What Plastic Surgery Really Changes (And What It Doesn’t) | Dr. Rukmini Rednam

In this episode of More U, Dom and Dr. Ben sit down with Dr. Rukmini Rednam to talk about confidence, identity, and the reality behind aesthetic procedures.

Because looking better doesn’t always mean feeling better.

Dr. Rednam shares her perspective as a surgeon navigating beauty standards, culture, and the emotional side of transformation — and why confidence is deeper than what you see in the mirror.

This conversation goes beyond aesthetics and into something more important:
 self-awareness.

In this episode:

•  What plastic surgery actually changes 
•  The connection between confidence and identity 
•  Cultural pressure and beauty standards 
•  Why some people still feel unhappy after procedures 
•  The emotional side of aesthetic medicine 

This isn’t about perfection.
 It’s about understanding what actually matters.

🎧 Subscribe to More U Podcast for real conversations about growth, confidence, and becoming more aware.

📲 SOCIAL MEDIA

Podcast:
More U Podcast: @more_u_official

Hosts:
Dom: @dominicmazzone1
Dr. C: @manyfacesofchicago

Guest:
Dr. Rednam@dr.rednam

#MoreUPodcast
 #DrRednam
 #PlasticSurgery
 #Confidence
 #AestheticMedicine

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Seeing people who just like were had really bad reconstruction, to be honest, and like, you know, fixing it and then seeing like their whole personality change.

SPEAKER_00 0:08

I have this woman, she's a thirty-five years old, she lost 150 pounds. I mean, I swear to god, I f I wish I could do the case for free.

SPEAKER_03 0:14

Her neck looks awful. I mean, would you say that the world of AI and just out-of-control social media makes it more difficult these days to get those expectations in line?

SPEAKER_01 0:23

If somebody comes in and wants to look like, you know, a certain thing and they don't have that frame, I'm not gonna operate on you because I don't think I'm gonna be able to make you happy.

SPEAKER_00 0:34

Give it a sec. What are you thinking, Dom? Let me hear. He was gonna say something profound, I can tell.

SPEAKER_03 0:38

First of all, it's really good to see you.

SPEAKER_00 0:40

Ah, it's always good to see you.

SPEAKER_03 0:42

Um, I didn't tell you that earlier before we were in the prelim here, but it is really good to see you. Man, you look good. First of all, it looks like you got you're getting shot out of a cannon. It was a heavy week. Poof.

SPEAKER_00 0:52

It's been super busy. Oh, wait, we got Eddie Rednum.

SPEAKER_01 0:55

Okay, sorry, y'all.

SPEAKER_00 0:58

No problem. Great to see her.

SPEAKER_01 1:01

How are you doing, buddy?

SPEAKER_00 1:02

You look great. I broke my hand this year, so I was uh you know hiding it and operating with it. So uh it was one of our one of our episodes where I fell off my screen. Yeah. How far is your house from your your clinic?

SPEAKER_01 1:14

Oh, like 10 minutes.

SPEAKER_00 1:16

Yeah, again, you got you made it home quick.

unknown 1:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:18

Okay, Dom, I'm gonna let you run with it on the head, I think, here a little bit. Let's get going.

SPEAKER_03 1:23

I mean, first of all, uh we're so excited to have you. This is gonna be a great time for you because it's all about you. And the whole idea of this podcast is for people to help them get more them out of them, more you out of you, is really why we call it that. So I want you to just first of all be super comfortable you're in good hands, uh, and we're so excited about having you. And um, I think um I was I was going through all your stuff, and and I was trying to actually be honest. I was trying to look for questions that like people wouldn't normally ask you, but I think I have to ask you some of the normal questions too, right? Um, to start out with. And one of the things that I thought was interesting, like, you know, you being a surgeon and and some of these going on, it seems like you started to create this like really nice niche and this bit of focus on like post-weight loss. Um, and I just was hoping that like what are you seeing really kind of in this like post-weight loss world right now?

SPEAKER_01 2:24

Well, I think it's like, I mean, there's communities that have been built now. Um there's there's celebrities in the post-weight loss world now, which I think is really interesting. We like I I feel like even five years ago you didn't see that. Um, but it's um it's a niche I like partially because the people who are the people, I guess I don't want to say patients because they're people, but the people involved with it, they they you know they're very realistic in what they want. Um, you know, for majority of them, it's not just about how they look, it's it's a it's about a better quality of life. Um and I think it's a happy environment, right? They've they worked really hard, they've lost this weight, they're healthier, and I feel like with what we do in plastic surgery, like it's awesome. Like we get to help people realize that dream in a really healthy way.

SPEAKER_03 3:11

So I just want to be sure because what you're saying is amazing, and I want to make sure we catch it all. And you were gonna ask a question, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:19

Likewise, I mean, I think the the post-weight loss patient or person, as you said very uh appropriately, um, they're they're so grateful. I mean, they feel good overall, and unfortunately, the skin component to it, there. I mean, I have this woman, I think I talked about her last week, Dom. She's a 35 years old, she lost 150 pounds. I mean, I swear to God, I I wish I could do the case for free. Like, her neck looks awful. I mean, just to be blunt about it. And the poor woman feels great. She lost this weight, she had been big her whole life. Like, you can see it was like this whole monumental change she was going through, and she's like, But my neck looks like and I mean, she was right, it looked bad. So, I mean, we're gonna fix it and she's gonna pay. You know, I would do it for free, I promise if I could. But it it some of those people that they're in the right mindset now, they feel awesome, but then I mean, some of the skin is just hard to deal with at a certain level.

SPEAKER_01 4:11

And 35, like you don't want to look like you're a 70-year-old woman at 35.

SPEAKER_00 4:16

No, a hundred percent. I mean, insurance should pay for it, I swear to God. I really think they should at this point. They some of your stuff are do you get anything covered?

SPEAKER_01 4:23

I do get I can get if they have like all the medical documentation, I can get paniculectomy and breast reductions, but that's about it. Even with documentation for other things, insurance won't cover anything.

SPEAKER_00 4:36

I mean, I really it'll be a matter of time, I would think, when like the mental health component of that is gotta come into play somehow.

SPEAKER_03 4:45

So um what I was gonna ask though, too, in in this kind of post-late weight loss world, um, are you seeing like almost equally men and women? Are you seeing like one more than the other? What are you seeing?

SPEAKER_01 4:59

Um, I'd say still majority women, but compared to like my general aesthetics population, I see a lot more men. Like so I do think the number of men is increasing. Um, I think that women are still more, I don't want to say particular, but they they they care more about certain things than some of the weight loss men do. Um but for body contouring and chest surgery, I see a lot of men for that.

SPEAKER_03 5:25

Okay. And then anything um for people that are on their way of losing weight, like as they're going through the process and anything like that, is there anything they could or should be doing to help it along by the time they get to you? Like, is there anything they should be thinking about on the way?

SPEAKER_01 5:40

I mean, a lot of what they're doing to lose weight is usually preparing them, right? So, like they have to make sure they have good nutritional status. So hopefully losing the weight in a healthy way. I'm a big fan of anaerobic exercise, right? So I think everybody should be lifting weights and putting on muscle because they're not gonna get to exercise like they normally do while they're recovering. Um, and I think mental health is a huge part of it, right? So I see people who didn't really, you know, they've lost weight, they did all these things, but they haven't really, you know, taken the time to talk about the mental reasons for why they were in the position they were in. And so those don't go away after surgery, and they sometimes get worse. And so that I think that really sitting down, spending that time to be like, okay, my body's recovering, but I need to work on my mind now too. Um, because that's the only way that you get to the other side of this and you feel really good.

SPEAKER_03 6:32

So speaking of that, you know, you're you're known as the confidence doc. And by the way, I love that branding. I think it's I think it's just so great, and I think it really embodies what it is you provide for people, um, which is so wonderful. First of all, uh I have a lot of questions um uh uh about the parts of things that you do, but where did this idea of the confidence doc come from?

SPEAKER_01 6:58

So I guess I don't know. We started like several years ago, and I was like, Oh, I want to come up with a name, a catchy name, I don't know. And uh, but we couldn't quite figure out because I do, you know, I do cosmetic, I do reconstructive, and we just my team and I were sitting there and we were just like, well, what do what's our end goal for every symbolic person we take care of? And we're like, well, we want them all to feel confident, and then I was just like, well, that actually sounds pretty good. So that's really where it came from, is that it doesn't matter what we do in plastic surgery, we want our patients to be happy and confident.

SPEAKER_03 7:31

That makes sense. Was there a patient moment for you that kind of lit that idea up in particular? Was there something in particular?

SPEAKER_01 7:38

Uh, there's so many patient moments like that, right? Like, I mean, like I honestly would tell you it started with my breast recon patients, like, you know, like seeing people who just like were had really bad reconstruction, to be honest, and like, you know, fixing it and then seeing like their whole personality change. Um, it just, you know, like I said, just all of a sudden someone who is like hiding themselves is now dressing in like a sexy red dress and coming to a clinic that way. It's just like you know that you've made people feel good about themselves.

SPEAKER_03 8:07

Yeah, that's so great. Um, and is there I know you mentioned one thing, but is there a surgery you would say that gives like the most confidence? Is there is there certain like a certain one like category where you're like, oh this is the this is like people feel just amazing from that?

SPEAKER_01 8:23

Uh uh I guess what I if I had to pick one thing, it'd be like a tummy tuck or a body lift.

SPEAKER_00 8:29

Like that really I mean those those those weight loss ones, those people are, I mean, they're unrecognizable when they lose that kind of weight. And I think if we're gonna learn a lot about these drugs being like power, and not all of them are Ozempic. I know everybody gets that assumption now, but we're gonna learn that like we are uh people are gonna live longer for a lot of reasons, I think. When they get feeling good, looking good, kind of thing, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 8:52

That's great. Um, and I think what you're doing for people is indeed like giving them that confidence back, and or confidence maybe that they never had, um, which is great. Is there is there anything where people come to you for surgery for something and you're like, hey, that's not like a surgical. This is it's it's more of a non-surgical thing that we need to do for you. Is there anything that you you see in your practice that's like that?

SPEAKER_01 9:16

Um I don't know that I get that much that I'd say is like if someone comes in non-surgical, I think it's just sometimes it's more of an expectations type thing. If somebody comes in and wants to look like, you know, a certain thing and they don't have that frame, um, you know, and then that's not that's in regular, you know, not necessarily post-massive weight loss patients, too. It's just sometimes trying to keep expectations real. And so it's like in those cases, it's like I don't, I'm not gonna operate on you because I don't think I'm gonna be able to make you happy with this. Um, but there's I don't think there's that many times. Sometimes I would say more for facial procedures. Sometimes I'm like, that's a really good filter or good makeup contouring. I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 9:59

So and is it, I mean, would you say that the world of AI and just social media like out-of-control social media makes it more difficult these days to get those expectations in line?

SPEAKER_01 10:13

Yeah, 100%, 100%. Like I recently saw another another plastic surgeon had done like a a pretty like well-known weight loss influencer, and she looks awesome. He did a great job. And like all these comments, like he literally had a post that was like, This is why I hate people. And it was like all these comments, and people are like, She's not that splat, she's not this and that, and he took like 30 pounds off of her. It's just like we've got we've just gotten in this stage where no one can be realistic about it, and the patient's super happy. So, why is everyone sitting there trying to point out every flaw, you know?

SPEAKER_00 10:51

Yeah, yeah, it's a I I really, I really wish I didn't have to do as much social media marketing from that perspective as I do. You know, we we have social media people in the office, and I know the damn platform is better than all of them because I've been doing it for so long. I know like all the ins and outs, and I'm like, ah god, I wish I didn't know this.

SPEAKER_03 11:10

Um yeah, well, I think it's and look, it makes your guys' jobs a lot harder. I mean, for there's two things. First of all, you have people with expectations that are just not realistic, and then in addition to that, you know, you constantly have critics basically telling, by the way, critics that really don't have the education or the know-how or any of those types of things, just neuropeople going. I mean, a thing it's worse too is you put a really nice before and after, and they're like, that's AI. And you're like, no, no, it's not. I actually did that.

SPEAKER_01 11:44

No, what's better is like the people that like they're like, that side's higher than that side, or or this is I'm like, shut up, but come on.

SPEAKER_00 11:52

He's like, oh my god, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:54

Why don't you come in next time and tell me how to do it?

SPEAKER_00 11:57

I like, I like the haters. They they they feed me. You know, uh, I was telling Dom, Dom was like, what should we ask her? He's like, What do you want to ask her about surgery? I was like, man, honestly, at this point, the surgery is easy. That's like the easiest part of my job is the the surgery. It's like managing all of this other stuff. I mean, the sur if I could just operate all day and not have to talk to anybody and and deal with the marketing and the and the running the office and all that, it would be like, you know, uh fun and games. I'm I'm really interested in your your non-surgicals. I think you're doing a really good job. I'm pretty sure I saw you're at like Paris Fashion Week or something.

SPEAKER_02 12:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:31

I mean, that's I'm interested in in that aspect because you know, running the practice, being busy surgically is one thing, but then tying in, I mean, you have your podcast, I was on your podcast. Uh, like, I mean, you're just piling it on.

SPEAKER_01 12:44

Well, um, I don't know. I guess like I got to a point where I'm like, okay, I got a busy practice. I still always I feel like you always want your practice to keep growing. But um, there's just a lot of things that I wanted to do that I didn't, you know, it's like, oh, go to med school, do that, you know, you just didn't have time. And I've always really enjoyed fashion and design. And so I um enrolled back in school and I'm taking classes um to get my fashion certification. And um, and then part of that was like getting to so I started a jewelry, a medically inspired jewelry line, and then I'm doing other like clothing and things like that. So it was just um it's just something that's like feeding a different passion for me, you know.

SPEAKER_00 13:23

Yeah. And you start to learn that you can't operate forever, right? I mean, I'm over here stretching my neck, it's like I'm sore. I told Dom this before. My father was a roofer. I used to roof houses with him, and he would look at me like, you're doing this, so when you're older, you can use your brain, not your back. And I'll I'll call him from time to time, like, dude, I'm still using my back, man. I'm I'm I make more I make more money than a roofer, but I'm labor.

SPEAKER_01 13:45

I mean, I don't think the average person realizes how physically demanding our job actually is.

SPEAKER_00 13:50

Yeah, no, honestly.

SPEAKER_03 13:51

Yeah, no, I mean, I think it's I mean, obviously, uh maybe because I hang around all you guys. Like, I I see how physically demanding it is. I mean, you're first of all, it's mentally draining. It's physically, you're in positions that you're stuck in for a while. I mean, this is hard on you guys. Oh, I'm sorry, but I can't. I heard medically inspired jewelry line, and I think we've got to take a pause and just forget in on that a little bit.

SPEAKER_01 14:18

Yeah, so okay, I don't know if you can see this. Like, so this is one of my pieces, this bottom one. Can you see that close up there? So yeah, I can see it. Yeah, so um, it's a pair of boobs. Um, but um but nice, but my I wouldn't have thought that by the way. Well, and that's the thing is everything looks pretty by itself. Um, but like I did scalpels, I did all those things, everything's like real, so I I'm a little bougie with some stuff. So um everything's like real gold, real silver and diamonds, and um, but I actually cast scalpels. Um so like a 10 blade, I have a 15 blade coming out. Um, and it's just because I was like, wait a sec, this is my market. I know this market, this is what I'd want.

SPEAKER_00 15:00

Um, and so what about a 15C for the for the facial?

SPEAKER_01 15:05

A 15C. Actually, I am doing it, I'm doing a 15C because it's actually you're gonna laugh. That's what my tattoo is. I have a 15 C on my arm. See you, okay. Kind of like it. Good job.

SPEAKER_00 15:15

Yeah, I appreciate that.

SPEAKER_01 15:16

But yeah, so I'm doing a 15C because it looks more elegant, actually as a yeah, it's a little more slender, a little more slick.

SPEAKER_00 15:22

Yeah, I like that too.

SPEAKER_01 15:23

But um, but it there's a lot of like kind of chancy jewelry out there that's medical. Um, and so I was like, okay, I I know, especially women plastic surgeons who would love to wear this type of stuff. And so it's done really well. I have like a little hemostat necklace and things like that. And so um a lot of it's just been like looking at stuff we have and then turning it into jewelry.

SPEAKER_00 15:45

How do we buy, you know, I gotta get my fellow something for Chris for for this year. How do I how do we you ping me later?

SPEAKER_01 15:52

I will, I will, definitely.

SPEAKER_00 15:53

Well, I mean, tell everybody, you might as well tell everybody now. So there's two ways.

SPEAKER_01 16:00

So um one is off of my it's not my practice website. I have a separate website, it's vinayarednum.com, and you can see my whole collection on there. The other place you can buy it off of is Lady Spine Doc Shop. So I did a collaboration with her as well.

SPEAKER_03 16:16

Okay, we'll make sure we get that in the comments. Yeah, that'd be good. Um so we can we can link to it. And then is that part of kind of some of the angel investing? Um I noticed that was on your bio. Is that kind of part of what you're doing?

SPEAKER_01 16:30

That's part of it. I just my husband and I both do a lot of different investing in different things because like you were talking about, man. Like, I you gotta think about the future, right? Like, I feel like we're we're similar to athletes, you know, pro athletes, but we push ourselves beyond sometimes what we should with our bodies. And so my goal is I love operating, I want to do as long as I can, but we want to be able to have like you know, I want to make it to where it's it's not my I have to do.

SPEAKER_02 16:58

Not every day, yeah, for real. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:00

Yeah. So um there's a lot of different medical companies that invested with just products I believe in. Um, if I use it and I think it's good, a lot of times I'll reach out to the company, especially these smaller companies, just be like, hey, are you looking for investors? Um, I think you know, if it's something you're using already and you think it's a good product, I think it's worthwhile to do it. And then there's just I do a lot of um different real estate investments as well. And so um it's just it's I've learned a lot about business through that. Um and I feel like all of that applies back to running your own practice as well.

SPEAKER_03 17:33

And and how are you um how are you kind of balancing kind of work and branding and normal life and investing? Like I what what are your what are you doing? How do you keep sane? You know, those are the things we we really get interested in.

SPEAKER_01 17:48

Uh I don't really balance. Um so what I will tell you is like a year ago I finally hired like a personal assistant, and that made a huge difference. Um, just literally, and it's it sounds silly, but having somebody go fill up my car with gas, like it's just stuff that like I can save time on. Um, but then she also helps me with all my basic stuff. Um, and that's made a big difference. I have a pretty awesome team at work um who I feel like really keep things running smoothly. Um and then I I have a badass husband who really does help me with everything. Um so I think that you know some days you're better at one thing than another. But um I I don't think to date anything is suffered because I put too much time into one versus the other. But I just pick pick and choose which days. I think I do utilize a lot of my, you know, time that off time to do the non-medical things, um, which maybe other people just be hanging out and doing whatever. But I feel like I'm just a person that likes to be busy. I like to keep creating things.

SPEAKER_03 18:51

Well, that makes sense. And you seem like you stay pretty fit too, right? Like in general, like you're exercising, you're taking good care of yourself.

SPEAKER_01 18:59

I used to, before my kids, I was a big CrossFitter. I mean, I'd get up at like 4 a.m., go work out and shower at the surgery center. I I don't do that anymore. Um, but um, but I do, I stay pretty active. And and like I said, Lipo 360 is a really good workout.

SPEAKER_00 19:16

Yeah. I'll wear my aura ring every now and then.

SPEAKER_01 19:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:19

Forget to take it off and it'll it'll log exercise.

SPEAKER_01 19:22

I always laugh. I'm like other removing other people's fat is one of my best workouts.

SPEAKER_00 19:28

Yeah, that's pretty, that's pretty good, actually. It's kind of motivating too. When you see it, you're like, oh, I gotta have that hot dog later.

SPEAKER_03 19:34

This right shoulder was destroyed by CrossFit, so I'm I'm right with you. And uh it's still working out, but but yeah, not as hardcore as I I was in the past.

SPEAKER_01 19:42

I mean, I was a pregnant CrossFitter. I I was hardcore, but I just yeah, I suck.

SPEAKER_00 19:48

They're they're getting a little bounce back. I think a lot of people are kind of they're wearing out, they're wearing people out of it.

SPEAKER_01 19:53

They're breaking down, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:55

Yeah, it's a young, young person's game.

SPEAKER_03 19:57

Well, it's a it's actually a really good example of the idea of CrossFit when you think about it. We'll take a just a 60-second departure here. When you have a bunch of people doing exercises as fast as they possibly can and not focused on form, you're gonna get hurt. Like it's just it's that easy. I mean, CrossFit has to be like an orthopedic surgeon's like dream. Um because you're just got a lot of people that don't have form, and I think it makes sense when you have people that like don't know what they're doing, it's dangerous, right? Speaking of people that don't know what they're doing, and it's dangerous. I'm gonna bounce back to it.

SPEAKER_01 20:39

Oh, transition.

SPEAKER_03 20:40

Do you like that? Do you like that? It's pretty good, right? Look at Ben, how many uh podcasts in? Did you see that transition? I was screwed, man.

SPEAKER_00 20:47

I mean, I knew you would be.

SPEAKER_03 20:49

Maybe a nine from the Michigan judge. Um, what I would say is where do you stand on the filler debate out there? Of you got surgeons trash and filler, you got social media people trash and filler, all that kind of stuff. I'm just curious where your head's at. Um, you mean like the debate like no you no filler at all versus no filler, filler sticks around, filler makes surgery more complicated, all that migrating, all that stuff. What are your thoughts?

SPEAKER_00 21:19

Dom owns uh like 45 med spas. Uh before you answer, before you answer the question, he's kind of uh snaking you in there, but so so I I'm not anti-filler at all.

SPEAKER_01 21:31

Um I'm anti-people who do bad fillers. Um I think that I think that there's a a time and place for fillers. Um I, you know, what's the whole mar-a-lago face, like the overfilled puppy face or whatever? I I don't I don't like that aesthetic. Um I'm a big fan of fat crafting, right? I think that that works really well for the face. Um but I mean I've had fillers in my face before, so I don't think that's a problem. I think, like I said, I think it's just overdoing it or doing too much at once. Um can cause problems with it. Um, but I also think for the surgeons who have issues with it. I actually talked to someone in my podcast recently about this, and he's like, Well, it it depends on what plane you do your facelift in, too, right? Whether that's gonna be a problem for you or not. And so um I don't think fillers are evil. It is I think the operator is really, really important. And I think we got a lot of bad operators out there.

SPEAKER_03 22:24

We got a lot of bad operators out there. And just for Clary's sake, you know, almost all of our clinics are all Dr. Ran clinics. They're some of the best in the world. Um but we feel the same way. We feel that it's not about the filler, it's about whose hands that filler um is being administered in. And we think that, you know, there's just a lot of miscommunication, and we're kind of making a little bit of our mission to make sure that we kind of clear up some of that miscommunication out there. Um, I'm feeling like it's starting to to soften a little bit. Yeah, I'm starting to feel like it's softened a little bit. Um, I don't know. I'm just curious about what you're seeing.

SPEAKER_01 23:07

With like regulation.

SPEAKER_03 23:09

Do you are you more along lines of just more along? Sorry, Ben, and I we're so we're so excited. We have so many questions.

SPEAKER_00 23:16

Are you uh are you solo solo or do you have anybody injected? Do you have nurses' injectors or do you do anything?

SPEAKER_01 23:20

No, I'm not like so. I guess we're set up like I have med spas too, but they're separate from the practice. And then um, but like so on my surgical side, I don't I'm the I I do my own stuff. Um, and I have a PA who does some stuff as well, but like um, but pretty much majority of like our fillers and botex are done in our spa by nurses.

SPEAKER_03 23:40

Yeah, okay. And would you um I I I guess sorry, and I lost my train of thought on that, but I just want to say from a filler perspective, um again, it in the right hands, I think it makes a difference. I what I'm wondering is we're starting to see maybe people starting to turn a little bit in the sense of everyone was really anti-filler, I would say the first half of the year. And second half of the year, we're starting to see people kind of go, well, yeah, okay, I think I'll listen to my doctor or my healthcare provider and see what they have to say. And I was just wondering if you guys are seeing anything differently there too.

SPEAKER_01 24:23

Um, I think from a um, like I think from people who've been coming in, like the people I've been doing injectables for years, like none of none of them have listened to that. Um, I think that like you do every once in a while someone come in and like who's new and they're like, oh, I think this is migrated filler from like a decade ago. And I'm like, I I don't think I think you just aged it. I don't think that's your filler that migrated. Um, and I mean I none of the studies show that like hyaluronic acid should stay around. Doesn't science doesn't make sense there to me.

SPEAKER_00 24:54

And you know, my argument is always like if it's that's the biggest complaint is it goes away too quickly, right? Yeah, if there was a product that stayed 10 years and didn't cause granulomas, we'd be using it. So yeah, I think this is a communication thing. It's a it's the this this one thing the social media world and influencers on the social media world have uh they try to oversimplify a very complicated scenario, right? Very complicated aesthetic, very complicated anatomy, very complicated physiology and science. It's like filler stays there forever. You know, well, no, I mean it's it's it's a product you have in your body already, you're gonna break it down, you know. So um, yeah, it's one of those things I think that that that's the no go ahead.

SPEAKER_01 25:35

Controversy cells, right? Like so Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 25:38

It's hot, it's much hotter to say something crazy than the truth, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 25:41

Yeah, yeah. Well, this is like I remember a lady came back to me 10 years after I did Lipo on her, and she's like, it doesn't look the same. And she clearly gained a ton of weight and had a baby. And I was like, she was legit like it doesn't look the same. And I I'm like, Well, yeah, I mean, you gained weight and you had a kid. I mean, what do you like? But in her brain, it was like she was just ready to be angry at the doctor, you know? And I think that's kind of what this is, too. It's like very easy to be like, it's right now, especially it's like the doctors are the enemies, and so uh, you know, this happened because the doctor didn't wasn't honest with me. And so, yeah, I I do think it's often. I think that now there's newer things out there to be angry at us about.

SPEAKER_00 26:25

Yeah, probably that's true. It's actually probably a good sign for the world if people are complaining about that kind of stuff, you know. The world's not crazy enough to keep people occupied. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 26:34

Ben and I were having um, we were just having a uh a debate last week about a lot of celebrities saying that they're not getting Botox and filler. Oh, yeah. But when you look at them, you go, You're actually getting Botox and filler. Like we actually know what a face that has no Botoxin filler looks like. Um, whether you're getting fantastic treatments with great outcomes, but we can we can tell and we see it. And I think there's this whole thing of saying, okay, I'm now gonna deny this.

SPEAKER_01 27:05

Yeah. Well, I noticed, yeah, some of them are like, oh, we I want I want people to see what a naturally aging face looks like. Well, guess what? It depends on your ethnicity, your sun expression. There's so many things, there's no such thing as naturally aging face. So it's I don't know, if they just want to stand out and look special, I guess, you know, but they make money by their face, so uh, you know, they do what they or their whole bodies, everything. So yeah.

SPEAKER_03 27:30

Well, and sorry, let's go back to the confidence doc here. Like we were saying that Ben and I were also debating the fact that you know, nobody should actually really be allowed to have any commentary on what anybody else does. If that makes them happy and makes them feel good, then that's that's it. That's that's it. Full stop. End of story. Like leave them alone. One um one thing I was just gonna ask you is um, is there surgeries that you see out there that are like being done or being talked about that you're like, nah, don't do that. Like, that's not a good thing. Is there anything out there that sticks in your head that you keep seeing or hearing about? And you're like, I need to, I need to tell people not to do this.

SPEAKER_01 28:17

So for body stuff, I can't think of a lot of things for facial stuff. Man, there's like so much stuff. Um, you know, like I like a lot of this stuff come out of Asia where there's just like direct excisions of these 20-year-olds around their lips and like crown, like right, like I I think there's just a lot of very extreme stuff coming out of Asia that I think is concerning and I wouldn't touch. Um, I can't say with body stuff, I feel like the big BBLs are going out.

SPEAKER_00 28:49

Um, definitely you don't see those as much, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 28:52

But but we are getting more people wanting reversals of them. And it is hard because they don't understand that reversal isn't just sucking the fat out. Like you've stretched out this tissue thing, so really reversing a BBL involves like a lower body lift now. Um, and that that sucks, especially when you're young and wouldn't have otherwise needed that. Um but yeah, so I would say mainly it's been a lot of crazy facial stuff that I I that I they see, and I'm like, I I can't believe people are letting someone do this to them.

SPEAKER_03 29:21

Got it. And what are you seeing trending in breast augmentation? Is there anything like trend wise that you're seeing?

SPEAKER_01 29:28

I think that seeing a lot smaller sizes. Like I don't think I think I know this is regional too, right? So it depends on where you're at regional wise. And I mean, I'm in Texas, so there's still plenty of women who aren't like very full cleavage, but um, but I'd say that like you're seeing a lot more people who are like understanding a little bit more that their that breasts would age better if they're not quite as big. Um, and so that that's been kind of nice because that's I like that personal aesthetic myself. Um, and that's what how I talk to people about it. And I'm like, okay, you can go bigger, but you know, just like anything, you have more weight, it's it's not necessarily gonna age as well as something that's a little bit lighter. Um, and I feel like they I don't know, they keep calling the term the ballerina boobs or something. I don't know, they come up with a name for everything. Um that was kind of going around this year, and it was just the idea that you can have an augmented look without initially being huge. So I think that I'm seeing I am seeing that more where people are coming in wanting something more subtle.

SPEAKER_03 30:27

That makes sense. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 30:29

Yeah, the natural, subtle, sneaky kind of stuff is hot right now.

SPEAKER_01 30:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 30:34

Natural, subtle, sneaky? I like that band.

SPEAKER_01 30:37

Well, it's basically like it's basically like you have plastic surgery, but well, it's what we want, right? You have plastic, but nobody really knows you have plastic. I mean, that's good, that's good work.

SPEAKER_00 30:45

It's it's nicer to deliver. I mean, I definitely get the people that want the extreme change. They want to say a completely different person. And then you're like structurally changing them at the same time, you've got to mess with the fat and the skin and the muscles. It's like it's complicated. So sometimes nice, natural is a nice thing to deliver.

SPEAKER_03 31:03

I mean, that's aesthetics in general, obviously, right? Where the the the best, best, best outcomes are the ones that you can't really notice. Yeah. Um, and I think I think that's a that's a big part of it. Um, I'm curious, um, just from um like in your field and what you're seeing and and everything, is there like any breakthroughs around the corner that you got your eye on? Is there anything that like, you know, in three years from now or four years from now, there's something new that's gonna kind of hit the market that you're like, okay, this is where this is going. Are you seeing any trends?

SPEAKER_01 31:43

Um, I think we're, I mean, I think it's always been the focus for scar care, but I think we're trying, we're seeing more stuff coming out that's really thinking more about like the mechanics of scar care, right? So there's more divide there's multiple devices now for like tension reduction. Um, I think what I would like to see, I don't know what exact is out there, is more more stuff that's gonna be working on pigmentation. Um, because there's a huge population of people who hyperpigment and it can take a really great result and ru and not ruin it necessarily, but like take away some of the positive because the scar is super obvious because of pigmentation. Um, so that's something that hopefully somebody super smart is working on. Like, because I don't, I mean, if we do all the right things with the scars, then it may be something that required more that's like some sort of pre-treatment or medication in order to produce melanin a melanin antibody or something weird, yeah. Like there was that really horrible 80s movie, like Soul Brothers, something where you took these pills.

SPEAKER_02 32:43

Oh, Soul Man.

SPEAKER_01 32:44

Soul Man, yes. Yes, that was it. So we just need the opposite of that.

SPEAKER_02 32:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 32:50

That was a terrible movie. Yeah, I mean, but yeah, so that that's something I'm excited to be able to see um coming out there. And I think that, you know, we've gotten now these new products, right, that are like fat, preserved fat. Um, to be able to see that in larger quantities for less money because they're really expensive right now. That would also be something that I'm really excited about. And I feel like that's coming around the corner because what's available now, like a few years ago, was only like one CC, and now you can buy it in 25 CCs, you know, 50. So um, I think that that's gonna be a big exciting thing.

SPEAKER_03 33:27

That's that's that is exciting, um, because there's so much you can do with that, obviously, right? That's great. Um we like to ask every guest uh these two questions, and um and these are fun questions, right? Is there is there something that either you know you do surgically or non-surgically, or whatever it is that you feel is just absolute magic that like people should know about and do? Is there something where you're like, this is this is like everybody loves this, and it's just such an amazing product or device or procedure? Is there anything like that that you feel is like just absolute magic?

SPEAKER_01 34:06

Like a per se a procedure that I do that I feel is again, it could be any of those things.

SPEAKER_03 34:11

It could be a procedure, it could be non-surgical treatment, it could be a piece of jewelry.

SPEAKER_01 34:18

I I will tell you, I think I do a pretty amazing flirt flirtily body lift. I think that that's a hard procedure and people shirk shirk away from it because of that vertical scar, but I think I do it amazing flirtily.

SPEAKER_03 34:31

Can you explain just for people out there that don't know what a flirtily um which is myself?

SPEAKER_01 34:38

So um, so with a tummy tuck or a body lift, you're only talking about a horizontal, low horizontal scar. But specifically in the weight loss population, you see people who have not just vertical laxity, but horizontal laxity. So I could pull till the cows come home, and that's not gonna take care of that horizontal laxity. So for them, I'm actually pulling in the middle, so you end up with a vertical scar down the middle. So there's a couple reasons why people, one is that scar for a lot of people is unpredictable and it can look really ugly, and they're like, ah, I have this scar down the middle of me. The belly button looks horrible. So I actually picked up uh from a friend who just makes a new bell, a neo umbelcus. So I completely cut their belly button out and I make them a new one in it so I can predict how it looks. So it looks really natural, they don't get this huge hole that's gaping in the middle. Um, and then um, and the way that I close that in central part, am I allowed to say a product name on your I don't want to go for it.

SPEAKER_03 35:37

Yeah, you can move in, make them a sponsor. Wait, but my gym is a sponsor, like just bring them up.

SPEAKER_01 35:42

So so I use bridges, like those little clips. They have been a game changer for me. I use them on arms, thighs, everything. Like they it the different, like, but when I started using those like two years ago, like my scars look so good because the biggest problem with the fleur-de-lee is tension, because especially if they big breasts or something like that, it pulls at that, it offloads the tension on there. I still close at the same time.

SPEAKER_00 36:06

What is it? What's it called?

SPEAKER_01 36:07

Bridget's B-R-I-J-J-I-T. They look they're little they're stickers, they're literally little stickers on there. Um, uh Monty Eves is the doctor who developed them. Um, and like, but like you literally just stick them on a centimeter apart and they offload enough tension, it reduces the breakdown by like 90%. And the scars look super thin. Um, and I keep them on for like six to eight weeks, and then I do my scar care and stuff like that. And honestly, like the Flirtalys, just it just ends up looking like um a little bit of contouring for their abs. Um, and so it's it's been a it's been a game changer, and so I like I won't tell you I'm the best at everything, but I know I'm really good at those. Like I get really great results of that.

SPEAKER_00 36:52

That's the key, you know. Uh I try to I try to tell patients that you want you want to go to the person that does that thing super well because the horror you hate to see people that get bad plastic surgery, and nobody's doing bad plastic surgery on purpose. It's just you know, they're having a complication, or yeah, but the only way to reduce complications is somebody that's doing more and more and more of them, and then you do more of them, you get better at it. It's like this cycle. So you got to find that person. If it bugs you, no, send my this person there, that person there, and I think it's okay. A lot of people go, they want their whole body, face, neck, bluff, ptosis, everything repaired at once. I'm like, there's not many people that can do everything awesome, so just keep that in mind when you're finding somebody, you know. Yeah, it is hard.

SPEAKER_01 37:36

I get it. It's hard to like figure out like who's good. You go online, everyone's website's like, I'm the best for me, or whatever, you know. So it's hard.

SPEAKER_03 37:45

Yeah, no, it is hard. Yeah, but the way you explained that was great.

SPEAKER_01 37:49

Um I really love the surgery. It's it's a I mean, these are people I'm taking like 25, 30 pounds off of, and it's like they come out looking like like literally a whole nother person. Sometimes you look at their driver's licenses before they lost the weight, and you can't even recognize if they're the same person.

SPEAKER_03 38:04

Yeah, yeah. Really great. Um the opposite of that question is what do you see out there that people are either talking about or anything you just think is bullshit? Like that you look at and you go, everyone's talking about that, but you know, this is this is bullshit. Which by the way, we've just had like a we just worked on some content with our doctors just about salmon sperm facials and stuff like that. Just like what are you oxygenated facial? Like, what do you anything out there that pops you to mind that you think is just bullshit?

SPEAKER_01 38:38

Gosh, I think what's been out recently that is it it could even be out, not even recently, just something that you're like, I so I mean, I I and I actually initially start did threads and like visual threads, and like I think that in the right person, maybe they still like have some benefit for a very short period of time, but that was something that I literally took my content down from years ago because I was like, I'm embarrassed that I was like, Yeah, these are great, let's do them. But I I just don't think they have much benefit, and I know there are docs that are out there that swear by them and all that stuff, but I just I don't know. I think it's a lot of money for a very little gain.

SPEAKER_00 39:20

You know, I'm gonna argue with that. I'll tell you, I have a group of like model TV people that do events and they come before their events. I mean, they still drop a couple thousand dollars. I tell them it's gonna last like you know, three weeks, a month max, but they love it because during that little event, I mean, they look tight and hot and then they get that lift. So it's it's I really I think most of that kind of shit, it just comes down to transparency. People are gonna hate it if you tell them it's gonna last a year. They're it's good, they're lying if they say it's gonna give you a facelift. But if you're gonna be on TV and you want to look a little tighter, you know, come in a week before, those are what people post on Instagram and say it lasts forever. Yeah, so I think a lot of that comes down to the transparency. People way overpromise the outcome that they're gonna get. But a 20-year-old who's gonna be on TV next week, I can make her look good in threads for a couple of things.

SPEAKER_01 40:11

So so I I totally agree with you on that. Like I'm I have no problem with that, but like the problem is the average person that we see who comes in for this is expecting like the non-surgical face. You're like, I can pull these employees, nothing's going anywhere. So yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 40:27

I'm with you, I'm with you.

SPEAKER_01 40:28

Yeah, like I guess.

SPEAKER_00 40:29

I think it's like it's no, it's just I when it comes down to it, like all of this, there's unfortunately to the I mean, we're we're doing medicine, but we are also a business, and I think if you're honest about it, you'll give people good care, they'll be happy. But there's people who who maybe take the business component a little too seriously, and they're not giving people the honest care and treatment. And I think I think fillers have done similarly. I think threads, like when they're either overpromised or they do too many, or they're putting them in the eyelid or the nose, or you know, that's when you gotta be a little careful, you know.

SPEAKER_01 41:00

The the other thing I'm a little bit, which I don't know, because I use devices, so I'm not like anti-device, but I'm just I'm just wondering long term how some of these heat-based devices are gonna age. Because we don't really have long-term data on any of this stuff. So I'm just curious to see. Hopefully, it will be an okay thing.

SPEAKER_03 41:19

Yeah. That's really interesting. Um, heat-based devices is is is what you're concerned with.

SPEAKER_01 41:26

Yeah, I just don't know. I mean, I've been I've been in necks or in bodies after somebody's had like some of these tightening devices, and it's it's not great, you know. Um, but if it holds up, then great. But like I just don't know how and I don't think they're all the same.

SPEAKER_00 41:42

So you'll learn, Dom. Surgeons are slow adapters to new stuff because it's just like if it goes wrong, it can really fuck some stuff up, you know what I mean? So like I'm yet to find uh, you know, there's all sorts of these uh J Plasma thing, you know, is why normally tell the patients, you know why there's 50 different devices? Because none of them, I mean, they keep coming up with the one that's gonna work. Um, but you just see people getting burned from it, you see sticky, you see little contractures, whatever. And then the old classic, like cold steel lipo, whatever, maybe some assisted lipo. It's just hard to beat the predictability of something like that.

SPEAKER_02 42:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 42:18

So it's like surgeons and pilots, you know, it's hard to take on something new and be like, I wonder if this will work.

SPEAKER_01 42:23

Yeah, that's a big risk with it.

SPEAKER_00 42:24

You know, yeah, you don't really want your surgeon or your pilot to be doing something like, I'm gonna try this out today.

SPEAKER_03 42:29

But probably fair to say the it's not all devices, the right devices also being in the right hands is a issue.

SPEAKER_01 42:36

It's same like fellers, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 42:38

Like do you do you have your folks do any kind of like let's say you did tummy tuck and it's like three, six months later, whatever, uh past the healing process. Do you do uh where do you sit on like muscle stimulation in those types of devices out there where they're really trying to push a lot of these things, but but you know, I I think it's hard for people to get their head around is like, okay, you're gonna put this thing on me, it's great, but I gotta come in X amount of times and I gotta get it all done. Like, where do you where do you stand on that?

SPEAKER_01 43:08

So I think some of those devices work great, but I wouldn't suggest it for someone who's not gonna actually maintain it afterwards. Um, because like you know, if you're a patient that works out all the time and you go to the gym regularly and you wanna like get a leg up so you can see a result, those muscular results faster, then I think that's great. But if you don't keep doing those stimulation devices afterwards or can maintain it in the gym, it's gonna go away and you spent a bunch of money for nothing. So I I just yeah, I don't think they're bad. I just think they again you have to be realistic, or you're gonna keep it up.

SPEAKER_00 43:42

Exactly. You're going to the beach, uh, you got your vacation coming up in a month, and you're gonna pound it out for it to be good in photos. Great.

SPEAKER_01 43:48

Yeah, exactly. If if you got a short term goal with this, it's like high death lipo. I'm not gonna do high depth light bone somebody who doesn't actually work out because they're gonna look like they have whole wine rolls on their abdomen after a while. Because there's you know they're not putting in the maintenance with it.

SPEAKER_03 44:06

By the way, that was hilarious because I could actually picture those Hawaiian rolls. Yeah, it did.

SPEAKER_00 44:11

That was a yeah, it didn't.

SPEAKER_01 44:12

I think I've seen some people's results look like that. Yeah on posts.

SPEAKER_03 44:17

Um listen, that was great. Um, I have got I've I've peppered you with a million questions, and I so appreciate that. Ben, I don't know if do you have anything else for Dr. Red?

SPEAKER_00 44:27

No, man, she's she's on fire. I love it. I want to see more of the jewelry, more of the fashion. I want to get the plug. I love your surgeries. You're doing a you're obviously a great surgeon, but I like that uh I like kind of thinking outside of the box. I think you're onto something.

SPEAKER_02 44:38

Yeah, thank you. Thank you.

SPEAKER_03 44:40

And I want to get the plugs, I want to make sure we get the plugs. So you also have a podcast. Can you just talk about that for a second?

SPEAKER_01 44:45

Yeah, it's it's this the confidence stock podcast. And um, we obviously have lots of plastic surgeons on, and um, but I also expanded now, so we um have different types of business entrepreneurs on. The whole purpose is just like people who are out there killing it, and I think we can learn from each other. So um it's gonna be fun. Um, we are just starting our eighth season, it was like um coming up, yeah. So it's it's been awesome. It's been awesome. I've really enjoyed it because I've got to meet so many cool people.

SPEAKER_00 45:16

Yeah, it is cool, right?

SPEAKER_01 45:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 45:19

And you have a hyperbaric, I believe. Do you have a hyperbaric chambers now?

SPEAKER_01 45:22

I do, we have hyperbaric chambers now. I love it.

SPEAKER_00 45:24

So that might be helping your lift also.

SPEAKER_01 45:27

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 45:28

I mean, are you making these people dive or what do you do?

SPEAKER_01 45:30

Yeah, so we have them do two before, three afterwards. Um for face shape.

SPEAKER_00 45:34

No, the before someone was just telling me, I I I didn't think about making people do it before, but the literature must kind of support that.

SPEAKER_01 45:41

Yeah, there's we have protocols that are set up like that. And so for like body cases, we do two before and three after, and it's great.

SPEAKER_00 45:48

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 45:48

It's great. Have you ever been have you ever been in Chamber? I actually want to try.

SPEAKER_00 45:52

Yeah. Have you? No, I went, I I went 30 days straight.

SPEAKER_01 45:55

Really?

SPEAKER_00 45:56

I paid like $15,000. Yeah, back in the day, I was just playing with it. Yeah. And uh, I mean, you've never been in?

SPEAKER_01 46:01

No, I need to. I want to go in one.

SPEAKER_00 46:03

You you you like you you feel amazing after. You literally like you get after you, you're like, holy smokes, I feel like I could run a marathon. It kind of tapers off after a couple hours. Yeah. Felt, you know, it feels like I know there's long-term benefits, but uh, it's a cool, it's a cool.

SPEAKER_01 46:20

One of my partners had an injury and she was in there, and she's like, the best, the best part was she's like, I couldn't take anything in there with me. So she's like, it was an hour unplugged, and I was like, Oh, that's amazing.

SPEAKER_03 46:31

It's true, 100%. Yeah, yeah, better than I talk. I I had a 90-minute session by myself, and it was yeah, like we didn't know. It's so creepy, yeah. And um, and we're we're we're big fans of MD Hyperbaric. We um we we think they're amazing, and so uh that that that's great. But before, look at that, Ben. Huh? People need to know before, before before surgery, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 46:54

No, I had heard that recently, and uh I mean it makes sense, just get the tissue ready, prep it. It's like yeah, I tell people you want to prepare like you're gonna run a marathon before surgery. Yeah, you know, people are like, I'm gonna go have surgery. It's like, no, this is a big deal. Like your body's gotta heal. I mean, I'm injuring you majorly.

SPEAKER_01 47:09

Yeah, you know, so and I think there's a lot to like if you come in exhausted for surgery, you're already depleted, you gotta you gotta be fresh, you gotta be ready, you know, for the challenge of recovery. So, yeah, no, I love it. I'm very, very excited about having that.

unknown 47:23

Yeah, man.

SPEAKER_03 47:24

I have prepared love it. Well, Dr. Random, thank you so much for joining us. Um, it's the confidence docs, the confidence talk podcast. Um, if you are in the Texas area or not in the Texas area, you and you need something body. Like, if I get I got a body thing, I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 47:43

I'm I mean my make a I saw your eyes light up when she said that high depth lipo, get ready why you know ripping.

SPEAKER_01 47:50

I may have spent some time down in Columbia with someone to learn things.

SPEAKER_03 47:55

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Right on. Well, listen, um, it's so cool, and thank you so much for joining us. And and and we hope you feel better, but we really appreciate you showing up and and uh and spending time with us. Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_01 48:08

Thank you both for having me on. This is fun.

SPEAKER_03 48:10

All right, yep.

SPEAKER_00 48:11

Take care, take a break.