Travelling To See Us: What to Know Before Your First Visit to Mona Vale
Most of the people who come to Panacea live close by. Mona Vale, Newport, Avalon, Warriewood, Narrabeen, Bayview, and Ingleside all come up in conversation most weeks.
Some travel a good deal further. We regularly see patients from the eastern suburbs, and a small number who plan appointments around trips to Sydney from as far away as Canberra.
If you are weighing up a longer trip to a skin clinic, this is what is worth knowing before you book.
Seeing the Same Clinician Each Time
Skin treatment is rarely a single appointment. Most plans run over months, and the person who assessed your skin at the start is the person best placed to judge what has changed by the fourth visit.
That continuity is one of the reasons some patients keep coming back to us after moving away, or continue travelling once they have started a plan here. Our registered nurses, Kristy Charlier and Ashlee Harju, and our dermal therapist Tracey West see the same patients through a full course of treatment rather than whoever happens to be rostered on.
Dr Kippen Is Here, in the Building
The part of our set-up that most affects a longer trip is that Dr John Kippen, Specialist Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon, works from these rooms. Dr Kippen is generally in the Mona Vale rooms on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays.
He is not a prescriber on a video call from another state. He is on site, in the same suite, which means an assessment can happen in the room on the day rather than being scheduled around someone else’s availability. For a patient who has driven two hours, that difference is practical rather than philosophical.
Getting Here
We are at Suite 204, 20 Bungan Street, Mona Vale.
There is some visitor parking on CP2 under the building, with entry from Bungan Lane. Parking here is normally limited in the mornings. There is also parking available on the street, in the free council car park on Bungan Lane, or in the Woolworths car park.
If You Are Coming a Long Way
A few things are worth sorting out before you travel rather than on the day.
Book the consultation as its own appointment. Our consultation and skin analysis is $79 and is redeemable against future treatment. It is the first step for every treatment plan here, and it is where we work out what is actually suitable for your skin.
If you are travelling from far away, it is possible to book a consultation and treatment in one appointment.
Ask about aftercare before you come. Some treatments have a settling period, and a few have follow-up appointments built into the plan. For example, follow-ups after injectables are not necessary; you may only need a tweak or a little more product if you’re concerned.
If you are not local, it is worth understanding the process in advance so you can plan the return trips, or discuss what can reasonably be managed from a distance.
Making a Day of It
If you’re travelling a little further to see us, it can help to make the most of your appointment day.
Mona Vale has plenty of great places nearby for lunch or coffee, and some patients use the opportunity to catch up with friends, run a few errands, or spend some time on the beautiful Northern Beaches while they are here. With a little planning, the trip can feel much easier and more enjoyable.
Booking a Consultation
If you are considering the trip, the consultation is the right starting point. It includes an honest conversation about what is and is not worth doing, and if the answer is that something can be handled closer to home, we will tell you that.
Call 1300 547 736 or book online.
