Phamela Priscila Bezerra is an aesthetic biomedical professional who was born in Londrina (PR), moved to Cuiabá (MT) and became a reference in aesthetics in Dublin, Ireland. This is one of those stories about overcoming challenges and crossing geographic barriers. You will be surprised!
In this text you will get to know Phamela's whole journey. Today, she has 10 years of experience in aesthetics and is an entrepreneur in Europe, with Bellavish Aesthetic Clinic. Getting to the Emerald Isle, as Ireland is known, took a long journey.
The dream of traveling abroad
In the beginning, when she was still married, Phamela knew her future would take shape around a move abroad. Her ex-husband is a pilot and wanted to improve his English to win his place in the professional job market.
So, in January 2015, she began planning life in another country, researching places. “God speaks to me through dreams and I know when something is truly from Him. And I asked: Lord, where are we going?.”
The first idea was to go to Canada or Australia, which are among the most recommended destinations for Brazilians focused on language exchange programs. But one day they thought of Dublin, in Ireland.
At first, she says she barely remembered where the country was and had to make some effort to recall her Geography classes. Ireland is an island near England and Wales, both in the United Kingdom.
And the final decision came on a day when the aesthetic biomedical professional was at church. There, a pastor spoke about her need to accompany her ex-husband on the trip. He even mentioned some texts from the Bible, such as the Book of Ruth.
“[…] wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried” – Ruth 1:16-17.
The trip to Dublin, Ireland
The next step, after choosing the destination country, was to research student visas and issue the passports required for the trip. The good news is that her ex-husband was entitled to Italian citizenship and, as a European citizen, entering the continent would be much easier.
The move to Ireland happened in August of that same year, 2015. At that point, the biggest challenges were: housing, the new language and the distance from family and friends. But they overcame them.
For example, even without speaking the local language, they stayed at the home of a secretary at an English School. It was the best idea because, being students, finding a house to live in would be complicated.
During the first 15 days, Phamela tried every way possible until they managed to rent a room to see clients. And here is an important detail: she still could not work as an aesthetic biomedical professional.
She says that Aesthetic Biomedicine did not exist in Dublin. So she had to take foreign qualification courses to compare the Brazilian curriculum with that of the European Union and thus be able to practice the profession.
So, the start was as an eyebrow designer. After all, she did not yet have the certificates required in the country to work in her field of training. And she would have to go through a diploma revalidation process to work in biomedicine.
The start of her professional life in Europe
As a self-employed micropigmentation artist, she managed to pay the first month's rent. Next, she did a specialization at Phibrows Royal Artist in Switzerland, in 2016. From there, her entrepreneurial instinct began to show.
“Everything was new. I didn't know how to get the certificates I already had recognized. So I chose to start with eyebrows and I liked it.” The following year, 2017, she qualified even further and opened Bellavish, offering more services, from a larger room.
She says that was when God's projects began. Through a partnership with a physician and a physiotherapist, she began offering:
- Facial harmonization treatment
- Botulinum toxin type A application
- Treatment for spots, scars, acne
- Facial rejuvenation
- Microblading
- PDO threads
- Plasma jet
- Mesotherapy
Today, she says her work is more focused on Facial Harmonization and a filler technique with Hyaluronic Acid. “It is not a surgical procedure. It is smooth and can be combined with a collagen biostimulator. The result is incredible.”
However, in the following years she would receive a real cold shower.
Recognition of the aesthetic biomedical professional
In 2019, a London magazine ran a story telling the aesthetic biomedical professional's story. And in the following years, many Brazilians reported Phamela's work.
They unfairly believed she was acting illegally, since that country had no field of practice for Aesthetic Biomedicine, especially in harmonization. “With the reports and the possibility of the clinic closing, I got a big scare.”
However, in 2021, after an audit, she gained strength and became a reference in Dublin. She was awarded Leading Outstanding Company in Aesthetic Medicine in Ireland. “I was recognized and awarded with the accreditation of AIBF.IE (All – Ireland Business Foundation).
“This recognition is very important to me because it determines that my company stands out in its field, becoming trustworthy and competent for patients. It is one more motivation for me to seek the best.”
With the award, she was mentioned in the Irish magazine RSVP, which covers fashion and aesthetics. From then on, the magazine began to promote the work of Aesthetic Clinics in Ireland, starting from Phamela Bezerra's pioneering work.
Recently, she also became a professor and teaching assistant for hands-on classes in the Master's Course in Orofacial Harmonization at the Instituto European Face & Body. She is also the Institute's international coordinator in Porto (Portugal).
Pioneering in Ireland
For those curious about the job market for aesthetic biomedical professionals in Europe, know that this is a new subject. In fact, Phamela was a pioneer in bringing this specialization to the Old Continent.
“At the time I had to get my certificates recognized, I was the only biomedical professional working in aesthetics here in Europe. They did not know this possibility. Aesthetic Biomedicine exists only in Brazil. For them, everything was new.”
To obtain the qualification, the curriculum of the procedures Phamela knew how to perform had to be correlated with Aesthetic Medicine. The award she holds, the All Star Business, says: “Aesthetic Biomedicine Specialist, leader in Aesthetic Medicine.”
“The courses I had to take here, which are the same as in Brazil, like botulinum toxin and fillers, were done together with the doctors themselves so that I could get my qualification. I was the first.”
Is it worth working in aesthetics in Europe?
“You may meet many defeats, but you cannot let yourself be defeated.” For the aesthetic biomedical professional, 90% of success comes from persistence. She says it is never too late to dream and that her story is proof of that.
“When I came to Europe, I hadn't planned anything. I simply wanted to live the family's dream. From the moment I started working here, my dreams came, which later became reality.”
Dedication and fighting to overcome challenges are other tips from her.
“What I tell people is that one thing that made me win was boldness and not being afraid to face challenges, to research, to study and to go after my goals. I heard the word ‘no’ many times and had to prove my ability.”
As for profits, the biomedical professional says there are variables, always more advantageous than working in a lab. For example, in Brazil she worked at franchises in São Paulo (SP) and Cuiabá (MT). Her income came from salaries and commissions. In Ireland, she is an entrepreneur. “Each month, revenue is different.”
She explains that in Dublin, employee pay can happen in two ways. One is commission paid to registered self-employed workers. The other is the salaried case, where the biomedical professional receives minimum wage, which today is 10.50 euros per hour worked.
Learn more
For those who want to know more, Bellavish Aesthetic Clinic is located in Dublin. The main contacts are: phone (+353-89-607-6938), e-mail ([email protected]) and Instagram (@bellavishclinic).
And other success stories in aesthetics are available here.
Success Stories>Aesthetic BiomedicineIrving Malaguti
NEPUGA content team — Núcleo de Especializações Ana Carolina Puga.
