Plastic Surgeon – Dr. Anahita Azharian

Dr. Anahita Azharian is a board-certified plastic surgeon and owner of Magnolia Plastic Surgery, a boutique practice that serves patients in the Tampa Bay area.

She was born in Iran and grew up in Dubai. During her teenage years, Dr. Azharian moved to Florida with her family. Like many teenagers, those years were challenging, and for Anahita, moving to a city that wasn’t international made it exceedingly difficult to fit in.

This helped her keep intense focus on her studies, something she was good at and could feel confident about. After graduating from high school, Dr. Azharian completed both her Bachelor’s and Master of Public Health in Infectious Disease at the University of South Florida.

Since she was always good at science and had a love for fashion, aesthetics and plastic surgery made sense and led her to enroll in medical school at NOVA Southeastern University and surgical training in Pennsylvania, where she trained under some of the most well-known plastic surgeons in the greater Philadelphia and New York area.

After completion of her fellowship, Anahita traveled internationally with a focus on providing care to underserved areas. When she returned to the United States, she worked in New York City, eventually making it back to Florida, closer to family. 

Dr. Azharian has built an incredible reputation in the Tampa Bay area as the premier go-to surgeon. Her specialties are tummy tucks and breast augmentation. We chatted with Dr. Azharian and asked her some questions about plastic surgery that our readers wanted to know more about. 

The number one question we get from women is about the mommy makeover. Can you explain more about that?

A mommy makeover is not a procedure. It’s an umbrella term used to refer to any surgical needs a woman may want after having kids, and now they want to feel good about themselves. There are all shapes, sizes, and different mommies, and each wants and needs something different. One person may need a breast augmentation, another person just a tummy tuck, another person may need both. The procedure is very personalized based on the needs of the patient.

What are the pros and cons? 

I guess the pro is that it helps us see women and address all of their concerns in one consultation session.

The con is that most patients forget that keyword in our specialty: plastic SURGERY. So having to explain to some that they can’t have everything performed in one session is sometimes difficult for them to understand. 

Is it better to do everything at once or separately? 

That all depends. The doctor might do multiple minor procedures or a combination of a small and a large procedure all at once. Multiple large procedures shouldn’t be done all at once. At the end of the day, we practice medicine; it’s our job to keep our patient’s safety in mind, especially that this is elective and not medically necessary.

There are also state guidelines that we have to practice. It’s our job as surgeons to educate our patients why and guide them to achieve their desired goal in the safest, most efficient way possible. 

What is the typical downtime? 

Depending on the type of procedure. Abdominoplasty has the most prolonged downtime, liposuction the shortest. 

What’s the difference between a mini tummy tuck and a full tummy tuck? 

A full tummy tuck involves a hip-to-hip incision and an incision around the belly button, the excess skin of the upper and lower abdomen is addressed, and the muscle laxity (diastasis) is repaired. Most patients think we make a new belly button, and that is not true.

The belly button is attached to a stalk, so it’s impossible to move it anywhere else other than where it is and will permanently be attached to the abdominal wall. We place the large incision at the bikini line, so it hides well, and the length of this incision is proportional to how much loose skin there is. 

A mini tuck, which not very many people are a candidate for, involves removing some of the loose skin of the lower abdomen. Some surgeons tighten the muscle as well, but since in this procedure we only have access to everything below the belly button, that’s’ the only part that gets tightened.

Most patients’ laxity is in the upper abdomen, so in my opinion, tightening the lower part only makes the upper part look even more accentuated. In a mini tuck, we do not address the skin above the abdomen.

What are some things you would tell a friend or family member if they were going to get a procedure done? 

• Find a surgeon that you feel comfortable with and trust. This is a journey. 
• Stay local to where you live. No one will touch you if you have complications, and this is a SURGERY. Complications and setbacks are a fair part, just like any other surgery,
• Don’t price shop. This is your body, and there is no going back. 
• Make your safety rather than the dollar sign your deciding factor. If a surgeon is advising you not to do multiple procedures simultaneously, don’t find the next person who will.  
• Do your research and ask questions. 

When do you feel the most beautiful?

When I’m overly dressed up! I have always loved fashion and being different from everyone else. It’s my happy place.

What is the one beauty tip you learned from a loved one, and who is that person? 

My mom’s words: “Stay out of the sun. You’ll get wrinkles!”

Anything else you believe will bring value to our readers for the story?

Plastic surgery is a beautiful and gratifying specialty, but it’s important to remind everyone not to set social media as a standard and keep realistic expectations. Remember, we work and improve what we bring to the table, and every individual is unique in their own way.

You can find Dr. Azharian at:

• Instagram: Dr. Azharian
• Website: www.magnoliapsc.com