Advanced skin · Clarence Gardens

Tell me what's bothering you. I'll tell you what actually fixes it.

I've been working in skin since I was 21, and I train other therapists in plasma. You don't need to decode a treatment menu — you just need someone to look at your skin properly and give you a straight answer.

Jo Clayton, skin therapist, treating a client in her Clarence Gardens studio in Adelaide

Start with the concern, not the machine

Most clinics hand you a list of devices and expect you to work out which one you need. Mine is organised the other way around — you tell me what's bothering you, and the treatment gets matched to it.

Ageing, lines & firmness

Loss of tightness, fine lines, skin that's stopped bouncing back the way it used to.

Radiance & pigmentation

Dullness, sun damage, uneven tone and the marks that come with an Australian childhood.

Scars & skin texture

Acne scarring, roughness, enlarged pores and skin that doesn't feel smooth.

Acne & breakouts

Active breakouts and congestion, at any age — this isn't only a teenage problem.

Redness, sensitivity & barrier

Reactive skin, flushing, and barriers worn down by over-treating.

Hydration & wellness

Dehydration, tightness and dullness that no amount of moisturiser is touching.

Hair & scalp

Scalp health and hair concerns — treated as skin, because that's what it is.

Body skin

Texture, firmness and skin concerns below the jawline.

Fusion Plasma, and why I built a business around it

A cream sits on the surface. It was never going to reach the tissue that's doing the sagging.

Plasma energy works below the surface, prompting the skin to firm and rebuild as it recovers. That's a structural change rather than a hydration one — and it's the reason it does something no serum on earth can do, however good the serum is.

It isn't one treatment. Depending on your skin and what you're after, that might be Fusion Plasma dermal needling, skin tightening for the face, neck or décolletage, or the Diamond Facial. Which one is a conversation, not a checkout decision.

I also teach this. Therapists across Australia learn plasma through Skin Academy, and that's the part that keeps me honest — it's very hard to overclaim about a treatment when you spend your week explaining exactly how it works to the people who'll be performing it.

Fusion Plasma treatment in progress at Jo Clayton's Adelaide studio

How much downtime, honestly

Nobody puts this part in their advertising. I'd rather you knew before you sat in my chair than after.

The biggest myth about plasma is that all of it puts you out of action for a week. Most of what I do has no downtime at all. One treatment genuinely does — and that's the one worth planning around.

Downtime by treatment
TreatmentWhat to expect afterwards
Fusion Plasma Diamond Facial No downtime Instant glow, plumping and hydration. One of the best things you can book the day before an event.
PHIXEL Glow Resurfacing No downtime Same story — walk out looking better than you walked in. Event-ready.
Fusion Plasma for acne, psoriasis & barrier concerns No downtime Treating the condition, not resurfacing over it.
Fusion Plasma Dermal Needling About 24 hours Redness for roughly a day and some mild flaking — much like standard needling. The difference is the result: it does the work of around four needling sessions in one.
Fusion Plasma Skin Tightening & Plasma Fibroblast Around 5 days This is the one to plan around. Visible redness and crusting for about five days, with flaking starting around day four and continuing for up to five days after that. Book it before a quiet week.

If you're weighing up an event date against a treatment, message me and I'll tell you what fits. That calculation is easier when someone does it with you.

How it works

  1. Step 1

    Book a skin consultation

    We look at your skin properly and talk through what's actually bothering you — not what you think you're supposed to say. If a first facial suits you better as a starting point, we'll do that instead.

  2. Step 2

    You get a straight answer

    Including, sometimes, that the treatment you came in asking about isn't the right one. I'd rather tell you that than take the booking.

  3. Step 3

    A plan, not a one-off

    Real skin change happens over months, not in an afternoon. You'll leave knowing what you're doing, in what order, and roughly what it costs.

  4. Step 4

    I'm still here afterwards

    Questions between appointments are part of it. Message me — that's what the number's for.

What you can expect from me

What you get

  • The same practitioner every single visit
  • Treatments chosen for your skin, not for what's in the room
  • An honest recovery time before you commit, not after
  • Twenty-plus years in skin, and someone who teaches this work
  • A small private studio, not a conveyor belt

What you won't get

  • A hard sell on a package you didn't ask about
  • Promises about permanent or guaranteed results
  • A treatment I don't think will work for you
  • Someone new learning on your face

About Jo

I've been in this industry since I was 21 — makeup artistry first, then cosmetics retail and a stint as a state manager for a global skincare brand, then skin, which is where I stayed.

These days I do two things. I treat clients here in Clarence Gardens, and I teach advanced skin and plasma to other therapists through Skin Academy. People know me as Adelaide's Plasma Queen, which started as a joke and stuck.

If you've been quietly researching a treatment for months and still aren't sure — that's normal, and it's the conversation I have most often. Ask me anything you like.

Jo Clayton, skin therapist and educator, Adelaide

Questions I get asked most

How do I know which treatment I need?

You don't have to work that out. Book a skin consultation, tell me what's bothering you, and I'll match the treatment to the concern. That's the whole point of doing it in that order.

Do I have to have a consultation first?

For anything advanced, yes — and it's the most useful appointment you'll book. Every skin is different, and for some people the honest answer is that a different treatment will serve them better.

Does it hurt?

It depends on the treatment. Numbing is used where it's needed, and I'll tell you exactly what to expect before we start rather than after. Nobody likes a surprise in that chair.

I've got an event coming up — what can I have?

The Fusion Plasma Diamond Facial or PHIXEL Glow Resurfacing. Both have no downtime and give you instant glow, plumping and hydration, so they're safe the day before. What you don't want before an event is skin tightening — that one needs a quiet week.

Will everyone be able to tell I've had something done?

For most of what I do, no — there's nothing to see afterwards except better skin. Fusion Plasma Skin Tightening and Plasma Fibroblast are the exception, and there's a full breakdown of that recovery further up the page rather than buried in fine print.

How many sessions will I need?

Real skin change is a course, not a single appointment. How many depends entirely on your skin and your concern — you'll get a realistic number at consultation rather than an optimistic one in an ad.

Where exactly are you, and when are you open?

Clarence Gardens, about ten minutes south of the Adelaide CBD, by appointment on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. It's a private studio, so the full address and parking details come through with your booking confirmation.

How do I know you're qualified?

Over twenty years in skin, and I train other therapists in plasma. Bring any question you like to your consultation — I'd honestly rather you asked.

Not ready to book? Ask me first.

Tell me what's bothering you and I'll tell you honestly what would help.

No pressure and no sales pitch. If what you need isn't something I do, I'll say so and point you somewhere better.

I read and reply to these myself, usually within a day. Your details stay with me.

Ready when you are

By appointment Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at the studio in Clarence Gardens.

Book a skin consultation