Cultura Cosmetic Medical Spa meets diverse Cultural Needs

Washington, DC (BlackNews.com) - Beautiful News for people of color: Cutting-edge research from Harvard Medical School and the University of Michigan shows that a wide range of safe and effective laser and skin care treatments are now available for ethnic skin. This medical breakthrough comes at a time when African Americans are choosing to undergo cosmetic procedures at an unprecedented rate - six percent. Founded is 2001 by Eliot F. Battle, Jr., MD, board certified cosmetic dermatologist and Harvard-trained skin laser surgeon and Monte O. Harris, MD, a board certified facial and plastic surgeon, Cultura Medical Spa is meeting the growing demand for cosmetic therapies for people of all skin types, regardless of skin color or ethnicity. "Cultura offers a truly innovative approach to skin care for people of all colors-blending the fields of dermatology, plastic surgery and skin laser surgery in a luxury day spa environment," said Dr. Harris. "Cultura defies the norm," explained Dr. Battle. "We know that the bulk of aesthetic products and treatments in the marketplace are not designed for ethnic consumers and are largely ineffective or even harmful for people of color. Darker skin responds differently to cosmetic anti-aging and surgical procedures, and requires a new and innovative approach." Dr. Battle's 3 -year NIH-sponsored research project at Harvard Medical School pioneered the development of the exciting new generation of "color blind" lasers that are safe and effective for all skin types, regardless of skin color or ethnicity. This is a significant medical breakthrough for African Americans, who like ethnic populations from South America, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Mediterranean, commonly suffer from "shaving bumps" and ingrown hairs. Current treatments of hair removal including plucking, waxing, depilatories, and electrolysis are unsatisfactory because they often increase side effects like skin discoloration and even scarring. "The new generation of FDA approved 'color blind' lasers for hair removal on patients with darker skin avoid skin damage during treatments in two ways," said Dr. Battle. "First, the length of the laser pulse that zaps offending hair follicles is much longer and less of a threat to the skin than previous lasers. Second, the surface and deeper levels of skin are protected by aggressive skin cooling, which prevents discoloration of the natural pigment. Even with a single treatment, hair takes longer to grow back and is thinner and lighter. With repeated treatments, you can say goodbye to unwanted hair including 'shaving bumps' forever." Cultura has over 15 cosmetic lasers including lasers that are used for hair removal, vein removal, scar improvement, complexion blending, skin tightening, mole removal and collagen enhancement. Dr. Harris' research at the University of Michigan provides a fresh view of the unique patterns of facial aging among African Americans. "This is an area of study that has never been adequately explored before," he said. "Unlike Caucasian facial aging, which shows sagging skin in the lower face, African Americans and other people of color tend to age in a more pronounced way around the eyes and cheeks. No, those dark circles under your eyes aren't necessarily from fatigue. They occur from skin changes caused by photo damage, fat atrophy and redistribution as well as bone remodeling, and can be remedied through a wide range of treatments including exfoliation, retin A, bleaching creams, replacing or lifting fat, and even implants," explained Dr. Harris. "Forehead wrinkles can be erased through botox. Today, there are so many effective anti-aging treatments at our disposal that do not require major facial surgery as in the past. Imagine the possibility of a non-invasive face-lift, laser hair removal, erasing wrinkles, tattoos, and even birthmarks without going under the knife. We routinely offer lunch hour laser procedures that are pain-free and require no down-time from work." Cultura Cosmetic Medical Spa was honored as the Emerging Business of the Year for 2003 by the Washington, DC Chamber of Commerce. For more information on Cultura Medical Spa, visit www.culturamed.com PRESS CONTACT: Dedra Owens, 202-491-0845, dtowens@earthlink.net