1 Hollywood Plastic Surgeon Just Answered All of Your Question on Reddit

As a beauty editor, people in my world seem to constantly be talking about plastic and cosmetic surgeries. Did she or didn't she? Should I or shouldn't I? Those are questions often hushed around the dinner table at editor events. (I've openly shared my opinion on being part of the no-tox camp, which you can read about here.) For those who don't have a bevy of beauty experts at hand, it can often be difficult to get answers to those questions you may wonder about going under the needle or knife.

Glenn Vallecillos, MD, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, recently took to Reddit to do an AMA. He addressed topics ranging from the hottest procedures right now to the best way to get rid of body fat. When asked how many celebrities he has done procedures on, he responded: "Too many to count" with a winky face, but he also said he has clients who are children with birth defects. "My practice emphasis is on revision rhinoplastic and breast surgery, hyper-aesthetic facial rejuvenation, and Vaser high-definition 4-D lipoplasty," he added.

Keep reading to see highlights from his open and honest feedback to Redditors questions.

First, Dr. Vallecillos revealed that the most-requested procedures at his practice right now are liposuction, rhinoplasty, and breast augmentation. That said, he will turn down the latter because bigger isn't always better. "Overly sized implants in breasts. That can be fraught with complications in the long run although it is a common request," he explained.

When someone comes in asking for lipo, the doctor sometimes does recommend that they exercise more instead. "Absolutely, we always recommend diet optimization and exercise," he noted. "Often times people can reach their ideal goal without the need for surgery. Lipoplasty can offer a new element which is that of defined body contouring which may not be attainable with diet and exercise alone."

He also gave an opinion on whether it's better to freeze or burn fat away. "I've had friends do freezing treatments and I can't say I've seen a difference," Dr. Vallecillos admitted. "From a scientific standpoint both procedures work well. Neither is a replacement for liposuction, but I do like removing the fat through a heat type technology (i.e., SculpSure) because it's quick with no down time and I have personally seen results having had it done on myself." He explained that SculpSure is a laser technology used to "specifically target and reduce fat in select areas in 25 minutes."

Dr. Vallecillos feels bad for anyone who goes overboard — sometimes anti-aging surgeries can make you look older. One Redditor brought up the late Joan Rivers as an example. "Our practice philosophy is one of 'anti-plastic surgery' meaning we think less is more and in the ideal world the perfect plastic surgery result is literally invisible to the naked eye creating a natural aesthetic balance," he noted. "I personally believe that people that are overly done give our profession a bad name when in actuality the space of plastic surgery is very unique and has the capability of changing people's lives in extraordinary ways."

Social media is to blame for these noticeable plastic and cosmetic surgery cases becoming more mainstream. "I believe that the current trends that we see are in part invigorated by media and social norms create disbalance in the face and body," he theorized. "Examples of this are overly done lips and butts. Take Brazilian butt lifts for example, while the current trends are to create disproportionately large butts I don't believe that too many people, including the plastic surgeons themselves, take into consideration what the long term age associated effects will be. While it might look good now your butt might not look that great 30 years from now where your soft tissue is thinned and aged."

Looks like plastic surgery is only getting more innovative — and perhaps a bit creepier. "In the near future I believe we will see great advances in the space of biologic, meaning that we will be able to harness the utility of growth factors and stem cells to perform transformative procedures in regenerative medicine," he said. "Examples of this would be the ability to culture organs in the laboratory eliminating the need for organ donors and specifically in aesthetic medicine the advancements seen in 3D-printing will allow for the generation of soft tissue in a laboratory with great precision which plastic surgeons will be able to utilize in reconstructive surgeries."

One Redditor joked, "What's your opinion on Dr. Mark Sloan?" [Editor's note: this is the hot doctor on Grey's Anatomy.] To which, he responded, "I wish I had his job haha."

Read the rest of Dr. Vallecillos's AMA here.