic, White has built an unlikely second life in motorsport. She competes in the Improved Production Racing Association at Baskerville and Symmons Plains Raceway, and has raced at Bathurst, where she was the only female competitor in a field of 55 (beating her partner).
Over the years White has collected what she calls the Shelves of Shame, a display in her clinic of products she has assessed and found to contain harmful ingredients. It began as a single box for clients to drop off products for review, and grew until she needed shelving to hold them all.
She says the most rewarding part of the work is watching clients regain confidence, particularly women who had spent years shaving, waxing or plucking facial hair and living with the anxiety that came with it. Being able to remove that daily worry, she says, matters more to her than any other outcome of the job.
