Mike Clague
Enrolled Nurse (EN, BSc)
Enrolled nurse (Division 2), General Registration- NMW0001618803
ORCID: 0009-0007-3540-3247
Mike Clague has worked in medical aesthetics for 23 years and has performed more than 50,000 treatments.
Research: Safety and the Management of Complications
Mike's research concerns the prevention and emergency management of complications in aesthetic practice, and his research has been recognised internationally.
In 2016, with Professor Greg Goodman AM, he co-authored the paper that first proposed the supraorbital and supratrochlear injection route for emergency hyaluronidase administration in filler-associated vision loss, as an alternative to the retrobulbar approach then in standard use. The 2020 Australian and New Zealand consensus statement of which Mike is a named author adopted that route and cited the 2016 paper as its authority for it. The route is now the recommended first-line in-clinic pathway in the RANZCO Guideline for Filler Blindness (2024), which directs clinicians to administer hyaluronidase at the supraorbital foramen or supratrochlear notch, reserving retrobulbar injection for those specifically trained in it. Mike is second author of the 2026 UK consensus guidelines on the same subject, and has presented on this work internationally.
Vision loss following injection is a rare but serious complication, and no treatment reliably restores vision. That is precisely why Mike's teaching and clinical practice place their primary emphasis on prevention, anatomical technique and immediate recognition.
Mike is also first author of a novel protocol for hypertrophic scar reduction, developed over more than a decade of practice and published as a case series in Plastic and Aesthetic Nursing (2024), which received the ISPAN Journal Award.
Teaching and Credentials
Mike began his career in medical aesthetics at Allergan, where over six years he was trained by internationally recognised practitioners including Dr Mauricio de Maio, Dr Michael Kane, Dr Ava Shamban, Dr Mary Lupo, Dr Alastair Carruthers, Dr Jean Carruthers, Dr Hervé Raspaldo, Dr Steven Liew and Professor Greg Goodman AM.
He has since trained more than 6,000 doctors and nurses across Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Thailand, India, Malaysia and the Philippines, and has consulted for Allergan, Galderma, Croma Pharma (Austria), ALMA Lasers, Lutronic, FILLMED, HUGEL Aesthetics and Xytide.
Mike is an Adjunct Lecturer (Practice) at Monash University, teaching alongside Professor Greg Goodman AM, dermatologist. His course covers patient suitability assessment, clinical governance, ethics, regulatory compliance and screening for body dysmorphic disorder. He holds a BSc (Anatomy) from Monash and serves on the board of the Cosmetic Nurses Association. He has 12 peer-reviewed publications.
Selected Publications
Sansome S, Clague M, Convery C, et al. Consensus Guidelines for the Management of Tissue Filler–Induced Vision Loss in the United Kingdom. Aesthetic Surgery Journal. 2026. DOI 10.1093/asj/sjag002
Goodman GJ, Magnusson MR, Callan P, … Clague M, et al. A Consensus on Minimizing the Risk of Hyaluronic Acid Embolic Visual Loss and Suggestions for Immediate Bedside Management. Aesthetic Surgery Journal. 2020;40(9):1009–1021. DOI 10.1093/asj/sjz312
Goodman GJ, Clague MD. A rethink on hyaluronidase injection, intraarterial injection, and blindness. Dermatologic Surgery. 2016;42(4):547–549. DOI 10.1097/dss.0000000000000670
Clague MD, Goodman G, Taing C, et al. Hyperdiluted Botulinum Toxin and Intense Pulsed Light Treatment: A Case Series to Illustrate a Novel Protocol for Hypertrophic Scar Reduction. Plastic and Aesthetic Nursing. 2024;44(2):116–123. DOI 10.1097/PSN.0000000000000551
Shamban A, Clague MD, von Grote E, Nogueira A. A Novel and More Aesthetic Injection Pattern for Malar Cheek Volume Restoration. Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. 2018. DOI 10.1007/s00266-017-0981-1
Papers Mike has co-authored have received the AlliedPro Featured Article award from Aesthetic Surgery Journal (Best Papers of the Year, 2024) and ASJ Open Forum (2025), both voted by the journals' editorial boards.
In Practice
Mike’s clinical approach is centred on patient safety, appropriate patient assessment and evidence-informed decision-making. He places importance on understanding each patient’s goals, discussing realistic expectations and ensuring patients are informed about potential risks associated with treatment.
Mike is available for consultations on Mondays and Thursdays.
Treatments performed by Mike:
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Please note that all treatment options offered at the Dermatology Institute of Victoria require a consultation with one of our practitioners prior to any treatment being administered.