James M. Pearson, MD, FACS

This review is long overdue. I had a lip lift done by Dr. Pearson back in October 2024. I did extensive research on the right doctor for this procedure, and I am so grateful that I landed on Dr. Pearson. It is obvious that he specializes in this kind of procedure. My results are exactly what I was hoping for. The scar has healed so nicely that I do not even wear makeup to cover it up. I am so happy with how my upper lip looks now. I highly recommend Dr. Pearson. Not only is he a skilled plastic surgeon, but he is also extremely attentive and friendly. Also, his staff was so helpful and I was always able to get answers to any questions that I had.

Updated on 4 May 2025:
I added before and after photos. First photo is the before and second photo is the after. My mouth has always naturally been a bit crooked and that has nothing to do with the lip lift I got it. I am still loving the results, so happy.

I was looking for a doctor for quite some time and visited a few offices for consultations. When I came to this office and had my first consultation here, I immediately knew that this was the right place for me. The doctor and staff were so attentive, professional and caring and made me feel well taken care of. Doctor James Pearson is extremely patient and explained the entire procedure well.
He is very detailed and the results went above my expectations.
Post procedure Dr. Pearson regularly called me to check in and had me come in for office visits to make sure recovery was going well.
I consider myself very lucky that I found Dr. Pearson and I wholeheartedly recommend him.

I can't thank Dr. Pearson enough for giving me my life back. I just wish I'd found him sooner.

So, I made a bad call to get lip fillers in Mexico, not knowing the "doctor" was using silicone, and a lot of it. Within minutes, I looked like a cartoon character, and despite two surgeries to remove the silicone, my lips just kept getting worse. They were sagging, deformed, and I felt totally hopeless and depressed. After seeing tons of doctors who said there was nothing they could do, I refused to give up. Finally, I stumbled upon Dr. Pearson's before-and-after photos of patients, and I was impressed.

From our first meeting, he pinpointed the issues and suggested solutions. Instead of another lip reduction, he recommended reconstructing my lower lip and lifting my upper lip. Plus, there was a corner of my top lip that needed fixing too.

Following his advice was the best decision ever. The results were unbelievable, and I couldn't be happier.

Dr. Pearson didn't just impress me with his skills; he blew me away with his caring nature. He checked in on me every day after surgery, gave crystal-clear instructions, and the scars are almost invisible.

And get this – he volunteers every year to help kids in need with reconstructive surgeries. Seeing those kids' smiles in his office pictures melted my heart.

What's more, Dr. Pearson is totally upfront about costs, unlike other doctors who keep you guessing until you pay up.

His staff? They're amazing. Super sweet, professional, and caring.

I'm sticking with Dr. Pearson for anything to do with my face. Even switching to him for Botox was a great move – no more droopy eyelids!

I have so much respect and admiration for Dr. Pearson. He didn't just give me back my face; he changed my life. I'll always be grateful.

I had a lower face and neck lift and am very happy with the results. Dr. Pearson is very experienced and specializes in facial surgery only. He answered all of my questions and made the experience seamless.

This has been in the works for me for two years. As Ive reached 33 I know I wanted to do something about my lips/smile/lower face but fillers were just not cutting it amymore after three years and thousands of dollars. Pro tip: fillers will *always* migrate. Which is not bad - just be prepared to have them dissolved and redone once every two years or so.

I obsessed over every before and after photo I could find about lip lift and poured over doctor reviews from all over the world for years until I was sure about a doctor.

I met with dr person once I was financially ready for the procedure which at the time was $5,600 in my case. His hermosa beach office is small but gorgeous. You see the ocean from the back room. Marylyn the secretary is an absolute joy. She's 30 years old and has a beautiful smile and great bedside manner.

Even though I knew I wanted to go through with the procedure I ended up getting cold feet for months. I knew this would alter my appearance forever. All the "what ifs" went through my mind. I thought "maybe fillers aren't so bad" versus changing my appearance for life.

It finally came to me after months that I was most certainly 100% in. I called back, and they had remembered me, but said it would be a little more costly due to demand. Sure thing. It was only another $600 or so. I asked for another consult (free) since it had been so long and they fit me in a couple weeks before my scheduled surgery date.

I had the craziest nerves the night before but was able to get through them by trusting the doctor (I had read everything you possibly could about him and his practice) and allowing myself to "have this" if you will. I've always had a silly looking smile,goofy if you will, and knew this procedure would be perfect for the results I was looking for.


To be continued!

Updated on 21 Oct 2023:
from first hour post op to five days after
Two more day and I get stitches removed
I am ELATED
looks great so far

Updated on 2 Nov 2023:
I am elated.

Again you have to be patient with this process. Each week is a new task; ie first week you’re laid up in a little discomfort and pain, week two stitches are out and surgical tapes are applied to the incision site of which you cannot get wet and will fall off naturally after 3-5 days. Mine stayed on for 5 days. You’ll see that in one of the pics posted with this blurb. After that, it’s a week of massaging the incision site with your fingertips. After that I see dr Pearson again on Nov 10 and we start “smiling exercises”.

You can see something under the nose, especially with my anatomy, but i can see it changing DAILY and am looking forward to seeing where I am two weeks from now. It hasn’t even been three full weeks and recovery is truly about three months so hang in there if you get scared Everytime you look in the mirror during recovery. It will absolutely evolve and improve daily.

I took 5mm off. Each case will be different, but yeah that’s how much I wanted to take off.

The healing journey continues.

The scar is still stiff and I can’t smile from ear to ear YET (no it’s not painful just tight in the healing process) but by thanksgiving i should have those muscles fully adapted to my new look!

Update again in a couple weeks :)

Updated on 8 Nov 2023:
Day 24 post lip lift operation with dr Pearson hermosa beach California
Laughing and smiling is getting more comfortable and I am truly seeing the results of this amazing procedure.
This has and will change my life forever for the better!
I’m wearing zero makeup (cover up/powder/foundation) besides mascara, eyeliner and lip liner in these photos.
The scar is fading quick.
So happy I went through with this with the right doctor!

I am very happy with the results of Dr Pearson’s work. I was unhappy with my neck and jowl area and d I am very happy with the results of Dr Pearson’s work. I was unhappy with my neck and jowl area and decided to have a facelift. I think we all worry about not looking ecided to have a facelift. I think we all worry about not looking like ourselves or looking unnatural. This is not the case. I still look like me but I look like I did when I was younger. I do not look at all “pulled.” Dr Pearson has an artistic eye for perfection. He is also very methodical and my experience was seamless and flawless.

I was a little uncertain about deep sedation instead of general anesthesia. There was no reason to worry as the anesthesiologist was excellent and I woke up not even knowing anything happened. I was also surprised by an easier recovery than I had expected.

Dr Pearson was very hands on during the recovery process. He calls you often and sees you the next day as well as every other day during the first week. He even comes in on Saturday and I always felt well taken care of. Right from the start when my bandage was removed I could see that my result was exactly what I was hoping for. Now I am 4 months out and so happy to have done my facelift with Dr Pearson. I am a retired Esthetician of 43 years in Los Angeles. I have been exposed to the many options of Plastic Surgeons LA has to offer and could not have made a better choice.

It starts with numbing gel, followed by numbing shots which where a bit uncomfortable but much less painful than the dentist's. After that, no discomfort at all until that evening when I started to feel a bit sore. I took a Hydro to get ahead of it but I now believe that was overkill. I haven't felt a thing since and no pain meds. By far, the easiest surgery I've had. He helped me decide on a 4.5mm and I couldn't be happier. I was nervous while healing since I figured I was making mistakes moving my mouth too much or stretching it in my sleep. Also, I thought I'd gone too small. Pearson was very patient and responsive throughout. Just follow his directions and be patient.

Two years ago I had a lip reduction to remove silicone injections. Dr. Katzen severely damaged my lips. To this day I have struggles closing my mouth completely, and have numbness and pain from the nerve damage he caused. I was told by numerous board and double board certified plastic surgeons I couldn't be helped. Dr. Pearson took my case about a year and a half ago and basically built me a new top lip. I shared the results of that procedure on my profile if you're interested. The results took my breath away. I didn't think I'd ever look normal again, much less pretty. To this day I am grateful to the point of tears for what he did for me.
Last week I went back to him for my bottom lip to be corrected. I am 5 days out, and did not have any pain or swelling. I know that sounds unbelievable, but when a surgeon is very skilled as Dr. Pearson is, he's able to move quickly and with minimal disruption to the tissue. I took a few Tylenols on the second day and that was all that was needed.
5 days out and I’m beginning to see the final shape take place. I’m so excited and happy with my decision to trust Dr. Pearson again.
If you are unsure who to go with, Dr. Pearson is your guy. My results speak for themselves. If he could restore my lips to where they are now from the mess of scar tissue that they were, I feel confident in referring others to him.
These pics were taken before I met Dr. Pearson, and 5 days after my second procedure with him.

This review is long overdue, but I am sure it is perfect timing since you, my dear, are reading it now.

If you are like me, you became aware of the lip lift procedure, and you thought to yourself that this could be something you’d be interested in doing. Once it hits your mind , it will be the thing you think about when you look in the mirror. Do I need it? Will I benefit from this procedure?

Perhaps the length of your upper lift seems longer than you’d like, perhaps you want a more beautiful and youthful pout, perhaps you have been using filler, but still haven’t acquired the look you are going for.

And like in all things in life, you begin to hesitate, and question if you really want to do something so drastic in life. You’ve scoured the internet, you’ve read countless reviews, you’ve seen the reviews of lip lifts that filled you with fear.

But something keeps bringing you back to Dr. James Pearson’s page. You see his beautiful work. There are pages and pages of before and afters of lip lifts. You zoom in to see the scar, and it is so minimal, hardly visible.

You think to yourself, perhaps this is the man I need to see. There is a gentle presence you feel when you go to his page, and you become more at peace with Dr. Pearson being the doctor for you.

You build up the courage to call his office and you are greeted by the most friendly Patient Care coordinator. You call to schedule a consultation appointment, and next thing you know, you are heading down to Hermosa Beach to meet Dr. James Pearson.

Once you meet him, you are filled, again, with peace. It’s like seeing an old friend who you truly love and are so happy to be with and spend time with. The compassion and empathy he possesses and bestows upon you is true. You’ve read it in all the reviews and you will see it head on. He will go over the procedure with you, discuss if you are a good candidate, talk about the risks, and the after-care. All the while, answering your questions, easing your mind, dispelling any anxiety or fear with his expertise and care.

He will never push you towards the procedure, but give you more clarity on what the lip lift will entail. It is up to you to decide that you will go through the procedure.

I am so happy and grateful I did a lip lift with Dr. Pearson. The procedure itself went swimmingly well. The after-care was a breeze and healing has been phenomenal. A plastic surgeon I highly admire even commented on how beautiful Dr. Pearson’s work is.

I will leave you with this prayer that will help you, in all aspects of your life, but pray it and ask God to help show you the way. Often times we may think something could be vain and will not focus on aesthetics because we feel it’s not the right thing to do. But let me tell you that everything is good with God. If doing this helps you become your best and fills you with God’s love that you can share with the world, you must do it. And I am telling you Dr. Pearson is the man to do it.

God grant me the serenity To accept the things I cannot change; Courage to change the things I can; And wisdom to know the difference.

God bless you always. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Four weeks ago I had a lateral lip lift with Dr. Pearson. The entire experience was exceptional from the initial phone consultation, to the extensive pre-procedure discussion, to the procedure itself. Dr. Pearson addressed all of my questions and concerns in an honest and thorough manner. His skill and attention to detail were immediately apparent, and the results surpassed my expectations. I am amazed at how natural my mouth looks -- like my own only subtly improved.
As a physician I did quite a bit of research before choosing Dr. Pearson, and I am very glad I did.