La Jolla Cosmetic Medical Spa - Carlsbad

Dr. Riedler is a pro! She and her staff treated me with great respect and kindness as they went about the tasks of repairing my earlobes and re-piercing them for new earrings. The atmosphere in the office is one of congeniality and friendliness. I cannot say enough wonderful things about Dr. Riedler and all those around her. My new earrings are great; they don't fall out of overstretched holes. I will enjoy the results of Dr. Riedler's work for the rest of my days.*

I can't recommend Dr. Riedler enough for the outstanding care she provided for my face! After a disappointing experience with another provider, she skillfully fixed the damage and delivered amazing results. Despite my tendency to bruise easily, I was pleasantly surprised by the minimal bruising after the procedure. Dr. Riedler's attention to detail ensured perfect symmetry, and her patience and kindness throughout the process made me feel at ease.

I was hesitant about hyaluronidase after all the negative reviews and experiences I’ve read about. But Dr. Reidler genuinely listened to my concerns and validated them, which was so reassuring. Dr. Riedler took the time to understand my needs and worked diligently to achieve the best possible outcome. I underwent filler dissolution to correct previous work that left me looking puffy and unnatural, and she refilled my cheeks and tear trough flawlessly. The results were beyond my expectations, and I couldn't be happier with my rejuvenated appearance.

If you're looking for a highly skilled and compassionate doctor who prioritizes patient satisfaction, Dr. Riedler is the one to trust. Her expertise and dedication truly set her apart, and I am incredibly grateful for the positive impact she's had on my life. Thank you, Dr. Riedler!

In November, I had a lower facelift and decided 2021 was going to be the year I started taking better care of my skin. I'm 57 and live in San Diego, and have spent a good part of my life in the sun. I decided on the Halo after consulting with Brittany from the La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Center, as I wanted something to help with the sun spots and improve my overall skin appearance. Brittany shared the Halo would be the perfect post surgical laser procedure for the results I was looking for, and we decided on treatment areas of my face, neck, chest and the top of my hands. I was excited that the laser could also help with any residual scars from my lift as well as increase collagen in the treatment areas to plump up my skin a bit. I was pretty nervous, as I read reviews that described the procedure as somewhat painful, or at the very least, fairly uncomfortable. Once I arrived for my appointment, a numbing cream was applied over all the treatment areas. In addition, Brittany gave me medication for anxiety and pain (my husband was my driver.) Once the procedure started I was not nervous at all :-). The medication definitely worked as I had very minimal discomfort. I've had IPL and V-Beam lasers before, so I'm familiar with the sting, but honestly was more comfortable during this procedure than I recall for my other ones. Once I was done, my face looked sort of bloody, and my skin was HOT! The heat lasted about an hour overall, maybe a tiny bit longer, but then subsided. Over the next couple of weeks my skin sloughed off all the "mends" and I could start to see the results. My chest and hands took the longest to heal. I could not be happier with the results. My skin looks great, the sun damage is much improved, and the overall appearance of my skin looks great. I can't believe how good my hands look-if you don't like the age spots on your hands this procedure is amazing. I loved the results so much I want to do the rest of my arms, but I'm going to have to save up a while :-). I highly recommend Brittany and everyone at the LJCSC. Cameron the aesthetician is also fantastic; I was treated to both a post surgical facial and post laser hydration facial, and Cameron recommended some skincare products that I ended up loving from SkinMedica and Colorscience. Brittany is absolutely AMAZING and I cannot recommend her enough. I want to upload some pictures, but I'm getting an error that my files are too big. I will see if I can get some uploaded as the results are nothing short of brilliant!

Erin gives me my Botox several times a year. I really appreciate how she takes the time to understand my needs and make sure the area is completely numbed before the needle comes near me! She uses a marker to show where the injections are going to be made and ice to numb the treatment area. Great service!

I had a great experience the first time I went to Lauren for fillers. I've been to other places that made me feel like they were only trying to sell me products but I never felt that way at LJCSC. They actually took their time to find out what I was looking for. I've also done Halo laser here, they helped me feel very comfortable during the whole treatment and explained what they were doing.

After two c sections I was very fit but my clothes would not fit in my abdominal area. I did two sessions of coolscupting three months part and continued to see results about 6 months after the second session. I’m 48, 5 ft 8 and about 130 lbs now. My clothes fit again and I don’t regret doing it. I work out a lot and coolscupting finally did I he last push to get rid of the belly fat. It cost me about 3500.00.

As a first time plastic surgery patient, I felt so comfortable, safe and happy with my experience. I appreciated the fact that I was on texting terms with Dr. Brahme at all hours and that I was able to text him the night before my surgery to make sure I was prepping properly. In addition, my nurse Christina contacted me and my emergency contact the night of my surgery just to check up. Now lets talk about the results. So natural and beautiful looking. SO SO happy and excited to book my next appointment for Botox after the gave me a complimentary trial as a reward with my surgery!

I booked the Halo Laser treatment with Erin Hewitt in late December. The procedure was comfortable, and surpassed my expectations. When I returned for a follow-up visit, and post hydration facial with Cameron, it was pure bliss. Kudos to both of them for providing excellent service and follow up care.

Breast surgery journey I'm 64 yrs old I've had four children and this is not my first Breast implant surgery.
Now Bear with me this is long but will be very helpful for those whom are considering breast implants. If you are willing to maintain your breasts and realize it's a life long process then continued to read on..One thing to understand if you decide to get implants it's not a one time and be done surgery . Almost every 10-15 years they will probably need replacing they are not meant to last forever even if the warranty says lifetime, our bodies change due to gravity, illnesses accidents, cancer or aging our skin loosens and thins out as we age. I figure over the course of my journey I have spent at least $80,000 maybe more replacing due to one issue or another. However not all women experience what I have but more than not will have to have replacement/revisions at some point.
1983 decided to get silicone breast implants. This was the beginning of many complications over the course of 33 years. I have had a total of 11 breast surgeries a good portion due to malfunctions and other issues. This is not the norm but it can occur.

So after many issues and several failed implants and after several years my skin had stretched out and rather than have a lift the correct way because of the tremendous costs and a limited budget I opted To just go bigger to fill up space of the stretched loose skin. I simply didn't not have the several thousands of dollars to do it the correct way. Ironically at the time of the complications I learned the implants were from a manufacturer called "Mentor" in the early/mid 90s the whole industry were having Legal issues with silicone implants there were many class action lawsuits and although I was not part of them, they were eventually temporarily banned from the market Until the FDA defamed the implants as safe, so I had to settle with saline. A few years later the left saline implant had ruptured. It was under the muscle. Fortunately for me the legal ban on silicone implants were getting approved
But the only way I was able to qualify for the silicone implant again was if I joined a study from Mentor, this was the only way I was able to qualify and afford the newly designed silicon implants by becoming part of a study so the new silicone devises were placed back in my breasts. Unfortunately I was never followed and I fell through the cracks of the study but as far as I knew I was not having implant issues. That I could tell but. Now 13 years later the skin has loosened again the implants droop they feel like they're starting to Be uncomfortable and causing back pain. I can feel ripples and they are painful. I made an appt for a monogram concerned it could be cancer but all was normal however the breast center suggested That I seek,advice from a plastic surgeon.after all my complications we went through all my options I did not want to have no breasts so we decided to implant new silicone and much smaller to possible avoid the same issues with larger implants.

After much research decided to go with Dr. John Smoot M.D.,F.A.C.S at Lajolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre, Lajolla Calif.
He was honest and straightforward and suggested I remove the 600cc and reduce me to anywhere between 250cc-400cc I gave him the go ahead to proceed with the surgery Dr. Smoot also suggested I go with a fairly new procedure called strattice dermal grafts it was not required but this product is highly successful for patients with my extensive problems he felt it would give me optimum results. . I Also a had a lift, with alot of excess skin removed with my nipple revised and areola made a bit smaller I have 425cc smooth Silicone memory, moderate profile,under the muscle. Basically "this was not an easy surgery imusedmall,of my skills and am confident yiu will be happy with the outcome "The before after photos show the tremendous work done but I believe I will have a fantastic result. Here are Before and after photos and I will continue to post updates. Thank you please excuse any typos. I am not a writer.
My new breast size are appropriate for my body and

Updated on 16 Oct 2016:


Updated on 16 Oct 2016:
Gosh I hope these photos are not turned sideways but hopefully you get the idea 600cc they are heavy I wore a 32G uugh to heavy for me

Updated on 16 Oct 2016:
They don't even look like my breasts they are 425cc but I think I'm going to like them I already feel better ????

Updated on 28 Oct 2016:
Hi All,
16 days very little pain but burning sensation I hear is normal.
The Doctor said I do t have to massage because of the strattice dermal graft placed inside p. That alone was worth the extra $3,000 I've had so many issues with my breast I finally feel like I have what I've always wanted but had to wait till I was 64.... I feel like that should be a song...lol haha anyway, here are a couple of pics p. I have tape on them but in a few days I'll post some pics without the tape. The scars are amazing, the brusing is almost gone and the size is perfect for my body...looks like I'm going to have to shop for shirts that fit now and in all the right places....woo hoo

As you can tell by the procedure date shown, it's been 15+ years since my augmentation. If you're considering augmentation with ANY doctor, please read my reviews and read the many reviews on Breast Implant Removal on this site. Don't rely solely on the reviews of women who have only had their implants for a year or two... look at the long term satisfaction of augmented patients. You may just save yourself loads of money, and unnecessary debilitating health problems. More and more women are choosing to have their implants removed, due to severe health problems. I regret, so badly, having these toxic bags put in my body.

I'm 35 years old. I have smooth Saline implants, under the muscle for 15 years, 8 months. I don't remember my original bra size but it was small, maybe 34 (small) B. I'm now a 34D.

My Backstory:
In February 2001, I got my implants. I had just turned 20, and big boobs were so 'in'! I had been flat chested my entire life. I was teased, and very self conscious. My friends all had bigger chests than me, and I was so envious. Of course, as high school boys do, the boys ALWAYS talked about which girls had the biggest boobs, which girls had zero boobs – and that was how you were valued, so to speak. The guys I was interested in, were interested in Pamela Anderson, Jenny McCarthy, Carmen Electra – anyone with big, fake boobs. After high school I was determined to get implants, so I could feel 'normal'. At age 19 I went to my first consultation in Beverly Hills. The surgeon was a relative of a co-worker of mine. His fee was WAY more than I could've ever afforded. I felt discouraged, and didn't see any other surgeons for awhile. At the beginning of 2001 I set up a consultation with Dr. Lori Saltz at La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre (La Jolla, CA). She said all the right things (according to my naïve 20 year old self). She was a woman who had breast implants herself. She said most of the women on her staff had implants. Implants are safe. There is nothing to worry about. Their number 1 procedure (at her facility) was breast augmentation. Saline implants were the 'safe' implants. The worst that could happen would be an implant would deflate - “but it's just salt water, and your body will absorb it. Nothing to worry about.” She VERY briefly mentioned capsular contracture, but followed it up with “although it's the most common 'side effect', it's VERY rare. I remember her saying “Some people choose to replace their implants every 10 years... but some women keep them for much longer. They are made from such durable material, they'll last much longer than 10 years.”. “Implants are totally safe, and most women you see around here have them”. I was working at Nordstrom at the time, and she said “Oh, I'll give you the Nordstrom discount ($125 off). I've done most of the implants on the girls at Nordstrom”. She said “You'll feel slightly uncomfortable for the first few days, but most girls are fine by day 3!”.
It all sounded too good to be true... how could I NOT schedule surgery right away?! This was going to be a breeze! (Ha!!!!!) I schedule my surgery during that same consultation appointment. My surgery was scheduled for about 2-3 weeks later.
The night before surgery I stood in my bathroom and cried. I was nervous, anxious, and scared. This was going to be my first surgery, and I was nervous about anesthesia, and everything that accompanies surgery. My mom said “you can cancel, ya know?!”. I didn't want to cancel. I'd waited yearrrrs for these boobs, and I HAD to have them. Surgery went fine, but as soon as I woke up in the recovery room I felt awful. I couldn't stop shaking. I was in tremendous pain, and my whole body (jaw to feet) was shaking uncontrollably. The nurses wheeled me out to my moms car, and we drove home. The pain never eased. The next morning I had a post-op appointment. I don't remember the drive down. I remember laying in the surgery center shaking & crying. I was in pain, I was nauseous, and miserable. The nurses took me to a back room, gave me a suppository (for the nausea), and told my mom I was either having a reaction to the anesthesia or the pain meds. To be safe, I was told to stop taking the pain meds and to only take Tylenol. Remember... I JUST had implants put in less than 24 hours before – no pain meds?! I got sick on the way home, I got sick at home, I was sick all day and all night. I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep, I couldn't get comfortable. Needless to say, the first week was misery. I remembered the Doctor saying it would be “uncomfortable” for a few days. What a load of crap.
THIS. WAS. HELL.
I needed help undressing for the shower. I needed help pulling my pants down to go to the bathroom. It felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest crushing me. I needed help leaning up in bed. I needed someone to put my anti-nausea suppository in my bum (wow, how embarrassing). I had to grasp my chest while riding in the car, as every minor bump in the road caused serious pain. Was all this agony worth it... just to have a larger bra size?!
My body healed, and I eventually went back to work.
Then the health issues started...

Updated on 11 Oct 2016:
The health issues:
About a year after I got the implants, I started noticing health problems. I didn't connect them to the implants... and neither did doctors, of course.
---I got my very first migraine a little over a year after implantation. I didn't think much of it. The migraines became a frequent thing, and I still get them occasionally. - Doctor recommended prescription meds... but wasn't concerned about the cause.
---I had odd weight fluctuations – losing weight (to a very noticeable degree), then out of nowhere I'd gain a noticeable amount of weight, without any drastic dietary changes. It went back and forth for years. - 2 Doctors noted thyroid levels were slightly off on blood tests. I went on meds... nothing changed, so I went off meds.
---My complexion has suffered as well – noticeable breakouts that would last months and months... then clear(er) skin out of nowhere. - Dermatologists & aestheticians recommended an expensive facial regime, and laser treatments with chemical peels.
---I developed cherry angiomas on my body, as well as keritosis pilaris on the backs of my arms. - Doctor said “it's common.” Internet searches show it could be caused by autoimmune issues.
---I look at photos of myself, and sometimes my face looks so puffy, it's shocking.
---I have been exhausted – to an extreme. A 1-mile walk would leave me couch-ridden the rest of the day. I feel 90 years old most days. I can't work, I can't really leave the house. When I do leave the house, it's a big ordeal and I'm exhausted for days afterwards. Stress makes the exhaustion worse. - I've seen quite a few doctors over the years, regarding the severe fatigue. EVERY blood test came back 'normal'. One naturopathic doctor said I had adrenal fatigue (without doing any bloodwork on me), and I needed to work on my stress. Primary care physicians, endocrinologist, and Internists said “It's stress. Do yoga, find ways to decompress. Avoid stressful situations. You're depressed – take antidepressants. See a therapist.” etc etc etc. I wasn't depressed, I wasn't overly stressed. The only thing making me slightly stressed/depressed was the fact that I feel like I'm slowly dying and NOT ONE doctor believed I had a medical issue, but rather a mental issue. I tried antidepressants/anti-anxiety meds 4 different times. My body HATED the meds, and things only got worse.
---I do suffer from anxiety – even as a child I suffered from mild anxiety. The anxiety got worse, and worse the years after implantation. I would now describe myself as extremely anxious. I suffered my first panic attack about a year or so after implantation. The anxiety became debilitating. It didn't help that I physically felt awful, and couldn't find answers or help. I heard the word “hypochondriac” more times than I can count. The unknown, regarding my health, launched the anxiety to a ridiculous level – add onto that the many doctors who kept telling me “You're fine. Bloodwork is completely normal.”
---My hair falls out like crazy. It's everywhere – in the shower, on my pillow, on the floor throughout the house, stuck in every brush/hair band... it's surprising I have any hair left. I used to have healthy, strong hair... those days are long gone. My hair is thin and brittle.
---I have a sensitivity to all prescription meds. My body doesn't even tolerate birth control (I've tried several types, until my ObGyn finally said “I don't think your body will ever accept a BC pill.”). Every anti-anxiety/anti-depressant the doctors recommended (to help my “stress and fatigue”) gave me a reaction.
---Brain fog became a big problem. My memory didn't seem as strong as it used to be, and most days I felt groggy and 'off'. I tried to convince myself that's just what happens as you get older.
---I'm very sensitive to smells, sounds, temperature, and light. Strong perfume, candles, or chemical smells gives me an awful headache/migraine within minutes. I never had that problem before implants – I worked in a department store, and used to love smelling all the perfumes at the nearby counter.
---I developed endometriosis, uterine fibroid, and ovarian cysts. I had surgery for that almost 9 years after implantation.
---Odd issue, but worth noting... my left breast developed a mild capsular contracture. On that same side, I've noticed in the past few years, that armpit has a much stronger odor than the right armpit.
---I developed food allergies and sensitivities. I can no longer eat gluten, and have been gluten free for 4+ years. I have a very sensitive belly, and have to be careful of everything I ate.
These are just SOME of the issues I've dealt with in the years since implanting. None of these health issues started before implants. Take some time to research Breast Implant Illness, you'll see that many, many, many women have suffered these same ailments (plus more) after implanting. It doesn't matter if the implants are silicon or saline – women's bodies are reacting to both types of implants. Breast Implant Illness is REAL.
Explant surgery is on the rise, in a BIG way now! More and more women are linking their unexplained illnesses to breast implants. The silicon is toxic, and is negatively affecting our bodies. (Saline implants have the same silicon shell as silicon/gel implants. So although they are deemed "safe" because they are filled with saline solution... the silicon shell is still toxic to many).
I'm 10 days away from explant surgery, and I'm praying I'm one of the lucky women who sees some health improvement after the implants are removed.

Updated on 3 Jan 2017:
THEY'RE OUT!!!! and I'm soooo thrilled to be all natural again! I had my implants removed 10.21.16 by Dr. Gregory Park in Oceanside, CA. I'd recommend him to anyone, he's an excellent surgeon.
Surgery took 3.5 hours (an hour longer than expected), as my capsule had grown so high up along my chest - towards my armpits and collarbone. My surgeon had to make 2 additional incisions on each breast in order to remove the entire capsule. I reacted very badly to the anesthesia, but fortunately didn't experience tremendous pain - nothing nearly as bad as having the implants put in. I never had to take a prescription pain pill, and didn't receive any pain meds in my IV after surgery.
It's been more than 2 months explanting, and I'm THRILLED with my decision to have those toxic bags removed. I loooooooooooooooooove having a small chest again. Why did I ever think big boobs were necessary?! So many people have commented on how 'youthful' I look since surgery! I have zero regrets having the implants removed... I only wish I never would've gotten them in the first place. I can think of a million things I'd rather spend that money on!!!

Updated on 3 Jan 2017:
Some of the health improvements I've already seen since explanting:
~ only 1 migraine since surgery!!!! I would've normally had 5+ migraines in this timeframe.
~ the severity and frequency of headaches has drastically dropped! I used to take ibuprofen almost daily... I rarely have headaches anymore. Not even once a week, which is a HUGE change.
~ my periods are regular! They are shorter, less heavy, and the cramps are totally manageable. My last period was the easiest period I've had in many, many years.
~ my fingernails are growing like crazy.
~ I can feel my energy levels slowly increasing... it's a slow change, but I do feel a slight difference.
~ the odd smell from my left armpit is completely gone. It was gone immediately after surgery.
~ my digestion is very regular (huge change for me!).
It's only been 2 months, and I see improvements in my health. How can surgeons say implants are safe for everybody?!?! Obviously there are people who react badly to the toxic ingredients in silicone. A popular Facebook group has more than 11k members - all women who are suffering from Breast Implant Illness. Look at the photos of my implants - the valves are completely darkened and brown/black. Some people say it's mold, some people say "it could be dried blood trapped in the valve". Either way, it's unsanitary.... and NOT uncommon. I've seen dozens of photos similar to mine. Look even closer, at the red arrow, there are particles of something floating in my SAFE, STERILE saline implants. DISGUSTING!!!!!! What a huge mistake it was having these implants put in me.