Photo Credit: HQUALITY / SHUTTERSTOCK
Three gifts everyone deserves this holiday.
BY TERESA RODRIGUEZ
When first meeting Dr. Kang, one notices something delightfully charming about her, something almost angelic. She doesn’t have the air of a renowned general surgeon, nor does Dr. Kang come across as one of the most knowledgeable and well-respected doctors in the Medspa space—but she is.
Dr. Lisa Kang was born in South Korea and immigrated to the United States with her family when she was only nine years old. She spoke no English, but she could play the piano. Her father was a neurosurgeon in Korea, and her mother had family in San Jose. So, they packed up the family and relocated to San Jose with her two older brothers and younger sister.
Influenced by her father’s helping other people, Kang wanted to do the same. Being of service has been a part of her family’s ethos even before they arrived in the United States. Lisa grew up in a Christian family and seriously thought about becoming a missionary. Two of her uncles, one aunt, and a cousin were pastors. From the moment she arrived from Korea until she left for college, Kang played the piano at church every Sunday. Just months after being in elementary school, her music teacher asked her if she could play the cello. She spoke little English and responded, “Yes,” because she thought he had said, “piano.” He handed her a cello, and in weeks she mastered the instrument. English, on the other hand, took her a year to learn fluently.
In college, Kang never considered any other path than medicine. She attended UC Berkeley with a double major in biochemistry and music. After graduating UC Berkeley, she went to medical school at George Washington University in Washington, DC for another four years. While in medical school, she thought she wanted to become a pediatrician because she loved children so much. But, when Lisa started her surgical rotations, she fell in love with the fast pace and complexity of the work that the surgeons did.
Because of her understanding of music, her brain and hands were well trained for the grueling work mastered by surgeons. Kang focused on general surgery and completed her residency in general surgery at an affiliated UC Davis campus back in California. She practiced general surgery for five years there. After Kang graduated as an MD in surgery, she became a practicing general surgeon for another seven years, specializing in abdominal surgery which included working on organs. She loved the quick recovery and improvement of her clients after she operated on them.
In January of 2006, Dr. Kang received a flyer from a laser company exhibiting at a tradeshow near her. She attended the event in February and demonstrations of the incredible power of the different lasers impressed her. The immediate results from lasers and cosmetic treatments like Botox® and fillers attracted her interest.
Photo Credit: Melissa Mermin
So, in May of 2006, when she was two months pregnant, Dr. Kang found a medspa on Maiden Lane in San Francisco that was selling its practice and decided to buy it.
She never planned to give up general surgery, but passion for new technology and its instant results fascinated her and she wanted to pursue it. Her brother David, also a surgeon, helped her with the medspa. Dr. Lisa Kang delivered her son Jonathon a few months after opening Serenity MedSpa. When he was only a month old, she brought him to work and cared for him between patients. That only lasted a few weeks, and then she got a full-time nanny.
Dr. Kang is a passionate explorer and loves finding new ways to do things. She had no reason to start a medspa; however, as a female general surgeon, her schedule would have been completely different if she had continued along that career path. She would be on call and would have to be available for emergencies. That was no life for a mother.
When she opened Serenity MedSpa in 2006, laser hair removal was very popular, as were Botox®, laser treatments, and fillers. Dr. Kang was so good at what she did, she got her first clients via word of mouth.
Over a decade later, Dr. Kang has opened up a Burlingame location. The main impetus for opening Burlingame was to offer more advanced technologies as well as to better serve her fast-growing South Bay and Peninsula clients. In Burlingame, she continues to offer the ever-popular beauty treatments like Botox® and Juvederm® and has added many new devices like the Diva™ Laser Vaginal Therapy, HALO™ Hybrid Fractional Laser, Agnes RF, and FaceTite.
Photo Credit: Melissa Mermin
As for Dr. Kang’s latest goals and dreams, she’s always looking for new technologies and products for her clients. She says, “This is a vast, changing field. It is fun to see real results and to provide noticeable improvements to my patients.”
Dr. Lisa Kang has a beautiful combination of left and right brain coordination. She is both musically inclined and scientifically logical, which makes for a perfectly balanced aesthetic eye enhanced by steady hands to perform delicate surgeries on her patients. Dr. Kang expressed gratitude to have a profession that she is passionate about and the skills to deliver incredible results to her clients who rely on her to help them put their best faces forward.
As well as being a respected surgeon, Dr. Kang is a mother of two wonderful children: Jonathon, 12, and Chloe, 8. When not working, she enjoys simple pleasures with her family or gives back to her community by volunteering or donating her services. She has co-chaired nonprofit organizations like Rooms That Rock 4 Chemo and REAF which supports at-risk youth and the elderly.
We spoke to Dr. Kang about the solutions to many of our top problem areas and aging issues and the options she provides. Following are her top three gifts that everyone deserves this holiday season. These are great ways to start your New Year with the face and body you always wanted.
THREAD LIFTS
Imagine literally lifting the years off your face in one easy office visit? In a thread lift, threads inserted underneath the skin instantly and effectively lift sagging skin. Mainly used on the face and the neck, threads can also be used to lift skin on the body. The thread lifting procedure does not involve surgery. It is a minimally invasive, very safe, and effective in-office procedure with little downtime—especially when performed by an experienced surgeon. Serenity MedSpa is one of the nation’s leading providers of thread lifting. Dr. Lisa Kang, who exclusively performs this procedure at Serenity MedSpa, has trained extensively with top South Korean surgeons specializing in advanced Korean thread lifting techniques. Dr. Kang is very experienced with the thread lifting procedure and is well-versed with the various types of threads and techniques to achieve optimal results that not only last, but also look natural.
Photo Credit: PUHHHA / SHUTTERSTOCK
EYE BAGS REMOVAL
The only bags you should have are those packed for Europe. But many of us suffer from chronic baggage carried on our faces. Eye bags are the first sign that you are tired, stressed, and overwhelmed—and that’s the last thing you want to the world to think of you. Dr. Kang offers a clever solution and called Agnes RF. Agnes RF uses a patented micro-needle that emits radio-frequency energy with precision to effectively shrink eye bags as well as to tighten the loose skin around your eyes. Agnes RF is a quick, 15-minute procedure performed after the area has been numbed with a lidocaine injection. By reducing puffiness under the eyes and helping to smooth crow’s feet, these treatments will improve the overall appearance of your eyes.
Photo Credit: SYDA PRODUCTIONS / SHUTTERSTOCK
FACETITE AND BODYTITE
Just the word “TITE” makes our bodies feel better. The thought of being able to tighten the skin on our face and bodies is a gift in itself! Dr. Kang shares, “The FaceTite and BodyTite are minimally invasive skin-tightening procedures that are the best on the market It uses radiofrequency energy delivered between two probes — one underneath the skin and one on top of the skin. I explain to the patients that it’s like ironing out their wrinkly skin. This device is especially effective in treating that ‘turkey-neck’ we all dread. FaceTite is perfect for busy professionals and those who are not ready to go under the knife, as it gives a ‘surgical-like’ result without the big incision and the downtime. It is the next best thing to a surgical facelift. Plus, the results can last up to five years. Since these devices can also melt fat, FaceTite and BodyTite can be combined with liposuction to get rid of a double chin and to sculpt the body.”
With the holidays just around the corner, what better gift could you give yourself or someone you love than the gift of beauty? You can find Dr. Kang at Serenity MedSpa. They have two locations: 126 Post Street, 2nd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94108, 415-781-9200 and 1720 El Camino Real, #160, Burlingame, CA 94010, 650-887-7777. Visit serenitymedspa.com for more information.
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