On her drive home from residency 15 years ago, Dr. Elizabeth Adams had a realization: she could unite her medical expertise and creative passion through the art of aesthetics. Driven by a fascination with the aging process and a desire to help women age with confidence, Dr. Adams has become one of Birmingham’s most sought-after aesthetics experts.
Over the years, Dr. Adams has championed a more refined, artistic approach to aesthetics. She has traveled the globe to master techniques that ensure natural-looking results. Most recently, she trained in Oslo, Norway, with renowned lip injector Julie Horne. “Julie is so innovative, and it was a great opportunity to pick her brain in an intimate setting,” she says.
Dr. Adams’ expertise has drawn other Birmingham injectors to seek her out for training, and she gladly shares her knowledge. “I don’t believe in competition. I believe in collaboration,” she says. “If you’re better, it makes me better, and that makes the whole industry better.”
Though Dr. Adams has never sculpted, her artistic eye suggests she’d excel at it. “When I see a face, I see shadows; I see angles,” she says. “It’s creative, but it’s also math. Like da Vinci’s work, it’s all about proportions. That’s why I think I’d be a great sculptor, but I’ve never tried it. Apparently, you can’t just jump into 400-level art classes,” she laughs.
Dr. Adams’ philosophy on aesthetics is deeply rooted in her holistic approach to aging. She emphasizes that the aging process occurs on three levels: superficial skin, fat pad deflation, and bone degradation. To address these, she employs a combination of topicals, lasers, and injectables. In addition to treating external signs of aging, her practice focuses on internal health. “You can tell a lot by just looking at someone's skin,” she explains. “Your inside barometer of health is reflected on your outside.” Through facial mapping, she identifies clues about internal conditions, such as dehydration and inflammation. Beyond the visible, Dr. Adams also provides recommendations to address less tangible aspects of aging, including micronutrient deficiencies and chronic inflammation, using lab testing and other holistic modalities.
Dr. Adams owns Aesthetic Atelier, a concierge private practice, and meets with clients in the comfort of their homes or at their place of work. Mary Virginia Colvert, a client of Aesthetic Atelier, appreciates Adams’ techniques. “She is one of those people who just creates beauty all around her,” Mary Virginia says. “I love how she has a conservative approach that makes you feel natural and like yourself. It’s just seamless and brings out my natural features without changing too much or making me look like somebody different.” Mary Virginia looks forward to her visits with Dr. Adams. “It feels like a friend coming over. We just talk and laugh, and she does the injections, and then she’s done—and I didn’t have to leave the house.”
To anyone who knows her, it’s clear that Dr. Adams is passionate about the process of aging, which she describes as beautiful and predictable. Everyone loses collagen in their 30s, which can be seen predictably in the late 30s and early 40s, with decreased skin integrity. And when someone hits 40, they will feel like their body starts going downhill overnight. “It happens to everybody!” she says. And there is plenty of good that comes with aging, too. “What I love most about aging is the life wisdom that comes with it. Who wants to be 20 again?” she laughs. “Age doesn’t have to be that serious of a subject. It’s endless humor.”
With her unique perspective, Dr. Adams is on a mission to help others realize that the inevitability of aging doesn’t have to be feared. It can be embraced confidently as a true celebration of beauty, wisdom, and life itself.