Vanessa Thomas RN, BSN, CCE, CME
Owner
A native of Ocala, Vanessa brings a wealth of experience from her background in Surgical Intensive Care and successful management of a 50-bed medical/surgical hospital unit. Delving into Aesthetic Medicine 16 years ago, she has continually expanded her medical knowledge, obtaining extensive training and certifications in Cosmetic Lasers, including Laser Hair Removal, Fraxel, IPL, and V Beam. Her favorite service is IPL Photofacial.
Since 2004, Vanessa has been a dedicated member of the Advanced Aesthetics team, assisting thousands of clients in loving the way they look and feel. Her passion lies in laser treatments, addressing everything from unwanted hair to wrinkles, sun spots, veins, and more!
Vanessa holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing from the University of Florida and is a Certified Clinical and Medical Electrologist with over 20 years of experience.
Beyond her professional achievements, she finds joy in family time and indulging in her secret passion – Interior design! Travel, water activities, and caring for her family of four round out Vanessa’s fulfilling life outside the clinic
Sarah Cooper, APRN, MSN, FNP-BC
Nurse Practitioner
See Real Written Reviews For Sarah’s Services
Born and raised in Ocala area, Sarah is a board-certified, Advanced Family Nurse Practitioner through the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners(AANP). She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) at the University of South Florida, then advanced her education at the University of South Alabama, obtaining a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN).
As a registered nurse, she gained experience working within, orthopedics, neonatal-ICU, facial plastics, and oculoplastics. Her love for aesthetics developed while working in a fast-paced facial and oculoplastic surgery center as a peri-operative, intra-operative, and PACU nurse. Sarah began her career as a Nurse Practitioner specializing in oculoplastic surgery as a first assistant in the operating room and aesthetics. Realizing her true passion resided in the aesthetic industry, she transitioned to Aesthetic Medicine full time.
Sarah continues her education through her involvement in the aesthetic community and by attending aesthetic conferences. Her commitment to staying informed on the latest advancements and innovative techniques within Aesthetic Medicine is pivotal in delivering exceptional care to her clients. She is dedicated to serving her clients and helping them achieve their aesthetic goals, regain confidence, and restore their youth. Her favorite service is Botox. Her top priority is instilling trust and educating her clients to cooperatively develop a premier plan of care.
In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and her fur baby Thurman. Sarah also enjoys traveling, outdoor activities, fishing, and living a healthy lifestyle.
Megan Lefebvre, APRN
Megan Lefebvre, APRN, is a provider with experience in aesthetics and a multitude of other aspects of healthcare including neurology, inpatient care, infectious disease and wounds, oculoplastics, and general ophthalmic surgery. A nurse practitioner for seven years, Megan has found her passion is helping people in different capacities with different needs; including clinical, functional, and aesthetic medicine.
Megan’s path to nursing began at the University of Central Florida where she obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing. She then earned her Master of Science degree in nursing at South University in Savannah, GA. She received her APRN certification from the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and her certification in dermal fillers and injectables from the National Laser Institute in Dallas, Texas. She is certified in advanced cardiac life support as well as first assist suturing in the operating room; she is a proud member of the National Academy of Dermatology Nurse Practitioners and the Florida Association of Nurse Practitioners.
When not at the office, Megan enjoys family time with her husband, two children, and beloved
dog Maverick. As a true Florida native, she enjoys the outdoors, especially all things involving
the water – fishing, beach, pool, and boating. Megan is an advocate for healthy living and staying active in addition to promoting skin health, restoring youth, and sharing information on available treatments and is excited to share this passion. She believes it is vital to keep up with the latest products and provide her patients with the best options to meet their goals. She looks forward to getting to know you and developing a treatment plan that meets your needs. These are YOUR goals, and she’s ready to help you achieve them!
Dani Simms, LE
Dani is a Licensed medical Aesthetician from Spring Hill Tennessee. She received her education in Franklin Tennessee and graduated top of her class in 2018.Throughout school she made sure to get hands-on experience by shadowing medical aestheticians and assisting in aesthetic procedures. She furthered her Education by accumulating certifications for Lasers and other medical aesthetic devices.
As a Licensed Aesthetician she Gained experience by working as a skincare specialist at a holistic Himalayan salt spa and then running a medical spa for two years and loved every minute of it.
In her free time, she enjoys outdoor activities such as fishing, Hunting and mountain biking. Dani has also been an equestrian for more than 20 years and enjoys spending time at the barn with her horse and her dog Daisy Mae.
Catherine Vidal
aesthetician Specialist
Born and raised in Ocala, Cat grew up with a passion for all things beauty and aesthetics related. After graduating from Forest High School, she went on to study at Santa Fe and the University of Florida to acquire a degree in Interior Design. While her love for aesthetics in a built environment is still there, she has always loved the connection of working hands on with clients to achieve their beauty wishes. She started working at Advanced Aesthetics in 2017 as one of the receptionists. In 2022, she attended Summit Salon Academy in Gainesville and graduated with her full specialist license, making her a licensed Aesthetician and Nail Technician. Since graduating, she has been working as an esthetician specializing in relaxing facials, beautiful brows and luscious lashes. In my free time she enjoys doing nails, playing with her dog Pepper, hanging out with my family and traveling as much as possible.
Greer Galavis
Customer Care Specialist
Raised in Gainesville, FL, Greer Galavis attended the University of Florida and Graduated with her bachelor’s degree in Commercial Recreation and Hospitality Management. There she met her husband and moved to Jacksonville after graduation. She worked in Hospitality for a short while there before starting a family back in Gainesville. She then moved to Tampa due to her husband’s career and continued to grow her family and working in retail. Another move back to Gainesville for her husband’s career, she decided to switch gears from retail and hospitality to medicine. She was with the Orthopaedic Institute for over eleven years. In that time, she worked her way up from Medical Technician to Staff Assistant.
She is now settled in Ocala with her husband and five boys. She started working at Advanced Aesthetics over two years ago part time and has fallen in love with the Aesthetic field and takes pride in her own skin care routine and loves to promote Advanced Aesthetics to others. She loves learning about all the services and products we provide so she can share it with all of you.
On her days she isn’t at Advanced Aesthetics, Greer is busy with her five boys and all their sports and extracurricular activities. She is either at a football game, basketball game, baseball tournament or golf match. In her free time, she loves traveling with her family, traveling with friends, working out and just relaxing and spending time with her husband and five boys.
Ambyrlyn Drain
Front Desk
Ambyrlyn Drain is from The Villages, Florida. She has always had a passion for helping others. Growing up in this close-knit community, she attended The Villages Charter High School, where her interest in healthcare truly blossomed. Since graduating in the class of 2024, Ambyrlyn has become determined to pursue a career in aesthetic nursing.
With dreams of attending school for esthetics while also earning her Bachelor of Science in Nursing, she envisions herself as a Nurse Practitioner one day. Throughout her journey, Ambyrlyn has been fortunate to have mentors who have truly inspired and encouraged her to always work hard to achieve her goals. Their support has fueled her passion and ambition, making her excited for the future she is building in the healthcare field.
