The Rush Dermatology team has specialized training and experience in conditions and treatment of the skin. Under the direction of co-directors Jessie S. Cheung, MD, and Mary C. Massa, MD, the Cosmetic Dermatology Program of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago offers various options to improve and enhance your appearance, all under the guidance and direction of board-certified dermatologists.

When you come to Rush Dermatology, you will have a one-on-one cosmetic consultation with one of Rush's dermatologists, where your specific skin concerns will be addressed and discussed. Your Rush dermatologist will customize a plan created especially for you and your skin. Together, we will create goals for the future to help you feel better about your appearance.

Working with a board-certified Rush dermatologist is the best choice for the cosmetic management of your skin. We keep up with scientific research and information, and offer the most innovative procedures and services.

Chemical Peels

Chemical peels are applied to remove the superficial layers of the skin, creating a fresher and more youthful appearance. Peels are designed for the individual patient's needs and vary from mild to more aggressive formulas.

Microdermabrasion

Microdermabrasion employs particles that "sand" the top layers of the skin, creating smoother, brighter and healthier-looking skin. Microdermabrasion can even out discoloration of the skin, control acne, and soften fine lines and acne scars.

Botox

Botox (or botulinum toxin type A) is a great way to decrease the depth of lines on the face, from forehead "frown lines" to the lines developed around the mouth through the effects of natural aging or smoking.

Filler injections (Restylane, Juvederm, Sculptra and silicone)

Fillers are used to restore a youthful volume. Commonly treated areas are lips, lines around the mouth and forehead, temples, cheeks, jaw, hands and scars.

Fat transfer

Fat is another type of filler substance used to restore volume and contour curves naturally.

Sclerotherapy

By injection of solutions into unwanted red and blue spider veins, sclerotherapy can diminish or completely eradicate unsightly veins on the legs.

Laser therapy

One of the most exciting areas of treatment, laser therapy can be used for skin rejuvenation in many ways. Lasers can decrease and eradicate unwanted hair, red blood vessels in the skin, unsightly age spots and tattoos. The energy of lasers is used to stimulate and regenerate collagen in the skin to improve acne scars and wrinkles.

Liposuction

Tumescent liposuction technique is different from traditional liposuction, which is done under general anesthesia by a plastic surgeon. Local anesthesia is injected and then small cannulas are used to remove the unwanted fat. This technique can be combined with lasers if there is significant skin laxity.

Mesotherapy (injection lipolysis)

This is a technique for injecting substances under the skin.  It can be used to dissolve small pockets of fat or to rejuvenate the skin.

Mary C. Massa, MD, is the co-director of the Rush Cosmetic Dermatology Program and professor of dermatology at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. She received her medical degree from Loyola Stritch School of Medicine in 1976, and stayed at Loyola until 1979 to complete an internal medicine residency training program. From 1979 to 1982 she completed a dermatology residency at the Mayo Clinic.

Massa completed a dermatopathology fellowship at the University of Chicago and has been practicing dermatology since 1983. She has board certification in three specialties: internal medicine, dermatology and dermatopathology. She is the author of more than 40 articles and several book chapters related to skin disorders and their treatment. Her areas of special interest are cosmetic dermatology and laser surgery.

She is a member of the American Academy of Dermatology, the American Society of Laser Medicine and Surgery, the Society for Investigative Dermatology, the American Society of Dermatopathology, the Dermatology Foundation and the American College of Physicians.

Jessie Cheung, MD, is co-director of the Rush Dermatology Cosmetic Program and assistant professor of dermatology at Rush University Medical Center. Cheung graduated from Brooklyn College in New York, where she obtained her bachelor's degree, summa cum laude, and she received her medical degree from the College of Medicine at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn. She then completed an internship at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park, N.Y., and was chief resident in the Division of Dermatology at the John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County in Chicago. She also completed a procedural dermatology fellowship at the Juva Skin and Laser Center through Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City.

Board-certified in dermatology, Cheung specializes in aesthetic dermatology, minimally invasive cosmetic surgery, laser surgery, liposuction, fat transfer, injectable fillers, Botox, mesotherapy and sclerotherapy. She also provides general dermatology services.

Cheung has lectured on advances in cosmetic dermatology, injection lipolysis, cosmetic consultations and bullous lupus erythematosus. Her research interests include biorestorative skin creams, cellulite stem cells for skin rejuvenation, atopic dermatitis and psoriasis. She has published several articles on topics such as laser liposuction in men, laser photodynamic therapy for acne, rosacea and skin rejuvenation, and hyperhidrosis treatments.

Cheung is a member of the American Academy of Dermatology, the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery, the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery, and the Women's Dermatologic Society. She also hosted a weekly dermatology show in New York called "Doctor Radio" on Sirius/XM satellite radio.