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Central Florida plastic surgeon Richard Gregory, M.D., is not only one of the country’s most experienced doctors in cosmetic laser procedures, he’s also skilled at numerous other areas of aesthetic surgery, including injectables, fillers, breast augmentation, liposuction and face lifts.
At the heart of his practice is a simple philosophy. “People perform better and do better in life if they feel better about themselves,” Gregory says. “What we’re doing here is delivering people happiness. There are a lot of people who are well trained in this profession, but for me, it’s a passion and I do this because I care. My creed is that every person is a child of God and deserves respect and loving care.”
At the Institute of Aesthetic Surgery, with locations in Altamonte Springs, Celebration and The Villages, Gregory has made a long career out of improving people’s lives. He was one of the early pioneers of laser cosmetic surgery, which is still a cutting-edge, non-invasive technique that helps erase years from patients’ faces. The Institute of Aesthetic Surgery is also number 1 in volume in Central Florida for popular Allergan products including Botox, Juvederm and Latisse.
“Our whole team is built around caring and delivering a reliable result,” Gregory explains. “And I think education is the first step in that. One of my passions is teaching, so I try to teach every patient so that they understand how we can help them. When a patient comes in to me, I hand them a mirror and say, ‘What are you concerned about?’ We go over everything and figure out exactly what we can do.”
A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Gregory served in Vietnam before returning to the Indiana University School of Medicine. He completed residencies in general and plastic surgery at the prestigious Duke University Medical Center and nearly 30 years ago began to research laser cosmetic surgery, an area of medicine he has published about extensively. He has also taught laser cosmetic surgery all over the world. The Institute of Aesthetic Surgery has been named one of the top 10 laser centers in the country and Self magazine has named Gregory one of the top 10 laser plastic surgeons in the country.
The Institute of Aesthetic Surgery also features a MediSpa, where patients are paired with a medical aesthetician to address skin care needs.
“Good skin care is basic to everything we do,” Gregory explains. “So when I have a patient, I get them to go in to see the aesthetician. In many cases, they realize they’ve been using products they don’t understand or products that are damaging their skin. Our medical aestheticians can coach them and get them started on a better routine.”
The MediSpa isn’t open solely to Gregory’s patients. Anyone from the general public can visit for a facial or a consultation. “Come in at least once,” Gregory suggests. “It could change the way you take care of your skin.”
For those interested in cosmetic laser procedures, there’s no better place to go in Central Florida than the Institute of Aesthetic Surgery. But why lasers?
“The most common reason is rejuvenation,” Gregory explains. “Our skin thins and wrinkles as we get older. We can correct so much of that with lasers. You’re stimulating it to repair itself. It starts building new collagen, new blood vessels. If we start young enough, an awful lot of people could avoid the need for facelifts. The laser will reverse a lot of that clock.”
And, says Gregory, if you’ve seen advertisements for salons and spas offering Botox and other injectables, think long and hard before jumping at a bargain-basement price on a medical treatment.
“I’ve seen people who are disasters come in here for help after having a bad experience with injectables elsewhere,” Gregory says. “Some of them were given legitimate products by inexperienced people. Those are the kinds of disasters we see. Yes, you can go to a salon and get Botox, but very few people in a place like that will have the expertise to sculpt. That’s why coming to someone like me is so important. We also do treatments as hygienically and as safely as possible.”
For more information, visit www.instituteofaestheticsurgery.com. For a free consultation, call 407-303-4250.
