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Like the tiny bird their business is named
for, Hummingbird Medical, Cosmetic and
Aesthetic Institute owners Lizanne and
Adriaan Viljoen are constantly on the move.
In the past seven years, they’ve built a small
empire out of their innovative idea to combine the
comforting atmosphere of a spa with the sciencebased
care of a medical clinic.
The couple, originally from South Africa, has four
flourishing locations in the Calgary area, including a
flagship institute at Sirocco Dr. S.W. that employs 20
staff and sees an average of 40 to 50 clients a day.
They’ve also affiliated with a partner company to
Lizanne &
open 26 other Hummingbird spa locations in Eastern
Canada, Tulsa, Okla., and Maui, Hawaii.
“Next, the world,” Lizanne says with a laugh.
Entering Hummingbird’s main location, it’s easy
to see why they’ve been so successful.
A bouquet of calming fragrances meets you at the
door, helping to release the day’s stress.
Zen interiors with nature-inspired colours, original
artwork by Angela Morgan and calming music
help complete the soothing atmosphere.
The institute gives clients a chance to get everything
from aromatherapy massages and manicures to
innovative medical skin treatments and lip-plumping
injections, all in the same location.
Before and after photos in the waiting room show
the dramatic transformations of past clients: Scarring
and acne giving way to smooth, even skin, sagging
cheeks becoming smooth and firm, brow and
forehead wrinkles fading or even disappearing, lifting
years from a client’s appearance.
Treatments include everything from at-home
products for sun damage and uneven skin to intense
pulsed light therapy, sonophoresis vitamin infusions,
sciton skin resurfacing and radio frequency
skin tightening.
The results of these are why some Hummingbird
clients have been coming back regularly for more
than five years.
“I think the greatest compliment I can get from
a client is when they give you a hug and say thank
you,” says Adriaan.
“This happens quite often, which is nice.”
The Viljoens met in university while Adriaan was
studying medicine and Lizanne was pursuing nursing.
After marrying, they moved to Canada and set up
a small family medical practice.
Their experience with cosmetic treatments began
when a dermatologist friend of theirs gave Lizanne
some sample Botox treatments.
“I fell in love with it because I looked refreshed,”
she says. “I didn’t look as old as I was because I
didn’t have the wrinkles I did before.”
Adriaan began performing treatments such as
Botox and chemical peels on a limited basis, coming
to see cosmetic medicine as “the perfect mar-
AdriaanViljoen
HUMMINGBIRD INSTITUTE
39
riage of medicine and art.”
Soon after, the couple decided to make a business
of it.
They say their clients have been surprised and
even ecstatic to realize they can look much younger
— without having to go under the knife.
“A decade ago, when a woman reached around
50, some kind of crisis would happen and she’d look
in the mirror and think, ‘I look so old!’ and get a
face lift,” Lizanne says.
“Now they start earlier and get little, non-invasive
treatments done all the way along.”
Their business now sees a wide demographic,
from 14-year-olds seeking acne treatment to men
wanting laser hair removal and 84-year-olds coming
for pampering.
The Viljoens hope Hummingbird will soon be
seen as “the place to go” in Calgary for any cosmetic
services.
They try to keep their prices low — something
made easier by their multi-location buying power
— so being treated and looking good is an option
for everyone.
“We don’t want people to feel like they can’t
afford to breathe the air in here,” Lizanne says.
“We want them to feel welcome.”
Visit www.hummingbirdcosmetic.com for more
information.