Meet Dr. Carl Truesdale | Facial Plastic Surgeon

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Carl Truesdale and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Carl, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
I decided to become a doctor when I was 10. My successful facial plastic surgery practice is the culmination of the many large and small actions I’ve taken since then. My dad is a scientist and my mom is one of the most loving and creative people I know. I was an incredibly curious kid, and they helped me pursue my varied interests including piano, sports, portrait painting, and science experiments. I double-majored in Biology and Spanish in college, never wanting to choose between my love of science and language, art, and culture. I decompressed during med school by playing the piano, and added private pilot training to my list of hobbies in residency. Even while running a busy private practice, I make time for family, art, music, and culture. I think it’s important to my patients that I’m not just an excellent surgeon, but I’m someone they feel like they know and can relate to.

My patients come to me for my artistic eye and meticulous precision. I’m grateful to have the best training in the world at the University of Pennsylvania medical school, the top-ranked ENT Otolaryngology / Head and Neck Surgery Department at The University of Michigan residency, and a facial plastic surgery fellowship in Beverly Hills. I understand facial anatomy deeply, but I think that should be table-stakes for a facial plastic surgeon. I also have the confidence and training to use the most advanced and effective techniques. I push myself to always keep learning and advancing, both because I want to be the best facial plastic surgeon in the world, and because my patients deserve it.

Part of my success has been that I also draw on my experience as an artist to deliver the best result for each patient. Faces are my canvas, and surgery is my medium. Additionally, as the only black specialized facial plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, I’m proud to serve an incredibly diverse patient population. I’ll never tire of a patient telling me I’m the first doctor who really “gets them.” It feels amazing to hear that from all different types of people. I think my patients feel seen and understood because I love people, and I truly care about each patient as a person. Patients will often message me after a procedure just to check in and tell me how great they feel, and how the procedure gave them renewed confidence and a new lease on life. I love that I can help people feel like that whether it’s after a 15-minute filler procedure in the office, or a full facial rejuvenation surgery in the operating room. The impact I’m able to make as an artist surgeon blows me away – it’s my fuel during 10-hour surgeries and long clinic days. I’m doing what I love to do, and I’ve been training to do it for most of my life. My secret to success isn’t a secret – my success is because I’m living in my purpose. I can’t think of anything better.

What should our readers know about your business?
My business, Truesdale Facial Plastic Surgery, serves patients through a full array of facial cosmetic surgical and non-surgical solutions that help them look and feel their best. I have surgical and non-surgical options that can help almost anyone increase their confidence.

My goal is to help people look and feel like the best version of themselves. I truly believe facial plastic surgery can look completely natural. There’s a myth that plastic surgery makes people look strange or over-done. A lot of my patients tell me that their friends and neighbors tell them “wow, you look amazing! What’s your secret?” – they look radiant and confident, but not like they’ve had “work done.” I’m all about natural-looking, beautiful results.

I perform all aspects of facial plastic surgery, including my favorite procedure, the deep plane facelift and other types of facelifts. I also do brow lifts to raise dropped brows and rejuvenate the face. Patients in their 20s and 30s often come to me for facial contouring procedures, like buccal fat removal, and/or neck liposuction and FaceTite (a minimally-invasive radio-frequency device) to reduce a double chin and sharpen the profile. I also do nose surgery (rhinoplasty), eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty),lip lifts, chin implants, fat transfers and ear surgery (otoplasty).

For patients looking for something non-surgical, I offer fillers (including liquid rhinoplasty, under eye filler, lip fillers, and liquid facelifts), lasers, Botox/Dysport to reduce and help prevent signs of aging, and chemical peels and radiofrequency (RF) microneedling to improve skin texture and quality. I also offer hair restoration services for people who have experienced hair loss. As you can see, specializing in facial procedures still provides a lot of variety in the solutions I offer patients.

Being a business owner is one of the most rewarding and challenging undertakings of my life. I love that every day is different; I truly can’t imagine what it would feel like to be bored. Plus, owning my practice has given me priceless on-the-job learning about leadership and entrepreneurship. In all my years of formal training, there was little to no discussion on opening or running a private practice. My business education is through books, podcasts, Youtube videos, and learning through experience. I’d give the following advice based on what I’ve learned so far:

1. People won’t come to your business if they don’t know your business exists. Being the “Truesdale” of “Truesdale Facial Plastic Surgery” required me to understand and communicate who I am, who I serve, and what makes me different. I had to get really comfortable letting people know that I blend my surgical and artistic skills, that I can perform the most advanced techniques, and that I truly listen to each patient and put my all into each procedure so they can look and feel their best.

2. People buy from businesses that they know, like, and trust. Because of social media, a lot of my patients know a fair amount about me before they walk in the door. Still, they often tell me they’re surprised that my personality in real life matches the personality they’ve seen online. I want the education and results I share on social media and my website to give them confidence in my abilities, and for the way I interact with them in person to make their decision a no-brainer.

3. It’s critical to invest in the right team and processes. In the very early days of my practice, I learned how to do almost everything myself. Now, I have a team to support my patients and me. We continuously train staff, create written protocols for just about everything, and invest in systems and software that improve the patients’ and teams’ experience. If a system or a marketing / advertising initiative isn’t delivering a ROI, we debrief on the lessons learned and find a better solution. We’re always investing, evaluating, and improving.

4. The most successful people have a learner’s mindset. I’m committed to learning something every day. I build on my formal education and through lifelong learning through courses and conferences. I also use my commuting time to listen to professional development, finance, and personal improvement podcasts. My team has access to Masterclass online courses as part of their benefits package. The word “doctor “ means teacher, and that definitely fits me. I learn and teach every day.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I love LA. I’ve lived all over the country, and it really feels like home here. I was born in upstate New York, attended college in Atlanta and then medical school in Philly, did a 5-year surgical residency in Ann Arbor, and now live in LA and work in Beverly Hills. My wife and I decided we’d stay here within two weeks of moving here for my facial plastic surgery fellowship, and it was absolutely the right decision.

When we have friends and family in town, one of the first stops is usually my office on 150 S. Rodeo Drive. My wife and I designed every detail of the space, so it’s fun to share stories of how everything came to be. It’s also great to be right on Rodeo Drive, so we usually take a drive or a walk around the famous streets of Beverly Hills afterwards.

We love taking friends and family to our favorite LA restaurants. Some of our favorites are Ysabel, Avra, Superba, Tao, and Etta. We love impressing people with the view at the Rooftop by JG. Gourmando in Beverly Hills also holds a special place in our hearts, as it was the first restaurant we went to when we moved to LA. It was within walking distance of our home at the time, and the owners have always treated us like family.

Growing up on the East Coast, we also love to make the most of the LA weather. We like to take people to the beach, or to hike the trails by the Observatory. We also like going for a beautiful drive with the top down to Malibu or through the Hollywood Hills, stopping at overlooks to take in how beautiful LA is. We love to call LA home.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My wife Juliana deserves a special shoutout. We went to college across the street from each other at Morehouse and Spelman College, and I happened to recognize her studying on campus at the University of Pennsylvania, where we both attended graduate school. This was during my first year of medical school, and we’ve been together pretty much since then. She took a 6-month sabbatical from her successful career in management consulting to help launch my facial plastic surgery private practice. During that time, we built the office from the ground-up, did our own interior design, hired staff, developed protocols, focused in on marketing, and continued to build the patient population. She’s helped with strategy and marketing since then, and I’m grateful to call her my wife and business partner.

Website: www.doctortruesdale.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/doctor.truesdale/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/doctor.truesdale/

Yelp: www.yelp.com/biz/truesdale-facial-plastic-surgery-beverly-hills

Youtube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCBnWgiJXDbtqLueAdrWok5w/

Image Credits
Eric Williams