By Sara Browning
Providing personalized aesthetic skin treatments to fit individual needs, Aesthetics at Illinois Eye Center in Peoria helps restore and revitalize the youthful appearance of their patients in a comfortable, private atmosphere.
Aesthetic treatments are a personal choice, and no one understands this better than the medical professionals and team at Aesthetics at Illinois Eye Center.
“We believe in personalizing skin treatments for our patients,” says Dr. Catherine Cuite, Oculoplastic and Reconstructive Surgeon at the Illinois Eye Center. “Aesthetics reflects the incredible diversity of each individual and, by extension, the diversity of our mission in terms of helping each patient have a positive self-image.”
Dr. Cuite and her team assist patients in exploring their options while offering professional advice and providing the most exceptional quality of skin and medical care available, personalized to fit patients’ specific aesthetic goals.
The Value of Listening
Dr. Cuite believes the value that her practice places on listening to patients’ concerns helps set Aesthetics at Illinois Eye Center apart.
“When I deal with patients, I treat them as a friend,” she says. “I want them to be a client for life, and I believe patients sense that in an intuitive way.”
Patient consultations reflect the special doctor-patient relationship Dr. Cuite strives to build. During an initial consultation, Dr. Cuite meets with patients one-on-one to review their medical history, lifestyle, budget, and aesthetic goals.
“It’s so valuable to really hear your patients,” says Dr. Cuite. “We chat informally, and patients really share what’s on their minds. It’s OK if patients are uncertain about exactly which treatment option is best. That is our job to help them discover their own personal beauty.”
During consultations, Dr. Cuite and her team use an iPad to take pictures of each patient and focus on the patient’s areas of concern. Using an iPad, Dr. Cuite can easily isolate the focus areas. After studying the pictures with the patient, Dr. Cuite and her Aesthetic Coordinator, Michelle Ford, CAC, design a treatment plan especially for each patient.
“If I am working with a woman with a sweet, cheerful personality, but fine lines around her mouth cause her to appear as if she’s frowning,” explains Dr. Cuite, “I design a treatment plan so her smile reflects who she is.”
From the initial consultation to the ending results, Dr. Cuite and her team ensure patients receive the maximum amount of privacy they desire. A private entrance and a private reception room are “the cornerstone of patients’ privacy,” according to Dr. Cuite. “We don’t schedule our patients one on top of another. Our patients receive individual attention. Our consultations take place in a private room, so our patients understand that this is their time and no one else’s.”
Staying True to Your Skin
When it comes to patient treatment, Aesthetics at Illinois Eye Center prides itself on its natural use of fillers and toxins. A loss of facial fullness and the development of wrinkles are two early signs of aging, according to Dr. Cuite. Dr. Cuite uses injectable fillers to soften the appearance of facial lines and creases and restore volume to the face while at the same time helping patients maintain a genuine appearance.
“We strive to achieve a natural look for patients,” says Dr. Cuite. “As we age, bones and soft tissue shift causing deflation. Deflation can lead to the development of dark hollows under the eyes and marionette lines around the mouth. Fillers change the way a patient looks without making her look altered or distorted.”
Toxins work in conjunction with fillers to prevent the undesired movements that create wrinkles. “The synergy between fillers and toxins works to a patient’s advantage,” according to Dr. Cuite. “The synergy is harmonious… rejuvenating but not altering facial appearance.”
Dr. Cuite uses facial fillers, such as Juvederm XC, which contains a smooth gel made of hyaluronic acid that adds volume and hydrates the skin. It also eliminates wrinkles and provides natural-looking results.
Exploring Blepharoplasty
Although non-surgical treatments have their benefits, Dr. Cuite is a firm believer in the benefits of cosmetic surgery. Blepharoplasty, or eyelid surgery, improves the appearance of the upper and lower eyelids to give a youthful appearance to the surrounding area of the eyes.
“The most common is upper lid blepharoplasty, which reduces the amount of skin between the eyebrows and the eyelashes that can create folds and disturb the natural contour of the upper eyelid, sometimes impairing vision,” Dr. Cuite explains. “Lower lid blepharoplasty tightens the excess skin and muscle that is giving the eyes a baggy appearance.”
Identifying Key Components
Facial products can enhance a patient’s appearance and slow the aging process. “We offer patients organic sunscreens that contain organic extracts, vitamins, and age-defying antioxidants that promote healthier-looking skin,” says Dr. Cuite.
Retinol Complex .25 also helps enhance facial appearance and reduce wrinkles. An intensive serum, Retinol Complex .25 reduces the appearance of hyperpigmentation, fine lines and wrinkles; a powerful antioxidant, it enhances the skin’s natural exfoliation process.
Growth factors help diminish wrinkles and slow the appearance of aging. “Our Skin Medica line uses tissue growth factors that produce remarkable results,” says Dr. Cuite. “Our Revision Skincare line uses Teamine Eye Complex, proven to reduce dark circles, alleviate puffiness under the eye, and smooth fine lines and wrinkles. It also brightens the eye area and hydrates dry skin.”
Get Your Glow On!
Aesthetics at Illinois Eye Center invites patients to experience HydraFacial, a four-step deep-cleansing infusion process that uses a hydrating, non-laser skin resurfacing technology to deliver a rejuvenated, glowing, and youthful appearance.
“HydraFacial uses specially formulated anti-aging serums in combination with a computerized piece of equipment that delivers micro-droplets of emulsified serums to the skin through a microfiber tip. The tip moves across the skin removing debris from the top layer and at the same time, suctions deep and cleans the pores. Next, a mild glycolic acid is used to buff away dead skin cells. The skin is then infused with antioxidants to protect it from UV light and free radicals. What’s great about HydraFacial is that it can be used anywhere on your skin — your back, your shoulders, or the back of your arms. When your HydraFacial is finished, you are clean and rejuvenated!”
HydraFacial is clinically formulated to improve the appearance of early aging fine lines and wrinkles, sun-damaged skin, age spots, blackheads and whiteheads, enlarged pores, excess oil, hydration, puffy eyes, rejuvenation, and overall skin health.
“I absolutely love what my practice gives me the opportunity to do for patients,” says Dr. Cuite. “Allowing patients to regain their youthful appearance is not only extremely gratifying for them but it also allows me to be creative and gain satisfaction from working in the field of aesthetics.”
Dr. Catherine Cuite, MD, is a fellowship-trained specialist in oculoplastic surgery. Having completed her internship at Norwalk Hospital/Yale University in Connecticut and her ophthalmology residency at Casey Eye Institute in Portland, Oregon, Dr. Cuite continued with subspecialty training at the Dean A. McGee Eye Institute in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where she completed fellowship training in oculoplastic surgery. She is board-certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology and a fellow with the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
If you would like to schedule a consultation with Dr. Cuite, please contact Michelle Ford at 309-243-3875. Visit illinoiseyecenter.com/beauty for more information. Aesthetics at Illinois Eye Center is located at 8921 North Wood Sage Road Peoria, IL.