Medical Director, Be Beautiful Medical

Hello and welcome to the Be Beautiful Medical Blog. I wanted to write this post to introduce myself, reveal my passion for working in this field, and hopefully share some helpful information about the field of non-surgical cosmetic treatments. 

I believe that cosmetic treatments aren’t just about keeping up appearances – they’re about helping people build confidence, match their outward appearance to their inner beauty, and be happier overall. I’ll be adding to this blog on a regular basis and invite you to visit again to learn more about this innovative field, find some answers to the questions you might have, and help you consider whether cosmetic treatments are right for you.

Our Shared Reality

We’re all aging. That’s an uncomfortable truth that many of us are facing. In the last few years, I’ve had to come to grips with my own signs of aging. At first, I started noticing little things. Tired skin around my eyes, lines around my mouth, a little softness in my jowls. Can you relate?

For some of us, these changes can be a reminder of where we’ve been and what we’ve accomplished. 

In my case , these signs of aging acted as a map of my life: taking care of my family, working hard to achieve my goals, enduring many sleepless nights, and facing all the challenges life presented. Slowly these changes started erasing my youth—once filled with passion, energy, and dreams.

For me, my own signs of aging triggered me to start looking into how I could fight these changes. I wasn’t ready to give in to this process without a fight! I wanted to look on the outside how I felt on the inside: full of life and with a love for travelling, dancing, and fashion and beauty, and spending time with my family.

I wanted to look on the outside how I felt on the inside: full of life.

My Journey to Aesthetic Medicine

Born, raised, and schooled in Chicago, Illinois, I moved to Cornwall, Ontario in 2001 when I married my husband. Since then, I have spent the bulk of my 20-year career as a surgical ophthalmologist. I was intrigued to learn about the complexity and incredible design of the eye. I was fascinated by all the specialized instruments. I loved how this fast-paced specialty was evolving. But most of all, I loved knowing that I could have a positive impact in helping people maintain or regain their sight. In following my passion for ophthalmology, I have built a thriving medical and surgical practice in Cornwall, become an expert in my field, and positioned myself as a person who genuinely watches out for her patients’ best interest. 

A few years ago, I felt tired and haggard looking. People noticed. Some people even commented. That prompted me to start exploring how I could prevent or slow some of the changes I was seeing. My early research led me to look into cosmetic botulinum protein injections, originally used by ophthalmologists to treat patients who suffer from a condition called blepharospasm (abnormal contractions of the eyelid muscles). I was surprised and delighted to find that Dr. Jean Caruthers, a Vancouver-based ophthalmologist, pioneered the use of botulinum protein injections for cosmetic purposes almost 35 years ago! 

With the help of another medical aesthetics doctor, I was treated with botulinum injections myself and found great results. My look felt fresher and untroubled and this positive change lifted my spirits. I found myself with more confidence and a little more swagger in my step. And I started wondering if I should look into engaging in training and offering this service to others, especially since I was looking for a change in my life. Though I’ve always loved my surgical practice, I knew I wanted and needed to slow down. As one of only two ophthalmic surgeons in town, the demands were weighing on me and I felt like I was on a hamster wheel with no idea how to get off. 

Medical aesthetics is a fast growing field and though there are very few ophthalmologists offering these treatments, I realized my advanced anatomical expertise of the upper face would make me a great candidate to offer these types of services. The idea of achieving great results while reducing potential risk and rejuvenating a person’s appearance (and spirit) was a big attraction to me. I also really liked that the procedures resulted in progressive and natural results, and that many procedures were reversible. As an example, injectable hyaluronic acid fillers used to plump up areas where a person has lost volume (like the cheeks), can be reversed with an antidote if there are unwanted cosmetic results or complications.

In 2017, I took the leap and opened the doors to Be Beautiful Medical. It was my way of continuing to do what I loved—helping people—but on my terms.

What I Do and Why I Do It

At Be Beautiful Medical, my team and I share a singular goal of helping boost our patients’ confidence and self esteem through natural, safe procedures. We offer injectable, non-surgical treatments of the face and neck. Specifically, our treatment menu includes:

  • Muscle Relaxers: We use botulinum A purified protein treatment to help alleviate wrinkles and fine lines by relaxing the muscles of the upper face.
  • Injectable Fillers: We use hyaluronic acid fillers, a gel-like substance, to plump up areas that have lost volume like the lips and cheeks and/or to lift other areas like the chin, jawline, and temples.
  • Deoxycholic Acid Injections: We recently started offering this procedure as it’s the only effective injectable treatment that breaks down fat cells, or the “double chin”. It can improve and sharpen the profile of your chin and jawline.

I want patients to feel comfortable and confident in the care they receive so I am open to discussing their concerns, the risks and benefits, and exploring what treatments would be best for them. Being open and honest about my own vulnerability with the aging process as well as my experience with certain treatments has allowed me to put myself in their shoes and empathize with their fears and hopes. 

Ultimately, I am building on my core value of helping others and I hope that through my work, my patients will recognize their natural beauty—with or without treatments!

Are you ready to meet Dr. Suess in person or through an online consultation to discuss your options for non-surgical aesthetic treatments? Be Beautiful Medical offers a range of cosmetic procedures using innovative technologies that can be customized to achieve the results you want. 

Reach out to us today. We’re here to help!

We’re here to help you feel beautiful.