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By Michelle Crowe
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMES GUSTIN
STYLING BY THERESA DEMARIA
HAIR AND MAKEUP BY DORIA DEBARTOLO
Lana wears the Astrid top and Tavia skirt by Tanya Taylor from Neiman Marcus
DR. LANA KASHLAN grew up in Terre Haute, Indiana, as one of four girls who successfully followed the footsteps of their physician father into careers in healthcare. When Lana headed off to Northwestern University for her undergraduate studies, her family moved to Oak Brook, and the area became home. She studied psychology at Northwestern which has really been a big part of her career as a dermatologist. “Your skin and skin disease can have such a huge impact on your mental health, your confidence, and your perspective,” Lana says. She then attended University of Illinois Chicago for medical school, where she was one of the top in her class and an inductee of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. After graduating with Honors, she did her dermatology residency at Boston University, training under some of the pioneers of dermatology and focusing on cosmetics and laser surgery.
Following residency, she moved back to Chicago and worked in a private practice for a few years before being recruited to join a large multispecialty cosmetic clinic in Dubai where she worked as the Medical Director and Consultant Dermatologist. “My experience in Dubai was an incredible time of both personal and professional growth because I was exposed to the most cutting-edge technologies in the world and worked with patients from all over the globe, all with different ideals of beauty. This has truly influenced everything I do now because I’ve had a much broader range of experience than what you get in the United States because Dubai gets more exposure to treatments from Asia and Europe. My patient base included members of the Emirati and Saudi royal families along with celebrities from TV shows like Bravo’s Real Housewives of Dubai and Netflix’s Dubai Bling.”
After five years full time in Dubai, Lana decided to move back to the United States to be closer to my family. She now live in Burr Ridge with her husband and their children, Amelie, who is three and Kareem, who is two. She opened Modern Skin Dermatology in downtown Hinsdale in October 2024. “ModernSkin represents the culmination of my international career. It is a boutique medical and cosmetic dermatology clinic that is designed to provide a more intimate and direct experience for patients. Our clinic has some of the most sophisticated technologies in the world, including lasers like Accure for acne and Picosure Pro,” she says.
Her focus is on taking all of this technology and medical knowledge and making her patients look and feel like the best versions of themselves. Every decision focuses on their skin health in a way that is easy and truly effective. Lana concludes, “I spend most of my time running ModernSkin, but still go back to see patients in Dubai every three months. My life now is all about balancing work, kids, and spending time with people and things that truly bring me joy.”
Do you have a mantra? Dream Big and, Aim High On your reading stack? It’s terrible to admit, but medical journals. With little toddlers, I don’t get much time to myself, so when I have it, I am usually checking out what’s new in the derm world research wise. But I did just finish Strangers: A memoir of a marriage and couldn’t put it down. I finished it in just two days! Favorite travel spots? Internationally: Japan, Ibiza, Istanbul. Domestically: Miami and New York.
Products you’ve been loving lately? I can’t live without Skinceuticals PTIOX peptide serum because it makes my skin so glowy and of course, sunscreen. My all-time favorite is Alastin Hydratint. It’s the perfect coverage. Favorite Summer tradition or activity? Evening walks with my kids to the playground.
What’s your go-to outfit? Jeans! I love a slouchy boyfriend fit for the weekends and a perfectly tailored wide leg for when I want to look polished. Dress it up/dress it down with amazing shoes and fabulous handbag. Is there anything you can’t leave the house without? My phone, it is literally how I run my world! Where do they know you by name? Probably The Fruit Store in Hinsdale because it’s my go to for lunch every day! Describe your perfect day? A perfect day for me is a day where I get to do all the things I love! A warm summer day that starts early with a workout, then a short clinic in the office where I get to make my patients feel their best, followed by an afternoon playing with my toddlers, and then a relaxing dinner outside in our backyard, making the most of beautiful weather when we have it!
What’s in your bag? Phone of course, lip gloss (Currently obsessed with EADEM Le ChouChou), hand sanitizer and gum. Describe your perfect day? Grab a coffee at LaColombe followed by a long walk on the lakefront and riverwalk, shopping on Oak Street and then lunch at LeColonial or RL, more walking and shopping and catching a show (I love theater and we’re so lucky in Chicago to have so many options!) finally dinner at Miru. Best quick bite or hidden gem? You can’t beat a burger from Small Cheval for a quick bite. Do you have a favorite museum? The Art Institute of Chicago. I used to live just down the street and would love to pop in during the week randomly. Being surrounded by visual masterpieces is such an amazing way to recharge your brain and be inspired.
