Episodes

When Candy first started experiencing strange symptoms, her husband Michael thought it was just an aging thing. Even as she met with plastic surgeons doctors to discuss having her breast implants removed, he was supportive but skeptical. Since her explant surgery a year ago, he quickly noticed Candy has much more energy. Like having a “brand new wife,” she has the energy of a 20-something, both physically and mentally. At the first consultation, when they saw how much Dr. Luke Swistun genuinel...

During cosmetic surgery, the relationship with your nurse is so important because they hold your hand as you take this big step for yourself. In part two of Phoebe Davis’ series with her breast augmentation surgery team, she talks to Nurse Carmen about being by her side throughout her journey. Carmen opens up to Phoebe about her nursing history, from working with Dr. Brahme at his private practice 25 years ago, to joining the LJC team as Dr. Smoot’s nurse in 2018, to recently becoming Dr. Salaz...

Two months ago, Phoebe Davis had breast augmentation surgery with Dr. Hector Salazar. She’s back and she loves her results so much that she’s taking over the podcast to interview her favorite doctor. Phoebe hits Dr. Salazar with the tough questions to help others avoid common mistakes when getting breast augmentation, or any cosmetic surgery. She shares the best and worst things to do if you’re considering getting breast implants. Find out what made Dr. Salazar and Phoebe’s doctor-patient rela...

When it comes to breast implants, plastic surgeon Dr. John Smoot has seen it all. In practice since 1988, he studied with Houston plastic surgeon Dr. Thomas Cronin, the inventor of the breast implant. The earliest silicone implants had problems with rupture, and were connected to autoimmune diseases. When banned in 1992, surgeons specializing in breast surgery, including Dr. Smoot, pivoted to saline implants. After hundreds of clinical trials and research studies, silicone implants returned to...

Marie Olesen and Austin Schroeder reflect on the journey from an empty space to the grand opening of the new La Jolla Cosmetic Medical Spa in Carlsbad. Hear what you can expect when you walk through the doors of the new Carlsbad location for the first time, both visually and culturally. Book your appointment online at our Carlsbad medical spa Follow the artist who beautified our Carlsbad space, Stefanie Bales La Jolla Cosmetic is located just off the I-5 San Diego Freeway at 9850 Genesee A...

If you were the winner of LJC’S #GLAMGiveaway Sweepstakes, what would you do with the $6000 gift card? During our recent open house at the new LJC Medical Spa location in Carlsbad, hear the dream team share what they would do if they had $6,000 to spend on beauty treatments. It’s not too late to enter! Have a treatment at our Carlsbad office by April 25 to be automatically entered for a chance to win a $6,000 gift card to spend on any of your favorite medspa treatments, or see the sweepstakes ...

Plastic surgeon Dr. Diana Breister shares her perspective on the challenges and stereotypes women in plastic surgery face that their male counterparts don’t, and how being a woman and a mom influences her style of patient care. Hear her thoughts on why such a small percentage of plastic surgeons are women and emphasizes that it is totally acceptable for women to venture into fields which require significant time commitment and training. Read more about Dr. Diana Breister La Jolla Cosmetic is...

Anastasia Chu, PA-C, has a passion for aesthetics driven by psychology, firmly believing that when people feel confident in their appearance, their quality of life is improved. She discovered Botox through its use to treat migraines while practicing in neurology and has since fallen in love with preserving natural beauty. Her favorite aesthetic procedure to do is full facial rejuvenation with dermal fillers because aging takes a hit to the entire face, not just the cheeks or lips. Hear how she ...

Janine Kier is new to LJC as an aesthetician at our Carlsbad location, but she’s been working in skin care for 25 years. She loves doing treatments that make dramatic changes, such as HydraFacials or chemical peels, because watching patients gain confidence is priceless. Her interest in aesthetics stemmed from her grandmother always making sure she took care of her skin growing up, from wearing homemade face masks to using umbrellas in the sun. Hear how she went from working for dermatologists ...

Bringing her 10+ years of experience to our new Carlsbad medical spa location as practice manager in March, Charity is a true team player who helps out wherever she’s needed. Hear how her passion for aesthetics led her to LJC and how she’s grown with us from front desk coordinator to patient coordinator and now manager. With her kind personality and excitement for helping people reach their beauty goals, she and the rest of our dream team are a match made in heaven. Read more about Charity L...

CoolSculpting shines as a permanent solution if you’ve been consistent with diet and exercise and you’re close to your goals, but there’s a little bit of stubborn fat that just won’t go away. LJC’s CoolSculpting specialist Anh Bridgewater, PA-C, is here to share how far in advance you should schedule your treatments to be ready for the summer. Anh runs us through who the best candidates are for CoolSculpting, how to accelerate your results, and the average number of sessions needed to reach you...

Phoebe Davis is a former competitive bodybuilder, influencer, signed model, and reality TV star from the hit dating show Cosmic Love. Hear how she’s feeling just one week after her breast augmentation with LJC plastic surgeon Dr. Hector Salazar. As someone who went through a weight loss journey and became a bodybuilder, Phoebe deeply understands the pressures within the fitness industry. She shares her experience with body dysmorphia along with her concern that undergoing breast augmentation mi...

From the recent rise in interest for buccal fat removal to the downsizing of the rear end, Dr. Brahme gives us the full rundown on what’s trending in aesthetics as we head into 2023. With 30 years of experience in aesthetics and 18 of them at La Jolla Cosmetic, plastic surgeon Dr. Johan Brahme has seen it all when it comes to the trends that come and go. Listen as he shares his educated opinion on what can go wrong with buccal fat pad removal, weighs in on the lip lift procedure debate, breaks ...

With three decades of plastic surgery practice in aesthetics, Dr. Johan Brahme is a veteran to the craft. Hear how he transitioned from cancer surgery to plastic surgery and the unique experiences he has had throughout his successful career. His goal has always been to deliver life-changing results to every one of his patients, and he’s able to do so by listening closely to them and understanding their goals. Find out which new innovations and techniques have influenced Dr. Brahme’s ability to ...

Since 2013, Certified Aesthetic Nurse Specialist Brittany Haley has been helping patients in the LJC med spa with her extensive knowledge of a wide range of treatments. Though she is brilliant at everything she does, she’s often referred to as our “laser wizard.” Within Brittany’s 14 years of working in aesthetics, she has witnessed many innovations and improvements to the dermal fillers, neuromodulators, and lasers that were available at the beginning of her career. As an international trainer...

Most of Brittany Haley’s ThermiVa patients fall into two categories – they’re either moms with unexpected laxity and urinary incontinence or postmenopausal women wanting to feel good during intimacy again. ThermiVa is proven to improve stress urinary incontinence, internal and external laxity, orgasmic dysfunction, and more with zero downtime. Brittany shares how the treatment combo of ThermiVa and the O-shot can help you quit peeing your pants and also totally transform your romantic life. If ...

6 months after her first miraDry treatment, we check in with Julia to hear what’s changed for her and discuss why a second treatment is on the schedule. After her first treatment, Julia told others about her experience and was surprised by how many friends were also insecure about sweat and body odor. Since then, she’s found herself feeling more confident and less self-conscious. Hear how the miraDry treatment felt, what Julia needed for pain control during and after, and what she went through...

When jumping off a boat at a party ends with the demise of Tati Santiago’s left breast implant, the time for replacing her big old implants with smaller ones arrives. As the co-host of Star 94.1’s Jessie and Tati in the Morning, Tati already knew about her friend Laura Cain’s fantastic LJC experience and booked her consultation with plastic surgeon Dr. Hector Salazar immediately. Though Tati was previously hesitant to switch to silicone because of the bad rap they had in 2005, she’s so glad she...

For many people, the first experience in a cosmetic practice is the consultation, and the mystery of the process can be intimidating. Here at LJC, we want you to know exactly what to expect from beginning to end! Our patient coordinator Marissa is here to walk us through every step of the consultation journey. If you aren’t sure which procedure or provider will help you achieve your goals, patient coordinators ask all the right questions to help you find the perfect procedure and the dream team...

Collagen and fat in the face disappear over time, and once menopause hits, aging causes facial bone loss. Luckily, Sculptra can improve all three of the effects of facial aging. LJC’s Amy Biggs, PA-C, joins us to explain what Sculptra is, how it is different from other fillers, and its many benefits. Along with some instant gratification as it restores lost volume, it continues to stimulate collagen over time and improve skin quality. Hyaluronic acid fillers break down over time, while Sculptra...

NYC cosmetic breast specialist Dr. Anna Steve joins LJC plastic surgeon Dr. Hector Salazar to debate and discuss the similarities and differences between plastic surgery trends on the East and West Coasts. Ten years ago the trend was “go big or go home,” but today things have changed. The doctors cover the hottest topics surrounding breast surgery, from which brand of implants they prefer to use in breast augmentation to what they see for the future of breast surgery trends. Learn more about D...

Monique and her merry elves kick off the 14th annual 12 Days of Beauty, which means two weeks of 10 holiday promotions for all GlamFam members so you can look your best as you ring in the new year. Don’t miss out on discounts on perfectly packaged beauty combinations and bonus items you can’t catch any other time of year! These joyous offers are valid November 28th through December 9th—that’s just two weeks, so don’t wait too long to share your wishlist with us! If you’ve been considering a trea...

Plastic surgeon Dr. Luke Swistun has helped hundreds of women with breast implant removal and is deeply experienced with breast implant illness patients. In this podcast, we talk about what you might experience immediately after surgery, how much pain to expect, how long recovery might take and how complications are handled. If you have capsular contracture, implant rupture, or malpositioned implants, you’ll feel a huge difference when the implants are out. Many patients also mention less back ...

LJC facial plastic surgeon Dr. Kiersten Riedler outlines everything you need to know about facial fat transfer and injectable fillers. If volume loss in your face is starting to show your age and you’re exploring solutions to reverse it, the best method for restoring volume depends on your anatomy, age, and goals. For anyone wanting a permanent increase in facial volume along with some improvement in the quality of the skin, fat transfer is an excellent long-lasting option. If you’re wanting sh...