MUA @hollydeckermakeupartist
I sat down with Dr. Laura Lee McFadden to chat about Aesthetic Medicine, her mindset, passion and philosophy about her practice at Dermapure Oshun House.
Here’s a little more about her and then an insightful Q + A!
Dr. Laura Lee McFadden, Family Physician in Saskatoon
Dr. McFadden is licensed with the Medical Council of Canada and is a Fellow of the College of Family Physicians of Canada. For the first decade of her career, Dr. McFadden practiced emergency medicine, minor surgery and obstetrics in remote northern communities in Nunavut and Northwest Territories.
She began her training in aesthetic medicine in 2007 in Kelowna, B.C. She has attended many courses throughout North America over the past 10 years, including Laser and Aesthetic Skin Therapy at Harvard Medical School in Boston.
In 2012, she completed a Fellowship in Aesthetic Medicine with the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine and completed her advanced clinical training at the Ageless Aesthetic Institute in Florida, in association with the University of South Florida. She teaches and mentors nurses and physicians in facial aesthetics and is a clinical support for Allergan in training new injectors in Botox® and Juvederm®.
Dr. McFadden’s approach is focused on natural results, and she has built a team who shares her passion and philosophy.
She is also an Assistant Professor for the U of S College of Medicine and completed a Master of Business Administration (MBA) last year. and a mother of three challenging Gen Z’s!
Q. I love hearing about your career and your journey into Aesthetic Medicine. What inspired you on this path?
A. After leaving the practice of medicine in the north and moving to Saskatoon I needed a new challenge. My best friend and I wanted to start a spa business and I was very interested in all of the technology coming up in the area of aesthetic medicine. I wanted to find a way to combine wellness, beauty, and science and our first slogan for the spa at Oshun House was “where science meets spirit”.
Q. With cosmetic procedures your approach is to get natural results, can you tell us more about your approach?
A. My approach has always been to bring out the beauty inside, the beauty that is already there. I can not create a new face, I can only enhance what is there. When people start to expect drastic changes because they are unhappy with their appearance, the results can be abnormal looking. I don’t believe in a formula for beauty. I think we are most beautiful in our diversity and I only try to nudge the process to follow a more gentle slope. Aging is a gift and I don’t want women to fear it. I think the science in the field of aging is fascinating but we have a responsiblilty to use it for good not evil!
Q. With more people getting cosmetic procedures done, do you have any advice for someone who is just new to exploring having any procedures done?
A. Less is more. I tell young women that what I do to their faces today may affect them for years and decades to come. I am not a believer in altering a young woman’s anatomy to fit some “ideal” that is in fashion right now. I have been injecting for over 15 years and I am more conservative and more cautious than ever before. I may not be the typical injector and I am definitely not for everyone. Sometimes all I do in a consult is point out how beautiful a women is and I send her home for a few years.
Q. Mentorship and teaching is apart of your journey as well, what’s your favourite part of mentoring nurses and physicians?
A. I love to make new learners feel comfortable and excited about what they are doing. Whether it is at the medical school teaching students how to take blood pressures, examine a sore knee, or nurses how to rejuvenate a sagging face, I enjoy the challenge of combining learning and fun. I also learn from students all the time and get questioned and challenged and it makes me a better doctor.
Q. Who inspires you? Who are your mentors?
A. My patients inspire me. That sounds a bit hokey but it is true. I come to work every day because I enjoy the interactions I have with them. I like to laugh and tell stories and get to know people. I have learned that we are all more alike than different and all of us have had dark times and struggles. This is what makes us strong and beautiful!
Q. What is one of the biggest skin care tips you would recommend ?
A. Use sunscreen every single day and smile more.
Q. Can you tell use more about your passion and philosophy in what you do?
A. If you haven’t guessed I’m passionate about what is on the inside as much as the outside. There is nothing more beautful than a smiling confident woman, no matter how many wrinkles she has. If I can use my expertise to support that, to encourage that I have done my best.
Q. If you could only have three skin care products, which would they be and why?
A. Latisse (bimatoprost) which is a lash growth serum. I don’t like to wear mascara and I have been using this for almost 10 years to keep my lashes longer and darker. It goes to show that we all have something purely cosmetic that we think about or want to improve.
Q. When it comes to Filler and Botox, is there a certain age or time that you recommend getting these procedures done?
A. You can be too young and also too old to benefit from injectables. The right time depends on your genetics, your lifestyle (sun exposure), and your personal goals. I started just before my 40th birthday and will likely continue into my 80’s! I treat men and women in every decade of adulthood. I don’t believe you should start too early. Enjoy your youthful beauty and save your money for the decages of aging ahead! This is not the philosphy of all injectors and so it is important to match your expectations with an injector that has a similar outlook. I also take pride in being able to offer solutions within a budget. Most of us do not have unlimited spending accounts and I enjoy the challenge of analyzing the skin and the anatomy and starting with treatments that are most likely going to match your needs and expectations. Sometimes this is not possible and my patients know that I can be brutaly honest.
Q. What are your top 3 things you do for your health and wellness?
A. I meditate for a minimun of 2-3 hours every week and have done so for about 10 years. It is a reminder that the face and body I am in is temporary and fleeting. My inner self is here for the long haul. I enjoy looking my best and it makes me feel good. I have fun trying new products and new treatments but my happiness is not dependent on that.
Q. What’s your favourite quote or mantra to live by?
A. Fall seven times, get up eight.
Full disclosure, I work directly with Dr. McFadden. I have both personally and professionally gotten to know her over the last five years. Her passion for women’s health and the care she provides her patients and clients, inspires me daily.
xx
Holly Decker
Beauty Editor
