MEET OUR CONFIDENCE BOOSTERS

Rana has worked in many areas of nursing, but her career has always been geared towards women's health and well-being. She gets satisfaction from educating and empowering women in times of sickness and health; her careers being in gynecology, IVF, postnatal depression, and eating disorders. She was trained in midwifery at King's College in London. In total, Rana has over 25 years of midwifery and nursing experience and is licensed in multiple states.

Rana’s strength is her ability to see what the face requires. She can look at a face and understand where to place a product strategically to achieve the best and most beautiful outcome. At all times, her goal is to provide treatments that aren’t detectable, but rather brighten the overall appearance.

Rana loves the variety of every unique face, story shared, and collaboration with colleagues.

She believes her role as an aesthetic provider is to be clear and collaborative with patients during consultation and assessment. Rana enjoys observing the genetics of multiple generations in a family and predicting the course of each person’s aging process. That way she can be proactive, addressing the negative signs of aging before they are even evident.

Recognized as one of the top educators in her field, she is a sought-after speaker/trainer for colleagues— frequently engaged by top companies such as Allergan, Galderma, and P.A.L.E.T.T.E. Resources. She has worked with renowned plastic surgeons and dermatologists.

Cristina has been working in the aesthetic world ever since she graduated from Chamberlain University— literally! She graduated on a Friday and started work the following Monday morning at a plastic surgeon’s office. She worked in all aspects of that practice before attending aesthetic trainings with Rana. That was over five years ago. Cristina works at The Confidence Bar caring for patients and The Confidence Lab educating healthcare providers.

Cristina is an absolute safety guru. “I won’t do anything unless I know it’s safe,” is something she lives by. She specializes in providing a rested, natural look and values honesty in her practice. She wants to provide treatment that is both subtle, yet inspires confidence and ease. She has a sincere appreciation for every patients’ differences, and is excited by the ability to work with all different types of faces and personalities.

Cristina develops an in-depth rapport with her patients where she listens to their concerns and helps create a customized treatment plan to achieve their desired unique beauty. Patients appreciate Cristina's professionalism, kindness, and the time she spends thoroughly explaining each aspect of treatment. She considers it a privilege to care for her patients.

Education is an integral part of Cristina's career. She regularly attends educational workshops and national meetings, staying up-to-date in a fast-developing field.

Lamija is a board-certified Physician Associate (PA) since 2009 with a Masters of Medical Science, and is trained in providing comprehensive patient care in all healthcare settings. Lamija has vast knowledge in providing comprehensive patient care with an ultimate goal of educating and improving the quality of life. She has worked in acute and subacute healthcare settings and now aesthetics.

Lamija’s seed of passion for the aesthetic field was planted when she was a preteen girl, observing people and always noticing the good and the unique in all faces—never judging differences. This has helped her see herself as a one-of-a-kind individual, not striving for perfection, but aiming to always be the best version of herself.

Lamija enjoys feeling present with patients in the aesthetic work and finds that there is a lot of gratitude between providers and patients––she feels that her work truly helps people feel good. She believes that a collaborative, team-focused environment is what creates the best experience for both providers and patients.

Lamija’s passion is in following a patient’s journey from the start and seeing that each patient is armed with the needed resources in reaching their destination to a happier and healthier lifestyle.

She deeply enjoys "the tribe" we have here at The Confidence Bar. She embraces and aims to create a nonjudgemental, open-door, truly supportive place for learning and treatment.

Before transitioning into the world of aesthetics, Nusha worked as a registered nurse in Level One Trauma E.R departments across the country, including Detroit and Boston, for eight years before ending up in Chicago. She graduated from Oakland University in Michigan as a registered nurse and continued her education at Loyola University, where she earned her Masters of Science in Nursing as a family nurse practitioner.

Nusha embodies the word “provider” –– she thinks highly of aesthetics as a practice and aims to
give people a feeling of connection, confidence, and comfort. Nusha loves to meet people and cherishes moments of instant connection with her patients. Patient-provider collaboration is truly something special in her eyes, which is part of what gives her great results. She loves to work on an open canvas and give a tasteful, full-faced look.

As a former E.R nurse, Nusha wants people to know that aesthetics is the real deal. “This is medicine
–– it’s harder than it looks,” she says. She treats her patients, her work and the practice overall with the utmost respect, and holds herself to a high standard.

Lisa Rivero MS, FNP-BC, APRN, is a board certified Nurse Practitioner through the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). Lisa has over ten years of aesthetic experience and prides herself on offering advanced aesthetic treatments that are both safe and effective.

Not only has Lisa received extensive training in all FDA-approved neurotoxins and dermal fillers, she also brings a wealth of experience with multiple skin care modalities to offer patients the best plan to achieve natural youthful results. Lisa has traveled nationally and internationally to be trained by those considered to be the best in the industry.

“I really enjoy getting to know my patients and learning what it is they want to improve. I believe every patient has their own aesthetic journey and their own pace to accomplish these goals. I love to take the time to listen to them and develop a plan that they feel comfortable with and excited to begin. I refer to myself as their 'Aesthetic Guide' to assist in navigating the beauty world in a safe and effective way. I want my patients to feel empowered and educated to put their best face forward.”

Even though she is passionate about her career, she is also very devoted to her family life. Lisa and her husband live in Chicago where they are raising three beautiful children.

Olivia attended University of Missouri-Columbia for two years, until she received an academic scholarship for Central Methodist University nursing program where she graduated with her Bachelor of Science in nursing. She is currently in graduate school at North Park University where she is pursuing her advanced practice degree as a nurse practitioner.

OIivia started her career in medicine nine years ago at Northwestern Medicine in downtown Chicago. Most of her nursing background was in the ICU, where she was passionate, however, after five years she decided to pursue a career in aesthetic medicine. For three and a half years she worked two jobs—in the ICU and aesthetics—to achieve her dream of becoming a full-time nurse injector. Her foundational ethics are driven by continually learning the most up-to-date injection techniques while providing the safest, most effective care in a calm, comforting environment.

It is Olivia’s passion to treat each patient in a unique, customized, natural approach. Her favorite quote, which is at the forefront of her injection practice is “In art, less is more”. Her guiding principles are that everyone deserves to feel beautiful, and that you need to overvalue from the inside out; to her, that is where confidence is truly built.

Angie is a board-certified family nurse practitioner. She earned her doctorate in nursing from Rush University in Chicago. She has almost a decade of nursing experience, caring for women and children.

Angie’s interest in aesthetics began in high school while working as an assistant to an esthetician. Her advanced degree and passion for helping women led her to The Confidence Bar. She loves helping patients look and feel their best.

At The Confidence Bar, she genuinely connects with patients and learns about their aesthetic goals. She works with each patient to create a custom treatment plan focusing on their natural beauty. Angie is dedicated to providing safe, natural treatment. Angie appreciates each patient and would like to say thank you for trusting us.

When not at The Confidence Bar, Angie enjoys reading, Pilates classes, finding the best pizza places, and exploring Chicago with her friends and mini Bernedoodle, Bruno.

Lauren Gardstrom, MSN, APRN, NP-C is a board certified Nurse Practitioner through the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), and also holds a BS in Health Sciences. Lauren has over fifteen years experience in the medical field spanning across the Labor and Delivery Unit at Northwestern Memorial Hospital to supervising biologic infusion therapies for patients with complex chronic conditions.

Lauren is a dedicated Aesthetic Nurse Practitioner who is well-versed in cosmetic treatments. She builds rapport with each patient to establish a safe and comfortable environment. Lauren is skilled at providing detailed assessment and treatment plans that are personalized, while focusing on a natural appearance. Lauren remains committed to continue to learn and build on her existing skills and knowledge to better herself and practice the safest and up to date treatment techniques.

Lauren has a passion for aesthetic medicine and loves to help people feel like the very best version of themselves. Lauren has a relentless eye for detail. From a technical standpoint the precise work and extreme attention to detail is very important and satisfying for her. "At the end of the day, regardless if it’s a first time patient or someone I have been treating for years, I love knowing that I was able to help someone feel like the very best version of themselves".

When Lauren isn't injecting you can find her spending time with her husband and two young boys