Dr. Mai Kaga joins The Dr. Randi Show for a clear conversation about what delivers real results in aesthetics.
As the physician behind the Laser Lift approach, Dr. Mai Kaga has built her practice on restoration rather than excess. In this episode, we break down why skin quality is the foundation of facial rejuvenation, how resurfacing lasers and injectables should be integrated strategically, and why disciplined treatment planning matters more than volume alone.
We discuss:
⚫️Why dissolving filler is often part of responsible care
⚫️What happens when laser treatments are performed over existing filler
⚫️When non-surgical treatments are no longer the right answer
⚫️The financial trade-offs between filler and resurfacing
⚫️Rapid weight loss and its impact on facial structure
⚫️Why saying “no” protects both the patient and the provider
In the speed round, Dr. Mai Kaga weighs in on preventative Botox, biostimulators, exosomes, RF microneedling, body devices, temple filler, tear troughs, and medical-grade skincare.
This episode focuses on sequencing, restraint, and outcomes that look intentional rather than overdone.
Sponsored by NewBeauty
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Episode FAQ
What is the natural, restorative approach to aesthetics discussed on this episode?
On The Dr. Randi Show, guest Dr. Mai Kaga described an approach built around helping patients look and feel like themselves again rather than changing their appearance. She explained that instead of chasing trendy, measured ideals for how a cheekbone or profile should look, she starts by asking patients what they want to see, and often finds they simply want to feel more like themselves after life events like having children or a divorce. The guest said her clinic focuses on restoration first, asking patients to share their own wedding or high school photos rather than inspiration photos, then enhancing a person’s existing features to build confidence and create natural, cohesive results.
What is Laser Lift and how does it work?
Laser Lift is the signature technique the guest is known for, described on The Dr. Randi Show as combining resurfacing lasers with injectables for a more youthful result than either can achieve alone. She explained that even the best facelift or an unlimited Botox and filler budget will not make skin look youthful on its own, so she recommends a once-a-year heavy-duty resurfacing laser to restore a bouncy, youthful skin quality, and then uses filler to recontour and shape the face. According to the guest, marrying those two approaches together produces gorgeous outcomes that neither could reach separately.
Is it safe to combine lasers and injectables, and will a laser dissolve existing filler?
On The Dr. Randi Show, the guest said lasers and injectables can be combined safely and that a properly performed laser treatment will not disintegrate existing filler. She explained this comes down to laser physics, device selection, and settings, making it largely iatrogenic, meaning it is up to the provider to deliver a safe treatment and to know where a patient’s filler is placed. The guest said she prefers to do lasers first because the youthfulness of your skin is the foundation of how young you look, but noted filler can be done first as long as the provider stays more conservative, knowing the laser will later address some skin laxity and global wrinkles.
Can laser and filler treatments be customized for different ages?
The guest on The Dr. Randi Show said this approach works across a wide range of ages because it is tailored to each patient. For patients in their late teens and twenties, she described resurfacing acne scarring as a major confidence boost, and using injectables to balance features such as building a jawline, adding a chin, or recontouring a cheek rather than restoring volume. For older patients, including her oldest Laser Lift patient who had just turned 80, she said resurfacing addresses wrinkling and sun damage while filler restores lost volume, so there is a good reason to treat patients across many decades.
How does BBL (BroadBand Light) treat sun damage and pigmentation?
On The Dr. Randi Show, the guest said her most common request is treating past sun damage, driven by the makeup-free trend. She described BBL, which stands for BroadBand Light, as a very popular treatment and a version of IPL (intense pulsed light, a broader category) that treats the pigmentation and sun damage many people accumulate from tanning beds, vacations, or time outdoors with their kids. The guest called sun damage a far-reaching issue that BBL is well suited to address.
Are modern resurfacing lasers worth the downtime, and how do they compare on cost?
The guest on The Dr. Randi Show said resurfacing lasers are one of the treatments patients do not know to ask for, yet they are among the most rewarding once patients see the results. She explained that modern resurfacing is very different from the classic CO2 lasers that left people recovering for weeks; today she describes about five days of downtime in exchange for fresh new skin that can last a year. On cost, she noted that a full-face rejuvenation with filler can run into the thousands of dollars while resurfacing can be done for roughly a quarter of that price, so she is a strong proponent of laser for skin health because it treats past damage and helps prevent future damage.
Why is dissolving filler becoming a common first step instead of adding more?
On The Dr. Randi Show, the guest said she dissolves filler at least once a day for new patients and that dissolving has become far less scary than it used to be. She explained that patients often come in feeling swollen or without the contour they wanted, and that many factors go into natural-looking filler, including the provider’s anatomical placement and the quality of the filler itself. The guest said she will sometimes hold a hard line and require dissolving before she treats a patient, and noted the process takes about 20 seconds, so it becomes a normal part of the plan rather than a scary obstacle.
When do non-surgical treatments stop being the right option, and when is surgery worth considering?
The guest on The Dr. Randi Show said it is part of a provider’s responsibility to be upfront when surgery is the better option and to offer trusted surgeon referrals. She explained that patients who come to her, a provider known for non-surgical work, have often already decided against surgery for social rather than financial reasons, whether they want to avoid anesthesia or simply do not want a procedure they feel they can do without. Even so, she said she still raises surgery when appropriate, most often for the eye area, where she considers a blepharoplasty the gold standard, while ultimately guiding each patient based on what they are comfortable with.
What causes so-called Ozempic face, and how can rapid weight loss changes be avoided?
On The Dr. Randi Show, the guest said the volume loss and skin changes people call Ozempic face are tied to rapid weight loss in general rather than to GLP-1 medications specifically. She explained that the same issues appeared years ago with gastric bypass and sleeve procedures, and that GLP-1s have simply made rapid weight loss more accessible. The guest said her practice offers compounded versions of GLP-1s but focuses on slow, healthy weight loss, which she believes largely avoids the facial volume loss and skin laxity associated with losing weight too quickly.
What treatment gives an instant glow before a big event like a wedding?
The guest on The Dr. Randi Show recommended a BBL and ClearSilk treatment, part of what her clinic calls its red carpet laser facial, for anyone wanting an instant, healthy glow with no downtime a couple of weeks before an event. She said her brides often do it the week of their wedding because it tempers redness and inflammation and makes skin look vibrant and glassy the same day. According to the guest, the effect is cumulative, so once someone is happy with their skin they can maintain that glow with roughly three treatments a year.
