Inside the Mind of a Modern Skin Authority: Dr. Lesley Clark-Loeser on Innovation, Integrity, and the Future of Dermatology

In a beauty landscape increasingly driven by buzzwords and filters, it’s rare to meet a physician who blends clinical rigor with a deep respect for individuality and community. Dr. Lesley Clark-Loeser, co-founder of Precision Skin & Body Institute and a board-certified dermatologist since 2005, is one of those rare visionaries redefining what it means to age — and live — beautifully. A South Florida native, Dr. Clark-Loeser returned home after a formidable academic journey through George Washington University, NYU School of Medicine, and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Today, she brings decades of experience, including authoring over 15 scientific publications and conducting more than 25 clinical trials, into her thriving private practice.

But Dr. Clark-Loeser’s work is about more than flawless skin. A mother of three, a respected community leader, and a fluent Spanish speaker, she merges science with soul — and innovation with intention.

In our exclusive conversation, she opens up about her latest skincare passions, including DAXXIFY®, the first peptide-powered neuromodulator offering fast-acting, longer-lasting results, and the Teoxane RHA® Collection — dermal fillers engineered to move with your expressions, not against them. Below, Dr. Clark-Loeser answers our most pressing questions about these next-generation treatments and what it truly takes to deliver elegant, natural-looking results in today’s aesthetic world.

1. Your journey began at just 17, leading you from George Washington University to some of the most prestigious institutions in dermatology. What first sparked your interest in skin health, and how did you know this was your path?

I love this question!  I actually landed at GWU because I wanted to become an international news correspondent. I am the daughter of a nurse and a doctor, and the one thing that I knew when I was growing up was that I wasn’t going to be a physician.  It wasn’t until my halfway through my freshman year that I realized I really didn’t like Economics or Political Science, and that all of my enjoyment was derived from my Science for non-science majors (literally a health class) and my hospital volunteering experience.  I took a leap and completely pivoted to onto a premed path.

2. You've trained at elite centers like NYU and Memorial Sloan Kettering. How have these formative years influenced the way you approach both clinical dermatology and cosmetic innovation today?

Grateful doesn’t even come close to describing how I feel for the opportunity and experience I had during my training years.  I feel like I was amongst the true giants in our field during my formative years in Dermatology.  This experience instilled a tremendous respect for academia in medicine and ignited my interest in being a clinical investigator. Being on the leading edge of developments in our field is something that I value tremendously.

3. Balancing motherhood and a thriving practice is no easy feat. How has being a mother of three shaped your perspective on beauty, confidence, and self-care?

I feel being a mother will always be my most important and challenging job.  Ultimately, my job as mom to three children, the oldest and youngest seven years apart, constantly sheds perspective, engenders compassion, patience and understanding, and importantly keeps my very dialed in to what the generations younger than I am are seeing, feeling and experiencing.  This plays into my connection and perspective on beauty, confidence and self-care,  Specifically, being a woman in her 50s, with children in their teens and twenties, I aim to balance or bridge the importance of self-acceptance, love and grace with what is endlessly presented before us on social media.  The importance in embracing who we are and the reality that “perfection” doesn’t exist is so important. We are all perfectly imperfect.  As a mother and cosmetic dermatologist, I am your partner on this journey to being the best version yourself inside and out.

4. DAXXIFY® is making waves as the first peptide-powered neuromodulator in over two decades. What makes this treatment truly different—and who is the ideal candidate?

Truly anyone 18 years or older that is looking for treatment with a neuromodulator.  What makes this product standout in my practice is the potential for longevity and enhancement in skin quality.  Roughly half of my patients are seeing up to 8 weeks longer duration and a beautiful smooth glow in the treated areas.

5. The Teoxane RHA® Collection emphasizes natural movement and expression. Why is this philosophy so aligned with today’s more nuanced beauty standards?

I think the answer lies in the first statement.  I’ve been praying for this day to come when the pendulum returned to embracing more natural and elegant results, and it seems that it has. My goal for my patients is that they leave my office looking like “I” had never been there, meaning nowhere on their face.  There’s nothing better than having a tool, like the Teoxane RHA Collection, that allows me to help my patience achieve incredibly natural and youthful outcomes where “having fillers done” is undetectable and not in question.

6. With over 25 clinical trials under your belt, how do you determine which innovations are worth introducing to your patients? What do you look for in a new treatment?

I am always asking the questions “why” and “how” and often this is what leads to a new clinical investigation.  Asking these questions about something we are observing something, or conversely not seeing, in clinical practice or how we might do things better or differently drives innovation.  I look to partner with colleagues, device, pharmaceutical or cosmeceutical companies that are asking similar questions, and most importantly are committed to the research process and data driven results.

7. You’re known not only for your technical expertise but for your commitment to patient education and empowerment. How do you create that trust and dialogue in your practice?

Listening, truly listening to my patients.  Their trust and confidence in me and our relationship drives our journey.  The more someone feels heard and understood, along with the individual feeling empowered by knowledge about their bodies, health and treatment options, the more satisfying and successful the journey becomes.

8. We’re seeing more patients who want subtle, preventative treatments rather than dramatic changes. How has this evolution in patient mindset changed your aesthetic approach?

My aesthetic approach really hasn’t changed, but the evolution in patient mindset has made our consultations and conversations much easier.  There is much more alignment now amongst cosmetic dermatologists and their patients. That’s not to say that all cosmetic dermatologists share the same approach. It remains important to feel as though you and your dermatologist are aligned in approach and that what she/her is presenting resonates with you. 

9. Precision Skin Institute has become a go-to destination in South Florida. What makes your patient experience distinct, and how do you continue raising the bar in a competitive market?

I believe focusing less on what others may be doing around us, and truly striving the be our best and constantly evaluating how and what we are doing drives our success in delivering outstanding patient experience.

10. From clinical research to community education, you wear many hats. What’s next for you—and what are you most excited to bring to your patients in the coming years?

Wow! Big questions with lots of potential answers!  I have lots of answers for this one, but to keep it short, I believe the biggest breakthrough in research that will positively impact clinical practice in the upcoming years is understanding the epigenetic impact of what we are doing and can do with the treatments we provide. In short, that is how our current tools, be them cosmeceuticals or energy-based devices like lasers, can influence how our DNA expresses itself.  We are understanding how these treatments can help our cells to behave in a more healthy and youthful way.  This understanding will allow even more precise and personalized care.