I am writing this based on facts only: Dr. Kim was very friendly, warm, polite and makes you feel comfortable and his staff Yolanda is extremely personable that I almost feel bad writing this review. But facts are facts. Dr. Kim seemed to know what he was doing. I told him what I wanted for my nose, slight minor alterations to revive my nose because I lost my bridge height due to a septum straightening surgery for breathing and he explained everything very well and told me what he was going to do - he was going to insert a silicone in my nose to raise the bridge slightly stronger and don't change anything else. I told him I didn't want exaggerated nose only a slightly stronger bridge but very subtle and I don't want the typical korean nose tip that is upturn because I was happy with my tip. When I came out from surgery, I felt something was really wrong, that my nose looked super huge...... and super raised like it was stretched out to the max. I asked him about it and he kept saying it's swelling, it takes a long time for it to go down, and just wait 3 months, and I will like it later. The bridge was super high that it looked really weird but every 3 months, I went to see him, and the swelling did go down abit and it did look better each time but still, i was worried because my tip of my nose was overly upturned, over projected - too far out from my face and I felt pressure around my nose because it felt over stretched. I kept telling him my concerns and Dr. Kim was so nice every time and kept telling me to wait and I trusted him because he seemed so confident. He even kept saying how beautiful my nose looked - honestly I was puzzled because my close friends were shocked how it looked and one of them reluctantly told me from the profile/side view, it looked like a pig's nose. Every month, the upturned tip did come down a bit more but not that much that. After 8 months, I went back to him for a follow up and told him my nose looks ugly and over stretch and my nose tip was extremely hard. I kept asking him why and he said it's swelling and I should give it 1 year and it should soften. So I waited, and waited. At one year mark, I knew this was a bad case of bad rhinoplasty. I asked him and he didn't seem to see any problem with my nose and he kept saying how nice it looked. I look in the mirror everyday, and I was horrified because I look much worse than before. A nosejob should make you look better not worse. Then the most horrible thing happenned. My tip of my nose started to turn reddish and purple. And then later the tip turned into a ghastly white color like something can be seen from underneath the skin. By this time I already went to consult other doctors and all of them confirmed my thoughts that there was something wrong. Apparently, Dr. Kim used an L shaped silicon on my nose and the L shape silicon was poking through my nose. All the other doctors said that NO ONE uses L shaped silicone for rhinoplasty anymore since like 10 years ago because it tends to poke through the skin especially the tip and it can cause a big scarring in the middle of the nose tipe and skin grafting and reconstruction will be needed to repair it -- and a permanent scar in the middle of the nose tip will be there!! This is my true experience! I am a good looking person and because of this, I had to hide for a long time because the silicone poke through my nose, stretch my skin, and even after I got another reputable plastic surgeon to repair it, it's not the same again. I would say this nosejob ruined me. I do not know why Dr.Kim did not use the "I-shaped" silicone for my bridge or my own cartilage (this is what all 4 other doctors said he should have used instead of the L-shaped silicone) and I can only conclude that either Dr. Kim was trying to use what he had left in his stock or he is not very knowledgeable and not skillful in rhinoplasty procedure. He is really nice in person and never ever rude like some other arrogant doctors (which is refreshing) and I have seen his other work for breast implants etc and it seemed good BUT unfortunately his bad taste and poor choice of material to use on my nose and execution ruined my life. Now I have to live with this forever. Smack right in the middle of my face is my scar, everyday when i look in the mirror to get ready, I see this huge mistake. I now spend every day trying to save money to repair my nose bit by bit, year by year. You can imagine how I feel. read more

I just wanted to share my personal experience at SK. I had my eyes and nose done about 6 months ago. I went to the consultation with Dr. Kim with my mom. She had a few friends that did their eyes with him and they highly recommended him. He was very patient and answered all of our questions, wasn't pushy and did not get annoyed at the barrage of questions my mom launched at him (I felt so bad). I did a little research on his background before hand and he is a fully trained Plastic Surgeon who trained studied at UC Berkeley and did his residency and fellowship training at UCLA and then went to South Korea (Asia's capital for Plastic Surgery) to get updated on the newest and minimal scar techniques. He also has an M.D. and PhD - two degrees! You are not going to find too many Plastic Surgeons with TWO degrees anywhere. Once we finally decided to go with Dr. Kim, I told a couple friends and my cousin...and OMG they all knew about him already. They all had friends that already went with him. Just to make sure, I asked an uncle who is in the medical field to check him out for me and yup, he said Dr. Kim is legit. As for the procedures. I decided to do it under local anesthesia. I was so scared...who wouldn't be. I was given the choice between local anesthetic, IV sedation and general anesthesia. For safety reasons, I choice local. Honestly, it did hurt when the needles went in to numb the eyelids and nose. But, during the procedure itself, it wasn't that bad. As the procedure progressed, I could feel myself getting more and more comfortable and kinda lightly drowsy. I felt a pinch here and there, but it was a lot less painful than I expected (I expected the worse). The procedure took about 2 to 2.5 hours. When it was finished, I actually felt very drowsy and fell asleep in the car on the way home. Fast forward 5 days, I had my nose cast and sutures removed from my eyes and nose...and yes that stung a little bit here and there too. My eyes were quite swollen but the nose was just slightly swollen. I really liked the shape of my new nose. I finally got a bridge and the tip looked so good (and Dr Kim said it would get better in the next few months). I loved my nose right from the start, but my eyes, I was really worried...the crease looked way too big. As each month that passed, the swelling gradually subsided. My crease became more natural and my eyes opened bigger and brighter (I had the ptosis procedure also - they make the eyes open bigger). Right now I am at 6 months from surgery...I really like my eyes. There is still very slight swelling and my scar when I close my eyes you can kinda still see it a little bit...but it's been improving every month. I read that scars really take a year to fully mature...so I'm being patient. This past Christmas at my family gathering, two of my cousins who haven't done their eyes yet, asked me for Dr. Kim's contact number. They are coming your way Dr. Kim! read more

If anyone is looking for a surgeon who really truly cares about his patients and their happiness then you need to go and make an appointment with Dr Kim. He makes you feel very comfortable and answers all your questions even if it takes an hour or two he will spend the time making sure you know everything about the persedure that you are going to be getting. Their staff and Dr Kim are amazing from the moment you walk into their office until you leave. I was very nevese about getting a Brest augmentation because I had a really bad experience with a Dr in Palm Springs Ca. The Dr there had no bed side manners and spent maybe 10 minutes with me then passed me on to some lady. I decided what cup size I wanted and she went and told him and he said no she needs to be bigger because younger women should go bigger and older women should go smaller long story short I put down a deposit and the very next day I just had aver bad feeling about my prosedurs with him an called first thing in the morning to explain why I decided not to have the prosedurs don and all they said wss sory your $1000.00 is not refundable and hung up. Five years later I started looking again for a surgeon and I came across Dr Kim's web site. He had the best work I saw and trust me I looked at a lot of before and after photoes from other surgeon and and his were some of the best and the look I was going for. After meeting Dr Kim I knew that he would be the surgeon that I would trust to do my prosedurs. He is so, so humble and just a truly nice person. He mad me feel so at ease about the prosedurs that I was going to have. Dr Kim really truly cares about his patients before and after the prosedur. He is an artist and it was like he read my mined he did exactly what I wanted. With all my follow ups Dr Kim and his staff was so grate it's not like most surgeons all they want is your money and then your just forgotten about but not with dr Kim. His prises are very competable and his work is amazing. Like I said and can't say it enough he wants you to be 100% satisfied. Maybe one in a million surgeons you go to will you fined such an amazing surgeon he was born to be a plastic surgeon, you will not fined one like Dr Kim. I just have to add the lady that had her eye lids don and wasn't happy because she didnt wait the time that was needed to heel. She got her money back and Dr Kim did everything she asked him to do and she gave him a negative 5 stars shame on her. If she would of waited the three months that was need to heel It would of problebly turned out exactly what she wanted it to look like.That's what Im talking about when I say Dr Kim truly cares about his patients, so before you decide on a surgeon you have to see Dr Kim and you will completely understand what I'm talking about. I live three hours away and if I had to I would travail to another state just to have Dr Kim do my work. he is deffenetly my surgeon for life... read more

I wouldn't recommend SK to anybody. First off a do not like the outcome of my surgeries. I felt like he really didn't listen to my concerns & what I wanted. I thought he did but the results came out totally different & this is not a all shapes & size fits all when it comes to plastic surgery. You should listen to what the patient wants & try to deliver that for them. That is why they are trusting u & paying so much money!! Another major issue about his office is that I don't know if he just doesn't care about professionalism or what the deal is but all his staffs are extremely rude. The Korean girl with short hair never greets anybody & if u ask her a question she will roll her eyes & make u feel stupid for even asking (I was talking to 3 other ladies while waiting & one lady actually brought it up how rude she was & if she was like that to the rest of us which we all agreed. It was pretty funny & ridiculous. Idk why shes working there) The nurses and staffs he uses for surgery are also extremely rude & unprofessional as well. My surgery with him for my Breast implants & lipo was in the morning & the Asian female nurse who looked to be around her late 20's came to give me paper work and she just had the most dreadful attitude. No smile no hello (it must be a common thing here at sk not greeting ur patients) She makes u feel like she's superior or just over it if u know what I mean. I felt like she wanted to keep it as short as possible. Just answer to my questions and don't ask me any kind of attitude. I mean I tried to think maybe she's really tired but honestly it's the worst experience I had at a surgeons office esp in Beverly Hills. She did go to the other room and I heard her laughing a lot with the other staff so I think It's safe to assume it wasn't because she was tired. Even my bf who was there with me was quite upset with the way she behaving at her JOB. (It made me think maybe those girls are his sisters of nieces perhaps a family member?? Because I can't understand why a doctor would allow people like that to work for him. If they worked anywhere else I'm pretty sure they would get fired) I want to add that on the day of surgery it's normal for u to feel a bit anxious. Quite honestly in my experience the nurses are the ones who really make u feel at ease that ur in good hands along with the anesthesiologist (u don't except anything less esp not in Beverly Hills where are so many surgeons & the competition is so high) but that was definitely not the case here unfortunately and it's a shame that dr. Kim doesn't consider that a priority. A doctor should know the people who work for him are the ones who represent him. From the front desk receptionist to the nurses & so forth. You could be the most amazing doctor but if the people who work for u aren't friendly & professional the chances of u going back & recommending them is highly unlikely. read more

I wouldn't recommend SK to anybody. First off a do not like the outcome of my surgeries. I felt like he really didn't listen to my concerns & what I wanted. I thought he did but the results came out totally different & this is not a all shapes & size fits all when it comes to plastic surgery. You should listen to what the patient wants & try to deliver that for them. That is why they are trusting u & paying so much money!! Another major issue about his office is that I don't know if he just doesn't care about professionalism or what the deal is but all his staffs are extremely rude. The Korean girl with short hair never greets anybody & if u ask her a question she will roll her eyes & make u feel stupid for even asking (I was talking to 3 other ladies while waiting & one lady actually brought it up how rude she was & if she was like that to the rest of us which we all agreed. It was pretty funny & ridiculous. Idk why shes working there) The nurses and staffs he uses for surgery are also extremely rude & unprofessional as well. My surgery with him for my Breast implants & lipo was in the morning & the Asian female nurse who looked to be around her late 20's came to give me paper work and she just had the most dreadful attitude. No smile no hello (it must be a common thing here at sk not greeting ur patients) She makes u feel like she's superior or just over it if u know what I mean. I felt like she wanted to keep it as short as possible. Just answer to my questions and don't ask me any kind of attitude. I mean I tried to think maybe she's really tired but honestly it's the worst experience I had at a surgeons office esp in Beverly Hills. She did go to the other room and I heard her laughing a lot with the other staff so I think It's safe to assume it wasn't because she was tired. Even my bf who was there with me was quite upset with the way she behaving at her JOB. (It made me think maybe those girls are his sisters of nieces perhaps a family member?? Because I can't understand why a doctor would allow people like that to work for him. If they worked anywhere else I'm pretty sure they would get fired) I want to add that on the day of surgery it's normal for u to feel a bit anxious. Quite honestly in my experience the nurses are the ones who really make u feel at ease that ur in good hands along with the anesthesiologist (u don't except anything less esp not in Beverly Hills where are so many surgeons & the competition is so high) but that was definitely not the case here unfortunately and it's a shame that dr. Kim doesn't consider that a priority. A doctor should know the people who work for him are the ones who represent him. From the front desk receptionist to the nurses & so forth. You could be the most amazing doctor but if the people who work for u aren't friendly & professional the chances of u going back & recommending them is highly unlikely. read more

First time writing a review and it's for plastic surgery OMG. I've used yelp in the past but mostly to look up restaurants to see whats good to order there. I'm using it today to express my gratitudes to the folks over at SK, Dr Kim, office staff and the surgical crew. I've had surgeries before, mostly NOT cosmetic. Gall bladder surgery, appendix and a lump on my arm. Kinda think of it those were all to remove parts of my body. I recently added some volume to by boobs. Yes breast augmentation...and while I was asleep I did an eyelift. Both my breasts and eyes were looking a little tired. As a birthday present to myself, I kinda gave them both a fresh start. How did I find Dr Kim? esp since I live all the way in Arizona? I asked around to my friends and relatives in Los Angeles. I used to live in LA 10 yrs ago. 90% mentioned Dr Kim and SK. So I had a virtual consult with him. He explained clearly my options and took the time to walk a newby through understanding all the risks and complications and options. Booked my flight and dates...luckily I could stay at my aunt's place. Surgery day, I was nervous as heck. A warm blanket and smiling nurses helped calm my nerves. Then we went to the OR room, kinda cold there, laid on the operating bed, another warm blanket, then they said your kinda feel drowsy, then fell asleep and the next thing it was done and I was in the recovery room. Was there pain? I'm not gonna lie, it does hurt. Sore like somone hit your chest few days earlier and pressure, so feels like it's been bruised. Luckily I didnt have any nausea. Five days later, on my first after surgery visit, I got to see my breasts for the first time. I was expecting bruises and swelling and expected the worse (that's what I read online that to not be shocked when you first see them, they need to settle down and swelling has to go down). Well, i was shocked alright. Shocked, because there was no bruising. None. It was swollen, but not bad. They already looked pretty! Dr Kim told me, this is when they looked the worse and will improve over the next few months. I was like....I love them already. As for my eyes, they were swollen, but I could see them since right after surgery, so no shock there. I religiously iced them for the first two days as instructed. Fast forward to 5 months (today). My Boobs are perfect and my eyes are looking really good. Thank you Dr Kim and the whole SK crew..mucho love love love to you all! read more

Dr Kim truly works miracles. I had a breast augmentation and tummy tuck done 8 yrs ago by another doctor who I thought was a very prominent plastic surgeon. After having three kids at an early age, I really wanted to feel better about myself. So these surgeries were my way to treat myself. To say that I was not happy with my results is an understatement for sure. Because of my first experience with plastic surgery, I thought I would never be able to get my self to have more surgery ever. My breasts were left uneven and even though the first surgeon lifted and reduced my areolas, they looked awful. The areolas were oval and stretched out - almost bigger than before surgery. As for my tummy tuck, I almost wished I didn't have it done. Actually other than the scar, it almost looked like it wasn't done. My neighbor had her tummy tuck with Dr Kim 4 months ago and she looked great. She actually was heavier and with less of a waist than me before her surgery. I was amazed at how she turned out and so went with her on one of her visits after surgery. When you meet Dr Kim, you can't help but instantly feel comfortable - its that gut feeling you get. You can tell he really enjoys his work. Looking at his before and after photos, I was blwon away. They were just amazing...some of them I could not believe that it was the same person. Well, after contemplating for weeks and many discussions with my husband, friends and God, and multiple trips to Dr Kim's office, I finally got up the courage to go ahead with the surgery. I think if it wasn't for Dr Kim, I would never have been able to go through with this. I had a full breast lift, my implants were changed out to silicone implants, and the tummy tuck was totally redone. As for the results, Dr Kim did not disappoint. Honestly, I look better now than I did before I had my kids. Even when I was in my 20's I never had a waist like I do now. Like I said, he does miracles. read more

This is my initial review until the swelling and bruising is done. Afterwards, I will re check-in and give the final review. Did my upper bleph and lateral cath last monday, 6-18-18. I had done the surgery in korea previously and was completely traumatized by the whole procedure and informed him so but dr. kim didn't care. "Ah, so you know what it's like!" Well, I was hoping it would be different? Gave me 1 mg!!! of Xanax and pleading for MORE, PLEASE? he would have none of it. Again, the entire procedure was hell, perhaps because i hate needles to begin with and when i yelled during the periodic anesthesia injections, instead of calming me, he said, 'please stop, it's only going to make it worse! " Im' like, "I can't help it! It hurts! OWWWWW!!. So, needless to say, dr. kim can use some bedside manners, some empathy for your patient, who's scared and in pain!!! A friend of mine says he has great techniques so if he had great bedside manners as well, he would be on tv?.. maybe he's right. If i had to choose between bedside manners and technique, duh! But it would be nice to have the doctor care about your feelings? Had the stitches removed 5 days later(no pain on that! thank god!) and actually very surprised that i don't look like a monster, but still very much swelled up and severely bruised as expected. My left eyeball is totally bloodied from the pressure he was applying during the procedure, in fact i had to ask him to ease up on pressing on my eyeballs too much. i guess in a few weeks this will go away. No pain other than the first day so no need for prescribed pain killers and the lovely constipation that comes with it! Today is day 6 and i was able to put a pair of glasses on and go out like nothing happened. Was planning to hide out for 3 weeks but pleased to say it doesn't look as bad as expected. So many people told me he's the best. I will see in a few months if he will be my go-to guy. read more

Dr. Steve S. Kim is truly an exceptional medical practitioner and an accomplished artist in his field. His unwavering commitment to professionalism and integrity is a testament to his remarkable character. I was initially referred to Dr. Kim with a sense of curiosity about upper and lower blepharoplasty, along with a minor cyst beneath my eye that had become increasingly noticeable. Dr. Kim's expertise was nothing short of astounding. He skillfully erased years of wear and tear from under my eyes and eliminated the sagging skin on my upper eyelids. My return to Dr. Kim was driven by a previous double chin issue, which had undergone liposuction in 2017 (not by his hand) and had resulted in loose and drooping skin. Additionally, a lingering facial asymmetry stemming from childhood Bell's Palsy due to Lyme disease required attention. Dr. Kim meticulously assessed the procedures necessary to sculpt the jawline I had long desired, and the outcome has exceeded all expectations. In May of this year, I underwent a neck lift, face lift, and a jaw implant under Dr. Kim's expert care, and the results are nothing short of perfection. I am confident that these results will only continue to improve with time. I wholeheartedly recommend Dr. Kim to anyone seeking to enhance and accentuate their natural beauty. His artistry and dedication to his craft are truly exceptional. read more

Dr. Kim is not only an exceptionally talented plastic surgeon, but also a genuinely kind and thoughtful person. From the very first consultation, it was clear that he truly cares about his patients--not just the results, but the entire experience. He took the time to listen closely to my concerns, understand my goals, and explain every step of the process in a way that made me feel comfortable, informed, and at ease. What stood out to me the most, beyond his technical expertise, was the strong sense of rapport I felt with him throughout. Having that kind of connection and trust with your surgeon is so important, and Dr. Kim made it easy. He was patient, never rushed, and always open to questions. That level of communication and support made a huge difference in my overall experience. As for the results--I'm thrilled. He did beautiful work on my face, with outcomes that are both natural and exactly what I was hoping for. His eye for detail and dedication to achieving the best possible result really shine through. I've felt more confident and happy every day since the procedure. I can't recommend Dr. Kim highly enough. If you're looking for a surgeon who combines skill, integrity, empathy, and professionalism, he is truly one of the best. I'm incredibly grateful to have been in his care. read more