Thai Becker, RN - Aesthetic Injector in Portland, Oregon

Eva Sheie (00:03):
Whether you're trying injectables for the first time or making a change to a new provider, the more you can learn about who your injector is before you're in the chair, the better that appointment will be. You're listening to Meet the Injector. Thanks for listening to Meet the Injector. Today, my guest is Thai Becker from MD Beauty Lab in Portland, Oregon. Welcome to the podcast, Thai.

Thai Becker (00:26):
Hi. Thank you for having me.

Eva Sheie (00:27):
Well, let's start with the basics here. How long have you been at MD Beauty Lab?

Thai Becker (00:31):
I've been at MD Beauty Lab for five years now.

Eva Sheie (00:34):
What did you do prior to joining the team there?

Thai Becker (00:36):
I was a pediatric nurse at the hospital here.

Eva Sheie (00:39):
That's kind of an interesting leap from kids at the hospital to plastic surgery. How did you manage to do that?

Thai Becker (00:46):
Ever since nursing school, I've always had an interest in anesthetics and in injecting, but of course with nursing, there's just a wide variety of what you can get into. So I think I just followed those steps in getting a job at the hospital, and I loved working with children, and so that's where I was at for a bit. I wanted more than just a job. I wanted to be really passionate about my work. Not that I'm not passionate about children, but it was just like I love helping people. I love helping children, but I wanted something more fun and creative, and that's why I got into aesthetics and injecting because you can add that part of yourself in there. You can't really, as a nurse in a hospital, you can't really add creativity into your job. It's very rigid.

Eva Sheie (01:33):
Yeah, I don't think, they're not hiring you to be creative there.

Thai Becker (01:36):
No.

Eva Sheie (01:37):
No, not so much. Did you know anybody at PPSG or MDBL before you switched over?

Thai Becker (01:43):
No, I didn't. I just kind of took a leap of faith during a crazy time too. I applied for a job while it was like the swirls of the pandemic was happening and got hired at Portland Plastic Surgery and a month later it was lockdown.

Eva Sheie (02:02):
Wow. So that is some timing right there.

Thai Becker (02:06):
Yeah, and at that time it was a very unknown thing for aesthetics, plastics, because everything was supposed to be just the necessities. So it was a very unclear future, but it actually took a different turn than we all thought.

Eva Sheie (02:25):
Did the state of Oregon say that you were essential or non-essential? Did they let you stay open through the whole thing? What was that like?

Thai Becker (02:33):
We were non-essential because we're a Portland Plastic Surgery Group. There was reconstruction surgery going on, and that was essential. At least the first part of reconstruction is so that portion we got to stay open. So I got to learn a lot still during that time, but actually injecting that took a while to take off.

Eva Sheie (02:52):
I imagine you were feeling really lucky that you got out of the hospital when you did at that time.

Thai Becker (02:57):
Oh, yeah. Yeah. Talking to my friends back at the hospital, it was scary for them for sure, and I just had a baby, and so I had friends that had kids too, and they were quarantining themselves, and I just didn't even know what that would be like. I literally had a three month old.

Eva Sheie (03:13):
When it started?

Thai Becker (03:14):
Yeah, I think, well, she was probably like five months old, but yeah,

Eva Sheie (03:17):
I had one in the middle of it, my second one in May of 2020, and I wouldn't wish that again on my worst enemy.

Thai Becker (03:25):
Yeah.

Eva Sheie (03:27):
I hope we never have to go through anything like that again.

Thai Becker (03:30):
Yeah, me either.

Eva Sheie (03:32):
So when did you realize you were in the right place? Was there a moment?

Thai Becker (03:35):
At first when you're injecting, it's very nerve wracking, right? There's so many things happening. You got to worry about arteries and nerves when you're injecting in anywhere, especially in the face and where the bones are at, where the muscles are at, what plane you're in. So there's a lot of thinking while you're doing the injecting and somebody's watching you as well when you're first starting out and when you're learning, but then after you do it, you're like, okay, that felt good. That was nice. And then seeing how the patient reacted I think was where you're like, okay, I want to be somewhere where I can make people feel good, and it may not be instantaneously. A lot of times you hand somebody in the mirror and they're like, I'm very swollen, and oh, I'm kind of red there, but still, they're pretty happy with the result, and I think that feeling of making people feel good is wonderful.

Eva Sheie (04:27):
That spark, it sounds like you were hooked. Now you're in the right place, and so let's fast forward to today. Give me a day in the life of Thai at work. What does it look like?

Thai Becker (04:38):
Being an injector, it can be really fast paced. You get a patient, you see them, you chat with them, you see what they're here for, what they're looking for and how you can help them. You start doing what you guys talked about agreed upon, and then next, next, next, right, and then get a lunch break and then next, next, next. But I think that fast paced changeover is really nice. It breaks up your day and it makes it go by fast, and you get to meet all these different people, different personalities. You get chat with people. I mean, after a while, once you start seeing a patient for a bit, they start to feel like they're your friends and you get to hear about their day or what vacation they were just on or what they did on the weekend, and you get to be a little therapist too

Eva Sheie (05:25):
When they feel like friends, that's the goal is they trust you and they're coming to you to help them with their face, and there's nothing more important than that.

Thai Becker (05:35):
You want to be comfortable with them. Then you know that they're comfortable telling you their wants and needs, and then you're comfortable also being like, actually, this is where we should go with it and this is why. And not feeling like you're stepping on any toes or anything.

Eva Sheie (05:51):
Do you ever have to say, no, I'm not going to do that?

Thai Becker (05:54):
Oh, yeah. Yeah. That's part of our job is to steer people in the right direction if they're not, a lot of times people have different ideas of what they want or not really knowing what they want or watching something on Instagram or YouTube and being like, oh, yeah, I want this filled in with Botox, and it's like, oh, well actually that's not what Botox does. It's just educating them. But yeah, sometimes you do have to say no. Sometimes things can be well for one unsafe and two, not aesthetically pleasing or the outcome is not what they say they want, and so you have to tell 'em, well, if you want that goal, then this is what we need to do.

Eva Sheie (06:35):
Have you seen the trends change recently in what people come in asking for or wanting to look like?

Thai Becker (06:43):
Yeah, I definitely do. I think in the Pacific Northwest, it's always been more on the subtle side, more natural, but I think we're seeing that even more, and it's not just about looking different or changing how you look, but actually getting down to the root cause of why these things are happening and how can I almost reverse what's going on, I think is, it's always been a really big deal, but people are understanding that we can help the aging process and these are the things that we can do to help that, and I think we're seeing a lot more of that. People are just, they want to age gracefully and that we are here to help you age gracefully. I mean, I think Biostimulators are becoming a lot more popular right now, and they're coming out with new types and different variations and new places to put it. I think that's kind of where things are going. It's not a filler, but it can help with volume loss, and I think sometimes that people just want a subtle enhancement in volume loss that they've had.

Eva Sheie (07:48):
What are biostimulators and how do they work?

Thai Becker (07:51):
Biostimulators, depending on which one you're going for, it could be very natural. Something like platelet rich plasma or platelet rich fibrin matrix Sculptra is also by biostimulator or Radiesse, and what that does is when we inject it into your tissue, your body says, what is this? And it comes in and has a reaction and stimulates collagen production. That's a big thing because we lose collagen very quickly due to aging and replacing that can not only help with volume loss, but skin texture elasticity, and I feel like a lot of people come in and they just say, my skin is just, everything's just falling. And I think that's where I would say, well, have you heard of a biostimulator? And they go through all the different kinds that we offer and kind of figure out which way they want to go, what they're more comfortable with.

Eva Sheie (08:39):
Is there ever a time where you have to say, I think that you're past the point of filler or a biostimulator helping, and maybe we should talk about a surgical consultation?

Thai Becker (08:50):
Oh, yeah, and I think that's the beauty of MD Beauty Lab and Portland Plastic Surgery being under the same umbrella is that we do have resources like our surgeons at Portland Plastic Surgery. There is a point where if I'm not able to give a patient a satisfactory result and I know that, or it's going to cost them a huge amount to get to that point, I'll give them the consideration of, Hey, maybe we have plastic surgeons. You can have a consult with them, chat with them. Kind of give them my idea of like, oh, maybe you need a blepharoplasty, maybe you need a facelift and see how they feel about this. Some people are like, no, no, no, I don't want to do that. Or some people are like, I haven't even thought about that, or I didn't think I was there yet. But it's just giving them those options. I think it's nice to have a lot of different options.

Eva Sheie (09:42):
Have you seen a lot more people who've lost a lot of weight so much that their faces have changed because of weight loss? Is that happening?

Thai Becker (09:51):
Yes. Yes, definitely. I mean, with the GLP-1s, people are losing weight faster, and that quick weight loss can cause skin to just sit there, especially the older you are, you have less elasticity, so your skin's not bouncing back, and so people are noticing that is aging them a bit. So yeah, we have seen an uptick in that.

Eva Sheie (10:13):
It's a funny thing because you're so happy that you lost weight, but then all of a sudden your face is like, wait, what?

Thai Becker (10:18):
Yeah. It's just one of those things that's like, now this problem is getting fixed, and then now I've created myself some new problems, but I feel like they're good problems.

Eva Sheie (10:27):
They're good problems.

Thai Becker (10:27):
Right? Yeah.

Eva Sheie (10:29):
They are good problems. You have tons and tons of good reviews from your patients. Is there something you're known for among patients that makes you different from the ordinary everyday injector?

Thai Becker (10:43):
I would like to think that I just come into it wanting to really get to know my patients, not only what they want aesthetically, but personally. I think it's important to have that rapport with people. It's fun for me too. I like knowing my patients and who they are. I think that creates a lot of trust, so I feel like that's where I'm hoping I'm getting those good reviews from that people do trust me and feel like they're confident in me.

Eva Sheie (11:10):
Yeah, I mean there are just so many I can't even choose. They really like the way that you educate and take your time. And so if you're listening and you want to read reviews, those are at mdbeautylab.com. Are there any other services that you do besides injectables?

Thai Becker (11:27):
Aside from injectables, I also do CoolSculpting, which I think even with the uptick in GLP-1s, CoolSculpting is wonderful because you can't tell your body where to lose fat. We wish you could, but there are some places that like to hold onto it more than others, and that's what CoolSculpting is perfect for is when you have those little pockets of fat that they're just so stubborn and you're like, why can't I get rid of these? I get this all the time when I get a CoolSculpting consult. They're like, no matter what my size is, how much weight I've lost or how much weight I've gained, this has just always been a bulky area, and that's where CoolSculpting is perfect for because we can just target these smaller areas and make everything look more cohesive.

Eva Sheie (12:13):
Is there a particular part of the body that keeps being mentioned when people have that complaint?

Thai Becker (12:19):
I think typically it's their submental area and their lower, lower abdomen.

Eva Sheie (12:24):
What about the back? Asking for a friend?

Thai Becker (12:27):
Asking for a friend. I think, yeah, backs, especially the back flanks, those hang around. That's another area that hangs around, and it's one of those areas that you notice a lot because you're like, I've lost all this weight. My waist is so small, but then my pants are not fitting like I thought they would. Right. The area of where your waist band sits is where I feel like a lot of people are like, I want to get rid of this area a little bit more.

Eva Sheie (12:50):
Away from work, tell us about your life.

Thai Becker (12:53):
I have two beautiful little girls that are three and five, so my life revolves around them. They have a lot of energy, and I like to play with them and let them get their energy out. So even though we live in a rainy city, we try to be outside a lot. My husband and I, we bought a farm, and so we're just trying to, and we're not farm people, we grew up in the suburbs, and so we're just trying to figure out this life that we've created for having a farm is a lot of work.

Eva Sheie (13:26):
What kind of animals do you guys have?

Thai Becker (13:28):
We just have chickens. The rest is wheat. It's just a lot to maintain. We have 10 acres and it's a lot to maintain 10 acres, right? We're used to our house with our yard and

Eva Sheie (13:40):
Yeah. Did you have to buy a tractor?

Thai Becker (13:43):
Yeah. I don't know how to use the tractor at all. I think my daughters know how to use the tractor more than I do, but I don't even think I sat on that thing, but it's a very big machine that scares me.

Eva Sheie (13:54):
Okay. So your assignment is to learn how to drive the tractor, and next time we talk, I'm going to follow up and ask you, have you been on the tractor yet?

Thai Becker (14:01):
That's probably a good assignment. I probably should know how to run that thing in case I need it for whatever reason.

Eva Sheie (14:07):
Okay. If somebody's listening today and they want to reach out and schedule a consultation or find out more about you, Thai, where can they look?

Thai Becker (14:14):
They can look on our website, and I have an Instagram, MD Beauty Lab also has an Instagram. They also can find me that way too. But yeah, MDbeautylab.com or Instagram's @MDBeautyLab, and then my Instagram is Thai_AestheticsPDX.

Eva Sheie (14:30):
Perfect. Thank you, Thai. It was really great getting to know you today and learning more about you.

Thai Becker (14:35):
Thank you for having me. It was great.

Eva Sheie (14:38):
There's no substitute for an in-person appointment, but we hope this comes close. If you're considering an appointment with this provider, be sure you let them know you heard them on the Meet the Injector podcast. Check the show notes for including the injector's website and Instagram to learn more. Are you an aesthetic injector or do you know one? You can be a guest on Meet the Injector. Book your free recording session at meettheinjector.com. Meet The Injector is Made with Love in Austin, Texas and is a production of The Axis, theaxis.io.