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About MSTA
MSTA is the UK’s leading medic-led skincare training academy, built on the belief that exceptional results come from understanding skin deeply, not just learning a list of treatments.
Kirsty Stevenson · Founder & Training Director
@modelstandards
From the founder
I dropped out of school and went straight into beauty. Five years of training, testing, and obsessing over skin led me from nothing to opening Model Standards Clinic at 31 Rodney Street, Liverpool, a Grade II listed building that still feels like ours.
At the clinic, we had one rule: clients don’t choose their treatment. We assess the skin first, then prescribe. The results were extraordinary, and people started asking if we could train them in our methods.
I looked at what most skincare training was teaching and saw the problem immediately. Courses were teaching individual treatments (dermaplaning, chemical peels, microneedling) in isolation. Students were leaving qualified in a procedure but without a deep understanding of the skin beneath. Without that understanding, the best case is average results. The worst case is causing real harm.
So we built something different. A training academy that starts with the skin (its biology, its problems, its needs) and builds from there. One that teaches you to think like a clinician, not just perform like a technician.
That’s MSTA. Over 1,000 graduates later, the mission hasn’t changed. We exist to raise the standard: for the women who train with us, and for the industry they’re walking into.
Lots of love, Kirsty Xxx
What we stand for
First Never Follows
MSTA exists to lead, not imitate. We set the standard for modern skincare education through bold thinking, elevated delivery, and an uncompromising commitment to doing things differently.
Empowered Community
Success is built together. MSTA provides a welcoming, supportive environment where women feel seen, understood, and genuinely capable of building the career they dream of.
Transformational Standards
We are built on impact, not shortcuts. We exist to elevate the industry through deeper understanding, safer practice, and life-changing client transformations.
Our story
From a single clinic on Rodney Street to 1,000+ graduates across the UK and beyond.
2014
Model Standards Skin Clinic opens at 31 Rodney Street, Liverpool, a Grade II listed building that becomes home to MSTA.
2018
Kirsty founds MSTA and begins training students. The first Aesthetic Skincare For Beginners cohorts get under way, and students immediately start asking to be trained in the MSTA process.
2023
VTCT & iTEC centre status achieved. MSTA can now deliver Ofqual-regulated skincare qualifications up to Level 6.
2025
1,000 graduates milestone. The student community becomes a defining part of the MSTA identity: women across the UK building careers from scratch.
2026
MSTA expands to a second Liverpool academy, with occasional satellite training in London. The medic-led model remains at the core of everything.
The team
Kirsty Stevenson
Founder & Training Director
Kirsty dropped out of school and went straight into beauty. Five years of training, testing, and iterating led her from nothing to launching Model Standards clinic, then MSTA. She leads MSTA's training direction and is the face students associate with everything it stands for.
@modelstandards
Jemma Hesketh
Lead Training Educator
An active medic, VTCT Level 4 qualified aesthetician and a long-term MSTA educator. Jemma delivers the majority of MSTA's in-person training and is a named expert across MSTA's marketing.
@face_byjemma
Keji Sadiku
Training Educator
A biomedical scientist and active medic, Keji currently teaches the ASFB pathway while completing her own Level 4 qualification with MSTA. She also runs her own successful practice, SDK Aesthetics.
@sdk.skinaesthetics
Zoe Goldston
Course Operations Manager
Zoe runs the end-to-end experience of every MSTA course week, from model organisation to student certification. She is the person who makes the magic happen behind the scenes.
Credentials
MSTA is an approved VTCT & iTEC centre delivering Ofqual-regulated skincare qualifications, with hands-on training delivered by active medical professionals.
Ofqual Regulated
Approved VTCT & iTEC centre delivering Ofqual-regulated qualifications
VTCT iTEC
Levels 2 through 6 in skincare and aesthetics
Medic-led
Hands-on training delivered by active medical professionals
CPD Accredited
Non-regulated courses carry CPD certification
Dermaceutic
Educational partner (UK)
SkinPen
Educational partner (microneedling)
Where we are
Our flagship academy is at 31 Rodney Street, Liverpool, a Grade II listed building that has been home to Model Standards since 2014.
Our second Liverpool academy is at Ground Floor, Yorkshire House, 18 Chapel Street, five minutes from both Moorfields and Lime Street.
We also run occasional satellite training in London. It’s not a walk-in academy, so do get in touch before planning a visit.
Rodney Street Academy
Chapel Street Academy
Download our course brochure to explore every learning pathway, from complete beginner to advanced professional.
