Catalina has always had a passion for small business and Nursing. Her attention to detail and ability to really listen to her patients concerns is what truly sets her, and Lapiel, apart. Catalina earned her bachelor’s degree from DePaul University and master’s degree from the University of Illinois-Chicago. With 25 over years of experience as a Nurse Practitioner and 14 years as Lapiel’s Practice Coordinator, Catalina has truly made a name for herself in the Aesthetic Business. “I get my satisfaction from being involved in a small business from being able to be honest with our clients and deliver the results they want, consistently,” Catalina says. “We care. We provide quality care. We live in the community that we serve. We are a small family operation and we know our clients personally.” When she is not busy at the Lapiel , she can be found strolling Lakeview with her husband, two kids and the new Lapiel Mascot, Goose the Laser dog.

Dr. Maria Ruiz is not one to obsess over the way the body looks. She does however believe that there are certain simple things you can do to make yourself feel more confident. It is this philosophy that guides what we do here at Lapiel. Dr. Ruiz earned a combined MD and PhD degree from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. She advanced her education in emergency medicine in New Mexico, practiced there as an emergency room doctor, and eventually returned to the Midwest where she practices emergency medicine, serves as Lapiel’s Medical Director and gets to work with her sister Catalina in the very same neighborhood where they grew up. Both sisters are happy to continue their parent’s medical legacy and help people look and feel their best. Maria’s medical expertise and calm manner make her the perfect doctor to fill this vital role at Lapiel. “And what makes it even better,” she says, “is that as one of six sisters from an Italian mother and a Colombian father, we were blessed with care and hair.” Come in and see why the Ruiz Sisters are changing the way we think about Aesthetic Medicine!

Julie has been a practicing Aesthetician, Makeup artist and Educator for the past 18 years. Originally from Michigan, Julie moved to Chicago to pursue her dream of being a skincare expert and makeup artist for TV and started working for ABC7 News. She’s been working there the last 13 years doing the morning news and occasionally for Windy City Live. Julie also honed her craft as an educator at the Aveda Institute for 13 years, eventually becoming the Spa Team Leader. This busy lady has since left teaching to work at Lapiel, ABC and do freelance makeup for weddings, fashion shows and photo shoots. Julie’s philosophy is simple: Love what you do and you’ll never feel like you’ve worked a day in your life. Come in and let Julie help you fall in love with your skin!

Angelica has been with Lapiel since 2010, working both as our client coordinator and eventually treating patients as a Nurse. A Chicago native, Angelica lives in the Ravenswood neighborhood with her husband and two young children. When she is not at Lapiel she can be found in the ER at Illinois Masonic. It is her kind, caring and truly dedicated spirit that sets her apart. “I enjoy being able to expand my skills– whether it be zapping hair or making someone feel better” says Angelica. She graduated from Chamberlain College of Nursing in 2013 and has been trained on both the GentleMAX and Lumenis Lightsheer Desire Lasers by our very own Nurse Practitioner.

Ariana has been with Lapiel since 2008. It is her job to make sure that your experience with us is a pleasant one from start to finish. A true Chicago girl, she has spent her entire life in the city and is proud to now call Lincoln Square home. While she can mostly be found wandering the office making sure all the wheels are turning, her true passion is spreading the word about Lapiel. As the first employee who wasn’t a relative, Ariana truly fell in love with the wonderful clients and family environment here at Lapiel. She considers it an honor and a privilege to be able to work with amazing women everyday and help people look and feel their best. On the rare occasions she is not at Lapiel she can be found hanging out with the mini interns, listening to Hamilton on repeat and managing the Lapiel social media pages.

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Courtney Payne was born and raised in Whitewater, WI. She came to Chicago to attend DePaul University, which she graduated from in 2009. In 2013 Courtney joined the Lapiel family and has loved learning and experiencing all that the Medical Aesthetic Industry has to offer. It’s very difficult to name a favorite service, because she loves them all, but the Laser Hair Removal has probably benefited her most day-to-day because she was prone to nick and cut herself (and has the scars to prove it!). Courtney is also obsessed with skin care products and is well versed in the Eminence Organics and Biopelle product lines that we carry, so feel free to ask her any questions you might have. Courtney lives in Edgewater with her husband and three cats, enjoys spending as much time as possible out on the lake in the summer, watching terrible Reality TV with friends and exploring the city’s great restaurants.