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Dr. Nicoll's Story: I became a menopause specialist because I was the patient nobody could help. When my own menopause transition hit, it hit hard — the broken sleep, the mood swings, the brain fog, the feeling that my own body had changed the locks. I did what you're probably doing right now: I looked for answers. I saw doctor after doctor. I was told my labs were "normal." I was reassured, dismissed, and sent home with some version of welcome to your 40s. I'm a physician — and even I couldn't get real answers. So I went and got them myself. I pursued advanced training in menopause and hormone therapy, earned certification as a Menopause Society Certified Practitioner, and built the kind of practice I couldn't find when I needed it most. You deserve better than being dismissed. This page — and this practice — exist because of that.
— Dr. Kim Nicoll, MD, MSCP
What Hormone Therapy Can Help With
Prescribed thoughtfully — right patient, right dose, right delivery method — hormone therapy can be life-changing.
For women — perimenopause and menopause:
For men — low testosterone:
Hormone health isn't only a women's issue. I also evaluate and treat men for low testosterone — with the same model: a real workup, not guesswork. Signs worth taking seriously include:
Diagnosis starts with proper labs and a thorough history. If your levels and symptoms point to treatment, you'll get what every patient here gets: options — injectables, creams, or pellets — straight answers, and ongoing monitoring.
And when hormone therapy isn't the right tool, I'll tell you that too. My job is to find what will actually help you — not to sell you hormones.
Our Approach — You Will Always Have Options
There is no one-size-fits-all hormone plan, because there is no one-size-fits-all patient. The right therapy depends on your symptoms, your labs, your medical history, your lifestyle — and your preferences. Some patients want something they never have to think about; others want the ability to fine-tune weekly. Both are valid, and both are available here.
At every decision point, you'll be presented with your options and the honest trade-offs of each. The plan we land on will be one you understand — and one you chose.
Delivery methods we offer:
Not all pellet programs are created equal — and I was picky. Before offering pellet therapy at Radiant, I evaluated the options and chose to partner with Evexias Health Solutions, because I believe they set the standard in this space: rigorous provider training and certification, high standards for pellet quality and sourcing, and dosing protocols built around the individual patient rather than a one-size-fits-all chart. If pellets turn out to be the right fit for you, you'll receive them from a practice trained in the EvexiPEL method — with the same personalized oversight as every other plan we build.
Step 1 — Initial hormone screening with our nurse ($99). A focused first visit to review your symptoms, health history, and goals, and to determine which labs are appropriate for you.
Step 2 — Comprehensive lab work. If indicated, your labs are drawn before your physician consultation — so that when you sit down with Dr. Nicoll, your results are already in hand.
Step 3 — A full hour with Dr. Nicoll. Sixty minutes. Not fifteen. We go through your labs together, line by line, in plain English. We discuss whether hormone therapy is indicated for you — and if it is, we build your plan together, with every option and its trade-offs on the table.
Step 4 — Ongoing partnership. Hormone therapy is not "set it and forget it." Your plan includes follow-up, monitoring, and thoughtful adjustments as your body responds — because the goal isn't a prescription. It's you, feeling like yourself again.
It's the most common question I get, and it deserves a straight answer: because insurance decides how medicine gets practiced.
The insurance model pays physicians for volume. That's how appointments shrink to twelve minutes, and how complex midlife hormonal changes end up "treated" with a shrug and a printout. I've practiced inside that system. It is not built for this kind of care.
By staying independent of insurance, I can spend a full hour with you at your consultation, personalize every detail of your plan, and answer to exactly one person: you. Not a billing code. Not a quota.
Is hormone therapy safe? For most healthy women who begin within about ten years of their final period, current evidence — and The Menopause Society — supports hormone therapy as safe and effective for treating menopausal symptoms. But "most" isn't "all," and headlines are not medical advice. Your personal history, risk factors, and labs all matter — which is exactly what your consultation is for.
I'm still having periods. Is it too early to come in? No. Perimenopause is often when symptoms are at their worst, and you do not have to wait until your periods stop to get help. Treating this stage well is one of the things we do best.
Do I have to commit to hormone therapy to book? Not at all. The screening and consultation are about getting you real answers. Some patients leave with a hormone plan; others learn that something else deserves attention first. Either way, you leave with a plan — not a shrug.
How soon will I feel better? It varies. Some women notice improvement within a few weeks, while finding your optimal dose can take a few months of careful adjustment. That's why monitoring and follow-up are built into every plan.
Do you treat men? Yes. I evaluate and treat men for low testosterone with the same approach I bring to women's hormone care: thorough labs, a full hour to review them together, honest guidance on whether treatment is actually right for you — and real options if it is.
What does it cost? Your initial hormone screening with our nurse is $99. Your one-hour consultation with Dr. Nicoll — labs reviewed line by line, plan built together — starts at $400. If pellet therapy turns out to be your path, insertions start at $350 and typically last about four to five months. Lab costs vary depending on which panels are right for you. We are a direct-pay practice, and we'll always be transparent about every cost before you commit to anything.
Start with a simple $99 screening visit. Bring your symptoms, your questions, and every story you've been brushed off with — they're all welcome here.
— Dr. Kim Nicoll, MD, MSCP
Radiant Aesthetics & Lifestyle Medicine is located in Leesburg, Virginia — proudly serving women and men across Northern Virginia.
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