Today we’d like to introduce you to Nune Stepanyan.
Nune, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
To live and die in LA, baby. It’s the place to be! I think that’s the perfect way to start this.
My parents immigrated from Armenia to Hollywood, CA in the early 90’s and LA has been my home since. I went to Los Feliz Elementary, then Thomas Star King Middle School, and eventually graduated from Burbank High School. Even though it was still LA, moving from Hollywood to Burbank was a huge culture shock, but it taught my siblings and I about adversity and how to get along and treat individuals from ALL walks of life.
I obtained my Bachelor of Science in Nursing from West Coast University in 2016, as well as my Master’s in Nursing-Family Nurse Practitioner in 2019, and currently enrolled in the Doctorate of Nursing Practice which I am projected to finish in 2021.
Growing up in Hollywood, aka Lala-land, the fascination with the entertainment industry, beauty and art fueled me, but I did not think it was sustainable as a career, rather, it did not fit the “you must be a doctor or lawyer” mold of a true Armenian family lol so I went to CSULA where I studied microbiology (dreadful) and was pre-med until the reality of the MCATS, and it’s almost impossible nature of getting accepted into schools in California hit. However, I knew I still wanted to help heal people, be in health care, study medicine…cue nursing school…and well, about six science degrees and certifications later, here I am!
I took an aesthetics course one week after obtaining my nursing license in 2016 because I knew that at some point in my nursing career, this was where my talents were going to shine. During that time, I also started a cardiac telemetry new graduate residency program and then moved to the emergency department (ED), while doing home health nursing, peri-op egg retrievals at a fertility clinic, AND Botox/fillers for a doctor on the weekends.
It was intense for a while but I was really trying to find myself, and I loved every minute of it. One opportunity led to the other. I networked like nobody’s business, while completing my Master’s program, and still haven’t taken much time off, but in the midst of the chaos, The Stepanyan Clinic was born. In suite 107, I see my aesthetic practice patient’s and in suite 106, I see primary care patients, mostly for the underserved and underprivileged communities of Los Angeles.
Working the ED and working in critical care provided me with a rush that I can’t quite put into words, so even while pregnant, I worked through a CRAZY flu season in the ED (while vomiting every single day of pregnancy), and never complained.
The aesthetic practice was giving me artistic expression, as well as a break from all of the sadness that comes from working in critical care, and over the past year, it has really taken off. I officially left the ED in 2019 and became a nursing Professor. I teach advanced med/surg to nursing students in the clinical setting. Education and teaching has always come naturally to me. I incorporate a lot of unorthodox learning methods, and I believe that is how the students really learn. By doing this, I was able to dedicate myself to bettering myself and my practice in the aesthetic field. I attended conferences and masterclass training with world-renowned aesthetic practitioners, physicians, and surgeons. I brought all my knowledge and new techniques into practice here in LA, and with all of the amazing before and after images posted on Instagram @thestepanyanclinic (shameless plug) I feel so blessed to be booked out weeks at a time. It is a truly humbling feeling to have people entrust you with their faces.
It is easy to get lost in this field and want to alter people’s appearances to fit this modern uniformity of beauty, but I have a very minimalist approach to my aesthetic/artistic style. I really don’t believe in this uniformed notion of beauty, with alien-esque slimmed down faces combined with enhanced jawlines, cheekbones and lips. I believe in bringing out the individual’s beauty from within and watching that shine through in their faces. A lot of times, people come to me asking for one thing and leave with something completely different, and that is because as a professional who will not compromise integrity for financial gain, I genuinely care about my patient’s well being. One of my favorite things to do is record people’s reactions when they first look at themselves after a treatment. I hand them a mirror, and watch them gasp, sometimes tear up, Facetime their loved ones, and just burst with joy. That, to me, is worth every up and down I go through to be an aesthetic nurse practitioner.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
When I first started in 2016, I did not get the warm and welcoming invite that we give now. The culture was very much “don’t go to anyone who doesn’t have at least 5-10 years of experience. They don’t know what they’re doing, etc., etc…”
It was quite nasty actually, but as the aesthetic medical industry has blown up, so have advocates in the industry such as Joshua Davis also known as @tox.josh. Throughout the conferences where he has spoken, he has talked about “community over competition,” and I believe this really turned things around for those who wanted to be nasty and talk down about other providers. Josh used his influence to change the culture, and I feel so blessed to have him in our community and advocating not just in aesthetics but the nursing field in general. Nowadays, you just don’t see the passive-aggressive comments as much, whereas before, certain providers would get a rise out of belittling newcomers.
We are much stronger together, and we can bring the BEST practice and results to our patients when we learn from one another versus when we tear each other down.
I have always been in my own lane, doing my own thing, so I did not let any negativity into my zone or my practice, but I most definitely heard it.
Regardless, I continued to practice safely, constantly learning (to this day), shadowing, mentoring, teaching, and now I am happy to call The Stepanyan Clinic a safe haven for new graduates, aesthetic providers, and patients from all over the world. I have almost 15 years of experience in health care, and though my clinical practice began only in 2016, it has grown exponentially and beyond my wildest dreams.
I will continue to educate, be educated, and bring innovative and humbling experiences to my patients and students alike.
The Stepanyan Clinic – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
The Stepanyan Clinic currently specializes in advanced medical aesthetic treatments, such as neuromodulators (Botox) for anti-aging, and facial slimming (and a plethora of other off-label treatments), dermal fillers for enhancement of lips, chins, cheeks, jawlines, and body contouring with bio-stimulators to provide for non-surgical Brazilian butt lifts, and facial volumization over the course of 2-5 years.
I am most proud of the success The Stepanyan Clinic has seen over the past four years. It really started off as just my dream that became a reality despite all the adversity I faced, and the endless obstacles that life likes to throw at us.
I have treated individuals from all walks of life. What sets The Stepanyan Clinic apart from the traditional medical spa, is the personalized treatment plan put into every single patient’s consultation. From politicians to porn stars, regardless of profession or status, an individual’s external representation of themselves is put into our hands, and we must perform medical artistry to match what people have in their hearts, minds, and souls about themselves to their external appearance. Being able to understand and bring that to life, is what sets The Stepanyan Clinic apart from all else.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
There is not a single event that stands out, but rather a compilation of patient satisfaction and reactions. The fact that someone with a recessed chin for example, looks at her face, after I have given her the chin of her dreams, and cries in disbelief that “this is the face I feel like I was born with,” makes me the proudest I can ever be in this field.
Pricing:
- $10/unit for Botox
- $475/syringe (and up) for lip filler
- $550/syringe (and up) of cheek filler
- $550/syringe (and up) for jawline contouring
- $550/syringe (and up) for chin filler
- $600/syringe for undereye filler
- $650/syringe for temple filler
- $3000 for Liquid face lift- (personalized packages, includes Botox & filler combo)
- $600/vial of Sculptra for non-surgical BBL (minimum 10 vials)
- $700/vial of Sculptra for face
Contact Info:
- Address: 3030 W. Temple St. Ste#107
Los Angeles, CA 90026 - Phone: 8186409054
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestepanyanclinic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nune116/?modal=admin_todo_tour
Suggest a story: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
