“The most important thing I can tell a prospective patient is this: the goal of surgery is not to change who you are. It is to reveal the most refined, luminous version of the face you have always had. That distinction is everything. When I operate with that north star, the result is always right — because it always looks like the patient, only unmistakably better.”
What “natural” means
Natural is not a marketing word in Dr. Truesdale’s practice. It is a surgical standard. A result is natural when the patient’s friends, colleagues, and acquaintances cannot identify what changed — only that something is different in the most positive sense. They look well-rested. They look energized. They look like themselves, only luminously better.
Achieving that standard requires more than good technique. It requires that every decision in the operating room is guided by what the tissue wants to do — not by what would be impressive to photograph at two weeks post-operatively. It requires restraint in the right places and confidence in others. It requires the ability to walk away when the result is right, even when more could technically be done.
Dr. Truesdale has built his practice on patients who look extraordinary at five years, ten years, and beyond. Not patients who looked good in a social media post and then came back for repairs. That is the standard he maintains — without exception.
The voices of Dr. Truesdale’s patients
Verified reviews from patients who have experienced Dr. Truesdale’s philosophy — first in the consultation room, then in the operating room.
Dr. Truesdale and his team exceeded every expectation. Every detail felt thoughtful and personal — and the results look entirely natural. I cannot recommend this practice highly enough.
Natural — it is me, only refreshed. No overfilling, no overselling. Such a wonderful, well-versed, and friendly office.
I felt truly heard and understood. Dr. Truesdale answered all my questions with clarity, patience, and honesty. A warm, reassuring presence that made me feel completely at ease.
I look like myself, just 20 years younger. I am absolutely stunned every time I walk past a mirror — four weeks post-op and already looking fabulous.
I had gotten around 10 quotes from plastic surgeons in LA and his work stood out. Every nose he has constructed looks natural and real.
Dr. Truesdale is the perfectionist you want to trust when doing anything to your face. His bedside manner is unmatched.
The Team Making it Happen
Every member of Dr. Truesdale’s team shares a single standard: exceptional, personal care — from first contact to final follow-up.
Dr. Carl Truesdale, MD
Double board-certified facial plastic surgeon. Fellowship-trained at the University of Pennsylvania. Residency at the University of Michigan. Creator of Beyond the Surface and founder of Artisa Skincare.
Shauna, PA-C
A certified physician assistant working alongside Dr. Truesdale on every aspect of clinical care. Shauna assists in the operating room, supports pre- and post-operative visits, and is a steady, knowledgeable presence throughout your surgical journey.
Krystal & Maria
Krystal and Maria are your dedicated points of contact from first inquiry through your one-year follow-up. Together they manage scheduling, financing, preparation, and the logistical coordination of local and out-of-town patients — ensuring every touchpoint feels personal, warm, and unhurried.
Private Third-Party Anesthesia Group
Dr. Truesdale personally selected your anesthesiologist to guarantee your safety and receive the highest level of care. All anesthesiologists in our group have exceptional training and are board certified.
Cynthia, CST
Cynthia is a certified scrub tech who supports Dr. Truesdale in the operating room. Her preparation, sterile technique, and attention to detail are integral to the safety and efficiency of every procedure performed at True Surgical Center.
Rachael, RN
Rachael directs nursing operations within our AAAHC-accredited operating room, leading a team committed to patient safety, comfort, and the highest standard of perioperative care. She is a constant presence at every procedure.
Cleo A
Cleo coordinates every step of the surgical process — pre-operative clearance, anesthesia scheduling, surgical instruction, and the seamless flow of the day of surgery itself. She makes a complex experience feel effortless.
Cleo P & Vania
The first faces and voices our patients meet. Cleo and Vania manage check-in, scheduling, and the warm, hospitality-first experience that defines a visit to 150 S. Rodeo Drive.
Adi & Monica
Adi and Monica lead the practice’s creative and content team — documenting Dr. Truesdale’s work, supporting the Beyond the Surface docuseries, and shaping the stories that connect a worldwide audience to the practice.
Philosophy & Approach FAQ
Yes — without exception. Dr. Truesdale personally performs every surgical procedure, conducts every consultation, and conducts multiple follow-ups with every patient. He does not delegate operative steps to residents, fellows, or assistants. This commitment is foundational to the standard of care the practice delivers.
Yes — Dr. Truesdale has personally brought on an associate surgeon: Dr. Autefeh Sajjadi, a fellowship-trained facial plastic surgeon. She provides the same standard of care and beautiful results you'd expect from Truesdale Facial Plastic Surgery, at a more accessible price point. Meet Dr. Sajjadi.
Several things: his portrait artist background informs facial analysis that goes beyond surgical training. His credentials from The University of Pennsylvania and the University of Michigan give him mastery in two board specialties. His commitment to saying no when he cannot achieve a natural result distinguishes his philosophy from surgeons who accept every case. And his personal involvement at every step — from consultation through one-year follow-up — ensures consistency larger practices cannot provide.
With direct honesty. If a requested change conflicts with his artistic judgment about what will look natural — or if the anatomy cannot support it safely — he says so at consultation. He would rather have an uncomfortable conversation and lose a consultation fee than produce a result he cannot be proud of.
Restraint. The discipline to stop when the result is right — to recognize when subtlety is more beautiful than drama — is the quality Dr. Truesdale considers most essential to results that remain beautiful for years and decades.
Profoundly. Dr. Truesdale trained as a portrait artist before becoming a surgeon. He reads faces the way artists do — understanding proportion, shadow, light, and the relationships between features. When he plans surgery, he thinks three-dimensionally about how changes in one area affect every other, and what the result will look like in natural light, in movement, and over time.