We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Alicia Ramos a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alicia , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Have you ever experienced a times when your entire field felt like it was taking a U-Turn?

When I started my aesthetics practice in 2016, the industry was heavily procedure focused and trend driven. The dominant mindset was “more is more,” with aggressive treatments, stacked services, high intensity resurfacing, and chasing whatever new device or trending treatment was gaining traction on social media. Clients often came in asking for what they saw online rather than what was biologically appropriate for their skin long term, and providers were often rewarded for volume over strategy.

Over the past several years, especially post COVID, I have experienced a significant industry wide U turn. The consensus has shifted from overcorrection and intensity to skin health, prevention, and regenerative approaches. Instead of aggressively inflaming and over treating the skin, we now talk about barrier repair, collagen stimulation over time, and preserving skin integrity. Best practice has evolved from doing the most to doing what is sustainable, physiologically sound, and customized.

Another major shift has been in client expectations and business models. The industry moved from relationship based care to transactional, discount driven marketing, including flash sales, influencer culture, and commoditized treatments. That forced me to make a strategic decision in my own practice. I doubled down on education, long term treatment planning, and membership based consistency instead of chasing every trend. Rather than compete on price or hype, I positioned my practice around high touch, science backed care and long term skin health outcomes.

That pivot was not easy. It meant saying no to certain trends, being selective with technology investments, and restructuring my services around what I believed would still be considered best practice ten years from now. But it strengthened my business. My patients trust that I am not reacting to fads. I am building skin health plans that age well.

The biggest lesson I have learned from this industry wide shift is that longevity in aesthetics requires discernment. Devices, products, and social media trends will always change. Foundational principles such as collagen biology, barrier integrity, and patient trust do not. My practice has grown because I have learned to evolve with the science while staying anchored to those fundamentals.

Alicia , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

This one should feel personal, strong, and aligned with who you actually are as a founder and aesthetician. Here is a polished, in-depth response written fully in your voice and aligned with your brand positioning:

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I am the founder of Smoothe, a boutique aesthetics practice in Denver focused on regenerative, science based skin health. I became a medical aesthetician in 2016 after graduating from the School of Botanical and Medical Aesthetics. I have always come from a family of entrepreneurs, so building something of my own felt natural. What drew me to aesthetics was not vanity. It was confidence. I saw how profoundly skin health impacts how someone shows up in the world. When people feel good in their skin, they carry themselves differently.

From the beginning, I approached this field differently. I was never interested in chasing trends or offering treatments just because they were popular. I built my practice around long term skin integrity, collagen preservation, and prevention. We specialize in advanced treatments such as microneedling, collagen induction therapies, laser including BBL, customized chemical peels, DiamondGlow, and barrier focused corrective facials. Every treatment plan is individualized and structured as a long term strategy rather than a one off appointment.

The problems I solve for my clients are deeper than surface level concerns. Yes, we treat acne, pigmentation, texture, sun damage, and signs of aging. But what I truly do is create structure and clarity in an overwhelming industry. Many clients come in confused by social media, trends, and conflicting advice. I give them a roadmap. I educate them on what their skin actually needs biologically and help them invest in treatments that will age well over time.

What sets my practice apart is the level of discernment and personalization. I am selective with the devices I invest in and the products I carry. I do not over treat. I do not oversell. I believe in progressive, strategic correction that strengthens the skin instead of constantly inflaming it. My practice is relationship based and high touch. We operate on consistency and trust, not flash sales or pressure.

What I am most proud of is longevity. I have built a sustainable business with hundreds of five star reviews and a loyal client base that values education and long term outcomes. In an industry that often becomes transactional or trend driven, I have stayed anchored to fundamentals. That has allowed my brand to grow through trust and reputation rather than hype.

If there is one thing I want potential clients to know, it is that my work is about empowerment. Skin health is not about perfection. It is about preservation, prevention, and confidence. My goal is always to help clients look like the strongest, healthiest version of themselves, not someone else.

At its core, Smoothe is about thoughtful care, intelligent treatment planning, and results that stand the test of time.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

Beyond training and technical knowledge, the most helpful trait for succeeding in my field is discernment.

Aesthetics is an industry full of trends, new devices, aggressive marketing, and constant noise. If you do not have the ability to think critically and make long term decisions, you can easily get pulled into overspending, over treating, or chasing hype. Success requires knowing when to adopt something and when to pause. It requires being grounded enough to say no, even when something is popular.

Another essential factor is emotional intelligence. This is a very personal industry. Clients are vulnerable. They are trusting you with how they look and, often, how they feel about themselves. Being able to listen, read between the lines, set boundaries, and build long term trust is just as important as understanding collagen biology or laser settings.

Resilience is also critical. Post COVID, supply chain disruptions, private equity consolidation, rising costs, and shifting client spending habits have changed the landscape dramatically. If you own a practice, you are not just a provider. You are a strategist, a financial manager, a marketer, and a leader. You have to be willing to evolve without losing your standards.

Finally, integrity matters more than anything. It is easy in this field to oversell or over promise. I believe long term success comes from protecting your reputation. When clients know you will not over treat them or push unnecessary services, trust compounds over time. That trust is what builds a sustainable practice.

In my experience, knowledge gets you in the door. Discernment, resilience, emotional intelligence, and integrity are what allow you to stay and thrive.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I built my reputation in my market through consistency and restraint.

In an industry that often rewards quick transformations and loud marketing, I focused on doing excellent work quietly and repeatedly. I did not chase every trend or flood social media with exaggerated before and after photos. I concentrated on long term outcomes, thoughtful treatment planning, and making sure every client who walked through my doors felt educated and cared for.

Another major factor was transparency. I have always been honest about what a treatment can and cannot do. I do not over promise. I do not over treat. If something is not appropriate for someone’s skin, I say so. That level of integrity builds trust, and trust builds referrals. Over time, word of mouth became my strongest marketing tool.

I also invested deeply in relationships. My practice is high touch and personal. Clients are not numbers. They are long term partnerships. Many of my patients have been with me for years because they know I am thinking about their skin ten years from now, not just their next appointment.

Finally, I treated my business like a business from day one. I tracked outcomes, reinvested strategically in technology, maintained high standards in branding and environment, and protected the experience. Reputation is built when your results, your environment, and your communication all align.

Ultimately, my reputation was not built overnight. It was built appointment by appointment, through consistency, discernment, and keeping my standards high even when it would have been easier to lower them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.smoothedenver.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smoothedenver/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/@SmootheDenver/?hr=1&wtsid=rdr_1e0coA49rkcZ5N1AU
• Yelp: https://m.yelp.com/biz/smoothe-denver-denver