HKB Uncut | A Cosmetic Surgery Podcast

Most people think of “preventative” aesthetics as starting early with Botox or trying to stay ahead of aging. But in reality, it’s a lot less about doing more, and a lot more about doing the right things, at the right time, for the right reasons. In this conversation, Dr. Kortesis and Dr. Bharti take a step back and walk through what actually holds up over time: from the unsexy basics like diet, sun protection, and muscle, to how injectables, skin treatments, and even small procedures fit into a bigger, more thoughtful plan. It’s a grounded look at how to take care of your face and body in a way that still feels like you.

Resources mentioned:

• Revision Skincare Products

In this episode you’ll learn…

• Prevention and treatment aren’t separate decisions. They work best when layered together over time, combining lifestyle habits with the right treatments at the right stage.
• The right provider matters more than the latest treatment; honest guidance and knowing what not to do is often what protects patients from poor outcomes.
• Aging well today is less about big transformations and more about small, thoughtful interventions done earlier and maintained over time for a natural result.

Welcome to HKB Uncut: the Health, Knowledge, and Beauty Podcast. On this show, Dr. Bill Kortesis & Dr. Gaurav Bharti unpack the newest techniques and trends in cosmetic surgery, how to tune out the social media noise to make empowered decisions about your appearance, and what you need to know before you book a procedure. 

Dr. Bill Kortesis and Dr. Gaurav Bharti are board certified plastic surgeons and Co-Founders of HKB Cosmetic Surgery, an award-winning practice with ten locations across five states. 

Connect with HKB: 

• Website
• YouTube
• Instagram
• Before & After Gallery
• Blog
• TikTok

Social media has completely changed how people think about plastic surgery: what’s possible, what’s normal, and what they expect their results to look like. In this episode, we react to viral TikTok trends and break down what’s actually happening behind the scenes, from DIY injectables and at-home treatments to filters, celebrity influence, and overseas surgery. We walk through what’s real, what’s risky, and what people don’t always realize when they’re making decisions based on what they see online. If you’ve ever saved a video, considered a trend, or wondered “does this actually work?”, this episode will help you separate what’s worth exploring from what’s not.

In this episode, we cover:

• The rise of DIY cosmetic treatments and why at-home injectables and threads are a hard no
• What’s really happening in viral “extreme facelift” videos (and why they look so shocking)
• How filters and AI are creating unrealistic expectations patients bring into consultations
• The truth about dissolving filler at home and why it’s riskier than it looks
• Why what you see online doesn’t always translate to real results
• The risks of traveling abroad for surgery, and what patients need to consider
• Why follower count doesn’t equal surgical skill (and how to actually evaluate a provider)
• The pressure to look like someone else… and why that’s not the goal
• Red flags to watch for when something seems “too good to be true” online

Welcome to HKB Uncut: the Health, Knowledge, and Beauty Podcast. On this show, Dr. Bill Kortesis & Dr. Gaurav Bharti unpack the newest techniques and trends in cosmetic surgery, how to tune out the social media noise to make empowered decisions about your appearance, and what you need to know before you book a procedure. 

Dr. Bill Kortesis and Dr. Gaurav Bharti are board certified plastic surgeons and Co-Founders of HKB Cosmetic Surgery, an award-winning practice with ten locations across five states. 

Connect with HKB: 

• Website
• YouTube
• Instagram
• Before & After Gallery
• Blog
• TikTok

Combination surgery can sound appealing – one surgery, one recovery, everything done at once. But what we’re seeing is that the best outcomes don’t come from doing more… they come from doing what actually makes sense. In this episode, we break down how we think about combining procedures: when it improves results, where the safety limits are, and how we guide patients through those decisions. If you’re trying to figure out whether to stage your procedures or combine them, this episode will help you understand the trade-offs and make a more informed choice.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why patients choose combination procedures and the appeal of one recovery
• How treating the “whole unit” leads to better, more natural results
• The real safety limits: surgical time, fatigue, and how much can be done at once
• How we plan surgeries for massive weight loss patients and why staging matters
• Why we never pressure patients and how decision-making should actually work
• The importance of customization, because no two surgical plans should look the same
• How a team-based approach improves efficiency, safety, and outcomes

Welcome to HKB Uncut: the Health, Knowledge, and Beauty Podcast. On this show, Dr. Bill Kortesis & Dr. Gaurav Bharti unpack the newest techniques and trends in cosmetic surgery, how to tune out the social media noise to make empowered decisions about your appearance, and what you need to know before you book a procedure. 

Dr. Bill Kortesis and Dr. Gaurav Bharti are board certified plastic surgeons and Co-Founders of HKB Cosmetic Surgery, an award-winning practice with ten locations across five states. 

Connect with HKB: 

• Website
• YouTube
• Instagram
• Before & After Gallery
• Blog
• TikTok

Over the last few years, Breast Implant Illness - or BII - has been a much-discussed topic on social media. In this episode, we’re covering a broader term we’ve coined as “breast implant fatigue.” Whether you’re no longer happy with your implant size, you feel you might have BII, or you’re experiencing pain around your implants, there are many valid reasons to reach out to your surgeon and discuss your options. In this episode, we discuss what we know about BII, who should have their implants removed, and who might just need a new device or adjustment for relief.

A few key takeaways from this episode include:

• Breast implant devices were not meant to last forever. Over time, you may need a device exchange, breast lift, or other procedure. With almost every cosmetic surgery, you’re signing up for two or three surgeries over the course of your life to maintain your results.
• Breast implant illness has been a hot topic, and the truth is it’s typically identified by ruling out everything else that could be causing adverse symptoms. There’s no guarantee that removing your implants will eliminate your symptoms.
• At the end of the day, if you are unhappy with your breast implants for any reason, talk to your surgeon. If you’re no longer in touch with that surgeon or have moved, reach out to a local board-certified cosmetic surgeon to discuss your desired results.

Welcome to HKB Uncut: the Health, Knowledge, and Beauty Podcast. On this show, Dr. Bill Kortesis & Dr. Gaurav Bharti unpack the newest techniques and trends in cosmetic surgery, how to tune out the social media noise to make empowered decisions about your appearance, and what you need to know before you book a procedure. 

Dr. Bill Kortesis and Dr. Gaurav Bharti are board certified plastic surgeons and Co-Founders of HKB Cosmetic Surgery, an award-winning practice with ten locations across five states. 

Connect with HKB: 

• Website
• YouTube
• Instagram
• Before & After Gallery
• Blog
• TikTok

Making a decision to get a cosmetic procedure should be based on facts and great conversations with your surgeon, but you might have heard some plastic surgery myths on social media that are giving you second thoughts. In this episode, we’re addressing some of those myths head-on to put your mind at ease. There are many more we could cover, so let us know in the comments on YouTube or Spotify if you liked this episode, or leave your own plastic surgery myths in the comments!

We debunk several myths in this episode, including:

• Fat grafting is risk-free
• BBLs are the same everywhere you get them
• You can’t work with two surgeons at the same time
• You should be able to jump into normal life immediately after surgery
• Plastic surgery is always immediately noticeable
• And many more!

Welcome to HKB Uncut: the Health, Knowledge, and Beauty Podcast. On this show, Dr. Bill Kortesis & Dr. Gaurav Bharti unpack the newest techniques and trends in cosmetic surgery, how to tune out the social media noise to make empowered decisions about your appearance, and what you need to know before you book a procedure. 

Dr. Bill Kortesis and Dr. Gaurav Bharti are board certified plastic surgeons and Co-Founders of HKB Cosmetic Surgery, an award-winning practice with ten locations across five states. 

Connect with HKB: 

• Website
• YouTube
• Instagram
• Before & After Gallery
• Blog
• TikTok

As an award-winning plastic surgery practice with locations in six states, we see a wide range of plastic surgery cases. In this episode, we’re recapping the top procedures and trends we saw in 2025, what we think will be trending in 2026, and the newest advancements in plastic surgery you need to know about. Whether you’re interested in a cosmetic procedure for yourself, or you’re just trying to understand what you’re hearing about on social media, this episode is for you!

In this episode, we cover:

• The procedures we performed the most in 2025
• How we’ve seen the pendulum swing with fillers
• The #1 skin tightening procedure we see in our practice
• What we want people to know about GLP-1s in 2026
• Innovations in fat grafting you can leverage for great results
• The art of the preventative face lift
• Maintaining results after a cosmetic procedure

Welcome to HKB Uncut: the Health, Knowledge, and Beauty Podcast. On this show, Dr. Bill Kortesis & Dr. Gaurav Bharti unpack the newest techniques and trends in cosmetic surgery, how to tune out the social media noise to make empowered decisions about your appearance, and what you need to know before you book a procedure. 

Dr. Bill Kortesis and Dr. Gaurav Bharti are board certified plastic surgeons and Co-Founders of HKB Cosmetic Surgery, an award-winning practice with ten locations across five states. 

Connect with HKB: 

• Website
• YouTube
• Instagram
• Before & After Gallery
• Blog
• TikTok

Plastic surgeons have never been able to change patients’ lives as dramatically as they can today by combining aesthetic and well-being treatments. Drs. Bharti and Kortesis chat with Austin plastic surgeon Dr. Johnny Franco about the ‘Skinny Shot’ and the best modalities to combine with it to make patients healthy and happy.

It’s easy to love the simplicity of semaglutide, but when you lose weight drastically, you’ll start to get loose, lax skin. For a complete treatment that makes you look and feel great, it’s best to address skin laxity simultaneously with biostimulators like Sculptra, energy modalities like RF microneedling, and skin tightening treatments like Renuvion.

This episode was recorded live at The Aesthetic Meeting 2023.

Follow Dr. Johnny Franco on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/austinplasticsurgeon/

Welcome to HKB Uncut: the Health, Knowledge, and Beauty Podcast. On this show, Dr. Bill Kortesis & Dr. Gaurav Bharti unpack the newest techniques and trends in cosmetic surgery, how to tune out the social media noise to make empowered decisions about your appearance, and what you need to know before you book a procedure. 

Dr. Bill Kortesis and Dr. Gaurav Bharti are board certified plastic surgeons and Co-Founders of HKB Cosmetic Surgery, an award-winning practice with ten locations across five states. 

Connect with HKB: 

• Website
• YouTube
• Instagram
• Before & After Gallery
• Blog
• TikTok

Some people avoid general anesthesia procedures because they don’t want to commit to the downtime, while others have a fear of not being in control of their own body.

If you’re one of these people, the good news is you can have procedures like face and neck lifts, blepharoplasty, and even liposuction under local anesthesia. But if you have a low pain tolerance and can’t handle needles, you probably shouldn’t rely on local for your cosmetic procedures.

Drs. Bharti and Kortesis outline the procedures which can easily be done under local, the benefits of choosing local over general anesthesia, and the limitations of local.

Welcome to HKB Uncut: the Health, Knowledge, and Beauty Podcast. On this show, Dr. Bill Kortesis & Dr. Gaurav Bharti unpack the newest techniques and trends in cosmetic surgery, how to tune out the social media noise to make empowered decisions about your appearance, and what you need to know before you book a procedure. 

Dr. Bill Kortesis and Dr. Gaurav Bharti are board certified plastic surgeons and Co-Founders of HKB Cosmetic Surgery, an award-winning practice with ten locations across five states. 

Connect with HKB: 

• Website
• YouTube
• Instagram
• Before & After Gallery
• Blog
• TikTok

Drs. Kortesis and Bharti share highlights from the recent aesthetic plastic surgery meeting, including the big takeaways from their courses and the answers to some controversial questions from audiences which included some of the premier thinkers in aesthetics.

Topics included breast implant fatigue, breast implant illness, avoiding unnecessary surgeries, and the internal bra technique with Galaflex.

Much like this podcast, the doctors recognize that the opportunity to share their experiences with other doctors is to uncomplicate the complicated procedures they do on a daily basis.

This episode was recorded live at The Aesthetic Meeting in Miami, Florida on April 22, 2023.

Learn more about The American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons https://www.theaestheticsociety.org/

Welcome to HKB Uncut: the Health, Knowledge, and Beauty Podcast. On this show, Dr. Bill Kortesis & Dr. Gaurav Bharti unpack the newest techniques and trends in cosmetic surgery, how to tune out the social media noise to make empowered decisions about your appearance, and what you need to know before you book a procedure. 

Dr. Bill Kortesis and Dr. Gaurav Bharti are board certified plastic surgeons and Co-Founders of HKB Cosmetic Surgery, an award-winning practice with ten locations across five states. 

Connect with HKB: 

• Website
• YouTube
• Instagram
• Before & After Gallery
• Blog
• TikTok

Surgeons can fake reviews, doctor up pictures, and go incredible lengths to convince you they know what they’re doing. But an ethical plastic surgeon in a reputable practice doesn’t do any of that. They’re willing to talk to you and answer all your questions.

If a surgeon gets mad when you ask about their experience, you may want to look somewhere else. Go to someone who has done the procedure you’re considering hundreds of times and has the credentials to back it up.

Drs. Bharti and Kortesis share how to find the right surgeon for you, from the research process to the consultation. Find out the most important questions you should ask a surgeon when meeting them.

Welcome to HKB Uncut: the Health, Knowledge, and Beauty Podcast. On this show, Dr. Bill Kortesis & Dr. Gaurav Bharti unpack the newest techniques and trends in cosmetic surgery, how to tune out the social media noise to make empowered decisions about your appearance, and what you need to know before you book a procedure. 

Dr. Bill Kortesis and Dr. Gaurav Bharti are board certified plastic surgeons and Co-Founders of HKB Cosmetic Surgery, an award-winning practice with ten locations across five states. 

Connect with HKB: 

• Website
• YouTube
• Instagram
• Before & After Gallery
• Blog
• TikTok