LOCATED on 76 North Street in the heart of Skibbereen, The Hook Clinic has become part and parcel of West Cork life in a short period of time, attracting clientele from the locality – both those who live here all year around and those who have second homes in the area.
The Hook Clinic opened its doors in December 2024 at the former site of Liam Quirke’s Dental Clinic and has brought a worldclass level of treatments to the area, of the kind that people expect in bigger cities.
Dr Hook received her medical training at St George’s Hospital, University of London.
Having worked for some time in the UK, the East Cork native moved back to Cork in the last few years, choosing West Cork as an ideal place to raise her young family.
Having initially trained as a medical doctor in England and subsequently working in acute medicine and psychiatry, Dr Hook trained in medical aesthetics in 2016 and brings a wealth of experience.
She continues to train and learn new techniques and treatments, travelling to the UK, US, Europe and even planning on a training trip to learn new skills in Asia.
It’s very important to her that there is nothing intimidating or exclusive about the atmosphere at The Hook Clinic in Skibbereen.
The Hook Clinic is a wellness space for everyone.
Since they opened, they have continued to add new services including the popular Medical Weight Loss Clinic, with a Menopause Clinic about to open this summer.
‘Our Menopause Clinic is starting in July,’ says Dr Hook.
‘We also have an Emsella Chair for pelvic floor strengthening – the only chair of its kind in West Cork. After lots of research into the best devices we now have an IPL and resurfacing laser – for sun damage, acne scars, ageing and rosacea. The device we decided on is an excellent medical grade one that’s used by top clinics and the NHS in the UK… we also have the only SkinPen microneedling device in West Cork.’
‘One interesting thing we’ve found is that quite a lot of people who are from Dublin or Cork and who have holiday homes here are coming to us for various treatments,’ says Dr Laoise Hook, the owner of The Hook Clinic.
‘It suits them very well, especially for procedures that require some downtime, such as microneedling or laser treatment where they can stay down here in privacy afterwards or for those that come down for the summer and don’t want to have to travel back for more regular appointments like anti-wrinkle.’
‘Until now West Cork has been underserviced when it comes not only to medical aesthetics but also women’s health, weight loss and wellness. We are so excited to bringing these services to the people of West Cork. And the people of West Cork know what they want. I think that they are prioritising skin care and skin rejuvenation over the older-style treatments that give big cheeks and big lips.’
This is in keeping with trends generally, she says, and more and more men are coming to her clinic – particularly in the areas of anti-wrinkle treatment and treatments for rosacea.
With some of the medical procedures (such as neuro-modulators for teeth-grinding or for hyperhidrosis/excessive sweating), there’s already a 50/50 split in the client base between men and women.
The Hook Clinic’s doors are always open, in any case, to all those seeking to improve themselves inside and out, through its warm welcome and its topclass expertise in medical aesthetics and general wellness.
