Spotlight interview with Lina Soni

Scroll down to read the full interview with Lina Soni, MD from the front lines.

1. How has the coronavirus affected your life? How has it affected the lives of your family and friends?

Coronavirus has affected my life deeply. By training, I am an Endocrinologist, but once we got insight of just how many patients would be affected by this I got pulled to cover wards and ICU shifts at our hospital which was deemed to be a COVID-only site. Knowing that my exposure level was going to be high, I knew I had to limit my interaction with my 1.5 and 3.5 year old daughters. My husband and I ultimately made the difficult decision to send our kids to Canada so they could be with my parents. Although I know my parents are spoiling them and showering them with love, it is so hard to be apart from them. Until now, my girls have never been away from both of us for even one day, so this was a huge decision for us. It's officially been one month (literally, today) since we've been apart and I miss them more than words can express, but ultimately know it was the best decision for their safety.

2. How are you staying calm and sane during your quarantine?

You know, besides from my day-to-day job being very different than my normal clinical duties and being away from my children, I think it's been otherwise relatively easy for me to stay sane because I still go into the hospital every day as I normally would. So I haven't really had much of a "quarantine" experience in that I haven't been cooped up at home like so many others. I feel fortunate that I have been able to continue working and really so grateful to have been able to serve during this heavy time. I think its important to recognize how big of an impact we on the frontlines have been having on so many families, they have so much faith in us right now that it provides a sense of calmness and pride.

3. How has COVID-19 affected your job?

If I do get a day off in-between ICU shifts, for example, I try to catch up on being an Endocrinologist by doing televisits from home, which is obviously very different than the norm of seeing patients in my clinic. But, it's worked. I think patient's have just been to touched to hear from me during this time, that they don't mind that the visit has to take place over the phone. I'm also lucky that most endocrine disorders can be managed and discussed over the phone -- while nothing can ever truly replace doing a history and physical with your patient in person, it is surprising how much we can accomplish over a thorough phone conversation.

4. How do you enjoy spending your time while in quarantine?

Again, I haven't had too much time actually being in quarantine, but on the intermittent days I have had off, I have found so much peace and solitude in doing puzzles. I love that the fully absorb me and allow to dedicate all my attention and focus on trying to find pieces that fit together, as simple as that sounds. It's been a sorts of mediation for me.

5. How are you staying positive and hopeful for the future?

The saying, "this too, shall pass," has never resonated deeper with me. I think we are all resilient and have faith that we'll all come out of this stronger. I keep reminding myself that tough moments in time never last forever.

Fun Facts:

3 things getting that changed your life this week
1) a 2000 piece puzzle my neighbors were kind enough to lend us
2) undereye concealer
3) hippeas organic chickpea puffs (SO good to snack on!)

First place you're going after quarantine: MONTREAL, CANADA TO PICK UP MY CHILDREN!!!!

I'm binge watching: Friends and Money Heist

I'm reading: New articles in journals as they come out with different perspectives on Coronavirus treatments, impacts, etc.

I'm cooking: my mother in-law's delicious tiramisu recipe

I'm trying to: FaceTime my kids as often as I can, but also not too much as to not make them start to feel sad and miss me, if that makes sense? It's a delicate balance that's so hard to explain. Take a bath on the days that schedule allows for -- it gives me some time to just be me, to be still and relax in the moment. It's a luxury I don't often get when my kids are home. I'm also trying to target my never-ending to-do list that I never usually have the time to get around to.

Spotlight interview with Ildi Pekar

Scroll down to read the full interview with Ildi Pekar, celebrity facialist and skincare enthusiast.

1. How has the coronavirus affected your life? How has it affected the lives of your family and friends?

To be honest with you at the beginning I really enjoyed being home with my family. I like to study with my kids, cook with my husband and be able to do things what you didn’t have time for before. Organize my closet and my paper works. However, it’s all been said I am ready to go back to my schedule. I miss work and truly miss my salon. I am super lucky having a fantastic team. I terribly miss them. Miss having lunch with them, have conversations with them and just be around them. I miss my clients as well. I have been in my business for over 12 years and some of the clients come to me since the first day, so we have a special bond. I miss talking and seeing them. The best feeling is when the clients come in with bad mood because their skin is not in a good shape, or they just don’t feel good and they leave happy and beautiful after my treatment. I miss seeing my friends, going out to restaurants, shopping and walking in the park.

2. How are you staying calm and sane during your quarantine?

I have been meditating for over 15 years, so meditation is part of my life. I think it’s ok to have a bad day, because not every day is going to be perfect, but we have to try make the best of it.  I decided when this all started, we will stick to our routine. Every morning when we wake up, I make our bed, open our windows to let the fresh air come into the house and I’ve been grateful for the new day. ️ Every night before I fall asleep I am very thankful what I accomplished in that day. I’m trying to teach my family to do the same. Definitely they're making good progress. I am so proud of them!

3. How has COVID-19 affected your job?

I took this extra time to do research and educate myself about herbs and ingredients for my future products. That I usually do in the middle of the night. I was never comfortable in front of the camera. I had to get use to do zoom meetings, video chats and classes. I become more social media active and even I made some videos.

4. How do you enjoy spending your time while in quarantine?

My family is in Europe. I talk to them almost every day, especially my parents. They are older and they have been in quarantine for weeks in a small apartment in the city. It is not that much fun for them. We read newspaper, cooking and baking with them what has been amazing.

Fun Facts:
I'm cooking: I always wanted to learn how to bake.  I have some friends who make amazing pastries and I’ve never been never good at it, till now. I think I’m almost up there with them. Watch out for Ildi's pastries! :)
I'm trying to: Paint!

You can find Ildi on Instagram by searching @ildipekarspa.

Platinum Lip Plump wins Harper's Bazaar Anti-Aging Award

Harper’s Bazaar recently released the 2020 Anti-Aging Award winners and it comes to no surprise that the Platinum Lip Plump won in the makeup category for the Best Instant Lip Plumper. Aside from Harper’s Bazaar, the Platinum Lip Plump has been featured across Vogue, InStyle, Glamour, Allure, and more. This product is one of our best-sellers and will soon be available online at Sephora.

Within the makeup category is what Harper’s Bazaar claims to be “the best foolproof foundations, creaseless concealer, and color cosmetics that deliver instant anti-aging results.” Loss of volume is common as we get older, so the Platinum Lip Plump is a great way to add voluptuous volume without any filler. Not only does it add visible volumization, but it will also naturally tint your lips and keep them hydrated and nourished. Right after applying, you will feel a light tingle followed by plump lips 1-3 minutes after the initial application. What many people do not know is that once your lips are plump, they will stay plump for 1-2 hours and you can even apply your favorite shade of lipstick right on top! What causes the plumping you may wonder? Niacin, which is a form of vitamin B3, and is what safely and gently vasodilates the lip tissue.

According to Harper’s Bazaar, the Platinum Lip Plump is the “Best Instant Lip Plumper.” Further, “the next best thing to an actual lip injection appointment with prominent plastic surgeon Lara Devgan is a bottle of her Platinum Lip Plump. Swipe it on to noticeably boost your lip volume for a few hours. It also hydrates and nourishes like a luxury lip balm, so you can go ahead and apply your favorite lipstick right on top.” Don’t believe us? Try it for yourself! If you have always wanted more voluminous lips but do not want to spend the money for filler or wish to get injections, the Platinum Lip Plump is a great alternative. To purchase, click here. To read the entire list of 2020 Anti-Aging Award winners, click here. Additionally, click here to view our new SPF 30 Platinum Lip Plump, the same great gloss with UVA/UVB protectant, perfect for summer.

Dr. Devgan is now offering web-based educational courses for any interested during quarantine

Are you a current or aspiring plastic surgeon, or just interested in learning about the industry? Now you can! Dr. Devgan is now offering web-based educational courses highlighting her unique expertise on some of her most popular non-surgical injectable treatments.

What better way to spend you quarantine than to subscribe to Dr. Devgan’s online Beauty Metrics Master Classes?! Since Dr. Devgan had to postpone her in-person Beauty Metrics course this spring, she has decided to bring light to the situation by offering her master class on finesse facial optimization in the form of educational webinars! Now, you can register online to tune in to courses on topics like non-surgical rhinoplasty, suspension browlift / PDO threadlift for “cat eyes”, neuromodulators, suspension midface and jowllift, lip augmentation techniques, and tear trough augmentation techniques. Each webinar is roughly one hour long and will be available for reply incase the timing does not work out exactly or if you would like to review anything. Additionally, if there is a course that has already happened and you would still like to watch it, feel free to email Office@LaraDevganMD.com and we can provide you with a digital recording.

While this is a difficult time, all we can do is make the best out of the situation. The Beauty Metrics Webinars are a great way to stay educated on all things injectables and will help further your knowledge so that we can come out of quarantine with a better understanding of these techniques! If you need any assistance signing up, feel free to email Office@LaraDevganMD.com or Beauty@LaraDevganMD.com. Additionally, you can sign up and view all of them here.

The Daily Front Row denotes Dr. Devgan and Dr. Devgan Scientific Beauty as accounts to follow in order to come out of quarantine glowing

The Daily Front Row, an online fashion news source for all things related to the industry and trends, has listed Dr. Devgan and Dr. Devgan Scientific Beauty as accounts to follow in order to keep our skin hydrated and fresh during this time spent at home. While quarantine can be a stressful time, it is also a great opportunity to ditch the makeup and let our skin breathe.

For those who do not already know, Dr. Devgan is a board-certified plastic surgeon and the founder of Dr. Devgan Scientific Beauty. This skincare collection features a variety of products, all of which are clean and medical-grade. If you already follow Dr. Devgan, you’ll know that she is currently promoting a 12-day quarantine reboot: a combination of 4 products that will help improve the texture and overall skin quality of whoever follows. It includes: the Hyaluronic Serum, Vitamin CBE Ferulic Serum, Retinoid Glow Serum, and Peptide Eye Cream. With the use of these four products, anyone can achieve glass-like, dewy skin. The Hyaluronic Serum penetrates deep into the skin to hydrate, boost collagen production, and create an instant smoothing and firming effect, the Vitamin CBE Ferulic Serum is a powerful antioxidant that fades hyperpigmentation, brown spots, and melasma, the Retinoid Glow Serum increases the rate of skin cell turnover to improve the overall quality of the skin, erase fine lines, shrink pores, improve acne, and help with scarring and textural issues, and lastly, the Peptide Eye Cream will that is rich in vitamins, ceramides, and peptides, nourishes the delicate periorbital tissue, and helps with fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes.

If you are new to skincare and do not know where to start, feel free to direct message @laradevganmd or @devganscientificbeauty on Instagram for a free skincare consultation from Dr. Devgan herself! All you have to do is send a photo of your face with your concerns, and Dr. Devgan will create a routine that will best suit your needs. Click here to read the full article.