In a world where fear often silences dreams, Priscila Iwama chose to speak with courage. Her story is not simply one of migration or reinvention. It is one of survival, love, and the enduring power of human transformation. From surviving armed robberies in Brazil to building a respected beauty clinic in the United States, Priscila’s journey is one of resilience, purpose, and triumph against the odds.
A Mother’s Worst Nightmare
In 2015, Priscila’s life and her entire worldview changed forever. Living in Brazil, she and her husband endured not one, but two consecutive robberies. The second time, she held her infant daughter in her arms as a gun was pointed at them.
“We had suffered two consecutive robberies in 2015,” she shared in a recent Instagram post. “In one of them, we were with our daughter, then only months old. To this day, I remember the feeling of powerlessness I felt watching our lives being threatened by a gun, all for some bags and cellphones.”
That moment, terrifying and surreal, left a scar deeper than any physical wound. For Priscila, it marked the point where fear crossed a boundary and ignited a fire within. No longer was staying in Brazil about enduring hardship. It had become a gamble with life itself.
The Decision to Leave It All
Leaving one’s home country is never an easy decision. But for Priscila and her family, it was a necessity.
“I left Brazil with my family headed for the USA, driven by the desire to live a life with more security,” she wrote. It wasn’t just about leaving a country it meant leaving behind everything familiar: language, culture, friends, family, and roots.
Many thought the idea was reckless. After all, she didn’t speak English. She had no job waiting. No clear plan. Only hope and an unwavering desire to protect her child and give her a better future.
“It might seem crazy to many,” she admitted, “to leave everything behind without even speaking the language of the country that will be your new home. But I’ve always tried to turn adversities into a path for growth and success.”
And so, with nothing but faith and a suitcase full of dreams, Priscila landed in Boca Raton, Florida a place she had never been, in a language she couldn’t understand, surrounded by strangers. But she had made it out. She was safe. And now, the real journey would begin.
Hope, Uncertainty, and Quiet Resolve
“We moved to Boca Raton. I was filled with hope and uncertainties, but believed I was ready to turn any challenges into opportunities.”
This moment, suspended between fear and promise, defined her early days in the U.S. She was a mother trying to create stability in a foreign land, a woman carrying trauma while planting seeds for something better.
That first night back home after the robbery, she felt overwhelmed by a whirlwind of emotions relief, rage, gratitude, and grief. “That same day, after all that had happened and finally getting home, we were overwhelmed by a mix of feelings.”
From this emotional storm came a deep gratitude. “Gratitude for having been blessed and that the worst hadn’t happened. And soon after, also powerlessness, which devastatingly turned into a rage that I now consider to have been positive.”
That “positive rage” would become fuel for her mission.
Finding Her Voice Without Words
In Brazil, Priscila had worked in the beauty industry specifically in dermopigmentation, a specialized form of permanent makeup. But in the U.S., with no English skills and no local recognition, it would have been easy to give up.
Instead, she doubled down. “Without speaking English, I dedicated myself to showing the world the technique I developed, which had already touched the lives of so many people: the Iwama Sensitive Technique.”
This technique wasn’t just about beauty. It was about healing. She helped clients recover confidence by camouflaging scars, restoring areolas after mastectomies, and creating natural-looking enhancements that didn’t just change appearances they restored identities.
The Birth of the Iwama Sensitive Technique
Through persistence and heart, she built Iwama Clinics in Boca Raton a place where art meets compassion. Her approach was different: gentle, safe, minimally invasive, and emotionally supportive.
The Iwama Sensitive Technique is known for being skin-conscious and emotionally aware. It’s designed to not just enhance features, but to rebuild self-esteem especially for survivors of trauma, cancer, or major surgeries. For many clients, her hands became the final touch on long, painful journeys of recovery.
What’s even more remarkable? She achieved all of this without speaking fluent English, relying instead on empathy, precision, and the silent language of kindness and care.
Teacher, Healer, and Voice for the Voiceless
As her reputation grew, Priscila took on another role: educator. She began training others in her method, determined to share not just a technique, but a philosophy. Her goal wasn’t just to teach lines and shapes, but to instill a deeper purpose in her students to use beauty as a tool for healing.
And while she’s now known for her professional success, she hasn’t forgotten where she came from. Priscila continues to offer her services pro bono to survivors in need, volunteering her time for breast cancer survivors, women with visible trauma, and those reclaiming their identity after hardship.
The Message at the Heart of Her Story
“Although we cannot control all the events that happen to us,” she says, “we have the power to choose how we respond to them.”
These words, simple yet profound, reflect the core of her life philosophy. Priscila didn’t choose to be a victim of violence. She didn’t choose fear, loss, or powerlessness. But she did choose to rise.
She chose to transform fear into fuel, and hardship into healing. She chose to build something lasting from brokenness. And she chose to speak loudly with her actions, when words were unavailable.
Legacy in the Making
Today, Priscila Iwama is a name recognized in the world of cosmetic and medical dermopigmentation. But beyond the accolades and professional success lies a woman who rebuilt her life from scratch armed not with wealth or words, but with heart, skill, and an unshakeable belief in her mission.
Her journey serves as a powerful reminder that healing is not linear, success is not immediate, and courage often comes dressed in quiet decisions like choosing to start over, in silence, when no one is watching.
Priscila Iwama didn’t just find a new home in America she built a sanctuary for others.
And in doing so, she gave the world more than beauty. She gave it hope.
