Meet Azadeh Shirazi | Board-Certified Dermatologist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Azadeh Shirazi and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Azadeh, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
When I finished my Dermatology residency I joined a large multi-specialty clinic and over the years I became increasingly frustrated with corporate medicine and the assembly line of patients that weren’t treated with the type of care I envisioned providing as a physician. I wanted to create an atmosphere where the patient was at the center and heart of the medical care I delivered. I also craved the freedom to be innovative. There was so much bureaucracy and red tape that I felt trapped as an entrepreneur. Working there instilled a belief in me that big practices and corporate medicine is the future. Somehow they made it seem like small practices (businesses) were impossible to create and grow and survive. Nevertheless, I decided it was time to venture out and I definitely felt like I was going against the trend. My friends, colleagues, and family thought I was crazy to leave this secure, high paying job and start my own private practice. I opened up a shop, called it La Jolla Dermatology & Laser Surgery Center, in the coastal village of La Jolla where 20 dermatologists had left over a span of 5 years. And it’s been the hardest and yet the greatest career decision I’ve ever made.

Once I opened my practice I was overwhelmed by the number of nonsense skincare products people were buying and using on their skin. Not only were they not helping their skin change for the better, but often times these expensive branded products were interfering with the prescriptions I started them on or the regimens I would curate for them. I would spend so much of my time trying to figure out what “Chanel” or “La Mer” cream they were using and what it had in it because often times my patients didn’t know either! So I decided to make my life easier and my patient’s skin better by formulating 10 products that could treat the majority of skin types and skin concerns I was seeing in my dermatology practice. I called it AziMD Skincare without thinking much about the name, specifically for using it only in my clinical practice. But then the Covid pandemic hit, my patients had a hard time getting the products from the office so I decided to build a website over a long weekend and put all of the products online without any intention of selling them nationally or internationally. The products started to sell out quickly with people purchasing them from all over the US and then ultimately the world. I started to get an overwhelming number of orders that I often couldn’t keep up with not knowing how to manage this surprising e-commerce business that had blossomed with the pandemic. I quickly had to learn about copyrighting, trademarks, supply chain, and more. That’s how AziMD Skincare was born! An oopsie baby! The surprise child!

We are busier than ever, growing every year!

What should our readers know about your business?
La Jolla Dermatology & Laser Surgery Center is a comprehensive Dermatology practice. I specialize in medical, cosmetic and surgical Dermatology. Our mission is to deliver high quality, customized skin care with the latest in laser and device technology in a spa-like setting. This is what makes our practice truly unique. As I was designing the space, I wanted the waiting room to feel like a living room; intimate and inviting. Each treatment room is equipped with the latest in laser technology and medical equipment, but with a soothing decor, warm blankets, headphones, aromatherapy, neck wraps. Having a medical or a cosmetic procedure performed can be anxiety provoking so I wanted to turn a doctor’s appointment into a relaxing, reassuring, and pleasant experience. My main and only interest is my patient’s wellbeing and their outcome.

Each of my treatment rooms are named after iconic La Jolla Landmarks because I value our community and strive to deliver the highest quality of dermatologic care and service. We offer a very broad range of medical and cosmetic dermatology services as well as aesthetician services. Our laser center has grown to offer over 20 different types of lasers and devices and over 40 different types of treatments. We have several amazing providers with a combined 30+ years of experience that practice under my supervision.

We offer procedures that are exclusive to my practice named EyeGlow™ and SkinLIFT™. These are procedures I’ve developed over the past 16 years in practice to rejuvenate the eyes without surgery. As a practicing dermatologist, I have developed a clinical grade skincare line, called AziMD Skincare, backed by clinical research. I’ve also formulated several skincare prescription creams with unique ingredients dispensed only in my office for various skin conditions such as skin discoloration, rosacea, acne, and hair loss.

I always believed in imagination as the beginning of creation. This venture was something I always imagined and dreamt about for as long as I can remember. So bringing it to life has been an incredible journey despite all the hardships and sacrifices.

I moved to Kentucky at the age of 9 not knowing any English and started my journey of becoming a doctor. I always wanted to be a Doctor because the greatest gift to deliver to anyone is health. No matter how rich or famous you are, you can not buy your health. I was fascinated with the skin. As the largest organ in the body, it was also the most fascinating. Dermatology is a very visual specialty and Cosmetic and Cutaneous Surgery requires not only a high level of skill but also an artistic vision with creativity. So I was always drawn to those attributes.

I left Kentucky and slowly migrated out west for my medical training. After receiving my medical degree, I completed my residency training in Dermatology and Skin Surgery at the Mayo Clinic and UC San Diego. Along the way, I did research fellowships at Harvard Medical School at the Wellman Center for Photomedicine and UT Southwestern in Dallas. After completing my medical training, I accepted a position at Scripps Clinic La Jolla and practiced Cosmetic and Surgical Dermatology for 10 years. Practicing medicine in a large corporate structure became less appealing as my career advanced. I felt limited in what I could do and create and deliver to patients. I wanted to create a practice focused on the patient experience, delivering the highest level of customized care in a soothing environment. So I created La Jolla Dermatology & Laser Surgery Center.

My creativity married my love for science. So here I am! I love reconstruction, I have a great passion for helping people regain their confidence, and I love innovation. It’s what wakes me up in the morning. Also, Cosmetic Dermatology is very visual, and I’m drawn to it because it comes natural to me. I developed a patented technique called EyeGlow® – a white opaque filler blend to lift the under eyes, restore volume, and improve dark circles. EyeGlow® helps brighten the under eye similar to how concealer is used in makeup. Due to placement of the filler mix on bone and various other aspects of the technique, the results last for years.

What I’ve learned:

Self-Confidence is an important attribute that makes someone like myself successful. And this is something I had to learn before I started my venture.

Skill and Talent. Know your strengths and use them to your greatest advantage. Know what you are good at and work hard to perfect those skills.

Success comes from what you do consistently not what you do occasionally. Set challenging goals that are achievable and work hard and consistently towards those goals.

Take calculated risks and get comfortable being uncomfortable. If you don’t take risks and think through those risks it will be hard to grow and change for the better.

Networking is essential. Exchange ideas, talk to colleagues, businesses, and anyone that has anything new to share and support local businesses. You are your own competition so see how you can work with those in the same line of business as you.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I love hiking and being active outdoors especially when you live in a beautiful place like San Diego. I love Torrey Pines Natural Reserve! Hiking up the mountain and down to the beach is really fun and beautiful. Then you can jump into the Ocean to cool off. Going down to the La Jolla Beach & Tennis club for a game of tennis or pickle ball depending on my guest’s interest is always fun before heading to the beach for the afternoon and maybe even extending it to a bonfire beach dinner later that night. Going down to Little Italy for dinner at Barbusa is always a great time and you get to enjoy wonderful Italian food. Going to the Grand Del Mar for some afternoon tea, checking out the Del Mar Horse Races if it’s summer time, and Kayaking and snorkeling in La Jolla Shores for the little leopard sharks are other activities I would do.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My family. My husband, my parents, my sister, and close friends were really the main sources of encouragement and positivity. Leaving a secure stable job and venturing out on my own was quite frightening. At first, I didn’t have the confidence that I could achieve this on my own. I never thought it would be possible with the rising healthcare and small business challenges. Foremost, I knew I had to build something from scratch while also being a mother to young children. At the end of the day, I am still mommy and the glue of our family. Those were my biggest challenges.

Website: https://www.lajollalaserderm.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skinbydrazi/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/SkinByDrAzi

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@skinbydrazi

Image Credits
Paola Niebla and Becca Batista