About Us

Retief Skin Center is home to Nashville's most experienced medical and cosmetic dermatology teams.

We provide the most advanced and effective skin care services at our one-of-a-kind treatment center located in the heart of middle Tennessee. What makes us unique is that we are the only local skincare center that offers a one-stop-shop for medical dermatology, cosmetic dermatology, plastic surgery, and aesthetic treatments. Our practice is designed to provide a comprehensive suite of services for all of our client's skin care concerns.

It is our pleasure to welcome you to our practice. We are dedicated to catering to your skin care needs and achieving the exceptional results that you deserve. Our breadth of services and friendly staff will be delighted to exceed your expectations.

Dr. Carla Retief and her staff are skin care experts and have been making Nashville and the surrounding areas beautiful since 2002! Dr. Retief has unique qualifications as a dermatologist and surgeon. She has also developed BuffRX, a line of custom, prescription skincare products that treat everything from aging skin to acne and rosacea. Her continuous research and collaboration with colleagues in Malibu, CA and New York, NY, keep her on the cutting edge of all cosmetic advances.

At Retief Skin Center, the art and science of perfecting beauty is now within your reach.

Dr. Carla Retief, M.D.

Born with an artistic eye and an innate passion to help others, Dr. Carla Retief leads an accomplished and respected staff at The Retief Skin Center, located in Nashville, Tennessee. The Huntingdon, Tennessee native graduated Summa Cum Laude in 1989 from Vanderbilt University where she attended on an academic scholarship. Retief obtained her medical degree from The University of Tennessee Memphis, again receiving her degree Alpha Omega Alpha.

Upon graduation, Retief became an invaluable addition to the Internal Medicine team at Northwestern Medical Center and Rush-Presbyterian St. Luke’s Hospital during her dermatology residencies, both in Chicago, Illinois. She excelled in the advanced surgical management of skin disorders, reconstructive surgery and laser surgery at Rush-Presbyterian St. Luke’s becoming the chief resident in dermatology in her final year in residency in 1998.

Upon completion of her residency, she was selected as one of the top dermatologists in the world to begin a Mohs Micographic Surgery Fellowship, emphasing on skin oncology, Mohs Micrographic, Laser and Reconstructive Surgery. The fellowship, approved by the American College of Mohs Micrographic Surgery and Cutaneous Oncology, was completed in 1999 at The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in Charleston. During this fellowship under the guidance of then President of the American College of Mohs Micrographic Surgery and Cutaneous Oncology, she performed over 1000 Mohs Surgery and Reconstructive cases in addition to hundreds of cosmetic and laser cases.

Since 1999, Dr. Retief have been practicing and a leader in her field. The Middle Tennessee area is where she has built her uniquely poised practice. With her exceptional training and successful cases, she can offer many state of the art treatments for most skin conditions. She currently removes 800-1000 skin cancers per year using Mohs Micrographic Surgery. Additionally, she performs a variety of cosmetic procedures and surgeries under local anesthesia. Dr. Retief continues to be one of the leaders in the management of facial skin cancer and advanced minimally invasive cosmetic techniques, also performed with local anesthesia. She has been published in The Journal of Dermatologic Surgery and The Achieves of Dermatology.

Over the past 10 years, Dr Retief has developed her own line of prescription skincare product to effect radical changes in the appearance and overall health of skin over a short period of time. Her patented formula is curated in her laboratory in Nashville experiencing exponential growth each year that continues to introduce new and improved products to the line. BuffRX will soon be made available to select dermatology offices across the country.

She is a fellow of the American College of Mohs Microscopic Surgery and Cutaneous Disease, American Society of Dermatological Surgery and the American Academy of Dermatology. As a member of the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Society, as well as a member of the Tennessee Medical Association, she continues to provide insights and research in her fields of practice to her patience and the medical world. She has surgical privileges at two of Nashville’s top hospitals, Baptist and the Centennial Medical Center.

Meshelle "Missy" Howd is a board certified physician asistant, and has been practicing for 20 years with seven years of dermatology experience.

Missy sees both medical and cosmetic dermatology clients and is our in-house Accutane specialist. She earned her PA degree from Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, TN after completing a Bachelor of Science in Biology.

Libby brings the best of professionalism and personality to her work as one of Nashville's most respected medical aestheticians. She has trained under Dr. Retief for six years, learning the newest and most advanced aesthetic treatments.

She cares deeply for her clients, which include some of the city's top celebrities, while offering extensive services in customized facials and chemical peels, microneedling, dermaplaning, microdermabrasion, high-end laser treatments (certified in six different types), Exilis, waxing and eyelash/brow tinting.

Libby is in high demand as a skin care consultant, providing regimens that are highly effective and practical. She welcomes new clients with a clear vision to serve well and care deeply for all she helps.

Lauren Dunning is a medical aesthetician, microblading technician and makeup artist. Lauren started her career in skin working as a makeup artist in Nashville, then moved to Los Angeles to further her career and became a product specialist in one of MAC Cosmetics nationwide top stores in Santa Monica. After 6 years in makeup, she desired to know more about treating issues of the skin rather than covering them up. She moved back to Nashville to train as an aesthetician and work under Dr. Retief where she obtained medical training in Aesthetics and laser treatments.

Being skilled in makeup artistry she easily incorporated microblading into her services after being trained in Atlanta. She is known for giving her clients the most "natural" looking brows. Lauren offers facials, laser treatments, microneedling, dermaplaning, chemical peels, microdermabrasion and microblading.

She has a personal relationship with her clients and prides herself on establishing their trust and delivering results

Jayme is our newest aesthetician and we are so lucky to have her on the team! For a limited time she is running a signature facial special for new clients for just $65. Call to book your appointment today.

Brianna Hill is an experienced family nurse practitioner with over 6 years of experience in dermatology. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Belmont University and her Doctorate of Nursing Practice as an FNP from the University of Tennessee Knoxville. She is qualified to perform comprehensive skin evaluations and exams for patients of all ages, and is skilled in performing procedures such as biopsies, excisions, and cryotherapy. She also treats other dermatological conditions such as acne, warts, eczema, and psoriasis. She also enjoys practicing aesthetic dermatology, including laser therapy, dermal fillers, and neurotoxins. She desires her patients to have a natural look while appearing more youthful, relaxed, and refreshed. She is constantly staying up to date with the most evidence-based practice recommendations and promises to provide top of the line care to each of her patients. Away from work, Bri loves spending time with her family, being an aunt to 8 nieces/nephews, and enjoying the outdoors with her husband.