Today we’d like to introduce you to Richard Balikian.
Hi Richard , can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in Boston in a family of physicians and had a dad who would put me to work on projects every weekend. So I always loved the idea of starting a project one day and ending it the same day. I went to school at Columbia University, where I majored in art history with the idea that I eventually wanted to go into medicine, but wanted to study things outside of medicine to get a true liberal arts education. Through my study of art history, I really learned the concepts of beauty and developed an aesthetic eye and an appreciation for the ability of art to be done with restraint, not with excess. I didn’t know I wanted to be a facial plastic surgeon at that point, but I knew I wanted to be a physician. So I went to Boston University Medical School, and during my training, I fell in love with the anatomy of the head and neck. In my final year, I tutored the class in gross anatomy of the head and neck. I then went on to residency in New York City at Albert Einstein, doing head and neck surgery, where I did a lot of trauma and met many plastic surgeons. As a result, I spent time in their offices, and they were the first mentors who told me, “You really have an eye for aesthetics. You have an eye for tissue, and you communicate very well. You’d do very well in plastic surgery.” So I started looking into it and was fortunate enough to match into a fellowship with Steve Perkins in Indianapolis, who was world-renowned in aesthetic cosmetic plastic surgery. There, I received an invaluable education, learning not only how to perform amazing, natural surgery but also how to run a practice. Immediately after fellowship, I started my own practice in Southern California, in the San Diego region, with two offices: one in Murrieta and one in Del Mar. For the past 20 years, I’ve been building that practice, honing my skills, and have been proud to always deliver natural results. We’ve always brought an East Coast aesthetic to the West Coast, which is minimal and natural, but with significant results. I think that has served us very well. We have a growth mindset in our practice, and I’m very happy to continue going to lectures, speaking with colleagues, and watching them operate. My patients know I’m going to do the best I can to not only continue improving our surgical skills but also continue improving our pre-operative and post-operative protocols and the overall patient experience. Through that practice, we feel like we’ve continued to evolve to the highest levels of deep plane facial plastic surgery. There’s no surgery out there that we don’t perform to the greatest extent, and we can do all of that while communicating how we do it in a very effective way. My father was a teacher in radiology and won Teacher of the Year every year. They even named an award after him called the “They Go the Extra Mile Award.” That’s always been a true part of who I am, being able to educate. We have physicians visit us in the operating room all the time to learn our techniques, and we really focus on our social media and patient engagement with an emphasis on education. I want to be able to communicate difficult concepts to patients in a way that is palatable, understandable, and approachable.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Fortunately, I always had access to incredible education, whether it was in undergraduate school, medical school, residency, or fellowship. I really had the best education possible, and I was very fortunate. When I started my practice, it was in 2007, right before the economic crash. Although the practice had been booming in its first year, there were financial struggles almost immediately. It was a crash course in getting lean and learning how to run a business while maintaining integrity and continuing to do surgery. Through that process, I really learned a lot about what I stand for and how to make intelligent decisions, both from a practice standpoint and a surgical standpoint. After coming through that, you kind of feel like you can handle anything. There are bumps in the road every day. In any profession, there are the good and the bad days, the headaches and the joys. Doing what we do, we really learn the equanimity of how to balance the good and the bad while staying steady for yourself, your staff, and your patients.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
So, I am a facial plastic surgeon who has had 20-plus years of experience. I specialize in the aging face and full facial rejuvenation that is harmonious and balanced with natural results. That is what I have been doing for 20 years. We have advanced into a true extended, deep plane facelift with a true extended deep vertical neck lift where we not only release and lift, but we debulk and sculpt the tissues. We are known for doing conservative fat transfer at the same time, and C02 lasers with regenerative medicine, including stem cells and nano fat. By using the most advanced techniques out there that only 1% of surgeons use, we can also improve the patient quality of recovery. Our facelift is unique in that it is a true preservation-style deep plane facelift, meaning there’s less trauma to the skin, less bleeding, less swelling, there are no drains, no staples, and better blood supply to the skin. There are no compression dressings after one day, and there’s much faster recovery.
So by doing our Artiste Lift, a trademarked name for our preservation, extended deep plane facelift with submandibular gland reduction and deep vertical neck lift, we really are at the forefront of the most advanced techniques. We are very proud of the fact that we try to approach each day with humility, trying to learn, to do better each day and communicate well with our patients before surgery and after surgery. What sets us upart if that we view our practice as an extension of our home. I grew up with an Armenian family that is very hospitable and welcoming to everybody who would walk through the door as if they were our direct family. We try to bring that same smile, care and bedside manner to all of our patients so that they feel comfortable talking to us about their concerns, their frustrations, and their desires.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
I love reading. I love reading non-fiction and self-improvement books. One of my favorites is ‘The Four Agreements’, and I always fall back on that as a reference when life throws challenges. I’ve read that book many times, and it is even the book I gift to people when I want to gift a book. The other book is Ryan Holiday’s ‘Ego is the Enemy’; I think that one is a great guide towards a stoic way of living. There is a lot to learn, not only about leadership, but also about how to live life with grace and happiness. I also like Jack Reynolds’ books for when I am on vacation. A good action book always keeps me engaged.
In terms of podcasts, I tend to lean more toward the medical side. BioLayne is one I listen to a lot. it is science-based and not only about health and working out. I also like Huberman Lab and Dr. Attia for medicine and advances. As a physician, I want to make sure I am getting all the information and then being able to discuss it with my colleagues. I trust to make sure our medical care is top-notch and up to date.
Pricing:
- facial rejuvenation: 80,000-100,000
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.drbalikiansandiego.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/balikianplasticsurgery/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drbalikian
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BalikianFacialPlasticSurgery/featured
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/richard-v-balikian-md-balikian-plastic-surgery-murrieta
