Dr. Kristine Romine is a board-certified Dermatologist who wears many hats: aesthetic artist/architect, pioneer, visionary, mentor and trusted guide. Each role reflects a different facet of her approach to functional aesthetic dermatology, working together to create an exceptional experience for her patients and her team.
The Knowledge Seeker
Even as a young child, Dr. Romine was a seeker of knowledge. She clearly remembers her mother telling her to stop asking so many questions, but fondly recalls hearing her father say, “Kristine, ask as many questions as you want, because that’s how you learn.”
As a result of this positive influence, she loved learning and excelled in school at all levels. While she enjoyed every specialty throughout medical school, Dr. Romine settled on Internal Medicine in hopes to help her ailing father, so after graduating with the highest honors from the Medical College of Wisconsin, she returned to her hometown of Phoenix to be close to her father, completing a residency and chief residency in Internal Medicine at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center (now Banner Good Samaritan). However, it didn’t take long for her to realize that she was a specialist at heart, someone who wanted to be the very best in her life’s profession.
A friend who knew her mind steered her toward Dermatology. Intrigued, she decided to seek additional knowledge and had the privilege of conducting research alongside Dr. Kligman, the inventor of Retin-A. Her work showed that regular use of Retin-A prevented precancer/skin cancer (improving health) and also received FDA approval for decreasing fine lines and creases (improving beauty). Insight of this duality in activity was an “aha” moment for Dr. Romine and led her to trademark her mission statement of “Partnering with Patients for a Lifetime of Healthy, Beautiful Skin.™”
Upon receiving a recommendation from this icon in Dermatology, she was offered a residency position at Southern Illinois University (SIU) School of Medicine. Here, she studied Dermatology, Mohs Micrographic Skin Cancer Surgery and found her passion in Aesthetic Dermatology, serving as Chief Resident and first graduate of the program.
During her time at SIU, she could feel her excitement for the field growing. “It clicked,” she remembers. “This is what I’m supposed to do!’” Her enthusiasm translated into action — she brought new technologies and aesthetic treatments to her residency program and sought additional training and mentoring outside of her program with a world-renowned Cosmetic Dermatologist to master cutting-edge procedures. Dr. Romine recalls injecting Botox for her very first time (when it was approved only for medical use) to erase frown lines in her residency program director. The results were incredible and she felt so much joy helping others feel better about themselves.
After completing her training, Dr. Romine practiced with an established group in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, for five years. However, the dream of creating her own practice remained strong. In 2003, she returned to her hometown of Phoenix and founded Camelback Dermatology & Skin Surgery, where she served as CEO for 20 years, and grew it into a premier Dermatology practice with multiple physicians and practitioners.
Today, Dr. Romine continues to expand her knowledge and explore new frontiers in Aesthetic, Regenerative and Longevity medicine with BelleSante, which she founded in 2023. Ever the knowledge seeker, she completed the Physician CEO program at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management in 2017, where her idea of BelleSante was born. Additionally, she completed a Corporate Governance course at Kellogg in 2018, adding business acumen to her medical expertise.
This combination of skills allows her to not only provide exceptional patient care but also to shape the future of Aesthetic medicine through her involvement in various advisory boards and leadership roles, including serving on the boards of directors of both public and privately held companies.
The Artist
Dr. Romine has been described in her field as a master artist for many years. She isn’t focused on simply erasing a wrinkle here or smoothing out a line there. “It’s so much bigger than that,” she explains. “It’s about looking at each individual holistically and really becoming the architect and the artist when creating balance and confidence.”
Throughout her career, she has used her talents to help people look their best, which in turn helps them feel their best. Dr. Romine is a self-proclaimed Functional Aesthetic Dermatologist and goes on to explain that she focuses on the “root cause” of concerns such as lines, wrinkles, and laxity, using her proprietary combination of techniques to fashion a more refreshed and youthful yet authentic result.
Why does she do it? Dr. Romine strongly believes that making sure the person you see in the mirror every day is confident to take on all life’s challenges translates into a stronger, healthier mindset and is one of the foundations of an improved HealthSpan. She has seen firsthand how people’s lives have changed as a result. “Once people start their aesthetic and wellness journey, their mindset is positively reset and they feel like they can reach and sometimes surpass all their goals as their confidence soars.”
“I’m not a modern artist; I’m a classic artist,” she asserts. “I always say perfection is unattainable, but excellence is within reach.” Her patients absolutely love their results and many give her free rein to do whatever she thinks is best. They trust her judgment and her skills completely, knowing she won’t ever go overboard.
Dr. Romine takes this trust very seriously and carefully uses her skills to create a refreshed appearance. “I want each individual to look like their best, most authentic self.” Dr. Romine respects each person’s natural beauty and will always enhance it in a way that promotes confidence and wellness.
I am not in the beauty business. I am in the business of confidence creation. When you are confident, you are the most attractive and successful in all of your relationships — professional and personal.
The Pioneer
Dr. Romine has never been one to back away from a challenge. Throughout her career, she has fearlessly stepped into uncharted territory, becoming a "Trailblazer" who inspires others. Even during her residency at the SIU School of Medicine — where she served as Chief Resident and was the first to graduate from this highly respected program — she sought out aesthetic expert training, bringing back insights and new devices and techniques to share with her colleagues and professors. Dr. Romine was among the very first in the nation to use lasers and Botox for aesthetic purposes, for example.
Because Dr. Romine has been in the aesthetic space since its infancy, she has had the privilege to help “mold” its trajectory and often lead this burgeoning space. Consequently, she is offered many opportunities to guide new developments and innovations — a role she loves.
“I’m a very early adopter,” she laughs. After doing her due diligence and researching new products or treatments, she will “test drive” them by trialing them on herself first, and if she sees value, she then creates optimized ways to use before offering them to her patients. Everything she offers, Dr. Romine has experienced firsthand.
In addition to being an early adopter of Botox, Restylane and lasers, she has introduced countless technologies to the Phoenix metropolitan area. “I brought Emsculpt and Emsella to the Valley in 2019,” she says. “We use those now-upgraded technologies in our BioSculpt™ program today. I was the first Dermatologist in the Valley to use Ellacor micro-coring… It’s an incredible tool in my tool chest.” In the U.S., she was also the first recipient of the BBL HEROic device (after being an advisor to its development), the latest in BroadBand Light™ technology from Sciton, a leading manufacturer of energy-based medical aesthetic devices, and introduced the Valley to Avéli, a minimally invasive cellulite reduction treatment.
As an early adopter, Dr. Romine can’t help but feel excited as she looks to the future. “I’m a seeker of knowledge and constantly research what’s coming next,” she says. She’s currently most excited about Regenerative Medicine — think exosomes, stem cells and well beyond platelet-rich plasma (PRP) which she began using in 2008. “I think it is remarkable to use our own body to help heal our bodies… and feels Regenerative Medicine is certainly the future of true health care.”
Dr. Romine is the first in Arizona and second in the U.S. to partner with Acorn Biolabs, a Toronto-based company. “We harvest autologous progenitor stem cells from your own hair follicles and cryogenically preserve them at that exact moment in time. It’s like a gift to yourself from your younger self,” she explains. The idea is that some of these stem cells may be used to create personalized regenerative topical "secretome" treatments, for skin rejuvenation and hair growth, while others will remain cryogenically stored for future applications as they continue to emerge, perhaps even to treat or cure disease. Dr. Romine, her husband, and her children all had their stem cells from their hair follicles harvested in March 2023. It is very meaningful for future health; for example, her youngest child, Christopher, will always have healthy 24-year-old cells to use regardless of his chronological age. She is extremely positive that this technology will lead to future disease treatment capabilities, well beyond the current skin and hair regenerative uses.
The Visionary
Dr. Romine’s pioneering spirit extends beyond exploring new devices and treatments. She is also deeply involved in shaping the future of Aesthetic and Longevity medicine through her service on numerous advisory boards and Boards of Directors.
She has served on the Board of Directors for Evolus, the maker of Jeuveau, and was on the team when the company went public. Dr. Romine was the first user of Jeuveau in the world (beyond the initial studies) and now serves as a Medical Advisor, leading the launch of this novel neuromodulator in international markets. She currently serves as Arizona’s representative on the advisory board of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) and the American Society for Mohs Surgery Board of Directors. Dr. Romine also serves on the Board of Directors of TopMD and most recently has joined the Board of Directors of Perimetrics, which has created a novel device to detect and in turn prevent tooth damage caused by clenching and grinding (bruxism), leveraging her vast experience in treating this common condition with neuromodulators.
Her extensive involvement in the industry's leading organizations helped Dr. Romine recognize an opportunity to reimagine Aesthetic medicine. After decades in traditional practice, she observed that her aesthetic patients had a distinctly different mindset. They were more proactive and eager to learn about improving their overall health and well-being, in addition to optimizing their aesthetic wellness.
This observation sparked a vision for a new kind of practice — one that would combine cutting-edge aesthetic dermatology and Regenerative Medicine treatments with comprehensive wellness education. That vision became BelleSante, a complete departure from the traditional sick-care system that would disrupt the status quo to focus instead on prevention and what Dr. Romine has coined “HealthSpan Optimization.”
When colleagues questioned her decision to leave a well-established and successful practice, she remained confident in her vision. “If I didn’t follow through on what I know to be the best way to serve patients, through education and offering cutting-edge options, I wouldn’t have been true to myself, which is what I encourage all my mentees to do, whether they are patients or premedical students.”
Once you get to a point in your profession where you have vast experience and ‘crystallized knowledge,’ I feel you should be sharing it with other goal-oriented, highly motivated individuals. That’s what BelleSante’s mission is all about.
The Mentor
At the very top of Dr. Romine’s mission list is mentoring. In 2011, Dr. Romine and her dedicated practice manager established a medical scribe and mentoring program for highly motivated, goal-oriented individuals who wish to matriculate into graduate medical programs, which has become one of the most rewarding aspects of her career.
“At BelleSante, we’ve really made it our mission to lift up and challenge these individuals who want a career in medicine,” she shares. Those who are mentored by Dr. Romine have gone on to medical school, PA school, become Nurse Practitioners and Nurses, as well as other professional pursuits, often becoming leaders and graduating at the top of their classes. Many of her previous graduates continue to pay it forward by also mentoring.
The program’s success reflects Dr. Romine's belief that education and mentorship create lasting connections. Many alumni return to complete their clinical rotations with her, creating a thriving network of like-minded professionals who share her vision for comprehensive, preventative and patient-centered care and wellness. It is Dr. Romine’s dream to bring back many of these high performers to join her in her mission of BelleSante.
Her drive to motivate and inspire others also extends to her patients. For many years, patients have been asking Dr. Romine to write a book offering her expertise and wisdom gathered over decades of learning, reading, and personal experience. Her BioSculpt™ “Playbook,” which offers a map and keys to HealthSpan Optimization, is her answer to those requests.
The Doctor You Love
Dr. Romine has been a student and an educator. A daughter and a mother. A patient and a doctor. It’s part of why she understands her patients so well — in many ways, she has been where they are. “I’ve experienced every single life stage,” she says. “So when someone comes to see me, part of the BelleSante and BioSculpt™ difference is to teach easy-to-adopt habits on the subjects of aesthetics, health, mindset, and longevity. I always treat my patients the way I’d want to be treated when visiting a physician… sharing little personalized, behind-the-scenes tips and tricks that can make all the difference in their mindsets and outcomes.”
That includes not just addressing your symptoms, but exploring the root cause of the problem. BelleSante means “beautiful health,” and Dr. Romine’s goal is to improve your overall well-being with comprehensive treatment plans designed for HealthSpan Optimization. “I’m really aiming to inspire each individual to reach their greatest potential and their highest goals,” she affirms.
It’s an approach that works and resonates with people. Nearly every single day, Dr. Romine sees at least one patient who exclaims, “I Love You Dr. Romine!” However, her assistant will tell you this is something she hears multiple times every day. “I’ve had people crying with joy in my treatment room as they ‘see’ the person they ‘used to be’ coming back into view when looking in the mirror for the ‘halftime show’ (after one side of their face has been treated). It’s super rewarding,” she says.”I can’t imagine any other profession that could be more gratifying.”
“I feel blessed daily to be able to provide this for my patients.”
If your motivation is so pure and so clear, people always come back to you. It's just the differentiating BelleSante experience.
Visit Dr. Kristine Romine at BelleSante
Experience the BelleSante difference firsthand and schedule a private consultation with Dr. Romine and her team. Call her today at 480-878-0087 or book your appointment online.
