Serious About Skin

SkinCeuticals, a luxury science-based skin care brand, recently opened its first Arizona SkinLab location in partnership with renowned local board-certified plastic surgeon Terry Maffi. (Photo courtesy of

SkinCeuticals SkinLab by Maffi Plastic Surgery)

SERIOUS

About SKIN

Plastic surgeon Terry Maffi opens clinic’s first Arizona location

By Jordan Houston

It’s no secret that healthy, youthful-looking skin and Arizona’s harsh desert climate don’t exactly go hand in hand.

When it comes to aging, a majority of changes in the skin associated with getting older and wiser are avoidable. The main culprit behind those pesky fine lines and wrinkles is sun exposure.

Because the sun’s ultraviolet rays penetrate the skin and damage the elastic fibers that keep it firm, Paradise Valley board-certified plastic surgeon Terry Maffi says Arizonans should be extra privy to skin maintenance.

“People here get more sun damage exposure, literally, by just going to your car and back than people laying in the sun somewhere else,” says the surgeon, who specializes in facial rejuvenation and breast and body contouring. His practice, Maffi Clinics, features a skin clinic among other specialized aesthetic clinics.

“Even though I’m a plastic surgeon, I’ve really been devoted to skin,” the director of the Resident Aesthetic Surgery Clinic shares. “I always tell my clients, ‘Good skin is better than a good facelift.’”

An assistant professor with Mayo Clinic Arizona, Maffi has taken his passion for skin care a step further, recently launching Arizona’s first SkinLab location in partnership with luxury science-based skin care brand SkinCeticals.

SkinCeuticals SkinLab by Maffi Plastic Surgery, located at 15037 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 190, at the Scottsdale Quarter, is the skin care brand’s seventh location and serves as the ultimate hub for quality skin care services and resources.

“We’re really considered a medical aesthetic boutique, and it is a direct extension of my practice. It is with a plastic surgeon, which is what really makes it good,” Maffi explains. “Most med spas are run by ER doctors, naturopaths or whatever you can do to open the door. A med spa run by a plastic surgeon, who oversees things and has all the resources of the office and staff, really takes it a step above a true med spa.”

The holistic skin care destination specializes in injections; microneedling; light and laser therapy; a Dermablend Professional makeup finishing station; and three exclusive signature treatments, Skinsmooth, Skinfirm and Skinbright.

Skinsmooth, an LED light and SkinCeutials Micropeel treatment, features red light therapy coupled with a chemical peel for a skin refresh, Maffi says. For a deeper approach, Skinfirm targets “more intensive concerns” through a micronee-

The SkinLab, located at the Scottsdale Quarter, specializes in injections, microneedling, light and laser therapy, and three signature treatments available exclusively at SkinLab locations. (Photo courtesy of

SkinCeuticals SkinLab by Maffi Plastic Surgery)

dling and hydrating B5 gel treatment.

The most popular, according to Maffi, is Skinbright, a laser and CEF treatment followed with a potent vitamin C serum, C E Ferulic for routine maintenance or “seasonal skin concerns.”

“I love it when people are happy with their results, whether it’s surgery or skin care. It’s awesome,” Maffi expresses. “In this day and age, people want to look as good as they feel, but you can’t stop the aging process. To see people who come in and who are in great shape, and then do something surgical or nonsurgical, look as good as they feel is amazing.”

Skin care consultations featuring the SkinScope LED diagnostic are also offered, as well as the SkinCeuticals Custom DOSE service, formulating personalized serums.

While there is no harsh line in terms of when to get serious about skin care, Maffi says the 30s are a good time to start.

“We stop producing collagen in our 30s,” he says. “That’s literally when the glue in the skin starts to decay. People definitely notice their skin is getting less smooth.”

The vast skin care industry, and its countless remedies, might be a bit intimidating at first, Maffi acknowledges. Finding the right approach is all about catering to individual needs and education.

“There are a million different types of skin care, and there are lots of different treatments to get to the same goal,” Maffi says. “Some are more aggressive; some are for younger people that want prevention. It’s all about education, what’s available and what’s the downtime, if any.”

This isn’t Maffi’s first rodeo with SkinCeuticals either.

Maffi in 2018 partnered with the sciencebased skin care brand and opened SkinCeuticals Advanced Clinical Spa by Maffi, one of “three Advanced Clinical Spas in Arizona.”

He recalls feeling thrilled, nonetheless, when SkinCeuticals approached him this year with the SkinLab concept.

“I was really honored,” Maffi expresses. “I kind of have always told myself that I’m so busy in my practice, I would never open a second location. But this partnership was really a no-brainer.”

Because the med spa takes a more preventative and nonsurgical approach, offering chemical peels, microneedling and hydrofacials, Maffi says it’s a refreshing take from his practice.

SkinCeuticals SkinLab by Maffi Plastic Surgery allows the surgeon to work with a different brand of clientele, he elaborates.

“My office is a totally different clientele. We do a lot of facelifts and things like that,” Maffi explains, citing an older age bracket of clients. “Up here, we have the opportunity to nail down these cool little short-term treatments.”

The aesthetic expert is already looking to expand the SkinLab to other locations, due to its overwhelmingly positive feedback, and says he is in talks with SkinCeuticals. 

SkinCeuticals SkinLab by Maffi Plastic Surgery

Scottsdale Quarter 15037 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 190, Scottsdale skinlabmaffi.com, mafficlinics.com