Doris Day, MD is our guest on the Dr. Randi Show-Sponsored by NewBeauty 💄
What do you get when a former journalist turned world-renowned dermatologist blends science, intuition, and a hands-on approach to beauty?
In this episode, Dr. Randi sits down with the iconic Doris Day, MD for a raw and revealing conversation about what’s really driving the next era of aesthetics. From her signature filler philosophy to the power of listening and emotional intelligence in patient care, Doris Day, MD shares the playbook behind her global reputation.
She opens up about her integrative roots, how she approaches first-time patients, and why her soon-to-launch skincare line could change the way we think about aging.
🎧Watch & Listen on Spotify: https://spti.fi/EStKZLJ
🎧Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3SMd1hH
Episode FAQ
What does a holistic approach to aesthetic dermatology look like, and how does it go beyond cosmetic treatments?
On The Dr. Randi Show, world-renowned dermatologist Dr. Doris Day, founder of Dr. Doris Day MD, whom the host introduced as featured on the Today Show, Good Morning America, and The Dr. Oz Show, shared how her background shapes her practice. Dr. Day said she comes from a family of physicians and that her father studied medicine in a holistic way, teaching her how much food, exercise, skincare, and supplements affect health. Before medical school, she attended journalism school to become a medical reporter, which she said taught her to understand what motivates patients and why they come in. Her goal, in her words, is for patients to not just look better, but to be better. In the episode, she also discusses her filler philosophy, her favorite devices including Sofwave, how she builds long-term treatment plans, and the future of aesthetics. This reflects Dr. Day’s clinical experience and is not medical advice.
How can a cosmetic consultation help patients see their own beauty instead of only their flaws?
On The Dr. Randi Show, dermatologist Dr. Doris Day said she starts from the belief that everyone has beauty, and that her job is to help patients see it, then enhance and celebrate it. When patients look in the mirror and start to criticize, Dr. Day said she dials it back and asks what they love about themselves, which she calls their hero features, such as eye color, eye shape, the way the hair frames the face, the jawline, or bone structure. She shows patients how some features they dislike can actually make them uniquely beautiful, and then discusses areas that may need a little support. Dr. Day said she listens closely, reflects back what patients tell her in a more positive way to build trust, and sees herself as their cheerleader, helping them age beautifully and gracefully. This reflects Dr. Day’s clinical experience and is not medical advice.
How have dermal fillers and filler injection techniques evolved, and why shouldn’t injectors just fill lines?
On The Dr. Randi Show, dermatologist Dr. Doris Day said her filler technique has evolved over 20 years. She started practicing before hyaluronic acid fillers existed, when animal-based collagen required skin testing and erased lines for a few months at best. Dr. Day said she was one of the clinical trial investigators for Restylane, which let her use it before it came to market and watch how it aged over time. She learned that each filler has specific properties, so an injector needs to understand where it lives best, which plane of the skin to place it in, whether to use a needle or a cannula, and how much is needed. She also noted that, in her experience, fillers can last months to years beyond the end of a study. Her core lesson is that you don’t chase lines, you understand them, focusing on facial balance and optical lifts rather than simply filling a crease. This reflects Dr. Day’s clinical experience and is not medical advice.
How can upper lip lines, marionette lines, and cheeks be treated with filler for a natural look?
On The Dr. Randi Show, dermatologist Dr. Doris Day explained that, in her experience, many women with a lot of upper lip lines have a slight protrusion of the upper teeth, a lower lip that has lost volume, and a receding chin, which causes them to pucker slightly each time they close their mouth. Dr. Day said filling those lines directly, especially with a filler that is too stiff, can add weight and make the lip look longer and unnatural. Instead, she described using a softer filler underneath for support, adding a little volume back to the lower lip, and rebalancing the chin. She described marionette lines as a pleat that starts beneath the chin, and said that supporting that area can make about half of the line go away before she blends the zone. For the cheek, she noted that filler there tends to last longer than in the lower face, that placing it higher can narrow the face and lower can widen it, and that a little in the temple can create a subtle lift. Dr. Day said this approach uses more product in more places, but the goal is that you never see it. In her words, her job is to be invisible. This reflects Dr. Day’s clinical experience and is not medical advice.
How can you tell if you have too much filler, and can an overfilled face be rebalanced?
On The Dr. Randi Show, dermatologist Dr. Doris Day said many overfilled patients don’t see it themselves, and it is often a friend who points it out. She said it is often not until she helps rebalance and recalibrate the face that patients start to see the difference. Dr. Day described a recent patient with an overfilled jaw and cheeks and hollow temples, whose friend was relieved at a follow-up visit that she looked like herself again. Dr. Day said her patients come from referrals, word of mouth, and social media rather than advertising, so she rarely sees requests for an exaggerated look. She also explained that when a patient points to a concern, such as a nasolabial fold, it doesn’t necessarily mean that spot should be filled, since it may come from volume loss at the side of the face that can be addressed along with devices, skincare, or lasers. She added that many physicians she speaks with around the world are learning the same lessons. This reflects Dr. Day’s clinical experience and is not medical advice.
What skincare, lasers, and light devices help with sun damage on the face, neck, and chest?
On The Dr. Randi Show, dermatologist Dr. Doris Day said no single treatment does everything: fillers and neuromodulators have limits, some people need laser resurfacing, skin tightening, or surgery, everyone needs skincare, and most people benefit from diet and exercise advice. For skincare, Dr. Day said she has adopted exosomes and good quality moisturizers, hydrators, and retinol, and is moving away from prescription retinoids toward over-the-counter or cosmeceutical versions, because she feels too much retinoic acid on older skin can thin and break down collagen. She considers laser resurfacing critical and named her UltraPulse Alpha laser for vertical lines and sun-damaged skin on the face. For the neck and chest, she praised broadband light (BBL), saying it cleared up her own chest in just a few visits and that she finds it gentler than CO2 because the tip stays cool. She tells young patients to treat the neck before the face, working in an upward direction from the base of the neck, and to protect the neck from the sun. She also noted that lasers, fillers, and neuromodulators are now used on the neck. This reflects Dr. Day’s clinical experience and is not medical advice.
What is Sofwave, and how often should you get it for skin quality?
On The Dr. Randi Show, dermatologist Dr. Doris Day said Sofwave is a treatment she does for herself every six months and one she likes for younger patients who think they need Botox but really need prevention. Dr. Day described Sofwave as using synchronous parallel layers of ultrasound energy, and said that, in her view, it does not cause micro scarring or fat loss under the skin while stimulating improved skin quality. For patients in their thirties, she suggested once a year to help keep collagen building, comparing it to gaining momentum riding downhill before you reach the uphill climb of aging. For patients in their forties, fifties, and up, she described twice a year for two to four treatments, then about once every 10 or 11 months. She said patients often come back telling her it really works, but stressed that it does not replace neuromodulators or fillers. This reflects Dr. Day’s clinical experience and is not medical advice.
What should you expect at your first cosmetic dermatology visit in your late 30s, and when is preventative Botox needed?
On The Dr. Randi Show, dermatologist Dr. Doris Day said that for a first-time patient between about 35 and 40, she starts with a conversation so she can watch how they naturally animate. Dr. Day explained that even a resting face uses muscles, and that most people have one stronger side, which can show up in brow position, eye shape, and a deeper nasolabial fold on that side. She finds natural animation while talking more revealing than asking someone to move on command, since most people can raise their brows evenly on command, which can hide a weaker brow. Dr. Day said some people, at any age, simply don’t need a neuromodulator, and that prevention doesn’t mean treating before there is a problem. In her view, it makes sense when a line starts to linger after animating. She also reviews home skincare, and depending on skin tone and sun damage, may discuss options like Clear + Brilliant, Sofwave, or a small amount of filler for balance, such as for a thin upper lip. Sometimes, she said, the right answer is reassurance, good skincare, some good supplements, and a plan for the future. This reflects Dr. Day’s clinical experience and is not medical advice.
How do you build a long-term anti-aging treatment plan, and do you still need maintenance after a facelift?
On The Dr. Randi Show, dermatologist Dr. Doris Day said that if you are only going to do one thing, start with skincare, which can include affordable drugstore products, and wear mascara to make the eyes look bigger. From there, she said you can add a neuromodulator if animated movement starts leaving a line at rest, and add filler very slowly and in small amounts, letting it settle between visits. Dr. Day said every patient in her practice gets an assessment and a written calendar from her medical assistant, so the plan becomes one thing at a time every few months. As examples, she described filler every six months to a year, a neuromodulator every three to five months depending on the product, and Sofwave twice a year and then once a year. Dr. Day said this approach means you don’t have to wait to fall apart to have everything redraped, and that for someone who has had a facelift, it can help maintain the result and may delay or avoid another one. She also noted that a facelift doesn’t improve poor skin quality or add back volume unless fat transfer is done, and can make a very thin face look more skeletonized. This reflects Dr. Day’s clinical experience and is not medical advice.
What is the future of skincare and aesthetic medicine, from skin cycling to aging research and AI?
On The Dr. Randi Show, dermatologist Dr. Doris Day said some products should be cycled while others are always good to keep using. She shared that she helped co-found a new company developing a novel molecule, to be offered only through doctors, that aims to target what she called the master regulators of the hallmarks of aging, such as wrinkles, brown spots, broken blood vessels, blotchiness, sagging, and collagen loss. Dr. Day said those master regulators become dysfunctional with age, and that at the time of recording, the product was moving into human skin testing, with plans for over-the-counter and eventually prescription versions for skin and hair. Looking ahead, she said she talks more with patients about menopause, perimenopause, and hormone replacement, and collaborates with functional medicine doctors, gynecologists, and internists. Dr. Day said she has come to believe the skin doesn’t just reflect your health but affects it, and she expects wearable devices, apps, and AI to help physicians help patients achieve their best health and appearance. This reflects Dr. Day’s clinical experience and is not medical advice.
