Have you ever wondered what was the difference is between a plastic surgeon, a nurse practitioner, and an injector, or pondered how a medi-spa on Groupon can be selling Botox for $8/unit, when most places you see charge $12+/unit? I, being the constantly curious person that I am, have asked myself these questions, and more, especially being in the beauty industry.
When I met Dr. Daniel Barrett recently after hearing many great things about him, I couldn’t help but pick his brain about these questions that I am sure many of us have.
Dr. Barrett is a board-certified plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, California. He specializes in aesthetic and reconstructive surgery of the face, nose and body. His passion is providing natural results with minimal downtime, utilizing holistic approaches. His beautiful office is in the heart of Beverly Hills, providing a wade array of procedures from invasive to non-invasive.
Dr. Barrett is behind some of the most famous faces and bodies in Hollywood, but you would never know it thanks to his natural approach. His work is so good that you cannot tell the person has had any, only that they look like the best version of themselves. He has appeared on shows like The Doctors and has quickly become the most sought-after plastic surgeon to follow on TikTok and Instagram.
I was so thrilled that Dr. Barrett was open to letting me pick his brain with questions that not only I have about plastic surgery and medical aesthetics, but questions my audience specifically asked! Below, Dr. B goes into detail, describing what possibly may be the answer to all of your questions regarding anything having to do with medical aesthetics (i.e. Botox, fillers, facials, and beyond.)
Q: You are a highly trained and renowned surgeon in Los Angeles. What is the difference between a plastic surgeon, a nurse practitioner, and an injector in the medical aesthetics world?
A: Aesthetic nurse practitioners either work autonomously in an aesthetic clinic or alongside a plastic surgeon. An experienced nurse practitioner should be able to help patients determine what types of procedures might benefit them the most and give them the appearance they want. Aesthetic nurse practitioners may often develop ongoing relationships with their patients, shepherding them through multiple procedures or regular aesthetic upkeep so a deep knowledge of aesthetics as well as beauty trends.
Plastic surgeon is a surgeon who specializes in reducing scarring or disfigurement that may occur as a result of accidents, birth defects, or treatment for diseases, such as melanoma. Many plastic surgeons also perform cosmetic surgery that is unrelated to medical conditions. The procedures, techniques, and principles of cosmetic surgery are entirely focused on enhancing a patient’s appearance. Improving aesthetic appeal, symmetry, and proportion are the key goals. An aesthetic surgery can be performed on all areas of the head, neck, and body. Since cosmetic procedures treat areas that function properly, cosmetic surgery is designated as elective.
Board-certified plastic surgeons have completed at least six to eight years of specific training by an accredited plastic surgery training program in the United States that is regulated by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Plastic surgeons who are board certified have been credentialed by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS).
The main difference between these three professions is education, experience, and certification.
Q: Why are there so many price discrepancies for the same treatment across different practices? Is there a risk to choosing a “discounted” service for it may be too good to be true?
A: Absolutely, you will always get what you pay for, and it’s important to always do your research before booking your appointment. There are a lot of factors to consider regarding cost such as: location and experience of the injector. There are two things you should never bargain shop for, one is parachutes and the other is cosmetic procedures. You only get one body and one life! I often get people who have gone to non-licensed injectors and then come to me to fix the botched work that has been done. Which ends up being more expensive in the long run.
Q: For a more mature client that is wanting to reverse the signs of aging, what treatment(s) would you suggest to address issues such as fine lines, wrinkles, and loss of volume? Can you achieve a “face lift” look without going under the knife?
A: This depends on a lot of factors, for example has the patient had a lot of maintenance throughout his/her 30’s and 40’s and is looking for a slight tune up versus someone who is coming to the office for the first time. These are two drastically different case scenarios and would have very different facial rejuvenation treatment plans. My ideal patient scenario is to start them young with preventative treatments and skincare regime addressing the 4 R’s. The 4 R’s are:
- Relax. Relax the muscles causing the wrinkles. (Botox)
- Refill. Replacing loss volume in the face. (Fillers/ Fat grafting)
- Relift. Tightening the facia of the face. (radiofrequency skin tightening/ultrasound therapy)
- Resurfacing. Skin resurfacing is the process of creating tiny injuries in the skin that stimulate the dermis to produce more collagen, which leads in turn to plumper, firmer skin with a more even skin tone. (microneedling/ CO2 lasers)
Q: Why do you think minimal or non-invasive procedures are becoming more popular?
Outside of the pandemic, most people can’t commit to the downtime associated with invasive procedures such as a facelift or BBL. Most people are looking for something that they can do on their lunch break and are often fearful of people noticing they had work done. Furthermore, the advances of technology for non-invasive procedures have improved in the past decade. There is a slight downside to non-invasive treatments since they appear to be less expensive, but require more than one treatment so it can be more costly overtime.
Q: What are the most popular treatments in your office by age range? 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s+?
A: The most popular treatments for 20 year olds are botox and lip injections. This demographic is primarily looking for preventative aging treatments/ skincare and a slight boost in their facial appearance. Patients in their 30’s are primarily requesting fillers for both under eye and cheeks. This demographic is also interested in facial resurfacing treatments such as microneedling and Venus Legacy for skin tightening. Patients in their 40’s & 50’s+ primarily get a combination of botox, fillers, facial resurfacing and lifting with minimally invasive treatments such as Venus Legacy (radiofrequency skin tightening).
Q: Do you think social media has affected the rise in popularity of medical aesthetics in the younger generation?
A: Absolutely! The rise in selfies and social media usage has dramatically increased the awareness of cosmetic procedures that celebrities have undergone, like the Kardashians for example. They have been semi-transparent about their facial cosmetic procedures and that alongside social media has led to an uproar in non-invasive and invasive procedures within the past decade.
Q: Medical aesthetics can only do so much — what are your other lifestyle tips for keeping your skin looking young forever?
A: The foundation of beautiful skin begins with lifestyle. Sleep, diet and environmental protection are more important than anything you can do or apply to your skin. I have many 20-something patients who come to my office asking for under-eye filler for dark circles. When I ask them about their lifestyle, they tell me they are staying up late at night, drinking excessively, getting bad sunburns at pool parties and eating horrible food. I charge over $1,000 to inject one syringe of filler under the eyes, but addressing these lifestyle factors is completely free and beneficial in so many other ways.
Be sure to exercise a small amount every day. Mostly, this is to help you sleep better at night. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day–including the weekend. Get 7-8 hours of sleep. Yes, Moms, this can be achieved for you as well. I have two young daughters and my amazing wife and I still are able to make sleep a priority. Be disciplined about this and your skin will reward you 10 fold more than what I can do for you in my office.
A more recent revelation in wellness that can help your total body inflammation is earthing or grounding. That is connecting your body to the earth in some meaningful manner every day similar to how humans evolved with daily earth connection. Some walk barefoot on the grass or beach, others connect grounding patches to their body. The early research behind this is promising. One review study suggested that grounding improves the living matrix, which is the central connector between living cells. Tiny electrical signals course through our body and it’s suspected that if the charge is left to build up it damages our immune system and increases inflammation.
Photo credit Glamour Russia
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