MedEsthetics magazines offers business education and in-depth coverage of the latest noninvasive cosmetic procedures for physicians and practice managers working in the medical aesthetics industry.
Issue link: https://medesthetics.epubxp.com/i/123304
SUCCESS IN THE MAGIC CITY patients have demonstrated over the years. He continues to give back to both his local community and the medical community by teaching and lecturing to residents at his alma mater, speaking at medical symposiums and appearing on television programs. Back at his practice, Dr. Hevia knows that growth brings additional challenges. He's committed to growing his business responsibly by not allowing creative desires to overshadow financial discipline and sound business principles. "Very few practices can claim to be aesthetic-only, and since my practice is exclusively a cosmetic practice, growth can be a bit more challenging," he explains. "Many others try to grow their practices by expanding their noncosmetic, insurance-reimbursement-based practice as a way to bring more traffic in, but I would rather stay dedicated to cosmetic dermatology, even if the growth rate might be slower this way." As for what's on the horizon of cosmetic dermatology as a whole, Dr. Hevia is hopeful that in the near future, he'll be able to significantly repair damage to the collagen and elastic fibers in skin with either the use of stem cells or through the use of novel repair-stimulating substances that can be injected directly into the skin. Until then, he hopes that his new skincare line, Hevia MD Skin Science, will provide the masses with a topical solution to curb the aging process. "My goal from the beginning of my career was to make a difference, so I took on the challenge of developing a skincare line that 58 MAY/JUNE 2013 | MedEsthetics had the best antiaging ingredients—no simple task," he says. "I didn't want to take the easy private-label approach, attaching my name or practice name to an already existing formula." Hence, he undertook extensive research at the Hevia Center for Research—a facility for product research and clinical trials that he launched one month after opening his second location. The line focuses on plant-based antioxidants—particularly on a class of polyphenols that appear to have the right chemical structure to exhibit strong antioxidant capabilities. The growth of Hevia Cosmetic Dermatology and its adjunctive businesses require long hours. But with his family nearby, Dr. Hevia and his wife—who just welcomed a new baby—are finding a welcome balance. "My wife and I see each other throughtout the work day as well as at home," says Dr. Hevia. "Being able to build a business together, as husband and wife, is very enriching to our family dynamic." ME Tracy Morin is a freelance writer and editor based in Oxford, MS.