#5 Book Your Consult Today

You are listening to the Barrett Plastic Surgery Podcast. I'm Dr. Daniel Barrett, Board-Certified Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon located in Beverly Hills. I specialize in cosmetic surgery of the face, nose, breast and body.  I'm passionate about natural-looking results and this podcast is dedicated to those deciding if plastic surgery is right for them and revealing all the latest beauty secrets. Thanks for tuning in.

00:30 MEETING RACHEL

Dr. Barrett: Hey, so for you guys that are just kind of tuning in, Rachel is our Patient Coordinator and she is the go to person for all of our patient consultations. So, when you make the decision that surgery might be an option for you, you pick up the phone, you call, guess who answers the phone? It's Rachel. So, we're really excited to have you on the podcast. And we want to kind of talk to you about your background a little bit. We want to get to know Rachel and what brought you in here to start working with us and what gets you really excited about the job.

Rachel Wilensky: Awesome. Well, thanks for the intro, Dr. Barrett. Really excited to be here and that we're finally doing this. Been talking about this for a few months now. Well, for those of you who haven't met me, my name is Rachel and again I am Dr. Barrett's patient coordinator. Really to kind of jump into it. I mean, the whole flow--everything from the first phone call, to meeting the consultation, to getting you to surgery--I mean I am really there with you every step of the way. We have incredible patients here. So I just feel really lucky to be a part of the team.

01:41 RACHEL HAS BEEN WITH US FOR TWO YEARS AND SHE IS A PERFECT FIT

Dr. Barrett: So, Rachel, how long have you been, you know. How long have you been at Barrett plastic surgery?

Rachel Wilensky: It's crazy to say this, but it's been almost two years.

Dr. Barrett: It is--it's unbelievable. We've had incredible growth since you joined the team. And, you know, I think you really, you just became a perfect fit because you kind of matched the brand--the identity--of really what you see is what you get, you know. You're straightforward with patients, and that's kind of refreshing in Beverly Hills. I mean, what did you think your first day when you showed up in the office and you're like, here I am? Because you didn't work in a previous plastic surgery. What was your experience prior?

Rachel Wilensky: Well, prior I had worked in medical. Doing some odd jobs here and there--data entry, things like that. But I mean, the day to day here is so different and so unique than any other job out there. I mean, you never know who's gonna walk through that door or what we're gonna end up recommending as far as surgery plan and just seeing the changes and how it really…I mean, how it affects patients’ lives. I mean, surgery, it's incredible. So there's really not, I mean, there's not a word to describe it. I mean, it's really something special, though.

02:55 HOW RACHEL CAME TO CALIFORNIA

Dr. Barrett: Yeah, no, totally. I mean, you're killing it. You do a great job. Patients love you. But I want to kind of back up. I want to kind of like…tell us the Rachel Wilensky story. Like, how did you…how did you...you're not from Beverly Hills. How did you end up here in the Golden Triangle of California and plastic surgery?

Rachel Wilensky: That kind of a funny story. One of my girlfriends actually was recently had moved out to California, was kind of in between jobs and started working with you guys as a receptionist. She was on her way out. She was moving back to Arizona. And myself, at the time, had just moved out to California.

Dr. Barrett: So you're from?

Rachel Wilensky: Arizona. Yes, from Scottsdale. I was born in Texas, but grew up in Arizona. Definitely an Arizona girl. But always dreamed of moving out here to California.

03:47 PLASTIC SURGERY AWARENESS IN ARIZONA

Dr. Barrett: Now, are there plastic surgeons in Arizona or, like, where you grew up? Was there any kind of awareness of plastic surgery in Scottsdale?

Rachel Wilensky: Oh, my gosh. The aesthetic is so different, I would say, than in your aesthetic, specifically. There are, there is a market definitely for plastic surgery, but it is night and day difference. I mean, here in the plastic surgery capital of the world, it's the best of the best. You can't really compare anything, I think, to Beverly Hills.

Dr. Barrett: Awesome. So, you show up your first day and you kind of, you know, you're here. You're actually at our old office. And I just remember, you, it was just like a one person army, we were such a small office at the time. And you kind of just did everything. Describe that, like, you know, because, you know, when you start a first job it’s just, like, how do you really know that it’s something that you like, and kind of describe the evolution of, like, how you felt and how you kind of really kind of blossomed and really took hold of the job and really grew to like it.

04:47 PATIENT CARE IS THE KEY FACTOR

Rachel Wilensky: I think it was Rosalyn. You may know her--your wife. She really inspired me when I first started the job. You know, just the normal, mundane tasks of just kind of running an office. She would get so excited when it came to the patients and just the whole process and really immersing yourself in, how are they feeling? What is this experience like for them? You know, surgery is a scary thing, but once you see it change someone's life, you realize, wow, I’m part of that.

Dr. Barrett: Tell me… like that's really key because I...I feel the same way. You know I, you know, I love my patients and...that's the...that's the biggest thing for me, is...I'm always trying to perfect the work that I do to give them better results, to get them to do that, like, “wow” moment when they look in the mirror and they're like, oh my gosh, I feel...I look great and I feel great. And that's where, like, it happened today with several post-up appointments, with patients that came in today. And sometimes we get to show that on social media, sometimes they don't. And that's fine. But, can you describe, like, one example of that, because we all feed off of it in the office. You know, whether it's a medical assistant, whether it's our marketing coordinator or, you know, our office manager, we all feed off of that patient energy when people really get excited about the results. Can you...can you think of one example--obviously, don’t say any patients’ name--of someone who had that kind of wow moment, and you got to experience it?

06:15  WOW MOMENT FOR RACHEL

Rachel Wilensky: Yes. Absolutely. A case that stuck with me specifically was a patient who was actually born without a belly button. She had the organs outside her body.

Dr. Barrett: Yes. So I know who you're talking about. This, this was actually pretty recent. This was a patient who was in her 40’s, and she had a condition called omphalocele. And omphalocele is a condition where your abdominal wall is weak as a child. There's a hole there. And so, your intestines are actually…you're born…they're born outside of your body. It's actually pretty serious condition. And these surgeons that…these pediatric surgeons that deal with this are lifesavers. These guys are amazing. And I've worked… I got a chance to work with some of them at Children's Hospital. And basically, they put everything back inside and they close it up as best they can. And this particular patient had that happen and she lived her whole life with with the repercussions of that. But go ahead.

07:12 BARRETT’S BELLY BUTTON

Rachel Wilensky: Yeah, but having her come in and looking at the before and after’s, and talking about The Barrett Belly Button, you know, what people kind of have nicknamed Dr. Barrett's belly buttons. Just because he spends a full hour on them.

Dr. Barrett: Yeah. This is this is kind of my thing, guys. So you may know this already. I'm really OCD when it comes to tummy tucks, when It comes to the abdominal appearance, I spend a lot of time on the belly button, because it's kind of the centerpiece for any kind of tummy tuck or abdominal reconstruction. And I'm really kind of particular about it because you can't cover it up in a bikini. It's the most visible part of any kind of abdominal surgery work.

Rachel Wilensky: So it's a one top telltale sign of a tummy tuck, too. If it's not done right.

Dr. Barrett: Right. Yeah. If you guys are shopping for a tummy tuck, look at before and after’s, focus in on the belly button. How natural does it look? That kind of needs to be your guide in terms of how your belly button is going to look and how your tummy is going to look after your surgery with that particular surgeon.

Rachel Wilensky: And so this patient, she was there with her husband. And as they were kind of signing and placing their deposit, scheduling surgery day, they started tearing up. And it got me teary eyed just hearing about her experience. This was the first time she was ever going to have a belly button. I mean, the little things that you take for granted, you know, it's...it's wild. But that alone, I mean, I mean…

Dr. Barrett: I mean imagine. No, this was this was actually pretty heartfelt for me, too. And I get excited every time I get to see her because, you know, she was a pretty stoic patient in terms of, like, her expressions. And she wasn't emotional at all. And, you know, I went through the whole consult. And sometimes you get a feel for people. They get excited, not like...it was like stonewall from this woman. I'm like, look, I'm going to make this look a lot better. I'm going to reconstruct your belly button. This is gonna be awesome. And then she's like, OK. And she leaves. And she books. She gets surgery. I...it was a difficult, challenging surgery, but I re-created belly button for her and I got rid of a lot of excess skin, her scar tissue and whatnot. And it turned out great. And then I remember you came to me and you're like, you got teary eyed…

09:15 LIFE-CHANGING SURGERY

Rachel Wilensky: I was following on social media. I was so excited to just see her final result immediately after surgery. It was incredible. Just knowing she was gonna go home and her… all her kids were excited to see her result. I mean, they'd been… it was really life-changing, to say the least.

Dr. Barrett: Yeah, it was actually for me, too, because I was like, this made a huge difference. And imagine going through your life...I know it sounds really simple...but not having a belly button. Right. You go to the pool, you go to, you know, whatever…

Rachel Wilensky: Everyone else has one.

Dr. Barrett: Everyone else has a belly button! And you take it for granted. You take your silly little...people complain about their belly buttons. They get belly button lint trapped in it. But if you didn't have one, you'd probably be upset. And so, she lived her whole life without it. And then at this age, and forty, forty years old, she...she gets a chance to have a, have a normal looking abdomen. And so, you know, part of her life is she always kind of covered her abdomen and she was self-conscious about it. And it just a part of daily routine. And now she got to just change something that was so fundamental, a part of her life. It was, it was pretty cool.

Rachel Wilensky: Yeah. Oh, absolutely. I mean there's so many stories like that that happen every week here. It's…

10:22 BELLY BUTTON WAS FORGOTTEN

Dr. Barrett: But, you know, you know what the cool part about that one story is her mom came in and her mom told me the story when the doctor came out after they successfully saved her life and got their organs back in. That he’s, he takes down the dressings the next day and he's like, oops, I forgot to put a belly button. And so, he had an option to put a belly button at that time, which is kind of, like, shocking to me. And he's like, all right, let's take her back to do the belly button surgery and Mom said no. She's like, I want my baby...and I don't blame her. You know, she just, she went through one operation. I'm not going to put her through another operation. I want her to recover. And...but a simple thing like that, someone lives with it forty years. But anyway, I thought that was just icing on the cake that this was such a big family ordeal.

Rachel Wilensky: Yeah, oh absolutely. Her whole family was so excited for her.

Dr. Barrett: Yeah, that's great. No, I mean, there's numerous his experiences like that. Which would you say… So these are obviously the highlights of the job. What...what’s the most difficult part of the job for you on a day-to-day basis?

11:23 MOST DIFFICULT PART OF THE JOB

Rachel Wilensky: Probably, you know, taking in all the leads and almost pre-screening people. You know, here we would like to make sure that when somebody’s coming in, they're getting really excited and they're ready to go for surgery, that it's a right fit. We want to make sure that, you know, they are looking for a natural result and also long-term. You know, Dr. Barrett is focused on the long-term goal. You're looking for a quick fix or the cheapest, you know, Band-Aid for it? Probably not the best option, but I can promise you that you will leave here with an incredible result in something that's going to be great for years and years to come.

Dr. Barrett: Tell me about other plastic surgeons, like when patients...or, or patients’ experience about other plastic surgeons. Because I've never had a consult for a plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills. So, like, I want to hear, like, maybe some of these stories. I'm not sure you have a lot of them. Because you get to spend a lot of time with patients and they probably talk to you about other consults. So let’s, let's hear it. What are some crazy things that you've heard?

12:27 WHAT OTHER CONSULTS ARE LIKE

Rachel Wilensky: Well. I mean, especially out here, you hear a mixture of different things that go on, especially in Beverly Hills. I heard about one horror story of a consultation where it was free and there were about 20 girls in the room. They were all in a circle. They had them lift up all their shirts just to show each other their breasts and never even met the doctor. I always tell people, go to more than one consultation because you'll know when you meet the right surgeon. And women kind of joke when they come in. But it's that female intuition or that confidence that you have in the surgeon. You'll know when you meet the right one. Which is why I think social media is such a great platform nowadays, because you do feel like you get kind of that one-on-one aspect, a little bit, with the surgeon to hear them speak about the procedure and the results and their techniques. So, it's really nice that people are able to, you know, go on YouTube, Instagram...these different platforms.

13:23 DR. BARRETT’S SOCIAL PLATFORMS

Dr. Barrett: So, absolutely. So, that you know…we know that this is a big part of my practice. I am very transparent. And we...that starts in the top and goes all the way down. And it's definitely in our social media. So if you don't, if you don’t follow me yet, check out Dr. Daniel Barrett on Instagram or Barrett Plastic Surgery on Instagram. We have two accounts. And really, it's…we put it all out there. What you see is what you get. And that's a great place to start, for us, to kind of see what we do here. I don't know about other practices. We don't really filter what we put out. Obviously, we do everything with patient permission. And a lot of times patients get really excited about it.

Rachel Wilensky: Yeah. They request it. They get super excited.

Dr. Barrett: It’s cool because we can kind of, we can share their story. And a lot of times their friends tune in…

Rachel Wilensky:  Families following along...

Dr. Barrett:. Yep. Yeah. So everything, everything out there is genuine and is legit. But, you know, that's a really good point that you bring up. Like, what should patients be asking or what should they be looking for? Obviously, group consultations where everybody takes their shirt off is not the place to be for quality plastic surgery. But what do you, what would your advice be to someone who's thinking about plastic surgery? You said multiple consultations. What are some other good tips?

14:30 RACHEL SHARES TIPS FOR CONSULTATIONS

Rachel Wilensky: The long term. I mean, what is, what is the surgeon's plan for you long term? Do they see their patient post-operatively? If so, is that included in the pricing? A lot of places you hear that it's, it’s a little bit more like a factory. You know, maybe they see their surgeon the day of surgery and then they don't see him again. And I think that that's an important component to, you know, the entire process is just making sure that you're there to ask him the questions after surgery and feeling like, you know, you're part of a family or somebody’s gonna be there for you when you're feeling a little beat up a few days after surgery.

15:05 TRAVELING FOR SURGERY

Dr. Barrett: Right. What would you say to the person who's thinking about trying to get plastic surgery in a far off place because of like a, like a cost…like someone going to Central America to get, or Thailand, to get a discounted plastic surgery. What’s your words of caution for that? Or what's your thoughts on that by the way?

Rachel Wilensky: Outweigh the benefits. I mean, you try to save a few thousand in the beginning and that could become a real financial burden. Trying to correct that work. Not even, not to mention, the health risks that you're taking.

15:41 EXPENSIVE MISTAKE

Dr. Barrett: Ok, so let's talk about money. So, let's say you go to Tijuana and you get, and this is true, you can get a tummy tuck and liposuction for about $5000. Right? So, sounds great. But what does a, what does a revision tummy tuck cost in Barrett Plastic Surgery?

Rachel Wilensky: Oh man I mean, it depends on the complexity of the case, of course. But I mean, you're looking at probably four times that.

Dr. Barrett: Yeah, I know. I mean, it's an expensive mistake. And, you know, the thing that scares me about traveling to a different place for plastic surgery is I like to see my patients a lot post-operatively. And the reason why I do is because I can catch problems. I can optimize healing. I can counsel patients as to what's right and what's wrong, what's supposed to be this way and what's not supposed to be this way. And I feel like if you just go to a one stop shop where you just get your surgery and you…and that's it. What do you do if there's a problem? You know, you can't, I mean, you can't get across the border or you can't fly to Thailand every time you have a question. And so I think, I think these places, they take advantage of people for that. And they, they're really not practicing good medicine and they don’t have people's best interests in mind. And that kind of scares me.

Rachel Wilensky: Oh yeah absolutely. Absolutely. I would just say do your homework. You know, there are all these different platforms where you can read reviews, see social media, learn more about your surgeon. Are they board-certified? Plastic surgeon.

17:03 WHAT IS A BOARD-CERTIFIED PLASTIC SURGEON

Dr. Barrett: So tell me about that. What is board certification?

Rachel Wilensky: So, board certification...a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon is really the highest level of expert you could be coming to. You could probably speak to the boards a little bit more than I could.

Dr. Barrett: So. All right. So the American..all right. So, there's lots of kinds of doc...First of all, make sure they're a doctor. OK, let's start there. We have a fundamental pyramid of qualifications. If you're going to somebody’s garage, you're probably in the wrong place. And I would not suggest you get treated there. Make sure they are doctor. Make sure they’re actually formally trained in the specialty of what they're trying to do. So there is a big misnomer out there. American Board of Plastic Surgery is the gold standard. It is so hard to get board certified by the American Board of Licensor. You actually have to do a legitimate plastic surgery training program that's recognized by the United States Medical Board. And then you have to you...have to do a certain number of cases. You have to pass numerous exams. Then you can get board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. There's other board-certifications that are phony, board-certifications that are not legitimate under the American…I think the American Medical Board Committee. And so, and so one of them, for example, is American Board of Cosmetic Surgery. This is a phony one. This doesn't exist. So if they say they're board-certified, that's good, but find out what board they're certified by.

Rachel Wilensky: I saw an infomercial and it was some guy saying he was board-certified in anti-aging. It's like, oh, ah, I didn’t know there was a board for that, specifically.

Dr. Barrett: No, there is definitely not a board cert...Yeah. I mean, you know, there's internal medicine and there's, there’s people that specialize in anti-aging. But like to say that is just really misleading. And so I think that's a really good key. So. So doing your homework, making sure they are board-certified, going to numerous consultations.

19:02 BEFORE AND AFTER

Rachel Wilensky: Seeing their before and after’s. Making sure the work, their work, is what you're looking for...the aesthetic is what you're looking for. I think that's a big misconception is that wherever you go, they're going to give you exactly what you're looking for. I think that you have, you know, to be realistic and make sure that they're able to deliver the results that you're looking for.

Dr. Barrett: Got it. So how would someone do that?

Rachel Wilensky: Checking out, you know…again, before and after’s online, looking at their websites. There's different platforms like RealSelf, Yelp, where you're able to read about the patient experience.

19:37 GOOD REVIEW WEBSITES

Dr. Barrett: So you mentioned...yeah...you mentioned review sites. So, what are some good ones that patients can check out?

Rachel Wilensky: I think a lot of patients find us from Yelp. You know, I think that you can find anything on Yelp from your, you know, place where you're gonna have dinner, to your nail salon, to your surgeon to…

Dr. Barrett: So it's interesting about Yelp. Yelp, you really this is the most...It's actually very big in Los Angeles. And it's…you can't make these reviews up. They have one of the most sophisticated algorithms to test to see if your review is legitimate or not. They know where you're submitting your review from. They, they can tell by the wording, whether it's, like, a legitimate review or not. They can, they can find out if it's like an employee in your office or a relative. They can even sense that If you're like incentivizing somebody to write a review, and they shut it down. So, typically what you see on Yelp is what you get. It's really one of the harder ones. But you know, you know, places like the East Coast, Yelp is not really a big deal there. So it's like there's other review sites like RealSelf.

Rachel Wilensky: Yeah, RealSelf is nice. I know people look at Eden Knows Implants, Google as well.

Dr. Barrett: Yeah, yeah, Google's out there too. Very cool. What else? So those are, those are four good things. And then obviously, looking at people's before and after website, pictures to see…You know, for me, I think the consultation is really important too…I, I do agree that you should go on multiple consultations, you want to make sure…there's a lot of actually good plastic surgeons out there. But you also want to make sure that when you’re really finding in the finer details and remember, this is your body. You want to make sure that you have someone that's on the same page in terms of what your goals are. You know, for me, I always like patients to print out photos, so I can get a visual. I'm a very visual person. I like to get a visual representation of what their goals are, especially with breast augmentation, in terms of size. How many times have patients come to you and said I want a full C? How do you...how do you respond to that?

Rachel Wilensky: Yeah, it's so hard, you know, because they'll come in, they'll be hung up on a cup size. But what a C is to one patient is very different to what a C is on another patient in terms of cc size. We don't focus too much on the cc's or abc’s. But, you know, like you said, the, the end goal and desired size-photo. I mean, a photo. It's worth 1,000 words.

21:51 A PICTURE IS WORTH 1,000 WORDS

Dr. Barrett: Yeah, yeah, it is. And so, yeah, I mean, that to me, I, like, I want to make sure that I nail it, you know. I hear so many horror stories like my surgeon, he made my breasts too big, he like, like, you know, too big for my body. And I'm just like, picturing in my mind this plastic surgeon who’s like, oh she’ll, you know, she’ll like them, whatever, go big or go home, and I'm just like, no, you know, these people have distinct preferences. And...I know I do. You know, if I were to get breasts one day, I'd be pretty damn clear about what I'm gonna get, you know, it would be weird.

Rachel Wilensky: And I tell...and I tell patients. I’m, like, Dr. Barrett is incredibly honest. He's not going to recommend something you don't need. If you're within a gray area, where maybe you could benefit from a lift, or could go without one, he's gonna let you know.

22:34 SAY NO TO THE PATIENT

Dr. Barrett: Yeah. Let's talk about that actually. So you know, who are these people that plastic surgery, you know, we've said no, a lot of times. Tell me about the people that we've said no, or you’ve said no, hey, maybe this isn't a good idea for you.

Rachel Wilensky: Yeah, you know, we definitely have to make sure it's the right fit on both ends. That if you're coming to us, that you're waking up and you're getting the result that you're looking for. You know, he...I have to say, Dr. Barrett definitely has a very natural aesthetic and there are some people that are not looking for that. That's okay. But, I can tell you, that if you're looking for it to look right on your body, to look like you have amazing breasts, not great implants, you know, that's really what we do here. It should look God-given at the end of the day, and…

Dr. Barrett: I never knew you were so religious.

Rachel Wilensky: But we have…

Dr. Barrett: Do you go to church, Rachel?

Rachel Wilensky: Not as much as I probably should. But, you know, I think also patients coming back telling us that they were with guys and they had no idea they even had implants. That's the real test, too, and they’re so excited.

Dr. Barrett: Yes, that, you know what, I was, like, who is your boyfriend? Get him to write me a Yelp review. Because that's, like, the proof is in the pudding there.

Rachel Wilensky: Yep.

23:41 REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS

Dr. Barrett: Cool. I, you know, I've got…you know, people that…realistic expectations. You mentioned that. I think that's really important. What can plastic surgery do and what can it not do? So yes, I can make breasts bigger. I can actually…I'm probably one of the best in terms of developing cleavage and other things because of my breast reconstructive background, but what are some things we can’t do with breast? Breast surgery?

Rachel Wilensky: I think, you know, you also, again, focus on long-term, you're not going to give an 18-year-old girl F breasts.

Dr. Barrett: That’s true.

Rachel Wilensky: Yeah. You're gonna say no, that's not, that's not good long-term.

Dr. Barrett: Right? Good. And I have done that. Like, we’ve had some patients that they want to go super big but I know it's not going to look good after two years. And I'm like, look, I can't do that. And, and I even hate to send them elsewhere, because I know there's some people that will do that. They'll stack saline, you know, 800 cc implants. They'll put two implants inside and it just it's a total, just, you know, you can't…I mean, how can you have a conscience and do that to someone's body. I like to stay within normal, normal anatomic range for people…there's some people who like to go bigger than that. And then there's these extreme situations where you're going to end up on Botched, where your breasts are basically going to expel the implant by itself, you know. Botched is a TV show, if you haven't checked out, it's pretty cool. And these are the disaster situations that doctors shouldn’t be putting patients in. These are people, like, don't, don’t let them make these decisions. You know, don't take their money. I mean, how greedy can you be?

Rachel Wilensky: Right. It's really easy to just take their money and say, sure, this is exactly what you wanted. But when you're looking for a patient for life, you know, and long-term result, that's not what you do.

Dr. Barrett: How about feeling good about yourself at the end of the day? Like, I don't feel good about myself...and if I see a result of mine that doesn't look natural, that's awful. Like, I want, the last thing I want is like one of my patients to be at the swimming pool or at the beach and someone looks at her and says, oh, she's got fake boobs.

Rachel Wilensky: Oh yeah, exactly. No, it should just look, well done. I mean, well done work goes unnoticed. I always tell people that.

Dr. Barrett: Yeah.

Rachel Wilensky: Without realizing...you just look great.

25:44 BAD PLASTIC SURGERY

Dr. Barrett: Absolutely. Since you've been here at the job, do you go around, like, in your personal life? Have you ever seen...now that you're kind of aware of, like, what plastic surgery looks like? Do you have, like, a part of your brain that, like, has a sense for what's bad plastic surgery out there?

Rachel Wilensky: Absolutely. That's one of the first things I notice nowadays. You know, and you’ve met some of my friends who I’ve brought in and we've done some revisions for them.

Dr. Barrett: Yes.

Rachel Wilensky: But, you know, I think you definitely have that eye, where you can, you can see it. Yeah, absolutely. It's one of the first things you notice…

Dr. Barrett: Where do you see it most? I want to hear a good story.

Rachel Wilensky: A lot of times on TV, but just out too. People who have said their whole life they’ve never had anything done. You're like, oh, interesting...interesting. I used to believe that. But I mean, you know, a telltale sign is just that it doesn't look natural.

26:38 NATURAL-LOOKING LIPS

Dr. Barrett: Right. Yeah, so for me, you know, it can, it can start with, like, fillers in someone's face and, like, I've got a whole website called Natural-Looking Lips. It's been, like, a passion of mine…I, you know, as you know, I do a lot of injectables, as well as plastic surgery. And those things are kind of dead giveaways. If your lips look fake and sausage lips, that's so taboo right now, it's just ridiculous. And people are still pumping people full of filler in their lips, and it just, for money, and I'm just like, what are you doing? This...these people are…you're not doing them a favor.

Rachel Wilensky: Yeah. I think people like coming to you because you will tell them when they should wait a few more weeks.

Dr. Barrett: Yeah...

Rachel Wilensky: You know, wait till that last syringe wears off a little bit more. I've had so many patients come and tell me that. That’s why they come to our practice.

Dr. Barrett: Yeah, it's, it’s tough. You don't always know. I mean, you stare...there’s a certain thing that happens to your mind and your psyche when you're staring in a mirror every single day. And you're used to seeing something over and over again. You can't tell how it's supposed to look as much as someone who does this professionally. And so you’re really kind of putting your faith in that injector, that plastic surgeon, to kind of make the right call for you. If I say no, and you can easily go down the street, some other…there's some other good plastic surgeons in this town, but there's going to be somebody eventually that's going to say yes. And they're going to say yes, and yes, and you need all this other stuff. They're going to upsell you, they're gonna treat you like a business, and you're going to spend a lot of money and you're not gonna look any better. And this is my mission to kind of never ever do that and kind of develop a transparency and awareness of that in this town. Yeah, people, hey, you know, this is why we're doing this podcast. We want to educate people. You know, this isn't the right thing to be doing to your bodies...doesn't look good.

Rachel Wilensky: People need to know the truth and, you know, it's not always what you want to hear, but we’ill always be very honest with them.

28:23 PIPER, THE RESCUE

Dr. Barrett: Yeah, absolutely. So, Rachel, let's, let's find out, you know, so a patient coming in, I want them to learn a little bit more about you. What, what is your, where do you live?

Rachel Wilensky: I live in Venice, California.

Dr. Barrett: Venice.

Rachel Wilensky: Yes.

Dr. Barrett: And you don't have any tattoos or body piercings.

Rachel Wilensky: That is true. No body piercings, no tattoos. I just kind of fell in love with the west side. I think when I moved out here. I was…I went to Santa Monica and, you know, thought to myself, this is the dream. This is why people move to California. You know, fast forward a few years later, you kind of realize, no, it's not all...it's a little smoke and mirrors. But it's still beautiful. I love being by the ocean. I love spending my time outdoors. I have a dog. And so you know…

Dr. Barrett: What’s your dog’s name?

Rachel Wilensky: Her name is Piper.

Dr. Barrett: Piper.

Rachel Wilensky: Piper.

Dr. Barrett: What kind of dog is Piper?

Rachel Wilensky:  Piper is a rescue. And my boyfriend would want me to point out that she's named after the Phish song, Piper. Very much an old school jam band. But she's a rescue. She is part pitbull, part terrier. So she's very intelligent.

Dr. Barrett: Nice.

Rachel Wilensky: Yeah, she loves to be outdoors. It's just a, you know, it's a very dog-friendly city and anything I can do to get outside and be in the sun with her. I love it.

Dr. Barrett: Yeah. So that's..what do you…is that what you do for fun? Spend time with Piper?

Rachel Wilensky: Yeah. And my boyfriend and my friends. We have a lot of Arizona transplants out here. So, it's nice, having a good group of girlfriends out here too.

Dr. Barrett: Ok. That's cool.

29:51 RACHEL BRINGS IN A LOT OF PATIENTS FROM ARIZONA

Dr. Barrett: Yeah, you do. You do tend to bring in a lot of people from Arizona. I feel like I have a higher, a higher percentage of Arizona patients then I would say, like, New Mexico patients.

Rachel Wilensky: Oh definitely.

Dr. Barrett: Yeah.

Rachel Wilensky: Well now they all know, you want the best plastic surgery, you're going to come out here to see us.

Dr. Barrett: Yes, absolutely. No, I, I follow Rachel's Instagram sometimes. And you can see that she's quite the connoisseur of all the west side, like, posh places, restaurants, Elefante, and various cool places. That's where I actually learn about all the latest spots. So Rachel, if you just, I mean, you should have a side job for, like, checking out the latest spots in LA.

Rachel Wilensky: It's great. There's always a new place opening up. I love this city because you can go to a museum one night, you can be hiking in Malibu the next. I mean, it's…the possibilities are endless. You really have it all out here.

30:36 RACHEL DESCRIBES BARRETT PLASTIC SURGERY

Dr. Barrett: Yeah, it's great. So, you know, I'd like to kind of wrap things up, but you know, you know, we talked about patients and what they should look for and doctors. What do you, you know, what do you think is…how would you describe Barrett Plastic Surgery to that prospective patient that's thinking about, you know, deciding on a plastic surgeon and if we're a good fit or not?

Rachel Wilensky: Just honest, natural, long-term. And you’re a patient for life here. I think you get that feeling, hopefully, from the first phone call to, you know, your sit, your one-year post-op. I do think that it has to be, again, a right fit on both ends. Because you're part of our family. We see you every week for six weeks, post surgery, and, you know, we have all those follow up appointments afterwards. But...

Dr. Barrett: We'll see you outside the office too. I see a lot of my patients out.

Rachel Wilensky: Yeah. People are like, I'm sad, I'm graduating. We're like, I, we’re sad that you are leaving us.

Dr. Barrett: Right?

Rachel Wilensky: Because you get so used to seeing everyone week after week. But yeah, I would just say that, you know, it's a, it's a really great practice and we have patients that are so thrilled with their results. I mean, it's, I couldn't ask for really anything better.

31:54 WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO MOVE FORWARD

Dr. Barrett: That's great. I, I think you do an amazing job, Rachel, and patients really get to connect with you. You're honest and you're, you’re genuine. And I think that that translates well into the patients that we're looking for, and to looking for honest experience of good quality and natural experience. How would you advise the person that's out there listening to make the next step if this is something that they're thinking about? What's the best way to, you know, move forward?

Rachel Wilensky: I would say really think about your timeline. Realistically, when are you going to get this done? Are you breastfeeding right now? Do you have a trip coming up in a year that you want to look amazing for? Are you at your goal weight? Start asking yourself those questions, and then just inquire, you know, whether it's giving us a call or sending an email online. Just kind of taking that first step. You know, a lot of patients have told me it took them way too long to take that first step.

Dr. Barrett: They’ve told me that too, by the way, they tell me every….Just today I had a woman, she's like, I… this was easier than I thought. And she kind of just, like, she broke down…and I was like, all right thanks. And I shouldn't have waited as long as I did. I saw a patient in consult today. I know she booked. She said she's been waiting 10 years. You know who I'm talking about?

Rachel Wilensky: Yes.

Dr. Barrett: 10 years to be thinking about getting a breast augmentation is a long time. Considering the fact that most women only live until their 70’s. That is one seventh of your life you've been thinking about doing something that's really, really safe and really, really positive. Go for it. I mean, how long would you wait to, I mean, if you were thinking about doing something, like, how, what would you advise someone? How long should they wait before trying to go do something like that?

33:30 WAITING TIME

Rachel Wilensky: There’s never that perfect time either. It's like getting a dog. Or...

Dr. Barrett: Yeah.

Rachel Wilensky: You know, you just kind of get them and you figure it out. There's always something that needs fixing, or the car needs new tires, or something that comes up. But, put yourself first, you know, just first inquire, think about your timeline. And people that want to make it happen, they always find a way to make it happen.

Dr. Barrett: Yeah. I, you know, that, it's like, but then you have people that are afraid to make a decision. And, and I tell people, at least my philosophy is, if you're looking in the mirror, and you're not happy with the way you look, consistently, on a daily basis, for greater than six months, do something about it. You know…

Rachel Wilensky: Life’s too short.

Dr. Barrett: I mean, it's too short. You know, that's why we're here. That's why we feel good about what we do. And we wouldn't be here otherwise. I don't I don't do crazy operations, like Buccal Fat Pad Removal or crazy implant surgeries that have high risks and so forth. I really only…I, I pick the surgeries that have low risk and really high reward and that's, that's what I try to explain to people. And I, I get them, there very, very safely with really low complication rates. And if you watch my surgeries, you see all the little OCD details that I...that I work on. But, you know, six months is my timeline.

Rachel Wilensky: Yes, absolutely.

Dr. Barrett: So, Rachel, what's the best way to get ahold of you, you know, if someone wants to call or someone wants to email?

Rachel Wilensky: The best way would be to probably give us a call at 310-598-2648 or…

Dr. Barrett: That sounds so, so methodical.

Rachel Wilensky: I know. It does. Or shoot us an email… Saying hey Rachel, listened to the podcast. It’s usually myself or one of the other coordinators, kind of, getting back to you. But we get really excited about the patients. I mean, I’ll be on a phone call with a patient for 20 minutes, and we’re laughing, talking about things other than plastic surgery. So, just, you know, reach out. Let us know what questions you have specifically. What you’re thinking about. And what your timeline looks like. And we’ll be able to get you all the information you’re looking for.

Dr. Barrett: Great. Yeah, that email address is info@barrettplasticsurgery. You guys, we’ve got Rachel, we actually have a few other people that help with the, the inquiries. But we’d love to hear from you. And, Rachel, thank you so much for being on the show today.

Rachel Wilensky: Thank you for having me. The first official host. This is super cool. I’m really excited we finally are doing it.

Dr. Barrett: Yep. All right Rachel. Thank you so much.

Rachel Wilensky: Thanks guys.

Dr. Barrett: All right you guys. Thanks for tuning in today for today’s podcast. Rachel Wolanski, she is our patient coordinator for two years now. She will take care of you. She is the best. She will guide you through the process. And we can’t wait to meet you.

Thank you for listening to this podcast. If you want more information about plastic surgery and our secrets, please visit my website at drdanielbarrett.com.

Follow my Instagram: @drdanielbarrett.

Or subscribe to my educational videos at Dr. Barrett, YouTube, where I put it all out there.

Thanks for tuning in.

‍