New Patient Guide to Solcara Health in Charleston and Mount Pleasant

Ashley Harwyn, PA-C, ABAAHP  |  Published February 18, 2025  |  Last updated October 6, 2026  |  18 min read

Where we are, how to book, what to bring, and what happens at your first visit, plus a map of our services sorted by the goal you walk in with.

This guide is the practical version of a welcome. It covers what Solcara is (and is not), where both offices are, how booking works, what to bring, what a first visit covers, and a map of our services sorted by the goal you walk in with: hormones, weight, labs, skin, men's health, or women's health. Where a tip comes from federal health guidance, we cite it, so you can read the source yourself.

• Solcara Health is a concierge functional, anti-aging, and longevity medicine practice with two offices: 496 Bramson Ct in Mount Pleasant and The Longevity Club at 163 Rutledge Ave in downtown Charleston.
• You can book a first appointment online or by calling 843-981-0870. If you are coming in for a specific treatment, ask which office offers it when you book.
• The most useful thing to bring is a complete list of everything you take, including over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and supplements, or the bottles themselves.[1][3]
• Supplements can change how a medicine is absorbed or cleared, which can leave you with too much or too little of the medicine you need.[4]
• Family health history can help a clinician decide which screening tests you need and when they should start.[6]
• A first visit is history first: your story, your goals, and what you take, because your history decides which tests, if any, are worth ordering next.

What kind of practice is Solcara Health?

Solcara Health practices concierge functional, anti-aging, and longevity medicine. Our anti-aging and functional medicine service page defines that in plain terms: preventive medicine with a longer appointment, where testing is chosen from your history rather than from a menu and the plan separates what is proven from what is reasonable to try. The same page describes functional medicine as a way of working that looks for a cause rather than matching a symptom to a prescription. If the word “concierge” is new to you, our plain-language explainer on what concierge medicine is covers how that model works day to day.

Care at Solcara is led by Ashley Harwyn, PA-C, a physician assistant who is board certified in anti-aging and functional medicine through A4M (ABAAHP). She also completed an A4M fellowship in anti-aging, regenerative, and functional medicine, and she wrote about that training in her own words. Her full background is on the About Ashley page. Solcara's team also includes other clinicians, so if seeing a particular clinician matters to you, say so when you book.

Solcara is also LegitScript certified. If you are curious what that independent certification checks, we explain it in our post on what LegitScript certification means.

It helps to know where our services stop, too. Psychiatry and talk therapy are not among the services listed on our site. Our mental health support page describes the medical side instead: looking for physical causes of mood and anxiety symptoms, reviewing and managing medications and supplements, and working alongside your therapist or psychiatrist rather than replacing them.

Where are the offices, and how do I book a first appointment?

Solcara has two addresses, and you can choose whichever is easier to reach:

• Mount Pleasant: 496 Bramson Ct, Ste 120, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464.
• Downtown Charleston: The Longevity Club, 163 Rutledge Ave, Ste 202, Charleston, SC 29403.

Booking takes one of two routes. You can book online and pick a time that works, or call 843-981-0870 and talk it through. Calling is a good choice if you are not sure which visit type fits, or if you are coming in for a specific treatment. In that case, ask which office offers your treatment when you book, so you go to the right address.

When you book, say in a sentence or two why you are coming in. “Tired all the time and my last labs were normal” or “perimenopause symptoms and I want to talk about hormone therapy” says far more than “checkup.” Our customized supplements page also notes that follow-up visits for a supplement plan can happen in person or by virtual consult.

A first conversation with any new practice is a good time to learn how it runs. The National Institute on Aging suggests asking a new office which times are best to call and what to do if there is an emergency or you need care when the office is closed.[1] It also suggests asking for the medical history form ahead of your visit, so you can fill it out at home where you have the time and information you need.[1] Both are fair things to ask any office, ours included.

One firm line: a booking page is never the right tool for an emergency. Call 911 for a medical emergency. If you are in crisis or thinking about suicide, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

What should I bring to my first appointment?

Bring information, not just yourself. A clinician meeting you for the first time is working from a blank page, and a few minutes spent gathering papers beforehand gives the visit more to work with. Federal patient-safety and aging agencies agree on the core items, and they are short.

Everything you take. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) tells patients to bring all the medicines they take, including non-prescription products such as aspirin or antacids.[3] The National Institute on Aging (NIA) notes that some clinicians prefer you put every prescription, over-the-counter medicine, vitamin, and supplement in a bag and bring it, while others prefer a list of everything with the dose.[1] Either works. The NIA adds the items people forget: eye drops, vitamins, and laxatives, and how often you take each one.[2] If you take supplements, our customized supplements page asks for the actual bottles rather than a memory of the names, because it is easy to take the same nutrient in more than one product without noticing.

Why that list matters so much. Medicines can interact with each other and cause unpleasant, sometimes dangerous side effects.[2] Supplements are part of the same picture. The FDA explains that certain dietary supplements can change how a medication is absorbed, broken down, or cleared, which can leave you with too much or too little of the medicine you need.[4] Its examples: birth control pills and drugs for heart disease and depression are less effective when taken with St. John's wort, and warfarin, ginkgo, aspirin, and vitamin E can each thin the blood.[4] The FDA's short version is worth remembering: natural does not always mean safe.[4]

Your history and your records. AHRQ asks patients to know their current conditions, past surgeries, and illnesses, and to mention any problems they have had with medicines in the past.[3] The NIA suggests giving a new clinician the names and addresses of your former doctors, so your records can be requested with a signed release.[1] It also suggests bringing the names and phone numbers of other doctors you see, and your medical records if the new office does not already have them.[1]

Your family's health history. The CDC suggests writing down your close blood relatives on both sides (parents, siblings, half-siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews) and noting what conditions they had and at what age those started.[6] That is not busywork. Family health history can help your clinician decide which screening tests you need and when they should start.[6]

Your top questions, in order. The NIA recommends listing what you want to discuss and asking about the most important items first, rather than saving the real worry for the last minute.[1] It also notes that bringing a family member or friend can help, since a companion can take notes and remind you of what you planned to ask.[1]

A few notes on your symptoms. The NIA says a clinician will want to know when a symptom started, when it happens, how long it lasts, how often it occurs, and whether it is getting better or worse.[2] Jot those down before you come. A two-line note beats trying to remember on the spot.

Not sure which visit to book? Call 843-981-0870 and say, in a sentence, what brought you here. Ask which visit type fits, which office offers it, and what to bring.

What happens at a first visit?

Expect a conversation before anything else. Our anti-aging and functional medicine page sets out the order: a first visit is history first, because the history decides what is worth measuring, then targeted labs and, where it helps, body composition, then a plan. Our primary care page describes the same starting point for a preventive visit: your story, including your family history, medications, sleep, stress, and alcohol and tobacco use, and what has changed since your last visit.

Some of those questions can feel personal. The NIA explains that a clinician may ask where you live, what you eat, how you sleep, what your sex life is like, and whether you smoke or drink, and that being open and honest helps them understand your conditions fully and recommend the best treatment choices.[2]

Expect your medicines and supplements to come up, too. Our mental health support page, for example, lists a review of your medications and supplements as part of a first visit. Reviewing a complete list has a sound safety rationale, though it is fair to be precise about the evidence. AHRQ's patient-safety network describes medication reconciliation as reviewing a patient's complete medication list at transitions in care, such as hospital admission, transfer, and discharge, to avoid unintended omissions, duplications, and incorrect doses.[5] It also notes that the evidence supporting patient benefits from formal medication reconciliation is mixed.[5] A complete, current list is still what the NIA and AHRQ ask patients to bring.[1][3]

If prevention is part of your visit, a useful reference is the federal list of recommended preventive services. The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) gives an A or B grade to services with a high or moderate net benefit for patients.[8] Blood pressure screening for adults 18 and older is one of them, and the Task Force recommends blood pressure measurements outside the clinic to confirm the diagnosis before treatment starts.[8] Our primary care page covers preventive visits in more detail.

Then the visit turns to next steps. Before you leave, make sure you know what they are, and if labs are suggested, ask why. The NIA encourages patients to ask, before any medical test, why it is being done, how to get ready, and how and when the results will arrive.[9] Ask those questions here. If a treatment is on the table, ask about your options, which AHRQ also recommends.[3] For skin concerns, our hyperpigmentation page states that any spot that needs a dermatologist's exam gets referred before anything is treated.

Which Solcara service fits my goal?

If you arrive with a goal rather than a service name, this map is for you. It sorts our services by six common goals, with a sensible first page to read, related services, and what to have ready. It is a starting point for your visit, not a prescription. Your history decides what is worth measuring and what belongs in your plan.

Hormones. If your questions are about perimenopause or menopause symptoms, our guide to when to start hormone therapy is a useful read before you come. Our thyroid management page notes that hormone shifts can mimic thyroid symptoms, and it explains where a TSH blood test fits when a thyroid problem is suspected.

Weight. Our medical weight loss page lists common reasons weight will not move that can be measured on their own: thyroid function, blood sugar handling, sleep quality, iron status, and the effects of medications already being taken. Our InBody page explains why a body composition scan is better at showing change over time than as a single exact number. Our nutritional therapy is one-on-one help changing what you eat, how much, and when, with weekly coaching. If you want a feel for the process first, read what to expect from a personalized weight loss plan.

Labs. Our annual full panel labs page describes a full panel as good at two things: setting your personal baseline and catching common, often silent, treatable conditions early. It is not a full-body scan that rules everything out. Some blood tests need fasting, which means nothing to eat or drink except water for up to several hours or overnight, so ask for instructions before your draw.[7] Tell your clinician about every medicine, vitamin, and supplement you take, and do not stop a medicine unless your clinician tells you to.[7]

Skin. Our skin care page builds on a short daily routine (broad-spectrum sunscreen, gentle cleansing, and a retinoid at night), with an in-office treatment added only when your skin has a problem that routine cannot reach. The laser treatments page sorts the laser options by what they do to your skin and how much recovery they need.

Men's health. Our sexual dysfunction therapy page makes the point that sexual dysfunction is an umbrella term, not a diagnosis, and usually has a specific, treatable cause worth finding before you pay for any procedure. Our men's health evaluation guide explains the workup. For any treatment you are considering, it is fair to ask whether it is FDA-approved for your use and what the evidence shows.

Women's health. Our gynecology and fertility page lists Pap smears, birth control, breast and pelvic exams, hormone testing, and a fertility workup when pregnancy is slow to happen. Bring the date of your last cervical screening; the USPSTF recommends screening for women 21 to 65, every 3 years with a Pap test alone from 21 to 29.[8]

What happens after the first visit?

The first visit opens the file, and the follow-up is where you go over what came back. If you had labs drawn, that is the time to ask about them. The NIA suggests asking your clinician to tell you what each result means, and asking for a written copy of your results.[9] Please do both.

Between visits, a few habits help. AHRQ advises patients to call if they do not understand their instructions once they get home, to call if symptoms get worse, and to talk with their clinician or pharmacist before stopping any prescribed medicine.[3] The NIA adds a simple one: keep your clinician up to date. If you were seen in an emergency room or by a specialist, say so right away, and mention changes you have noticed in appetite, weight, sleep, or energy.[1]

Plans can also change as your results change. Our customized supplements page describes it this way: when a level comes back into range, the dose often comes down or the product comes off the list, and when a new medication starts, it is checked against what you already take.

Finally, ask questions until the answer makes sense. The NIA points out that if you do not ask, your clinician may assume you already know the answer or do not want more detail.[9] AHRQ notes that patients who ask questions and make sure they understand the answers tend to get more timely, accurate diagnoses and have better outcomes.[3] So keep asking until the answer is clear to you.

Ashley Harwyn, PA-C PA-C, ABAAHP · Founder, Solcara Health Online

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About the author

Ashley Harwyn, PA-C, ABAAHP

Founder, Solcara Health · Diplomate, American Board of Anti-Aging Health Practitioners (ABAAHP)

Ashley has practiced medicine for more than fifteen years. Her path into it began at home, with a family member born with a congenital heart defect and a childhood spent watching how much the quality of a clinician's attention could change the shape of a life. She has since practiced across a range of settings, including medical mission work in Uganda, before founding Solcara to build the kind of practice she kept wishing existed, one that treats patients as whole people and tells them the truth about what the evidence does and does not support.

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