About
About
Dr. Renier van Aardt
In the two decades since Dr. Renier van Aardt entered the field of cosmetic medicine, this fascinating area of practice has become an important part of countless people’s lives — restoring confidence, correcting problems, and treating patients from the inside out. One of the very first physicians in Canada to administer Botox and dermal fillers, he is now among the top physician injectors in Canada. Dr. van Aardt is passionate about helping people look and feel their best.
Board certified in Family Medicine and licensed by the Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario, and South Africa. Dr. van Aardt is a recognized expert in the field of aesthetic medicine. He recently completed a term as President of the Canadian Association of Aesthetic Medicine (CAAM), where he has served on the board of directors since 2007.
Dr. van Aardt was born in South Africa and completed his medical and surgical degrees in 1991 at the University of Stellenbosch in Cape Town. Physician shortages mean that doctors in South Africa take on a lot, including surgical and obstetrical procedures while still in medical school and during residency. Dr. van Aardt’s medical residency in a volatile region gave him experience with injury and trauma, overcrowded facilities, and doing rotations in internal and emergency medicine, obstetrics, and surgery. From there, he moved to a private practice in Cape Town, doing anesthesia at night for local hospitals as well as ER shifts.
In 1993, Dr. van Aardt and his wife Carina, an aesthetician, made the decision to immigrate with their two young children to Atlantic Canada. His surgery and anaesthesiology skills came in handy in remote parts of Newfoundland, where he was Chief of Staff at Twillingate Hospital. After a few years and one more child, Nova Scotia called and Dr. van Aardt moved his family to Yarmouth to operate a very busy rural practice and do several shifts a month in the local hospital ER. A fourth child followed, and the family was ready for a change of pace.
One day in 1999, a little card arrived in the mail that said “Add laser to your practice.” After some soul-searching, Renier and Carina took a trip to Toronto to learn more. There, they met Dr. Mark Lupin, world-renowned dermatologist and expert lecturer in the field of non-surgical facial rejuvenation. For Dr. van Aardt, it was the first step in a 20-year career of learning from the best minds in the cosmetic medical and dermatological fields in Canada and internationally.
The van Aardts invested in laser machine that Renier describes as “more expensive than my house”, and within a month the demand for medical aesthetic procedures became clear. Carina operated the laser for services including hair removal, and Renier started doing cosmetic procedures, learning how to administer Botox and facial fillers as soon as they were approved. He loved it, and decided to make aesthetic medicine his main focus. The family relocated to Truro in 2004 and Dr. van Aardt opened Truro MediSpa with the goal of having the biggest medical aesthetic practice in Atlantic Canada. In 2010, he achieved that dream.
Today, Dr. van Aardt cares for patients alongside a dedicated team of nurses and medical aestheticians at four locations in Truro, Halifax, Bedford, and Fredericton. He also believes in giving back to the field that has given him so much. Dr. van Aardt has spoken around the world at Aesthetic Medicine conferences and regularly offers educational workshops for practitioners locally and internationally, as well as advises industry partners about the latest procedures and techniques. He also authored two chapters in the popular medical text Procedures for Primary Care, published by Elsevier.
“My practice is firstly medical, so ethical standards are extremely important and treatments must always be in the patient’s best interests. It’s all about education, how medical aesthetic procedures work, what to expect, the safety, the risks, and what the path will be going forward. The field I work in is not a quick fix, it works with the body to achieve good results — it’s a slow and steady process of reversal of symptoms by treating the cause.”
Affiliations
Allergan Canada Inc. (aesthetic medical distribution company)
Preceptor and consultant, physician educator
Merz (aesthetic medical distribution company)
Preceptor, physician educator
Clarion (aesthetic medical distribution company)
Preceptor, physician educator
CMAE* (physician educator)
Director and educator
CAAM
Preceptor, physician educator
Professional Associations
Canadian Association of Aesthetic Medicine (CAAM)
Past President & Executive Board Member
Diplomat of Aesthetic Medicine 2017
American Society of Laser Medicine and Surgery
Fellow
The College of Family Physicians of Canada
Board Certified Member
Sybaritic USA
Medical Faculty Member
European Institute of Scientific Anti-Aging Medicine
Anti-Aging Medicine Specialization
Meet Dr. van Aardt’s medical team!
