Emergency room physician, medical aesthetics specialist and self-proclaimed “artsy-fartsy” problem-solver with a pink tool belt, Julie-Lee Morales, DO, is a double-board-certified Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine who brings warmth, humor and a personal touch to every patient interaction at Phoenix MedSpa in Lutz, Florida. She has been honored as a Top Doc and Top Osteopathic Physician and inducted into the Intercontinental Who’s Who as a Distinguished Woman in Medicine.
At Phoenix MedSpa, our mission is to provide effective aesthetic treatments in a warm, welcoming environment. With dual board certifications in emergency medicine and family practice — and currently working toward a third in medical aesthetics — our founder, Dr. Julie-Lee Morales, combines years of expertise with an artistic vision to address the needs of all skin types, celebrating and enhancing the natural beauty of her patients.
Brooks Lynch is a licensed Medical Aesthetician who specializes in evidence-based treatments with long-term results. Her interest in all things skin began in 2016 after dealing with her own
concerns, leading her to research ingredients, treatments, and the connection between overall
wellness and the skin.
That research turned into a deeper understanding of skincare science, which she now applies to both her facial and laser treatments.
After graduating from the Beauty and Health Institute and training under Dr. Morales, Brooks
became focused on treating skin of color, understanding that it requires a specialized approach.
Her goal is to make clients feel both comfortable and informed, so they leave not just with great skin, but with the knowledge to maintain it. When she’s not working, she enjoys reformer Pilates, reading sci-fi, or hanging out with her cat.
If you ask Dr. Morales what draws her to medicine, she’ll respond without hesitation: “I like the puzzle.” These four words reveal the curious, analytical mind behind her warm smile. Whether she’s diagnosing a patient in the ER or determining the perfect balance of aesthetic treatments, Dr. Morales thrives on connecting the dots to find meaningful solutions.
“It’s fun to listen to each patient’s story and put the pieces together to come up with a solution,” she explains. This analytical approach has served her well throughout her career, from her beginnings in family practice and emergency medicine in Philadelphia to Phoenix MedSpa here in Florida, where the puzzles she solves are different but equally rewarding.
“When I have a consultation with someone and they tell me what their goals are, I’m already figuring out, ‘Okay, if I put a little Botox here and add filler there, it’ll alleviate that…’” she says. “My mind is already Rubik’s cubing on my patient to try and get the effect they want.”
It’s this combination of medical precision and artistry that allows Dr. Morales to create deeply personalized treatment plans that help her patients look and feel their best. And for her, nothing could be more rewarding than helping people regain their confidence. “If I can be the one who gives people the courage to say, ‘I can do this, I can apply for this job or talk to this guy or do all the things I’m too scared to do…’ then I’ve made the world a better place,” she says.
– Dr. Morales
Dr. Morales’s journey into aesthetic medicine began unexpectedly — with her own skincare struggles during her third pregnancy.
“I had horrible acne. I never had acne in my life until I was pregnant with my daughter,” she explains. The situation worsened during COVID, when constant masking caused her skin to rebel. Like many women, she tried various over-the-counter products labeled non-comedogenic, which means they won’t clog pores, but she found herself trapped in a frustrating cycle with hyperpigmentation.
Even if something is labeled non-comedogenic, it can still contain irritants, allergens and pro-acne-forming ingredients. In Dr. Morales’s case, she noticed her skin would get irritated and dry out, and then she would hyperpigment. “So I was using another product to fix the result of the original product,” she recalls. “I thought, there has got to be a better way to do this.”
As she researched solutions, Dr. Morales discovered a critical gap in the skincare industry: a lack of education and safe options for people with skin of color.”And there’s a difference between skin of color and colored people — totally different things. We’re talking about the number of melanocytes in the skin,” she explains. “And the thing about the melanocytes, they’re hypersensitive. They react to things you wouldn’t expect. There’s a huge subset of people who are using things on their face that they shouldn’t be,” she says.
This realization led her to create a medical spa that would provide truly inclusive care, addressing the specific needs of all skin types, particularly those with higher melanin content that react differently to standard products and treatment options.
That commitment to inclusive care is what sets Phoenix MedSpa apart. As a woman of Latino heritage, she understands firsthand the unique challenges faced by those with higher melanin levels. “Melanocytes are hypersensitive,” she says. “So a scratch for a person who doesn’t have a lot of melanin would turn pink and then kind of clear up and go away, whereas for me, when I get a scratch or a pimple, there’s a black mark on my face for months.”
Many aesthetic treatments have traditionally been considered risky for darker skin tones, but Dr. Morales is working to change that perception through education and specialized techniques. “There are people who wouldn’t use CO2 laser therapy on skin of color, but if you do it the right way, if you know what you’re doing and how to change the settings… it is possible.”
Dr. Morales is particularly passionate about treating melasma, a condition that disproportionately affects women with darker skin tones. She understands that successful treatment requires an ongoing partnership. “Treatment is one thing, and then the maintenance process is another,” she says. Once she has treated a concern, she works closely with her patients to help them maintain their results. “Especially with melasma… it can come right back, so skincare, sunscreen — all of that stuff is really important,” she says.
“There’s not enough education out there about what is safe for darker skin tones. Building that treatment plan with patients and helping them understand skincare is multifactorial… There’s no magic pill. That’s not how it works. Consistency and being there for the journey after are really important also.”
– Dr. Morales
When Dr. Morales performs aesthetic treatments, she approaches each face as a canvas requiring a thoughtful, artistic touch. Her goal isn’t dramatic transformation but subtle enhancement that makes people look refreshed without appearing overdone.
“For me, it’s the art of doing the treatment,” she says.
Among her favorite procedures are microneedling and lip fillers. “I think filling lips is so much fun,” she admits with enthusiasm. Her artistic eye helps her create results that prompt people to say, “Wow, you look really good today,” rather than, “God, what did you have done?”
For patients who request more dramatic changes, Dr. Morales takes a gentle, measured approach. “We’re going to do a little bit, and if you want more, then you can come back. Let’s try this first, see how it feels, see how it settles.”
If you’ve ever felt anxious about visiting a doctor, Dr. Morales understands. That’s why when you walk into Phoenix MedSpa, you’ll immediately notice the difference. Following a recent renovation, the space features warm tones of light browns, beiges and creams. The reception desk opens to the lounge area, allowing for easy conversation and a sense of welcome.
This thoughtful design reflects Dr. Morales’s approach to aesthetic care: inviting, accessible and refreshingly honest.
“We are warm and fuzzy. We are very welcoming,” she says. While other medspas focus on pushing expensive treatments or skincare products, Dr. Morales sees things differently. She genuinely cares about her patients and is invested in helping them look and feel their best. And to do that, she focuses on building trust and a shared sense of camaraderie.
For Dr. Morales, building trust begins with making patients feel comfortable. Her secret weapon? Humor. “Whenever I am talking to people, I try to make them smile or crack some kind of a joke,” she reveals. “Once they realize that I’m not stuffy and I’m not mean or any of the personifications that they have of physicians, I think it makes it a lot easier.”
– Dr. Julie-Lee Morales
When she’s not solving medical puzzles or enhancing natural beauty, Dr. Morales embraces her creative side through DIY projects. “I’m very artsy-fartsy,” she admits with a laugh. Her projects range from chalk-painting furniture to wallpapering rooms and remodeling — all with her signature pink tool belt.
Music has been another lifelong passion. A former clarinet player who later switched to bass and contrabass clarinet, Dr. Morales has passed her love of music to her three children. Her oldest plays guitar and viola, while her middle child is learning bass guitar and piano. She proudly supports their musical endeavors, beaming from the front row of each performance.
This creative spirit and dedication to family reflect the same warmth and personal touch that Dr. Morales brings to her medical practice. However, her journey hasn’t been without challenges. As a woman of color in medicine, Dr. Morales has faced her share of obstacles. “It is difficult to be female. It is difficult to have my skin tone sometimes,” she acknowledges. “I’ve had people who look at me very distrustingly because I’m female and I’m Latina and I’m here telling you what you need to do and some people don’t like that.”
Despite these challenges, she remains committed to breaking down barriers through her experience, expertise and unwavering dedication to inclusive patient care, making aesthetic treatments safer and more effective for individuals from all walks of life.
