LOOKING GOOD WITH THE HELP OF MODERN MEDICINE

At his La Grande office, Dr. Michael McQueen explains how his clinic's new Intense Pulsed Light device, at right, is used for skin rejuvenation and hair reduction. (Observer photos/PHIL BULLOCK).

- Bill Rautenstrauch

- The Observer

Bette Midler was right. After 30, a body has a mind of its own.

Time takes a toll. Skin sags and dries and cracks, wrinkles appear, multiply, grow ever deeper. Even Baby Boomers who swore they'd never get old, do. And they look it.

The body indeed has a mind of its own. There's not a thing anybody can do about it.

Or is there?

Dr. Michael McQueen recently opened the Aesthetic Medicine Clinic in conjunction with his family medicine practice at 1613 Fifth Street.

It's for people who want skin with a more youthful appearance, those who have vowed to fight the battle against crow's feet, forehead creases, and the overall effects of time and weather.

The clinic, the only one of its kind in Northeast Oregon, is dedicated to making people like what they see when they look in a mirror.

"When people look good, they feel good, so this is a good fit with our regular practice," said McQueen.

A physician who takes a special interest in dermatology, McQueen said he saw Intense Pulsed Light technology demonstrated during a class he took about a year ago.

He saw how laser treatments can be used for skin rejuvenation and hair reduction, with a minimum of discomfort for the patient.

But not just any laser treatments, he stressed.

"I think it's important to clarify we use an IPL laser, which has a broad spectrum of light," he said.

The IPL laser removes sun and age spots, and treats rosacea and broken capillaries. It is also used to remove unwanted hair.

Hair reduction is offered at McQueen's clinic, and it's a far more comfortable way to go than waxing, said clinic aestheticist Patricia Zennie.

Hair removal by IPL lasts longer, too. According to McQueen, waxing needs to be repeated every month or so; with IPL, a touch-up is required about once a year.

McQueen said about a year of planning went into his clinic, which opened for business last week. He said he brings many weapons to the battle against crow's feet, forehead wrinkles, age spots, acne blemishes, and other affronts to youth and beauty.

"It's not enough to come to the table with just a laser light," he said.

He added other services, including microdermabrasion, face and body peels, Botox and human collagen injections. He also developed an acne program.

For patient comfort, he purchased a Zimmer Cryo 6, a skin cooling system that's considered state-of-the-art.

And to show patients that treatments are working, he uses an ultraviolet photography system that identifies skin damage even beneath the surface. Patients are photographed in their initial consultation, and in every session after that.

"You can look at before and after pictures and see the difference," McQueen said.

The clinic represents a substantial investment for McQueen — while not naming the exact price, he said it cost him "six figures" to start up.

At his facility and elsewhere, treatments aren't what most people would call cheap. And as a rule, they aren't covered by insurance.

But, at least, the cost of aesthetic medicine isn't as high as it used to be, McQueen said.

"I think it's becoming more available to everyone," he said.

There seems to be a market. Though the clinic just opened, McQueen said response from the public has been "dramatic."

"It's not just women, either. A lot of men have shown interest, too," he said.