The 7 Principles Behind Natural Plastic Surgery in San Diego
The best plastic surgery is not always the most aggressive option. It is
the one that fits you best.
Many women who come to see me in La Jolla and San Diego are not
looking for a dramatic transformation. They want to look like
themselves, just more rested, balanced, and confident.
I’m Dr. Banafsheh Sharif-Askary, a plastic surgeon and founder of BSA
Plastic Surgery in La Jolla. I built my practice around a simple idea:
modern aesthetic surgery should combine advanced technique with a
deeply personal and thoughtful approach.
The following seven principles guide the way I practice plastic surgery
in San Diego, from facial rejuvenation and breast augmentation to the
care my patients receive before and after surgery. Each principle
could be its own deeper discussion, but together, they provide the
framework for my practice.
1. A Young Female Perspective on Aesthetic Surgery
I’m a young female plastic surgeon in San Diego, and that shapes the
way I think about aesthetic surgery every day. I understand personally
how much appearance can affect the way women feel, and how
vulnerable it can feel to make decisions about your face or body.
A central part of my practice philosophy is ensuring that patients feel
heard and supported throughout the process. I want each patient to
know that her concerns are taken seriously, her goals are understood,
and she can rely on a surgeon who remains accessible and personally
involved before surgery and throughout recovery.
2. Fellowship-Trained, Current, and Intentional About Technique
I completed dedicated aesthetic surgery fellowship training, so my
approach combines established surgical principles with newer, refined
techniques. I trained with surgeons performing some of the most
advanced aesthetic procedures and gained experience with a wide
range of approaches to facial and breast surgery, including
international training in Korea.
Newer does not automatically mean better. My training allows me to
offer patients multiple options and select the approach that makes the
most sense for their anatomy and goals. Sometimes that is a classic
technique that has stood the test of time. In other cases, it may be a
newer method that provides a more individualized result or a less
intensive recovery.
3. Modern Facial Rejuvenation From Subtle to Comprehensive
Facial aging does not occur in one uniform way, so facial rejuvenation
should never be one-size-fits-all.
For patients who need comprehensive rejuvenation, I perform deep
plane face and neck lifting, which addresses the deeper layers of the
face and neck to create a natural and durable result. However, not
every patient needs, or wants, a full facelift.
I also offer less-invasive facial rejuvenation options for patients who
are not ready for or do not require that extent of surgery. These
include techniques performed through several-centimeter incisions
discreetly positioned along the hairline.
The goal is to match the extent of surgery to the degree of aging and
the patient’s individual priorities. This gives younger patients and
those experiencing earlier facial aging thoughtful options that fall
between nonsurgical treatment and a comprehensive face and neck
lift.
4. Treating the Skin Itself
Modern facial rejuvenation involves more than lifting and tightening.
It also requires attention to the skin itself.
I place a strong emphasis on skin quality, including texture, tone, fine
lines, pigmentation, and overall radiance. Treatment may include
advanced resurfacing and microneedling, regenerative approaches,
and newer topical or skin-based therapies designed to create gradual
improvement. When appropriate, I may also use techniques such as
nanofat to address skin quality and subtle volume loss.
The focus is not on promoting one particular technology. It is on
creating a thoughtful plan that addresses both the underlying facial
structure and the surface of the skin so the final result looks cohesive
and natural.
5. Modern Breast Augmentation Built Around Proportion
In breast augmentation, my priority is to create and preserve natural-
looking volume and shape rather than relying on an unnecessarily
large implant to produce the result.
I use tissue-preservation techniques designed to minimize avoidable
disruption of the patient’s natural breast tissues. When implants are
appropriate, I often select smaller, more comfortable options based on
the patient’s anatomy, frame, and goals.
A significant part of my practice focuses on petite and natural-looking
breast augmentation for women who want enhancement without an
overly augmented appearance.
Natural does not necessarily mean small. It means proportional.
6. Academic Rigor Through UC San Diego
I serve on the faculty at UC San Diego, where I teach plastic surgery
residents. An academic faculty appointment reflects an additional
level of professional review, credentialing, and accountability. Being
trusted to educate the next generation of plastic surgeons is a
responsibility I take seriously.
Teaching keeps me engaged with current medical literature and
requires me to continually evaluate surgical techniques, outcomes,
and decision-making. Residents must understand not only how to
perform an operation, but why it is appropriate, what its limitations
are, and when another approach would better serve the patient.
I bring that same academic discipline into my private practice as a
board-certified plastic surgeon in San Diego, so that every
recommendation is grounded in training, evidence, experience, and
sound judgment, not trends.
7. Personal Care in a Small Boutique Practice
This may be one of the most meaningful differences in my practice.
I want patients to have a personal relationship with their surgeon
before and after surgery. I remain closely involved and accessible
throughout recovery rather than allowing patients to feel as though
they disappear into an office system once their procedure is complete.
BSA Plastic Surgery is intentionally small and personal. I want to
know each patient, understand her goals, and remain familiar with the
details of her recovery. For me, adopting newer techniques is only
worthwhile when it is paired with thoughtful patient selection, careful
surgery, and attentive postoperative care.
Schedule a Consultation
If you are considering plastic surgery in San Diego and want a
surgeon who will listen carefully, explain your options clearly, and
remain personally involved from consultation through recovery, I
invite you to schedule a consultation at BSA Plastic Surgery in La
Jolla.
Request Your Consultation
Breast augmentation, facelift, neck lift, deep-plane facelift,
liposuction, fat grafting, and skin rejuvenation procedures are
surgical or energy-based treatments that carry potential risks and
complications. An individualized consultation with a qualified plastic
surgeon is necessary to determine appropriate treatment options and
discuss the potential risks, benefits, alternatives, limitations, and
expected outcomes.
Notes for publishing: - Internal links added to: Deep Plane Facelift
page, Microneedling page, Breast Augmentation (general) page, and
Petite Breast Augmentation page. Update URLs once final slugs are
confirmed. - This piece is a strong candidate to be the
foundational/pillar post that the ballerina breast augmentation and
other procedure-specific posts link back to, since it establishes
philosophy and credibility site-wide. - Still under the 1,800-word
target from the plan (currently ~1,050 words). Could expand
principles 3 and 5 slightly, or add a short closing recap section, if
more depth is wanted. - Suggested image alt text examples:
“Dr. Banafsheh Sharif-Askary, female plastic surgeon in San Diego”,
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