Radiant Skin: Dr Gendai Echezona of Premier Pain Care & Wellness On 5 Things Anyone Can Do to Have Healthy, Radiant, Flawless Skin
An Interview With Athalia Monae
Maintain a consistent skincare routine with essential products such as an appropriate cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen. Establish the healthy habit of washing your face in the morning and evening and ensure proper makeup removal. Patience and consistency are key to achieving optimal results.
Each day, millions strive to unlock the secrets of blemish-free, luminous skin, yet many find this goal frustratingly out of reach. In a market saturated with quick fixes and fad trends, it’s vital to cut through the noise and understand what truly works. Our skin is our largest organ and the shield between our bodies and the outside world; it deserves more than just a superficial approach. As part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Gendai Echezona.
Dr. Gendai Echezona is a triple Board-Certified Anesthesiologist, Pain Management specialist, diplomat of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, and Aesthetic physician. She is the founder and medical director at Premier Pain Care and Wellness in Norwalk, Connecticut offering customized treatment plans for pain management and aesthetics while keeping lifestyle medicine in mind.
Dr. Echezona earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University, a prestigious Ivy League school, and her Medical Degree from SUNY Downstate Medical Center. She completed her Anesthesiology Residency at St. Lukes-Roosevelt Hospital in NYC and pursued furthered studies in Pain Medicine at the Weill Cornell Tri-Institute Pain Fellowship
Program. She has worked with physicians and other healthcare professionals across multiple specialties to enhance her knowledge in aesthetics and lifestyle medicine.
At Premier PCW, each patient undergoes evaluation by a board-certified physician, receiving compassionate and individualized.
Treatment plans. Dr. Echezona believes that you should look your best and be free of pain as you engage in all of life’s activities that bring you joy.
When not taking care of patients, you’ll find Dr. Echezona cooking, entertaining friends and family, and spending quality time with her husband and two children.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dive into our discussion about networking, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about what brought you to your specific career path?
My specific career path has been a continuous journey, one that I am still on. The beauty of medicine is that we are always learning, and as we learn, we evolve. I appreciate the opportunity to develop myself while guiding my patients, family, and friends on this journey.
The foundation of my identity as a physician began with anesthesiology, and pain management is a subspecialty of this field. My initial job after training involved both specialties at a local hospital. Over time, I discovered a greater passion for interventional pain management, using injections and procedures to treat pain. Recognizing the opioid epidemic, I aimed for a more effective and sustainable approach to chronic pain. Seeking autonomy, I decided to eventually open my own pain management practice, but first I gained some experience in private practices in NYC.
While working to establish my practice, I pursued aesthetic courses as a passion hobby, fascinated by aesthetics, the aging process, and available treatments. Eventually, I realized I could integrate both passions into my own space and practice, leading to the creation of Premier Pain Care and Wellness.
Initial months focused on launching the pain management practice, leveraging existing relationships in the area. Simultaneously, I continued aesthetic courses and private trainings to refine my treatment skills, recognizing the foundational importance of skincare in advanced treatments.
The lifestyle medicine aspect of my career is a recent development. Observing changes in my personal health, I delved into lifestyle medicine — a specialty using therapeutic lifestyle interventions to treat chronic conditions. Wanting to proactively address my health, I pursued lifestyle medicine, focusing on whole-food, plant-predominant nutrition, exercise, stress management, sleep health, substance abuse avoidance, and social connections. These pillars positively impact how we look and feel, complementing pain management and aesthetics seamlessly.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?
After years of hard work, investing time, energy, and money to bring Premier PCW to life, the pandemic struck just before my anticipated grand opening. Despite the setbacks, I made the bold decision to open my doors, only to realize it wasn’t a “build it and they will come” season. Through unwavering resilience and perseverance, I navigated the challenges, developing an organic growth strategy.
In the absence of immediate patients, I continued refining my skills and business, determined to create a thriving space despite the unexpected circumstances. Today, Premier PCW stands as a testament to years of dedication, and we are still growing. I can’t help but feel a profound sense of pride for this journey that we have been on.
You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
There are several character traits and mindset shift that you need to embrace to become a successful business leader. For me, integrity, empathy, and resilience stand out. Trust forms the foundation of any healthy relationship, be it the doctor-patient dynamic or the employer-employee connection. I aimed to establish a practice where patients feel at ease, knowing I am committed to honesty, ethics, and transparency. After assessing a patient, we collaborate on a treatment plan, and their trust in my recommendations is crucial for achieving their treatment goals. When leading a team, I prioritize integrity to instill trust in my decisions. Demonstrating the importance of this trait helps the team also adopt it as a core value, fostering a cohesive work environment.
It’s crucial to embrace empathy in my interactions with both patients and my team. Recognizing and understanding people’s needs and concerns is fundamental to patient care and, surprisingly, to effective business leadership. As a woman leading a team of talented women, creating a positive and supportive work environment is essential for success. Reflecting on the early days of my career, balancing my first job and starting a family, I navigated challenges without many female advocates. Those experiences shaped me into the empathetic business leader I am today. Empathetic leadership ensures that everyone feels seen and heard, fostering collaboration and innovation for business success.
Resilience has been a cornerstone of my journey as a business leader. Opening Premier PCW on June 1, 2020, amidst the height of the pandemic, brought numerous challenges, unknowns, setbacks, and failures. Yet, each obstacle strengthened us, contributing to our resilience and growth.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. What are your “ 5 Things Anyone Can Do to Have Healthy, Radiant, Flawless Skin”?
1 . Use sun protection, which includes wearing protective clothing, a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen. Nowadays, there are numerous fashionable hats and sunglasses available. Stay covered as much as possible and explore the variety of sunscreens on the market. There are now better options tailored to different skin types and tones.
2 . Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water and consuming foods with high water content. Hydration needs can vary based on factors such as age, activity level, environment, and health status. While general guidelines suggest around 15.5 cups for men and 11.5 cups for women, this includes water from both foods and beverages. Foods rich in water content include watermelon, strawberries, oranges, cantaloupe, celery, tomatoes, and lettuce, among others.
3 . Eat a nutrient-rich diet filled with whole foods and lots of plants. Consume colorful fruits and vegetables, high-fiber foods, nuts, and seeds to increase your intake of antioxidants and vitamins. This will help prevent UV damage, reduce inflammation, and prevent premature aging giving you glowing radiant skin.
4 . Incorporate healthy lifestyle changes that reduce stress and foster a strong mind-body connection. This involves engaging in regular exercise, practicing stress-reducing activities, nurturing healthy social connections, ensuring restful sleep, and avoiding tobacco and excessive alcohol consumption.
5 . Maintain a consistent skincare routine with essential products such as an appropriate cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen. Establish the healthy habit of washing your face in the morning and evening and ensure proper makeup removal. Patience and consistency are key to achieving optimal results.
What are the most common misconceptions about daily skincare routines that prevent people from achieving radiant skin?
Some of the most common misconceptions about daily skincare routines are that results should be seen quickly, aggressive exfoliation will solve their skin concerns, daily sunscreen is not necessary in the winter or on cloudy days, and lifestyle changes are not that important.
A skincare regimen requires time and dedication. Simple practices, like taking the time to wash your face, especially at night to remove makeup or the day’s dirt and toxins, go a long way. Aggressive exfoliation can exacerbate skin conditions, leading to issues like redness, blotchiness, dryness, or acne breakouts.
Implementing positive lifestyle changes, such as maintaining proper nutrition, staying hydrated, and engaging in regular exercise, can have beneficial effects on skin health. In conjunction with an effective skincare regimen, these practices can help to achieve radiant skin.
During my teenage years, I learned the significance of daily sunscreen. I vividly remember a summer where I experienced pigment changes and uneven skin tone across my face and body. My mother took me to the doctor for treatment. The solution was surprisingly simple: I was advised to wear sunscreen daily, and I have followed that advice ever since.
Could you share your insights on how diet and nutrition directly affect skin health, and perhaps suggest some superfoods for skin radiance?
The foods we consume provide essential nutrients that significantly impact our overall health, including the well-being of our skin.
Water intake is especially critical, as it helps maintain our skin’s moisture, ensuring a balanced state. This not only prevents excessive dryness but also mitigates excess oiliness. Hydrated skin exhibits enhanced radiance by addressing issues like dullness and flakiness, improving elasticity, and minimizing fine lines and wrinkles.
Considering the impact of food on our skin, we must prioritize antioxidants, vitamins A, C, E, zinc, omega-3s, and even probiotics. Antioxidants actively combat free radicals, which contribute to premature aging and skin damage. Including richly colored fruits like berries, bell peppers, and green leafy vegetables such as spinach, collard greens, or kale can provide a diverse range of nutrients.
Carrots and sweet potatoes, high in beta-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A, support skin health, imparting a healthy glow. Citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruits offer a robust source of vitamin C, crucial for collagen formation, enhancing elasticity, and reducing fine lines and wrinkles.
Nuts, seeds, and leafy vegetables are excellent sources of vitamin E, a potent antioxidant that shields the skin from UV damage. Foods like chickpeas are a source of zinc, promoting the skin’s natural healing processes and aiding in acne prevention.
Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish like salmon or seeds such as chia and flax seeds, help reduce inflammation and enhance skin hydration. Recognizing the significant impact of gut health on overall well-being, probiotics play a crucial role. Incorporating fermented foods like kimchi, sauerkraut, yogurts, miso, and kombucha provides valuable probiotics. It’s worth noting that dairy-free yogurts and low-sugar kombuchas are available.
Opt for whole or minimally processed foods, including a variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds in your diet. Embrace a colorful array of foods on your plate to ensure a well-rounded and skin-friendly nutritional intake.
How do you recommend individuals tailor their skincare routine to address the unique needs of their skin type and environment?
Personalized skincare regimens are important for delivering effective treatments tailored to individual skin types and needs. The first consideration is identifying your skin type, whether it’s normal, dry, oily, combination, or if you have sensitive skin. Additionally, consider any specific concerns you want to address, as this will influence the selection of products.
When evaluating cleansers, moisturizers, or serums, it’s essential to keep your skin type and concerns in mind. Environmental factors play a significant role too. Consider whether you live or work in a dry or humid area, have substantial sunlight exposure, or live in a region with high pollution levels. These factors may prompt adjustments in the choice of moisturizers, emphasize the importance of sun protection, regulate exfoliation frequency, or underscore the need for incorporating more antioxidants.
Consistency is key in skincare routines, and adjustments may be necessary along the way. By remaining mindful of your skin type, concerns, and environmental factors, you can customize a regimen to ensure optimal effectiveness and results.
What advances in skincare science or new ingredients are you most excited about that promise to enhance skin health and radiance?
You may have encountered discussions about microbiomes, which is the diverse collection of microorganisms, such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other microbes, residing in a specific environment. This topic is often emphasized in relation to gut health. However, there is a growing acknowledgment of the significance of the skin microbiome as a protective barrier crucial for maintaining skin health. Ongoing research in this field has led to the development of skincare products that specifically target and support the skin’s microbiome.
Many of us are familiar with regenerative medicine and treatments such as platelet-rich plasma for skin healing and rejuvenation. Now, there’s a growing discussion about stem cell-derived exosomes, vesicles containing various proteins, lipids, and genetic material. These exosomes play a role in numerous biological processes. They may contribute to cellular repair and regeneration, enhance skin texture, stimulate collagen production, and reduce fine lines and wrinkles. We will see exosomes increasingly featured in topical products.
Can you describe a holistic approach to skincare that encompasses not just topical treatments but also lifestyle and wellness practices?
I’m glad you asked! This brings us back to the pillars of Lifestyle Medicine: nutrition, physical activity, stress management, restorative sleep, social connections, and avoidance of risky substances. We discussed the impact of a well-balanced and nutrient-rich diet to support skin health. I am not opposed to supplementing when our nutrition may fall short of meeting certain dietary needs. We discussed foods that we can add, but it is also important to discuss things that we should minimize, like highly processed food and sugar. These things adversely impact skin health. We also discussed the importance of staying hydrated.
Formal exercise or just being physically active helps improve our blood circulation so that our bodies can deliver oxygen and necessary nutrients to the skin. It also helps to reduce stress, which we know will affect the appearance of our skin. Combating stress promotes clearer and more radiant skin. In addition to exercise, you may incorporate mindful meditation, deep breathing, yoga, Tai Chi, or spending time in nature (with sun protection, of course).
Sleep is something that many of us do not get enough of. We need time for our bodies to repair damage and regenerate; this applies to our skin too. Healthy social connections help us reduce stress, provide emotional support, and can promote a healthy lifestyle when hanging out with like-minded people who can share skincare tips or even be an accountability partner for healthy lifestyle changes. This will have a positive impact on the health of your skin.
Avoiding risky substances such as tobacco or excessive alcohol will contribute to healthy radiant skin by minimizing dehydration, inflammation, and premature aging. The theme in all of this is that our overall health will impact our skin health.
With all of this said, there is still a place for topical treatments and aesthetic treatments. Be consistent with your skincare regimen. Wear that sunscreen. If you want to enjoy a facial massage, do it! I truly believe in multimodal treatment plans, as combination therapies often have the best results. Consult a healthcare professional who can help guide you with all these elements of treatment.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
It would certainly be the Lifestyle Medicine movement! Seems like a reoccurring theme here. The advantages of embracing a healthier lifestyle are abundant. By prioritizing proper nutrition, engaging in regular physical activity, ensuring adequate sleep, effectively managing stress, steering clear of substance abuse, and cultivating positive social connections, we can all strive for improved well-being and thrive in life. Can you envision a world like that? I am genuinely hopeful for our future.
How can our readers further follow you online?
You can find me on Instagram as @dr.gendai.echezona
You can subscribe to my monthly newsletter by visiting our website.
https://www.premierpaincareandwellness
Thank you for the time you spent sharing these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!
About the Interviewer: Athalia Monae is a product creator, published author, entrepreneur, advocate for Feed Our Starving Children, contributing writer for Entrepreneur Media, and founder of Pouches By Alahta.
