Category Archives: Anti-Aging Expert

Vivace Ultra RF With Christie Kidd PA-C: LOVE THE SKIN YOU’RE IN

August 25, 2023

This week, I finally met the phenomenal Chrsitie Kidd, PA-C.

When I recovered from being totally star-struck (Christie is The Queen of all things skin) we got to work with this really exciting new VIVACE ULTRA EXPERIENCE®!

The Vivace RF MICRONEEDLING DEVICE combines microneedling with radiofrequency energy and a specialized treatment serum and a cooling peptide mask to provide patients with superior, natural-looking results. Think dramatic results with minimal downtime. The results are both immediate and improve over time with multiple treatments.

This RF microneedling session is only part of the process. The right serums and recovery system enhance results by improving your skin tone and texture and I left with a few cooling masks and serums.

  • Alleviate Wrinkles & Fine Lines
  • Immediate Results
  • Minimal Downtime
  • Virtually Pain-Free

(post treatment, flush but zero downtime, by the time I got home I was back to no flush at all)

(measuring depth of the dermis pre treatment) 

(feels SO GOOD!)

The Vivace® Microneedle RF device is the newest generation of radiofrequency microneedling and is FDA-cleared for your safety. This minimally invasive treatment stimulates the natural production of collagen and is shown to be effective in alleviating facial wrinkles and fine lines.

If you are looking for optimal results, look no further. Welcome to The Vivace Ultra Experience®.

The innovators at Aesthetics Biomedical® are dedicated to providing the best patient experience utilizing the best-in-class device that does it right the first time, and delivers results you can trust and share with others.

Learn more at Aesthetics Biomedical®.

WHAT DOES THE VIVACE EXPERIENCE® FEEL LIKE?

Most physicians use a topical numbing cream to make the treatment comfortable. The majority of patients describe a feeling of light pressure with an occasional warming sensation. Other patients report a feeling of minor prickling.


DOES MICRONEEDLING HURT?

Patients should experience minimal pain during the Vivace® treatment. Typically, a numbing cream is applied 30 to 45 minutes before the treatment to ensure a comfortable patient experience. Many testimonials from patients say they found the treatment to be in a range of comfortable to virtually pain-free. The Vivace® Microneedle RF was designed with patient comfort in mind.

Meet the fabulous Christie Kidd, PA-C

Christie Kidd, PA-C graduated with academic honors from the Physician Assistant program at the University of Southern California School of Medicine in 1997. In addition to her excellence academically and clinically she was a leader within her class. As senior class president, she took on extra responsibilities in order to facilitate extracurricular activities, including a wide range of community service events.

Her interest in diseases of the skin led her to pursue a career as a Certified Physician Assistant in dermatology and she has been practicing in Beverly Hills for 25 years. She is dedicated and passionate about her career, giving every patient unparalleled personalized attention and providing individualized skin care regimens for every patient’s specific needs.

The drive behind creating her skin care line, Perfect Skin by Christie Kidd™ comes from a lifelong passion of chemistry and skin care products. She has been a “skin care mixer” since childhood. By age 12 she was creating, in her bathroom, her own self tanning lotions, facial masks and nail polish colors. Her love and passion for helping people mixed with the desire for the perfect skin care line, she spent many years researching and developing Perfect Skin by Christie Kidd™.

Christie Kidd, PA-C provides a full range of skin care services including diagnosis and treatment of skin diseases as well as cosmetic dermatology.

Supervising physician is Dr. Rampradad Dandillaya (drdandillaya.com)

At Rodeo Drive Dermatology & Aesthetics, AMC, Christie Kidd, PA-C, and the team provide a full range of skin care services including both medical and cosmetic dermatology.

medical office where Christie Kidd provides facial treatments and laser skin services

Christie and her team provide cosmetic dermatology services at her Beverly Hills office. Her particular expertise is providing every patient with a “natural-looking” appearance. Click below to view a full range of cosmetic services.

Cosmetic Skin Treatments

Beverly Hills dermatologists office

Christie Kidd, PA-C and her team provide a full range of skin care services including diagnosis and treatment of skin diseases. Browse our full range of medical services such as treatments for eczema, blemishes, moles, rashes and more.

Dr. Sheila Farhang: LA’s Go To Dermfluencer

August 15, 2022

Meet Dr. Sheila Farhang, Millennial skincare expert,
Board-certified Dermatologist entrepreneur influencer. 

Dr. Shelia Farhang

I love meeting new experts in the dermatology and aesthetics field. When I think back on the evolution of it all, it’s truly incredible how far things have come. I get a major thrill meeting the new, young practitioners who are currently gaining momentum. It’s always interesting to learn what makes them special and why – in a field that has become so popular. What is their point of view? How is their eye? Are they jumping onto trends defined by social media and filters or are they finding their own vision? You get the idea!

Board-certified dermatologist and double-fellowship trained cosmetic surgeon Farhang recently expanded her practice from Tucson to Beverly Hills and is now seeing patients at her new part-time clinic within Sunder Plastic Surgery on Rodeo Drive.

First off, is this doctor not the most divine creature you’ve ever seen? Especially in THIS SPACE, where so many injectors look like the really played-out, over-used, tacky AF, living embodiment Instagram filters!

No overly plumped lips, over-filled ANYTHING – she waltzed in looking so naturally beautiful, I knew right away, Dr. Sheila had an eye, and a tasteful one at that. That is very important to me when I meet a new provider in this world : What is their taste level? How do they see themselves? Etc…She was a class act head to toe. Elegant, understated and natural. Hence her natural approach has been hailed in all her press.

Featured in the NY Times for her “barely there” approach to botox and her subtle “lip flip” plumping technique, many of Dr. Sheila’s patients are new to botox injections and trust her natural approach.

Named by Women’s Health and Forbes as a top derm influencer, Sheila Farhang is a board-certified dermatologist and double fellowship-trained in cosmetic surgery as well as cutaneous oncology & reconstructive surgery. Dr. Sheila is an entrepreneur–both founder of her dermatology practice Avant Dermatology & Aesthetics and co-founder of her start-up health tech company, Vispera. Dr. Sheila is also known for her integrative approach as she is faculty for an Integrative Dermatology program and lived in Bali while obtaining her Yoga instructor certification. She has been a featured expert on ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT, THE DOCTORS, THE REAL, KTLA and more.

So I went in for a tiny basic touch-up – a little around the eyes, between brows, the light touch to soften my extremely emotive and expressive face.

Then we got down to business. How can Xeomin support me, beyond the obvious aesthetics?

First off, I suffer ( YES SUFFER!) from major Bruxism. That means, night teeth grinding, chomping my teeth until they are loose – I know, a real horror show – major gum recession, and more. On one side of my face, my masseter muscle pops out and it looks like I literally am sucking on a jawbreaker. So yes, there is a minor visual component, though it doesn’t really bother me because it only is apparent when I am talking or chewing or swallowing – none of which I do in the mirror. But there is a very real medical aspect – and that is, I have lost 4mm of my bite from clenching. I have headaches – it is a real issue – let’s not forget my teeth popping out and needing gum surgery.

So, we attended to that side. It has only been a few days – but will take some more to settle in. I cannot wait. We did a small amount so as to not over-treat, which can cause laxity. We don’t want that. So, Dr. Sheila said let’s under treat, see how this goes, and asses from there.

Next – my platysma muscles are, shall we say, EPIC. Truly so AGRO that I look like The Hulk. It’s actually disarming when I catch it on a zoom (I train clients on Zoom and can see them from several feet away) – It is like my neck is hosting an underground tree root party in the Redwoods. (Did that analogy work?)

We hit them up with some Xeomin to soften the bulges. They remind me of the trauma I experienced witnessing my mother’s varicose veins at the beach for the first time. “There are snakes under your skin! Truly just…ICKY. (And gross).

I loved my time with Dr. Sheila. The office is spectacular. I love that she is doing a lot of TV promo, sharing her expertise (you can catch her on a host of shows and news channels) and she’s young and hungry to be the best. Clearly, she’s already arrived.

Find her at:

Sarmela Sunder, MD | Sunder Plastic Surgery
421 N Rodeo Dr g8, Beverly Hills, CA 90210

SkinSpirit Beverly Hills

May 1, 2021

We popped over to the new SkinSpirit location in Beverly Hills to see what all the buzz about and saw with our own eyes (and faces!) what this pioneer in advanced aesthetic treatments, medical-grade facials, and world class body services, is all about. Turns out – a lot! We will be heading back this May, to report on their signature facial and also a few more micro-tweaks with the incredible NP, Lynn Bartels. More about Lynn later, but she did the most amazing subtle refreshers with Botox and filler. Tiny micro-updates to balance, harmonize and refresh and the work was nothing short of amazing.

SkinSpirit is known for its expertise and exceptional service, with 17 luxurious locations throughout California, Texas, Washington and Utah – it’s the number one provider for Botox and dermal fillers in the U.S.

Their team of practitioners is considered best-in-class practitioners, they use up-to-date scientifically-proven methods, and offer a comprehensive suite of personalized, tailored services

The only way to ever report on anything involving aesthetics and injections is to experience it ourselves. Groomed LA has never and will never, write about anything that goes on or in your face and body, without firsthand trying for ourselves.

Lynn Bartels graduated from the Harbor-UCLA nurse practitioner program, with a dual degree in adult medicine and women’s health, and began her career as a nurse practitioner (NP) in cardio-thoracic surgery. She made the switch to aesthetics 17 years ago and was the first NP brought on board at SkinSpirit.

Today, Lynn treats patients from SkinSpirit’s Beverly Hills, Palo Alto and San Francisco clinics and stays on the cutting edge of new technology and techniques by working hands-on with thousands of patients a year. Recognized as an expert in the field of facial rejuvenation, Lynn specializes in creating custom non-surgical programs that use combination therapy to produce stunning results.

As a clinical expert, she is known for “training the trainers” and serves a national trainer for Allergan’s Medical Institute teaching her skills to residents, physicians and nurses around the country. Additionally, Lynn sits on several prominent medical advisory boards including SkinSpirit’s Medical Advisory Board and Allergan’s Aesthetics Advisory Board. She is a regular featured expert at the top national medical aesthetics conferences annually.

For more information on SkinSpirit, please visit: https://www.skinspirit.com.

153 S Lasky Dr, Suite 8
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
Phone: (310) 552-8010

Located on the second floor.

HOURS

Tuesday – Friday: 8:30am – 5pm
Saturday: 8:30am – 4pm

This New Way To Use Restylane Filler Will Be The Next Big Thing

June 23, 2019

RESTYLANE LYFT FOR MIDFACE & CHEEK INJECTION VIA CANNULA  Restylane Lyft Now Joins Restylane Silk as the Only Hyaluronic Acid Fillers Approved for Use with Cannula1, 2. 

We are massive all-time fans of all things Restylane to soften lines and restore facial volume. We age. We lose volume. It’s that simple. The old expression, we need to choose between our asses or faces. I’d like to think to keep both going at full volume.

Forget the days of over-filling faces to look like puffer fish – that aesthetic is our biggest turn off and has never been something we even want to associate with. At Groomed LA, we simply want to share the best tools to make you look as awesome as you feel on the inside. We give you the best tools for inner work and the best for outer to reflect your awesomeness inside – that simple!

I have used fillers in the most delicate ways, to soften under eye circles and add some fullness in areas where the face started to thin out.

Restylane Refyne is FDA-approved for smile lines and now, Restylane® Lyft it is the first and only hyaluronic acid (HA) dermal filler approved for use to restore age- related volume loss in the midface and cheek area with a blunt tip cannula.

I worked with The Master Injector, Bernice Cohen, RN, PHN ,BSN, CANS, at AVA MD, as she is the expert trainer in this and tops in the country. It’s always thrilling to work with Bernice as she is such a top level pro in the field, I always learn so much and leave with my mind blown (on top of looking excellent).

Bernice Cohen is a Registered Nurse, nurse injector and laser specialist, as well as a Public Health Nurse with a B.S. degree in Nursing. Having joined the Ava MD practice in March of 2010, she is now a Top Trainer in the US for Galderma Injectables, teaching other doctors and injectors how to use Sculptra, Restylane, Restylane Lyft and Dysport. Born in Berlin, Germany and raised in Burbank, California, Bernice worked as an international model doing runway, print and commercial modeling with Ford and Elite for 15 years before making her transition to dermatology.

Why a cannula?

The use of a cannula may be associated with less potential damage to blood vessels, and may help minimize patient bruising, help decrease swelling, and allow for minimized downtime.

Natural-looking results, restored volume and fullness to the cheeks.

Restylane® Lyft

  • Created with XpresHAn Technology™, to help smooth moderate lines and provide the right amount of support and flexibility through a range of facial expressions
  • Integrates with your skin and acts like your body’s own hyaluronic acid 
  • Gives the support you need while allowing a range of facial expressions

Restylane® Lyft is the first and only hyaluronic acid (HA) dermal filler approved for use to restore age- related volume loss in the midface and cheek area with a blunt tip cannula.1,2 

What is a cannula? What are the benefits of injection with a cannula? 

A cannula is a small, thin, flexible, blunt tip needle with a small opening on the side that provides an effective means for injecting HA dermal fillers into the skin.3 

The use of a cannula may be associated with less potential damage to blood vessels, and may help minimize patient bruising, help decrease swelling, and allow for minimized downtime.4 

Bernice in action….

Precise implantation of HA fillers is important for patient safety and for achieving the best aesthetic outcome and using a cannula can result in a more precise injection as compared to a needle.

When injecting with a cannula, a single-entry point is used so the cannula can be inserted through the entire midface or cheek area.6 When using a needle, the sharp tip of the needle penetrates through the skin down to the depth in each point where the filler is injected. In contrast to this, a cannula has a blunt tip, and requires only one to two insertion points on either side of the entire injection area. 

Here’s what you can expect with Restylane Lyft for midface and cheek injection via cannula: 

Bernice made sure to enhance my natural bone structure, not change it. The goal is to leave looking the same only BETTER!

 Restored volume and fullness to the cheeks 

Natural-looking results 

 May be associated with less bruising and decreased swelling compared to injection via needle4 

 Results proven to last up to 12 months1 

Restylane Lyft is the only HA filler with three FDA-approved indications – the midface/cheek area, nasolabial folds, and back of the hands.1,2 

For more information about Restylane® visit www.RestylaneUSA.com 

Important Safety Information 

The Restylane family of products includes Restylane®, Restylane-L®, Restylane® Lyft with Lidocaine, Restylane® Silk, Restylane® Refyne, and Restylane® Defyne

APPROVED USES 

Restylane® and RestylaneLyft® are for mid-to-deep injection into the facial tissue for the correction of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds, such as nasolabial folds. Restylane® and Restylane-L® are also indicated for injection into the lips in patients over the age of 21. 

Restylane® Lyft with Lidocaine is for deep implantation into the facial tissue for the correction of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds, such as nasolabial folds and for cheek augmentation and for the correction of age-related midface contour deficiencies in patients over the age of 21. Restylane® Lyft with Lidocaine is also indicated for injection into the subcutaneous plane in the dorsal hand to correct volume deficit in patients over the age of 21. 

Restylane® Silk is for lip augmentation and for correction of perioral wrinkles in patients over the age of 21. 

Restylane® Refyne is for mid-to-deep injection into the facial tissue for the correction of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds, such as nasolabial folds, in patients over the age of 21. 

Restylane® Defyne is for mid-to-deep injection into the facial tissue for the correction of moderate to severe deep facial wrinkles and folds, such as nasolabial folds, in patients over the age of 21. 

Are there any reasons why I should not use products within the Restylane® family? (Contraindications) 

To ensure a safe procedure, your doctor will talk to you about your medical history to determine if you are an appropriate candidate for treatment. You should not use products within the Restylane family if: 

• You have severe allergies with a history of severe reactions (anaphylaxis) 

• You are allergic to lidocaine or to any of the gram-positive bacterial proteins used to make hyaluronic acid 

• You are prone to bleeding or have been diagnosed with a bleeding disorder 

Are there other precautions that I should discuss with my doctor? 

• Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding, pregnant, or trying to become pregnant. The safety of these products for use during pregnancy, or in women who are breastfeeding, has not been studied 

Restylane, Restylane-L, Restylane® Lyft with Lidocaine, Restylane Refyne and Restylane Defyne are intended to treat facial wrinkles and folds, such as nasolabial folds. Restylane and Restylane- L are also intended for lip enhancement. Restylane® Lyft with Lidocaine is also intended for injection in the dorsal hand to correct volume loss. Treatments in other areas of the face or body have not been evaluated in clinical studies. 

• The safety and effectiveness of Restylane® Silk for areas other than the lips and perioral area have not been evaluated in clinical studies. 

• Tell your doctor if you have any history of scarring, particularly thick and stiff scars, or any pigmentation (skin color) disorders. These side effects can occur with hyaluronic acid fillers in general. 

• Tell your doctor if you are planning other laser treatments or a chemical peel, as there is a possible risk of inflammation at the treatment site if these procedures are performed after treatment 

• Patients who experience skin injury near the site of injection with these products may be at a higher risk for side effects 

• Tell your doctor if you are on any medications to decrease your body’s immune response (immunosuppressive therapy). Using these medications may increase your risk of bruising or bleeding at the gel injection site. 

• Tell your doctor if you are using any “blood thinners” such as aspirin, warfarin, or any other medications that affect bleeding. Using these medications may increase your risk of bruising or bleeding at the gel injection site. 

• The use of these products on gel injection sites with skin sores, pimples, rashes, hives, cysts, or infections should be postponed until healing is complete. Use of product in these areas could delay healing or make your skin problems worse. 

Tell your doctor if you have diseases, injuries, or disabilities of the hand. 

What are the possible side effects? 

The most commonly observed side effects are swelling, redness, pain, bruising, headache, tenderness, lump formation, itching at the injection site, and impaired hand function. These are typically mild in severity and typically resolve in less than 7 days in nasolabial folds and less than 14 days in lips. Serious but rare side effects include delayed onset infections, recurrence of herpetic eruptions, and superficial necrosis at the injection site. 

One of the risks with using this product is unintentional injection into a blood vessel. The chances of this happening are very small, but if it does happen, the complications can be serious, and may be permanent. These complications, which have been reported for facial injections, can include vision abnormalities, blindness, stroke, temporary scabs, or permanent scarring of the skin. 

As with all skin injection procedures, there is a risk of infection. 

*To report a side effect with any of the Restylane products, please call Galderma Laboratories, L.P at 1- 855-425-8722. 

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ARQUEDERMA® ARTISTIC RESTORATION LIFT® WITH JENNIFER HOLLANDER

May 4, 2019

First of all, excuse the very peachy photos! My bedroom is basically a big peach (walls, curtains, all of it!) and I took these first thing in the morning.

So, what ya see is zero makeup and possibly sleep in my eyes. However – a couple of things to note! First I want to fill you in on an AMAZING lip enhancement that Jennifer Hollander of AuraSpa performed on me a few days ago. It’s called Arque Derma ( you may recall I featured this technique developed by master injector and trainer Leslie Fletcher of Torrance’s Injectability Clinic).

I arrived to Jenn’s office wanting to do something about my lip lines above my lips (“smoker’s lines”) and also for some general plumping. She took a look at me and said “we are doing Arque Derma on you”. The thing about this approach to plumping is it is not about stuffing filler in your lips and making you look like you have filler in your lips. It takes into account the entire chin to lip to nose area. So, Jenn wasn’t just filling in my lips, but rather using Restylane Refyne to restore an overall more youthful area, in total.

Pronounced ‘ARC DERMA,’ ArqueDerma® in Latin literally means ‘to inject the skin’. The name ArqueDerma® imparts a seamless mix of the artistic, ‘Arque’ (classical architecture – arches, buttresses, corbels), and medical science, ‘Derma’.

I have never seen my lips look so natural and fresh. I am NOT into the filler looking aesthetic, obviously. And if you are like me, then you strive for looking incredibly natural. This is the exact way to approach your lips if you are new to lip filler, or have been getting cheesy over-plumped lips. I actually really DO want them to be full and juicy and told Jenn I want a bit more. She said we do it in stages, never over-fill and we HAVE to look at my face and do what will look RIGHT. The profile needs to be seamless, no protruding upper lip. And that’s what this approach achieves. I could not be more thrilled!!!

As you know, I am full on in love with Jenn’s work and everything going on at AuraSpa. It is just getting better and better and is reveals all its new treatments.

Please see Jenn and tell her we sent ya!

(424) 303-5800 RoxSan Medical Building 465 N Roxbury Dr., Suite 755, Beverly Hills, CA 90210