Lourhanna Stefany is from Redenção, in Pará. She trained in Biomedicine, but her first choice was medicine. What she did not expect is that life could surprise her. Recently, she became an aesthetic biomedical professional, able to work with people's beauty.
An alternative degree
The beginning was not what she imagined. Lourhanna says she wanted to study medicine. But being away from her family for so long turned out not to be a good idea. And that was when life started preparing big surprises. A biomedicine class opened in her city.
The aesthetic biomedical professional explains how it happened: “At first, biomedicine was not my choice. Actually, I wanted medicine. But my difficulty was the location, since I would have to move to another city. Then, since a biomedicine class opened in my city, I decided to do it.”
As soon as she finished the degree, she did an internship for a few months in a clinical testing laboratory in her own city. In other words, she tried working in a lab. But that short time was enough for her to see that it would not be her field.
“I did not adapt to clinical analysis. It was not something I liked doing.”
A pause in biomedicine
So, since she did not adapt to clinical analysis, she started working with her father, in an area that had nothing to do with her training: marketing.
“I started working with my father at his advertising company. He makes commercials, flyers, and other things. I ended up getting involved with marketing. I even took some outside courses, like Facebook Ads, business management, delivery, and other things.”
Aesthetics only came later. “The funny thing is that in college there was even an elective course in aesthetics. But at that time, I was not interested. I could not see what aesthetics really is, in practice, in people's everyday lives.”
The idea of studying aesthetics
While still working with her father, she began talking with other biomedicine professionals. From there, influenced by people who had already done the specialization, she found out about Nepuga. “So I ended up choosing the postgraduate program in Aesthetic Biomedicine.”
She dove headfirst into her studies. “As the classes went by, I liked it more and more and more.” Now, after the theory classes, the aesthetic biomedical professional is finishing her specialization in the Clinical Immersion classes.
The biomedical professional from Pará knows she has some time to think about which area of aesthetics she will work in. “I am in an adaptation phase. I really like aesthetics and high performance in general. I work out at a women-only gym. And most of them want to lose weight. I like that.”
The challenges of the postgraduate program
This story has a distinctive twist. The biomedical professional is from Redenção (PA) and went to Goiânia (GO) to study. That means a car trip would take more than 28 hours via the Bernardo Sayão Highway or 32 hours via BR-020.
So, one of the main challenges she faced was getting around. “Family is a very important foundation. And that is a challenge because I am from Pará and have to travel to do the postgraduate program. It is not easy to leave everything behind to study somewhere else.”
She also talks about lodging. “Here in Goiânia, I have friends and relatives, which helped a lot because I can stay at their homes. Through fears and difficulties, with consistency, we keep overcoming the obstacles.”
The biomedical professional's future in aesthetics
Soon, Lourhanna will receive the title of aesthetic biomedical professional. “I intend to move up in this field to the point where I can go deeper and be a specialist. I like the body side more, body aesthetics. Although I find the facial side very interesting too.”
At the same time, she knows the road will not be simple. “Surely, every difficulty and every investment will result in success. Like every profession, this one also requires overcoming barriers. The rough patches are necessary.”
Even more so because she knows that aesthetics offers excellent value. “The financial return is much better in aesthetics than in clinical analysis. That is the most important part. But it also has the advantage of the work schedule.”
The importance of facing challenges
The aesthetic biomedical professional says she admires those who work on-call shifts, in laboratories, and in any other job that makes them happy. “I have had friends who really like clinical analysis, while I did not adapt to that area, because it varies from person to person.”
However, she says she fell in love with her new work schedule. “But aesthetics has its advantages, such as financial ones, schedule, logistics, and so on.”
And she is already prepared for the job market. “I think it is important to treat a patient as if she were someone in your family or as if she were you. How would you want to be treated? And not provide a treatment that takes only the financial side into account.”
Inspiration comes from Dr. Ana Carolina Puga
To close this story of overcoming obstacles and great courage, it is worth mentioning the inspiration the aesthetic biomedical professional has in her field: Dr. Ana Carolina Puga. “Her story is really beautiful. Because she is a landmark in aesthetics. She faced barriers to have all of this.”
She sees that path this way: “She started from the bottom. Just like we are starting. She is a landmark. Getting where she got is not easy. I tell people to never give up. And this is a tip for everyone: do not give up.”
Other professionals from PA
Lilia Coutinho is also from Redenção, in Pará, the same place where Lourhanna lives. And she is also an aesthetic biomedical professional, who earned her degree in one of the first classes there. Likewise, she moved into aesthetics. But her reason was different: “a light, not overloaded schedule.”
Mileia Gaia, on the other hand, is from Xinguara, also in Pará. She spent more time working in clinical laboratories, but she also saw in aesthetics a chance to find a more flexible routine. “My eyes lit up when I saw this chance for growth.”
Success Stories>Aesthetic BiomedicineIrving Malaguti
NEPUGA content team — Núcleo de Especializações Ana Carolina Puga.
