BUSINESS: VITA SKIN

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE PATIENT JOURNEY

Nadine Dilong catches up with Dolce Vita Skin Founder Vita Catanzariti to talk about the success of her Central Coast based skin clinic.

There are many reasons why I love driving up to the Central Coast, just an hour north of Sydney, and one of them is visiting Vita Catanzariti, Founder and Director of skin clinic Dolce Vita Skin. After working alongside Plastic Surgeons for many years, where Vita took care of patients’ postop skin, she noticed demand for results-driven but nurturing treatments increase steadily, and finally made the decision to open her own skin clinic in 2017.

Having worked in the hustle and bustle of Sydney for a long time, the move to Erina on the Central Coast took some getting used to initially, but Vita hasn’t looked back and enjoys the more laid-back lifestyle the Central Coast offers. Moreover, she gets quite a few clients that come to see her from Sydney, and some even from Newcastle thanks to her excellent reputation in the industry and great offer of treatments and holistic treatment protocols.

A well-rounded team

Vita has created a great team of professionals who complement each other. While Vita is the skin expert of the business (though not the only one; there is Dermal Therapist Kylie, who works alongside Vita), Dr Nik Davies, who works at Dolce Vita Skin three days a week, is the cosmetic doctor who offers treatments such as injectables and hair restoration procedures.

Completing the trio is Nutritional Medicine Practitioner Chiza Westcarr, who works with Vita’s clients on their gut health and overall wellbeing. “It really is what gives the end result,” says Vita. “I can give you phenomenal products, but unless the clients do their homework and take care of their skin from within, it’s not enough.”

Dr Nik Davies, Chiza Westcarr, and Vita Catanzariti

Anyone can open up a clinic, but at the end of the day, you’ve got to form relationships with your patients

So for Vita, it’s all about the patient journey. “From the minute a Dolce Vita client walks through the clinic doors, they are taken care of by our wonderful staff. Our goal is to make sure our client’s skin is the best it can get, and to educate them on how to achieve the best results all year long.

We begin with an initial consultation to address any concerns and advise the best treatment going forwards. Our holistic approach to skincare means that the combination of treatments, products, advice, and lifestyle changes help each person achieve their dream skin. The combination of Dr Nik’s, Chiza’s, and my knowledge creates a well-rounded approach to healthy skin,” Vita explains.

Bespoke and unique treatments

Dolce Vita Skin is always at the forefront of leading technologies and products, offering treatments unique to the Central Coast in a bespoke and holistic manner. The clinic doesn’t fall victim to fashionable trends or fads, but instead combines the highest quality skincare from Australian and French brands, with state-of-the-art technology, science, and medicine to help every client achieve their specific goals.

Vita performing Biologique Recherche Face Remodelling

Vita offers all kinds of treatments, but rather than selling them strictly off the menu or offering package deals, Vita creates bespoke treatment plans for every single client. Appointments are tailored specifically to each client’s concerns, meaning that every treatment is different. One very unique treatment at Dolce Vita Skin is Biologique Recherche’s Face Remodelling facial, which uses the French skincare range in combination with a bio-electrotherapy machine to enhance product penetration, sculpt the face, and revitalise the epidermis. Vita also offers Rationale, Universkin, and will soon be stocking The Secret. In terms of lasers, Vita is seeing great results with her Cutera excel V, her Venus Versa, and loves using LED on most patients.

“Anyone can open up a clinic, but at the end of the day, you’ve got to form relationships with your patients. And the nice thing is, I’ve got clients that have been with me for a long time, that are loyal,” Vita says.

Keeping a clear mind

After almost five years in her Erina clinic, the business is bursting at the seams, but Vita hasn’t had much time to think about expanding. “We’ve been so busy post-COVID, and Dr Nik and I will often comment on the lack of space, so we’ll see.” At least now, Vita has half a decade worth of knowledge and experience that comes with being a business owner.

“I think the biggest piece of advice I’d give to myself back then is to break down your challenges into bite size pieces,” she says, “When you’re starting a business or brand of any kind, you can focus so much on the big picture or the end goal, because of your passion and excitement for what you do. It can become overwhelming when challenges begin to arise – which they always will – and you can often feel as though the wheels are falling off. This is never usually the case and issues in the moment always feel bigger than they truly are. It’s taken me a while to learn that and there’s certainly been times where I’ve felt the weight of the world on my shoulders. I’m yet to meet anyone who runs their own business who hasn’t felt the same at some stage!”

“In the end, you realise that with a clear mind and step-by-step approach you can overcome almost any problem – as long as you’re willing to put in the work. If your mindset goes too far down the line, you’ll lose sight of the immediate action you need to take.”

And lastly, like any successful business owner, Vita knows it’s not all about facials and skincare, but you have to work in the backend, too. “Get to love admin! I’m not sure I’ve found my love for it yet, but I’m still trying,” she concludes.

dolcevitaskin.com.au