· By Your Fren Nancy
Meet Stephanie Dinh, RN @The Beauty Co.LAB
Have you always wanted to be a nurse?
Stephanie: I always knew I wanted to help people but it wasn’t until I volunteered at an assisted home living facility in AZ that made me change my mind. Originally I was enrolled in school to become a dental hygienist.
What made you want to specialize in aesthetics?
Stephanie: I actually stumbled upon it. Growing up I really enjoyed watching Extreme Makeover, The Swan, and Dr. 90210. I decided to specialize in aesthetics because it was a great way to combine my artistic and medical interests together after realizing hospice nursing was not for me.
How long did your degree take to achieve?
Stephanie: My nursing degree was the longest journey as I finished my prerequisites through a community college in AZ and then waited 2.5 years to get into a traditional RN program which lasted 2 years. Community college for 5 years, then 600hours for my esthetician license and countless hours of advance training for the past 7 years.
There’s so many offices that offer the same tweakment services these days. What is it that you think, set nurses apart?
S: The nurses that take the time to know their patients to create honest, safe, yet artistic care plans typically stand out. I also pay attention to the people who invest their time and efforts into growing by continuously attending conferences or trainings from the best people in the industry.
What’s your favorite brand of filler and why?
Stephanie: To be quite honest there isn’t one brand I favor because they all serve a purpose for the right patient. Not all fillers are created equal and they each have their own characteristics.
Do you have a favorite part of the face and tweakment that you love to do?
Stephanie: My favorite as of late has been full facial balancing which includes treating all areas of the face because patient satisfaction is incredibly high. It’s allowed me to push my skills forward by working on multiple areas which makes the patient look more natural.
What do you think of the cat eye trend?
Stephanie: I don’t care for trends but understand why it’s there. It’s a preference for some but not for me. A little brow lift to let more light in is tasteful, however changing the true shape of the brow in that manner can look odd for most patients.
What do you encourage people to do prior to prepare for their appointment?
Stephanie: Research, ask questions, be curious and do not go into this blindly. When you are picking your provider, make sure to do your due diligence and find the right provider for you. There are risks with all procedures, do not consider sacrificing safety and experience for cost. Good injectables are not cheap and cheap injectables are not always good. Also, remember trends come and go.
…and then, aftercare suggestions too, please:
Stephanie: Protect your investment and follow post procedure protocols from your providers.
Have you ever turned a client away or refused service? If so, what happened?
Stephanie: Absolutely, if the treatment is not right for you and unrealistic, I will will kindly decline.
What trends do you see coming up in this industry?
Stephanie: More of a push for natural intentions with injections.
Lips are always trendy but it looks to be more manageable now compared to three years ago. Every now and then I’ll get someone requesting for disproportionate lips which then I would respectfully decline.
What are some of the stigmas you’d like to debunk about tweakments and this industry as a whole?
Stephanie: The stigma that you’re changing the way you look with injectables and it will make you look fake. Aging changes the way you look.
There are ways to treat the face and not make you look unattractive or overdone. We are aiming to slow down the signs of aging, not always reversing it.
If you had to pick only one: toxins or filler?
Stephanie: Neither, skincare.
Why do you think am I seeing such a huge price difference everywhere? I’ve seen ads for lips - 1 syringe - varying from $700 to $199!
Stephanie: It boils down to experience, business model, and location. More experienced vs less experienced. Business model for quality vs quantity. The areas that are saturated with providers typically drive the prices down. But as I said earlier it’s all of the above together.
How often I should go back for toxins and filler tweakments?
Stephanie: On average toxins 3-4months depending on dose, metabolism, area of treatment and size of muscle.
On average for fillers 1-2+ years depending on amount of product, the type of product, patient metabolism, and area of treatment after full correction.
How do you feel about threads?
Stephanie: Love them for the right patient.
Do threads cause internal scarring?
Stephanie: If done improperly for the wrong patients, it can be a possibility. Essentially it’s creating a collagen matrix to support the patients tissue. Think reinforcement.
I’m sure alot of people ask this…can pregnant women get toxins and/or fillers?
Stephanie: Because it’s unethical and likely never to be studied, the answer should be no.
If so, what if they’re breast feeding?
Stephanie: Same answer as above.
Thank you so much for sharing all of this valuable information, Stephanie! Where can interested clients find you?
Stephanie: You can find me at The Beauty Co.LAB in Brea, CA. Wednesdays and Fridays.