Reinventing Dermatology and Herself

Transcript

Introduction: Meet Dr. Monika Brück

Hello, I’m Helen Cumins and this is Mallorca Living, a space dedicated to those who are dreaming of making Mallorca their home. Today I’m here with Dr. Monika Brück, who in 2025 moved to Mallorca from Germany to establish her dermatology clinic here on the island.
Thank you for being here. Thank you for having me. And welcome to Mallorca. Thank you. So, it’s been a busy year for you because you just moved here in January 2025. Yes.

Why She Left a Thriving Clinic in Germany for Mallorca

Can you tell us a little about the reason why you chose to move from Germany to Mallorca?
After many really fulfilling years in Germany, running a large clinic for dermatology and aesthetic medicine, I reached a point where my schedule was booked for months in advance.

That’s what we always want, of course—to be running a successful business. But there was a point where the time I had to explore my ideas about the aging process and my treatments addressing it became less and less.

This is an experience many successful doctors have. Time becomes the issue. Yes. And I just thought I needed more space to go deeper into research again and explore my ideas about the aging process and new therapies more deeply.

Burnout, Overwork & the Desire for Deeper Research

Did you not feel you could do this in Germany? No. Because the pace of working and living is different. Much faster. So if you want to slow down, Mallorca is a good option. A better option.
It becomes a better and better option for me now. And where in Germany were you located? In the south, near Stuttgart, in Reutlingen. So you had your clinic in Reutlingen. And you’re originally from Poland. I was born and raised in Poland. I left Poland when I was 18 and moved to Germany, studied there and became a dermatologist.

Starting Over: Selling Her Big Clinic & the Dream of a Small Island Practice

You said you had a big clinic. How many people were on your team? 18. Did you sell the clinic? I sold the clinic two years ago and then had to be the head of the clinic for another two years to find a good successor who could run the business. I found a very nice colleague and now it’s going very well there.
How long was the process from deciding to move to Mallorca until you moved? Was it a longer-held dream? I came to Mallorca many times before on vacation. And I always said, “When I’m old, I want to have a little practice here.” I want to work forever, I love that. I imagined being a retiree and grandmother with a little practice. But this process started sooner now. I always dreamt of a small clinic here because I love the spirit, the environment, and I feel very well here.

But it’s a big difference being a tourist here and running a new business.

Patience, Faith & Trust: Keys to Building a Life in Mallorca

Can you tell us some of those differences? As a tourist, you don’t go as deep. You don’t touch things in the same way. In Germany we are used to things happening very fast. Here you have to slow down your expectations. On vacation you can better handle this pace because you’re relaxed. But when you start a business from scratch, you want things to go faster, and sometimes it doesn’t work.
It’s also a big lesson because you realize that even if something doesn’t happen today, maybe just next week, it’s still not a drama. We often hear on the Mallorca Living podcast that you need a lot of patience here. Patience, faith and trust. Yes, patience, faith and trust. You have to have a good concept and keep a kind of self-confidence even when things aren’t running the right way. Nobody was waiting for a new dermatologist here. So you have to be clear about your concept, be patient, and have faith—faith in your decisions.

When did you really make the decision to move here? Last year. And then things started to fall into place, step by step.

Joining Palma Clinic & Setting Up Dermatology from Scratch

In the beginning, I didn’t actually expect things to go as well as they are now. I really started the clinic around April because until the end of March I was still supporting my clinic and my new colleague in Germany. I was going back and forth. Since April I’ve been here 100%. Things are going well and I got a lot of support from my colleagues at Palma Clinic.
So you decided to connect your practice with Palma Clinic. You are their dermatologist within the practice. It’s predominantly German doctors there, so you probably have patients in common. That’s likely one of the easier roads to establish a clinic here. It’s an easier start. And mentally, it’s easier to have people there you can ask. You don’t have to establish the clinic completely from scratch yourself. They already have administrative structures I can use.

There was no dermatology there before, just two empty rooms. Now we are very well equipped with lasers, all therapies, ultrasound, digital dermatoscopy. That was a lot of work at the beginning, but my children helped, my colleagues helped. I experienced that people help here because most of us are foreigners. So there’s a different spirit, you come closer together.

The Importance of Community & Local Support

I think if you reach out to people and say you need help or don’t know how something works, people are very open because we’ve all been through it ourselves when we came to the island.
Now, on the whole subject of dermatology: we live in the Mediterranean, we are much more exposed to the sun. What’s the main difference you’ve noticed here versus Germany?

Sun Exposure in Mallorca: What’s Different & Why It Matters

Mainly it’s the same, but the obvious difference is the sun exposure here. In Germany, most of our sun exposure is on vacation or in our free time. Here we are exposed every day, even on short trips from A to B. And through activities like golf, tennis, cycling, running, hiking, boating—where you often don’t feel the sun as much because of the wind.
The dose of light we get—not always direct sun—is enough to pose a higher risk of developing skin cancer. That’s the main difference.

How often do you recommend people get their skin checked?

Why Skin Checks Are Essential – Especially on the Island

Once a year is ideal. I visited you myself for my annual checkup. It’s good to always go back to the same dermatologist because then there’s a record. They can see if there are any danger zones and if there’s any progression or change.
We take pictures and see the microstructure of a mole. Comparing it to the picture from the next year, we can see if there’s any change in the structure. That’s a very important sign to decide if we can leave it or if we have to remove it.

How has the whole area of dermatology changed in the last 10-15 years? It must be an area with a lot of developments.

Game-Changing Breakthroughs in Melanoma Treatment

A lot has changed. Dermatology is connected with aesthetics because the skin is the first thing we see—our outer layer. Aesthetics has had a big impact on dermatology in recent years.
In dermatology itself, there was a really great breakthrough with new therapies for melanoma. A few years ago there was no cure for melanoma. It was revolutionary that we can now cure melanoma with immunotherapy. That’s a big change in medicine.

I assume if it’s caught early? Yes, we want to catch it early. But there is also more potential for curing advanced melanoma, which wasn’t possible a few years ago.

Has the number of people getting melanoma increased a lot? Yes, and also white skin cancer (basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma). That’s related to how we live: we are more active outside, do sports, and perhaps pollution and all these things play a role.

Can I speak to you a bit about moving as a doctor from Germany to Spain? How does that whole process work? Do you have to register here as a doctor to practice?

Legalising Her Profession in Spain: What It Takes

Yes, there is a process of getting your profession recognized here. You have to show all your records, which have to be translated. It’s not a very complicated process.
To become registered here in Spain—is speaking Spanish a requirement? I think when I went through the process, anyone could, because my Spanish is terrible. But you have to speak a little. I have to work on it. You speak Polish, German, English very well. I don’t think Spanish will be so difficult for you. I have to work on it.

At Palma Clinic, you deal predominantly with foreigners on the island, right? It’s very much German and English speaking, set up for the foreign market.

The Process of an Annual Skin Check-Up

When someone visits you at the clinic, what’s the normal process for an annual checkup? They make an appointment at Palma Clinic. The examination takes about half an hour. It doesn’t hurt and is an easy examination. I would really encourage anyone who doesn’t do this annually to start, because it’s so important.
It’s like anything with your health: if you catch something early, especially as a fair-skinned foreigner living here… I’m from Ireland where it rains all the time. We weren’t really made for this sunny environment.

I want to talk to you about your family vacation home. When did you purchase that? 2022. And it’s in Es Capdellà, right? Why did you choose that part of the island?

Buying a Village House in Es Capdellà – Without All the Papers in Place

It’s a very nice, quiet part of the island. Just romantic. It’s an old village house with a beautiful view of the Galatzó mountain.
Was that the area you vacationed in the past, in the southwest? When the children were small, we were in the southeast, Cala d’Or, Porto Petro. As they grew up, they wanted to be closer to Palma, so I chose this area.

It’s very accessible, close to Calvià and also very near the sea. You’re literally 10 minutes from the sea and 5 minutes from the mountains, tucked just underneath the Tramuntana. I cycle through this village often, it’s so pretty. It’s popular with foreigners, but there’s a good mix of locals and foreigners. There’s a nice spirit in this village.

Have you gotten to know your neighbors? Especially since I got my new dog. You have a dog? A rescue dog? Yes, I have a rescue dog. Is there a big center in Calvià? Is he from there? No, I found my dog in Germany. I was looking here for a dog, but since I work a lot, I needed a dog that matched my life. Yes, I found him in Germany and now he has also moved to Mallorca.

How is it going with the dog? Do you take him for walks? Yes, twice a day, morning and evening. And he loves being in the garden.

So you have a garden. You also mentioned that with this house, the administrative work was missing when you bought it. That was very brave or crazy. Well, I always say buying something in a foreign country is an act of bravery because you never know what you don’t know. That’s the problem.

So you fell in love with this house, bought it despite the missing paperwork, and then set about getting it. I knew what I had to do to get it. I went through the process of legalizing it and it worked. Just one week ago I got my papers. It took almost three years, but you got there.

That obviously increases the value of your house a lot if you want to sell in the future. Older fincas sometimes have this legalization problem. I think it will raise the value.

Will you renovate it now? Will you do some work on the house? Yes, sure. I’ll get some furniture from Germany and make it nice for me.

But you said it’s not necessarily your home for life. I think it matches my current mood very well—to calm down, be in nature a lot, spend time reflecting and on research.

Why She Loves the Tramuntana Foothills & Small Village Life

That’s why I’m here. I wanted more time for research, to go deeper into the aging process, to develop new therapies. I need time for that. I’m a bit alone there and I really like it. This house matches my current mood. But actually I am a person for a modern house. So I will change.
Will you stay in this location, do you think, or move closer to Palma? I will move closer to Palma. What do you think of Palma? I love Palma. It’s incredible what comes together in this city. It’s full of culture, full of tradition, and yet so modern and international, cozy, small and big in one. It’s a very special city. One of the most beautiful cities in the world, I think too. And to be part of it… It’s not too big, but big enough. It’s a good mix. And of course there’s life there all year round, which is great—restaurants are open, theater, concerts.

Great. I would love to ask you to do a favor for me. Mallorca Living is a video podcast dedicated to those who are dreaming of making a life for themselves here on Mallorca. This is a very personal project for me where I get to share wonderful stories about people who have actually made the transition to Mallorca. I would love to ask you to subscribe to this channel because it helps the channel grow and makes sure we continue to grow and prosper and reach as many people as possible who are interested in making Mallorca their home. Thank you so much for subscribing and liking and sharing your comments. We love to hear your thoughts and feedback. Thank you so much.

You’ve developed your own technology for aging well. Can you tell us a little about that?

Creating a Regenerative Anti-Ageing Treatment: UL-Boostering

The treatment I developed is called UL-Boostering. It combines ultrasound with regenerative substances that are applied to the skin using different techniques.
It grew out of an idea of going beyond common treatments—not just filling up tissue or replacing volume. It’s more about regeneration and teaching the skin to do something again. After we are 20, the body doesn’t have to renew everything all the time and it needs some kind of impulse.

The aging process is very complex; many factors lead to it. If you want to reverse it, you have to combine different treatments—it’s like a holistic aging process and a holistic treatment for it.

Does the treatment take place over a period of time? Normally about two to three months. What results can one expect? The result is a younger, fresher-looking appearance, but without looking like fillers or Botox. You can use fillers, that’s not the point. There’s nothing wrong with fillers, but you have to use them very well. First you have to analyze the face very well to recognize what was lost over time. I never add something extra to the face. I have to recognize what the face lost and just replace it. Is it more collagen? More volume? More connective tissue? The shape of the face? The structure? We address all structures in the face by choosing a special treatment for it. The combination leads to a very natural outcome that I love.

I don’t want the people I treat to look like they’ve been “done”. No one should know they were in my office. They should just look better, nicer. They should be asked, “Are you freshly in love?” or “Did you just come back from vacation?” That feeling of being fresh, without people noticing the treatment. They just notice a better outcome, a fresh look.

What I love about this treatment is that my patients got back more self-confidence and felt much better about themselves. When we get older, there’s often a feeling that we look older than we feel inside. The older we get, the stronger this feeling becomes. After this treatment, the two come together more. And people say not “I feel different” but “I feel like myself again”. That’s the best outcome I can deliver.

Are your patients typically women? More women, but in Mallorca I also have more men than in Germany. Great. Do you have to apply very different treatments? No, it’s a combination of different treatments. I always wanted to treat beyond the usual. That’s why I missed the time to explore the aging process—because I had so much work in Germany in the last five years that I had no time for it. And it’s such an exciting process.

Inside-Out Ageing: Epigenetics, Skin Health & Long-Term Results

When you go very deep and try to understand why we lose our fat pads in the face, why our bones change, why we lose collagen, why the face sags—if you keep asking, you always come back to the cell. We age. We see the aging process from the outside, but it happens on the inside.
My idea for my next project will be a combination of treatment from the outside and from the inside, on a cellular regeneration level. Have you seen results from that yet? Sure, but we are just starting with this kind of treatment. I need time to research deeper. So you take what exists on the market and experiment, put together your own recipe? Yes, that’s like my own recipe for a very good soup.

Great. You’re a great advertisement for your own treatment because you look amazing. Thank you. But have you noticed a difference in your lifestyle and how you feel and look since moving to Mallorca? Yes.

Slowing Down, Walking the Dog & Reconnecting with Herself

Can you tell us about that? I think the environment has an impact on our life. Even though I was very fast and stressed when I arrived, life here sometimes forces you to do things a bit slower. The sun, the view from my house, the walks with my dog, talking to the neighbors—I didn’t really have that in Germany. There I got up in the morning, went to my clinic, worked all day, came back—that was 11 hours every day.
It’s different here. I’m not patient yet; patience is not my strongest side. But I’m learning and enjoying getting better at it. I always say: if you live in Mallorca, you have to slow down, otherwise you’ll drive yourself crazy. It doesn’t make sense to force something that isn’t there. So you start to get into this rhythm of life, which is perhaps healthier.

It is healthier. And this has a connection to my therapy, because I’m also a specialist in epigenetics. That’s a science in medicine that shows us that we are not victims of the genes we are born with. We can change so much about our health and our life with our lifestyle. One of the topics is living a bit slower. Stress is the worst thing we can do for our health. And that’s not just an esoteric idea; we see it very clearly in science.

It’s also about what brings you joy and makes you happy. I’m sure you worked 11-hour days in Germany and loved it. Your eyes light up when you talk about it, which is beautiful. But maybe this is part of a process of reclaiming your life and reconnecting with yourself. It sounds like you were on a road of “doing, doing” without time just for “being”.

Sure. And giving myself personally space to go deeper into things that are important to me. What is really important to me? And have you found out what is really important to you? A lot of things have changed for me. I really love it. I’m in a process, not at the end, but in a very good process. Sometimes it’s a little scary because it’s so different. Change can be scary.

Why Mallorca is the Perfect Place for Transition & Healing

You came to Mallorca alone. That was a big, brave decision. Yes. But you know, I love being close to my children. We talked about me moving to Mallorca and they love the idea, they understand it very well. Sometimes I was a little concerned about how it would be. And they said, “You left Poland alone at 18, you were in a refugee camp for months. If you did that, Mallorca is like child’s play for you.” So I thought maybe there’s something to that.
Do you feel you draw on that strength and resilience from that experience? I think so. Yes. I can rely on myself. That’s a very good feeling. I’m not always calm, but I can rely on myself. And maybe that also grows with the confidence of actually doing it now. Yes. And it’s working.

I have very nice, good patients here. The difference to Germany is that they are from all over the world here. That’s also very inspiring for me. Mallorca is so cosmopolitan. I learn things and hear stories. I have more time for patients here. In Germany the room was prepared for me, I came in, treated my patient whom I knew for years, and then left. There were seven treatment rooms, it was like a rotation system. Here my practice is small and nice, and I have time to talk to people, hear their stories. Sometimes they want to hear my story. We talk about dogs and life. It’s nice. It’s a nice setting.

Does the Reality Meet the Dream?

Yes. But you can never imagine how it really will be, because you come with a specific mindset. I wanted to build a business here again and knew with my German mindset what I had to do. And then you meet a different culture, a different setting, and you have to adjust. Something happens to you. Something shifts. And I enjoy it. It works very well, in a different way, but it works very well. We have a full clinic now.
I love listening to you, Monika, because you seem to embrace even the challenges in a very positive way. You know what? I love challenges. That’s the problem. If there’s no challenge in my life, I’m not happy. I get bored. I don’t miss stress, but I love mastering challenges and being creative. Like now, going deeper into epigenetics. I read a lot, sometimes four books at once. That makes me happy. My dog and my books, and I’m happy when I come home and see the sheep in Es Capdellà. It’s a nice setting. That’s why I want to stay there for a year or two and then move to a modern house. But for now it’s perfect.

It’s like a little nest you’ve set up for yourself. Yes. And you’re diving deep into your own process. It’s the perfect place for a reset. Brilliant. I love that you recognize this, because many people in transition become frustrated because they want it now and don’t want to go through the transition period.

Why Challenges Drive Her

Yes, the problem with transition is that you lose something, but there’s a period of time where you don’t know what will come. Handling that period is very hard. And that’s where we are again with faith and trust. And staying focused and visualizing the future you want to have. You have to have a great desire, be hungry. And if you can see it, you know you’re on the way. You repair your mindset with it in the worst times.
Do you want to have a big clinic again in Mallorca, like in Germany? Probably not in the same way. I love this contact, having more time with patients. But I think we will grow. Yes, I think I will grow.

Great. We look forward to seeing you flourish and grow in Mallorca and bringing all your talent, skills, and knowledge to the island. I think we’re in good hands with you.

But before you go, I want to ask you our quick-fire questions. Okay. “Fire” sounds good.

Quickfire Questions: Beach, Pa amb Oli & Palma Love

Are you a beach or mountain person? Beach. Sunrise or sunset? Sunrise. You’re an early morning girl. Summer heat or winter calm? Summer heat. Siesta or fiesta? Siesta. You like the siesta. And Pa amb Oli or Ensaimada? Pa amb Oli. North coast or south coast? Maybe you’re a south coast girl if you enjoyed your holidays in the sun in the south. Yes. But the north coast has its own charm. Yes. To calm down, the north coast, but I am closer to the south coast, which is also beautiful. It is also beautiful.
Thank you so much for being with us, Monika. It’s been an absolute pleasure to get to know you better and I wish you many years of continued success in Mallorca. Thank you so much. Thank you.

If you’re dreaming of making Mallorca your home, let me invite you to use our property buyer’s agency service. With our service and our help, we can guide you to the right location that fits with your lifestyle. We’ll also help you find the perfect home that fits with your dream. Contact us today for an online consultation or book an appointment and come and see us in Palma. We would love to help you make your transition to Mallorca a reality.