FACE it, the aesthetics space is chock-full of glittery in-your-face marketing campaigns, filters, manipulated images, and- perhaps worst of all, misinformation. And nowhere is this more ubiquitous than in southern California. Since 2015, Dr. Zelken has been practicing plastic surgery in Newport Beach and Orange County and has become hyper-aware of this reality. After buying three or four lasers and devices that promised but didn’t deliver, Dr. Zelken endeavored to establish a resource for patients and providers to clear the air and provide guidance reinforced by science and personal experience: his very own YouTube channel. His information is trustworthy, providing a sense of security and confidence to his audience.
Why would a published author of over 60 peer-reviewed scientific articles, textbook chapters, and presentations turn to YouTube? Because it is accessible. Scientific papers are written by academics or their students and require costly subscriptions to read. Not to mention, academia and cosmetic surgery do not exactly go hand-in-hand. Just as he learned more by watching his mentors in Baltimore, New York, Southern California, and Taiwan, Dr. Zelken has long recognized the power of engaging social media content. Although YouTube videos are not peer-reviewed, the masses deserve board-certified physician input as a meaningful counterweight against beauty influencers like Lorry Hill and Stephanie Lange (who have unique real-world experience but no medical degree).
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On February 22, 2017, Dr. Zelken went on to publish his first video: “The Rhinoplasty Consultation”. In seven years, that video went on to receive 7 likes and 445 views. Although the first video was not a hit, subsequent videos like “What Are Marionette Lines”, “Wow! Facial Contouring Surgery”, “Monsplasty”, and “This is Ozempic Face” have amassed over a million combined views, and the channel is approaching 23,000 subscribers (almost 30% of the Newport Beach population). Viewers celebrate Dr. Zelken’s no-nonsense approach and down-to-earth explanations for topics and realities of plastic surgery that often go unmentioned, feeling informed and enlightened by the educational value of his videos.
In addition, Dr. Zelken weighs in on celebrity plastic surgery, offering his take on Chrissy Teigen’s new look, Demi Moore’s changing face, and Gwen Stefani’s timeless beauty. Other videos feature actual surgical procedures, following the patient from markings to the intraoperative experience (warning: some videos may not be for the faint of heart). His colorful videos have put Dr. Zelken on the map as a thought leader for procedures like the deep plane facelift, buccal fat pad removal, custom facial implants, and other face and body procedures. He has also been recognized on TV programs like Good Morning America for his take on CoolSculpting complications and the “Ozempic Face” phenomenon.
Although we are blessed with easy geographical access to Dr. Zelken, whose office is at 1617 Westcliff Drive, Newport Beach, his YouTube channel imparts his thoughtful and sometimes brutally honest opinions to the rest of the country and world. Perhaps because of his channel, as much as 30% of Dr. Zelken’s practice hails from states other than California and internationally. More recently, Dr. Zelken has welcomed cameras into the operating room to dispel myths and shed light on cutting-edge facelift techniques. In his words, “Just as photos are worth a thousand words, videos are worth a thousand photos.”
Contact Information: Jonathan Zelken, MD, www.zelkenmd.com, (949) 432-4730
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