Rejuvenated
Lisa Campbell, the founder of LC Aesthetics in Wilmington, finds joy in the opportunity to help patients realize their aesthetic and wellness goals.
Many people who have an innate desire to care for others pursue a career in the nursing profession. Given the demands of the job, however, many nurses find that they often sacrifice their own health and wellness for the sake of others. Lisa Campbell, MSN, NP, can relate.
During the COVID-19 era, Campbell was a decade into her bedside nursing career when she realized she needed to devote more time to self-care. In addition to adopting an anti-aging routine, she continued her education at Wilmington University, where she earned a Master of Science in Nursing and became a nurse practitioner. In the process she attained an in-depth knowledge of anatomy, and became steeped in the latest advances in aesthetic medicine and skin care. Doing so enabled her to alter her career path in a way that she could make a profound difference in the lives of others.
Approximately one year has passed since Campbell founded her own medical spa in Wilmington, Delaware, called LC Aesthetics. The med spa offers cosmetic injectables such as dermal fillers and botulinum toxins, advanced skin care services, and medical weight loss through injections of GLP-1 medications, among other aesthetic offerings.
“I treat patients, not clients,” Campbell says. “I’m not selling fillers or Botox®; I’m listening to my patients tell me about a chief complaint, whether it’s weight loss or sagging skin or unwanted wrinkles, assessing the problem or complaint, and then delivering an aesthetic program based on evidence-based research to address it. This is results-driven medicine.”
Campbell enjoys working in such a dynamic branch of medicine, one in which a skilled professional such as herself can use an ever-changing mix of products and technologies to offer exceptional outcomes. Continuing education is the bedrock of her practice; she has trained under practitioners who are considered leaders in aesthetic medicine and regenerative medicine, both across the United States and around the world. She recalls one particularly enlightening workshop in Ashland, Oregon, where she trained under Julie Bass Kaplan for “48 hours of science” to explore anatomy relative to aesthetic medicine.
While ongoing education has been one of the keys to her practice’s growth, Campbell believes aesthetic medicine is as much an art as it is a science.
“We see a lot of patients who are in the practice of ‘injector hopping’ because they’re shopping on price, so they’re going from one injector to the next without forming a strong relationship,” she says. “The problem with this is that there’s no continuity in care, which can lead to inconsistent results. The more you stick with a trusted professional, the better results you get—more bang for your back.”
One of the procedures she enjoys most is known as “Micro-Sculpt.” The procedure pairs microneedling, which uses needles to make tiny holes in the skin to stimulate the healing process and produce more collagen and elastin, with Sculptra, a biostimulatory injectable that kickstarts the body’s natural production of collagen. Campbell praises the procedure for its ability to “double up” results—diminishing the appearance of lines and wrinkles.
Campbell’s expertise with injectables informs another aspect of her practice: medical weight loss by way of GLP-1 medications such as semaglutide and tirzepatide. Semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic® and Wegovy®, and tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Mounjaro® and Zepbound®, both have shown tremendous success in helping patients attain significant weight loss. In addition, both medications have produced other secondary benefits, such as improving cardiovascular health and managing blood sugar for people with type 2 diabetes.
“I’ve had one patient who has lost 50 to 60 pounds so far,” Campbell says. “While that’s a wonderful thing, sometimes if we lose weight at a rapid pace, we may see some fat distribution and challenges in terms of facial volume. The good news is that we may be able to address some of those challenges with cosmetic injectables.”
The LC Aesthetics suite is located within Houppette, Wilmington’s premier boutique for luxury cosmetics. The two businesses share a symbiotic relationship, with each bringing foot traffic to the other. Campbell says her patients appreciate the fact that Houppette also has other self-care options on site, such as massage therapy and aesthetician services, to uplift the body from head to toe.
A year after founding LC Aesthetics, Campbell could not be happier. Her practice is thriving, with a growing number of patients who seek her out to achieve their health and wellness goals. She also mentors other clinicians who are interested in learning from her expertise in aesthetic medicine. Her role as an educator extends to her interactions with patients.
“I always try to educate my patients about what’s realistic and what’s possible,” she says. “As an injector, it’s so important to say no when you have to. A couple of times per week I will tell a patient, ‘No, I can’t deliver the result you’re looking for.’ It’s your name and your work out there. I also encourage them to do their homework [when choosing a provider] because it’s costly to reverse poor outcomes.
“Patients can’t be afraid to ask questions of their aesthetic providers,” she continues. “Ask if they are prepared for all outcomes. Ask to see before-and-after images of their work. Ask about the experience they provide. If I were a patient, I would ask every question possible.”
As she looks forward, Campbell sees growth on the horizon. She’s the practice’s sole care provider at the moment, though she would like to have a team of providers someday. She also intends to continually refine her service mix; she’s particularly interested in adding an energy-based device to provide even more options for enhancing the skin’s texture and appearance.
“Taking care of people has been my calling for a long time,” she says. “I’m still taking care of people, but I now have work-life balance and it’s not as mentally taxing as what I used to do as a nurse. The saying goes that if you love what you do, you’ll never work another day in your life. I think that’s true, and I feel like I’ve found that at 35.”
LC Aesthetics
4021D Kennett Pike
Wilmington, DE 19807
lc-aesthetics.com
(302) 421-9036
4021D Kennett Pike
Wilmington, DE 19807
lc-aesthetics.com
(302) 421-9036
Photo by Alison Dunlap
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life, December 2024.
