The physicians at both Doctor's Approach Dermatology & Laser Center and Mid-Michigan Dermatology acknowledge that one’s well-being and one’s appearance are closely interconnected.

Doctor's Approach Dermatology & Laser Center

Staying healthy is the best way to look good, according to dermatologist Marcy L. Street, MD, founder and president of Doctor's Approach Dermatology & Laser Center and Doctor's Approach Skin & Hair Care.

“People want to look good, but we’re trying to help them focus on their wellness from within. It’s a holistic approach to skin and overall wellness,” she stated.

Earlier this year, Street earned her certification in age management.

“It’s the wave of the future of medicine,” she said. “It’s a holistic approach that focuses on preventative care and putting responsibility on ourselves to stay as healthy as we can. It focuses on good nutrition, natural bioidentical hormone replacement supplements, and lifestyle changes.”

Earning her medical degree from the University of Illinois College of Medicine, Street became the first African-American woman to complete a Mohs Micrographic Surgery fellowship, a specialized skin cancer treatment. She has also trained at both the Mayo Clinic and Harvard University.

“One of the most exciting things for me is [being invited to] the 11^th World Congress [on Cancers of the Skin] in Amsterdam. That will be going back to the Mohs skin cancer training, and that’s really my passion,” said Street.

Doctor's Approach initially focused on skin cancer and other dermatological issues, as well as cosmetic services, but evolved into also offering its own product line.

“Initially we developed these for a handful of patients that were having skin and hair issues,” noted Street. “Now we have our Doctor's Approach Skin & Hair Care products on the website, and we have over 25 retail locations. We focus on anti-aging skin products, incorporating lots of natural botanicals and vitamins. The hair care products are not only for the skin, but they repair the hair as well. They improve dry, brittle, damaged hair. It’s not fluff and puff, so we’re getting recognition by colleagues, pharmacists and other physicians.”

Doctor's Approach also now includes a med spa which offers facial treatments and cosmetic services. A short list of services includes microdermabrasion to remove fine lines and sun damage; chemical peels; thermage, which is a tightening of the skin without surgery; and laser treatments.

“Lasers are still evolving, but we have one of the best for hair removal,” said Street. “[Companies] can bring [lasers] to the market quicker because they can put it in research centers all over the world just like that and try it on all skin types. We have to take a special interest in Michigan to be able to treat all skin and hair types.

“We are also expanding our body treatments to include cellulite, hot stone massage, and detoxifying mud treatments,” she continued. “We have all kinds of peels. We’re working with the cherry farmers to get some natural extracts that we use in our treatment. We know that blueberries and blackberries have very high antioxidant potential. We are finding that cherries are as high, if not higher. We’re still doing research on them. We’ve already started a cherry peel.”

Men and teenagers now make up the fastest growing market nationally for cosmetic services, she noted. “It’s the culture. Everything is becoming much more visual. It’s media driven. Plus we’re living longer, we’re in the workplace longer, and people want to feel good from within, and they want to look good.”

Street credits her staff for her success, noting that some of them have been with her for almost as long as she’s had her practice since 1991. Although she earned an Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2004, Street admitted that graduating from medical school did not give her a business background. That she learned through “the school of hard knocks” and by networking, especially with other female entrepreneurs.

“One thing that’s unique to women in business is that we like to share, we love to talk, and we can make contacts in the bathroom putting on lipstick,” she stated.

Mid-Michigan Dermatology PLLC

Also a Mohs surgery practitioner, Ronald C. Miller, DO, joined with Mark E. Hatch, DO, eight years ago to form mid-Michigan Dermatology.

“We treat all manner of diseases of the hair, skin and nails,” said Hatch. “We do dermatologic surgery. We do surgery on both malignant and benign skin disease. We perform a number of other therapies in the office. We do phototherapy, using ultraviolet light. We use that primarily for psoriasis and some forms of eczema. We do therapy called blue light, which we combine with chemicals and use to heal pre-cancerous spots. We also use that for acne therapy.

“We do a lot of laser surgery here,” he continued. “We use that for hair removal and to remove a variety of pigmented spots and age spots. [We have another laser] we use to treat vascular or blood vessel conditions in the skin, spider veins on the face, port wine stains or vascular birthmarks. We can treat rosacea to help remove a lot of the redness in the veins in the face. We do some light chemical peels. We also do injections for spider veins on the legs. We do a little Botox for people who have uncontrolled sweating of the underarms. That’s the gist of what we do.”

The practice treats patients with both short-term, curable ailments and those with chronic conditions, such as psoriasis.

“Psoriasis is an inherited skin condition that causes patients to have a red scaly rash that affects any part of the skin,” Hatch explained. “It can affect the entire body. Some of our patients have very extreme psoriasis where 30 to 40 percent, or even 100 percent, of their skin is covered with this rash. It’s very itchy. It can be disfiguring, and there are a lot of emotional side effects. It’s incurable, but we have many treatments to help bring it under control and to help our patients feel better, as well as feel better about themselves.

“We’ve seen tremendous steps in the use and development of lasers,” he stated. “We’ve seen a lot of advancements in other forms of treatments, such as the biologic therapies that we use for our patients with severe psoriasis. The treatments have advanced tremendously in the past four or five years. We’ve been able to help a lot of people who were really struggling previously to keep their psoriasis under control. The new biologic agents have really reduced the side effects. It’s really an exciting time for that particular facet of dermatology.

Hatch also expects to see more light-based therapies for acne. He noted that these advancements are good not only for the patients’ physical well-being but for their emotional health as well.

“With the many skin diseases, they’re out there for everybody to see,” he stated. “A lot of our patients feel self-conscious in a bathing suit, or style their hair or use makeup to conceal various disorders of the skin. People ask you questions when you’re standing in line in the grocery store. Emotionally, it can be trying. If we can make them feel better about the way their skin looks, I think patients are very appreciative and glad for the help that we give them.”