Dr. Valerie Callender

Known for her sensitive and cutting-edge approach to the management and correction of hair loss and the treatment of pigment disorders, board-certified dermatologist Dr. Valerie D. Callender knows she is the saving grace for women plagued with skin and hair concerns. As a go-to resource for hair loss treatment for women of color, she has also served in leadership roles for organizations like the Women’s Dermatologic Society and the Skin of Color Society. “There are several racial differences in hair transplant surgery,” says Dr. Callender. “These include the reason for the procedure, the shape of the hair, and the risk of keloid formation.” It is her breadth of knowledge and experience with the specific needs of this subset of hair loss sufferers that has allowed her to change the lives of so many of her patients. “Our hair is our crown and glory, and I consider it my job to help others restore and maintain their crowns.”

1. What nonsurgical advancements are you most excited about right now?
   “DualSculpting” for body contouring and Thermage FLX for skin tightening
2. What is the one thing your practice offers that is really unique?
   Combining aesthetic treatments for hair restoration in women, like neutraceuticals, topical minoxidil, laser therapy, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and hair transplants
3. What are your most requested procedures?
   Botox Cosmetic, fillers to restore midface volume loss and chemical peels to correct hyperpigmentation
4. What new services are you excited to offer?
   Combining PRP injections with microneedling for hair loss, Thermage FXL for skin tightening and microneedling for acne scars
5. Who has been your career-defining patient?
   A hair loss patient with Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia (CCCA), a common cause of hair loss in women of color that required aggressive therapy before surgery. She stimulated my interest in surgical management for this type of hair loss
6. What are the most common medical myths you’ve ever heard?
   That there is no treatment for hair loss in women and you just have to accept it and cover it up with a wig. Also, that laser procedures are unsafe for skin of color
7. Why is skin care so important?
   Skin care is the foundation for the in-office cosmetic procedures that we do. Patients must be committed to maintaining their results with an individualized and customized skin care regimen that we create
8. What are you best known for?
   I am known for treating hair loss in women and correcting uneven skin tone—melasma and hyperpigmentation
9. What do you think is the biggest skin-related trend of the year?
   Hydroquinone-free topical skin lightening agents that can be combined with aesthetic procedures to treat melasma and skin discoloration
10. What do you like most about your profession?
    I like that aesthetic dermatology is always evolving
11. My ultimate skin care advice
    Use a multitasking night cream while you sleep to exfoliate, hydrate and manage dyspigmentation
12. Three words that best describe me
    Caring, compassionate, kind
13. My motto
    Excellent patient care matters