Dr. Carp and Nick, CRNA previously talked about body dysmorphic disorder and plastic surgery. Today, they’re joined by Jessica Carp to discuss social media beauty trends, aesthetics, and the ways that mental health and outward appearance intertwine in American society. They also discuss Journavx and the latest research in non-opioid pain management.
Nick Angelis:
Hello and welcome to the Ascend Health Show. I’m your host, Nick Angelis. I’m a nurse anesthetist and the owner of Ascend Health Center.
Today I’m joined by Dr. Steven Carp and his wife, Jessica Carp.
Jessica Carp:
Hello.
Dr. Steven Carp:
Hello.
Nick:
How are you both doing today?
Dr. Carp:
Doing well.
Nick:
I already know how they’re doing because we were working together about an hour and a half ago at the Carp Cosmetic Surgery Center. Now we’re here again. I’ve changed out of my scrubs, and you’ve changed into different scrubs.
Dr. Carp:
Exactly. Back for another nice discussion.
Nick:
This is actually a sequel to a previous conversation Dr. Carp and I had about mental health, aesthetics, beauty, and plastic surgery. This time, we’ve finally convinced Jessica to join us.
Jessica:
I’m here. Happy to be here.
Nick:
Thank you. The truth is, you probably know more about some of these topics than either Dr. Carp or I do.
So, let’s start with a big question. What are some of the current beauty trends on social media, and are they reasonable or ridiculous?
I should clarify that I bring absolutely no expertise to this topic.
Dr. Carp:
Jessica handles most of our social media and is often the first point of contact for patients, so she’s probably the best person to answer that.
Jessica:
No pressure.
A few trends immediately come to mind.
One is muscle etching, where people create the appearance of more defined abdominal muscles or body contours through cosmetic procedures.
Nick:
Wow.
Dr. Carp:
What you’re often seeing is high-definition liposuction or body contouring procedures designed to create the appearance of more muscular definition.
The concern I have is that results can start looking artificial when you’re creating anatomy that isn’t naturally there. It’s become increasingly popular, and many talented surgeons are performing these procedures, but we don’t yet know exactly how some of these results will age over the next 10, 15, or 20 years as a person’s body naturally changes.
Nick:
What else is popular?
Jessica:
This one sounds unbelievable, but it’s real: rib remodeling.
Nick:
That sounds terrible.
Dr. Carp:
Rib remodeling has gained attention internationally, though it’s not common in the United States.
The goal is essentially to alter the rib structure through minimally invasive techniques to create a narrower waistline and more dramatic body contour. While it can produce attractive results in carefully selected patients, there have been safety concerns with some of the early techniques. At this point, it’s not a procedure that’s widely accepted in the United States.
Nick:
It’s interesting how the desire for a smaller waist has existed for centuries. Corsets weren’t exactly new technology.
Jessica:
Exactly.
Another major trend is the rise in popularity of facelifts, especially deep-plane facelifts.
Dr. Carp:
Facelifts have experienced a resurgence over the last five to ten years.
Twenty-five years ago, facelifts were almost synonymous with plastic surgery. Then we went through a period where lasers, fillers, mini-facelifts, and various minimally invasive treatments became extremely popular.
Over time, we’ve realized there are no real shortcuts. Many minimally invasive procedures simply don’t produce the same long-term results.
As a result, traditional facelift techniques have returned, including deeper-layer procedures such as the deep-plane facelift. While there’s a lot of marketing around these procedures, no study has conclusively shown that one facelift technique consistently outperforms another over the long term.
Ultimately, the most important factor is often the surgeon performing the procedure.
Nick:
So when people hear “deep-plane facelift,” they shouldn’t necessarily assume it’s some magical procedure that will make them look 25 years younger?
Dr. Carp:
Exactly.
Social media plays a big role here. You’ll see celebrities whose appearance changes dramatically and assume one particular procedure created the result.
In reality, they’re often combining surgeries, skincare, noninvasive treatments, makeup, photography, and sometimes filters. The final image people see rarely tells the whole story.
Jessica:
And cameras don’t hurt, either.
Nick:
Fair enough.
What else is trending?
Jessica:
One of my favorites: blepharoplasty, or eyelid surgery.
Dr. Carp:
That’s a good one.
Historically, eyelid surgery was something we mostly performed on patients in their 50s or 60s. Today, we’re seeing men and women in their 30s asking about it.
Many of them aren’t dealing with severe aging. They simply feel tired, heavy, or bothered by excess skin around the eyes.
Blepharoplasty is a relatively straightforward procedure that can produce significant, long-lasting rejuvenation compared to repeatedly trying temporary solutions.
Nick:
Do you ever tell people, “You look fine. Come back in twenty years”?
Dr. Carp:
Absolutely.
I turn down surgery all the time.
Patients need to have anatomy that will truly benefit from the procedure. If surgery isn’t the right answer, then surgery isn’t the right answer.
Nick:
That’s something we discussed extensively in our previous episode.
Before we go any further, let’s include the standard disclaimer. Don’t hear something on a podcast, television show, or social media and immediately decide it’s right for you. Talk to your own physician.
Dr. Carp:
Absolutely.
Nobody should be getting medical advice exclusively from social media.
Social media can introduce ideas, concepts, and questions. But when it comes to determining whether a procedure is right for you, that’s a conversation that needs to happen with a qualified physician who understands your individual health situation.
Nick:
That sounds a lot like anesthesia.
There are many ways to accomplish the same goal, but providers tend to become particularly skilled and comfortable with specific techniques they’ve refined over years of practice.
Dr. Carp:
Exactly.
The Positive Side of Social Media
Nick:
Are there any trends you’re actually happy to see?
Dr. Carp:
Yes.
One encouraging trend is that more professionals are moving away from social media content that’s focused entirely on entertainment and toward content that’s educational.
I understand the desire for likes and followers, but ultimately we should be providing useful information that helps patients make informed decisions.
Nick:
That’s really the purpose of this show.
Many of my patients ask questions about cosmetic procedures. It helps them see what’s real, what’s marketing, and how medical decisions should actually be made.
Particularly for people struggling with anxiety or depression, they’re often more vulnerable to advertising and unrealistic promises.
Dr. Carp:
You’re still practicing medicine.
It’s not just whether a procedure can be performed. It’s whether it should be performed.
Sometimes someone is an anatomical candidate but not a good overall candidate because of other factors in their life, health, or expectations.
When Beauty Becomes a Problem
Nick:
We spent a lot of time in our last discussion talking about body dysmorphic disorder.
But broadly speaking, when does the pursuit of beauty become unhealthy?
Dr. Carp:
It often starts with expectations.
That’s one reason Jessica’s conversations with patients are so important. We try to understand their goals from the very beginning.
The warning signs include perfectionism, unrealistic expectations, or believing that surgery will solve every problem in life.
Jessica:
Cost can also become a factor.
We’re seeing more people travel internationally simply because procedures are cheaper elsewhere. Sometimes they’re taking significant risks without fully understanding the quality of care they’re receiving.
I generally encourage patients to find a qualified plastic surgeon they trust and pursue treatment safely.
Nick:
There’s also value in local reputation.
Word-of-mouth gives you information that no website can provide.
Dr. Carp:
Absolutely.
Traveling isn’t inherently bad. We have patients who travel to us as well.
The important question is what happens afterward. If you have a complication, who’s taking care of you? That’s a conversation every patient should have before surgery.
Plastic Surgery Will Not Fix Everything
Jessica:
That’s one of the most important things patients need to understand.
Plastic surgery isn’t going to solve every problem.
Mental health, emotional well-being, physical health, self-image, and relationships all work together. There isn’t one procedure that fixes everything.
Nick:
We were joking earlier about reviews that say, “This surgery didn’t save my marriage.”
If a marriage depends entirely on your appearance, then that’s probably not the real issue.
Dr. Carp:
Exactly.
Cosmetic surgery can absolutely be life-changing.
But that’s a benefit, not the primary goal.
The real goal is to improve something that bothers you. Your happiness, career, relationships, and self-worth shouldn’t depend entirely on the outcome.
Recovery, Pain Control, and Modern Multi-Modal Anesthesia
Nick:
One reason I enjoy working with your practice is your commitment to improving recovery and reducing pain.
Patients often assume surgery automatically means severe discomfort.
Dr. Carp:
My philosophy has always been to do what’s best for the patient.
Our practice continually looks for ways to improve recovery, reduce pain, and minimize opioid use whenever possible.
Recovery is better when patients aren’t dealing with dizziness, constipation, sedation, and other side effects associated with narcotics.
The goal isn’t simply less pain. It’s a smoother overall recovery.
Nick:
That’s very similar to what we do at Ascend.
Whether we’re helping patients with migraines, fibromyalgia, depression, or chronic pain, we try to use approaches that minimize reliance on opioids whenever possible.
Dr. Carp:
Most specialties are moving in that direction.
There will always be situations where opioid medications are appropriate, but they shouldn’t be the default answer.
The Psychology of Healing
Nick:
We were discussing earlier how much psychology influences physical recovery.
Studies have shown that life experiences, stress, trauma, and expectations can dramatically affect outcomes, even after procedures that are technically successful.
Dr. Carp:
Absolutely.
One of my cardinal rules is never asking a patient, “Are you in pain?” or “Are you nauseated?”
Patients will tell you if they’re uncomfortable.
When you directly suggest symptoms, you sometimes make people focus on sensations they weren’t previously concerned about.
Nick:
I usually ask, “Are you comfortable?”
It’s a much different conversation.
Dr. Carp:
Exactly.
One-and-Done Procedures
Nick:
Everybody wants a shortcut.
Are there any truly “one-and-done” procedures?
Dr. Carp:
Yes and no.
A procedure like breast augmentation may be a single surgery that produces the desired result for many years.
However, bodies change. We age. Weight changes. Health changes.
So it’s difficult to guarantee that any procedure performed today will never require additional attention in the future.
Jessica:
There are also complementary treatments.
Someone might undergo a facelift once, but then maintain those results with skin care, laser treatments, or other non-surgical therapies.
Those maintenance treatments help preserve the investment they’ve made.
Nick:
That makes sense.
It’s similar to mental health treatment. Sometimes a person makes significant progress, and then they perform maintenance rather than constantly starting over.
Dr. Carp:
Exactly.
Patients often discover that the process was much more positive than they expected. They’re not necessarily becoming “addicted” to plastic surgery.
They simply become more comfortable taking care of themselves because their first experience was positive, thoughtful, and successful.
Finding Balance
Nick:
Ultimately, healthcare should help people thrive rather than remain in survival mode.
The goal shouldn’t be constant fear that everything will fall apart unless they’re pursuing the next treatment.
Dr. Carp:
I completely agree.
Most consultations involve discussing priorities. What bothers you most? What provides the greatest benefit? What fits your current lifestyle and responsibilities?
It’s not about doing everything. It’s about doing the right things.
Jessica:
Sometimes a patient simply doesn’t have six weeks available to recover from surgery because they’re raising children, caring for family members, or managing work responsibilities.
The right treatment also has to fit their life.
Closing
Nick:
Before we finish, tell everyone where they can find you.
Dr. Carp:
We’re located in Green/Uniontown at Carp Cosmetic Surgery Center.
One thing we’re particularly proud of is having our own nationally accredited surgical center. Patients receive care in a comfortable, private environment while seeing the same familiar team throughout the process.
Jessica:
It’s truly a one-stop experience.
And soon there will be a Dairy Queen right next door.
Nick:
So after your ice cream cone, you can stop by and say hello.
Jessica:
Exactly.
Nick:
At Ascend Health Center, we’re located in Fairlawn near Copley High School. We offer psychiatric services, therapy, Spravato, ketamine therapy, TMS, and treatment for depression and chronic neuropathic pain.
Thank you both for joining me today.
Jessica:
Thank you for having us.
Dr. Carp:
Thanks for having us.
Nick:
And thank you for watching.
You are watching WCTV, Wadsworth Community Television.
