Prague's newest skin care specialist shares lessons on building a career abroad

The first thing you notice when you walk into Face Place Prague isn’t the smell of serums or a display of products stacked high, as you may find in other skincare clinics. It’s the release you feel even before your treatment begins.

Ever since it opened its original West Hollywood location in 1972, Face Place has stuck true to its ethos. The brand prides itself on more than five decades of commitment to corrective, results-driven skin health rather than cosmetic quick fixes, sharing their expertise at locations in London and Prague, their first choice for expansion on the European continent.

With a loyal following of Hollywood's jet set, including Laura Dern and Sophia Coppola, you might expect Face Place to be exclusive or showy, but the atmosphere feels surprisingly real and homegrown. Even when you walk in, you don't feel like another appointment, but are personally greeted by the new Head Skin Coach, Vaishali Depala.

While she's still finding her footing as a first-time expat in Czechia, Face Place has always felt like a second home for Depala, and that's helped her get adjusted to a new life abroad. According to the seasoned skincare specialist, working in a new country was the easy part. “Everything else is the challenge," she admits. "The language, the culture, the systems, I’m trying to manage that and be present in the moment."

Much like moving abroad, the world of skincare is not about instant gratification, but about committing to the process. “Eighty percent of skin health happens at home,” Depala says. “The other 20% is about getting the right guidance.”

And like many expats, Depala has rebuilt her career more than once. Born and raised in London, she began her 17-year professional journey in retail management. She remembers styling shop windows and sensing she was meant for something else.

Depala was drawn to skin science, body awareness, and the relationship between practitioner and client. That focus led her to pursue international qualifications and secure a role at Clarins Skin Spa, where she mastered rigorous protocols and discipline, and discovered the power of client connection.

“It was instantaneous, something intuitive, beyond technique,” she explains. Learning early to trust her instincts, she saw over time that a calm presence, humor, and lightness could ease even the most anxious visits.

That sensitivity shaped her decision to eventually open her own practice. “It was one of the hardest things I had to do,” she recalls. “I sat in a room with an empty diary and thought, ‘What have I done!’”

She moved forward anyway, guided by a clear philosophy. Each treatment was tailored, each client fully seen, with equal attention to emotional comfort and visible results. About a year later, she was invited to join the London branch of Face Place, where her collaborative, disciplined approach aligned closely with the brand’s long-standing emphasis on skin correction and consistency.

Unlike the traditional European spa model, which often prioritizes sensory experience, Face Place centers its work on efficacy, focusing on skin health, structure, and long-term results rather than surface-level beauty shortcuts.

When the company was set to open its first international franchise in Prague in 2022, Depala was called in to help with the training.

She worked between the London and Prague locations for a few years, becoming a key figure for the franchise. Even with her own clients and practice in London, the chance to keep expanding Face Place’s methodology in a more full-time role was too meaningful to pass up.

“I remember getting on the flight back to London and realizing that things were about to change,” she says. “There was a fear of how I would manage it. But I did say yes.”

Depala continues to split her time between cities, adjusting to unfamiliar systems and navigating a language that isn’t her own. Yet, despite the daily challenges of moving abroad, she brings a calm presence to Face Place, both in her work and in the way she meets clients.

The clinic is located in prime Prague expat territory, between Žižkov Tower and Riegrovy Sady. Depala knows that even moving to a familiar place can bring its own kind of stress, which is why she recommends treatments like the iDerm facial: Face Place’s signature, non-invasive treatment developed to support long-term skin health without injections or procedures that break the skin barrier.

The iDerm facial uses galvanic current to deliver a Vitamin C and zinc solution deep into the skin, supporting correction, hydration, and tissue health while avoiding needles or aggressive intervention. For clients navigating periods of change, she sees it as a steady, restorative option rather than an invasive remedy.

“I always say that we’re about results, but my first responsibility is about changing how you feel," she states. "And if a client leaves feeling better than when they arrived, I always feel I’ve done the job well.”

Looking ahead, Vaishali’s goal is to continue building awareness of Face Place’s mindful approach in Prague, creating a space where clients feel supported and seen. And while she came to teach others about care, she reflects that she, too, has learned her own lesson: sometimes slowing down, listening, and allowing the experience to unfold is where the real transformation happens.