Rising Stars: Meet Nina Pham of Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nina Pham.

Hi Nina, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I come from a long lineage of beauty providers. I was born into the beauty industry. My parents ran a salon offering nails, waxing, and lash services, and I started working and providing services there the moment I became of age. I began as their receptionist, then as a nail/eyelash/waxing provider, trained by the best in my own family. As the business grew, we brought in permanent makeup specialists, and somewhere in between observing and practicing all of those modalities, I started forming my own ideals about what kind of beauty results I actually valued. I’ve always been incredibly discerning. I’m an artist in my personal time; my main mediums are hand sculpting and drawing so detail is where I thrive. And what I’ve always gravitated toward is the natural. The imperfections that make a person uniquely themselves. I knew I loved being of service to people, which is what led me to pursue higher education in social work.

But I never stopped loving the beauty industry, or researching the services that were about restoring something not putting something on someone that was never meant for them. Then, in my early twenties, I started experiencing hair loss myself. That opened me up to an entire world of people dealing with the same thing and what struck me was how hair loss wasn’t exclusive to older folks. It affects people across every age, gender, and background. Creating a safe inclusive space for all genders and identities was a huge priority for me as I grew up in the industry and personally identify as queer. I know what it’s like to sit in their chair and wonder if they are judging or may have some bias towards you but you’re counting on them as a source of support. I put all those things away when my client is in my chair and focus on who you really are. Ultimately, hair is deeply tied to identity. For so many of us, it’s a source of confidence. And yet the options available usually full of broken promises.

That’s when I became a MoriTint/Korean Scalp Micropigmentation provider. Korea has long been at the forefront of global beauty trends. When I saw how undetectable the results were, and witnessed the shift in confidence in my clients as they walked out of my studio, I knew this was a service that spoke directly to who I am. My core values have always been transparency and taking vulnerability seriously. This work allows me to honor both my need to be of service and to bring confidence in their lives.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There were moments where I really questioned myself. Whether this is actually going to work? Can I build something real here? I’ve decided to invest all I have into a service I believe in and genuinely creating a true safe space for all folks to feel safe and seen.

I don’t always open with the fact that I’m Deaf. As I want folks to know this is a service for everyone. I have a cochlear implant so I’m able to connect with my clients verbally comfortably, but my personal relationship with communication and the world around me is just different. What I’ve found though, is that it’s made me a better provider. You learn to read a room. You pick up on things beyond words. And when someone walks into my studio scared or embarrassed about their hair loss. I’m not just sympathizing. I genuinely understand what it feels like to navigate the world carrying something that makes you feel different.

That’s a big part of why accessibility and inclusivity isn’t just a buzzword for me. I want beauty services to actually be for everyone. I’ve had a lot of support and I don’t take that for granted. I’m still grateful for those people who believed in me early, business owners and my friends and family who supported me before I had anything to show. But it’s still been challenging because what I’m doing is pretty new here. This technique is trusted and established in Korea. In the US? I’m basically building the awareness from the ground up. People have questions. A lot of them. And that’s ok since educating people is just part of the work right now.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
What I do is hair restoration but honestly that description doesn’t fully cover my true motivations. I’m a Korean Scalp micropigmentation/MoriTint provider, which is a non permanent but long lasting scalp micro pigmentation technique that originated in Korea. It’s incredibly precise, incredibly natural looking, and for a lot of people. It gives people the relief from their day to day life where they can just breathe and not think about their hair. Knowing how the beauty industry at times can feel predatory and especially around the topic of hair loss. People are jaded to the promises of “This is going to grow your hair!” and being disappointed. I experienced significant hair loss in my early 20s and found out I had telogen effluvium and remember how uncomfortable I was and not feeling like I had a real option. My goal is to always ensure to educate and inform my clients that this isn’t a promise to grow your hair but I will give my personal promise to be committed to making their day to day life easier. This technique serves as an absolute game changer given it’s truly natural precision and non permanency as your hair is always evolving and this is a service that evolves with it. I am constantly refining my craft and always in the pursuit of improving my techniques and/or incorporating new advancements.

Outside of my work, I am an artist. I sculpt and draw and provide beauty services. These are mediums that has always been a part of my life. So when I say detail is everything to me, I mean that in the most literal way. It’s not something I had to learn in this career, it’s just how I have always been wired. I specialize in results that don’t look like results, if that makes sense. My personal aesthetic mission is all about undetectable results that feel like you and is centered around restoration rather than replacement. I’m most proud of is all the look of joy I get from my clients when they leave my studio. They look in the mirror and literally think “Damn that’s me?!?”. Hair loss is insidious and quietly wears you down. I know because I’ve been there. So when I can give that back to someone, that means everything.

What sets me apart is honestly just the sum of who I am. I’m an artist at my core so detail is never an afterthought. I grew up in the beauty industry so I know quality and I don’t settle for less. I’ve experienced hair loss personally so I’m not guessing at what my clients are feeling. I have my Master’s in social work, and also experience under my belt working with various backgrounds. So I bring the same people centered values to my services no matter where I am. My experience with lived disability (Deaf with a cochlear implant) has made me someone who really reads people, who takes vulnerability seriously and doesn’t rush through it. When you’re in my studio, I want my clients to feel heard and understood and that’s a requirement for myself.

Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
I’ll be totally honest I’ve never been the kind of person who sits still. My free time looks like furniture design, sculpting, writing poetry, drawing, researching the latest in beauty, and being outside as much as possible. I genuinely thrive off variety and learning new things. And yes, I’ll admit it. Reddit is my favorite app. I’m on there to read up what other folks are thinking. I genuinely enjoy knowing what people are thinking, what they’re talking about, what they’re frustrated about. I think it actually makes me a better provider because I always try to stay curious about what real people need and what’s missing for them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://moribynina.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moribynina/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575894464902
• Other: https://share.google/y57Fz3YCzEMY7JpkA

Image Credits
Phoenix Moon @pheeyue