In this sizzling issue of Grazia, our international beauty editor Kaniz Ali glams up and interviews world renowned skin specialist, Nilam Holmes. Holmes expertise spans over 30 years of working with top leading professionals in the beauty and aesthetic industry is a favourite amongst many A listers. Her celebrity client list is jaw dropping! She is an absolute must for the likes of Eva Longaria, Eva Mendes, Amanda Holden, Michelle Keegan, Nicole Scherzinger, Victoria Beckham, Mel C, Rosie Huntington and many others.
In this exclusive interview Nilam opens up to Kaniz about life, work and treatments.
Kaniz: Talk to us about your background
Nilam: I have been in the industry for nearly 33 years and I have a very varied background. I have been a therapist specialising in different aspects of the industry, make up artist, aesthetic pratitioner, and teacher during this time as well as having a brow academy and beauty brands. My journey started when I was just 19 years old as a part time receptionist whilst I was studying at the University of Buckingham. My sister was at beauty college and we took over the salon I was working in together. My sister was the beautician, and I handled the business side of things. But as we started to get busier, I needed to get more hands on. I was always keen at brow shaping and hair removal and I started in this area venturing further into beauty treatments and skin. This is when I met my mentor, Dr Saleh, who introduced me to more advanced skin treatments, and my love of the industry just grew from there.
After selling our first salon. I then decided to specialise in micropigmentation and offered these procedures in exclusive salons and aesthetic clinics. I opened my first Dermaspa clinic with my husband and outgrew it quickly moving into my current larger premises still in the area. I then went into teaching semi-permanent make-up and it was at this time that I noticed that there was a real need for education in shaping natural brows. So many clients had overplucked and unflattering brows and my students would struggle to design flattering eyebrows. This is when I founded HD Brows and developed a 7-step brow shaping treatment which is still used in thousands of clinics across the world.I stepped down from the Hd Brows brand in 2016 and since then I have developed a Brow cosmetic line called Eyebrowqueen available online in many beauty retailers. We have also developed a skin purifying product called Puromist which supports all of our skin treatments at the clinic and our clients skincare routines at home. Puromist is available on line and with professional stockists.
Kaniz: What inspired you to become a skincare specialist ?
Nilam: My passion for skincare was sparked by my own battle with acne. 33 years ago there wasn’t a lot available to effectively treat acne other than medications. My siblings and I have always struggled with acne and i learned very quickly, having our salon with a huge array of skin products, that acne would never be eliminated just by keeping the skin clean. Even now there are constant developments into new treatments and solutions. When I met my mentor Dr Saleh he introduced me to chemical peels, light and laser treatments but again there were limited devices that could be used safely on darker skin types. My acne has disappeared and resurfaced with a vengeance more times than I can count and I understood quickly that it needed long term management. As an aesthetics dr, Dr Saleh would train me in numerous anti ageing treatments and devices. He is the most intelligent person I know and he actually developed his own skin tightening device, Collagenwave. I was the first clinic to offer this treatment alongside him 15 years ago. It was then when I really saw a huge increase in demand for anti ageing treatments. I would try and test machines on myself and I feel that my skin has stayed similar if not better to how it was 15 years ago. I am a big nerd and I find fun in learning all about the technology and science behind skincare and devices. There are so many to choose from now though and it is a bit of a minefield for my clients so it it important that my team and I are as knowledgeable as possible to produce the best results for them.
Kaniz: What sets your apart from other skincare specialists ?
Nilam: When I treat clients, I try to get as much done simultaneously as possible to accommodate their busy schedules. For example, my client could be having a body treatment, a facial, a mani-pedi and a massage all at the same time! I have an amazing team, and we all work together to provide a one-stop-shop kind of service. I have also built a large contact list of suppliers over my time in the industry, and sometimes end up accidentally providing a concierge service when my clients mention they need something during their treatments.
Kaniz: You launched your own clinic in 2006, since then Dermaspa Clinic has become one of the UK’s leading top beauty, skin, aesthetic and wellness clinics outside of London. What makes your clinic different from others ?
Nilam: I am not sure what makes us different but I have clients travel from all over the globe to see us. Time is often limited for people and also downtime. I have clients that say “I have 3 hours to do everything …. oh and I’m on camera in two days! ” so we have become very good at safely delivering a combination of treatments in a short amount of time. It isn’t unusual for 4 therapists to be working on a client at one time at my clinic, covering beauty and aesthetic treatments for the face and body all at once. Knowing how to gain maximum results in this way has come from experience. Dermaspa is a beauty destination – what I call a one stop shop and a results-based clinic offering leading proven treatments. Every client has a bespoke treatment plan where we combine various treatments and technologies to reach their desired result. We devise both a short-term and long-term treatment plan taking into account the client’s time restraints, expectations and budget to make sure the plans are realistic. Alongside the treatment plan, we also recommend an at home skin-care routine to further enhance and complement the work that we do in the clinic. Some of my clients have been with me for 30 years, and have aged with me. The key is to keep adapting the client’s treatment plan as they age and their skin changes.
Kaniz: What treatments does Dermaspa offer ?
Nilam: At Dermaspa, we offer a full range of beauty and aesthetic treatments from brow shaping to resurfacing laser treatments and Botox. When I created Dermaspa I wanted to have a one stop destination that clients could come to have everything that produced results under one roof. Our speciality is in skin and we have a large number of different devices and technology to cover all our clients skin concerns from acne and pigmentation to anti-ageing and body tightening. Over the last decade especially we have seen a big increase in customers looking for more “results” driven treatments powered by science and technology as opposed to pampering. The treatment menu includes the most sought after Collagenwave radiofrequency skin tightening, Skinpen microneedling and Hydrafacial. Laser treatments for hair removal, pigmentation, skin rejuvenation, anti-ageing, skin resurfacing, acne, fungal nail treatment and tattoo removal are all very popular. Skin Peels, Nitrogen Plasma skin brightening , Morpheus8 and LED therapy are available, and we also offer a wide range of body shaping, tightening and smoothing treatments such as BTL EMSculpt Neo , Exion and EMTone. A full range of aesthetic treatments such as Botox and filler’s are available as well as beauty treatments such as lashes and brows are also available including semi-permanent make-up. We also stock a full range of skin and brow care products and at home treatments.
Kaniz: You are highly sought after by many celebrities all around the world. Name us a few you have worked with.
Nilam: I am not sure quite how it happened but more than half of my client base are “celebrities” from film, tv and music … There are too many to name (and also for confidentiality) but a few of the people I have treated include Kim Kardashian Nicole Sherzinger, Eva Mendes, Rosie Huntington-Whitely, Pink, Victoria and David Beckham, Eva Longoria, Amanda Holden, Michelle Keegan and one of the most memorable people I have worked in is Sridevi, mainly because I grew up watching her. She was always very lovely and gracious to me.
Kaniz: You are the founder of Eyebrow Queen & Puromist. What does the two brands consist of ? And what inspired you to launch your own beauty products ?
Nilam: I have always had a huge passion for eyebrow shaping I would shape or groom the brows of almost every client, male or female, whether they were in for a leg wax, facial or a laser. My sister and I gained a good reputation for brow shaping and microblading brows from an early time. I when I started teaching semi permanent make up I noticed that there was a real lack of education in shaping natural brows. So many clients had overplucked and unflattering brows and my students would struggle to design flattering eyebrows complaining they were never really taught this properly at beauty school. This is when I founded HD Brows and developed a 7-step brow shaping treatment and products which is still used in thousands of clinics across the world. I stepped down from the Hd Brows brand in 2016. I had felt I had taken the brand as far as it could go in the professional beauty realm. I had experience of product development having developed professional and consumer products and loved the consumer make up side so I went on to develop a new Brow cosmetic line called Eyebrowqueen (available online in many beauty retailers). I launched at the start of the pandemic but the brand has a great following and is growing healthily.
I developed the product Puromist during the pandemic (just to put further pressure on myself!) I was getting terrible breakouts from wearing a mask constantly so I looked into what could be used to keep my skin clean and hydrated and found that hypochlorous (electrolysed sea salt water) was the perfect solution.
Puromist is a skin purifying spray that clinics can use before, during and after skin treatments to purify the skin. Our clients use it at home daily after procedures to keep their skin germ free and healthy and most continue daily indefinitely. It is especially good for sensitive and acne prone skin because it is so gentle you can even use it on a baby to soothe nappy rash. Currently it is available online and through professional stockists but we have plans to spread out into the retail world.
Kaniz: What are the most requested treatments, the most favourite with your clients and why ?
Nilam: Our most requested treatment is the Collagenwave radio frequency skin tightening treatment. It’s such a pleasant non invasive skin tightening treatment that works. I have personally used this on myself for around 17 years now since Dr Saleh developed the machine. The Hydrafacial is extremely popular too because it offers deep cleansing exfoliation and hydration, and clients love to see the dirt in the waste jar at the end of the treatment. I would say the third most popular treatment is the Skinpen microneedling treatment because it is an organic natural treatment that stimulates your own skin remodelling response. It suitable for all skin types for treating a multitude of things all at once including hyperpigmentation, fine lines and wrinkles, acne scarring, vitiligo and stretch marks. Clients often combine two or all three of these treatments in the same visit.
And of course, Laser Hair Removal has always been one of our most requested treatments. We offer the Soprano Ice Titanium and Platinum devices in our clinic. They are so fast and pain free we can treat full legs in around 20 mins.
Kaniz: What is the best advice you would give to anyone who is looking to become a skin care specialist ?
Nilam: I would suggest anyone thinking of becoming a skin care specialist should undergo an NVQ level 4 beauty qualification in skin first. This will give you a good base to go forward with. I would also suggest finding part time work in a salon or clinic as a junior or receptionist to get you the best introduction into what the beauty industry really involves. I started working in the industry part time while I was at university and then trained along the way and although it was great getting more hands on straight away, I believe having a beauty qualification to start with would have been a better route. Work experience is vital though as It’s often a bit of a shock to staff who come straight from college when they realise it isn’t a “make up party”.
Kaniz: If Nilam wasn’t a skinscare specialist, what would she be ?
Nilam: I have a degree in Business Studies and in International Hotel Management but when I worked part time in a salon while I was at university, I fell in love with the beauty industry. The owner retired and offered for me to take it over. If it hadn’t have been for my sister Amita who was about to qualify as a beauty therapist I would never have taken that opportunity. After 32 years I can’t imagine doing anything else now, but I do think I would make an excellent right hand to a big executive.
Kaniz: You have been married for over 13 years. What is the best advice you would give to anyone on leading a successful marriage ?
Nilam: I have been with my husband Pete for 15 years and married 13 and we actually run our 4 businesses together. Of course marriage has its ups and downs but I think the key to a successful marriage is to treat it like a true partnership. I think it is important not to be competitive and to try and balance out each others strengths and weaknesses. It’s ok not to like the same things too as long as you allow each other to do those things without you. We also value and respect our parents and each others cultures which has been more of a learning curve for Pete than myself growing up in England. Our families have merged so well and I have to say I think my mum favours Pete over me sometimes!
Kaniz: Your husband also manages your clinic Dermaspa. How do you balance work life and home life.
Nilam: This has actually been the biggest hurdle in our marriage. One would think working together would mean we spend all our time together but because I work away so much, it’s actually the opposite. When we don’t see each other or talk as much then we find this is when the bickering sets in, so we make sure when we do spend time together we make sure it’s valuable time. Pete also came into my industry after retiring from professional football which was a huge change for him. Back in his football era I would never have imagined he would be in this industry let alone running 4 brands and the teams and although I am the “face” of the companies I wouldn’t be who I am without him.
Kaniz: Talk to us about a typical week in your diary, what does it consist of ?
Nilam: There is no such thing as a ‘typical week’ in my diary, every week is completely different. This keeps life interesting but also means I don’t really have the luxury of a routine which is really tough in trying to achieve a work life balance. It’s also not unusual for me to work an 80hr week when you include my travel time. I split my time between my clinic in Dermaspa, a pop up location I use in London, and home or studio visits to high profile clients in different areas of England and often overseas in to high-profile clients. Sometimes I have clients travelling in to see me, or they fly me out to treat them wherever they are. It really depends what my clients need and I always try and make it work for them. I have even treated someone on a private jet and tour bus while we were travelling due to limited time.
CEO: Zahraa Saifullah,
Managing Editor: Nashmia Amir Butt,
Story Concept Creatively Directed by Kaniz Ali,
Photography by Danny Singh,
Hair / Make Up / Styling by Kaniz Ali,
Assisted by Michelle & Emma,
Location: Derma Spa, Milton Keynes – UK
