Silverdale-based Peninsula Dermatology and Laser Clinic opened a new office in Gig Harbor in June, offering a range of services. Dr. Eric Rasmussen, who has been practicing in Kitsap for 21 years, will offer medical and cosmetic dermatology at the clinic, located in the medical center on Point Fosdick Drive.

Nurse practitioner and Gig Harbor resident Victoria Heinz will join Erin Lenza, a physician’s assistant, at the new site, while Dr. Rasmussen will split his time between the two offices.

“There are not very many dermatologists practicing in the area and there is a great need,” said Jan Rasmussen, a registered nurse with Peninsula Dermatology. “We are very excited about it because between the two clinics we hope to eventually cover everything.”

The expansion has been planned for a while but was set in fast motion about six months ago, Rasmussen said. With the recent retirement of a dermatologist in Gig Harbor and one in Tacoma, availability of services in the area became sparse.

“Our practice is a mix of medical and cosmetic procedures but we have been focusing more on cosmetic because there has been a small explosion in the procedures available to treat people… and there has been a growing interest in people to enhance their appearance,” said Dr. Rasmussen, who attended medical school at the University of California-Davis and received five years in dermatology training at the Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland. He is also an associate clinical professor at the University of Washington’s Department of Dermatology.

With the growing awareness of cosmetic procedures that could make a person look younger, more attractive or feel more self-confident, there is no shortage of new clients, especially as consumers realize that constantly improving technology renders many treatments virtually painless and require minimum invasion. The skin rejuvenation options are especially popular because “they tend to be easy to tolerate, have little to no downtime and the risks of the procedures are very small,” Dr. Rasmussen said.

Available treatments at Peninsula Dermatology include microdermabrasion, chemical peels, botox, Restylane (approved by the Federal Drug Administration earlier this year), hair reduction, treatment of scars, moles and more. The clinic also offers medical procedures for conditions such as skin cancer, psoriasis and eczema.

The Gig Harbor clinic is taking immediate appointments, and Dr. Rasmussen said more services will be added gradually.