Traveling and Training on Top of the World

My trip to train at the Swiss Aesthetic Institute

Regardless of who you are, everyone has bucket list experiences waiting to be checked off the list. For some, it may be a romantic getaway to Bora Bora, while others may dream of stepping over the finish line of a marathon in less than 4 hours. I’m delighted to say that I recently checked a BIG item off my list. . . traveling to Switzerland to complete hands-on training with renowned aesthetician, Julie Horne RN.

That’s right. . . on March 9th, Keely Manion (my friend and travel buddy) and I spent an entire day training side-by-side with Julie Horne RN at the Swiss Aesthetic Institute in Lenzburg, Switzerland .

Who is Julie Horne?

So, you might be wondering, “Gosh, Krissy. Why all the hub-ub about this ‘Julie Horne’ person?”. Well, in my world, she’s kind of a big deal.

Julie Horne RN is the owner of the Julie Horne Academy. She trains aesthetic doctors and nurses who travel from all corners of the world to attend her internationally acclaimed and world famous “Lip Masterclass.” She was also instrumental in helping Galderama launch Restylane Kysse (a product I use for my Beauties’ lip injections) in the US and has been acknowledged as a master in the industry by her peers. Her years of experience and signature technique have led to frequent requests to lead several worldwide aesthetic congresses.

In other words, she’s sort of like the Adele of aesthetic medicine!

When it comes to lips, technique is EVERYTHING

Our training was focused on learning the innovative lip injection technique (aka: the “Julie Horne technique”) that she developed. After learning about the process, Keely and I received Julie’s focused attention while we injected patients’ lips. As we worked, Julie gave us guidance and feedback to ensure that we understood every single detail. She was engaging, thorough, and quick to answer all of our questions. As a bonus, she also injected my lips! Then, I injected Keely’s lips while Julie assisted and provided injection tips and pearls

As for many, this training has been on my bucket list for years! Although I have completed multiple virtual trainings with her in the past, I couldn’t pass up the chance to have this once-in-a-lifetime experience. I’m so glad I took this leap and have already been applying what I learned everyday.

Hands-on learning and focus

In addition to training with Julie, Keely and I accepted an invitation to train and visit the Teoxane world headquarters. Teoxane manufactures and distributes RHA2, RHA3 and RHA4 from their beautiful facility in Geneva.  To our surprise, we were told that we were the first Americans to tour the facility–probably because the FDA only recently approved these dermal fillers for use in the US in August of 2020.

During our visit, we toured the manufacturing plant and went into the chemistry lab with a staff member who taught us about rheology of the RHA filler lines that are created from a long chain of the hyaluronic acid (the longest chain on the market).

We also had a VIP training with Dr. Navid Alizadehat, followed by a wonderful Friday afternoon Swiss lunch at a local restaurant. We even had the honor of meeting Madame Valerie Taupin, who is a boss babe!  She created Juvederm (Allergen purchased from her) and then went on to create RHA fillers.

All work and no play? No way!

Who travels all the way to Switzerland and doesn’t take time to see the sights? Not us! Keely and I were mesmerized by the region’s beauty from the minute we stepped off the plane. Since the Institute is located 20 minutes outside of Zurich, we rented a car drove and drove all around Switzerland.

Although it was Keely’s first trip to Switzerland, I’ve been there several times and studied abroad in Florence, Italy.  Years ago, I went skiing in Zermatt on Klein Matterhorn, a straddling frontier between Italy and Switzerland. I wanted to ski somewhere different this trip–somewhere close to the Institute.

I carefully researched places to stay and things to do before our trip. Highlights included a stay at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel de la Laix (Geneva) and a few days of skiing at Mount Titlis– part of the Uri Alps. At an elevation of over 10,000 feet, the scenery from the hotel property (Alpine Lodge Trubsee in Titlis) literally took our breath away! The hotel is located half way up the mountain and visitors are unable to leave after 5pm (the time of the last gondola ride down the mountain). Mount Titlis is the highest summit of the range north of the Susten Pass and the views were incredible from every angle.

In another hotel (Hotel Villa Honegg), we lounged the infinity pool and were above the clouds. We could see for miles! In my mind, this is what heaven looks like. . . it was truly amazing!

To round out our trip, we dined out in a few quaint Swiss restaurants and had time to sneak in a little shopping near our hotel in the Bahnhofstrasse shopping district. We shopped, peaked into stores and purchased an item or two for ourselves.

Blessed and back at it!

Keely and I arrived back home with a refreshed perspective on work, home life and all of the blessings we are surrounded by. I am so glad I fulfilled my dream of training with Julie Horne and visiting such a beautiful country. I’m so grateful to work in an industry that exposes me to so many incredible people and experiences!

CHECK! Did you hear that? It was just me checking an item off my bucket list with a smile!

I hope to see you in the studio soon where we can chat more!