Cleveland based business is focused on making patients feel better
Paden Walker Dawkins has been in the medical field for almost twenty years. She has experience in labor and delivery, home health, and orthopedics. She has also served as a school nurse for part of her career.
For the last four years, Dawkins has been working in the aesthetics and wellness field in Greenville. But after getting engaged to Judson Brown this year, they made the decision to transition to Cleveland.
“I absolutely loved what I did and loved making people feel better about themselves,” says Dawkins. “It’s the best job you can have. So when I got engaged, we decided to make a lot of changes. We moved houses, schools, and jobs.”
Dawkins is passionate about taking care of people and helping them feel their best. So when she decided to move, she began researching the area to find a job and realized Cleveland didn’t have a business dedicated to this type of work. Although there were a few places that had individuals that came in weekly or monthly to do facials and/or injections, she felt there was something missing, or a spot she could fill, in the industry.
“So I just put my head to the ground and worked really hard to get an aesthetics and wellness medical clinic opened here in Cleveland,” says Dawkins. “I just decided to make it happen, and it’s working.
Originally from Tribbett, Mississippi, Dawkins graduated from Washington School before attending the University of Mississippi for her Bachelor’s in Communicative Disorders. She later went back to school, while working as a single mom, to get her Master’s at the Mississippi University for Women.
“I am a board certified nurse practitioner and specialize in aesthetic medicine,” says Dawkins. “I am also certified in hormone replacement therapy, neurotoxins (botox), and dermal filler.”
Although she is the sole owner and provider, Dawkins says she has two licensed estheticians, Addie Hawkins and Jordan Strickland, who will be providing micro-needling, chemical peels, facials, brow and lash services. She also has an “amazing” front desk coordinator, Kelly Fryer, who is knowledgeable about, and believes in, all of their offerings and products.
“We’re here to help people have the best experience,” says Dawkins. “Then when they leave, they’ll be the better version of themselves.”
Since first opening last October, Dawkins says they have had a steady stream of business.
“Business has been going way better than we ever imagined,” says Dawkins. “The community of Cleveland and all the surrounding areas have been so supportive of our mission.”
Apart from learning to be a business owner and having to learn as well as implement new technology, Dawkins says the process of starting the business has gone smoothly. She was able to get help from a few other local business owners, and the City of Cleveland has been instrumental in helping her with any zoning issues she has encountered along the way.
Dawkins knew she wanted to keep the same services she had performed in the past because she believes in them, but she says she researched a good bit to find a skin care line she believed in and felt worked for everyone. She decided to go with ZO Skinhealth and Colorscience.
“It’s got something for people’s redness with acne, with drying skin, aging skin, or just people that want to get on a good regimen,” says Dawkins. “It’s really awesome skin care.”
While their services are not covered by insurance, Dawkins says financing options are available to those who need them. Apart from the esthetician services mentioned above, Allure offers hormone replacement therapy, wellness injections, neurotoxins, and dermal filler.
“We try to keep a very detailed description of everything on our website,” says Dawkins. “We do not see sick people or manage people’s medicine, unless it is hormone related. We’re not changing people’s looks, we’re just enhancing their natural beauty, and it’s helping restore confidence.”
When it comes to hormone replacement therapy, Dawkins says their goal is to fill in the gaps of what you are missing.
“Sometimes people just want to know where they are with their lab work, so we offer a full panel here and check for a little bit of everything,” says Dawkins. “And, I always give my patients a copy.”
Although anything can happen when someone starts a new medication or tries something new, Dawkins feels strongly about the products she has chosen to use and is confident in their ability to help people feel like their best selves. She loves it when her clients have done their research when they walk into a consultation, but even if they haven’t, she will be ready to answer any questions.
“Feel free to ask us any questions,” says Dawkins. “We want people to educate themselves, because education is power. With neurotoxins in general, because we offer two different brands, Botox and Dysport. It’s just trying to slow your aging, essentially stopping the movement that causes the wrinkles. It doesn’t really change your appearance. It just makes you look a little softer.”
Dermal filler is different. According to Dawkins, it replaces volume that has been lost over time.
“As we age, the more birthday candles we have, the more volume we lose in our face,” says Dawkins. “Some people go overboard, change their looks and all that, but that’s not really what I believe in.”
Because people are often weary of new things, Dawkins made a point to decorate her business in a way that helps people feel comfortable when they walk in. Dawkins says they fall under HIPAA regulations, which means any procedures you get done or any information you share is confidential.
“I didn’t want to be intimidating in here,” says Dawkins. “Some people have never been in a medical spa, and are intimidated by those words.”
While other med spas in larger areas can, of course, offer larger equipment and more operations if they have a physician on staff, Dawkins is determined to meet her clients needs with a focused approach.
“Our offerings are always changing as we learn more,” says Dawkins. “We just added the wellness injections within the last few weeks, and they’re doing really good. People just want to feel their best while they can, and that’s what we’re here for. If you look better, you feel better, and if you feel better inside, you’re happier and healthier.”
As far as the future of the business goes, Dawkins’s goal is to continuously grow her services and learn from her clients along the way. She plans to do more marketing in the future, but so far, she has been getting most of her clients through word of mouth.
If you would like to learn more about Allure Aesthetics and Wellness, Dawkins says you can go to their website, www.blossomwithallure.com, or follow them on Instagram and Facebook.