Dr. Christie Prendergast is a female plastic surgeon in Southern California who specializes in a range of body, face, and breast procedures with a passion for breast cancer reconstruction. Her beauty philosophy is to build a good foundation with exercise, inner health, and skincare followed by a range of non-surgical or surgical procedures depending on patient goals and age. Dr. Christie loves to combine the newest techniques and technology to deliver a gradual transformation. As a fellow boss babe, she caters to career women who are looking for refinements without an obvious transformation. Her signature procedures include minimally invasive surgical and non-surgical facial and body rejuvenation. Her extensive travels have given her an appreciation for the cultural and ethnic differences in beauty. Haute Beauty caught up with the renowned plastic surgeon who dishes below on all her favorite things about Santa Monica.

How long have you been practicing in your market?

2 years

Market (area):

Santa Monica

Best hidden gem:

I have just moved to Los Angeles from Orange County but I love Elephante in Santa Monica. It is a hidden restaurant in the middle of Santa Monica with a tasteful rooftop bar, great ambiance and delicious food with a spectacular ocean view.

Best fine dining restaurant:

I love Mastro’s Ocean Club in Malibu. Spectacular food and views!

Best place for a power business meeting:

I love power meetings close to my office so I can power back to the office afterward. I am so lucky our office is close to so many amazing spots on Ocean Avenue and 3rd Street Promenade. My go-tos are Herringbone (Ocean Avenue) and Estate Restaurant & Bar (delicious Asian fusion). I also really like Javier’s at the Century City mall (when you just need chips and salsa to power through ideas). I also frequent Avra because it is a convenient location to meet-up with my all plastic surgery colleagues in the Beverly Hills area.

Best hotel for out of town guests:

Well, I am very excited about the opening of Santa Monica Proper Hotel which is not only a beautiful chic hotel with an amazing rooftop pool/bar, but it just happens to be within walking distance from our office. This is a great location for all our patients that come from out of town for surgery or consultations. It is also within walking distance to the center of Santa Monica. There are also a number of spectacular hotels in Santa Monica like Viceroy, the Ambrose, and Hotel Casa Del Mar.

Favorite shopping venue/boutique:

I really like the Century City Mall. It has a wide range of stores and excellent restaurants so I can productively get everything that I need to in one location.

Favorite charity event:

Favorite charity event is Children’s Hospital Orange County (CHOC), Annual Gala. I got involved in this gala through my friend who is a pediatric surgeon. I learned from him how funds are allocated to help the children at CHOC. It is always so much fun! It is filled with amazing people, good food and dancing, and fun auction items. Orange County knows how to dress up and I love the fashion at this gala. Helping children always makes you feel good!

Favorite cultural event:

I am still working on this in Los Angeles. In San Diego, I loved all the summer outdoor concerts. In Orange County, the OC Fair was always a lot of fun. I am looking forward to exploring LA more.

Favorite cultural institution:

Hollywood Bowl. I love all the different concerts and the venue.

Best museum/exhibit:

Petersen Automotive Museum! This is an amazing collection of cars. You must get a private tour of the vault. So worth it to see a spectacular collection of original cars.

Best weekend getaway/staycation:

I love going down to San Diego for a getaway. I lived there for 5 years while doing my general surgery training and I love the chill vibe, great food and boutique hotels.

I also love a Vegas getaway with a luxury hotel, spa, a show, and a little fine dining (who doesn’t love this?).

Describe your city in three words:

Opportunity, exciting, and challenging.

Favorite historic/legendary place to see or explore:

Getty museum! Just beautiful art and architecture. You can also burn some bonus calories walking around the massive grounds. Nothing else needed in life!

All-around favorite spot in your market:

I love all the technology that is coming into the field of aesthetics! Tightening toys are my favorite and I spend a considerable amount of time researching new technology and trying out devices so I can filter out only the best options for my patients.

My favorite aspect of the MedSpa market is the growth rate driven by patients who want less invasive options. I cater to a lot of high performing women who are looking for minimally-invasive options while running a busy career. I get to meet so many amazing women. I learn so much from them and they drive my creativity to combine new technology and treatments that can deliver the results they need within the timeframes that they have. This is challenging and a lot of fun. I also get to develop a long-term relationship with them as we build transformations over time.