Hi!! I’m Christina Delgado, a nurse practitioner, injector, trainer, wife, (new) mom, and unicorn!

In all my years in medical aesthetics, I’ve had a lot of people ask me how to get into this field, where to start, and if it’s worth it. So, I’m starting this blog to help as many people as I can learn about the world of medical aesthetics to see if it’s a good fit for them.

There was soo much I didn’t know before making the transition from the hospital to my own practice. So I thought the best place to start is to tell you about the two best ways to get into medical aesthetics, the reality of taking each path, and some tips I’d recommend to people just starting out. That way you can decide which path (or neither) is right for you!

But first…what is “medical aesthetics”?

Medical aesthetics (I call it aesthetics for short) is the practice of using medical procedures on patients to help them achieve their beauty goals. It’s less invasive than plastic surgery but more powerful than aesthetics (facials, waxing, dermaplaning, etc.).

Medical aesthetics usually involves the injection of neurotoxins, fillers, bio-stimulators, or other products into the face, neck, or body parts to improve symmetry and balance, or enhance/minimize certain features. We also use lasers, microneedling pens, centrifuge machines, and other tools for cleansing and rejuvenating skin.

Medical aesthetics can be performed by nurse practitioners, nurse injectors, plastic surgeons, physician associates, dermatologists, and even dentists (in some states). It all depends on the training they have.

Now that we know more about what medical aesthetics is, let’s talk about your options!

Path #1 – Solo Practitioner

This is the journey I took. I graduated from nursing school in 2011 and worked in the hospital for many years before I started wondering about medical aesthetics. It was never something we learned in school… There was OBGYN, pediatrics, oncology, and other departments but the aesthetics part of medicine wasn’t part of the curriculum.

In my early 20s, I got my first treatment with neurotoxins for wrinkles and it boosted my confidence dramatically. Later in my nurse practitioner career, I realized working in family medicine was not fulfilling. I thought back to my tox session and decided that I wanted to do for others what that treatment did for me.

While I was still working as a nurse practitioner in family medicine, I started by paying for my own trainings. I figured out that tox and filler trainings were just not enough, so I took more and more to become a confident and knowledgable injector. Then, I started taking on patients on my days off from the family practice and my first few patients were friends and family. Back then I had 1 patient per week, now I see 15 per day!

After my first few months, I learned that there was A LOT more work involved than what I saw on Instagram. But I was dedicated to becoming the best nurse injector in Staten Island so I worked really hard to build up my practice and do as many trainings as possible.

I turned my side hustle into a full-time job after 2 years of working like crazy in both roles. I opened up Posh Aesthetics and had enough patients to keep myself busy and pay for all of the new expenses.

Like…marketing, a lawyer, an accountant, an office space, training, products, machines and equipment, decor, and so much more. BUT, it’s been a very worthwhile journey. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

What I would want to know if I started from scratch are these few things:

• Working as a solo practitioner is great because you can create your own schedule. That said, you get as much as you give. So you can take weekends and holidays off, but that means your business won’t grow as quickly or big as it might if you put in more time.
• You are the face of the business 24/7, and everything that goes right or wrong is a reflection of you!
• 50% of your work is actual patient work, and 50% is business which means you have so many hats to wear! Find (or become) an expert in:
  • Marketing
  • Accounting / bookkeeping
  • Contracts
  • New treatment techniques
  • Social media
• Ideally, you want to be pretty confident in your skillset before you start out on your own…patients can tell if you’re a newbie which is okay, but they need to trust you (which comes from training and confidence).
• You’re going to have bad days (bad reviews, a procedure that didn’t work the way you wanted, patients leaving, etc.) so having a support system like friends or other nurse injectors or your significant other is important to keep you going through the hard times.
• Making patient care/safety and training your top priorities will help you stay competitive and build a long-lasting practice.
• Get comfortable with asking for help. Creating a network of other professionals that you can go to with questions will make running your business easier and less stressful.

Path #2 – Injector in an Office

The second common path is working as an injector at someone else’s medical aesthetics office. While I didn’t start my journey like this, I have friends that did and have some insight into what their experience was like.

What usually happens is you’ll apply to different medical aesthetics offices or spas. In some cases, you might be able to get a job without experience or having your tox/filler certifications. But that depends on the owner of the business and the state rules about who can inject.

Then, you’ll get training on the job and learn from the head injector or owner about techniques, patient care, customer service, and more. The company may also pay for some training as well. It’s likely that you’ll start by doing only one or two kinds of procedures, and then work your way to becoming a more versatile injector.

Here are some of my tips for anyone who is just starting out in a new office:

• Show your future employer that you’re serious by taking (and paying for) as much training as you can. It can be really competitive to get into a new office, so give yourself a leg up by being ready to do a variety of treatments.
• Do some research on the head injector/business owner first! You will be learning a lot from this person and probably working closely with them, so you want to make sure you trust them and believe they are highly skilled.
• One thing I tell my friends to pay attention to is whether the business owner/injector focuses more on selling or safety. (Having a legitimate doctor on staff is a good indicator that safety is important). If they ignore safety measures or best practices to push unnecessary treatments, or increase your liability … RUN!
• Pay attention to your contract before you sign. Most will have non-compete clauses, which are fine, but you want to make sure you understand what that means, what the timeline is, and so on. Of course, it’s best to get a lawyer’s opinion, but if that’s not available to you just do some Google research at the very least.
• Ask TONS of questions. Building a mentor-mentee relationship is the easiest way to fast-track your career. It all starts with paying attention, asking good questions, and showing your mentor that you’re leveling up with what they teach you.
• Enjoy the group setting! The most amazing thing about an office (in my opinion) is that you have a built-in support system for when a client complains, a complication happens, or you just have a bad day.

Basically…

There is no wrong way to get into aesthetics! It completely depends on your lifestyle and risk tolerance, and becoming a very successful nurse injector is VERY doable if you’re willing to put in the effort.

The first step is just to know what YOU want to do. By the way… just because I only talk about two ways, that doesn’t mean other options aren’t out there! You just have to start looking. And if you really want to do it, you will…you just need to work your ass off!

I hope this was helpful to you!

Feel free to DM me on Instagram @poshnp_ with any questions or comments. See you in the next post!