Check out our interview with Newport Beach board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Keyian Paydar, who provides a comprehensive range of aesthetic plastic surgery procedures at his advanced surgery center.
Dr. Paydar uses methods that greatly lower the chance of complications and shorten recovery times. For example, the “no-touch” technique is used for breast augmentation, and multiple layers of plication are used for abdominoplasty to get tighter hourglass results. Additionally, he conceals the incision beneath the underwear line at the lowest portion of the abdomen. These methodologies guarantee exceptional results, patient welfare, and a pleasant encounter for the plastic surgery clients in Newport Beach under his care.
Follow Dr. Paydar on Instagram: @paydarmd
Hi Dr. Paydar, please tell us a little about yourself.
First and foremost, I am a very caring person who decided to choose the medical profession to help people get healthier, more confident, or feel better about themselves. I have excellent hands and get great outcomes as I am very well trained for plastic surgery, am very talented, and focused. Happy patients and great transformations speak for my results. I don’t like to go around tooting my own horn as the proof is in the pudding, as they say. So be careful with those who do that. My goal has always been to learn the most I can from my surgical training and to add to what the giants in the surgical (and specifically the plastic surgery) world have taught me to get outstanding outcomes. With that comes responsibility to not harm the patient and know who to operate on for an elective operation.
In the field of plastic surgery, where there is not only cash money available for operations by patients, but also where there is fierce competition from many different doctors who are not all appropriately trained in the field but are willing to operate, it becomes important to educate the patient about the surgery at hand. This is to make sure that they know what they are getting into and to know about the upside along with the risks so that they can make an informed decision. This is how I differentiate myself from all others around me. I educate my patients through excellent communication and in the process I learn a lot about my patients and their desires and they learn about plastic surgery. At the end, if the expectations line up and the patient is an excellent candidate for surgery and the patient accepts me to be their surgeon and carry out the planned operation and be there for them throughout their journey including any unexpected complications, we then proceed.
Describe yourself in three words.
Charming, passionate, and caring.
Why did you choose to become a doctor?
To help patients in need, make them healthier, and, in many cases, help them achieve more confidence.
What is that one thing or that one lesson that you wish you knew at the start of your career?
That just because there are many others around you doing the same operations for many more years, it doesn’t mean that they get better results. Those with less talent tend to make the same mistakes over and over again.
Why have you chosen this field of specialization?
It is a field where there is a perfect marriage between science, beauty, and art. I feel that I can help my patients achieve the best results through excellent communication and expertise from years of excellent and field-specific training.
Name one of your strengths.
Persistence.
Best advice ever given?
Work hard and you will achieve your dreams. Also, be modest and let your results speak for themselves.
Who has been the biggest influence on your life?
My grandmother, who was a principal at her school. She showed me modesty, value of education, and gave me so much confidence in life.
What is the key to your success?
Believing in myself followed by hard work to achieve all of my goals.
What advice would you have for students who are looking for a career as a plastic surgeon?
Work hard to get into the best training programs and be your own worst critic.
What are the most popular surgeries or procedures in your surgery center?
Breast and body work: mommy makeover, which includes tummy tuck with or without liposuction plus breast lift, augmentation, or both to give back the body that the mommy’s deserve or lost during multiple pregnancies.
The average age for cosmetic surgery keeps getting younger. Have you observed an increase in the number of young people becoming self-conscious about their looks over the last few years?
To a small extent. More than anything else, I have noticed that more middle-class citizens are getting plastic surgery. So more people are able to afford plastic surgery due to social media pressures or through constant advertisements by plastic surgeons or influencers.
Can you mention what sets Dr. Paydar and Paydar Plastic Surgery apart from other surgeons in a very competitive market?
Educating my patients is what sets me apart. I spend time and have great communication skills to get to know my patients while I educate them about the topics at hand and the pitfalls and why they may or may not achieve their expected goals. As an expert in the field of plastic surgery, I can offer many solutions for the difficult cases. I am honest, caring, and to the point. Additionally, I’m very transparent with my results so they know what they are signing up for. It’s the typical underpromise and overdeliver situation. I typically choose great patients to operate on and am skilled due to my extensive education and training in addition to training many other plastic surgeons in the community as a professor in plastic surgery.
Earlier, plastic surgery used to happen in cases of any skin deformity; now, the aspect of plastic surgery has changed completely. People today go for surgeries to have beautiful and good-looking faces and bodies. What do you think is the major cause of such a big change?
The field of plastic surgery, which existed for thousands of years, was mostly reconstructive in nature and was needed for disfigurement caused by trauma or cancer reconstruction. Progress in plastic surgery was slow and over hundreds of years, but the field flourished during World War I due to war injuries. Breast enlargement was reported in the early 1960’s and elective cosmetic surgeries became more popular in 1970’s and 1980’s. However due to advancement in technology and safety related to anesthesia and advanced surgery techniques and research, cosmetic operations have become more and more popular. Today, with social media, along with many filters people use to express themselves, people and fans question what’s fake, or real, and what is achievable in reality. There is also a change with what is accepted in our society, and these changes are behind the recent drive for more plastic surgery.
For young people considering cosmetic surgery or non-surgical treatments such as fillers, what questions would you recommend they ask themselves to ensure they are doing it for the right reasons?
Make sure you see a board-certified plastic surgeon to go over the options available and make an informed decision. Most well-trained and reputable board-certified dermatologists can also help identify the best non-invasive treatment and can also refer you to a reputable plastic surgeon if a filler or a non-surgical treatment will not help your skin laxity or wrinkles.
What advice would you give to young people when it comes to feeling pressured to look a certain way because of outside influences, such as influencers and reality stars?
Beauty comes in many different forms, including having a unique look or feature that no one can duplicate. Happiness is internal and lies in the confidence one has about themselves. Working on your confidence and improving it gives a lot more satisfaction and it can be less costly with less physical pain involved.
As a popular doctor, you are followed by so many people. How do you feel about the pressure of always doing the right thing and encouraging people to follow their dreams?
Doing the right thing is a learned behavior. I am confident in my decisions in life with good training from my childhood, from my parents and surrounding family and during my education and training during my later years. There really is no pressure and when in doubt, the simple decision is the right one. I never pressure anyone to perform any surgery and the beauty is that I talk some people out of having plastic surgery when it’s not meant for them. That sets them free in a way to follow their other dreams. For those who could use plastic surgery to gain more confidence or be happier about the changes that come with improving their deformity, I am more than happy to help them achieve their goals and dreams.
Is there an optimal age for a plastic surgery procedure? Do men also come to see you for plastic surgery?
There is no optimal age, but optimal patient and an optimal state of health. Those with major deformities or asymmetries will get the most transformation. Obviously, it’s prudent to operate on the healthiest patients and avoid major complications by not operating on those with major medical problems or smokers.
What did you learn from your biggest failure?
To not always follow the same path traveled by others.
What would you say are the greatest lessons you have learned so far in this business?
Trust your own instincts and abilities; it is worth more than any Google advertisements, fake self-created awards and titles or purchased 5-star reviews that non-experts publish. Most people in the field look out for themselves, not necessarily their colleagues or patients.
What book should every entrepreneur read?
I honestly have not read a book about what I have achieved in my life. Maybe someday I can write one about it!
What’s next for Dr. Keyian Paydar and Paydar Plastic Surgery in 2024?
Keeping my stellar staff together through the ups and downturns we are experiencing in our economy and the world in general. They are a big part of the awesome patient experience at Paydar Plastic Surgery.
Which project is still on your bucket list?
To somehow recruit a group of outstanding plastic surgeons dedicated to patients with common goals and excellent outcomes and operate together as a business that keeps growing.
What advice would you give to your younger self, and why?
I would give him self-assurance. Through many tough times when nothing was promised or guaranteed in the early years, it would be good to have more self-confidence and be more positive.
If you were a book, what would be the title of the book and why?
Pride and Precision. Story of self-confidence through education and training mixed with passion, hard work, and persistence leading to excellence and artistry.
In five years from now, where do you see yourself and your career?
Still taking care of my patients to the best of my abilities while performing cutting-edge operations in plastic surgery.
What is your own definition of happiness?
Health and a supportive family.
How would your best friend describe you?
Simple and honest.
If you could meet someone living or dead, who would it be and why?
Albert Einstein to see how he saw the world and what his approach was to achieving solutions to questions at hand.
What would be the dream holiday, and who would you go with?
A beach getaway with my wife or a downhill skiing vacation with friends.
What do you like to watch on TV?
Usually sporting events like college basketball or football and NBA and NFL
What is your favorite song to belt out in the car or for karaoke?
Many of the 80’s hits or rock and roll classics.
Do you support any charities?
Multiple related to children in need and displaced refugees in need.
Idea of a perfect Sunday?
Soccer game with my professional colleagues, followed by NFL on TV.
Where can we follow you?
On Instagram @paydarmd
Quote: “The purpose of our lives is to be happy” Dalai Lama
Holiday Destination: French & Italian Riviera
Drink: Glass of Bordeaux. Also, Clase Azul Tequila on the rocks.
Favorite song? Why? Whatever my two boys like, it brings a smile to my face when I see them enjoying listening to it, singing it, or playing it with their own musical instruments.
Sports Team: Los Angeles Lakers.
Movie: too many to count.
