Dr. Elisângela Cardoso is a physiotherapist who works in Functional Aesthetics in Juiz de Fora-MG, where she is a specialist and an authority in the field. She says she had been working in Aesthetics since 1998 but felt the need to go further, which is why she chose to study Physiotherapy.
“I identify with care and with science. In physiotherapy I could dedicate myself more deeply to that side. I had children very young and needed a field with flexible hours, and in that respect being self-employed was important too,” she explains.
In 2015, she took the essential first step toward making her goals a reality, when she chose to specialize and pursue her Postgraduate Program in Aesthetic Health. Today, after seven years in the market, the physiotherapist has her own Functional Aesthetics practice in her city. Learn her story in this Success Story.
Physiotherapy: challenges in the Aesthetic Health market
Dr. Elisângela says she decided to work in Aesthetic Health while still living in Maceió, in the late 1990s, and faced challenges positioning herself in the market.
“In 1998, Aesthetics was seen as something frivolous or a hobby for people who had a room at home and wanted to earn extra income. In the Northeast it was much harder to work, so in 2000 I moved to Juiz de Fora and decided to start over,” says Dr. Elisângela.
Since she did not know anyone and still had two small children to care for, it was even more challenging. But because she liked the field so much and had her husband's support, the physiotherapist did not give up and was determined to build a career in Aesthetic Health, which would give her the schedule flexibility she needed for her personal life, as well as financial independence.
That was when she chose Nepuga for her Postgraduate Program in Aesthetic Health. Investing in a specialization in dermatofunctional physiotherapy was not in her plans, since she already had a lot of experience in that area and it would add little new knowledge.
“I started in 2015, when minimally invasive procedures were just beginning to open up to other health fields. I do not perform invasive procedures because physiotherapy has not yet embraced them. However, I was part of the working group with the Federal Council of Physiotherapy to legalize some practices, and that helped bring about the prescribing autonomy we recently achieved,” she says.
What sets a Physiotherapist apart in Aesthetic Health
As a professional who always seeks knowledge that is well grounded and backed by science, Dr. Elisângela says her edge is going beyond ordinary aesthetics.
“I like working with prescriptions, and I always try to care for the body as a whole,” says Dr. Elisângela. She also points out that it is essential to invest in proper training and to be curious enough to keep learning.
“There are a lot of new technologies, cosmetics, and techniques, but there is also a lot of deception, so you cannot be lazy and need to look at several sources before investing,” she explains.
As for financial returns, the physiotherapist says they are very good, but she thinks they would be even better if oversight were actively enforced.
“Everyone wants a slice of Aesthetics, and I see many people who lack the ability and/or authorization to perform certain specific procedures. Most of the time, common sense is missing, and that hurts the returns of those who invest. The market becomes saturated, unqualified, and unsafe,” warns Dr. Elisângela.
In this sense, the Postgraduate Program in Aesthetic Health is the best path to becoming a specialist in the job market, contributing to an increasingly qualified market, and becoming a reference and authority in the field, just like Dr. Elisângela Cardoso.
Success Stories>Dermatofunctional Physiotherapy|Success Stories>Aesthetic HealthJosiele Batista
NEPUGA content team — Núcleo de Especializações Ana Carolina Puga.
