Dr. Sheila Nazarian is a well-known board-certified female plastic surgeon based in Beverly Hills, California. Trained in plastic, cosmetic, and reconstructive surgery, she’s an expert in her field and a pioneer in the beauty industry.
Even more impressive, she’s into many ventures as she’s multitalented and a multipotentialite.
Besides being a plastic surgeon, she’s a model, social media influencer, entrepreneur, assistant professor, reality show star, actress, and well-known socialite.
On being multitalented, Dr. Sheila Nazarian runs a reality show on Netflix with nurse Jamie Sherrill called Skin Decision: Before and After. The reality show aims to put the spotlight on the best practices of plastic surgery and the other dimension of plastic surgery.
Apart from being an excellent plastic surgeon and a reality star, she has a non-profit organization called the Nazarian Institute founded with the aim of “promoting an open forum for the sharing of best business and branding practices, with the goal of propelling overall personal and professional growth”.
Furthermore, as an entrepreneur, she founded the The Skin Spot. A business that sells tested and trusted medical skincare products.
Surprisingly, she’s also an assistant professor at the University of Southern California, where she teaches plastic surgeons in-training how to be better surgeons.
Amazing, an individual to have that kind of balanced life is a rare feat and we must celebrate such a person. We spoke with Dr. Sheila Nazarian on how she has managed to achieve such a work-life balance and here is what she has to say:
Beverly Hills Magazine: Tell us a little background about yourself? Where you grew up, childhood, education, etc…?
Dr. Sheila Nazarian: I was born in NYC on vacation in 1979… my parents wanted me to be a US citizen. We returned back to Iran shortly thereafter and the revolution had started. We were not allowed to leave because we were Jewish.
In 1985, during the Iran-Iraq war, my father received news that he was on the list to be killed by the government. He got out of Iran quickly, leaving my mother, sister and I behind. We later escaped with smugglers on the back of a pickup truck to Pakistan.
We were there for a few months until we received our Visas and reunited with my father in Vienna. We made our way to the US as a family in 1986.
I was in ESL for a few months and quickly made it to the head of my class. I later applied to and attended Harvard-Westlake School, followed by Columbia University, Albert Einstein School of Medicine, and Residency at USC for Plastic Surgery.
I also attended the USC Marshall School of Business where I received a Masters in Medical Management.
Beverly Hills Magazine: When did you decide you wanted to be a plastic surgeon and why?
Dr. Sheila Nazarian: Growing up, I loved woodshop and thought I wanted to be an architect or an orthopedic surgeon. I wanted to build things and use my hands. I started asking questions and shadowing an orthopedic surgeon and it wasn’t creative enough for me. I was quite crafty and artistic and needed more.
A friend told me about plastic surgery and I began exploring that… never looked back.
Beverly Hills Magazine: How do you define beauty?
Dr. Sheila Nazarian: Elevating and optimizing someone in a natural way where they feel confident and glow from within– that is beautiful to me.
Beverly Hills Magazine: What do you believe makes a woman beautiful?
Dr. Sheila Nazarian: A glowing woman who exudes confidence and power is beautiful.
Beverly Hills Magazine: What are the most popular procedures these days?
Dr. Sheila Nazarian: I think a combination of non-invasive, minimally invasive, and surgical procedures is needed as a woman or man ages. We don’t age in one dimension or in one way.
There is no silver bullet procedure or cream. We take a holistic approach to aging and that is why our patients look natural – everything is in harmony and makes sense.
Beverly Hills Magazine: Why do suppose culture has become obsessed with plastic surgery?
Dr. Sheila Nazarian: Beauty has always been an obsession throughout time. Plastic surgery used to be for the rich and famous only and there was always an obsession with “who is doing what.”
I think in the younger generations, it has become less taboo and more about self-care.
Beverly Hills Magazine: What is your favorite procedure to perform and why?
Dr. Sheila Nazarian: I love labiaplasties, buccal fat pad removal, Facetite, mommy makeovers, and breast surgery. Super safe surgeries with high impact on changing how someone moves throughout their lives.
Beverly Hills Magazine: How do you prepare for a surgery day?
Dr. Sheila Nazarian: Honestly, my team and I have become quite adept at the surgeries I do and there is very little preparation on my part.
An outstanding team has already set the day up for success – and that is what we have— an outstanding team.
Beverly Hills Magazine: How do you recover after performing an intensive procedure?
Dr. Sheila Nazarian: We will let our patients know the best way to prepare and recover. We have them all get their compounded Arnica/Bromelain/Vitamin K from theskinspot.com to start taking 2 weeks before surgery and continue until 2 weeks after surgery.
This keeps their downtime to a minimum. We also put them on strict scar therapy with Silagen products also on The Skin Spot.
Beverly Hills Magazine: How do you feel when you meet or exceed a client’s expectations?
Dr. Sheila Nazarian: This is a great question. In my profession, perfection is expected so I never patted myself on the back for it. Perfection is my job. Now, when a patient expresses their gratitude, I have learned to pause and breathe it in. Savor it. Because we should celebrate all of the small victories.
Beverly Hills Magazine: How do you feel when you fail to meet a client’s expectations?
Dr. Sheila Nazarian: I have learned to set my patient’s expectations prior to surgery so that this does not happen. If I feel that a patient is unrealistic, I will simply refuse to operate or treat them.
Beverly Hills Magazine: How does God play a hand in the execution of your procedures? And have you ever experienced divine intervention while in surgery? Like an epiphany, etc.
Dr. Sheila Nazarian: I am a conservative Jew and believe in prayer and God. I absolutely believe that God has my back and that my mom, in heaven, has helped me get to where I am today.
Religion is also extremely humbling and grounds me.
Beverly Hills Magazine: How do you effectively balance your professional and personal life?
Dr. Sheila Nazarian: As many of us have experienced in 2020, we thought we were balanced before the pandemic, only to realize that we were not balanced at all. I have completely changed my schedule to spend more time working from home and being with my three children and husband. I am spending more time with my father. I spend 3 days a week in the office. And two days a week working and seeing virtual consults from home. I am taking early morning walks with my husband, stretching more, eating better. I am more balanced than ever.
Beverly Hills Magazine: If you could turn back time, would you change anything in your own career choices or do anything differently? In other words, perform plastic surgery on your own life?
Dr. Sheila Nazarian: My only regret is not spending more time with my children when they were babies.
But I was a surgical resident when I had them so it was not really possible.
Beverly Hills Magazine: Is there a life quote, motto, or Bible scripture you live by? If so, what is it and why?
Dr. Sheila Nazarian: Why care about the opinion of others when they would rather see you fail than succeed?
Beverly Hills Magazine: What advice would you give to aspiring plastic surgeons out there?
Dr. Sheila Nazarian: Work hard, learn every day, be a fantastic doctor… and then learn how to advocate for yourself with digital marketing and social media.
Beverly Hills Magazine: If there is only one person you could thank for anything at all…who would it be and why?
Dr. Sheila Nazarian: My mother, who always believed in my intelligence and potential. She told me I was beautiful when I was really skinny, nerdy, and teased in school. Her words got me through a lot.
Beverly Hills Magazine: If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?
Dr. Sheila Nazarian: I wish I was flexible. LOL.
Surgery is a sport and our bodies take the hit. I wish I had more flexibility.
Beverly Hills Magazine: If you went to heaven today, what would you ask God and why?
Dr. Sheila Nazarian: Wow, deep question. I would just thank Him for everything he has blessed me with.
Beverly Hills Magazine: We are all sent to Earth for a specific reason. Have you discovered your personal life purpose in what you do?
Dr. Sheila Nazarian: My purpose is to inspire others to achieve their fullest potential and be authentic to themselves.
Beverly Hills Magazine: When you die, what do you most want to be remembered for?
Dr. Sheila Nazarian: Having an amazing family with successful and happy children… and inspiring other women and men that they can have it all!
Clearly, Dr. Sheila Nazarian is a modern-day woman who is balancing it all and looking good while doing it. She is living proof that beauty and brains really do come in one package.
