Good Neighbor Podcast: Milton & More
Bringing Together Local Businesses & Neighbors of Milton, Crabapple, and Hickory Flat
Good Neighbor Podcast: Milton & More
Expert Episode: The Art of Natural-Looking Aesthetics with Casey Cooper & Sarah Risse of Thrive Medical Spa
Casey Cooper and Sarah Risse, nurse injectors at Thrive Medical Spa, are changing the narrative around cosmetic injectables by prioritizing natural-looking results that enhance—rather than alter—their clients' unique features. Both professionals bring exceptional credentials to their work: Casey's background in surgical assistance at plastic surgery practices and Sarah's experience in critical care nursing provide them with a deep understanding of facial anatomy and medical safety protocols.
What truly sets these injectors apart is their six-month to year-long training "bootcamp"—far more extensive than the weekend certification courses many practitioners complete. This comprehensive preparation, combined with years of daily hands-on experience, has honed their ability to deliver subtle, refreshed results that never look artificial or overdone. As Sarah puts it, "You should see the difference, I should see the difference... but nobody should point at you and say this is what you got done."
Perhaps most refreshing is their honest, patient-centered approach. They readily acknowledge that injectables aren't for everyone and sometimes refuse treatments that clients request when they aren't appropriate. For younger clients seeking preventative measures, they often redirect toward proper skincare and treatments like microneedling rather than unnecessary injectables. For clients seeking rejuvenation, they employ a "full facial balancing" technique that addresses how all features age together, treating multiple areas with conservative amounts rather than overfilling single features.
The bond between Casey and Sarah exemplifies the collaborative spirit at Thrive Medical Spa. Unlike the competitive environment often found in aesthetics, they support each other professionally, freely referring clients between them based on specialized skills, and covering for each other during personal time off. This partnership ensures consistent quality care that puts patients first.
Ready to explore natural-looking aesthetic solutions? Visit Thrive Medical Spa at 850 Mayfield Road, Suite 202 in Milton, Georgia, call 470-462-2915, or book online through their website. Your journey toward a refreshed, confident version of yourself begins with a thorough consultation where education, not sales pressure, leads the conversation.
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Stacey Poehler.
Speaker 2:Hey everybody, today we are talking about natural looking aesthetics with experts from Thrive Medical Spa, Casey Cooper and Sarah Riese. They are nurse injectors at Thrive. Lady, take a second to introduce yourselves and talk about your background and what brought you to Thrive.
Speaker 4:Sure, I'll go first. I'm Casey Cooper. I'm one of the nurse injectors at Thrive. I went to the University of Georgia and got my bachelor's in psychology. I was on my way to vet school but I got my lips done for the first time and I was like this is life changing. That was a huge insecurity of mine. So I got it done and I was like I want to give this gift of confidence to somebody else. So I went to nursing school at Mercer instead of vet school, became a nurse, started at a plastic surgery office, became first assistant surgery for a couple of years, then an injector. I started injecting with Sarah at that same place. We learned how to inject together and now we're back together again at Thrive Medical Spa, which is so nice.
Speaker 3:I was born and raised in Roswell. I went to the University of Georgia and then figured out I wanted to be a nurse, so transferred to Augusta University, got my bachelor's of science in nursing and then my background is in critical care. I was an ICU nurse at the Shepherd Center for three years. I loved it. It was truly my calling at the time. But then it was time to do something else and I found my way into plastics and aesthetics. Like Casey said, we started at the same practice around the same time. I fell in love with it. I loved being able to combine, you know, the critical care and all the medicine that I did learn in the hospital, but also see healthy patients and see happy patients and be able to make people feel good about themselves. I started at Thrive when we opened over a year ago. I've loved it. It's a great place to work and happy to have Casey one of my best friends. It's fun that we get to work together.
Speaker 2:That's awesome. There's many misconceptions about injectables. You know people are afraid they're going to look artificial or frozen or fake. You know how do you educate clients to ease these concerns. Casey, you start, and then Sarah can add it.
Speaker 4:Yeah, a lot of people are afraid to start with neurotoxin or Botox to support Daxify because they think once you start you have to upkeep that every three to four months for the rest of your life. That's not true. If you want to try it one time and never do it again, that's fine. If you want to do it twice a year, that's great too. It depends on the look you're going for and your finances. I think as long as you're relaxing those muscles, going for and your finances, I think, as long as you're relaxing those muscles, not constantly folding that skin together and creating deeper lines, that's all we're looking for. You don't have to stay on top of it Like everybody thinks. Debunking things is huge. We were taught to educate and let everybody make their own informed decision. I always tell people.
Speaker 3:That's one of everybody's biggest fears. For every one person you see walking down the street where you can look at them and be like, oh my gosh, they look crazy. I don't want to look like that. There's 10 people behind them that have had great work done, that you can't detect it. And that's always our goal. I always tell my patients you should see the difference, I should see the difference. The two of us should be happy. But nobody should point at you and say this is what you got done. Relaxing muscles, keeping things natural, is our biggest goal. There's a lot of overdone work out there, like Casey said, educating our patients that that's not the goal, that's not what we're looking for, and then steps that we're going to take to make sure that that doesn't happen.
Speaker 2:With the emphasis on natural beauty. What are some key principles behind achieving that natural look? Just having people look refreshed, balanced and youthful. What guides you in doing that?
Speaker 3:I think one of the biggest things is respecting your natural anatomy. Like you, you're going to age. You're going to wrinkle. What works for one person doesn't work for the next. That's why an initial consultation is really really important Number one to make sure that we're a good fit, but also to make sure that we have similar goals in mind.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Can you talk about that initial consultation?
Speaker 4:Casey yeah, first of all, we like to hear what bothers you, because, unless you ask for a full facial thing, I don't want to be like, oh, this, this, this about you.
Speaker 3:Yeah, we're going to do our best to educate you, but my job is not to make you leave here feeling insecure about something that you didn't come in asking for. Just because you can't do something doesn't mean you need to. Nobody needs to do what we do. We're here to listen to your concerns, educate you, guide you in the right path that we think would give you the best outcome. And I think, having that initial consultation, we both hear each other out, make sure we're a good fit and, like Casey said, if you come in for Botox and you don't want to hear about filler, then we're not going to talk about filler, because that's not why you're here.
Speaker 4:I always tell patients if it ain't broke, don't fix it, don't touch something if it's not bothering you, because it's a snowball effect.
Speaker 1:We want you to look like you.
Speaker 4:We don't want you to look like somebody else.
Speaker 2:We both have a lot of experience and worked at different places with other injectors. What sets a great injector apart from somebody who might be run of the mill and not as good at their job?
Speaker 4:Sarah and I went through six months to a year of bootcamp. We weren't allowed to touch anybody until we finished. Other injectors go to a weekend course, so they just go to a couple of classes and get a certification, which, yes, that's great, but at the same time, it's time that goes by and seeing a bunch of different patients and seeing complications and how to fix them and whatnot, and I feel like, since we were able to have that long stint of time where we saw everything under the sun, it prepared us really well for anything that could go wrong or right. We also learned to speak about everything really well.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's not something you learn in nursing school. There's no textbook on it. You learn once you get into the industry, and we were really lucky to be given a really great training program and a lot of education, and so I think one of the big things that sets a great injector apart is experience. Everybody starts somewhere and you have to gain that experience. But it doesn't always matter like the letters behind somebody's name. I think it more matters like how long they've been doing it. Do they do it all day, every day? Is it something that they're just dabbling in? We've both been really lucky to be trained pretty extensively. We both have about four years of experience doing Botox and filler all day, every day, so we've really been able to hone our craft and be able to spot complications.
Speaker 4:Sarah has critical care background. That's huge. I have the background of seeing a patient's face open with a facelift, seeing anatomy from that point of view and also the number one thing that sets us apart is yes, obviously this is a very lucrative business and we like money, but we will turn you away if you and I don't have the same goals. If you're not hearing me and I'm not hearing you, if I'm uncomfortable and you're uncomfortable, we're not injecting.
Speaker 4:If you don't need something we're not going to do it. It's just that's what sets us apart, I think, and that's also what sets apart good work versus bad work.
Speaker 2:I imagine there's ongoing education, especially with technologies changing. Can you talk about that?
Speaker 4:Yeah, we have training regularly. There's always new products and reps bringing a trainer to show proper techniques. But I think there's a lot of things on Instagram and TikTok that are so misleading and everybody gets like you always say a bee in their bonnet about certain things that just sometimes going back to the basics is best.
Speaker 3:Tiktok and Instagram are great, but it kind of makes people I think that's a lot of what our job is Educate people come in Like I saw this on TikTok, and most of the time you're saying, okay, that's not going to work for you, cause that girl's 23 and you're 20 years older. Social media is a great tool, but sometimes it works against us. It's our job to educate our patients.
Speaker 3:Yes you saw this on social media, but that doesn't mean it's true. Here's my take on it and here's why I would guide you more in this direction. Like Casey said, we have great reps, great relationships with these companies, so we're able to continue our training. We have each other, we inject similarly and have similar aesthetic eyes, but we're different injectors, so being able to bounce ideas off each other, and there's times when I have a patient that Casey might handle better or likes doing better, so I'll say, hey, you should see Casey for this. And so I think that's a really great thing that we have just a relationship with each other, just always kind of supporting each other and building each other up and making sure our patients are in the best hands, whether it's me or Casey.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and that sounds like a true partnership. Neither of you are possessive over your clients. If people can't get in with one of you, they see the other one.
Speaker 3:I have a baby due in July and I have another baby, Casey. Saw all my patients on maternity leave and I always tell people you can't go wrong with either of us.
Speaker 4:We're pretty similar. We're really lucky too, because the industry is very cutthroat, but from day one we were just like we're friends. It's never going to be like that here, which is nice.
Speaker 2:You have to tailor treatment plans to the individual right. How do you work with clients and have those conversations about their features? Sometimes you have to tell people they shouldn't do something or you won't do something. Talk about how you make people feel comfortable but still get that information across to them.
Speaker 3:Part of it is our personalities and our bedside manner. Our goal is to always make this is a very intimidating thing. A lot of women are super intimidated to walk into the office and so just trying to make people feel comfortable and heard and reassuring that you're not the only one that feels this way I probably have had five people before you in that day have the same concern but also to just I always, I always explain, even if it's just you know, simple Botox I always. The first time I see someone, I always explain why you're getting what you're getting. Simple Botox I always. The first time I see someone, I always explain why you're getting what you're getting, where you're getting it, the dosing.
Speaker 3:So many times I've had somebody who's had Botox for five years but they've been going somewhere else and they end up in my chair and ask them where in their face did they get it? Do they know how many units? So many times I hear I don't know. They just do it. I don't love that answer. I think it's important my patients know why they're getting what they're getting, where we're putting it, if they do have this outcome. This is why I think that makes people feel comfortable, because at the end of the day, it still is a medication, it still is a prescription, and I do think you should walk out feeling like you understand and kind of feeling empowered. So that's one of the things that I emphasize. I feel like I know you do too.
Speaker 4:Yeah, you're getting a full anatomy lesson, your first consultation with us. You're going to know everything, because again you have to make a good, educated decision for yourself.
Speaker 1:You know what I?
Speaker 4:mean. And also I think building people up. So when you walk in here, we want you to feel even better than, or when you walk out of here, we want you to feel better than when you walked in. We're going to flood you with compliments because, no matter what you look like, you have unique, beautiful features.
Speaker 3:Self-love is huge in this industry it's very easy to pick yourself up, look in the mirror and pick yourself apart, and it's easy as a provider to do that, so we do our best to make sure that's not what. Even if we're doing a full face assessment, I never want someone to leave thinking about something they didn't think about when they walked in, because once you point it out, that's all they're going to see. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. That balance of listening to patients' concerns, seeing what bothers them and pointing out what you notice within what's appropriate. It's a balance and over time you perfect your assessment, bedside manner and aesthetics, because it's something that can be kind of fragile and so we definitely want to so respect that.
Speaker 4:Yeah, and spending time with people too. We're not just cranking Botox patients out every 15 minutes. We're spending at least 30 minutes with you. We're talking about your life, your kids. What happened in the last three months? Sarah and I also give people our personal phone numbers because we want you to feel you can access us anytime If you have questions. Don't go on Google, it's going to make you spiral. We'll talk you off the ledge. We're going to explain things to you again, because our initial consultation is overwhelming with a lot of information.
Speaker 4:What sets us apart? We take the time. You are our friend, we care about you.
Speaker 3:Parts of this job, too, is like the relationships that you form with people. You know. When you do establish trust and you do, you find a person that you agree, you know. We kind of learn your face, we learn what you like, we learn your, what looks good to you, you're happy with, and then when we're able to replicate that every three, four plus months, and also, too, I don't know we get to know you and your life. You come in, we chat, but it's fun. We've had people that we've seen since day one, so we've known for years now.
Speaker 2:You guys see clients of all ages, some for preventative measures and some for restorative. Can you just talk a little bit about that and how you might manage somebody who's younger and looking to prevent things from sagging and wrinkling in the future and versus somebody who needs some you know, restoration?
Speaker 4:People trying to prevent focus on skin health. Can you imagine the amount of times that 18 year olds are like it's my birthday, I want baby Botox everywhere, like no, save your money. You don't even have the slightest wrinkles. Instead, let's do microneedling or talk about medical grade skincare. So I think it's putting people in the right direction, because all these young women and men think that once they turn a certain age or you know, they're moving their face and they see a dynamic wrinkle that is so different than a snap wrinkle Like you don't need that yet there definitely is, like I would say, over the course of years that maybe, like average age that we see has gotten a little bit younger.
Speaker 3:So that is due to social media, the stigma with botox and filler it's much more talked about now. People are open about it, always posting on social media. You know their before and afters healing journey. Um, so I think one of the things that's really healing journey, um, so I think one of the things that's really great about thrive is that outside of casey and I, we have great laser estheticians, we have different modalities.
Speaker 3:Botox and filler are great, but there's, there's other things that would be more beneficial for you. It's not always the answer. So the fact that we have kind of like a full-service clinic and we're able to refer people to for needling or laser if skin health isn't up to par, whatever we do, it's not going to look great. You know, a lot of times I'm that's the reason I'm having with people is we can do this. Because we can doesn't mean we should. Maybe we should start with. You know, let's, let's, let's, let's take some of that image. Let's start on a retina. Let's do A, b and C before we get to you know, what I, what I can provide.
Speaker 3:I think just because we can doesn't mean we should. Sometimes I'm the last step, sometimes we're referring you to one of our surgeons. Maybe it's a surgical issue and I will always tell people that you know, if surgery is something that's on the table and they're open to, that's going to give you a better result than what I can do. So I think the fact that we kind of have all of those options here is really beneficial for our patients, because the answer is not always Botox and filler.
Speaker 4:We both like to use injectables as a cherry on top too, doesn't have to be just that, you know. And then, as far as people that are looking for to be rejuvenated you know, maybe they're in their fifties and sixties Sarah and I use a full facial balancing approach. I feel like it looks much more natural when you kind of touch more areas with a little filler than one area with a large amount of filler, cause that's when you're like, oh my God, duck lips, huge chin chipmunk cheeks, everything ages together.
Speaker 3:Yes, so you have to treat everything together to keep a natural look, and so we always try to put an emphasis on that as we age, our facial skeleton recesses into itself.
Speaker 4:So all of the fat pads that used to have the structural support of those bones and plus gravity, they don't really have anymore. So everything starts to fall. We use filler to bring everything back up. We're not trying to give you bigger cheeks. We're not trying to give you a bigger chin. We're just restoring bone loss and fat pad loss, never trying to make you look like Catwoman or anything like that. Yeah, we want you to look like you. You got a good night's sleep, like maybe we turn the clock around 10 years or so. That's the goal.
Speaker 2:Awesome If folks want to visit you or book an appointment. Can you share how they can do that?
Speaker 4:You can call the front desk at 470-462-2915. You can visit us at 850, that's 850.
Speaker 3:Mayfield Road or suite 202 in Milton, georgia. We also have online booking, so if you go to thrivemedicalspacom you can book online, but more often than not calling in that phone number, the ladies at the front desk are amazing and happy to help. We're across from Muse Salon on one side and then Hyde Breweries on our other, so if you know either of those spots, my Instagram is Casey Cooper Aesthetics.
Speaker 4:You can follow us on Instagram, and we also have a booking link in that bio as well. And then you have an Instagram too right yeah, mine at sarahreesey underscore.
Speaker 2:Thanks for joining us today. We appreciate your perspective and education this morning. Hope folks check you out. Thank you, nice to meet you.
Speaker 1:Come see us out, thank you, thank you. Thank you. Thank you for listening to the good neighbor podcast, milton and more. To nominate your favorite local businesses, go to 3, 0.