Episodes

Breathing through your nose is one of those basic things you take for granted until you can’t do it anymore. Guest host Laura Cain talks with facial plastic surgeon Dr. Kiersten Riedler about nose surgery, specifically the septoplasty and rhinoplasty surgeries she does to fix the inside and outside of the nose. If you’re used to going through life with restricted nasal passages, you might not even realize how much better it could be. The septoplasty is surgery to straighten or correct a deviate...

Facial plastic surgeon Dr. Kiersten Riedler answers important questions about noses and rhinoplasty, like do your nose and ears really keep growing as you age? How old do you have to be to have rhinoplasty? What should you do if you get hit in the nose with a baseball? Although no two noses are the same and no two rhinoplasty procedures are the same, the approaches to surgery are fairly standard. Dr. Riedler explains the open approach, in which an incision is made externally between and inside ...

Karina Thompson has been a surgical patient care coordinator here at LJC for nearly three years. A big part of her job is delivering the details about procedures to patients who need more information to move forward, and then guiding them to the doctor who is the best fit. Before she joined the LJC team, Karina managed a medical spa in Encinitas for seven years. During her time there, she honed her ability to connect with patients and understand their goals to give them the best recommendations...

Facial plastic surgeon Dr. Kiersten Riedler shares her unique perspective on preventing aging of the face and her layered approach to preventing wrinkles, replacing lost volume, and reversing the effects of gravity. Dr. Riedler’s training has made her an expert in facial anatomy, and her specialties include face lift surgery, complex rhinoplasty, and revision rhinoplasty surgery. Thanks to her training, she is also bilingual in Spanish. Find Dr. Riedler on Instagram La Jolla Cosmetic is locate...

As we age, the lower half of our face slowly begins to fall, causing despair and confusion over how to slow it down or reverse it. Anh Bridgewater walks us through the non-surgical options for lower face rejuvenation including threads and fillers. Hear how these innovative treatments work in tandem to contour the jawline for immediate improvement without surgery. La Jolla Cosmetic is located just off the I-5 San Diego Freeway at 9850 Genesee Ave, Suite 130 in the Ximed building on the Scripps M...

Nurse Ruth has served patients at LJC for almost twenty years, mostly as Dr. Lori Saltz’s nurse and right hand. Ruth’s earliest introduction to LJC was through her father who served the practice as an accountant in the early years. After nursing school, she worked for several years as an emergency room and urgent care nurse before landing a position at LJC at age 27. She loved LJC so much, the rest is history! After working alongside now-retired plastic surgeon Dr. Michael Roark, she had an opp...

LJC’s esthetician and skin care expert Cameron Vessey takes us through treatments for melasma that actually work, including hydroquinone, kojic acid, azelaic acid, the Cosmelan peel, and lasers like Moxi or Halo. Melasma is a chronic condition of patterned pigment, for example, the occurrence of a dark “mustache” or circles on the cheeks. Although those with melasma cannot expect to ever stop treating it, this condition can be very well controlled. For so many women who suffer from melasma, oft...

Anesthesiologist Steve Saltz, MD took the “long way” to anesthesiology. He first trained in internal medicine, then served full time in an ER, trained some more in pulmonary and critical care before landing on anesthesiology and staying there ever since. Dr. Saltz has cared for thousands of patients every year since 1992. Thanks to his broad training and deep experience, anyone undergoing surgery of any kind at LJC can be confident that they are in the safest, most capable hands. Hear just a fe...

Sandra felt self-conscious about her sun-damaged skin and dark spots on her face. Like most of us, she worshiped the sun growing up and never gave a thought to the consequences. At 57, she enlisted the help of LJC laser specialist Brittany who knew the Halo laser would turn Sandra’s skin right around. Blown away by the astounding results and little downtime, Sandra now treats herself to another Halo treatment every year on her birthday. See the progression of Sandra’s Halo before & after pictur...

As a medical assistant at LJC, Taylor Camarena is one of the first people you’ll meet, and she’s just the beginning of a warm and memorable experience. Her kindness, relatability, and her capacity to convey important information are key to helping people safely and comfortably achieve their goals. An aspiring nurse injector herself, Taylor is always learning, listening, and absorbing the details around her. Hear about her favorite cosmetic treatments and the products she can’t live without. Li...

There’s nothing quite as magical as the elation of someone who’s lost weight and then had a complete body lift. LJC plastic surgeon Dr. Hector Salazar-Reyes is here to address all the complexities surrounding this life-changing intervention. Those who have had success with weight loss can sometimes feel further from their body goals due to skin laxity issues. The goal of this episode is to demystify what’s really happening underneath the surface of the skin and share why proper planning, prepar...

How often is it that you have two doctors taking care of you at one time? In the spirit of “a full dose of reassurance,” our anesthesiologist Dr. Steve Saltz details the safety measures we take at LJC before, during, and after surgery, addresses some of the most common concerns, and suggests how everyday driving might actually be riskier than undergoing anesthesia. With over 45 years of experience, Dr. Steve Saltz further educates us on those certain technologies that increasingly makes anesthe...

Aesthetic injector Julia shares her deep expertise with plumping and reshaping the lips with fillers, which of the Juvederm & Restylane products are her favorites, and why you shouldn’t be afraid of getting your lips injected if you’re in the care of a trained, experienced injector. She covers the latest trends including the Instagram-famous Russian lip technique (spoiler alert, it’s not a thing), the “lip flip,” how to avoid the “duck lips” look, and the refreshing new direction toward natural ...

While cellulite can’t be prevented, advances in technology in recent years have made it possible to successfully treat it. LJC’s injectable and laser specialist Khanh Nguyen, FNP-C discusses the recent success he’s had pairing two popular technologies that haven’t previously been combined. Khanh shares some of the perks of being an LJC patient including how the team uses their magical “bruise laser” to speed the healing of post-treatment or post-injection bruises. Cellfina cellulite treatment ...

San Diego plastic surgeon Dr. Luke Swistun is known for being a thoughtful listener and artistic surgeon. Hear about the surprising 21st century way Dr. Swistun landed his dream job at LJC and his unique path from Poland, to Chicago, to the US Navy, to Beverly Hills, and now La Jolla. Find out which surgery is his favorite to do, the work that means the most to him, and what you can expect when you have a consultation either online or in-person. Follow Dr. Swistun on Instagram Read more abou...

Longtime patient & Instagram influencer Camille Newbern reveals her three favorite medical spa treatments, the skin care product she never goes without, and the shade of her signature lipstick. Following a necessary update on Moo Shu (her pig) and Pip (her papillon), Camille talks freely about the pitfalls of being “professionally pretty” and explains how she got to 107k followers on Instagram. She shares openly about the treatments she’s had at LJC, including Botox, fillers, threads, Halo lase...

Kayla is a Certified Medical Assistant who has worked in aesthetics for nearly 5 years. She has experience assisting with nonsurgical services such as cosmetic injectables, lasers, and skin treatments, as well as assisting in minor plastic surgery procedures and pre/post-op care. Kayla helps guide our patients through the consultation process, supporting them from their first call or email, continuing up to the day of surgery. Read more about Kayla . La Jolla Cosmetic is located just off th...

Dr. Luke Swistun lets us in on how the popular booty-enhancing procedure works to create curves for those who don’t have as much body fat to spare. If your BMI is less than 25, you might think the BBL isn’t for you or believe the myth that you must first gain weight to make it possible, neither of which is true. Dr. Swistun explains where he moves the fat from in thinner patients, how lumps and bumps are avoided, and reveals his super secret method for hiding lipo scars in plain sight. Read mo...

Miriam Villanueva joined La Jolla Cosmetic as a bilingual Patient Concierge for Plastic Surgery in early 2021 when she moved to San Diego to be closer to her family. Miriam is passionate about patient care and her friendly nature will make you feel at home. She is here to help you feel comfortable, support you, and guide you through your journey. Miriam’s Spanish comments translated: I recommend you check out our website at ljcsc.com. You will find all the information about our services, our su...

Eight weeks after surgery, Laura Cain reflects on her breast augmentation results, her surprisingly easy recovery, and why she regrets waiting so long to move forward. In the third and final conversation of this three part series, Laura reflects on how much she’s changed throughout her breast augmentation experience at LJC. She shares how the decision to trust Dr. Swistun’s eye to choose the right size and shape for her body was the best choice she could have made, and how happy she is with the...

Lesa is a patient of La Jolla Cosmetic who had breast augmentation at the age of 57. Since then, she returns regularly for treatments and services to maintain a vibrant look that matches her spirit. Lesa takes us through her journey with La Jolla Cosmetic and how she learned to invest in herself. Lesa discusses why she chose La Jolla Cosmetic and Dr. Lori Saltz for her breast augmentation, what her consultation was like, and why she recommends you “just go for it” if you’re on the fence. With h...

Plastic surgeon Dr. Lori Saltz answers all of the questions women have about the mommy makeover including incisions, c-section scars, non-surgical alternatives, pain management, costs, and recovery. If you have breastfed for any length of time, Dr. Saltz discusses why it is almost certain that you’ll need a breast lift and why breast implants alone don’t lift the breasts. She explains why recovery is so challenging for women with young children and how long you should wait before having any kin...

You don’t have to look far to find scandalous headlines about the Brazilian Butt Lift. Catapulted to popularity by social media influencers, this booty-enhancing fat transfer procedure is no stranger to controversy and plastic surgeon Dr. Luke Swistun is here to set the record straight. Dr. Swistun walks us through how plastic surgeons banded together to improve outcomes and prevent patient deaths, outlining exactly how the BBL should be safely performed and what the risks are if someone decide...

Three days after surgery, we check in with Laura Cain to see how she’s feeling after her breast augmentation with Dr. Luke Swistun. Missed part 1? Listen to the first installment in Laura’s breast augmentation mini-series Listen to the Laura Cain After Dark podcast Follow Laura on Instagram See LJC’s breast augmentation before and after photos La Jolla Cosmetic is located just off the I-5 San Diego Freeway at 9850 Genesee Ave, Suite 130 in the Ximed building on the Scripps Memorial Hos...