After battling debilitating acne herself, registered nurse Sonique Marie discovered skin needling—and a very different way of thinking about acne scars, pigmentation and skin health.
If you’ve ever stood in front of the bathroom mirror surrounded by half-used serums, creams and treatments promising to transform your skin, you’re certainly not alone. For registered nurse and Cosmetique Mandurah franchise owner Sonique Marie, the cycle of buying products in the hope of finally tackling her acne and scarring was something she knew all too well. After spending a small fortune on products that failed to deliver the results she was looking for, it was discovering skin needling that changed the way she thought about her skin—and eventually helped shape her career.
In her late teens and early twenties, Marie experienced debilitating acne that eventually left significant scarring across her face. Like many young women desperate to improve their skin, she found herself trying product after product, drawn in by promises of clearer, smoother and more radiant skin.
“I got sucked into it. When you’re young and struggling with acne and scarring, you’ll buy almost anything if someone tells you it’s going to give you clear skin,” Marie says “I spent so much money on creams and lotions promising incredible results and was constantly disappointed.”
It was only after discovering skin needling that Marie began to see what she describes as a meaningful improvement in the appearance of her acne scarring.
“It wasn’t until I discovered skin needling that I started seeing a meaningful improvement in the appearance of my acne scarring. That experience completely changed the way I thought about skin.”
Today, as an experienced registered nurse and owner of Cosmetique Mandurah in Western Australia, Marie has turned that personal experience into a career helping others better understand their skin and the treatment options available to them.
The emotional side of acne scarring
While acne is often dismissed as a temporary rite of passage, anyone who has experienced severe or persistent acne knows that its impact can go well beyond what is visible on the skin. For Marie, the emotional toll was significant.
“I know what it feels like to look in the mirror and only see your skin,” she says.
Marie believes people who have never experienced severe acne can underestimate just how consuming it can become. It can affect how you feel getting ready in the morning, how comfortable you are going out and even how you perceive other people looking at you.
“Acne can consume you. You wake up and look at your skin, you think about it when you’re getting dressed, when you’re going out and when somebody looks at your face,” she says.
“Then the acne eventually settles and you think it’s over, but you’re left with scarring that can remain for years. I understand the frustration because I’ve lived it.”
For Marie, finding a treatment that visibly improved the appearance of her scarring was therefore about more than simply achieving smoother skin. It changed her understanding of what could be possible when she stopped trying to conceal the problem and started looking at the skin itself.
“I could actually see changes in my skin and the appearance of the scarring over time,” she says. “For me, that was the moment I became fascinated by what could be achieved by working with the skin rather than continually covering it in expensive products.”
So, what exactly is skin needling?
Also known as microneedling, skin needling involves creating controlled microscopic injuries in the skin using fine needles. This triggers the body’s natural wound-healing response, which can stimulate collagen and elastin production as the skin repairs and remodels itself.
The treatment is used clinically to improve the appearance of concerns including certain types of acne scarring, uneven skin texture and pigmentation. However, Marie is keen to emphasise that it isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution or a magic eraser for every skin concern.
“As a nurse, I find the biological process fascinating,” she says. “Skin needling isn’t about pretending you can magically erase every imperfection. It is about creating a controlled response that encourages the skin’s own repair and remodelling processes.”
Collagen, a protein that provides structure and support to the skin, plays an important role in its appearance and texture. Treatments that stimulate collagen production may therefore be useful for appropriately selected patients, depending on their individual skin concerns and circumstances.
Marie stresses that results vary between individuals and that skin concerns should be properly assessed before treatment. What works for one person’s acne scarring, pigmentation or skin texture may not necessarily be appropriate for someone else.
Are we expecting too much from our skincare?
One of Marie’s biggest concerns is the amount consumers can spend chasing the latest skincare promise, particularly when social media constantly introduces us to another “must-have” product or miracle ingredient.
“The beauty industry is incredibly good at selling hope in a bottle,” she says.
“People can end up with cupboards full of products because every few weeks they’re told there is another cream, serum or ingredient they absolutely must have.”
That doesn’t mean Marie believes skincare has no place in a good skin-health routine. Quite the opposite. She says good skincare can play an important role in maintaining skin health, but consumers also need to have realistic expectations about what topical products can achieve.
“A topical product and a clinical treatment are not interchangeable,” she says.
“If you have significant acne scarring or another concern, get professional advice about what is appropriate for your skin rather than continually buying the next product being promoted online.”
For anyone who has experienced the frustration of spending money on products that don’t address their particular concern, the message is less about abandoning skincare altogether and more about understanding what your skin actually needs before adding another product to the bathroom shelf.
Cosmetic clinics are about more than Botox and filler
Marie also believes there is a misconception about what happens inside a modern cosmetic clinic. While injectables remain an important part of the industry, she says there is a much broader conversation taking place around skin quality and concerns such as acne scarring, pigmentation, sun damage and uneven texture.
“People hear ‘cosmetic clinic’ and immediately think Botox and lips. The industry is much broader than that,” she says.
“Many people come to us because they’re concerned about the condition and appearance of their skin. It could be acne scarring, pigmentation, sun damage, uneven texture or changes associated with ageing.”
For Marie, cosmetic treatments can be about improving the quality and appearance of the skin rather than simply changing someone’s features.
“Treatments can be about improving skin quality and supporting collagen production, not simply changing the way somebody looks.”
Her own history with acne also means she particularly enjoys working with people who arrive at the clinic feeling self-conscious about their skin.
“When somebody comes in worried about acne scarring, I don’t have to imagine how they feel. I’ve been that person,” she says.
From nursing to becoming a ‘nursepreneur’
Marie’s journey into aesthetics is also part of a broader shift among healthcare professionals exploring different ways to use their clinical experience. After working as a registered nurse, she found the pressures of the traditional healthcare system increasingly difficult and began looking for a way to remain connected to health while having greater control over her working life.
“I love nursing and I wanted to continue using my clinical background, but I also reached a point where I wanted to build something for myself and work on my own terms,” she says.
“I didn’t want to walk away from healthcare. I wanted to find another way of using my skills.”
That search eventually led her to Cosmetique and the opportunity to own and grow the Cosmetique Mandurah franchise. For Marie, the move brought together several different parts of her professional and personal life.
“For me, it brought several parts of my life together: nursing, skin health, business and my own experience with acne,” she says.
Her experience is also reflective of Cosmetique’s expansion into franchising. The Australian cosmetic clinic brand launched its national franchise program in 2025, with around 25 clinics currently operating across Australia and plans to have more than 40 operating by the end of 2026. The business has also introduced the Cosmetique Ascent pathway, designed to help nurses transition their healthcare experience into business ownership.
Turning a difficult experience into something positive
Perhaps the most interesting part of Marie’s story is how an experience that once made her incredibly self-conscious has ultimately become a source of professional purpose.
“If you had told me when I was younger and struggling with my skin that one day I would own a clinic and be helping other people dealing with some of the same concerns, I wouldn’t have believed you,” she says.
“But sometimes the things that affect us most deeply end up shaping what we do with our lives. My acne made me incredibly self-conscious, but it also created this fascination with skin and ultimately helped lead me here.”
And perhaps that is the bigger takeaway from her experience. While there is no single treatment or product that can promise to solve every skin concern, understanding what is happening beneath the surface—and seeking advice that is appropriate for your individual skin—can be a much more useful starting point than continually reaching for the latest miracle cream.
“Now I can use my nursing experience and my personal experience to help people make informed decisions about their skin. For me, that’s an incredibly rewarding outcome.”
Want to learn more about Sonique Marie and her approach to skin health and treatments? Click HERE to find out more about the Cosmetique Ascent pathway program to better skin.
