Regional Clinical Lead, Aesthetic & Regenerative PCP

The best aesthetics work does not change your face. It makes you look healthier, refreshed, and unmistakably like yourself. We sat down with Keya Patel, PA-C, Regional Clinical Lead and Aesthetic & Regenerative PCP at Cosmetic Skin & Laser Center in North Naples, Naples, and Sarasota, to talk about her artistic approach to aesthetic medicine, why skin quality and collagen matter more than chasing individual lines, and how regenerative treatments are shaping the future of natural aging.

Tell us a little about yourself. What do you enjoy outside of work?
I live in Naples in Southwest Florida. Outside of work, I love traveling, trying new restaurants, staying active, doing hot Pilates, and spending time with friends and family.

What inspired you to pursue a career in aesthetics?
It really started with art.

Growing up, I was always creating something, whether it was pottery, sculpting, painting, or drawing.

When I discovered aesthetic medicine, I realized I could combine that artistic side of myself with medicine and help people feel more confident. It’s the perfect combination of creativity, anatomy, science, and patient care.

Have you personally tried the treatments you offer?
Yes. Some of my favorites are neuromodulators and microneedling, and I’ve also been focused on medical-grade skincare, including my own tretinoin journey.

Experiencing treatments myself helps me better guide patients through what to expect and understand what the process is really like from their perspective.

What’s your philosophy when it comes to aesthetic treatments?
I’m always focused on enhancing rather than changing. I think the best aesthetic work is the work you can’t actually identify.

I want my patients to look healthy, confident, and refreshed without someone being able to tell exactly what they’ve had done.

How do you create results that look natural and balanced?
I take a full-face approach rather than chasing one wrinkle, feature, or asymmetry. It’s about looking at the face as a whole, restoring balance, and improving skin quality.

When you step back and consider everything together, you can create a much more harmonious and natural result.

What treatments do you especially love performing?
I really love treating acne and acne scarring because it’s something I’ve personally experienced. It’s incredibly rewarding to help patients improve something that can have such an impact on confidence.

Depending on the patient, we can use treatments like microneedling and laser resurfacing, including HALO and TRL, and build a multimodality plan that creates meaningful improvement over time.

What are some of the most common concerns patients come to you with?
In Southwest Florida, I see a lot of volume loss, skin laxity, pigmentation, and overall skin quality concerns. Many patients simply tell me they look tired and want to look more refreshed.

That’s where looking at the entire face and skin, rather than focusing on one isolated concern, becomes so important.

What’s your favorite combination treatment?
I love combining skin rejuvenation with something that supports collagen production. That might mean HALO, TRL, or microneedling paired with a biostimulator such as Sculptra or Radiesse, or regenerative injectable PRF.

Treating the skin while simultaneously supporting collagen gives us a more comprehensive approach to natural aging.

What do you tell patients who are nervous about looking overdone?
I always tell patients that if you can immediately tell someone has had work done, that’s not the type of result we’re trying to create.

It’s important not to compare yourself to celebrities or what you see online because you’re not trying to become somebody else. Our goal is to preserve your own natural beauty and create a treatment plan that makes sense for your face.

What do you think patients misunderstand most about aesthetic treatments?
A lot of patients think filler is the answer to everything.

They’ll come in wanting a little filler here or there, when what they may actually need is better skin quality and collagen support.

Once we improve the integrity of the skin and address the aging process more comprehensively, we don’t have to rely on volume alone.

Is there a regenerative treatment that has particularly impressed you?
PRF. I’m continually impressed by how versatile it is and how we can use the body’s own resources in regenerative treatments for concerns involving the skin, hair, and joints.

I love that we’re able to take something derived from the patient and use it to support the body’s natural regenerative processes.

What’s one piece of advice you give every new patient?
Aesthetics is a journey, not a one-time treatment.

Consistency with skincare, collagen-stimulating treatments, and maintenance is going to serve you much better in the long run than constantly looking for a quick fix.

The goal is to create a plan you can maintain over time.

What do you like most about CSLC?
The team and culture. The people here are very intentionally brought together, and we share a similar philosophy about how we want to care for patients.

Having that consistency across the team creates an environment where we’re all working toward the same goal while continuing to learn from one another.

How have you seen aesthetics evolve over the last 5 years?
There’s been a significant shift toward improving skin health and supporting natural aging rather than simply chasing volume.

I really appreciate that evolution because it allows us to think much more comprehensively about how someone ages and what will benefit them long term.

What do you think the future of aesthetics medicine looks like?
I think we’ll continue moving further into regenerative aesthetics, with more research, advanced energy-based technologies, and treatments designed to optimize skin health.

The future will be less about changing someone’s appearance and more about supporting the skin and helping people age naturally.

What does confidence mean to you?
Confidence isn’t necessarily about looking good. It’s about feeling good.

When you genuinely feel good about yourself, I think that naturally comes through in how you carry yourself and how you look.

What’s a beauty or aesthetic myth you love busting?
That more treatments automatically mean better results. They don’t. You don’t necessarily need more. You need the right treatment for you.

What’s your go-to coffee order?
A coconut matcha. That’s my go-to.

What’s a skincare product you’re excited about right now?
Right now, it’s tretinoin. I’m going through my own tretinoin journey, so I’m experiencing the adjustment period firsthand.

I’m excited to see the long-term results, and it gives me an even better perspective when talking patients through their own skincare journeys.

Dream destination for rest and recharge?
Greece. Honestly, any of the islands would be perfect.