Richard Balikian, MD

I came in to get Botox, lip flip and filler. I was nervous because it was my first time, but everyone was so sweet and explained everything to me. my injectors name was Kristen. She was the best. She was very patient and explained everything that she was doing and why she was doing it. I recommend going to her she has a lot of patience and understanding on what you want. She got the job done! She made me look 10 years younger! I love all the work she did and she has a customer for life with me!!!

I have seen the staff of Dr. Balikian for several years now and their service is great. I received Botox and have used some of their facial products that work wonders in terms of the look and feel of your face after each application. Thank you team Balikian for your friendly service you project always.

I am reviewing my consultation to let any prospective patients know that Dr. Balikian is a reputable surgeon in that he denied me a surgery (lip lift). I have been interested in this surgery for a while because I have a short chin, so it kind of affects my facial proportions in that my philtrum doesn't look short in comparison. However, my philtrum is objectively short in its measurements and the amount he'd have cut off would not be worth an entire surgery (less than 4 mm), per his words. I trust his judgement and I value surgeons that will say "no" in a world where it's easy to make $$$ off of insecurities. When I booked a consultation, I sent in my photos and was interested in a brow and lip lift. He did not entertain a brow lift up front and I only came in for an in person consultation to confirm whether a lip lift might be a possible surgery for me.

Overall, I am glad to be denied surgery that I don't need, and I will be following up at his practice for lip filler per his recommendation once I get my lip blushing touch up. Thank you, Dr. Balikian!

I'd been studying and comparing different procedures and different providers seriously for a year. I talked with my husband who said he loved me the way I look now but if it would make me feel better he would support me. So I made a couple appointments to visit with the two Drs. I was going to choose from. I liked them both but when considering the extensive procedures I would have done I had to consider who I would feel most comfortable with.

I let the Dr. I chose know of my intentions and the $50. initial appointment fee would be applied to a $500. surgery appointment fee. My appt. would be 25 days before a scheduled 8 day cruise. After seeing several of RS clients and their recovery photos I felt I could be presentable on our cruise.

My surgery was scheduled for March 29, 2023. I was the 2nd surgery that day. I would have preferred the1st appointment but as I found out it was a nose procedure for a teen girl so not very long. I was asked to come in at 11:45 but was called at 9:00 am about and was told he finished earlier and could I come in asap? I was just starting a shower. So we got there at 9:30am. The Dr has a beautiful modern surgical suite within his office complex. I am an RN so I was very impressed with his pre-op nurse in her detailed care getting me ready for surgery. She explained what would happen at each step of the procedure. Another person came in to start the IV. The Dr had already met with me to mark me up when I first got there. Then the nurse anesthetist came in to review allergies and other health related items. In fact I recognized her from a hand surgery I'd had at another facility a few years previous. I prefer nurse anesthetists over anesthesiologists for personal reasons from my years working with them. I walked into the surgery suite and laid down. A funny thing was the nurse anesthetist asked me what kind of music I liked and called Google to play it but I was soon put to sleep. Hope they liked Country.

To be clear I had the following procedures:

1. Deep Plane Facelift

2. Neck Lift

3. Lower Transconjunctival Blepharoplasty

4. Full Face Fat Transfer



Th total cost included anesthesia and facility fee. This also included the collection of fat ( from my inner thighs) and preparation to later to inject.

I was in surgery about 4 1/2 hrs as close as I can recollect. I was in recovery about an hour. My husband was called and I was taken to my car via wheelchair by a back exit. Who wants to see strangers at a time like this. I had an appointment for 7:30 am the next morning. Then dressing around my face/head were removed and Dr did. Quick look/see that everything was normal. Next appointment was 4 days later. They removed the staples at the back side hairlines. No pain. But the Dr said, "you're nurse. We've found that leaving the drains in longer had less selling at 1 week". So I agreed to leave them in for another 5 days. I admit the worst part for me were the drains. Sleeping was so hard for me as I don't sleep on my back ( which you have to do during all of this) but if you even move just little the pain in your head where the drains are will be immediate and you'll try not to move that way again. So I go in about 8-9 days later I get the drains removed. There is another gal that just removes staples and non-absorbing sutures and drains. They are inserted down the side of your head down the side of our neck. They aren't sutured in so she took out th first one pretty quickly and it hurt like hell. By I know there are two of them so I know i'm going to have to go through it again. So I waited a bit before she took out the 2nd one. I thought yeah, I can sleep on my side now but Nope. You are still swollen and it still hurts to be on your side.

You'll see by my pictures how swollen you face will be. Every day it was little better. I'd told my husband to beprepared for it to look really bad but rest assured it would get better over time. And it has. I have to say this surgery is not for the faint of heart. I'm wiring this review at 12 weeks post op. I have another appt. June 9th for follow up and "Post Op" photos. Oh I forgot At my pre op appt at 2 weeks before my surgery" before" pictures were taken.

I'll post my own before photos and then the surgery day and every day for a week, then weekly and then monthly ending with today.

Overall I'm very happy with the surgery. I know there will still be more improvement over the year. The one thing I've found is the swelling under my eyes still increases and decreases every day. Pest ting was on my cruise I had. 90 min massage an when I it back to suite I was all swelled up. So don't do things that causes your face to swell. Still try to sleep on back as much as possible, do massages on your side, try not to bend your head over, bend your knees to pick up stuff. And the biggest help is gel ice packs. I'm still using them. I've used them from the beginning. Oh and the main reason I went with Dr Balikian was anesthesia during surgery.

The other Dr. I interviewed, though experienced and very nice only used local and possibly oral meds during surgery. I couldn't think about the extent of this surgery being performed on me and I not be completely under General anesthesia.

Here are my pictures. I hope I've been able to answer questions and given my perspective on my surgery experience. Also excuse typos.



Updated on 10 Jul 2023:


Updated on 10 Jul 2023:
Close up of drains. You can see the drains protruding from the side of my neck.

Updated on 9 Aug 2023:


Updated on 15 Oct 2023:
Went in to see Dr. Balikian for 6 mo. Check up. I told him I still had a little bit of swelling under my eyes and wondered if giving it more time would smooth them out. He said he wanted to inject me. Sorry I forgot to ask what. But by afternoon the swelling was gone. I am 71 yrs. young.

I had a great experience with Dr. Balikian! His honesty & expertise I trusted immediately. He knows his stuff! Trusting him w/my face was a WONDERFUL decision on my part! Erin & Janet are just the sweetest!

Dr Balikian and his staff, in my opinion, are the best of the best. The customer service, communication, compassionate care, quality and skill are just a few reasons why you should choose Dr Balikian for any and all facial plastic procedures.
I have had issues with lip filler migrating past vermilion border with several injectors attempting to correct/dissolve with no success. After countless attempts at a fuller top lift, I reached out to Dr Balikians office. I explained my concern with lip filler not working and after consulting with Dr Balikian, I discovered that a lift lift would be the best way to attain the results that I desired.
The procedure was a success!! I felt at ease from start to finish. Zero pain, little downtime and perfect results.
I can't wait to schedule my next procedure with his office.

I had been thinking about having a facelift for three years and finally made the decision to do it. My first appointment was July 30, 2021. My surgery was scheduled for September 20. All my pre-op was very straight forward and well organized. The morning of my surgery, I was very nervous, but determined. The surgery took 4 hours and I was in a daze for the first day. I do not do well with general anesthesia and I wish I hadn’t had it. Frankly, I was more ‘sick’ from that then from anything else. Dr. Balikian performed a facelift, necklift, temporal extension and fat transfer (full face).
I had read there is very little pain from the incisions and that was true. Most of my face and neck was numb for quite a while. Now, after 6 months, there are just a couple of small places that have not regained full feeling yet.
I’m waiting for my 6 month check that will happen in a couple of weeks. I had wished I had had more support from the office after the surgery during my recovery. I relied on YouTube videos from other doctors when I was a little nervous about how the recovery was going. All in all, Dr. Balikian did a wonderful job with the actual procedure and I’m very happy with the outcome. Happy to answer any questions.

I had rhinoplasty with cadaveric rib cartilage and upper and lower blepharoplasty with fat graft last week. My skincare gal recommended Dr. B because she had previously worked with him. I chose Dr. B. because he is highly skillful, trustworthy and personable. I wanted a westernize nose and more youthful eyelids. The costs were reasonable unlike those in LA. Incidentally, a fellow coworker had rhinoplasty done last year and her results were amazing and beautiful. Dr. B is underrated . He is a great surgeon and I highly recommend him for facial plastic surgery.

Updated on 6 Oct 2021:
Start taking arnica prior to surgery to help with the anticipated swelling and bruising . This helped me tremendously as I have little bruising . Ice ! ice and Ice to keep the swelling down . Have all of your meds and things next to your bed or couch. The first night was brutal . As the anesthesia wore off , I was in a lot of pain . I took ONE norco but that didn’t alleviate any pain. Surprisingly, I had teeth pain and cheekbone pain. No pain at surgical sites (upper or lower eyelids or nose) . Getting up to go to the bathroom was extremely difficult . The next day, I got LYFT to take me to my follow up and that was a no bueno. Make sure you have a designated person. I tried to drive a couple of after and that wasn’t smart either . Give yourself time to rest.

Updated on 6 Oct 2021:
I look amazing . I cannot believe a rhinoplasty would change my entire facial features . Dr . Balikian did an amazing job at westernizing my Asian nose . He removed excess skin from upper eyelid and removed fat from lower eyelids . He placed fat graft onto the lower eyelids to fill out the sunken, hallowed eyelids.

Updated on 10 Oct 2021:
Very minimal bruising . I’ve been lucky-didn’t encounter much bruising after surgery. I started arnica preop and that seemed to be the secret. Swelling going down . Thus far, I like the shape of my nose . I have been taping my nose as instructed to keep the swelling down . I have a sultry look with my eyes.

Updated on 17 Oct 2021:
Healing is going well. So far so good. Blessed to have an easy recovery process . I’m amazed at my results thus far . I know i still have a bit of time until all of the swelling has gone down . I am happy with my decisions to have quad blepharoplasty and rhinoplasty procedures done on the same day.

Dr. B is so great on so many levels...he recently did my rhinoplasty and I couldn't be happier. He has a wonderful 'bedside' manner and is patient, always smiling and relaxed. His staff is also fantastic and I highly recommend his practice to anyone considering facial plastic surgery

I've always hated my nose. A lot of my friends and family say I don't need rhinoplasty- but I've always had an issue with my nose. I'm sure it's not as bad as others, because I don't have a "hook" nose, but I always felt like it was too big for my face. I don't have a defined bridge or tip- it's just a fat bulbous tip nose. So I asked my surgeon to create a more defined bridge, smooth the profile bump, and create a smaller more defined tip. I ended up interviewing Dr Malone , and I felt that she was not friendly nor a very good listener. I had an appointment with Dr. Kolstad and his office staff were extremely rude, I just didn't feel comfortable. I ended up going with Dr. Balikian, and I knew right away I wanted him to perform my surgery. He listened and explained things in great detail- and everyone from his office was kind. I'm now day 2 post op and can't wait to get through this recovery!
Here are some photos of my nose before surgery

Updated on 18 Jun 2021:
I’m starting to love my new nose! I see progress everyday. At my appointment to remove the cast- I did not like my nose, I got so freaked out that I almost passed out. I felt so sick and dizzy! It’s really weird to see a different person in the mirror. But now, I’m loving my nose as it continues to heal. It looks so natural, and I still look like myself. My new nose isn’t too small either- which is great because I have a large face. My features are balanced nicely.
On the other side of it- I still can’t breathe through my nose 100%, but it’s getting easier. Now I’m dealing with an awful smell from scabbing, stitches, and old blood. The good news is that my taste is back. For a few days after surgery, I couldn’t taste anything. All bruising is gone, but my nose is still very tender and I have some swelling.

Updated on 3 Jul 2021:
Last night I hosted a small get together, and almost everyone didn’t notice my nose because they said it looks THAT good and natural. I have to say that most days I love it, but other days I don’t- but I think it’s all part of the process of accepting my “new” look. I’m still swollen in particular around the bridge and tip. I’m taking arnica, and try to tape my nose, but it’s a pain to take it off - so I don’t wear emit everyday as I should. I’m also almost done with antibiotics. I was developing an infection, which was the cause of the smell I experienced. The smell is now gone and so is all the puss drainage. I can breath about 85% out of my nose. I really hope this poor breathing is not permanent. My first follow up is 7/16!

Updated on 19 Jul 2021:
Healing is really happening day after day. My nose is looking better. I’ve been taking Bromelian with arnica supplements to help with swelling. My breathing is the same- i feel stuffy but it’s not too bad. Dr. B told me to continue taping and massage. I stopped using the tape because it was leaving so much residue that was nearly impossible to take off. Now I’m wearing the tape again because I was told it prevents scar tissue. My valves are fine- i thing collapsed so it’s just normal swelling that’s causing my breathing to be subpar.

Updated on 15 Sep 2021:
I love my nose. I’m so grateful and happy that I went to Dr. Balikian. My breathing is 100% back! I feel more confident. I don’t contour my nose anymore. I don’t change my pictures anymore like I used to. I feel more comfortable in my own skin! The only thing I don’t like is my scar- but my skin doesn’t do best with scaring, and you can’t really see if unless I lift up my nose.
PS: I also want to encourage ANYONE who is considering rhinoplasty to go with not only a board certified plastic surgeon, but find one with hospital rights AND one who focuses and specializes in the face only! I cannot stress this enough! Check their license and see if they’ve ever had it suspended too. Check to see if they were sued- I say this because of the bad experiences other people I know have had.

Updated on 14 Oct 2021:
I just had another in person follow up with Dr B. I started to notice my old nose wanting to take shape again. My tip started to get fatter and more bulbous. I found myself contouring my nose again with makeup, which made me very worrisome and disappointed . Dr B said it was swelling- but it could cause scar tissue to form, so he opted for more steroids in the nose. By the next day my nose had gone down and even feels better! I’m so relieved to know it was swelling.

Updated on 23 Nov 2021:
Sometimes my nose swells and it looks big again. But I notice with good water intake and low sodium my nose is small again. I continue to massage 1-2 days and try to avoid alcohol. I notice that after a night of drinking my nose swells tremendously! But overall im still happy and see changes every month!

Updated on 27 Dec 2021:
I had to delete all my photos due to online bullying and bad comments. Unfortunately RealSelf is not a safe place for me to share. I wish you all the best of luck if you’re looking for a surgeon. No more updates will be provided.