An Okotoks skin care clinic is celebrating a big milestone.
Faces opened back on April 16, 2004, and has been an active part of the community for the past 20 years.
The business has come a long way since it began, according to founder and owner Kirsten Patterson, who was a 29-year-old single mother of a five-year-old when she opened Faces.
"Twenty years ago there was really nothing here in Okotoks as far as clinics," said Patterson. "Maybe where you could get a pedicure, your nails done, but nothing in terms of what I do, which is I'm a skin specialist.
"And so I decided to take the biggest risk of my life and open up Faces at 21 Elizabeth St. It was upstairs and I was there for 10 years and it was very rewarding."
Now on Southbank Boulevard, Faces lets Patterson do work she's passionate about.
"I worked and trained with dermatologists in Calgary to start with for about for about five-and-a-half years, and then I decided to try it out in my condo here in Okotoks to see if there was any potential for people to be interested in skin treatments," she said.
"That's my passion. My passion is helping people with their skin, changing their lives, their self esteem. That's why I love what I do and I found that there was potential."
Patterson offers a plethora of services.
"You can pretty much get anything done at my clinic except haircuts," she said. "I specialize in acne, melasma and pigmentation. I do warts, skin tags, moles, hair removal, all kinds of different skin procedures, IV therapy, non-surgical eye lifts.
"I do have the latest equipment, which is the Plexr plasma, which we just got recently. We're the only one in the Foothills that has that, which is a non-surgical eye lift. I also still offer my Botox and injectables and fillers every Thursday at Faces."
Patterson, who has raised funds for charities like the Rowan House Society, prides herself on the positive impact her work has on the community.
"We did a lot with celebrating women and also now celebrating men as well and helping women," she said, "and helping them with their self esteem and their skin and making them feel better and educating people on skin conditions.
"I love it when they come back and they say, 'Oh my gosh, look at my skin' and I love that. It makes me so happy when people come in and they're like, 'Look at me.'"
As a single mom that launched a successful business, she said her story inspires many.
"I've met so many wonderful people. I've changed thousands of lives. When I say 'trusted by thousands,' I mean it, it's real. I've had clients coming to see me for 20 years," she said.
"I love what I do. I don't wake up and think, 'Oh God, I have to go to work.' It never comes in my mind. I just love what I do. I just love helping people, making them feel good about themselves and helping them with their skin, their self esteem, and it goes beyond that, so it's just awesome."
Patterson has big plans for Faces in light of the two-decade anniversary.
"I'm going to have a huge party in July," she said. "We usually do a red carpet thing when I do shows at my clinic, which I've done before. So people get a gift bag at the door, they get a little champagne, some hors d'oeuvres. We have a violinist that plays music and then people come through the clinic.
"It's an opportunity for people that are already clients to come, but it's free and also an opportunity for new people to come in and see what we do. Then that's also an opportunity for people if they are interested in getting something done. They can get it that day at a discounted price."
Patterson expects over 100 people at the event in July, which has not had a date announced yet.
Learn more about Patterson and Faces on the clinic's website.
