Functional Aesthetics: Beauty From the Inside Out With Dr. Vera
Interview by Heather Anderson
Dr. Vera is redefining what a med spa can be. At POTENTIA, her Bay Area clinic, she leads with advanced, non-invasive aesthetic treatments—like plasma energy skin tightening, microneedling with PRF, and personalized skin analysis—to help women refresh and rejuvenate without injectables. As the only practitioner in the Bay Area specializing in functional aesthetics, she blends these cutting-edge therapies with her 14+ years of experience as a naturopathic doctor. Her approach goes beyond the surface, addressing hormone imbalances, nutrient depletion, gut health, and inflammation to support true skin transformation from the inside out. For women navigating perimenopause, post-40 shift, or the slow creep of burnout, Dr. Vera offers a smarter, more holistic way to age well—rooted in both science and self-trust.
You've been practicing naturopathic medicine for over a decade—but somewhere along the way, you also became deeply passionate about aesthetics. Can you take us back to the moment you realized you didn’t just want to help people heal—you wanted them to glow, inside and out?
During the pandemic, I started thinking about expanding the practice. I went to a training on stem cell therapies and regenerative medicine and had a facial scan done. To my surprise, it showed UV damage—and for someone with Fitzpatrick Type 6 skin, that's rare. That moment was a wake-up call: if I had UV damage, what about my patients who are often don't use sunblock or SPF protection? That experience, combined with the the sudden transition of many clients into perimenopause and menopause as a result of the pandemic sparked my decision to combine aesthetics with a functional medicine foundation.
You’ve gone through perimenopause yourself while treating hundreds of women navigating the same hormonal rollercoaster. How has your personal experience shaped the way you show up in your practice?
I'm 47 and didn’t expect the symptoms to hit when they did. I had been doing all the "right" things—but still, there they were. That shook me, and it pushed me to take an even deeper look at what my clients were experiencing. Over the years, my practice evolved from fertility to burnout to perimenopause, and what I noticed is that the picture stayed the same—only the age shifted. Burnout, poor sleep, anxiety, hormonal imbalance, weight gain, dull skin—these aren't isolated issues. They all stem from a full-system shift. I focus on the entire hormone complex—not just estrogen. Cortisol, insulin, testosterone, progesterone: they all matter. And each of them impacts how we feel and how we look.
"Functional aesthetics" is such a unique concept, and you're the only one in the Bay Area offering it. What does that actually look like in practice, and why does it matter?
Functional aesthetics means we're not just thinking cosmetically; we're looking at the root cause of what’s showing up on the skin. If someone comes in wanting a glow-up, we might talk about peptides, IV therapy, or hormone testing—but we’ll also dig into diet, gut health, and nutrient absorption. We don’t just do weight loss injections like GLP-1s without first assessing digestion and insulin control. We follow up body sculpting with muscle-toning therapies. We don’t just fill or freeze; we regenerate. That’s the difference.
What kind of energy do you try to create at POTENTIA, and how do patients usually feel after they’ve spent some time in your care?
Many of our clients are new to aesthetics or skeptical of injectables. They want to grow old gracefully, but don't want to look older than they feel. Many are what I call "green goddesses"—they are conscious, eat clean, meditate, but when it comes to aging, they feel stuck. Our skin analysis gives them a real starting point. We help them understand what's going on internally and how it shows up on their face. There is so much confusing information on what diet or supplements is best. So we take the guesswork out by doing comprehensive testing. Whether or not they use sunscreen, whether they have higher melanin or a BMI over 30, they are welcome here. We designed this space for them—and for me. It is the reason why we named the spa, Potentia: Inclusive, empowering, and deeply holistic care.
“My advocacy work is about making this kind of care more accessible. I want functional medicine to be seen as real, impactful medicine—not a luxury.”
What are some of the most common skin concerns you’re seeing in peri- and post-menopausal women—and what do most people get wrong about treating them?
What do most people get wrong? They spend thousands on products without addressing the real issue. They're not hydrating properly, not using the right actives for their skin type, or applying them inconsistently. And they’re treating the symptom instead of the cause. It's extremely confusing especially with social media because they are so many products to buy, and they all claim to be the magic solution.
Reversing the skin’s age and quality takes time, multiple sessions and often multiple modalities.
We help our clients stop wasting money and start working with a long term strategy on what their needs are based upon their diagnostics, not what's trending. Hands down, the biggest complaint is the Crepey neck skin, sagging jawline and discoloration. People are deathly afraid of looking like their grandparents. sooner than later.
Can you walk us through an example of how internal issues like gut imbalance, food sensitivities, or nutrient depletion might manifest on the skin—and how your approach treats the root, not just the surface?
Take acne. I used to treat severe cystic acne with food allergy panels. Inflammation in the gut often mirrors inflammation on the skin. Once we remove trigger foods and restore gut integrity, the acne calms down. Then we address pigmentation, scarring, and texture using regenerative therapies. Whether someone had acne as a teen or is still struggling with it in midlife, we look at the whole timeline and tailor the treatment accordingly.
For women who want results but feel hesitant about injectables, what are some of your favorite treatments that help them feel refreshed and radiant without going that route?
I love combining plasma energy with PRF (platelet-rich fibrin). We use your own blood to create a natural filler that regenerates collagen from within. It doesn’t give you the "overfilled" look and comes with none of the scary risks associated with HA filler. Plasma energy also helps resurface and tighten skin by actually removing damaged tissue—not just heating it like laser treatments do. It works wonders anywhere from under-eyes to knees.
With such a broad toolbox—lasers, skin tightening, supplements, hormone testing, energy work—what treatments are lighting you up right now? What’s your personal go-to?
Right now I’m obsessed with our hair restoration program. We see lots of clients who had given up on their hair, but our hair treatments are very comprehensive and use the latest stem cell technology to jumpstart as well as working on hormone and nutrition to maintain hair growth. We get phenomenal results.
Your background as a naturopathic doctor gives you a completely different foundation than most aesthetic practitioners. How does that medical lens change the way you approach beauty and aging?
I look at the whole system. When we do a skin analysis, we’re not just asking where to smooth out wrinkles—we're assessing inflammation, UV damage, hydration, and hormone function. If I see a lot of redness and heat mid-face, I think about food allergies. If someone is considering a facelift, we talk first about the quality of their skin: is it ready? Will it heal well? If not, we back up and lay the foundation first.
You’ve also done skin cancer screenings through local institutions, and I know you lost your own mother to melanoma. How has that shaped your philosophy around leading with health first, beauty second?
Losing my mom made skin care more personal. Like many people with darker skin, she believed she was exempt from that kind of cancer. But she wasn’t. Now, when I look at someone’s skin analysis, I’m looking for the underlying signs of skin cancer: inflammation, change in texture and loss of integrity. SPF matters, but so does what you're eating, how your liver is processing toxins, and what your skin can handle. The goal isn’t just looking good, it’s looking good with healthy skin that is supported from within.
When someone comes in asking about a facelift or cosmetic laser but you see potential medical concerns—how do you approach that moment?
I always give two answers: the medical and the aesthetic. I walk them through the risks and help them understand what their skin is really saying. If you’re dehydrated, inflamed, and UV-damaged, a facelift won't fix that. It will just stretch unhealthy skin. We focus on restoring integrity first—then we talk about lift.
You’re also a speaker and policy leader shaping the future of integrative medicine in California. How do those bigger-picture roles influence the work you do one-on-one with patients?
My advocacy work is about making this kind of care more accessible. I want functional medicine to be seen as real, impactful medicine—not a luxury. Whether I’m on a panel or treating a patient, my message is the same: you can feel better, look better, and be better when we get to the root. Prevention is power.
Can you tell us about a patient transformation that really moved you—one of those "after" moments that went beyond the skin?
I had a patient come to me post-IVF, feeling completely depleted. She gained weight, had hair loss, insomnia, digestive issues—she felt like a stranger to herself. She enrolled in my Hormone program and we took a step-by-step approach: detox, nutrient restoration, hormone re-balance, sleep and circadian repair. By the end of the year, she had dropped 18 pounds sustainably, her hair was growing back, and she had her energy again. That transformation wasn’t just physical. It was emotional and spiritual, too. I love difficult cases like this. I've designed all of my health programs to support complex changes all happening at the same time.
Think it’s too late to feel good in your skin again?
It’s never too late. Whether you’re dealing with perimenopause, sleeping issues, acne, or just a gut feeling that something’s off—start with the first step.
Book a full skin analysis or functional consult at Potentia MedSpa
Explore our regenerative treatments and hormone testing options
Reach out to Dr. Vera directly to ask about programs that meet you where you are
Connect with Dr. Vera on Facebook or Instagram.
You can also find her on The M List, The Mamahood’s searchable database of mom-recommended resources, or connect and collaborate with Dr. Vera inside The Club membership for women Founders.