Diana Ponsky

382 timestamped statements across 3 topics — auto-found in recorded discussions, each timestamp jumps to the exact moment. Summaries Diana gave as host are listed separately below.

Featured statements

▶ Ep 7 · 31:06
I currently have a patient. She, she's not through the program. She came to see me, you know, privately. I knew her daughter before her, and then when she came and sought rhinoplasty surgery, reconstructive rhinoplasty surgery, she shared that she was in a similar, you know, situation and Honestly, that was the one thing that she wanted to erase, the reminder of what had happened. And she's still my patient 34 years later, and every time we talk about it, she still brings, you know, tears to her eyes. So, like the emotional scars last for so much longer, as you know, than, yeah, than the Physical.
quote · Practice Management & Professional Development
▶ Ep 7 · 25:18
In this program, we deal with things in the facial area, and the most common injuries are usually a broken nose. That's the easiest bone to fracture, and it's just right in the way, right? So, uh, Other things that we might see are jaw injuries, like eye socket fractures, sometimes teeth, but I don't deal so much with teeth. That's when we send to our dental, uh, comrades. And then soft tissue injuries like the scar, you know, lacerations, cuts made with objects and things of that nature.
quote · Practice Management & Professional Development
▶ Ep 5 · 2:00
I can pin. Point, the exact time when I think like they've hit menopause, because there are certain changes that you can see and the patients will tell me, they will say, gosh, my skin's coarser, like no matter what I do, just really doesn't improve.
quote · Facial Rejuvenation: Surgical & Non-Surgical Approaches
▶ Ep 4 · 0:18
when you're over injected in this area, uh, it shows as what. We call pillows for your cheeks without boundaries, and so you don't see anatomic boundaries as clearly because everyone's, everything's just puffy and swollen.
quote · Facial Rejuvenation: Surgical & Non-Surgical Approaches
▶ Ep 5 · 32:00
we're humans are not cars. We can't have the nose that you, you want, right? You, you can't just design it. It comes with what you're made of, what bones you have, what cartilage you have, what type of skin you have.
quote · Head and Neck Cancer
▶ Ep 4 · 8:04
It's such a marriage of the two things.
quote · Head and Neck Cancer

Nothing matches these filters — clear the search or widen the filters.

Diana's statements about Facial Rejuvenation: Surgical & Non-Surgical Approaches 144 statements

Open the Facial Rejuvenation: Surgical & Non-Surgical Approaches collection →

Botox for TMJ with Dr. Diana Ponsky #shorts

▶ Ep 1 · 0:11
clinical Masseter Botox is used to help with TMJ discomfort related to jaw clenching. ↗
▶ Ep 1 · 0:11
clinical Masseter Botox is used to help with TMJ discomfort related to jaw clenching. ↗
▶ Ep 1 · 0:14
clinical Masseter Botox is administered every 6 months to prevent excessive muscle weakening. ↗
▶ Ep 1 · 0:14
clinical A bite guard is still needed to protect teeth even when using Botox for TMJ. ↗
▶ Ep 1 · 0:14
clinical A bite guard is still needed to protect teeth even when using Botox for TMJ. ↗
▶ Ep 1 · 0:14
clinical Masseter Botox is administered every 6 months to prevent excessive muscle weakening. ↗
▶ Ep 1 · 0:14
quote I do wear a bite guard because I still need to protect my teeth, but this way it helps lessen the discomfort I get there, and I get it every 6 months if I can help it because I don't want the muscle to weaken too much. ↗
▶ Ep 1 · 0:14
quote I do wear a bite guard because I still need to protect my teeth, but this way it helps lessen the discomfort I get there, and I get it every 6 months if I can help it because I don't want the muscle to weaken too much. ↗
▶ Ep 1 · 0:49
quote I'm getting Dysport because I'm going to a conference in a couple of days and I need it to kick in in about 3 days and I forgot, so the Dysport has a faster onset of Action compared to the other neuromodulators, so I use that to my advantage in certain instances. ↗
▶ Ep 1 · 0:49
quote I'm getting Dysport because I'm going to a conference in a couple of days and I need it to kick in in about 3 days and I forgot, so the Dysport has a faster onset of Action compared to the other neuromodulators, so I use that to my advantage in certain instances. ↗
▶ Ep 1 · 0:49
clinical Dysport has a faster onset of action (approximately 3 days) compared to other neuromodulators. ↗
▶ Ep 1 · 0:49
clinical Dysport has a faster onset of action (approximately 3 days) compared to other neuromodulators. ↗
▶ Ep 1 · 1:08
quote we'll do, you know, DExify if we don't want to inject that frequently, like if someone lives in Florida half the time, I might use Dexify so I only have to get them twice a year instead of 3 to 4 times a year. ↗
▶ Ep 1 · 1:08
clinical Daxxify allows for twice-yearly treatment intervals instead of 3-4 times per year required by other neuromodulators. ↗
▶ Ep 1 · 1:08
quote we'll do, you know, DExify if we don't want to inject that frequently, like if someone lives in Florida half the time, I might use Dexify so I only have to get them twice a year instead of 3 to 4 times a year. ↗
▶ Ep 1 · 1:08
clinical Daxxify allows for twice-yearly treatment intervals instead of 3-4 times per year required by other neuromodulators. ↗

What is an upper lip lift? Ask Dr. Diana Ponsky

▶ Ep 2 · 0:02
clinical An upper lip lift is anything that will shorten the distance of the upper lip from under the nose to the red of the upper lip. ↗
▶ Ep 2 · 0:02
quote So an upper lip lift is anything that will shorten the distance of your upper lip. ↗
▶ Ep 2 · 0:02
clinical An upper lip lift is anything that will shorten the distance of the upper lip from under the nose to the red of the upper lip. ↗
▶ Ep 2 · 0:02
quote So an upper lip lift is anything that will shorten the distance of your upper lip. ↗
▶ Ep 2 · 0:10
clinical With gravity, the proportion of the lower face region changes with aging. ↗
▶ Ep 2 · 0:10
clinical With gravity, the proportion of the lower face region changes with aging. ↗
▶ Ep 2 · 0:20
quote So when you're young, this area should occupy only a 1 1/3 of this total distance. ↗
▶ Ep 2 · 0:20
clinical In youth, the upper lip area (from nose to upper lip vermilion) should occupy only one-third of the total lower face distance. ↗
▶ Ep 2 · 0:20
clinical In youth, the upper lip area (from nose to upper lip vermilion) should occupy only one-third of the total lower face distance. ↗
▶ Ep 2 · 0:20
quote So when you're young, this area should occupy only a 1 1/3 of this total distance. ↗
▶ Ep 2 · 0:26
clinical The lower portion of the face (from upper lip vermilion downward) should occupy two-thirds of the total lower face distance. ↗
▶ Ep 2 · 0:26
clinical The lower portion of the face (from upper lip vermilion downward) should occupy two-thirds of the total lower face distance. ↗
▶ Ep 2 · 0:30
clinical With aging, the upper lip region becomes distorted and elongated, causing more of the lower lip to be visible than the upper lip during speech. ↗
▶ Ep 2 · 0:30
quote So you see, I'm 50 and right now when I'm talking you're starting to see more of my lower lip than my upper lip. ↗
▶ Ep 2 · 0:30
clinical With aging, the upper lip region becomes distorted and elongated, causing more of the lower lip to be visible than the upper lip during speech. ↗
▶ Ep 2 · 0:30
quote So you see, I'm 50 and right now when I'm talking you're starting to see more of my lower lip than my upper lip. ↗
▶ Ep 2 · 0:41
clinical Shortening the upper lip distance through an upper lip lift makes the face look younger. ↗
▶ Ep 2 · 0:41
clinical Shortening the upper lip distance through an upper lip lift makes the face look younger. ↗

3 Nonsurgical Under Eye Treatments | Dr. Diana Ponsky

▶ Ep 3 · 0:12
quote One of the things that we can do is put fillers in very conservatively. ↗
▶ Ep 3 · 0:12
clinical Fillers placed conservatively in the right area can help with tired eye appearance and hollowing under the eyes. ↗
▶ Ep 3 · 0:12
quote One of the things that we can do is put fillers in very conservatively. ↗
▶ Ep 3 · 0:12
clinical Fillers placed conservatively in the right area can help with tired eye appearance and hollowing under the eyes. ↗
▶ Ep 3 · 0:32
clinical Microneedling with radiofrequency is effective for puffiness, crepey skin, and triangle skin on the corner of the under-eye area. ↗
▶ Ep 3 · 0:32
clinical Microneedling with radiofrequency is effective for puffiness, crepey skin, and triangle skin on the corner of the under-eye area. ↗
▶ Ep 3 · 0:36
clinical Microneedling with radiofrequency may require two treatments for the under-eye area. ↗
▶ Ep 3 · 0:36
clinical Microneedling with radiofrequency may require two treatments for the under-eye area. ↗
▶ Ep 3 · 0:40
quote It is a technology that helps make The skin tighter and a technology that will help work under the skin to help reduce some of the puffiness. ↗
▶ Ep 3 · 0:40
clinical Microneedling with radiofrequency tightens skin and works under the skin to reduce puffiness in the under-eye area. ↗
▶ Ep 3 · 0:40
quote It is a technology that helps make The skin tighter and a technology that will help work under the skin to help reduce some of the puffiness. ↗
▶ Ep 3 · 0:40
clinical Microneedling with radiofrequency tightens skin and works under the skin to reduce puffiness in the under-eye area. ↗
▶ Ep 3 · 0:47
clinical A single skin pinch can help with crepiness of under-eye skin. ↗
▶ Ep 3 · 0:47
clinical A single skin pinch can help with crepiness of under-eye skin. ↗

What is filler fatigue? Facial plastic surgeon Dr. Diana Ponsky explains!

▶ Ep 4 · 0:06
quote So you, you've all heard about pillow faces and duck lips. That's exactly what filler fatigue is. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 0:06
quote So you, you've all heard about pillow faces and duck lips. That's exactly what filler fatigue is. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 0:12
clinical Filler fatigue describes an abnormality or abnormal appearance resulting from what fillers do. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 0:12
clinical Filler fatigue describes an abnormality or abnormal appearance resulting from what fillers do. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 0:18
clinical Over-injection in the cheek area shows as pillow cheeks without boundaries, where anatomic boundaries are not seen clearly because everything is puffy and swollen. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 0:18
quote when you're over injected in this area, uh, it shows as what. We call pillows for your cheeks without boundaries, and so you don't see anatomic boundaries as clearly because everyone's, everything's just puffy and swollen. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 0:18
clinical Over-injection in the cheek area shows as pillow cheeks without boundaries, where anatomic boundaries are not seen clearly because everything is puffy and swollen. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 0:18
quote when you're over injected in this area, uh, it shows as what. We call pillows for your cheeks without boundaries, and so you don't see anatomic boundaries as clearly because everyone's, everything's just puffy and swollen. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 0:33
clinical In filler fatigue affecting the lips, you don't see the distinction between the upper lip and the actual red lip show. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 0:33
clinical In filler fatigue affecting the lips, you don't see the distinction between the upper lip and the actual red lip show. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 0:43
opinion Madonna is described as probably the latest example of filler fatigue. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 0:43
opinion Madonna is described as probably the latest example of filler fatigue. ↗

Perimenopause: Facial Plastic Surgery with @DrDianaPonsky

▶ Ep 5 · 2:00
quote I can pin. Point, the exact time when I think like they've hit menopause, because there are certain changes that you can see and the patients will tell me, they will say, gosh, my skin's coarser, like no matter what I do, just really doesn't improve. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 3:18
clinical Facial aging involves skin laxity, facial volume loss, jaw shortening and masculinization, and flattening of brow arches from the characteristic arch to a more masculine flat shape. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 4:32
opinion Facial plastic surgery requires continuous maintenance rather than a single intervention; it is analogous to daily exercise for muscle conditioning. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 6:14
clinical Performing preventive procedures earlier (such as blepharoplasty or brow lift) provides many more years of lasting results compared to waiting until changes are advanced. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 6:48
clinical Asian individuals genetically develop more under-eye puffiness with age and require fat removal, whereas some other ethnic groups develop hollowing and require fat grafting. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 7:14
clinical Asian individuals are genetically predisposed to develop uneven skin tone with age, requiring preventive measures including daily sunblock, topical creams, laser treatments, and chemical peels. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 7:29
clinical Within 5 years around menopause, 30% of collagen depletes, followed by 2% depletion each year thereafter. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 7:29
quote We know that within 5 years, 30% of our collagens deplete, and then, yes, in the 5 years around, yes, menopause, 30% of our collagen will deplete, and then 2% each year. Thereafter. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 7:53
quote It's almost like a switch that you like one day notice, oh my gosh, my skin is not the same, you know, glowy skin that it used to be and things are sagging. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 8:35
quote If I had an identical twin and I didn't do all the things, good skincare, good sunblock, all that, and my twin did, we would look like 10 years different after a certain number of time had passed ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 8:35
epidemiological Twin studies demonstrate that lifestyle habits including smoking, drinking, and sun exposure create approximately 10 years of visible age difference between identical twins over time. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 8:57
clinical Estrogen receptors are present throughout the skin, and circulating estrogen changes during menopause lead to skin changes, mucosal changes, and hair changes. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 9:24
clinical Starting hormone replacement therapy earlier, even before menopause, helps maintain muscle mass and prevents fat redistribution from face to midsection. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 11:23
clinical Repeated straw use contributes to lip line formation through repeated motion. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 11:56
guideline Smoking cessation is required 4 weeks before and 4 weeks after facial plastic surgery to enable optimal healing. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 12:47
clinical Patients who miss early prevention can still benefit from treatment but may require more aggressive initial therapy such as deeper lasers for sun damage or fat transfer for volume loss. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 13:51
quote Fillers are a volumizing agent that is synthetically created to mimic what our own body makes. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 13:51
clinical Hyaluronic acid fillers volumize tissue but do not lift; volumizing enough can create the illusion of lifting. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 14:06
quote They volumize. They don't lift ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 14:42
clinical Fillers infiltrate into muscle fibers, restricting adequate room for movement and distorting muscle function, particularly affecting smile mechanics when placed in the mid-cheek. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 15:04
quote It's infiltrating into those muscle fibers and so it's not allowing adequate room for movement. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 16:38
opinion Oral collagen supplements provide building blocks for collagen synthesis but do not directly translate to collagen production in the body; there is no proven direct correlation or direct science supporting their efficacy claims. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 16:54
quote Just because you throw extra tires at it doesn't mean that it's going to make itself into a car with four wheels. It's just a building block of what you need to make collagen. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 18:13
clinical Blonde, blue-eyed individuals age faster from a skin standpoint, developing lines faster even with optimal sunscreen use, but have better facial bone health and slower osteoporosis than Asian individuals. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 18:13
quote Someone who's blonde, blue-eyed will age faster from a skin standpoint, but their bony health would be better than an Asian. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 18:23
clinical Osteoporosis occurs in facial bones (jaw bones, bones around the nose) similarly to long bones. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 18:23
quote Osteoporosis also happens in the facial bones, so the jaw bones, around the nose, certain things. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 18:33
clinical Asian individuals experience faster facial bone recession (jaw and chin) due to osteoporosis but have slower soft tissue and skin aging compared to blonde, blue-eyed individuals. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 20:41
clinical Subtherapeutic minoxidil can be used preventively to curb anticipated menopausal hair loss. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 21:27
clinical Better muscle girth from resistance training improves recovery speed after bone fractures. ↗

What to look for in a sunscreen and what to avoid

▶ Ep 11 · 0:42
quote for SPF, which is sun protection factor, I always say look for a 30. ↗
▶ Ep 11 · 0:42
clinical SPF 30 provides 95% protection against damaging rays that lead to increased skin cancer risk ↗
▶ Ep 11 · 0:48
opinion SPF 15 is not adequate protection ↗
▶ Ep 11 · 0:48
quote I know the stores are carrying 15, not, not good enough in my book. ↗
▶ Ep 11 · 0:52
quote So 30 gives you a 95% protection against the damaging rays that will ultimately lead to, you know, your chances of increased skin cancer. ↗
▶ Ep 11 · 1:03
clinical SPF 50 or 80 provides 98% protection ↗
▶ Ep 11 · 1:17
clinical Each 10 SPF increment provides approximately 1% additional protection ↗
▶ Ep 11 · 1:35
clinical Physical sunblocks (zinc oxide and titanium dioxide) have a whitish tint ↗
▶ Ep 11 · 2:00
clinical Blue Neutrogena is a physical block beneficial for acne-prone skin in gel formulation ↗
▶ Ep 11 · 2:13
clinical Ceramides in sunscreen provide hydration to skin ↗
▶ Ep 11 · 3:53
clinical Oxybenzone and tin oxidate are ingredients to avoid in chemical sunblocks ↗
▶ Ep 11 · 3:53
quote some of the things that we should avoid are the oxy oxybenzoin and the tin oxidate. ↗
▶ Ep 11 · 4:04
clinical Most drugstore sunblocks no longer contain oxybenzone or tin oxidate ↗
▶ Ep 11 · 4:04
clinical Chemical sunblock is absorbed into skin and provides protection once sun hits the skin ↗
▶ Ep 11 · 4:14
clinical Physical sunblock sits on top of skin and blocks UV rays but provides no protection once washed off ↗
▶ Ep 11 · 4:21
quote Once a physical sunblock washes off, you have no protection. ↗
▶ Ep 11 · 4:29
guideline Sunscreen should be reapplied every 2 hours during beach or boat exposure ↗
▶ Ep 11 · 4:32
quote Every 2 hours, 2 hours you're like literally on the beach or on a boat, you know, you definitely should do every 2 hours. ↗
▶ Ep 11 · 4:41
clinical Waterproof physical sunblock claims of 80 minutes protection depend on whether the product sticks to skin ↗
▶ Ep 11 · 4:52
guideline Physical sunblock should be applied before going outside ↗
▶ Ep 11 · 5:20
clinical Evidence for natural sunscreen efficacy is incomplete and depends on specific ingredients (zinc, titanium, or protective overseas formulations) ↗

11. Perimenopause: Facial Plastic Surgery with Dr. Diana Ponsky

▶ Ep 16 · 1:49
quote I can pinpoint the That time when I think like they've hit menopause, because there are certain changes that you can see. ↗
▶ Ep 16 · 3:16
clinical Facial aging involves skin laxity, facial volume loss, jawbone shortening and masculinization, and brow arch flattening over time. ↗
▶ Ep 16 · 3:53
clinical Aging is a process of gravitational skin descent, fat descent, and atrophy of certain fat groups in the face. ↗
▶ Ep 16 · 6:46
clinical Asian individuals are genetically predisposed to under-eye puffiness (fat accumulation) with aging, requiring fat removal rather than fat grafting. ↗
▶ Ep 16 · 7:12
clinical Asian individuals are genetically predisposed to uneven skin tone and require more frequent laser treatments and chemical peels as preventive maintenance. ↗
▶ Ep 16 · 7:36
clinical Within 5 years around menopause, 30% of collagen depletes, followed by 2% depletion each year thereafter. ↗
▶ Ep 16 · 7:36
quote within 5 years, 30% of our collagens deplete. And then it's, yes, in the 5 years around, yes, menopause, 30% of our collagen will deplete, and then 2% each year thereafter. ↗
▶ Ep 16 · 7:51
quote it's almost like a switch that you, like, one day notice, oh my. Gosh, my skin is not the same, you know, glowy skin that it used to be, and things are sagging. ↗
▶ Ep 16 · 8:33
quote if I had an identical twin and I didn't do all the things, good skincare, good sunblock, all that, and my twin did, we would look like 10 years different after a certain number of time had passed. ↗
▶ Ep 16 · 8:33
epidemiological Twin studies demonstrate that lifestyle habits (smoking, drinking, sun exposure) can create a 10-year appearance difference between identical twins. ↗
▶ Ep 16 · 8:55
clinical Estrogen receptors are present throughout the skin, and circulating estrogen changes during menopause affect skin, mucosa, and hair. ↗
▶ Ep 16 · 9:17
opinion Starting hormone replacement therapy earlier is a game changer for maintaining muscle mass and preventing fat redistribution from face to midsection. ↗
▶ Ep 16 · 11:15
clinical Smoking contributes to lip line formation; repeated motions from straw use also exacerbate perioral wrinkles. ↗
▶ Ep 16 · 11:54
guideline Smoking cessation for 4 weeks before and 4 weeks after facial surgery is required to optimize healing outcomes. ↗
▶ Ep 16 · 12:35
opinion It is never too late to begin facial care; late starters may need more aggressive initial treatments (deeper lasers, fat transfer) before transitioning to maintenance programs. ↗
▶ Ep 16 · 13:49
clinical Hyaluronic acid fillers volumize tissue but do not lift; adequate volumization can create an illusion of lifting. ↗
▶ Ep 16 · 13:49
quote Fillers are a volumizing agent. That is synthetically created to mimic what our own body makes. ↗
▶ Ep 16 · 14:12
quote if you volumize enough, yes, you can give the illusion that you're lifting, right? ↗
▶ Ep 16 · 14:33
quote I feel currently it's used too much. It's being used not always in the right way. ↗
▶ Ep 16 · 14:41
clinical Fillers persist longer than initially understood, can infiltrate into muscle fibers, and may restrict muscle movement, particularly affecting smile dynamics in the mid-cheek area. ↗
▶ Ep 16 · 15:02
quote It's infiltrating into those muscle fibers and so it's not allowing adequate room for movement. ↗
▶ Ep 16 · 16:36
clinical Ingested collagen provides building blocks but does not directly translate to collagen production by fibroblasts in the body. ↗
▶ Ep 16 · 16:55
quote Just because you throw extra tires at it, doesn't mean that it's gonna make itself into a car with four wheels. It's just a building block of what you need to make collagen. ↗
▶ Ep 16 · 18:14
quote someone who is blonde, blue-eyed will age faster from a skin standpoint, but Their bony health would be better than a Asian. ↗
▶ Ep 16 · 18:14
clinical Blonde, blue-eyed individuals age faster from a skin standpoint but have better bone health than Asian individuals. ↗
▶ Ep 16 · 18:24
clinical Osteoporosis occurs in facial bones (jaw, areas around nose), not just long bones; Asian individuals experience faster jaw and chin recession due to bony changes. ↗
▶ Ep 16 · 18:24
quote osteoporosis also happens in the facial bones. So the jaw bones around the nose, certain things. ↗
▶ Ep 16 · 18:34
quote I can tell you that my jaw, my chin is going to recede faster because the bony changes than my soft tissue. ↗
▶ Ep 16 · 18:45
quote her skin's going to need a lot more. Work to combat the aging because she'll develop lines faster, even if she's the best at wearing sunscreen or so. ↗
▶ Ep 16 · 18:45
clinical Blonde, blue-eyed individuals develop facial lines faster and experience more rapid skin aging even with optimal sun protection, but their cheekbones and jawbone withstand time better than Asian individuals. ↗
▶ Ep 16 · 20:42
clinical Subtherapeutic minoxidil can be used preventively to curb anticipated hair loss during perimenopause and menopause. ↗
▶ Ep 16 · 20:59
clinical Pelvic floor physical therapy is beneficial after multiple vaginal deliveries to maintain pelvic floor health. ↗
▶ Ep 16 · 21:30
clinical Better muscle mass (girth) aids faster recovery from injuries such as bone fractures. ↗
Diana's statements about Head and Neck Cancer 79 statements

Open the Head and Neck Cancer collection →

Surgeons and Social Media - with Diana Ponsky MD

▶ Ep 4 · 1:03
quote I don't have a funny bone in my body, and he he makes, he more than makes up for it. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 1:52
opinion Dr. Ponsky's path to facial plastic surgery was influenced by mentors at each stage, including a chemist in college who inspired her to pursue sciences and a dermatologist she worked for who introduced her to the medical field. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 1:52
quote I credit to the mentors I was lucky to, to, you know, meet during that course. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 2:38
opinion Dr. Ponsky fell in love with ENT during medical school rotations for the intricacies of head and neck cancer surgery, then developed a stronger interest in rhinoplasty while working at the VA for 2 years during her husband's fellowship. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 3:02
quote I think my field's amazing and I love mentoring young women to, you know, to kind of check it out and, and look into it. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 3:22
clinical Dr. Ponsky maintained a hybrid academic-private practice model for many years before leaving academia completely in August 2020 to focus solely on private practice. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 3:38
opinion The transition from academic to private practice was gradual because Dr. Ponsky was nervous about taking the bold step away from academia. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 4:06
opinion In academic practice, Dr. Ponsky valued working within a team, having colleagues to consult, collaborating on cases, and teaching residents. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 4:27
clinical Academic practice became difficult due to scheduling conflicts when the university used multiple staff members who worked with many different surgeons, and many of Dr. Ponsky's colleagues left, leaving her as probably the last one standing. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 4:59
clinical A major frustration in academic practice was that patients would get angry at Dr. Ponsky because the hospital billing office couldn't figure out a good system for functional nasal surgery combined with cosmetic nasal surgery, putting her in the middle without ability to influence the billing. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 5:05
quote My patients would get mad at me because the hospital couldn't figure out a good system for functional nasal surgery with cosmetic nasal surgery. And I always felt like I was put in the middle and I couldn't explain it any better, nor could I have any influence over the numbers or the people who sent them bills. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 5:41
clinical Dr. Ponsky worked throughout COVID, taking shifts for a whole week at a time to cover call and help protect pulmonary faculty. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 7:50
quote I'd rather they not, not do something because of a few dollars, right? So you want to give them the best of both worlds, the cosmetic and the functional aspect. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 8:04
quote It's such a marriage of the two things. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 8:59
clinical In Dr. Ponsky's current practice, approximately 80% of cases are cosmetic and 20% involve functional insurance issues. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 10:00
clinical At the university, the Department of Otolaryngology/Facial Plastics marketed Dr. Ponsky purely in the nasal arena because plastic surgery took over everything else. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 10:28
clinical Dr. Ponsky completed her fellowship training with Bahman Guyuron and was trained in all aspects of facial plastic surgery including rhinoplasty, facelifts, blepharoplasty, and brow lifts. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 10:51
clinical Currently, approximately 75% of Dr. Ponsky's surgeries are rhinoplasties, 15-20% are facelifts, and the remainder are blepharoplasties and brow lifts, with time split evenly between non-surgical and surgical days. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 11:45
opinion The younger generation is more likely to try non-surgical treatments early on as part of preventive skin care and wrinkle prevention, which can delay the need for more invasive procedures. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 12:12
clinical Some established plastic surgeons in the community do not perform Botox or fillers and instead send patients to dermatology, focusing only on surgical cases. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 12:25
opinion Dr. Ponsky values the relationship building that occurs through non-surgical treatments both before patients need surgery and for maintenance after surgery. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 14:16
clinical Dr. Ponsky's chairman supported her transition by allowing her to rent space in the plastic surgery building for 2 days a week as a timeshare arrangement for 2 years. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 14:55
clinical Dr. Ponsky leases space in a mixed-use business building that houses both medical offices (gastroenterology with surgical suite, dental and oral surgery) and non-medical businesses (equity firms, office leasing, digital internet company). ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 15:26
clinical Dr. Ponsky had a 5-year lease on her office space which she recently renewed. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 16:44
clinical Dr. Ponsky benefited from staying in the same geographic area where she had previously worked, allowing her to maintain referrals from internists, pediatric offices for broken noses, and dermatology practices for cancer and Mohs patients. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 17:36
clinical Dr. Ponsky employs a social media manager who runs her own company, and they meet once a week to discuss ideas for delivering consistent messaging. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 17:51
clinical Dr. Ponsky uses Elegant Brands (BSMs) who connected her with a digital marketing expert who participates in weekly social media meetings. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 18:10
clinical Dr. Ponsky's husband, a pediatric surgeon, is very active on internet educational webinars across multiple platforms and has provided marketing tips. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 18:33
clinical Dr. Ponsky employs a marketing strategist with no formal marketing education who previously worked at the Museum of Art and brings creative ideas to the practice. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 20:54
quote I find that to be the most, um, you know, challenging portion of going out on your own. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 20:54
opinion Managing staff is the most challenging portion of running a private practice. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 21:04
opinion Early in private practice, Dr. Ponsky hired people based on experience, but discovered that not every personality meshed well together, making HR the toughest part of practice management. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 21:23
opinion Dr. Ponsky now hires for personality rather than experience alone. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 21:31
clinical Dr. Ponsky's current team includes an employee who has been with her for 5 years, an RN who is soon to be a nurse practitioner whom she trained for over 1 year, a creative director, and a front desk staff member. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 21:47
opinion Dr. Ponsky discovered that she does not know how to manage people well, as she did not receive training in management. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 21:47
quote I actually don't found out that I don't know how to manage people. I didn't go to, you know, I'm, I'm not good at that. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 24:40
opinion Dr. Ponsky's biggest business mistake was going into partnership with a family member (her husband's cousin) who was at a different career level (attending vs. resident), and the partnership did not work out. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 25:04
quote Don't do business with family, you know, leave like, as much as you love your family, leave them in that position. It's, it's hard to mesh the two because things, you know, personalities come out and decision making things become a little bit, you know, tougher. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 25:37
opinion After the partnership dissolution, both Dr. Ponsky and her former partner felt they were better off having the latitude to do what they wanted independently. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 27:39
quote I went into this because I love being able to help people. I love to, to operate. And I do feel like I have a knack for recognizing what is natural and how to deliver it in a really, um, you know, quality way with, with integrity. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 28:55
clinical In Ohio, a nurse injector can inject with the physician in proximity, but the regulations are somewhat gray; a nurse practitioner has more latitude to work independently with the physician as a collaborating or overseeing physician. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 29:48
opinion Dr. Ponsky prefers to train nurse practitioners herself, including taking them into the OR to show anatomy, rather than sending them to courses taught by instructors who may never have seen the deeper anatomy where they inject. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 29:55
quote I'd rather they learn from me and know the anatomy because I took her into the OR, showed her things, and I'd like that rather than send her to a course to learn from, you know, whoever may be teaching, who's never seen the deeper portions of where they inject. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 34:22
clinical Dr. Ponsky relies on multiple discussions with rhinoplasty patients (typically 2-3 meetings) to assess their motivation and personality before surgery. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 34:38
clinical Dr. Ponsky structures patient interactions as a consultation, a follow-up discussion, and a pre-op discussion with her nurse to identify potential problem patients. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 34:51
clinical Dr. Ponsky has turned away two rhinoplasty patients because they showed concerning signs between the second and third visits that suggested she could not possibly achieve all their goals. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 35:07
clinical The human nose is not an inanimate object like a car door that can be pounded out to perfection or given the right color. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 35:07
quote No matter how many times you tell them that the human nose is not an animate subject, it's not like a car door that you can pound out and just make, you know, perfect or get the right color. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 35:24
quote The Morph is the biggest leveling field. It's so helpful. It's a tool that not a lot of my mentors had, they would just draw it out or draw an overlay over it. And now I have the power of Adobe and the power of all these like morphing programs. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 35:24
opinion Morphing software is the biggest leveling tool for managing rhinoplasty expectations, providing capabilities that previous generations of surgeons did not have when they could only draw overlays. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 35:46
clinical Showing rhinoplasty patients examples of other patients who required revision surgery or developed soft tissue polybeaks requiring injection and follow-up helps set realistic expectations. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 35:59
clinical Dr. Ponsky follows rhinoplasty patients for up to 1 year post-operatively, with patients coming to the office at least 5 times during that journey, establishing a long-lasting relationship. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 35:59
quote I like to follow my noses for my rhinoplasty patients for up to about 1 year. We're building a long lasting relationship. And you're going to be in my office at least 5 times during that journey. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 37:32
clinical Red flags for difficult rhinoplasty patients include bringing 8 different morphed versions of their desired nose with specific requests about slopes and features. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 37:55
clinical Dr. Ponsky no longer receives as many celebrity photos from rhinoplasty patients because she tells them she will create a better version of their own features rather than replicate someone else's nose. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 38:24
clinical Kim Kardashian's nose would not look good on someone with a round face, illustrating the importance of facial harmony in rhinoplasty planning. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 39:28
clinical Dr. Ponsky tells rhinoplasty patients that when their nose is balanced with their face, they and others will no longer notice it because it is no longer their leading feature. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 39:28
quote You're so focused on your nose. It has to be so perfect. But when it's balanced in your face, you don't notice it and no one else notices it after a while, because it's not, no, it's no longer your leading feature for whatever reason. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 39:50
quote You're absolutely right. I spent so much time fixated on it. And now no one says a single thing about it. They say my eyes look better or something else. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 39:50
clinical Patients consistently report after rhinoplasty that they spent so much time fixated on their nose, but after surgery no one comments on it and instead notice improvements in other features like their eyes. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 40:28
opinion Dr. Ponsky unexpectedly enjoyed learning about and managing the business and marketing aspects of private practice more than she expected. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 41:13
opinion Private practice is predicted to swing back as more physicians seek to have control over their lives, with hospitals showing more acute care patients and multi-specialty groups becoming less popular due to institutional bureaucracy. ↗
▶ Ep 4 · 41:31
clinical The AMA is starting a subsector of education on returning to private practice, covering what works and what doesn't. ↗

Surgeon Diana Ponsky: Wrong Labels and Winning Despite Them with Linda Kreter

▶ Ep 5 · 2:26
clinical Dr. Ponsky's family left Vietnam as refugees due to war, traveled by boat to Indonesian islands, and came to the United States with help from Catholic agencies, settling in Allentown, Pennsylvania. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 3:19
opinion Dr. Ponsky learned English primarily through reading after-school stories and Nancy Drew novels as a child. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 4:07
clinical Dr. Ponsky worked at the VA for two years treating veterans with head and neck cancer and broken noses, which led her to fall in love with plastic surgery and pursue a fellowship. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 15:34
quote If you don't ask, it's always a no, right? ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 16:11
quote you definitely will not make it if you don't try out. But if you do try out, you may make it or you may not. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 21:00
epidemiological Studies and books have documented that reconstructive surgery for traumatic injuries helps restore veterans' self-esteem by letting them forget the afflictions of war. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 21:31
opinion Domestic abuse victims have similar psychological needs as war veterans regarding reconstructive surgery - not wanting to be reminded of periods when they were suffering. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 22:01
opinion Reconstructive surgery for trauma victims represents restoration of what they used to have and what they remember themselves to be. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 24:58
opinion Some plastic surgery patients are looking to satisfy self-esteem or confidence issues, which can be problematic when they're seeking perfection that cannot be achieved. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 25:34
opinion Plastic surgery is more achievable when patients are looking to restore their outside appearance to match how they feel inside, because people are feeling healthier and living longer. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 26:31
opinion Social media has created expectations for people to look a certain way, with many seeking the perfection portrayed by influencers, half of which are not necessarily real or truthful. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 27:06
opinion Working remotely has caused people to want more plastic surgery because they use filtered images online and want to match those filtered appearances when returning to in-person interactions. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 29:02
opinion Two reasons people are seeking plastic surgery earlier: (1) millennials and teens are more aware of skincare due to social media, making everyone in households notice aging effects more, and (2) Ozempic causes rapid weight loss that leads to more rapid facial aging with gaunt, hollow appearance. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 30:21
opinion The stigma around plastic surgery is fading as society accepts that people do things to better themselves, similar to losing weight or dressing better. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 31:52
clinical Realistic surgical outcomes depend on what patients are made of - their bones, cartilage, and skin type - and cannot simply be designed like manufactured objects. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 32:00
quote we're humans are not cars. We can't have the nose that you, you want, right? You, you can't just design it. It comes with what you're made of, what bones you have, what cartilage you have, what type of skin you have. ↗
Diana's statements about Practice Management & Professional Development 159 statements

Open the Practice Management & Professional Development collection →

Real Patient Testimonials with Dr. Diana Ponsky

▶ Ep 1 · 0:00
clinical In rhinoplasty consultation, the approach involves guiding patients through their facial anatomy and proportions, identifying what constitutes normal versus abnormal features. ↗
▶ Ep 1 · 0:27
opinion Not all features outside the norm are unattractive; distinctive features like larger eyes, wider face, or smaller lips can make a patient more special. ↗
▶ Ep 1 · 0:54
clinical The goal of rhinoplasty is to make the nose balance better with facial features so it disappears as the dominant feature, while maintaining a natural appearance and not changing the patient's overall look too much. ↗
▶ Ep 1 · 1:10
quote you want someone to look natural, you want someone to look like themselves, but then you almost want the nose to, um, balance better in that space so it kind of disappears as the dominant feature. ↗

Role model MD: Meet Dr. Diana Ponsky from Ponsky Facial Plastic Surgery in Beachwood

▶ Ep 2 · 1:05
quote I count myself lucky to be able to make people feel better about themselves, helping and healing through connection. ↗
▶ Ep 2 · 1:13
quote Patients take you into their confidence. You're almost like. A therapist, a mentor. ↗
▶ Ep 2 · 1:38
clinical Dr. Ponsky's family arrived in the United States in 1979 through the generosity of a Catholic agency. ↗
▶ Ep 2 · 1:38
quote through like the generosity of like a Catholic agency that we got to the US in 1979. ↗
▶ Ep 2 · 2:15
clinical Dr. Ponsky's parents escaped Vietnam with nothing but the clothes on their back. ↗
▶ Ep 2 · 2:15
quote My parents would tell me like they escaped the country with nothing but clothes, the clothes on their back, basically. ↗
▶ Ep 2 · 2:24
quote Yeah, it's like hard work will get you places. ↗
▶ Ep 2 · 2:26
quote in the Asian culture, you are, you know, kind of. Um, encouraged to go into the doctoring world, the dentist world, the lawyer, you know, something professional. ↗
▶ Ep 2 · 2:26
opinion In Asian culture, children are encouraged to go into professional fields like medicine, dentistry, or law. ↗
▶ Ep 2 · 3:41
epidemiological Women are increasingly taking on leadership roles in medicine, not just as physicians but as CEOs of hospitals. ↗
▶ Ep 2 · 3:41
quote We're seeing women take on more of leadership roles. So not just as physicians, but as you know, CEOs of uh um the hospitals, we, our vice president is, you know, an Asian American. ↗
▶ Ep 2 · 3:45
clinical The U.S. vice president is an Asian American. ↗
▶ Ep 2 · 3:58
quote for me personally, I love to see young girls get inspired to go into the math and science field because I think there's a lot of potential there. ↗

Local Plastic Surgeon debunks popular social media beauty myths

▶ Ep 5 · 0:36
clinical Vaseline can be used to suffocate ticks on dogs or humans by covering the tick completely, then working in circles until the tick pops out. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 0:36
quote if you douse them with some Vaseline, so like just cover up the tick and douse them with some Vaseline and you. Suffocate them and then you can just like work circles around and the tick just pops out. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 1:24
clinical Saran wrap can be used under the eyes to lock in moisturizer and help it penetrate better at night. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 1:49
clinical Slugging is the application of Vaseline or Aquaphor on top of moisturizer to lock in extra hydration. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 1:49
clinical Slugging can be very helpful for patients with dry skin. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 1:53
quote Slugging is just applying Vaseline or Aquaphor on, on top of your moisturizer ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 2:07
quote if you're acne prone or so, it can clog your pores a little bit more. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 2:07
clinical If a patient is acne-prone, slugging can clog pores and should be used with caution. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 3:07
clinical Teenage skin is already well-nourished and makes its own collagen. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 3:07
quote the teenage skin is already well nourished. It has, it makes its own collagen, and really all you. Need to do is protect it ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 3:10
clinical Overuse of skincare products in teenagers may cause irritation because products designed for older skin may not be appropriate for teenage skin. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 3:46
clinical Tweens (ages 12-15) are blessed with a good natural protective skin barrier. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 3:53
clinical Unlike skin over age 25, tween skin does not need many products. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 3:58
clinical Tween skin only needs three things: a good face wash, a good moisturizer, and a good sunblock. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 3:58
quote They only need 3 things, right? They only need a good face wash, a good moisturizer, and a good sunblock. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 4:36
clinical Botox is a medication that works for a length of time. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 4:44
quote Flaxseed masks, I think, at best hydrate you really well, and you may get the benefit for a good 6 to 8 hours after you apply it. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 4:44
clinical Flaxseed masks at best hydrate the skin very well, with benefits lasting approximately 6 to 8 hours after application. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 4:51
clinical Flaxseed masks are a mucin-like substance that hydrates and forms a very thin layer, giving the illusion that something is not moving, but the effect is short-lived. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 4:56
opinion Flaxseed probably does better as a nutritional supplement taken orally than as a topical mask. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 5:13
clinical Patients seeking Botox should go to a reputable, board-certified doctor to avoid counterfeit products. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 5:27
clinical Some injectable products are false or fake, not made by the legitimate company, and the toxin in them can have catastrophic consequences. ↗
▶ Ep 5 · 5:34
quote the toxin in them can have catastrophic consequences. ↗

Surgeons and Social Media - with Diana Ponsky MD

▶ Ep 6 · 1:03
quote I don't have a funny bone in my body, and he he makes, he more than makes up for it. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 1:52
quote I credit to the mentors I was lucky to, to, you know, meet during that course. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 1:52
opinion Dr. Ponsky's path to facial plastic surgery was influenced by mentors at each stage, including a chemist in college who inspired her to pursue sciences and a dermatologist she worked for who introduced her to the medical field. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 2:38
opinion Dr. Ponsky fell in love with ENT during medical school rotations for the intricacies of head and neck cancer surgery, then developed a stronger interest in rhinoplasty while working at the VA for 2 years during her husband's fellowship. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 3:02
quote I think my field's amazing and I love mentoring young women to, you know, to kind of check it out and, and look into it. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 3:22
clinical Dr. Ponsky maintained a hybrid academic-private practice model for many years before leaving academia completely in August 2020 to focus solely on private practice. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 3:38
opinion The transition from academic to private practice was gradual because Dr. Ponsky was nervous about taking the bold step away from academia. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 4:06
opinion In academic practice, Dr. Ponsky valued working within a team, having colleagues to consult, collaborating on cases, and teaching residents. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 4:27
clinical Academic practice became difficult due to scheduling conflicts when the university used multiple staff members who worked with many different surgeons, and many of Dr. Ponsky's colleagues left, leaving her as probably the last one standing. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 4:59
clinical A major frustration in academic practice was that patients would get angry at Dr. Ponsky because the hospital billing office couldn't figure out a good system for functional nasal surgery combined with cosmetic nasal surgery, putting her in the middle without ability to influence the billing. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 5:05
quote My patients would get mad at me because the hospital couldn't figure out a good system for functional nasal surgery with cosmetic nasal surgery. And I always felt like I was put in the middle and I couldn't explain it any better, nor could I have any influence over the numbers or the people who sent them bills. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 5:41
clinical Dr. Ponsky worked throughout COVID, taking shifts for a whole week at a time to cover call and help protect pulmonary faculty. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 7:50
quote I'd rather they not, not do something because of a few dollars, right? So you want to give them the best of both worlds, the cosmetic and the functional aspect. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 8:04
quote It's such a marriage of the two things. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 8:59
clinical In Dr. Ponsky's current practice, approximately 80% of cases are cosmetic and 20% involve functional insurance issues. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 10:00
clinical At the university, the Department of Otolaryngology/Facial Plastics marketed Dr. Ponsky purely in the nasal arena because plastic surgery took over everything else. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 10:28
clinical Dr. Ponsky completed her fellowship training with Bahman Guyuron and was trained in all aspects of facial plastic surgery including rhinoplasty, facelifts, blepharoplasty, and brow lifts. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 10:51
clinical Currently, approximately 75% of Dr. Ponsky's surgeries are rhinoplasties, 15-20% are facelifts, and the remainder are blepharoplasties and brow lifts, with time split evenly between non-surgical and surgical days. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 11:45
opinion The younger generation is more likely to try non-surgical treatments early on as part of preventive skin care and wrinkle prevention, which can delay the need for more invasive procedures. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 12:12
clinical Some established plastic surgeons in the community do not perform Botox or fillers and instead send patients to dermatology, focusing only on surgical cases. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 12:25
opinion Dr. Ponsky values the relationship building that occurs through non-surgical treatments both before patients need surgery and for maintenance after surgery. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 14:16
clinical Dr. Ponsky's chairman supported her transition by allowing her to rent space in the plastic surgery building for 2 days a week as a timeshare arrangement for 2 years. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 14:55
clinical Dr. Ponsky leases space in a mixed-use business building that houses both medical offices (gastroenterology with surgical suite, dental and oral surgery) and non-medical businesses (equity firms, office leasing, digital internet company). ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 15:26
clinical Dr. Ponsky had a 5-year lease on her office space which she recently renewed. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 16:44
clinical Dr. Ponsky benefited from staying in the same geographic area where she had previously worked, allowing her to maintain referrals from internists, pediatric offices for broken noses, and dermatology practices for cancer and Mohs patients. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 17:36
clinical Dr. Ponsky employs a social media manager who runs her own company, and they meet once a week to discuss ideas for delivering consistent messaging. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 17:51
clinical Dr. Ponsky uses Elegant Brands (BSMs) who connected her with a digital marketing expert who participates in weekly social media meetings. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 18:10
clinical Dr. Ponsky's husband, a pediatric surgeon, is very active on internet educational webinars across multiple platforms and has provided marketing tips. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 18:33
clinical Dr. Ponsky employs a marketing strategist with no formal marketing education who previously worked at the Museum of Art and brings creative ideas to the practice. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 20:54
quote I find that to be the most, um, you know, challenging portion of going out on your own. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 20:54
opinion Managing staff is the most challenging portion of running a private practice. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 21:04
opinion Early in private practice, Dr. Ponsky hired people based on experience, but discovered that not every personality meshed well together, making HR the toughest part of practice management. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 21:23
opinion Dr. Ponsky now hires for personality rather than experience alone. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 21:31
clinical Dr. Ponsky's current team includes an employee who has been with her for 5 years, an RN who is soon to be a nurse practitioner whom she trained for over 1 year, a creative director, and a front desk staff member. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 21:47
opinion Dr. Ponsky discovered that she does not know how to manage people well, as she did not receive training in management. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 21:47
quote I actually don't found out that I don't know how to manage people. I didn't go to, you know, I'm, I'm not good at that. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 24:40
opinion Dr. Ponsky's biggest business mistake was going into partnership with a family member (her husband's cousin) who was at a different career level (attending vs. resident), and the partnership did not work out. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 25:04
quote Don't do business with family, you know, leave like, as much as you love your family, leave them in that position. It's, it's hard to mesh the two because things, you know, personalities come out and decision making things become a little bit, you know, tougher. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 25:37
opinion After the partnership dissolution, both Dr. Ponsky and her former partner felt they were better off having the latitude to do what they wanted independently. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 27:39
quote I went into this because I love being able to help people. I love to, to operate. And I do feel like I have a knack for recognizing what is natural and how to deliver it in a really, um, you know, quality way with, with integrity. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 28:55
clinical In Ohio, a nurse injector can inject with the physician in proximity, but the regulations are somewhat gray; a nurse practitioner has more latitude to work independently with the physician as a collaborating or overseeing physician. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 29:48
opinion Dr. Ponsky prefers to train nurse practitioners herself, including taking them into the OR to show anatomy, rather than sending them to courses taught by instructors who may never have seen the deeper anatomy where they inject. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 29:55
quote I'd rather they learn from me and know the anatomy because I took her into the OR, showed her things, and I'd like that rather than send her to a course to learn from, you know, whoever may be teaching, who's never seen the deeper portions of where they inject. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 34:22
clinical Dr. Ponsky relies on multiple discussions with rhinoplasty patients (typically 2-3 meetings) to assess their motivation and personality before surgery. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 34:38
clinical Dr. Ponsky structures patient interactions as a consultation, a follow-up discussion, and a pre-op discussion with her nurse to identify potential problem patients. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 34:51
clinical Dr. Ponsky has turned away two rhinoplasty patients because they showed concerning signs between the second and third visits that suggested she could not possibly achieve all their goals. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 35:07
clinical The human nose is not an inanimate object like a car door that can be pounded out to perfection or given the right color. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 35:07
quote No matter how many times you tell them that the human nose is not an animate subject, it's not like a car door that you can pound out and just make, you know, perfect or get the right color. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 35:24
quote The Morph is the biggest leveling field. It's so helpful. It's a tool that not a lot of my mentors had, they would just draw it out or draw an overlay over it. And now I have the power of Adobe and the power of all these like morphing programs. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 35:24
opinion Morphing software is the biggest leveling tool for managing rhinoplasty expectations, providing capabilities that previous generations of surgeons did not have when they could only draw overlays. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 35:46
clinical Showing rhinoplasty patients examples of other patients who required revision surgery or developed soft tissue polybeaks requiring injection and follow-up helps set realistic expectations. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 35:59
clinical Dr. Ponsky follows rhinoplasty patients for up to 1 year post-operatively, with patients coming to the office at least 5 times during that journey, establishing a long-lasting relationship. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 35:59
quote I like to follow my noses for my rhinoplasty patients for up to about 1 year. We're building a long lasting relationship. And you're going to be in my office at least 5 times during that journey. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 37:32
clinical Red flags for difficult rhinoplasty patients include bringing 8 different morphed versions of their desired nose with specific requests about slopes and features. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 37:55
clinical Dr. Ponsky no longer receives as many celebrity photos from rhinoplasty patients because she tells them she will create a better version of their own features rather than replicate someone else's nose. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 38:24
clinical Kim Kardashian's nose would not look good on someone with a round face, illustrating the importance of facial harmony in rhinoplasty planning. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 39:28
quote You're so focused on your nose. It has to be so perfect. But when it's balanced in your face, you don't notice it and no one else notices it after a while, because it's not, no, it's no longer your leading feature for whatever reason. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 39:28
clinical Dr. Ponsky tells rhinoplasty patients that when their nose is balanced with their face, they and others will no longer notice it because it is no longer their leading feature. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 39:50
clinical Patients consistently report after rhinoplasty that they spent so much time fixated on their nose, but after surgery no one comments on it and instead notice improvements in other features like their eyes. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 40:28
opinion Dr. Ponsky unexpectedly enjoyed learning about and managing the business and marketing aspects of private practice more than she expected. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 41:13
opinion Private practice is predicted to swing back as more physicians seek to have control over their lives, with hospitals showing more acute care patients and multi-specialty groups becoming less popular due to institutional bureaucracy. ↗
▶ Ep 6 · 41:31
clinical The AMA is starting a subsector of education on returning to private practice, covering what works and what doesn't. ↗

Dr. Diana Ponsky

▶ Ep 7 · 2:55
clinical Dr. Diana Ponsky is a double board certified facial plastic surgeon working in Cleveland, Ohio, who spent 12 years with the university before starting her own private practice. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 2:55
quote I am a double board certified facial plastic surgeon. I work out of Cleveland, Ohio. I was with the university for a number of years, for like 12 years to be exact, on their staff and I've gone out and started my own practice, and so I am now in private practice, and one of my biggest joys is to mentor young people and to help others whenever I can. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 4:29
quote What's unique about this field is that you can see someone's self-confidence or self-esteem get restored when you are able to kind of make less visible the things that have plagued them or bothered them. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 7:10
quote It's quite pervasive, pervasive to the point that in the ER at the hospitals, one of the questions usually is, do you feel safe in your home for most of the, yeah, patients that come through. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 7:10
clinical In emergency rooms at hospitals, one of the standard screening questions for most patients is 'do you feel safe in your home?' ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 9:13
clinical Double board certification means completing training as an otolaryngologist (learning head and neck anatomy and surgeries including cancer resections, sinus surgeries, and tonsils) plus an extra year specializing in cosmetic and reconstructive procedures of the face. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 9:13
quote That means that I uh went through the usual training to be an otolaryngologist, so that's where we learned everything about the head and neck anatomy and all the surgeries related to including like cancer resections and sinus surgeries, and tonsils and things like that. And then I spent An extra year getting to know the cosmetics, uh, and reconstructive, uh, parts of the, uh, face. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 10:00
quote My biggest or my most passionate surgery is the nose job, rhinoplasty, and it comes, it's very complex in that it comes in two different waves and sometimes they're together. So you have the functional part of it where it's for breathing. And then you can have the cosmetic part of it, and then where they're married is where you do reconstruction or if it's, it's both, where someone wants to change the look of their nose, but they also have trouble breathing ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 10:00
clinical Rhinoplasty comes in two different waves that are sometimes combined: the functional part for breathing and the cosmetic part for appearance, with reconstruction needed after trauma, accidents, or cancer. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 11:04
quote It's very meticulous. It takes a A lot of thought, and we do things because it makes us feel good in some way afterwards. And for me, it's seeing the change, like I mentioned, the restoration of self-confidence or self-esteem and, or a functional thing where they can breathe again, finally. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 11:38
opinion The nose is the one thing right in the center of the face that doesn't want to be noticed, and when the nose is noticed, it's because it doesn't match. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 11:38
quote It's quite impactful with the nose because it's the one thing right in the center of your face and it really doesn't want to be noticed. And so when the nose is noticed, it's because it doesn't match. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 12:00
quote The inside influences the outside, so you have to pay attention to the inside first. So, the, meaning, functionally, it has to be primed or optimized, and then the outside will flow and follow. So if you're like so congested, you can't breathe and everything inside is swollen, the outside swelling takes longer to get better. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 12:00
clinical In nasal surgery, the inside influences the outside, so attention must be paid to the inside first—if someone is congested and can't breathe with internal swelling, the outside swelling takes longer to improve. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 12:29
clinical Dr. Ponsky works from both photographs and physical examination, examining the inside and getting hands on the patient's skin, cartilage, and bones to predict how things will look when opened up during surgery. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 15:33
clinical The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery's Face to Face program includes sections dealing with domestic violence, congenital issues, and doctors who go to war-torn countries, with a group recently going to Ukraine. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 16:11
opinion Physical scars can be addressed surgically, but emotional impact is much more impactful and much longer lasting, requiring work with mental health experts to help patients regain confidence. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 16:11
quote I can help with the physical scars, but the emotional one is much more impactful and much longer lasting, right? So, for me, it erasing the connection between what the defects they see can help kind of soften the emotional impact, cause they won't be reminded daily, or less reminded daily. But the emotional impact that We have to work with mental health experts to kind of help the patients along on this journey because that's a much longer-lasting, um, problem. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 17:07
quote Through this face to face program, I only see them at the end product of their emotional injury. So, they, they must have extricated themselves from that, the situation, right? Completely. If they fluctuate, I won't get to see them until they finish their journey with the mental health experts. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 17:07
clinical Through the Face to Face program, Dr. Ponsky only sees patients at the end product of their emotional injury after they have completely extricated themselves from the abusive situation and completed their journey with mental health experts. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 17:27
quote Usually, when I see them, like I mentioned, they completed the journey, and it's, their healing is as close to done as possible. Possible, it will never be done. I mean, every time I, I ask a story, I feel what they're still going through the pain. It doesn't. It might get less with the years, but it's still there. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 25:18
clinical The most common facial injuries in domestic violence cases are broken noses (the easiest bone to fracture), followed by jaw injuries, eye socket fractures, teeth injuries, and soft tissue injuries like lacerations and cuts made with objects. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 25:18
quote In this program, we deal with things in the facial area, and the most common injuries are usually a broken nose. That's the easiest bone to fracture, and it's just right in the way, right? So, uh, Other things that we might see are jaw injuries, like eye socket fractures, sometimes teeth, but I don't deal so much with teeth. That's when we send to our dental, uh, comrades. And then soft tissue injuries like the scar, you know, lacerations, cuts made with objects and things of that nature. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 26:06
clinical Post-trauma rhinoplasty is much more complex than medically planned rhinoplasty because trauma causes uncontrolled injuries with fractures in unpredictable places, whereas in the operating room fractures are made in controlled places. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 26:06
quote Usually when we talk about like a rhinoplasty that's medically done, it's controlled. We make fractures in controlled places. When it's post trauma, such as from, you know, a fist or I fall to the ground, it's uncontrolled injuries and so they can be shattered completely differently. And so they, they are a lot more complex to repair. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 26:25
clinical Bruising and swelling from trauma is much more widespread than in a controlled operating room setting where the surgeon knows what they're causing and where. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 26:28
quote The bruising that happens immediately with a trauma also is much more widespread than again in an operating room where you know what you're causing where, right? So that swelling is much more involved. And often the healing doesn't happen the way you want. And so it can heal completely deviated, sunken in, um, they could lose its blood supply after a trauma. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 26:43
clinical After trauma, the nose can heal completely deviated, sunken in, or lose its blood supply, making reconstructive surgery much more complex and sometimes requiring cartilage to be borrowed from the ear or rib. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 26:54
quote The surgery to reconstruct that is usually much more complex and may involve at times borrowing from other parts. So, for instance, if a nose is caved in because the cartilage didn't survive, we may have to borrow cartilage. from the ear or, or from your rib. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 27:34
quote Under the skin is bone and cartilage, and we say that, you know, for all these structures, the nose is the most unforgiving, and so every little like bruise can cause a defect. So, yeah, it's really complex, and it's the structure, the bone and the cartilage of the structure that support up the skin. So without the structure, everything just falls. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 27:34
clinical For nasal structures, the nose is the most unforgiving, and every little bruise can cause a defect; the bone and cartilage structure supports the skin, so without the structure, everything just falls. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 28:09
clinical In rhinoplasty, Dr. Ponsky makes a small incision in the columella area with strategically hidden incisions inside, then lifts the skin to build and change the cartilage and bone underneath. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 28:44
quote We had a Russian woman come through, and I didn't know she was a survivor until after her surgery, because at the university, I don't get to see them except for their names. I don't know anything really about their situations, things like that. So I operated on her and she was so grateful. And at our last, really our last meeting, she's like, you don't know, and that's usually a year after the surgery, right? And she's like, you don't know what this has done for me. Um, it's completely changed my life around. My ex was in Russia, this was caused by him. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 29:03
clinical A Russian woman who received surgery through the Face to Face program reported that the surgery completely changed her life, allowing her to apply for jobs without feeling people were staring at her disfigurement and making it easier to forget her abuser and the old country. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 29:37
quote She's like, this is pivotal for me. I go to work, I can apply for jobs and not feel like they're all looking. At my disfigurement, and it also, she also said it makes it easier for me to forget the old country and him associated with it. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 30:02
quote Currently, we're working with a, a man now who is also through that program. So it's not, you know, gender-specific, but definitely the majority are women. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 30:02
clinical The Face to Face program is not gender-specific, with Dr. Ponsky currently working with a male survivor whose wife beat him and who was in the abusive relationship for about 15 years before being able to leave. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 31:06
quote I currently have a patient. She, she's not through the program. She came to see me, you know, privately. I knew her daughter before her, and then when she came and sought rhinoplasty surgery, reconstructive rhinoplasty surgery, she shared that she was in a similar, you know, situation and Honestly, that was the one thing that she wanted to erase, the reminder of what had happened. And she's still my patient 34 years later, and every time we talk about it, she still brings, you know, tears to her eyes. So, like the emotional scars last for so much longer, as you know, than, yeah, than the Physical. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 31:06
clinical A patient who came to Dr. Ponsky privately for reconstructive rhinoplasty after domestic violence reported 34 years later that discussing the surgery still brings tears to her eyes, demonstrating that emotional scars last much longer than physical ones. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 31:51
quote I feel that it's more the emotional trauma, right? So it's The chronic pain, it's the inflammation, you know, caused by like bodily injuries. Obviously, the disfigurement is what we can fix, but sometimes patients still have PTSD from it. They still have the memory of themselves from before, you know, before the uh surgery that fixed it. But all the other PTSD symptoms, all the chronic pain, I think those are the, the tougher things that we can't put We can't help because sometimes it's not as physical. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 31:51
clinical Long-term challenges for domestic violence survivors include chronic pain, inflammation from bodily injuries, disfigurement, PTSD, and the persistent memory of their pre-surgery appearance, with some symptoms being non-physical and therefore harder to address. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 34:32
clinical Dr. Ponsky stays current by attending two professional meetings per year to learn the most recent techniques intended to shorten recovery time and reduce incisions. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 34:32
quote For me, it's attending meetings with all my colleagues to find the most recent techniques, and they're all intended to shorten, you know, recovery time, have less incisions and things like that. So, mainly just attending 2 meetings a year is what I do. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 37:08
quote As we're talking today, it became more obvious to me that awareness is huge. And so this podcast that you're doing, this questioning of people in the medical centers by health professionals is another way, and then just being aware of it in friends and family. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 37:26
quote I think that the fact that this movie came. To be is also going to help us out, because I think it's an entity that is much more commonplace than we expect and debunking the myths of a certain type who does this or a certain female that stays in that situation will help us enable those who are suffering currently to, to get more help. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 37:55
guideline The National Domestic Violence Hotline number is 800-799-SAFE, and there is also a text line at 88788 where texting 'begin' will start a query process for those who cannot safely make a phone call. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 38:36
quote I would say that for any survivors who's considering facial plastic surgery or facial reconstructive surgery, It's OK to feel apprehensive. Even those who have not been through trauma are apprehensive. It's part of your healing journey and everybody is different, so there's no right way to go about it. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 38:36
opinion Survivors considering facial plastic surgery should expect to feel apprehensive (even non-trauma patients feel this way), do research, talk to professionals, and consider surgery if they wake up every day seeing only the injury, if it keeps them from self-love, or if it prevents them from moving forward such as looking for jobs. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 39:02
quote If you wake up every day and that's all you see and it keeps you from self-love, then it's something to consider. Um, if it keeps you from moving forward, like you think. Uh, I can't possibly go look for a job looking like this, or I wake up and I see him and what happens every day, then it's time to, yeah, to think about doing something proactive about it. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 39:50
guideline People can support the Face to Face program by donating through the AAFPRS Academy (American Academy of Facial Plastic Reconstructive Surgery) and designating 'Face to Face DV' for domestic violence, with funds helping pay for operating room facility fees, anesthesiologist costs, and patient medications like antibiotics and sprays. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 39:50
quote Through our academy, I would think that they can donate through the AAFPRS Academy. Um, so it's American Academy of Facial Plastic Reconstructive Surgery, AAFPRS Academy, and if you designate face to face, DV for domestic violence, it'll go there. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 40:10
quote The doctor's services are free, the surgeon services are free. But if we use an OR that is not ours, like an operating room with anesthesiologists that are, you know, that we rent, essentially, it helps pay for those costs. It may also help pay for the patient's medications afterwards if they don't have the means to, to do that, like antibiotics and sprays, uh, things of that nature. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 40:10
clinical In the Face to Face program, surgeon services are free, and anesthesiologists also donate their time, but facility fees at corporate-owned surgery centers are harder to waive, which is where donated funds help. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 41:14
opinion Dr. Ponsky hopes the Face to Face program will grow to include more surgeons on their roster so that even people in remote areas like South Dakota will have access to a surgeon, as the program is currently more concentrated in bigger cities. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 41:14
quote I am hopeful that it will garner more surgeons who are part of their roster of help. So meaning if even if you live in South Dakota, you'll have access to a surgeon there. Right now, we're obviously more in bigger. Cities, but I think eventually as more surgeons sign up, they can help people in the more remote parts ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 41:35
quote I think there are a lot of patients walking around who don't know about this, that they can utilize these services. And part of it is wide-reaching and that the face to face program connects with mental health experts who can also help you long term with the emotional recovery aspect of it. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 41:35
opinion Many patients walking around don't know about the Face to Face program services they could utilize, and the program connects with mental health experts who can help with long-term emotional recovery. ↗

Summaries Diana gave as host · 8 summaries

Recaps of what the experts said, with Diana as narrator — not Diana's own clinical position, and never cited in answers.

Summaries Diana gave as host · Facial Rejuvenation: Surgical & Non-Surgical Approaches 1 summary

Open the Facial Rejuvenation: Surgical & Non-Surgical Approaches collection →

11. Perimenopause: Facial Plastic Surgery with Dr. Diana Ponsky

▶ Ep 16 · 2:05
host summary Diana Ponsky summarizing a resource: gosh, my skin's coarser, like, no matter what I do, it just really doesn't improve. I've got all these brown spots, you know, things like to wipe the corner of my mouth because things feel like they're, you know, dragging down. ↗
Summaries Diana gave as host · Practice Management & Professional Development 7 summaries

Open the Practice Management & Professional Development collection →

Local Plastic Surgeon debunks popular social media beauty myths

▶ Ep 5 · 4:21
host summary Diana Ponsky summarizing a resource: Flaxseed masks are purported on social media to be as good as Botox, a homeopathic or organic alternative. ↗

Surgeons and Social Media - with Diana Ponsky MD

▶ Ep 6 · 39:50
host summary Diana Ponsky summarizing a resource: You're absolutely right. I spent so much time fixated on it. And now no one says a single thing about it. They say my eyes look better or something else. ↗

Dr. Diana Ponsky

▶ Ep 7 · 5:56
host summary Diana Ponsky summarizing a resource: They went as far. There's a census that took data from multiple points, and they said about 1 in 2 women encounter some sense of violence from their intimate partners, whether it's sexual. physical, or just like stalking, you know, so, and then 2 out of 5 men, so it's not just women, but the majority are women. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 5:56
host summary Diana Ponsky summarizing a resource: According to census data from multiple points, about 1 in 2 women encounter some sense of violence from their intimate partners, whether sexual, physical, or stalking, and 2 out of 5 men experience similar violence. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 6:34
host summary Diana Ponsky summarizing a resource: In the movie, the actress was also the victim. Her name is Lily in the movie. She's also the victim of her mom. She's been through domestic abuse as a kid, never to her, but she saw it through as being inflicted upon her mom. And so when she had a daughter, she stopped it. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 19:07
host summary Diana Ponsky summarizing a resource: Interestingly, about 1 in 2 women suffer some kind of intimate partner abuse, either sexual, physical, or through stalking, and, um, 2 in 5 men. So it's, you know, so those numbers are quite compelling. 85% of the abuse victims are women. And about 70% occur in the facial region. ↗
▶ Ep 7 · 19:22
host summary Diana Ponsky summarizing a resource: 85% of abuse victims are women, and about 70% of domestic violence injuries occur in the facial region. ↗