Teresa Whitley, M.D., loves all aspects of her job at NorthBay Center for Women’s Health, but if you nudge her ever so gently, she’ll admit that she’s partial to her role as a rejuvenator.

OK, so that’s not her formal job description. Nor is she a sculptor or artist, yet all those words seem to fit a doctor whose medical spa practices help her patients to feel more attractive and confident.

Armed with syringes of Botox and other fillers, using laser photo treatments, techniques and more, she works her magic on a group of mostly women and yes, a growing number of men.

“It’s great because these patients are not ill, or coming to me in distress,” she says. “They want to look and feel better. And most people are pleased with the treatments.”

Dr. Whitley’s involvement in the medical spa business began in 2006, as a part-time venture. At the time, she was working as a hospitalist at NorthBay Medical Center and raising three children with her husband, Milind Dhond, M.D.

She made the decision to join the NorthBay Center for Women’s Health when it opened in January 2010, specializing in internal medicine for women. In February 2011, NorthBay Healthcare incorporated her growing medical spa business into the Center for Women’s Health, enabling her to offer a wide range of services to patients from her Fairfield office.

“It’s great because these patients are not ill, or coming to me in distress,” she says. “They want to look and feel better. And most people are pleased with the treatments.”

It is rare for insurance to cover any cosmetic procedures, so nearly all of Dr. Whitley’s treatments are offered on a “pay-for-the-day” basis. “You pay by the syringe for Botox or fillers. Frown lines can be removed in a single treatment for about $250, but extensive work is typically about $500 for a treatment,” she explains. Laser hair removal is about $55 a treatment for a small area, and more for larger areas, such as legs and arms.

“Most women come in once a month for laser hair removal. After six months of treatment, they’ve lost 80 to 90 percent of the unwanted hair. For some women, that’s satisfactory. Others continue to come back for touchups.”

Many women—and men—want to get rid of brown spots (sometimes called age spots or liver spots) on their faces or hands. “I had one patient who was a golfer, and she always wore a glove on one hand. Well, of course the exposed hand was much worse. We did one treatment on both hands, and an extra on the more affected hand, and weeks later, she had a matched set,” she says with a smile.

Botox is probably the most well-known treatment, but it’s different from the fillers patients can elect to receive. “Botox relaxes the muscle, but fillers fill—they make the lines disappear,” Dr. Whitley explains. “You notice a difference immediately.’’

Most of the filler treatments last three to four months and most clients are repeat customers. The best compliment of all, she says, is from the patient who reported that their coworkers thought they had just returned from vacation, because they look so rested. “People notice they look better, but they don’t necessarily know that anything has been done,” she says. “Now that’s a compliment.”

Dr. Whitley is a board-certified internal medicine physician and welcomes new patients into her practice at the same location. To schedule a treatment with Dr. Whitley, call (707) 646-4100.