When she first delved into the medical field more than 17 years ago, Andrea Uliano knew she wanted hands-on experiences. 

Beginning her career as a medical social worker, Uliano settled into her role as a listener — someone who could understand a patient’s needs and build trust within the healthcare system. But as she did so, Uliano also witnessed the round-the-clock work of nurses who’d roll up their sleeves to provide physical care. 

“I always had this burning desire to do what they do,” Uliano said. “I’m definitely more of a mover and a doer.” 

It’s why Uliano is now celebrating the launch of her new business, Beauty Lab, which officially opened in downtown Dillon this month. A medical spa, the business merges aesthetic body and facial care — such as vitamin injections, anti-wrinkle treatment, wellness shots and botox — with education around best practices. 

The goal, Uliano said, is to be both a place where community members can receive medical-grade beauty care and have a deeper understanding of their body and goals. 

“A lot of medical spas are conveyor belts. They inject your face, sell you the product and you’re out the door,” Uliano said. “A lot of the products are about feeling good about oneself … so you have to take the time to understand what your patient wants to deliver real results.”

After perusing a menu of treatments the spa offers, Uliano said she’ll sit down with a client to explain the process and make sure it’s the right fit for them. Clients will complete a health assessment form aimed at giving Uliano a “snapshot of who they are physically and emotionally.”

While Uliano said she wants to help her customers feel like their best selves, she doesn’t see beauty trends as a one-size-fits-all philosophy. Uliano gave the example of IV drips, which have become a trendy way to boost essential minerals and vitamins directly into the body’s bloodstream. 

“I don’t want to be negative … but what people should know is the majority of those products that are in the IV bags you can get in a vitamin injection,” Uliano said, adding that injections are quicker, less expensive and less invasive for the patient. 

IV drips, Uliano said, can bring a higher risk of infection, adding that the treatment is “really made for hospitals where they need to get fluids in patients in an emergency situation.”

Uliano’s attention to care is rooted in her medical career. After serving years as a medical social worker, Uliano went back to school in 2017 to receive her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the Denver College of Nursing. 

Uliano kick-started her professional nursing career with training in how to administer botox and fillers. Then came the COVID-19 pandemic and Uliano was thrust into public health, administering thousands of COVID vaccines as she and other medical workers battled the virus. 

“It is so highly community based, it was a natural fit and blend of my social nurse background,” Uliano said. 

But as the vaccination drive ramped down, Uliano said she “wanted to be able to do something where I can blend my skills and education … and something where I could be in my own community.”

At the beginning of 2023, Uliano put together a business plan and within months she secured her own space at 124 Main St., Suite 304, Dillon.

Uliano has now lived in the town for four years after moving from Eagle County. She said she wants to make her business a place where the community can come to. 

“I am so excited, and I am also anxious,” Uliano said, adding she’s committed to “making people feel they can come to me and they trust me.”

Beauty Lab is open Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Wednesdays from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. It is closed Friday through Sunday. Uliano will be hosting an open house at Beauty Lab on June 6 at 6 p.m. More information can be found on her business’ Instagram, @BeautyLab_Dillon, and on her website at BeautyLabDillon.GlossGenius.com/about.