“My greatest honor however has been the opportunity to raise my three children and have the love and support of my husband Angelo. They are my driving force.”
– Maria DeNicola
Maria DeNicola
Owner
* Graduate, Arizona State School of Electrology
* Graduate, Rocky Mountain Laser School
* Certificate of Achievement Altus Medical
* Certificate of Achievement Candela
* Certificate of Achievement LightSheer
* Certificate of Achievement ESC Medical Systems
* Member of Society of Clinical and Medical Electrologists
* Member of International Guild of Professional Electrologists
* Former President, Arizona Association of Electrologists
I was born in February 1965 in Hollywood, Florida and moved to Arizona in my mid teens with my parents and sister. The Valley has been home ever since.
I am Italian and when I was 12 years old I started receiving electrolysis for my own unwanted dark hair. I can still remember laying on my technician’s table – just in awe of the work that she was doing for me – and I knew even then that this was what I wanted to do for others (it was love at first sight, you could say).
Just a couple years later I started going to school to become an electrologist. I enrolled at the Arizona State School of Electrolysis which was owned and operated by Betty Williams where I learned more than I can tell you about hair, about removing hair, and about working with people. On August 9, 1982, I graduated and received my degree as a Certified Electrologist. I set about doing all of the things it took to open my own practice.
I have been doing electrolysis for more than 35 years. Over that time I have been honored to receive the Golden Probe Award, presented to recognize exemplary service and leadership within the electrolysis community. I have helped to enrich the lives of hundreds of patient’s by removing unwanted or embarrassing body hair. I have made countless life-long friends, and I can truly say that I really do love the work that I do. I have been blessed in so many ways.
I have been working in the Transgender community for almost as long as I have been doing electrolysis. It is a community that is near and dear to my heart. At one point I was the President of the local transgender support group, A Rose, for several years. I still speak with some of the ladies I have been privileged to know going back 27 years. In 2003, Donna Rose mentioned me in her book ‘Wrapped in Blue’, and that really helped to show me how important my job has been for so many people.
Venessa Aragon
Venessa was born in Tucson, Arizona and moved to Phoenix in 1998 when she was 15. She attended and graduated from Artistic Beauty College in 2002 and is licensed in the state of Arizona as an Aesthetician. Since 2002, she has completed many post graduate courses in her field, from product knowledge to advance techniques of skin care. Venessa has had the privilege to work with and represent some of the top names in the skin and make up industry, including Physicians Choice of Arizona, Glytone, Clayton Shagal, and Avene.
Joining our team in 2005, Venessa took skin care to the next level and trained to become an electrologist. She now works along side our staff of skilled professionals in aiding the battle against unwanted hair. Venessa has a deep passion for the care, protection, and beauty of each patient’s skin. Her aspiration is to keep up with the most current standards of the Skin Care Industry. Her latest accomplishment was attending NALA where she obtained her laser certification for hair removal and skin rejuvenation.
Melinda Baehr
FNP
Melinda Baehr is a Nurse Practitioner Specialist and has a long background as an aesthetic’s nurse here with Senza Pelo prior to becoming a nurse practitioner. Melinda originally started with Senza Pelo in 2007 while here she continued on in an advanced degree. After she graduated with honors in 2013 she began her path to family practice, internal medicine, geriatrics & medical aesthetics.
Having more than 6 years of diverse experiences has brought her back to Senza Pelo where her new role here is medical director. When she is not taking fantastic care of her patients, Melinda is incredibly active in her family life and enjoys traveling with them.
Sarah Kiernan
BSN, RN
Aesthetic Nurse Injector
Sarah is a registered nurse with a combined medical and aesthetic career of 14 years. Sarah spent the first part of her nursing career in the Emergency Department and recovering surgical patients, she then discovered her true passion in aesthetics as a nurse injector.
Sarah has trained extensively in facial aesthetics along side board certified plastic surgeons and national trainers to ensure her patient’s receive quality care, elite techniques, and full facial assessments that result in individualized, balanced, natural results.
She is proficient in neuromodulators and dermal fillers such as Botox Cosmetics and the Juvederm portfolio. Sarah believes every person deserves to feel as good on the outside as they do on the inside. Sara will be dedicating four days a month to the Senza Pelo team starting in June. We are opening her schedule and waiting for your call to enjoy her skilled treatments.
Betty Dray
BSN, RN
Betty Dray has been in the healthcare industry since 2008 when she began her journey as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA). She has advanced her education and skills to serve her patients and clients better. Betty has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) as well as a Doctorate in Nursing Practice (DNP), both obtained from Arizona State University (ASU). As a Registered Nurse (RN) for over 7 years, she has varied experiences, including progressive care, telemetry, and infusion. Betty has always had a passion for helping others.
Her greatest passions have been in the Emergency Department (ED) and Aesthetics, which she continues to practice to this day. Betty works full-time at a level 1 trauma ED and part-time at Senza Pelo Medspa. Her initiation into Aesthetics was receiving laser hair removal training in Tampa, Florida, from a large corporate medspa in 2019, with whom she was employed for 3 years. Betty’s learning continued here in Arizona, where she received training on various other modalities, including lipolysis, ultrasound-guided facials, and injectables (dermal fillers and neuromodulators). Since 2019, she has been proficient in injecting with Juvederm and Restylane product portfolios.
Betty loves having the opportunity to work in a profession that allows her to help others holistically from the inside out.”
Leanna Craft
Certified Professional Electrologist
Leanna has an awesome “How We Met” story for Senza Pelo… A short while beforehand Leanna had moved to Arizona where she was finishing up her prerequisites for a nursing degree. While she was studying, she found a Groupon to get electrolysis here at Senza Pelo and ended up on Maria’s table. Maria quickly introduced her to Stephanie and her electrology training program, Arizona Advanced Electrology Training. A tiny spark was lit and during those early appointment days the stars aligned and Kayla, needing to complete her training hours, needed a model. Leanna eagerly hopped into her schedule and a lasting friendship was born.
Leanna is not new to electrolysis, having an aunt in Chicago who is also an electrologist, and it was this inside knowledge that gave Leanna the realization that electrolysis would pair perfectly with her nursing degree.
At this time, Leanna is performing electrolysis exclusively at the office while she finishes her nursing degree. She loves this industry and can’t wait to show off her wonderful education on the treatment table.
When Leanna is not at Senza Pelo or studying for her degree, she spends her time with her adorable pups Georgie and Peanut; Leanna jokes that her love language is food and time with her dogs. She enjoys yoga and holds a certification as a yoga teacher. Leanna’s sparkling personality and humor make being on her table become an enjoyable time, despite the discomfort. We’re so lucky that she chose to be part of our team and having her joyful attitude light up our office!
Ariely Aniles
Electrologist
Born and raised in the Arizona desert, I’ve always held a deep love for our unexpected rainstorms and a profound sense of awe for those brushstroke sunsets. I was raised in a vibrant home where we were taught that love and patience didn’t need to be earned and kindness was the most lasting type of strength.
As someone who has PCOS, my body has had the unfortunate tendency to make me feel self-conscious in my own skin. That is what originally brought me to Senza Pelo and the genuinely kind-hearted people are what made me keep coming back. When the opportunity to join this wonderful team arose, I jumped at it.
Your own body should never make you uncomfortable and being able to help others feel settled and happy with the way they look and the way they feel makes being an electrologist and zapping tiny follicles absolutely worth it.
Gina Preston
Electrologist
I was born and raised in central Illinois. As a child I enjoyed sports and all things outside; going inside when mom rang a small bell to summon me home. I helped raise two beautiful daughters and encouraged them to follow their dreams. In 2019 I moved to Phoenix to follow my own dreams. Those dreams are two parts. One part is just to live in sunny Arizona where I have always felt it was home. I had visited family in Arizona for 20 years and always felt this is where I want to live. The second part of those dreams is to live as my true self. After many years of struggling to know who I was, I knew I had to transition. I am a transgender woman. I met Maria Denicola through a social organization and as a patient at Senza Pelo. Her love and passion for the LGBTQIA community is outstanding. Maria introduced me to her family and her Senza family, all amazing people. Through the encouragement of friends to follow my heart, I decided the Aesthetics field was where I wanted to work. Completely lost, I turned to Maria for advice on this career. She led me to her daughter Stephanie Shields and the school that she runs.
I joined Arizona Advanced Electrology Training. The promise of joining the Senza family at the completion of my training is absolutely wonderful and amazing. I love to meet people and to help them in any way possible. To make a person feel better about themselves is very rewarding. I look forward to being a part and working with the Senza Family at Senza Pelo Med Spa.
Jazmin Manjarrez-Lopez
Electrologist
As a child, I had unaligned teeth and was so hairy I was often made fun of and I grew up never wanting anyone else to go through the same experiences I had. because of my own insecurities, I developed a passion for helping others feel better about themselves. While I previously worked as a dental assistant helping people feel confident with their smiles, I’ve found that working at SenzaPelo MedSpa as an electrologist answers a deeper call.
My little brother, who was trans, passed away in April 2021 and SenzaPelo’s dedication and support to the Trans and LGBTQ+ community spoke to me. I’m a mother of two wonderful kids and two enthusiastic pups that fill my life with unending joy and chaotic energy.
I’m a huge Star Wars and Marvel fan and consider myself to be a highly creative individual, enjoying a variety of hobbies that bring fun into my life and remind me that I’m capable of whatever I set my mind to. I hope that as an electrologist I’ll be able to inspire the same confidence in both my patients and everyone else in my life. I look forward to meeting you all!
Kiara Rayas
Junior Electrologist
Kiara Rayas was born in Phoenix Arizona and raised in Prescott Arizona where she started her education in beauty at Empire Beauty School finishing later in Chandler, Arizona January 2014. By chance she was looking for the perfect place to start her career and fate brought her to the doorstep of Senza Pelo where she started in July 2014. Once here, she found quickly that she also loved the world of electrolysis as well.
In December 2014 Kiara started training to become an electrologist and will soon be testing for her national certification with the American Electrology Association. She is our current junior electrologist until she becomes certified.
