Dr. Brooke Bair of Luna Dermatology located at 216 Route 32 in New Paltz. (Photo by Lauren Thomas)
Luna Dermatology is home to the local practice of board-certified dermatologist Dr. Brooke Bair. The name of the business is derived from that of her one-year-old daughter, Luna, with fiancé Scott Milici, formerly a music teacher at New Paltz Middle School. With family ties in the New Paltz area and seeing the need for a dermatology practice in town, Bair decided to open an office here.
She plans to divide her professional time between her current practice on Madison Avenue in New York City and the new office in New Paltz, where she currently sees patients on Mondays and Saturdays. Those wishing to schedule appointments and speak with a real person may call Monday through Friday, however, with Wittig in the office weekdays. As times goes on and the business grows, Bair will likely be in New Paltz more often.
And it will be a family-friendly practice, she says; Bair sees patients of all ages, including children and teens as well as adults. “It’s really dermatology for the whole family. I’ve worked in a few places where the environment was really about just getting people in and out, and I’m trying to change that here. That’s not a nice place for the patients and it’s not an enjoyable environment for me, either. I’d rather take more time with my patients and I can do that here.”
The condition of our skin is closely connected to our internal health, and sometimes what looks like just a little mole can mean something bigger. Dr. Bair recommends that everyone get annual screenings for skin cancer. Dermatologists often diagnose larger underlying general health issues, too, such as autoimmune disease or thyroid disease or imbalances.
Dermatology is a unique medical specialty in that its practitioners are called upon for both medical and cosmetic concerns. One patient might need complex skin cancer surgery or cosmetic surgery for a facial injury while another is seeking treatment for acne. That range of issues and the variety of procedures she performs each day is one of the reasons Dr. Bair finds her work so interesting, she says.
While attending medical school, Bair contemplated becoming a cardiovascular surgeon, but realized the demands of that would be strenuous when combined with being a mom. Dermatology affords her the luxury of making her own schedule and being able to spend time with her daughter.
Dr. Bair completed her residency through Michigan State University at St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor after completing her intern year at Johns Hopkins Sinai Hospital program. During her residency, she won awards for her research projects, including one on the use of lasers in dermatology. She earned her medical degree from Nova Southeastern University, where she graduated with honors. Board certified by the American Osteopathic Board of Dermatology (AOBD), Dr. Bair is a member of the American Osteopathic Association and the American Academy of Dermatology. She is also certified by AOBD in Mohs micrographic surgery, a specialized type of surgery for skin cancer in which the patient gets the results in the office the same day.
Among the conditions treated at Luna Dermatology are acne and rosacea, age or sun spots, eczema and atopic dermatitis, facial volume issues, fine lines, hair loss and alopecia, melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, actinic keratosis, psoriasis, lichen planus, lupus, seborrheic dermatitis, sun damage, spider veins, warts, scars and keloids and cysts and lipomas.
Cosmetic services include Botox, Dysport, Juvederm, Radiesse, Restylane or Perlane, Sclerotherapy, Sculptra Aesthetic, laser facial treatments, chemical peels and microneedling.
Future plans for the New Paltz office include turning a back room into a lab so pathology can be done in-house and adding another treatment room.
Bair says it’s important to her to communicate clearly with her patients and ensure they have all the information they need to make the right treatment choice. “I’m always learning and growing as a physician, striving to be the best listener I can be,” she says. “This helps me to better educate my patients about their condition to arrive at a solution that is very personalized.”
More information is available by calling (845) 419-2899 or visit www.lunadermatology.com.
