Meet one of the top surgeons in San Francisco who has dedicated her life to bringing out the best in you
When you first meet Dr. Kang, there is something delightfully charming about her that is almost angelic. She doesn’t have the air of a renowned general surgeon, nor does Dr. Kang come across as one of the most knowledgeable and well-respected doctors in the Medspa space—but she is.
Dr. Lisa Kang was born in South Korea and immigrated to the United States with her family when she was only nine years old. She didn’t speak English, but she could play the piano. Her dad was a neurosurgeon in Korea, and her mom had family in San Jose. They packed up the family and relocated to San Jose with her two older brothers and younger sister.
Dr. Kang never thought of any other path than that of a surgeon. Because of her father’s influence of helping other people, she wanted to do the same. Being of service has been a part of her family’s ethos even before they arrived in the United States. Lisa grew up in a Christian family and seriously thought about becoming a missionary. Two of her uncles, one aunt, and a cousin were pastors. From the moment she arrived from Korea until she left for college, Lisa played the piano at church every Sunday. Just months after being in elementary school, her music teacher asked her if she could play the cello. She didn’t speak much English and she responded, “Yes.” Because she thought he had said, “Piano.” He handed her a cello, and in weeks she mastered the instrument. English, on the other hand, took her a year to learn fluently.
Dr. Lisa Kang attended UC Berkeley with a double major in Biochemistry and music. After graduating from UC Berkeley, she went to med school at George Washington University in Washington DC for another four years. While in med school, Dr. Kang thought she wanted to become a pediatrician because she loved children. But, when Lisa started her surgical rotations, she fell in love with the fast pace and complexity of the surgeons’ work.
Because of her understanding of music, her brain and hands were well trained for surgeons’ grueling work mastered. Lisa focused on general surgery and completed her residency at an affiliated UC Davis campus back in California in general surgery. Lisa practiced general medicine for five years there. After she graduated as an MD in surgery, she became a practicing general surgeon for another seven years. Her area of expertise was abdominal surgery, which included working on organs. She loved the quick recovery and improvement from her clients after she operated on them.
In January of 2006, she received a flyer from a laser company doing a trade show near her. She attended the event in February and was very impressed by the incredible power of the different lasers. She was drawn to the immediate results from lasers and cosmetic treatments like Botox and fillers that could instantly make a difference. So, in May of 2006, when she was 2 months pregnant, Dr. Kang found a medspa on Maiden Lane in San Francisco selling their practice and decided to buy it. Lisa never planned to give up general surgery since she spent so many years becoming a surgeon. But her passion for new technology and instant results was fascinating to her, and she wanted to pursue it. Her brother David, who is also a surgeon, started helping her with the MedSpa. Lisa had her son Jonathan a few months after opening Serenity MedSpa to, and when he was only a month old, she would bring him to work and care for him between patients. That only lasted a few weeks, and then she got a full-time nanny.
Lisa is a passionate explorer and loves finding new ways to do things. She had no reason to start a MedSpa. As a female general surgeon, her schedule would have been entirely different if Lisa continued to be a surgeon. She would be on call and would have to be available for emergencies. That was not a life for a mother.
When she started in 2006, laser hair removal was very popular, along with Botox, laser treatments, and fillers. Dr. Kang was so good at what she did; she got her first clients via word of mouth.
Now, over a decade later, Dr. Kang has opened up a Burlingame location. The main impetus for opening Burlingame was to offer more advanced technologies and better serve her fast-growing South Bay and Peninsula clients. In Burlingame, she is continuing to provide the ever-popular beauty treatments like Botox® and Juvederm®. Still, she has added on many new devices like the Diva™ Laser Vaginal Therapy, HALO™ Hybrid Fractional Laser, Agnes RF, and FaceTite.
As for Dr. Kang’s latest goals and dreams, she is always looking for new technologies and products for her clients.
“This is a vast changing field. It is fun to see real results and to provide noticeable improvements to my patients.” Dr. Lisa Kang
Dr. Lisa Kang has a beautiful combination of left and right brain coordination. She is both Musically inclined as well as scientifically logical. It is a perfect balance an esthetic eye, enhanced with the steady hands to do delicate surgeries on her patients. Dr. Kang is fortunate to have a profession that she is passionate about and the skills to deliver incredible results to her clients who rely on her to help them put the best face forward.
As well as being a respected surgeon, Dr. Kang is a mother of two beautiful children: Jonathon 13 and Chloe 9. When she is not working, she enjoys simple pleasures or giving back to her community by volunteering or donating her services. She has co-chaired non-profit organizations like Rooms That Rock 4 Chemo and REAF, supporting at-risk youth and the elderly.
We spoke to Dr. Kang about the solutions to many of our top problem areas and aging issues and the options she provides. Here are her top three gifts that everyone deserves this holiday season. These are great ways to start your New Year with the face and body you always wanted.
THREAD LIFTS
Imagine literally lifting the years off your face in one easy office visit? In a thread lift, threads are inserted underneath the skin to instantly and effectively lift sagging skin. The threads are mainly used on the face and the neck, but can also lift skin on the body. The thread lifting procedure does not involve surgery. It is a minimally invasive and very safe and effective in-office procedure with little downtime—especially when an experienced surgeon like Dr. Kang is in charge.
Serenity MedSpa is one of the nation’s leading providers of thread lifting. Dr. Lisa Kang, who exclusively performs this procedure at Serenity MedSpa, has trained extensively with top South Korean surgeons specializing in advanced Korean Thread lifting techniques. Dr. Kang is very experienced with the thread lifting procedure and is well-versed with the various types of threads and techniques to achieve optimal results that last and look natural.
EYE BAGS REMOVAL
The only bags you should have are those packed for Europe. But many of us suffer from chronic baggage that is carried on our faces. Eye bags are the first sign that you are tired, stressed, and overwhelmed—and that’s the last thing you want to the world to think of you. So, Dr. Kang offers a smart solution, and it’s named AGNES RF. AGNES RF uses a patented micro-needle that emits radio-frequency energy with precision to shrink the eye bags effectively and tighten the loose skin around your eyes. AGNES RF is a quick 15-minute procedure that is performed after the area has been numbed with a lidocaine injection. By reducing the puffiness under the eyes and helping with the crow’s feet, these treatments will surely make you fall in love with your eyes again.
FACETITE AND BODYTITE
The thought of tightening the skin on our faces and bodies is a gift in itself! Dr. Kang shares, “The FaceTite and BodyTite are minimally invasive skin tightening procedures that are the best on the market. It uses Radiofrequency energy that is delivered in between two probes – one underneath the skin and one on top of the skin. I explain to the patients that it’s like ironing out their wrinkly skin. This device is especially effective in treating the “turkey-neck” that we all dread. FaceTite is perfect for busy professionals and those that are not ready to go under the knife as it gives a “surgical-like” result without the big incision and the downtime. It is the next best thing to a surgical facelift. Plus, the results can last up to 5 years. Since these devices can also melt fat, FaceTite and BodyTite can be combined liposuction to eliminate double chins and sculpt the body.”