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Celebrity medical aesthetic provider Vanessa Lee got her start in the beauty world as a nurse. "I never wanted to be a nurse, but I'm Filipino American, first generation. My mom was like, 'You want to go to school for art?' And I was like, 'Yes,'" Lee said. "She was like, 'Wrong answer. We're going to nursing school.'" After working as a cosmetic nurse for a decade, Lee founded the beauty concept bar The Things We Do in 2018.
For the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Lee shares how she got her start, the treatments she's most excited about this year, and more. For excerpts from our interview with her, scroll below.
Can you share a little bit about how you got your start in beauty and skincare and really what your expertise is?
I started The Things We Do in 2018, … but before that, I had been working as a cosmetic nurse or aesthetic nurse injector for 10 years. I never wanted to be a nurse, but I'm Filipino American, first generation. My mom was like, "You want to go to school for art?" And I was like, "Yes." She was like, "Wrong answer. We're going to nursing school." I was like, "You know what? Let's just do this. I can do art on the side and maybe after like a year or two I can ditch the nursing thing and go full-time with writing and creating and all of that stuff."
Ended up doing the nursing route. [I was] working at a plastic surgery office when I first started but was working in their minimally invasive wing. This was back in 2008, 2009, where the business that it is now is not what it was back then.
Our industry, minimally invasive aesthetics, has really only been around for about 20 to 25 years. I've been in it for about 17 years. Everything was just starting to happen, and it was so exciting.
I just started at a place where they were like, "Listen, we can pay you really cheap because you have no experience? We're going to teach you a bunch of things." Some of it was really awesome. Some of it was kind of scary.
As soon as I had my legs underneath me, I was like, "You know what? I'm going to start saying no to some of these things, because I really want to make sure that, at the heart of things, I am a patient advocate."
Talk to me about some of the newer market offerings or some of the things that you really believe in that maybe are not as widespread that you are an early adopter for?
[In] 2018, when we opened, our number one sought-after treatment was PRFM, which stands for platelet-rich fibrin matrix. [It is] a growth factor and the next-generation treatment of what we can do with PRP. It helps thicken and rejuvenate the skin without adding any kind of unwanted fullness or shaping of the face. That's not what we're going for. We're going for skin health.
As you look ahead to 2026, are there any things, whether it's from skincare or procedures, that you think will gain traction in the new year?
I think we're looking to the East right now in terms of what they're leading with—with Olive Young coming in, with everyone going to Korea, with all of the science and innovation that we take so long with here in the U.S. Because we're held back with restrictions meant to keep us safe and also it's a political game at the same time, we're looking to the East to lead.
There are a few things ingredient-wise that I think are really exciting. Have you heard of volufiline?
Yes, because I'm a nerd, but tell me more about it.
Volufiline is a plant-based ingredient that works on adipose proliferation. What that means is the fat cells that you have in a certain area become slightly more robust and respond to the volufiline topical that you're placing on. Right now, I think there are a couple of companies here in the U.S. that have incorporated volufiline, but I think we're going to see a lot more of it next year.
I also think that we're going to see a lot more of prebiotics and probiotics for skin because we have been trying to acid-wash the skin so much for so long. I think things like alpha glucan oligosaccharides—prebiotics for skin that allow the healthy fauna and bacteria be able to flourish—and also things that kill the harmful bacteria are one of those things that are inexpensive and … accessible to everyone, and we just have to look to different ingredients to protect the barrier as much as possible.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.