The Skin Clinic offers new cutting-edge service

Northern Nevada plastic surgeon, Dr. Charles Virden, is now offering a new hormone therapy called BioTe and is the first practice in Nevada to offer this service.

BioTe are pellets that contain bio-identical estrogen and testosterone which are inserted under the skin near the hip. The hormones break down consistently in the body. The treatment helps remedy symptoms such as fatigue, tension, migraine, weight gain and more.

“It is improving the quality of people’s lives with hormone replacement,” Dr. Virden said.

He explained that many people are wary of hormone replacement treatments because they contain synthetic hormones. However, he explained that BioTe is not a synthetic hormone. Rather, BioTe is comprised of plant based bio-identical hormones. The estrogen in the pallets is derived from soy and the testosterone is derived from yams.

“It is very exciting and on the cutting edge,” Dr. Virden said.

Dr. Virden knows from experience the benefits of the treatment.

“I have pellets in as well,” Dr. Virden said.

While the service is new to Nevada, BioTe has been around for more than 20 years. Dr. Virden and his team traveled to Dallas in mid-April to attend a national training for BioTe and started implementing the service into the practice a few days later.

The treatment is available for both men and women. It costs $350 for women and $700 for men. The pellets are inserted approximately every four months for women and every six months for men.

The service is offered through The Skin Clinic, which is run by Physician Assistant Aleah Hartung and Dr. Virden.

Dr. Virden introduced The Skin Clinic business model at the end of 2015 as a way to fill a needed void in the skin care industry. It operates on a cash based model and is designed to be a “one stop shop” for patients waiting to get quick medical attention to skin concerns without waiting to see a dermatologist or going through insurance.

According to Dr. Virden, they are already seeing a lot of success with this practice.

They had a woman come to The Skin Clinic who was concerned about a growth on her foot. She had been told it would take between three to four months to see a doctor. However, she was able to quickly get an appointment at The Skin Clinic and Dr. Virden and Hartung took a biopsy of the growth and discovered that it was invasive melanoma. The patient was then able to see an oncologist and be treated.

“The Skin Clinic is making life changing improvements,” Dr. Virden said.

Dr. Virden is a board-certified plastic surgeon and has more than 20 years of experience. His Reno medical spa Renovation employs around 30 people and offers services such as massages, permanent cosmetics, botox and more.

He opened Renovation and his practice in 1998 in a location by St. Mary’s and in 2004 he moved to his current 6500-square-foot location at 960 Caughlin Crossing Suite 101. In 2011, he opened the Lake Tahoe Plastic Surgery and Medical Spa called Bella Lago Aesthetics in Truckee, Calif. Dr. Virden and Hartung split their time between the two businesses.

BioTe is offered at both the Reno and Truckee locations. Dr. Virden will be hosting an educational seminar in their Reno office from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., Thursday, May 12 to provide more information about the new service.

For more information, visit http://www.virdenmd.com/ or call 775-348-9798.