Aesthetic & Regenerative PCP

We sat down with Aubrey St Mary, NP-C, Aesthetic & Regenerative PCP at Cosmetic Skin & Laser Center in Hobe Sound and Vero Beach, to talk about her background in emergency medicine and plastic surgery, her approach to facial balancing, and why patient education, collagen stimulation, and natural-looking results guide the way she practices aesthetic medicine.

Tell us a little about yourself. What do your enjoy outside of work?
I’m originally from Vero Beach and live there now with my husband and our two daughters, who are two and four. I spent about 10 years away from the area, including six years in West Palm Beach, so I’m very familiar with South Florida.

Outside of work, my girls keep me very busy. We go to Disney quite a bit, and I also love reading and Pilates. I genuinely enjoy learning in my free time, too. I’ll listen to podcasts about health, longevity, hormones, and menopause just to stay current on what’s happening in medicine.

What was your background before transitioning into aesthetics?
I’ve been in medicine for about eight years. I started my career as an emergency room nurse and stayed in the ER while earning my nurse practitioner degree.

From there, I transitioned into concierge medicine and later plastic surgery, where I worked primarily in postoperative care and managed surgical complications. I had always been interested in aesthetics, so eventually moving into aesthetic and regenerative medicine felt like a natural progression of my clinical background.

Have you personally tried the treatments you offer?
Yes, quite a few! Some of my favorite results have come from Morpheus8, microneedling, Dysport, Sculptra, PRF under the eyes, and dermal filler.

Filler was actually newer for me personally. Once I got filler, I loved the result. It reinforced something I talk about with patients all the time: the goal isn’t to pick apart your face or change what makes you unique. It’s about enhancing what’s already beautiful.

How do you approach creating results that look natural and balanced?
I take a facial balancing approach. Rather than focusing on one isolated area, I evaluate the face as a whole, from top to bottom, and create a personalized treatment plan based on the patient’s anatomy, goals, and individual aging process.

For someone who’s new to aesthetics, a comprehensive plan can sometimes feel intimidating. They don’t have to do everything at once. Education is one of the most important parts of the consultation for me. I want every patient to leave with a better understanding of facial aging, what the different treatments actually do, and why I might recommend one approach over another.

What treatments do you most enjoy performing?
Sculptra and dermal filler are probably my two favorites, but for very different reasons.

I love Sculptra because you’re stimulating the patient’s own collagen, and the results develop gradually. It’s incredibly rewarding when someone comes back months later looking refreshed and people are noticing how great they look without being able to pinpoint why.

Dermal filler is where the creative side of medicine really comes through for me. Every face is different, and perfect symmetry isn’t necessarily the goal. It requires a deep understanding of anatomy, proportion, and balance. As an injector, I’m constantly learning and refining my technique, and I really enjoy that process.

What’s one of your favorite types of patient transformations?
Some of my favorite moments happen when a patient initially comes in focused on one concern, but through a full facial assessment, we can help them understand the bigger picture.

I’ll explain why I think we should start in a different area and how that can influence the concern they originally noticed. When a patient trusts that process, sees the result, and then gives me the green light to continue building their plan, that’s incredibly rewarding. I’ve had patients become ecstatic when they see how all those thoughtful changes come together.

What do patients often misunderstand about Botox, fillers, and other aesthetic treatments?
One of the biggest misconceptions is that all aesthetic treatments essentially do the same thing. In reality, each one has a very different purpose.

Neuromodulators such as Botox and Dysport relax targeted muscles. Dermal fillers can restore volume and improve facial balance. Biostimulators such as Sculptra stimulate collagen and gradually improve the underlying structure and quality of the skin.

One of my favorite parts of aesthetics is being able to combine my clinical knowledge with a creative eye. Every plan is personalized, and I talk patients through what we’re doing and why throughout the process. I want them to understand their treatment rather than simply receive it.

Is there a treatment that has surprised you with its results?
Dermal filler.

There’s a lot of negativity and misinformation surrounding filler. What I’ve learned is how much technique, anatomy, placement, and appropriate patient selection matter.

When filler is approached thoughtfully, it can create incredibly natural results. That’s also an area where I think CSLC’s emphasis on injector education makes a big difference.

What’s one piece of advice you give new patients?
Give yourself grace.

It took years to develop your smile lines, and those lines are also evidence of a life you’ve lived. You should be proud of them. I don’t like seeing patients sit in the chair and immediately start picking themselves apart.

We’re not here to point out everything that’s “wrong.” We’re here to identify the things that genuinely bother you and help you feel a little more confident while keeping the result as natural as possible.

What makes CSLC different from other med spas?
This is probably one of my favorite questions because I truly believe the difference is unmatched.

One of the biggest things that sets CSLC apart is how much the practice invests in its providers. I’ve never worked in an environment with such a strong emphasis on helping providers grow, refine their skills, and deliver an exceptional level of patient care.

Continued education is a huge part of that. We have ongoing training throughout the year as well as CSLC University, which gives us opportunities to continually refine our techniques, learn about advancements in the field, and keep building our clinical skills.

How have you seen aesthetic medicine evolve over the last 5 years?
Patients are doing much more of their own research now, largely because of social media. That can be a great thing, but it also means they’re exposed to a lot of information and misinformation.

As providers, we have to stay current on the research and be prepared to help patients distinguish trends from treatments that actually make sense for them. That’s why education has become such an important part of my consultations. When patients understand what we’re recommending and why, we can build trust and make better decisions together.

What does confidence mean to you?
Confidence is feeling like the best version of yourself.

We’re not trying to make everyone look the same or apply a cookie-cutter version of beauty. I have patients in their 70s and 80s who tell me, “I feel like I’m 50.” I want them to look in the mirror and feel like what they see reflects that energy.

You should be able to love how you look through every stage of your life.

What skincare products can you not live without?
I have quite a few! P-TIOX is one I won’t go without. I also love SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic, Plated Daily Serum, ALASTIN Restorative Skin Complex for its peptides, and SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid to lock everything in.

I also use exfoliating peel pads once or twice a week. I love the way they leave your skin looking incredibly smooth and radiant the next morning.