Beloved Beauty Force Opens Up a Stylish New River Oaks Location — Westlake Dermatology is All About Boutique Plastic Surgery
Famed Austin Architect Michael Hsu Keeps the Design On Point
BY Shelby Hodge // 07.07.22Westlake Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery has opened its second Houston location in River Oaks at 3636 Westheimer.
With Westlake Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery approaching its 20th anniversary, the Austin-based beauty force has just opened its 18th office in Texas, the second in Houston and the first in River Oaks. The full-service restorative beauty business, founded by Dr. Gregory Nikolaidis in October of 2002, clearly has a successful formula. And Houston is part of that success.
The spanking new location at 3636 Westheimer opened last week in the mid-century modern building that once housed the lauded design firm of Herbert Wells and Jerry Jeanmard. The transformation of the 2,700 square foot space was placed in the hands of Austin-based architect Michael Hsu, who has designed many of the Westlake offices including the initial Houston office at 2132 Bissonnet. It opened in 2019.
Why the emphasis on design?
“To me, it’s a commitment to the environment and the esthetic not only in the results (of the medical procedures) but in the place where the work is being done,” Nikolaidis told PaperCity in early 2021.
“In architecture and design, the common thought is that the environment can lift you up. It’s amazing to me that the field of medicine as a whole hasn’t caught up with that.”
The sleek new River Oaks Westlake offers the full span of cosmetic surgery and dermatology services headed by plastic surgeon Dr. Cameron Erickson and board-certified dermatologist Dr. Neil Farnsworth.
Erickson provided insights on the practice as we toured the facility that includes a number of patient rooms, a recovery room and space dedicated to surgery.
“This is a really unique clinic in the sense that we offer everything in one spot in your local community. It’s kind of a boutique plastic surgery service. We do the consults. We do the botox. We do the filler. But we also do the major surgeries right here.
“You don’t have to go to the Medical Center . . . Again, safety is our number one priority here and I just thinks it’s a nice addition to the River Oaks community.”
To that point that “safety is paramount,” Erickson notes that he has privileges at both Memorial Hermann and Methodist.
After opening in Austin two decades ago, Westlake quickly developed a devoted following from across the state with patients driving in from Dallas, El Paso and Houston for the services. That success informed the continuing expansion of the practice. In fact, Erickson notes that he has several clients from around the state, who saw him during his tenure in the Austin office and who now have followed him to Houston.