Meet Samantha Shepherd | Family Nurse Practitioner Specializing in Aesthetic Medicine

We had the good fortune of connecting with Samantha Shepherd and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Samantha, we’d love for you to start things off by telling us something about your industry that we and others not in the industry might be unaware of?
The aesthetic industry may be seen by outsiders as “vanity medicine”. They may see images on Instagram and TikTok and believe that getting anti-wrinkle injections like Botox or lip plumping with fillers is a superficial endeavor and write it off as something they would not invest in. Some people may think they will look strange if they get injections or visit an injector.

The truth is that we all want to be seen. Humans are wired to want to feel attractive and special. If there is one thing that industry outsiders should be aware of it is that people are in a deeply vulnerable state when they feel bad about the way the look and when time catches up and signs of aging appear. Deeply vulnerable. As a board certified nurse practitioner specializing in aesthetic medicine, my job is to relieve anxiety about appearance and negative self talk by educating the public on how to take care of their skin, get minor procedures to increase their confidence and to take on their world with boldness. Going to an aesthetic provider that is skilled and compassionate can bring out your best features and minimize the things that bug you when you look in the mirror. It is about confidence, self-care and showing up as the best version of yourself.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My professional road was long and divergent. I started out in high school working as a nurse assistant and really looked up to the nurses that I was working under. No one in my family had ever been to college and to be honest, I don’t think many people ever expected me to either. I got married at 18 years old to try and leave a troubled home environment and was divorced by the time I was 20. I looked in the mirror and told myself “Samantha, you will not go down the path of your parents where all that is waiting is more poverty, illness and hopelessness”. I picked myself up and took out loans to get my associates degree in nursing which made me the first person in my family to ever hold a degree.

I immediately went to work in the ICU and post anesthesia unit but always stood out as a little too creative and not really a good fit. Back then there was not a lot of talk about Botox and fillers but I met a nurse that was doing it with a doctor in town and followed her lead. Aesthetics was a perfect combination of science, art and compassionate care and it was my calling. My passion led me to finish my bachelors degree in nursing in 2010 and then I spent the next decade working in aesthetics as a laser trainer, Obagi skin care representative, nurse injector for a plastic surgeon, and an FDA trial monitor for a dermatology device that was coming to market.

When I realized that providing aesthetic care as an injector was making my soul sing, I went back to school again to finish my masters degree in nursing and become a family nurse practitioner. I knew I wanted to open a practice that was centered on compassionate care, beautiful results and community which is very different from the numbers driven business models that I have been exposed to.

DermaDarling was created with the understanding that beauty gives light, inspiration, healing, hope and freedom.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Atlanta has it all! If you have a week in Atlanta, you have to take a walk on the Belt Line in Midtown and make a stop at Ponce City Market for some ramen at Ton Ton. Check out the very best pizza in the city at Antico Italian Pizza. Gobble some of the best donuts ever at Revolution Donuts in Inman Park. Make your way north for an enchanting hike through the hidden bamboo forest on the Chattahoochee River in Sandy Springs. Head over to Roswell, Ga for stroll on Canton street where you can duck in and out of any number of pubs and restaurants for a drink. There is a cocktail at Roux on Canton called the Flower Child that is amazing and served with flowers in the ice for beautiful detail. While you are in Roswell don’t forget to stop in at Summit Coffee in the historic district for a latte and have a seat by their pastel pink fireplace. If you are in the mood for some laughs, hit up Whole World Theater for a comedy improv show. Really, you need more than a week here!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My life’s work is helping others see beauty in themselves and realize the majesty and power that they hold. Over the last 20 years of my nursing career in aesthetics, I have been exposed to amazing mentors and teachers. Within the industry, I follow Dr. Arthur Swift because he is a magician with a syringe, Rana Kennelly because she is wise and hysterically funny and lots of local injectors that have become my friends and peers. Spiritually, I am a die hard Oprah fan and have read every single book she has ever recommended with a few of my favorites being Untethered Soul by Michael Singer, The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle, and Atomic Habits by James Clear. I don’t believe you can help others love themselves until you have learned to love yourself.

Website: www.dermadarling.com

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Image Credits
Training with Shelby Miller DNP at Ruma in Lehi, Utah