Skinnovations is combining medical care and aesthetics in a stylish setting

The new skincare clinic opened in March in Wausau and now has dermatologist Dr. Stephen Lewellis as its medical director

Wausonian readers may remember Dr. Stephen Lewellis - we wrote about him last year as he was starting Above and Beyond Dermatology. But now Lewellis is involved in a new business that launched last month in the Wausau area.

Lewellis is now the medical director of Skinnovations in Wausau, which opened its new Wausau location in March at 605 S 24th Street. Skinnovations is owned by Anna Wicklund, a Certified Aesthetic Nurse Practioner.

Wicklund told The Wausonian that she started Skinnovations about a year ago in Minocqua. “I love the Northwoods and had many long-term patients in this area,” Wicklund says. “I wanted the opportunity to continue to serve them closer to their home.”

Wicklund says she first became interested in the field after her sister was in a car crash and a skilled plastic surgeon was able to reconstruct her face after the trauma. “I admired the plastic surgeon's ability to help patients restore confidence and feel ‘whole’ again after traumas, cancer, and other complex medical conditions,” Wicklund says. “I quickly fell in love with the ability to help people feel better about themselves.”

She later went on to work for a plastic surgeon and learned more about aesthetics, undertaking the training to eventually start her own clinic.

That partners well with Lewellis, who is a dermatologist. Lewellis last year started Above and Beyond Dermatology located in Plover after leaving Aspirus.

Lewellis said he was starting his private practice because he wanted “to be on the cutting edge of dermatology medicine but while also keeping costs low for patients so people can afford it,” as we wrote in that story. That means incorporating tools such as telemedicine into his practice.

The space had been a male hormone clinic space and now is transformed into a stylish space with a chill ambiance, not what you might expect with a typical medical clinic.

Lewellis says the two met at a baseball clinic their sons attended when Lewellis overheard Wicklund’s mother talking about the clinic. After being introduced to Anna, he learned that aesthetic clinics need a medical director and many times that director ends up being out of state or even in another country.

So this partnership is different, Lewellis explains. His being actually in the office regularly makes it easy to consult or to refer to each other. If something looks to Anna like it might need a higher level of medical care, she can refer the patient to Lewellis - and if it’s something more aesthetic-related, Lewellis can refer to Anna.

Wicklund says she feels fortunate to have Lewellis on board because they share similar values and ethics, and both have high standards for themselves.

I wanted a medical director that I could collaborate with, and provide more holistic safe patient care. We have lasers in our practice and I like that I am able to refer patients who have any suspicious growing lesions right to Dr. Lewellis in-house so that we can ensure that any pre-cancerous or undiagnosed skin conditions can be managed safely prior to any aesthetic treatment. Providing safe, holistic care is extremely important to me.

What treatments are most popular on the aesthetics side of the business? Wicklund says many of the trendy treatments on social media bring patients in the door, but often that leads to a more comprehensive treatment based on what they actually need.

My mission is to provide safe, evidence-based treatments to create a personalized treatment plan that aligns with the patient's goals. This typically starts with a custom skin care regimen to restore skin health and protect the skin from premature aging/DNA damage. A typical treatment plan includes a custom skin care regimen, a collagen stimulating treatment (laser, microneedling or Sculptra injectables), nutraceuticals and lifestyle coaching to empower my patients to age on their own terms. Patients may come in asking for Botox, but walk out of our clinic with a sunscreen and prescription Retinol.

Meanwhile, Lewellis says Above and Beyond Dermatology has been going well. He is still seeing a low volume of patients and is able to spend more time with them, one of the reasons he wanted to start his own practice. Word is spreading, and he does have an eye on expanding his team one day.

Patients who are used to the traditional medical system are surprised at the level of care and attention they receive. That was his goal with the practice from the start.

Skinnovations is located at 605 S 24th Street in Wausau. They are open Monday and Tuesday 9-5 (and the Minocqua clinic is open Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, same hours). Find them on the web or on Facebook.

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