An inside interview with LocateADoc.com
Describe the most rewarding experience that you have had working with a patient?
The most rewarding experiences I have with my patients are when they are skeptical, hopeless, or disillusioned. It is fun to turn that around... The patients who are extremely demanding and picky are enjoyable to work with since I am just as detail-oriented, and often more so! It is just as rewarding to work with those who have had bad experiences in the past, or who are feeling like there is no solution to their hair concerns. I have too many individual patients who have had rewarding experiences to choose just one, but I enjoy my work overall so much so that it never feels like it is something I have to put effort into!
What is your charity organization of choice and why?
We work with Locks of Love, Hospice, and other cancer patient support groups since hair loss can be such an emotionally taxing pat of the therapy and we understand from personal experience how difficult this can be. The National Alopecia Areata Foundation is another favorite of mine simply because they offer so much hope and information. Operation Restore through the ISHRS (International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery) also does good work. I like organizations that not only do good work, but also provide information and resources that are reliable wince there is so much misinformation in the "hair world" it can be confusing and difficult to navigate for patients.
What does living in the Walnut Creek community mean to you?
We love being part of this community because we love our patients. It is often said at our practice that not a patient walks through our doors who we would not choose as a friend. Besides, we are pleased to contribute to our community at the grassroots level, because the entire Bay Area benefits when doctors are involved in their communities locally.
What is your favorite quote or saying?
I have a few! The cheesy "Knowledge is Power" applies since misinformation regarding effective hair loss treatments is rampant. Everone out there is ready to take advantage of what is an emotional issue for many people. I also like, "I am a great believer in luck, the harder I work the more I have of it." by Thomas Jefferson. We go the extra mile at my practice so this really resonates with me.
What makes your specialties the right fields of medicine for you?
All types of hair loss run in my family - from alopecia universalis to male and female pattern loss - so hair has always been a special interest of mine. It is my hobby, and I have managed to turn it into my sole practice.
Besides, have you ever met someone who is Type-A picky and detail-oriented but friendly and helpful as well? This describes me so I love the minute detail required of my practice. I also love people - my idea of heaven is to be in a room with about 800 or so total strangers with my job being to meet and get to know every one of them! I also have an insatiable drive to care for my patients (instilled by my parents, no doubt), so having my own practice allows me to fulfill that need.
Finish this sentence: If I weren't a doctor I would be___.
...lost... I was always meant to be a physician. I've considered running for public office because I feel strongly that citizens should give back to their communities and I love to meet new people. I've considered being a lounge singer because I love singing and jazz. I could have been an artist, but I don't enjoy solitude. I tried being a webmistress, a chef, and an entrepreneur of all sorts, and it always comes back to being a doctor that is the most fulfilling.
When (your age) did you first realize you wanted to become a surgeon? And did you experience anything in particular to motivate you to achieve this prestigious goal?
I realized I needed to be a surgeon when I was in internal medicine residency. I was interested in hair and worked with another hair transplant surgeon. It turned out I had a knack for hairline design and was just naturally good at doing hair transplant - so I completed a fellowship in hair transplant surgery and the rest is history!
Can you tell us in your own words what you consider a perfect outcome of a surgical procedure?
a perfect outcome is when the patient's goals are met with minimal discomfort and optimal cosmesis. Perfect procedures are rare, but by working with our patients closely, we can achieve the best outcome possible for each patient.
What is your favorite procedure to perform and why?
Hair transplant, of course! It is what I specialize in and have devoted my entire career to! I especially love detailed and difficult cases - like building new hairlines, brow and eyelash cases, and scar revisions (or old plug revisions). These take extra work and planning but they are the most satisfying for me.
What procedure would you like to do more of and why?
I would like to do more plug revisions for patients who have the old-style hair transplant. We can make such a dramatic difference in the naturalness of the appearance and so few patients know about the possibilities! Plus, patients are usually jaded by their previous negative experience that meeting someone like me who cares about them and gives them a GOOD experience can often be an epiphany.
In a perfect world, when would you like to retire, where would you go and what would you do?
It may sound silly, but I would like to retire in California wine country and raise alpacas among grape vines and olive trees. I'd probably throw in a Bernese Mountain dog or two with grandkids visiting and some world travel as well. The alpacas are key, though. Have you ever felt alpaca hair? That stuff is amazing...
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