It's a Friday in early fall, late afternoon, and the medical provider team at La Chelé Medical Aesthetics has convened at their newest office location in Upper Dublin for a photo shoot. The space is beautiful; crisp and clean, mirroring the the premier medical aesthetics practice's first two locations, located in New Hope and Newtown. Bright whites and tall ceilings with glistening embellishments are physical representations of the feeling of confidence and comfort that you want to have when you are meeting with top medical professionals but with nods to the relaxing vibe of a spa. As the team positions themselves around the practice's founder, Dr. Lisa Espinoza, they are smiling and chatting amongst themselves. As each individual and small group is photographed, the others sit together in a treatment room, chatting and catching up.

Dr. Espinoza founded the medical aesthetics practice about 16 years ago in New Hope and expanded to her second location in Newtown a few years ago. With that came a challenge that most small businesses who are growing need to tackle: how do you grow your business while keeping the culture, the level of service and the personal nature intact? We sat down with each member of the medical care team at La Chele to discuss why they chose to work there and their experiences.

That is the culture that's been instilled and encouraged by Dr. Espinoza, and as La Chelé grows to its fourth location, she is careful not to lose sight of what she feels is most important. The rapidly growing medical aesthetics industry has been called the “Wild West.” Some reports value the US medical aesthetics market at approximately USD 12.10 billion with projections reaching USD 39.2 billion by 2030. As patients of all ages become aware and educated about the variety of products and services, from breakthroughs in medical-grade skincare products to minimally invasive procedures via injectables, lasers, and medical devices, the demand continues to grow as does the number of providers. On the surface, many a medspa may present a similar look and feel: beautiful, upscale, spa-like locations, a buzzing social media feed, even the medical scrubs. So, as this industry grows, what should a patient look for? She outlines La Chelé’s differentiator: a steadfast commitment to medical practice standards.

Self-esteem and self-confidence are words that get thrown around in a whole myriad of situations and studies.  Certainly, self-confidence comes from within.  But how do we and how have we, throughout history, utilized what people see on the outside to help boost self-confidence? Whether it be attention to clothing, hair, or nails, most people choose a variety of rituals to help themselves present the way they want to be seen to the world. “It became my mantra that no one is allowed to say the ‘v word.' It's the word vanity,” says Dr. Espinoza. “It's okay to have a nice car. It's okay to have golf clubs and granite kitchen countertops and you can invest in a nice handbag or a nice jacket. But God forbid you invest in your skin somehow you're vain.” If there is one philosophy that unites the team at La Chelé, it's that medical aesthetics are another tool in one's took box to assist in feeling confident about the way you present in the world.   One theme that kept coming up as we chatted with the medical care team at La Chelé was how inspirational it was for them to have the ability to improve someone's self-confidence and how transformative that can be in someone's life.

Due to the power of social media, influencers, and reality television, certain aesthetic products and services have gained more notoriety. “I think that when you don't have a comprehensive medical practice that has a lot of tools, if it's a practice where Botox is your only tool, then you might sometimes see Botox as the only solution,” says Dr. Espinoza. The practice boasts well over 30 different types of lasers, energy, and medical devices, as well as injectables, industry-leading skincare, peels, medical-grade facials, and IV therapy. La Chelé regularly invests in the best in technology for its patients.

To provide not only the best-in-class treatments, but the best-in-class medical care, the team is on a constant rotation between education, training, studying, team training, and patient work. “I treat it like medical school, like a cosmetic fellowship in laser medicine,” say Dr. Espinoza. “That means that every single laser tech that holds a laser, I am expecting them to have my knowledge in laser physics, in patient care and management, along with every injector understanding cadavers, anatomy, radiology, and so behind the scenes, what happens at La Chelé is extremely rare. They're given exams that a lot of the laser societies give. They're given exams on skin care, on dermatology, on skin, on anatomy, on cadavers.  I bring all of our injectors to the same dermatology and plastic surgery conferences I go to.”

Skincare is one aspect of self-care; weight management is another crucial aspect. The medical weight loss industry has experienced major advancements, and the team at La Chelé includes professionals devoted to the safe practice of medical weight loss. Erin Saltzman, M.D. heads up the medical weight loss program at La Chelé. Dr. Saltzman has practiced general endocrinology for almost 20 years throughout the region and is board-certified in bariatric medicine and medical weight loss.

As a former professional ballet dancer, it's only fitting that Dr. Espinoza found a profession at the intersection of art and science. After being on the ground floor 20 years ago at the inception of the medical aesthetics industry, growing her practice over the last two decades into a practice with a sterling reputation and serving as a national trainer, speaker, and advisory consultant for industry leaders like Allergan and Galderma, Dr. Espinoza has an unwavering commitment to excellence.  That philosophy has been instilled into the culture of the practice with intention.