Pur e l e e r edefin ed
Fe at u r e d S p o n s o r & n o m inee m aj o r K e n ya L e e
Colorado Springs, Colorado pureleeredefined.com | (719) 452-8541
Veteran | 4 years in the u.s. Air force
Kenya Lee, MD Board Certified Physician
Kenya Lee, MD, is the co-founder and lead physician at PureLee Redefined (Medspa) in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She is a boardcertified physician providing expert skincare and body contouring services to all her patients. Please tell us about your educational background. I was educated in the Tennessee public school system. I was the first Black valedictorian of my high school, McNairy Central High School, which was located in a rural part of the state. I attended college at Middle Tennessee State University on a full academic scholarship, where I doublemajored in Chemistry and Biology. After graduation, I went directly to Morehouse School of Medicine, where I obtained my MD degree. This was followed by completion of an internship and residency at Le Bonheur St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. I entered active duty upon completion of my residency and served as an Air Force physician here at the Air Force Academy. Later I completed Aesthetics Training with the American Board of Aesthetic Medicine. What are some of the reasons why you joined the military? I originally joined the military because I come from a military family, it was a legacy. Every generation that I can recall has been in the military. My family members had been in every branch of the military except for the Air Force, so I joined the Air Force. In addition to that, I needed to pay back some of my student loan debt, and the Air Force helped me accomplish that goal. What were some of your roles as a military physician? I served as a staff pediatrician responsible for the direct care of patients in both the inpatient and outpatient settings. I was Pg. 26 | Featured Sponsor
also chair of the Morbidity, Mortality, and Process Improvement Committee as well as serving as the pediatric representative to the Critical Care Committee. I further served as the Medical Liaison for the Child Development Center / Youth Services Department and the Medical Advisory Board for District 20. Readiness Skills Verification Coordinator and Program Director of Pediatric Advanced Life Support was also part of my responsibilities as well. As a military pediatrician, I also had the opportunity to provide care to indigenous residents of South America as part of a humanitarian and diplomatic assignment. I provided pediatric care to over onehundred and twenty patients a day, practicing third world medicine as well as training local providers in pediatric medical care. I was honored to be part of a great team of medical and dental experts providing care to people in need and to help build an infrastructure for continued support within that community. What made you want to get into the medical field? I feel like I was born with the desire to be a physician. My mother reports that at the age of 3 years old I announced I would become a doctor. I never deviated from that goal. I have always been an enthusiastic helper who loved science, anatomy, and people. I also had a relentless curiosity and thirst for knowledge. Medicine seemed to come naturally and just fed my soul. How did you get the idea or concept for PureLee Redefined? PureLee Redefined came about as I was getting older and I started to see aging changes in my own skin. Good skincare and prevention of aging was not really a topic of discussion in my family. We truly believed myths like “black don’t crack” and that people with melanin didn’t need
sunscreen. This is simply not true. Here in Colorado, especially, the environment is very harsh. The proximity to the sun and the lack of humidity is damaging to all skin. This process called “photoaging“ is the number one cause of premature aging and I was seeing the signs. I decided to look for aesthetic practices to see how they could help me with my skin concerns. However, it became obvious to me that most providers were not comfortable with skin of color. They seemed to focus only on the possible complications based solely upon ethnicity. I was never asked whether my skin was prone to the potential complications of hyper-pigmentation, keloids and scarring; it was simply assumed so because of my race. Basically, they were uncomfortable taking care of skin that looked like mine and their discomfort made me uncomfortable. My plan B was to travel to a city where I could access aesthetics doctors comfortable with skin of color. However, I recognized that I had the foundation to perform these services myself. Therefore, I decided to seek out the best training and learn it for myself. I also convinced my husband, Dr. Marvin Lee, to train alongside me just in case I needed a little help. After completion of training, we began performing injectables and minor procedures in our home on each other. Later we began treating friends as they began to notice the improvement in our skin and appearance. When I realized that we possessed a talent for medical aesthetics, that we were passionate about it, that other people would be interested and could benefit from similar services, the idea was born. Furthermore it made sense to tap into a market that had essentially been ignored by focusing on services and products that were inclusive and safe in all skin types. This became a foundational principle of our medspa, PureLee Redefined, which opened April of 2019. Interview By Talisa Caldwell
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