By Liz Johnson

On any given Friday, La Chelé Medical Aesthetics Owner Lisa Espinoza, MD won’t be in the treatment room sculpting ageless beauty on the face of one of her clients, but rather in the classroom teaching.

“The reason I train and I teach is that I’m privy to a lot of the techniques and technology before anyone in the U.S. or world. It allows me to harness and hone our techniques,” explained the 20-year laser treatment and injectable artist.

Injecting fillers to erase fine lines and boost sagging skin is a form of sculpting, said Espinoza, an artform that takes both passion and experience.

“You have to know lights and shadows, bone structure, musculature, and how the skin lays over those muscles,” she said.

Behind the Scenes with Lisa Espinoza, MD:

High Standards

Experience alone isn’t enough. When she’s not in one of her treatment rooms at her New Hope or Newtown locations or in the classroom teaching, she’s coordinating clinical research, sitting in on an advisory board, attending a dermatology, surgical or laser conference, or evaluating technologies that will benefit La Chele’s patients’ youth and beauty, ultimately improving their self-esteem.

“The minute you think you know it all, it changes. Keeping up with the innovation and technology is key,” she said.

Those high standards spill over to her staff who have “dedicated their lives to this,” she said. “We don’t have part time employees. Everybody is full time and they only practice here.”

Each one has been trained the La Chelé way, she explained. Sometimes a trainee can shadow her for a year until they’re able to give injectables to clients.

“That’s unique in this field. You have a lot of people who dabble in giving Botox injections,” she said. “That 100% dedication to our artform is another thing that sets us apart.”

Education

Espinoza’s drive and perfection dates back to her youth when she performed ballet which required a lot of perseverance and hard work.

“It was all about beauty, artistry of lines, being a character. Your skin and your face, everything played a role.”

For Espinoza, her love of dance was complicated by bad acne that stage makeup “made worse.”

“Skin was a big barrier for me in reaching some of the levels of confidence I needed to perform. Your face represents you,” she said. “Once I reached the point I wanted to in my ballet career I transitioned to dermatology. I became extremely passionate about wanting to help others with skin issues.”

After graduating with honors from UCLA, she headed east, earning a masters and medical degree from Drexel College of Medicine in Philadelphia where she was medical school class president. She extended her residency to give her time to specialize in cosmetic dermatology and laser medicine. She opened her first practice in New Jersey, where she lives. Then about ten years ago, she set up in a small space in New Hope.

While the laser field was in its infancy at the time, Espinoza knew early on what she was hoping to accomplish.

“There were dermatologists and plastic surgeons, but you really didn’t have a lot of laser specialists 20 years ago. When I originally opened there were only one or two of us. I was fortunate. I knew I only wanted to do 100% cosmetic medicine,” she said.

Today, La Chelé Medical Spa in New Hope spans over 6,000 square feet with 30 employees, 26 different lasers and is one of the top 2 percent of injectable practices in the U.S. for Botox, Dysport and dermal fillers. Most recently, Espinoza opened a modern second location in the Village at Newtown Shopping Center off Eagle Road in Newtown.

“Newtown has fully embraced us. The businesses here are very collaborative and the people who live here are just wonderful and forward thinking,” she said. “We fit in well with people who are into wellness and preventative aging.”

Exclusive Treatments

La Chelé offerings such as IV Therapy and immunity shots – which are vitamin boosters that combat the effects of fatigue and age while adding a burst of energy to help clients reach fitness goals – – have proven to be popular, she said. So has the VIP Loyalty Club, where clients get La Chelé services at the price they love.

“A lot of them are doing pre-juvenation and mini injectables in their 30s and lasers accompanied by medical grade facials,” she said.

In addition, La Chelé offers a variety of hair restoration treatments, brow lifting, acne modalities, microneedling, ways to brighten dark, under-eye circles; laser treatments for fine lines, rosacea or sun damage; microblading, PDO thread lifting for sagging jowls, CoolSculpting for reducing fat, chemical peels, a variety of options to offset hormonal imbalances for both men and women due to aging, and non-surgical face lift options.

If it sounds like a lot, it is, which is why the first appointment begins with a consultation.

“Being youthful and looking younger is more than just plumping. It’s about being ‘in the know' about the treatment options available to you and prevention. We really educate our patients,” said Espinoza.

It’s also one of the things clients appreciate about the practice, according to Google reviews.

“Everyone was so friendly and helpful at La Chelé,” wrote Linda. “I left feeling confident. They spent so much time explaining everything to me.”

“During the appointment we developed a plan on how to proceed that I was comfortable with. I left with a binder outlining the treatments discussed with pricing. Everything is clear and upfront. Women empowering women is an invigorating experience.”

Passion

That’s precisely the experience Espinoza said she’s aiming to provide for her clients.

“We have an incredible team of powerful, brilliant, and strong all-female Medical Providers,” she said. “Our Nurse Practitioners, Aesthetic Nurses, Medical Aestheticians and Patient Care Coordinators are the best in the business and passionate about our craft.”

The result is the opportunity for Espinoza to live her dream. “The ability to blend the artistry of my ballet career to the artistry of cosmetic medicine, I found my passion,” she said.