Episode 59: The Aesthetic Revolution with Kimmi Ragone, RN, BSN, CPSN

This week we take a 20+ year look at the past, present and future of injectable procedures with veteran injector & skincare expert, Kimmi Ragone, RN, BSN, CPSN. For the last 23 years, she’s been with Bucky Plastic Surgery, first as an OR Nurse assisting in facelifts and body procedures and over the last several years, she’s provided non-surgical treatments at one of four Bucky locations throughout Philadelphia where she also serves as the Director of Skin Care & Injectables.

From the early days with one filler option and one toxin option til now, Kimmi’s been on the forefront of the scientific and product-driven evolution of the industry. When she looks back to those first 3 to 5 years, she’s quick to admit that having the luxury (or limitation) of only a couple of products gave her and others of her tenure the opportunity to really master each product as it came to market. But as every innovator does, she was eager to explore new ways to use those products to produce more favorable aesthetic outcomes.

She’s spent A LOT of time, 2 decades worth, with respected and admired Plastic Surgeon, Louis. Bucky, MD, FACS, and she’s had the opportunity to learn facial anatomy hands on in his OR. It’s her strong foundation in anatomy that gave her the courage and know how to venture off-label and try new techniques while staying safe and being mindful of overcorrection. As the years have passed and manufacturers have brought so many products to market, many of the concepts she implemented early on have come full circle with new indications and new tools in the modern injector toolbox.

But all that innovation isn’t without pitfalls. In this episode she addresses the point in time when the industry went “cheek crazy” trying to efface NLFs and how we may be on a slippery slope toward making the same mistake with the overcorrection of chins. As she’s out teaching and training for Galderma and Evolus, she’s constantly reiterating the need to look artistically at the face and create balance and harmonization. That means saying no when patients are better served with a facelift or when their finances won’t stretch far enough to produce the results they really want and need. As part of a big practice, Kimmi has access to every product without the same constraints that a small practice may feel when it comes to cash flow and profitability. Because of this, she has a unique advantage to pick and choose among all the product lines to create the optimal result. But even with all the options, she knows her own limitations and that of HAs and biostimulators and refers patients for surgery when it’s the better option. Having a great relationship with a plastic surgeon is something she urges every injector to seek out and build as their patient population continues to age.

In this episode, Kimmi shares a tremendous amount of injection and patient experience pearls:
• Be deliberate in creating every step of the patient journey so you elevate their experience.
• Anatomy is the foundation of everything. Spend time in cadaver labs and ORs learning as much as you can before treating patients or venturing into unknown territory.
• Being a skilled, technical injector can only take you so far. You must also apply artistry concepts to create beautiful results.
• Build your practice in such a way that you can offer alternatives with financing or stepwise, yearlong plans so that you can deliver what your patients truly want and need and exceed their expectations.

In addition to her faculty role at Coast to Coast Cadaver, she will be joining us at Aesthetic Next 5.0 to share her perspective on liquid rhinoplasty as well as joining a panel of fellow experts to battle it out as they share how they would approach various cases. She will join both cadaver labs as faculty to share her vast knowledge of anatomy and to train the next generation of great injectors. In the meantime, she’s excited to continue her own revolution as the industry changes, continue mentoring others, and provide the exceptional level of care she’s dedicated herself to for the last two decades at Bucky Plastic Surgery.

Follow Kimmi on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_beautyratio/
Learn more about Bucky Plastic Surgery: https://www.drbucky.com/
Follow Bucky Plastic Surgery on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buckyplasticsurgery/