Cultura’s History & Mission

Cultura (pronounced kul-tú-ra): a term that signifies “Culture” in Spanish or Latin. Our skin reacts not just because of our skin color, but our ethnic makeup, ethnic mixture, our ethnic origin plays a role. As does hormonal changes, health, medications, environment, age to name a few. Our CULTURE plays a role, thus our name Cultura. Our waiting room is a microcosm of the United Nations, filled with patients from around the globe, representing a myriad of ethnicities and skin tones. Our guiding principle is simple: “Skin Care for all Cultures.” At Cultura Dermatology & Plastic Surgery, we celebrate diversity, seeing each person as a unique individual. We take immense pride in our unmatched expertise and a commitment to providing the best possible care.

Our Rich History

Cultura Dermatology & Plastic Surgery was established 23 years ago in the heart of Friendship Heights, Washington, D.C. It was originally founded by the globally renowned dermatologist, Dr. Eliot F. Battle, Jr., and facial plastic surgeon, Dr. Monte Harris.

At Harvard, under the mentorship of Dr. Rox Anderson, considered the pioneer of cosmetic laser technology, they embarked on a journey of innovation. At Harvard, Dr. Battle and his colleagues played a pivotal role in pioneering a new generation of non-invasive, “color-blind” lasers. These lasers were not only safer but also far more effective for patients with darker skin tones. This groundbreaking research led to the creation of what we now call the “Cool laser,” or the “Colorblind laser” which protects the skin through cooling while treating all skin colors and ethnicities.

While at Harvard, Dr. Battle shared a small office with Dr. Dieter Manstein, who pioneered numerous lasers including the Fraxel laser and Coolsculpting devices. Dr. Battle’s true passion lies in spending quality time with patients at Cultura and with his loving family. The expertise at Cultura has been acknowledged by prominent national and international media outlets, cementing our reputation as a leader in cosmetic dermatology and laser treatments.

Our Mission

At Cultura, our commitment is unwavering: we strive to provide exceptional expertise to enhance your skin and reveal your innate beauty. Our culture centers on celebrating individuality and recognizing that every person is unique.

Our vision is to offer expert skin care and aesthetics in an environment that is welcoming and respectful. We want our patients to feel at ease, comfortable, and confident throughout their journey with us. Our dedication to your skin’s well-being is mirrored by the respect and care we extend to you as our patient. We take as much pride in our clinical expertise as we do our stellar customer service.

We firmly believe in empowering our patients with knowledge, recognizing that an informed patient is a happy patient. Our founding mission statement, “WE TEACH … we do not compete,” remains as relevant today as it was 23 years ago. Cultura sets the gold standard for aesthetic skin care education, continually striving to improve the safety and effectiveness of cosmetic therapy and skin care for people of all skin tones.

We celebrate cultural differences by treating every patient as the unique and beautiful individual they are. Our approach is characterized by unmatched respect, exceptional customer service, and deep cosmetic expertise.

After experiencing Cultura, you’ll never settle for a “one size fits all” approach again, and neither will your skin. We invite you to join us on a journey of discovery, where your unique beauty takes center stage.

Welcome to Cultura Dermatology & Plastic Surgery, where diversity is celebrated, expertise is unparalleled, and you are cherished as the unique individual you are.

Two Expert Physicians – One Shared Purpose

Cultura represents two companies with one shared purpose. Dermatologist Dr. Eliot Battle, a respected authority in the field s the co-founder and medical director of Cultura Dermatology & Laser Center. Cultura Dermatology and Laser Center (CDLC) performs non-invasive treatments including laser hair removal, complexion blending, texture rejuvenation, anti-aging, including Botox, fillers and skin tightening and body contouring. Cultura also has a renowned aesthetic medical spa that performs professional grade facials, peels, microdermabrasion, and HydraFacial’s.

Consistently voted as one of the area’s top Plastic Surgeon, double board-certified Dr. Kelly Bolden MD, FACS joined the Cultura team 6-years ago. Dr. Bolden MD, FACS shares the same unwavering passion and commitment to excellence as Dr. Battle. Dr. Kelly Bolden MD, FACS oversees Cultura Plastic Surgery (CPS) and specializes in breast augmentation, breast reduction and breast lifts, body contouring liposuction, tummy tucks, Mommy makeovers, Brazilian butt lifts, facelifts, eyelid and nose surgeries, gender transformation, to name a few. Together they are called Cultura Dermatology & Plastic Surgery.

The world has taken notice of Cultura’s expertise, with leading media outlets such as Oprah, CNN, Dr. Oz, Good Morning America, Time Magazine, Cosmopolitan, New York Times to name a few have recognized Cultura’s knowledge and contributions to the field. Dr. Battle’s groundbreaking research at Harvard University that led to being able to safely treat skin of color has had a profound impact on laser treatments worldwide. Dr. Battle reflects on Cultura’s journey, saying, “I am proud of Cultura’s 23-year journey to date, we have gone a long way, but we still have more to accomplish.”
best results to each and every patient.

Welcome to Cultura Dermatology & Plastic Surgery

Cultura Dermatology & Plastic Surgery is not just a medical practice; it’s a testament to over 23 years of unwavering commitment to excellence in the fields of cosmetic dermatology, laser treatments, and plastic surgery. What sets Cultura apart is our pioneering commitment to treating a diverse patient demographics, based on our co-founder’s groundbreaking research at Harvard that helped to create the “color blind” or “cool laser” so that everyone, regardless of skin color or ethnicity can be safely and effectively treated.

We take great pride in being recognized as one of the premier practices in the nation, where our reputation for transformative results and personalized care precedes us.

At Cultura, we firmly believe that everyone is unique, and their skincare needs should be treated as such. We celebrate the diversity of our patients and approach everyone with the utmost respect and understanding of their distinct requirements. Our journey begins with the recognition that there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to skincare and beauty enhancement.

As part of your initial in person consult with CDLC you will receive a computerized skin analysis that takes multiple filtered pictures of your face and is able to measure bacteria count, pore, scar, and wrinkle size. It maps out the depth of dark spots and blood vessels. Evaluates facial symmetry, firmness, and laxity. Dr. Battle often states that one of the reasons we are as good as we are because we have technology where your skin tells us what it needs.

Achieving excellence and matching your expectations is not an endpoint but a continuous journey. At Cultura Dermatology and Plastic Surgery, we are dedicated to pursuing excellence in every aspect of our practice. Our commitment is driven by knowledge, a laser-focused approach, unwavering passion, and the repetition of delivering outstanding results. We take as much pride in our clinical expertise as we do with our stellar customer service.

Cultura Dermatology & Laser Center

Treatment Categories

Laser Hair Removal

Say goodbye to unwanted hair. Dr. Battle’s research at Harvard helped to pioneer the new generation of hair removal lasers. Our goal is Permanent Laser Hair Removal, suitable for all body areas, all skin color, and all ethnicities.

Complexion Blending™

Our Complexion Blending™ treatments are designed to get rid of unwanted dark spots and enhancing your complexion by evening out your skin tones on both your face and body. We specialize in removing dark spots, melasma, acne scars, blemishes, sun damage, moles, and veins.

Anti-Aging

Our approach to anti-aging is to help our patients age more gracefully by creating a natural appearance. Experience non-invasive Anti-Aging facial treatments that combine neuromodulators, fillers and laser and energy-based devices. These options include BOTOX®, Dysport®, Xeomin, Juvéderm Volbella®, Juvéderm Voluma® XC, Restylane®, RADIESSE®, and Kybella® combined with cutting edge laser skin tightening and energy-based devices skin rejuvenation.

Texture Rejuvenation

Our Texture Rejuvenation™ treatments focus on improving facial and body skin texture by reducing pores and acne scars. We also offer solutions for improving the appearance of facial and body scars, including acne scars, traumatic scars, surgical scars, stretch marks, and cellulite.

Acne Therapy

Our acne therapy treatments are highly effective in addressing acne concerns, combining conventional targeted products and prescriptions with medical spa treatments including facials, peels, extractions, HydraFacial and advanced laser therapies to treat facial and body acne. These treatments also reduce the visibility of acne scars.

Body Contouring by Cultura

Achieve the body you desire with our range of non-invasive body contouring treatments. We offer state-of-the-art devices like CoolSculpting, Ultrashape, and BodyFX, which can reduce stubborn bulges and areas without surgery. For those considering surgical options, Cultura Plastic Surgery also provide liposuction, tummy tucks, mommy makeovers and other body contouring surgical procedures.

Cultura Medical Spa

Experience the luxury of medical-strength professional spa treatments at Cultura Medical Spa. Our facials, peels, HydraFacial’s and microdermabrasion are expertly designed to help you achieve your Cultura glow and beauty goals.