Meet Melissa Gabrielli, DNP, APRN: Aesthetic Nurse Practitioner in Austin

Melissa Gabrielli, DNP, APRN, is an aesthetic nurse practitioner at Victory Med Spa in Austin with a Doctorate in Nursing, double board certification, and more than 15 years of experience, focusing on advanced injectables, threads, and GLP-1 facial restoration.

Aesthetic medicine does not happen in a vacuum. The face reflects what is happening in the rest of the body — weight changes, hormone shifts, and age all leave their mark on volume and skin. A provider who understands those connections can plan aesthetic treatment with more context, and that perspective is what Melissa Gabrielli brings to Victory Med Spa.

This spotlight introduces Melissa, one of the licensed providers on our Victory Med Spa team. She sees patients at our office at 2108 W Ben White Blvd in South Austin, an easy drive from South Lamar, Westlake Hills, and greater Austin. Below is an overview of her training, her approach, and the treatments she focuses on.

Key Takeaways

• Doctorate in Nursing (DNP) and double board-certified Nurse Practitioner (APRN).
• More than 15 years of experience in clinical practice.
• Trained by the American Academy of Facial Esthetics in advanced techniques using Botox, fillers, and threads.
• Additional expertise in weight loss, hormone therapy, and peptides.
• Focus areas: advanced injectables, threads, and GLP-1 facial restoration.

Who Melissa Gabrielli Is

Melissa holds a Doctorate in Nursing, the highest clinical degree in the nursing profession, and is a double board-certified Nurse Practitioner with more than 15 years of experience. As an advanced practice registered nurse, she brings a broad clinical foundation to aesthetic care.

Her aesthetic training comes from the American Academy of Facial Esthetics, where she trained in advanced techniques using Botox, fillers, and threads. Alongside her aesthetic work, Melissa has additional expertise in weight loss, hormone therapy, and peptides — areas that increasingly overlap with what patients ask for in a med spa.

Melissa’s Approach: Hormone-Informed Aesthetic Care

The thread that runs through Melissa’s work is context. When a patient comes in concerned about hollow cheeks, for example, it matters whether that change came on gradually with age, quickly with weight loss on a GLP-1 medication, or alongside hormonal shifts such as perimenopause. Each scenario can call for different timing and a different combination of treatments.

Because of her background in weight loss and hormone therapy, Melissa is well positioned to consider those factors when planning aesthetic care and to coordinate with our sister practice, Victory Rejuvenate, where medical weight loss and peptide therapy are provided after their own evaluation. The aim is a plan that fits where you are in your health journey, not just what you see in the mirror today.

As with every provider at Victory Med Spa, Melissa practices under physician supervision, and injectable treatment begins with the Good Faith Exam required by Texas regulations. Patients can expect a clear explanation of options, honest discussion of what each can and cannot do, and a plan built around natural-looking results.

The Treatments Melissa Focuses On

Melissa performs a range of aesthetic treatments at Victory Med Spa. These are the four areas she focuses on most.

1. GLP-1 Facial Restoration — Restoring Volume After Weight Loss

Significant weight loss, including with GLP-1 medications like semaglutide and tirzepatide, can leave the face looking hollow or deflated. GLP-1 facial restoration at Victory Med Spa combines hyaluronic acid fillers for immediate shape with Sculptra for gradual collagen support, often alongside skin-quality treatments.

Melissa’s weight-loss expertise is especially relevant here, because the timing of facial treatment relative to ongoing weight loss affects the result. Learn more in our guide to the best treatments for GLP-1 face.

2. Advanced Dermal Fillers — Structure and Balance

Advanced filler techniques focus on structure — restoring support at the cheekbones, chin, jawline, and temples so the whole face looks lifted and balanced. Melissa’s training in advanced filler techniques supports this whole-face approach.

Hyaluronic acid filler results are visible right away and typically last 6 to 18 months depending on product and area, and HA fillers can be dissolved with hyaluronidase if needed. See our dermal filler page and dermal filler treatment guide.

3. Botox & Dysport — Refined Neuromodulator Treatment

Neuromodulators soften dynamic lines like forehead creases, frown lines, and crow’s feet, and in experienced hands they can also be used for refinements such as masseter slimming or softening neck bands. Results typically appear within three to seven days and last roughly three to four months.

Explore the options on our Botox & Dysport page and in our guide to the best Botox and Dysport treatment areas. For product differences, read Botox vs. Dysport.

4. Threads — Non-Surgical Lift and Support

Thread treatments use fine, absorbable sutures placed beneath the skin to provide lift and support, and some types are designed to encourage collagen production as they gradually dissolve. Threads can be an option for patients with mild to moderate laxity who are looking for a non-surgical approach.

Melissa trained in thread techniques through the American Academy of Facial Esthetics. Threads are not right for everyone, and results are more modest than a surgical lift; your provider will discuss candidacy, expected outcomes, and risks such as bruising, temporary puckering, or discomfort. Ask about threads during a consultation, or browse all our treatments.

Melissa’s Focus Areas at a Glance

Understanding the DNP and APRN Credentials

Patients sometimes ask what the letters after a provider’s name mean. An APRN, or advanced practice registered nurse, is a registered nurse who has completed graduate-level education and national board certification in an advanced practice role, such as a nurse practitioner. Nurse practitioners can assess patients, develop treatment plans, and, within state rules, prescribe treatment. In Texas, nurse practitioners practice in collaboration with a delegating physician.

The DNP, or Doctor of Nursing Practice, is a doctoral degree focused on clinical practice, evidence-based care, and leadership. Board certification means a provider has met the standards of a national certifying body; Melissa holds two such certifications. Credentials do not replace experience and judgment, but they offer patients useful context when choosing a provider.

Who Melissa’s Approach Suits

Melissa’s background can be a particularly good fit for patients whose aesthetic concerns are tied to a bigger health change: people who have lost significant weight, those on or finishing a GLP-1 medication, and patients navigating hormonal transitions who notice their skin and facial volume changing. It also suits patients interested in advanced techniques such as threads, or in a structured, whole-face plan rather than one-off treatments.

If you are early in your aesthetic journey, that is welcome too. A consultation is a chance to learn what is driving the changes you see and which options are realistic, with no obligation to treat that day.

What a First Visit With Melissa Is Like

Your first appointment begins with a conversation about your goals and your history — including, where relevant, weight changes, medications such as GLP-1s, and hormonal changes, since these can influence your plan. Melissa reviews your medical history, completes the Good Faith Exam, and assesses your face at rest and in motion.

From there she explains what she sees and which options may help, with realistic expectations for each. You will leave with a plan that covers what is recommended, in what order, how many visits it may take, and what it costs. If weight-loss, hormone, or peptide support might be part of your bigger picture, she can explain how that care is handled at Victory Rejuvenate. Patients see Melissa from South Lamar, Westlake Hills, and throughout Austin.

For GLP-1 patients in particular, care is often staged over several months: an initial filler and Sculptra visit, follow-up Sculptra sessions spaced several weeks apart, and periodic reviews as your weight stabilizes. Seeing the same provider across that timeline helps keep the plan coherent, so adjustments reflect how your face and skin are actually responding. Melissa can also help you think about when to pause or continue treatment if your weight-loss plan changes.

Safety and Candidacy

All aesthetic treatments carry some risk. Neuromodulators can cause temporary bruising, headache, or, less commonly, drooping of a nearby muscle. Fillers can cause swelling and bruising and carry rare but serious risks such as vascular occlusion. Sculptra can cause small lumps or nodules and should not be used by people with a history of keloids or hypertrophic scarring. Threads can cause bruising, swelling, discomfort, asymmetry, and, rarely, infection or visible threads.

Injectable and thread treatments are generally not appropriate during pregnancy or breastfeeding, with active infection at the treatment site, or with certain bleeding, autoimmune, neuromuscular, or allergic conditions. All care at Victory Med Spa is performed by licensed providers under physician supervision.

This article is educational only and does not constitute medical advice. Individual results vary, and a consultation is required to determine whether treatment is right for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Melissa Gabrielli’s credentials?

Melissa Gabrielli holds a Doctorate in Nursing (DNP) and is a double board-certified Nurse Practitioner (APRN) with more than 15 years of experience. She was trained by the American Academy of Facial Esthetics in advanced techniques using Botox, fillers, and threads.

What treatments does Melissa focus on?

At Victory Med Spa, Melissa focuses on advanced injectables, threads, and GLP-1 facial restoration. She also has additional expertise in weight loss, hormone therapy, and peptides, which informs a hormone-aware approach to aesthetic care.

Why does weight-loss and hormone expertise matter for aesthetics?

Weight loss and hormonal changes can both affect facial volume and skin quality. A provider who understands those areas can consider them when planning aesthetic treatment, for example when timing facial restoration after GLP-1 weight loss. Hormone, weight-loss, and peptide care itself is provided through Victory Rejuvenate after a separate evaluation.

Is treatment with Melissa physician-supervised?

Yes. All treatments at Victory Med Spa are performed by licensed providers under physician supervision, and injectable treatments begin with a Good Faith Exam as required under Texas regulations.

How do I book with Melissa Gabrielli?

Book online and request Melissa, or call Victory Med Spa at (512) 969-6900. The practice is at 2108 W Ben White Blvd, Austin, TX 78704, convenient for patients in South Lamar, Westlake Hills, and greater Austin.

Ready to meet Melissa? Book an appointment at Victory Med Spa and request Melissa Gabrielli, DNP, APRN, or call (512) 969-6900. We are at 2108 W Ben White Blvd, Austin, TX 78704, serving South Lamar, Westlake, and greater Austin. Meet the rest of our providers on the team page.