Shine Medical Spa by Plastic Surgery of the Carolinas is just about a year old, but this state-of-the-art, fully equipped medical spa—staffed by experienced aesthetic providers who employ the most current technologies and techniques—is being noticed in a big way.
Conveniently located in the Cigar Factory in Downtown Charleston, Shine Medical Spa is bringing Plastic Surgery of the Carolinas’ high standards of patient care and aesthetic outcomes to the peninsula.
Owned and operated by board certified plastic surgeon Dr. Craig Rowin, the philosophy at Shine is to first listen to each patient’s concerns and goals, then design a customized treatment plan to reach or even exceed those goals. The clinical team at Shine consists of Liz Freer, Zach Childress and Amber Lang, each of whom brings their unique skills and perspectives to the patient.
“The medical spa complements my practice as a whole, both the surgical and the nonsurgical side,” notes Dr. Rowin. “It gives my patients full access to all techniques and cosmetic procedures. For example, for facial rejuvenation, there are certainly those for whom surgery is not indicated or who may not want to undergo a surgical procedure, and there are also patients who cannot achieve their aesthetic goals with nonsurgical procedures alone. And, of course, there can be quite a bit of crossover. The approaches are complementary and together allow us to meet the patient wherever he or she may be.”
Shine Medical Spa is the second spa location for Dr. Rowin’s practice, which also consists of Plastic Surgery of the Carolinas’ main office in Mount Pleasant.
Dr. Rowin also emphasizes the importance experience plays in his profession. “Good care and great outcomes ultimately come down to experience. You have to continuously add new tools to your toolbox, and you have to know how technologies and techniques interact with each other. I think experience is the biggest part of that,” he states.
Aside from earning his living, Dr. Rowin’s practice brings him a great sense of personal satisfaction. “It’s wonderful when the procedures are over and the healing is complete,” he says. “People look and feel so good. They are practically skipping when they come back to the office. I see that in the medical spa patients as well.”
Dr. Rowin takes note of the artistic elements associated with plastic surgery, saying, “There is definitely an artistic element to it, although I associate it most closely with architecture because although an artistic sensibility is certainly important, it is equally important to create and then implement a specific design or plan.”
Born and raised in Connecticut, Dr. Rowin set his sights on a career in plastic surgery while in medical school at the University of Connecticut. He then completed six years as a plastic surgery resident at the University of Massachusetts. “After an extra year of fellowship at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital (formerly known as Miami Children’s Hospital) in craniofacial and pediatric plastic surgery I came right to Mount Pleasant,” he says. “I was looking for a location that was beautiful, warm and coastal. The Charleston area fits that description perfectly.”
The practice, which was started under the renowned and widely respected Dr. Ram Kalus and later acquired by Dr. Rowin, recently purchased a wide spectrum of new equipment and simultaneously added several new members to its team. “It’s no secret that the Charleston area is growing, and by providing excellent care to our patients, I believe we enjoy a good reputation and have been able to grow along with it,” Dr. Rowin says. Dr. Kalus, who still maintains a strong surgical presence within the practice, splits his time between Israel and South Carolina.
Dr. Rowin’s practice now employs 15 people between the two locations, including a physician’s assistant and several registered nurses and aestheticians. Dr. Rowin performs most of his surgeries at Mount Pleasant’s Roper Hospital, and, not surprisingly, most of his time is spent consulting with, operating on and following up with surgical patients.
Shine Medical Spa offers some of the most sought-after treatments in the industry, including well-known injectables such as Botox, Dysport, Kybella, Restylane, Juvederm and Sculptra. Also offered are chemical peels, PRP for skin rejuvenation and hair restoration, laser hair removal, sclerotherapy, and energy-based skin treatments including CO2 laser, IPL (intense pulsed light) therapy, Clear and Brilliant, and skin tightening and rejuvenation via powerful micro-needling/radiofrequency therapies such as the Morpheus 8. Also offered are a host of medical-grade, high-end skincare products.
Most of Dr. Rowin’s and Shine’s clientele come from the Charleston area; patients also travel from as far away as Columbia, Myrtle Beach and the Beaufort/Bluffton areas of the state. “Charleston is always growing. Do good work and treat people well, and you don’t have to go too far afield to keep busy,” says Dr. Rowin, who lives nearby with his wife and two young children.
“I have a somewhat old-fashioned approach to how I run my practice and how I treat my patients,” he continues. “And that starts before a new patient even comes to the office or spa. There are no phone trees. If you call us, a friendly and competent real live person picks up the phone and helps you immediately. When a patient walks in the door, he or she is greeted by name, and during the consultation each patient is given as much time as is needed. No consultation is ever hurried or cut short. I probably get as many compliments on my staff as I do for my work, and I think that level of attention to detail and commitment to treating each person with respect is immediately noticed and appreciated by our patients. It’s a team effort for sure. I’m very grateful to be surrounded by such an outstanding team.”
Ellen Uribe is an award-winning journalist and a communications expert. She is a sought-after speaker, participating as a moderator and panelist at numerous industry events, conferences and broadcast outlets. She has contributed to Vanity Fair, Palm Beach Life, The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Women’s Wear Daily and Time Magazine.
