Spotlight on Uptown Med Spa: Dr. Katie Podgorny on bio-stimulating procedure trends, a growing business, and a philosophy of choosing how you age

Uptown Med Spa
36 Main Street, Suite 104 in Park Ridge
(847) 696-7282
PRUptownMedSpa.com
Q: How has Uptown Med Spa grown since you opened?
A: Uptown Med Spa opened in the spring of 2021 with the anticipation and excitement of the ending of the pandemic and the public coming out of their masks and out of their houses wanting to concentrate on their self care. We started with just Dr. Katie as the primary provider but quickly grew to a staff of two nurse injectors, an esthetician and our amazing desk host staff. In the new year, we are adding a nurse practitioner injector who will be offering services on Mondays, thus expanding our hours.
Q: Explain your company’s philosophy: “Choose how you age”
A: “Choose how you age” is a philosophy we take pride in. Each individual has a vision of their aging self, whether it is more enhanced or more natural. We can soften the aging process with skincare treatments or more invasive injectables or a combination of all. With a physician-led team, we cater each treatment to the individual with their safety and aesthetic vision in mind.
Aesthetic medicine is trending towards bio-stimulating procedures. … The body has the capacity to heal and slow the physical signs of aging — we just have to tell it to do so.
Q: What is trending right now in the industry?
A: Aesthetic medicine is trending towards bio-stimulating procedures. This entails treatments that tell the body to do all of the anti-aging work. The body has the capacity to heal and slow the physical signs of aging — we just have to tell it to do so. Treatments such as PRP, PRF, Sculptra and laser all stimulate type-1 collagen production, which slows and reverses the aging process.
Q: Explain how Sculptra and PRP work to improve the signs of aging “from the inside out”
A: PRP and PRF treatments involve using the patient’s own plasma, which is full of inflammatory factors, such as fibrin, that stimulate remodeling of the dermal layer, thus revitalizing the structure that’s lost as we age. Sculptra is an enzyme that is injected into the dermal layer and becomes a catalyst for this process, stimulating the fundamental building blocks that our bodies used in our early 20s that made our skin tight and youthful. Bio-stimulating! This doesn’t mean there isn’t a role for Botox and dermal fillers, but like any industry, aesthetics is evolving and maturing.
There definitely is not “one size fits all” in aesthetics. Not only is each person’s anatomy different, even in subtle ways, but goals are different. … Education is key in any treatment process. We want each patient to know why a certain treatment would benefit them.
Q: You’re a big believer in the idea that there is not a one-size-fits-all approach to natural-looking enhancements. How do you customize treatment plans for your patients?
A: There definitely is not “one size fits all” in aesthetics. Not only is each person’s anatomy different, even in subtle ways, but goals are different. We listen to each patient’s concerns and look at their expressions, anatomy, skin color and texture. There is quite a lot of information out there on social media, so we listen to what they have learned on their own and educate on how that information applies to their needs. Education is key in any treatment process. We want each patient to know why a certain treatment would benefit them. In addition, aesthetic enhancements don’t come without side effects and risk. Complications are rare, but they do exist, so we educate in every aspect regarding each treatment.
Q: Anything exciting and new on the horizon for Uptown Med Spa?
A: Uptown Med Spa aims to keep the practice small and intimate. We want to be like family. We love knowing everything about our patients and want them to feel a sense of privacy and concern when they are with us. Every question, every concern, every person is important. We are always there for YOU!

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