Creative Permanent Makeup By Pam Gives Women Worry-Free Eyebrows & More

Pam Edmonson of Creative Permanent Makeup By Pam in Wesley Chapel helps women achieve beautiful-looking eyebrows without daily makeup application.

Pam Edmonson loves having new clients in her chair. Whether they’re tired of spending way too much time drawing on their eyebrows — or maybe they’ve even lost the hair on their eyebrows due to chemotherapy — Pam is excited to offer women a beautiful new look that fits both their individual problem(s) and their skin.

Pam is a permanent makeup artist who owns Serenity Salon & Spa Suites, located off S.R. 54 in the Brookfield Professional Park, about a half-mile west of Morris Bridge Rd. in Wesley Chapel. At the salon, she has a room where she provides permanent makeup for eyebrows, eyelids and lips.

Pam opened Serenity Salon & Spa Suites with a partner more than two years ago, but now she is the sole owner. She takes pride in offering an inviting place for licensed beauty and wellness professionals to offer their services, such as hair styling, massages and facials.

“I want to empower people to work for themselves and be successful,” she says, explaining that her salon provides a drama-free environment.

“Everyone who works here works well together,” Pam says. “We laugh together. When people walk in, they feel welcomed, and it’s natural. We’re not fake. Although I’m the owner, this isn’t my salon, it’s ours all together.”

She says there currently is one chair available for rent for a hairstylist. There also is a room available for a full-time massage therapist.

“We have amazing stylists and aestheticians here,” says Pam, who also emphasizes that if you try a stylist and don’t love them, try a different one.

“No one’s feelings will be hurt,” she says.

Pam’s journey to salon owner started as a second career for her, after many years of running a business in the manufactured housing industry. In 2009, Pam says she wanted to do something different, so she went to school to become a hair stylist.

While she enjoyed hair, Pam says she soon discovered something that interested her even more.

“I love detail,” Pam says. “As a detail person, eyebrows are what first drew me into the permanent makeup field.”

So, in 2010, she studied permanent makeup at the Boca Ta-2 School for Permanent Makeup in Williston, FL, and began providing permanent makeup services in Zephyrhills in 2011.

Pam is licensed in Florida as both a cosmetologist and as a tattoo artist.

“Any time that ink is implanted into the skin, it is a tattoo,” Pam explains, “and you must be licensed through the Florida Department of Health.”

Microblading Eyebrows

While Pam offers permanent makeup for eyebrows and lips, along with permanent eyeliner, her most popular service is microblading for eyebrows.

“Brows are always my favorite because of the drastic way they change how someone looks,” Pam says. “Our eyes are meant to be framed, and brows definitely complete the face.

Pam is also the owner of Serenity Spa & Salon Suites, where she offers her permanent makeup services, and other health and wellness professionals offer hair styling, facials, massages and more.

Some women look so much younger when they have them done.”

With microblading, Pam uses a small blade and ink to create individual stroke lines. She uses a pencil to draw an outline, then uses the microblade to draw each individual hair, adding a more natural look to the eyebrow.

Pam strongly recommends that anyone considering microblading “should do their homework,” explaining that some people who offer the service may only have a three-day class in the technique before they start working on clients. The person who will do your eyebrows should sit down with you and show you before-and-after pictures of their own work, Pam says.

Pam was trained in microblading in 2014, when the process was new. Since then, she says she has done hundreds of sets of eyebrows.

She requires a free, in-person, no-obligation consultation for all clients. Even for someone who is sure they want permanent makeup, Pam still does a consultation, because each person’s skin is unique.

“Although microblading is my favorite,” Pam says, “it may not be the right answer for a client. There can be a better alternative, depending on the canvas that I am working on.”

Because Pam is so passionate about ensuring that clients are educated about permanent makeup and microblading, she has started a video series on her website to help people better understand the process.

At CreativePermanentMakeupByPam.com, be sure to click on her blog, which links to her educational videos.

“I answer a lot of questions that so many people have,” Pam says. “I made the videos because I wanted to put some education out there.”

The first video shows the consultation process and answers common questions. Pam says that future videos will focus on permanent makeup for the brows, lips and eyeliner.

Pam values education for herself, too, and says she stays on top of all the latest information by attending classes whenever she can. Last December, she took an advanced lip class in San Antonio, TX. “I’m still learning,” she says.

She says that it’s especially gratifying to be able to help someone who has gone through a difficult time, such as a cancer patient who lost their hair and it didn’t grow back.

Or, if she can help someone who feels devastated after someone else has done their permanent makeup poorly. While Pam admits that she can’t help everyone — because each person’s skin and situation is unique — she does have the skills and expertise to help most people, often in difficult situations.

Jennifer Burrows is a New Tampa resident who had microblading done by Pam on her eyebrows.

“I was impressed by how long she took with me,” Jennifer says. “She’s a perfectionist and made them look as beautiful as they possibly can. She knows what she’s doing.”

Jennifer says she spent a lot of time looking online and contacted another company, but that person refused to work on her because of her red hair. She was thrilled when Pam agreed to help her.

“Now,” Jennifer says, “my eyebrows are beautiful and I don’t need to wear makeup.”
Pam says that’s the best part of her job.

“I’m extremely passionate about my work,” she says. “When someone tells me what a difference I made in their life and how they feel about themselves, that’s the reason that I love what I do!”

Creative Permanent Makeup by Pam is located at Serenity Salon & Spa Suites, at 33913 S.R. 54, Suite 101, in Wesley Chapel. For information about the stylists, aestheticians and massage therapists at the salon, visit SerenitySalonSpaSuites.com. For a free consultation or more info about permanent makeup, visit CreativePermanentMakeupbyPam.com, or call Pam at (813) 997-6302.

At Done Right Flooring & Cabinets, The Name Says It All!

Owner Jason Cantin of Done Right Flooring on W. Linebaugh Ave. in Tampa, has two decades of experience in the flooring industry, but still attends training at least twice a year to stay up-to-date on all the latest techniques and best practices in the industry.

In Jason Cantin’s two decades working in the flooring industry, he’s seen a lot of things go wrong.

In fact, for the past six years, he has worked as a flooring inspector. When someone says their floor is bad and wants the manufacturer or installer to fix it, they call Jason, as a first step toward filing a claim in court.

He says bad flooring installation is so prevalent in the industry that 85 percent of all floors being installed today are being installed incorrectly. He says that nearly every retailer out there is trying to sell more floors, and install them quickly, and move on to the next job, with little concern for whether or not your floor will last.

“Not every floor that is installed incorrectly fails,” he says, “but if you have carpet pulls in the doorway, or wrinkles in your carpet, or your floating floor creaks or makes noise, you have a bad install.”
So, he decided to do something about it.

He opened Done Right Flooring & Cabinets, selling the highest-quality flooring brands, installed in your home, to give people an alternative to the options available in the flooring market in Tampa.

Done Right sells hardwood, tile and laminate floors, as well as carpet, and also offers custom wood floors, in which every piece is hand cut, hand laid, sanded and finished in place.

In addition to selling flooring, Jason has a partner in the store who can help homeowners find the perfect cabinets, following the same philosophy of excellent products and installation that is the trademark of Done Right Flooring & Cabinets.

While Jason and his family live in New Tampa, he wanted to open his store in a location that was more central to all areas of Tampa. Done Right is located at 6028 W. Linebaugh Ave., 25-30 minutes south and west of New Tampa.

“I started Done Right because I’ve spent the last six years watching floors fail, and it’s taught me the process to do it right,” Jason says. “You can’t do it right and do it cheaply. Most subcontractors get paid by the foot, so they lay as much floor as possible, as quickly as possible, to get a bigger paycheck.”

Jason calls himself an idealist, and says he wants to elevate the entire flooring industry in Tampa, focusing on doing things the right way, so the consumer gets the best possible floor installation and floors they will be happy with for a long time.

“Most retailers give a one-year warranty, and then they’re off the hook,” Jason says. “I give a 5-year warranty, in writing, for all of my work.”

He says a well-installed, good-quality floor can be expected to last much longer.

His wife, Ashley, helps him with the business. “Our focus is on the customer,” she says. “Are they as happy with their floors one year, five years, even 20 years later, as they were when they got them?”

She says they also want to ensure that if you are selling your home, your floor will bring top value and the new owners will be happy with the floor, too.

Custom wood floors are a specialty of Done Right Flooring and Cabinets. You can see this one in person, along with the samples of Carlisle Wood Plank floors (hanging on the wall) at the store, located at 6028 W. Linebaugh Ave. in Tampa.

Quality Installations
Jason says they do this by hiring the best installers, who are certified by taking hands-on and written certification tests and are required to do ongoing continuing education. He adds, however, that this approach is not typical in the industry.

“There is no license needed to install wood floors in Hillsborough County,” explains Jason. “There is no recognized body to verify that the work done is correctly.”

In the absence of recognized standards and holding flooring companies accountable for installing floors correctly, Jason says he is doing all he can to change the industry, one consumer at a time.

Done Right recently replaced the floors for Scott Miller in his Bayshore Blvd. condo in South Tampa. Scott had just renovated his condo and was already having problems with his brand new floors, so he hired Jason for a consultation. “There were gaps, I could hear glue squishing and boards creaking,” Scott says. Because the floors were beyond repair, Scott then hired Done Right to do the floors again – this time, the right way.

“I was blown away every step of the way with his service,” says Scott of Jason. “After going through the first experience, there’s really no comparison. (He) took the time to do every step of the process correctly. (He) didn’t rush it.”

Scott says Jason’s knowledge was impressive, and that he took the time to educate him. “He knew about the trees the boards came from,” says Scott, “and explained the importance of prepping the floor and more.”

And, Scott notes that his new floor, purchased from and installed by Done Right, has none of the problems the first floor did.

“Our focus is on educating the consumer, so they pick the best product for them,” Jason says. “I’m not a salesperson, but more of a teacher.”

The Value Of Proper Training
Jason adds that he places a high value on education and keeping up-to-date on all of the latest information and trends in his industry. While prefinished floors are still popular, he says, custom finishing onsite is picking up, with wide flooring, grays and French oak some of the hotter trends.

“There’s no one else in town who’s gone to more school about flooring than me,” says Jason. “I go a minimum of twice a year.” He says he originally went to inspector school, not to become an inspector, but to become a better installer.

He is currently on the bamboo committee for the National Wood Flooring Association, writing the standards and regulations that will be put in place for bamboo floors. He says that right now, there are none.

While the industry doesn’t have to adhere to standards, Jason is doing everything he can to help his customers have expertly-installed products that utilize the best practices in the flooring industry.

“We have high expectations and high standards, and we ensure our installers continue to meet those expectations and standards,” he says. “I’m not a rush guy. The process is meticulous and takes time.”

While installation is important, the products are important, too.

“I know which products tend to fail, so I hand select the items we sell in the store,” says Jason. “If I don’t believe in the product, I won’t sell it, and I don’t install anything that’s not sold in the store.”

Jason’s standards are so high, Done Right was chosen as one of only seven retailers in the country that are authorized to sell Carlisle Wide Plank floors. He says that Carlisle is an American-made, premium cut of wood. “They trust me that I’ll do their product justice,” he says.

Done Right Flooring carries other brands as well, like Kahrs, Boen and Preverco, to name a few, and also has Mohawk, Glazzio and Akua tile flooring and Mohawk and Quickstep laminate flooring.

Ashley says that Jason’s many years of experience can really help consumers get exactly the right product for them and their home. At the store, Jason asks a lot of questions to get to know his clients and their lifestyle.

“In our Pinterest world, people see pictures of gorgeous floors, but they don’t know what they’re looking at,” says Ashley. “Flooring isn’t just about the color.”

“I want to improve the industry,” adds Jason. “I want consumers to get the right information. I may be idealistic, but I’ve learned so much about the industry, and I want to make it better for both consumers and installers.”

Done Right Flooring & Cabinets is located at 6028 W. Linebaugh Ave. It is open Tues.–Fri., 11 a.m.–6 p.m., 10 a.m.– 4 p.m. on Sat., and by appointment on Mon. For more information, call (813) 548-4484 or visit DoneRightFC.com.

Nibbles and Bytes

FHWC Opens Wound Care Center
Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC), which will be changing its name to AdventHealth Wesley Chapel in January 2019 (see Business Notes on page 13), continues to be at the forefront of health care in our area. The hospital recently opened its Wound Care Center inside the FHWC Wellness Plaza, the building due north of the hospital itself.

FHWC CEO Denyse Bales-Chubb and dozens of Adventist Health dignitaries, local elected

officials/political candidates and North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce members were on hand for the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Aug. 27, and everyone in attendance (including yours truly) came away truly impressed with this latest addition to FHWC’s plethora of medical services for the community.

Although the Wound Care Center has plenty of state-of-the-art technology for caring for all kinds of wounds, lesions and lacerations, the coolest things we saw as we toured the facility were two hyperbaric chambers (photo far right), which traditionally have been used for people with the “bends” from scuba diving, but which (we were told) also can help with healing for those who have chronic sores and wounds that don’t heal, from diabetes or after radiation therapy for cancer.

Congrats also go out to the local catering company called C•B•K Catering & Events, which served amazing edible cones filled with a zesty chicken salad, plus delicious cheese tortellinis and perfect bruschetta at the event.

For more info about FHWC and the new Wound Care Center, visit FloridaHospital.com. For more info about C•B•K Catering, visit CBKTampa.com or call (813) 699-3060 and please tell Chase Mayer the New Tampa Neighborhood News sent you!

VIPs Check Out The Hyatt Place
In our last issue, I mentioned that the new Hyatt Place Hotel & Sierra Conference Center were getting ready to open, which actually happened on July 30.

On Aug. 9, representatives of the new hotel hosted a VIP event we attended, where members of the North Tampa Bay Chamber (NTBC) of Commerce Board of Directors and other local VIPs took tours of the 132-room hotel and got to sample some of the tasty food that will be served in the Hyatt Place’s Gallery restaurant.

The Hyatt Place Hotel is located at 26000 Sierra Center Blvd. For more info, stop in or call (813) 803-5600 or visit Hyatt.com, and please tell the hotel’s staff that you read about them (again) in the New Tampa Neighborhood News!

Umu To Replace OTB Café

Although OTB (Only The Best) Delights Café closed its original location at 2653 Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in Wesley Chapel several weeks ago, have no fear.

Not only is OTB set to reopen sometime in September in its new location a couple of miles further north at the new Nye Commons (4873 BBD), but there already is a new restaurant getting ready to open in its old location.

The Thai owners of Umu Japanese & Thai have been transforming the old OTB space into an elegant-looking future home of great sushi, Bento boxes and other Japanese and Thai favorites and hope to be open sometime in September.

 

Qvita Offers Both Medical & Cosmetic Services In One Location!

Helping maintain optimal health on the inside and providing services to help you look better on the outside are the ways that Peggy Demetriou, ARNP, FNP-BC, takes care of her patients at Qvita Health & Wellness, located across Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. from Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC), in the Windfair Professional Center.

Peggy Demetriou, ARNP, FNP-BC (far right), leads the staff (Katherine Sneesby, Ashley Rae Negron, Doris Chavez) at QVita Health & Wellness off Bruce B. Downs Blvd. in Wesley Chapel, where primary care medicine and specialized skin care services are offered in one convenient location.

As a Board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) and Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP), Demetriou offers primary care medical services for patients ages five-years and older, including diagnosis and treatment of acute illnesses like the flu and injuries, as well as referrals to specialists and follow-up management of chronic conditions such as diabetes. According to Demetriou, if one of her patients is ailing, she and her team (photo) are committed to seeing them as soon as

possible to ensure a speedy recovery.

“We’ll see our current patients the same day if they’re sick,” says Demetriou, who earned her Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Nursing (BSN) degree in 1998, from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. “If they’re sick today, they’re going to be seen today.”

Avoiding illness in the first place is ideal, and Qvita offers preventive care through wellness checkups (including school and Department of Transportation physicals) and health counseling focused on the individual needs of patients, such as enlightening a teenager about the nutritional benefits of a balanced diet or assisting adults with managing their use of prescription drugs. Demetriou says having a candid conversation

is a key element of the relationship she has with her patients.

“We’re going over the lifestyle of that patient,” she says, adding that medical services like genetic testing are available to facilitate diagnoses and determine treatment options for every patient.

Maintaining a body weight that’s appropriate and comfortable for an active lifestyle can be an elusive goal, but managing weight loss through non-surgical medical weight loss treatment options is one way that Qvita helps patients get more out of their lives. Demetriou says that these options range from prescription medications and/or herbal supplements to procedures like lipotropic (fat burning) injections of nutrients such as choline, that release a body’s stored fat by stimulating the metabolic processing of it.

Cosmetic Services Too!
Qvita Health & Wellness extends its services beyond supporting daily health needs by providing non-surgical cosmetic options, including wrinkle-reducing injectables such as Botox and Xeomin, as well as a complete line of Juvederm filler products.

Demetriou says that tne advantage of receiving cosmetic treatments and services at a nurse practitioner-owned clinic is the access to medical grade products such as Latisse, an FDA-approved prescription treatment that grows eyelashes for patients who are unhappy with the length or volume of their lashes. Skin-care products from companies such as Obagi Medical, SkinMedica and NeoCutis also are available. Patients looking for a non-surgical “face lift” can consider the Ultherapy approach, which is an FDA-approved method of lifting skin on areas such as the neck and chin using non-invasive ultrasound technology.

According to Demetriou, providing quality medical and cosmetic services is about providing a complete spectrum of options for people who are interested in feeling and looking their best.

“They complement each other,” she says. “As patients’ health and conditions improve on the inside, they want to look good on the outside, too.” Demetriou adds that cosmetic clients often bring to light their medical concerns while visiting Qvita, as well.

Demetriou also says that some of the treatments and services available at Qvita have both medical and cosmetic benefits. Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy involves separating platelets and plasma from a patient’s blood sample to create a solution that can be used to help heal joint and ligament problems, as well as rejuvenate skin.

Also available are aesthetic services, such as dermaplaning, where a surgical blade is very gently scraped across the skin’s surface to remove debris such as dead cells, leaving a refreshed look.

At Qvita, this work is handled by Ashley Negron, who has a clinical skincare diploma from the American Institute of Beauty and is licensed by the State of Florida Board of Cosmetology as a registered facial specialist. Negron says Qvita’s cosmetic services use products not widely available at places like chain beauty supply stores.

“All of the products we use are medical grade,” says Negron.

A Holistic Approach
Committed to promoting good health and fitness from a holistic perspective, Demetriou also teams up with her physician husband Nektarios Demetriou, D.O. (Doctor of Osteopathy), to offer patients their own line of physician-formulated nutritional supplements, such as Qvita Premium Activated B-Complex, Premier Multi-Vitamin and Ultimate Joint Support. According to the Qvita website, the once-a-day supplements “are designed to be natural, convenient to use, and are completely free from artificial fillers, flavors, or colors.”

Peggy also spreads the word about good health to the general public through her guest appearances on Tampa Bay-area radio and television programs. Viewers of the WFTS-TV program, “Tampa Bay’s Morning Blend” (10 a.m. weekdays), often see her hosting topical health segments. Demetriou says her next segment will air sometime in September and will be announced on Qvita’s social media platforms for people who want to watch or record it.

Social media also is where you can keep up with specials on cosmetic services and big events, like the practice’s two-year anniversary in December. Office manager Katherine Sneesby, who helped open Qvita Health & Wellness, says the practice’s growth stems from a commitment to both medical and cosmetic clients.

“We’ve watched it (Qvita) grow because we’re trying to make sure everybody gets the best treatment possible,” Sneesby says.

That approach to delivering treatments and services has led to a 5-Star Google rating (as of our deadline) from 18 reviews. Among the reviewers is Samantha Kanyer, who writes of her experience with Qvita:
“Unbelievably clean, best customer service I’ve ever had and Peggy could not be more amazing!! Would recommend for anyone!!”

According to Demetriou, what patients and clients experience when they visit Qvita Health & Wellness begins from within — the people who work there.

“I think there’s a passion driving us to do what we’re doing,” she says, proudly.

Qvita Health & Wellness is located at 2734 Windguard Cir., Suite 101, in Wesley Chapel. You can learn more, such as insurance acceptance (including Medicare) by visiting online at QvitaHealthandWellness.com or by calling (813) 501-4130. Or, see the ad on page 10 of this issue.

Business News: New Name For Florida Hospital, New Developments

A potential new development, to be anchored by a pharmacy, could be headed for the corner of S.R. 54 and Curley Rd.

While development proceeds in the busy S.R. 56 corridor, from Culver’s going up east of Bruce B. Downs Blvd. to Blaze Pizza and others breaking ground to the west in the hectic Cypress Creek Town Center area, representatives from Stella Management Group met with Pasco County planning officials about a new proposed retail center on the northeast corner of Curley Rd. and S.R. 54 (see photo).

According to paperwork field with the county prior to a pre-application meeting on Aug. 6, the project is named Pasco C-Center, with approximately 32,500 square feet of leasable commercial/retail space.

The Pasco C-Center, according to a conceptual plan, will have a fast food restaurant with a drive-thru, a 14,698-sq.-ft. pharmacy with 49 parking spaces, a 4,000-sq.-ft. retail building divided for three businesses, and a 5,500-sq.-ft. retail building divided for four occupants, none of which had been announced at our press time.

Another 4,000-sq.-ft. building is labeled for retail/restaurant.

The conceptual plan also proposes two entrances/exits into the Pasco C-Center, one off S.R. 54 and the other off Curley Rd.

Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC), we hardly knew ye.

Adventist Health Systems, the faith-based health care system that is the parent company of all of the Florida Hospitals, has announced that it is changing its corporate name to AdventHealth.

As a result, all of the Florida Hospitals, including FHWC, will get the name change, too, as well as a new logo (above).

On Jan. 2, 2019, Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel will become AdventHealth Wesley Chapel.

“We are transforming to be a more consumer-focused health care system to better meet the needs of those we care for and the communities we serve,” says Terry Shaw, president/CEO for Adventist Health System. “Becoming AdventHealth allows us to be a fully integrated and distinguishable health system across all aspects of the care continuum, while also speaking to our Christian healing ministry, message of wholeness and our rich Seventh-Day Adventist roots.”

The Altamonte Springs-based Adventist Health Systems, which has nearly 50 campuses across the state — including seven in the Tampa Bay area — will kick off a transition campaign in September featuring TV and print ads in various markets across the country.

Changes to signage and visual elements at hospitals and other facilities are expected to take place in January, when the AdventHealth name is fully adopted.

NAILING IT: In the new Pleasant Plaza on the south side of S.R. 54, east of BBD, Starbucks and Pizza Hut are up and running, and according to Pasco County permitting records, a Sweet Nail Spa will be next.

And, right across the street on the north side of S.R. 54, Heartland Dental is nearing completion.