When Dr. Leslie Carter decided to become a dermatologist, one of the foremost reasons was to help decrease people’s physical and often mental suffering that comes with various skin conditions.
“My goal is to make people more confident in their skin and make their skin healthier,” she says. “People sometimes underestimate the amount of distress skin conditions can create, but it's a serious issue. It's a real gift to be able to help our patients address their unique skin conditions."
Deschutes Dermatology, the practice she founded in Bend, is celebrating 20 years in business. Over the years, not only has the practice expanded, but so have the treatment options. “I took over a very small practice with a different name, and there were two employees,” Dr. Carter recalls.
Dr. Carter and her staff have embraced new technologies that have arisen over time, such as immunologically-based therapies for psoriasis and eczema and treatments for melanoma. When it comes to aesthetics, the proliferation of fillers, neurotoxins like Botox®, and laser technology have improved the efficacy of treating wrinkles, sunspots, skin laxity, skin texture, and more.
“Staying up to date takes a lot of research, training and continued medical education,” she says. “We’re always reviewing new technologies to add to the practice because we want to give our patients what they want and provide them with new options for treating conditions that bother them.”
A new device recently acquired is JetPeel. Dr. Carter notes, “We’re very excited about it. It’s a no-downtime exfoliation and serum infusion device for the face, but we're also using it on the scalp to address hair loss.”
Hair loss, especially in women, can be complicated and arise from many factors. Dr. Carter has spent the last couple of years doing a deep dive into this issue and is building up a hair loss clinic offering non-surgical regenerative hair loss solutions for men and women.
Taking the time to educate patients is another important part of her career. “Patients come in with the idea that they want ‘X’ procedure, but it may not be the right solution for the problem they have,” states Dr. Carter, “So, we have to go through that educational piece to help us figure out the right approach.”
One of the advantages of visiting a dermatology practice versus a spa, she explains, is that they usually assess patients differently. “For each patient, we determine what can be treated and how it should be treated. For instance, my aesthetician is trained to come to me or one of our physicians’ assistants if she sees anything that looks odd, rather than just lasering over it or doing a chemical peel.”
If it’s precancerous or cancerous, Dr. Carter and her team can handle it. Another advantage, she says, is if there are any complications with the procedures, she and her staff can take care of it on the spot.
There are times when what the patient is seeking can only be accomplished through surgery, and in that case, she’ll be honest with them. “We're not going to convince them to do something just to do it. We can even make referrals to plastic surgeons.”
Due to the longevity of the practice, patients she once treated for acne, she’s now treating for wrinkles! Dr. Carter is looking forward to what the next 20 years will bring.
DeschutesDermatology.com
“We’re always reviewing new technologies to add to the practice because we want to give our patients what they want and provide them with new options for treating conditions that bother them.”
— Dr. Leslie Carter, owner of Deschutes Dermatology