Beauty Bytes with Dr. Kay: Secrets of a Plastic Surgeon™
The hot new location for all your beauty needs. Learn how to stay beautiful on the inside and out with advice from Kay Durairaj, MD, a top plastic surgeon from Los Angeles, California. This podcast will feature the inside scoop on trends in plastic surgery, botox, fillers, beauty, and wellness. Guest stars will include influencers, entrepreneurs, and other top plastic surgeons across the country. Stay tuned for Beauty Bytes, and follow us on Instagram @beautybydrkay.
807: Transitioning from Winter Care to Spring Beauty
Feb 21, 2026
Show notes
On this week's Five Minute Friday, we are talking about transitioning your skincare routine to attune for the incoming spring season. During the winter months, our skin is typically very dry due to the cold weather. The harsh winds and lower temperatures irritate and dehydrate our face, requiring us to use more heavy moisturizers to retain moisture. However, as we switch to the nicer springtime months, we can begin incorporating new skincare techniques such as glycolic washes or dermaplaning to wipe away our dull, winter skin. Newer seasons, call for new skincare practices. Listen on to hear my tips and tricks for ensuring your spring beauty!
806: Sauna, Spermidine & Social Media: Rewiring Your Brain for Longevity with Dr. Kay Linker
Feb 17, 2026
Show notes
In this fascinating episode of Beauty Bytes, I am joined by Dr. Kay Linker, a brilliant neuroscientist, aging researcher, and the founder of Aionion, the first longevity-focused supplement brand created specifically for women . We dive deep into what actually happens to our brains as we age—hint: it's not just the neurons, but the support cells like astrocytes and microglia that change the most. Dr. Linker breaks down the "longevity gap" for women, explaining how the steep drop-off in estrogen during perimenopause and menopause severely impacts dopamine, serotonin, and mitochondrial biogenesis, meaning women need to start preparing for brain aging in their 30s. We also tackle modern threats to brain health, from how scrolling on social media destroys our attention span via random dopamine rewards, to the terrifying reality of microplastics accumulating in the brain
805: Retin-A: The Anti-Aging Ingredient You Need to Know About
Feb 13, 2026
Show notes
Wrinkle prevention, gentle exfoliation, and cellular renewal- If Retin-A is not a part of your current skincare routine, then it’s time to get yourself familiar with it. This transformative ingredient is everything you need and more to fight visible aging and enhance the overall appearance of your skin. Tune into this podcast to find out why you should include Retin-A into your beauty regimen, and learn how this anti-aging component can help you maintain beautiful, bouncy skin.
804: The "Beauty Batteries": How Mitochondria Power Your Skin, Hair & Longevity with Courtney Van Bussum
Feb 10, 2026
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In this episode of Beauty Bytes, I sit down with Courtney Van Bussum, the Chief Operating Officer of Longevity Launch Labs, an innovation incubator dedicated to translating cutting-edge cellular science into real-world medical solutions. We go way beyond the basics to explore the mitochondria—the ancient, alien-like "batteries" living inside our cells that power everything from our heartbeat to our collagen production .
Courtney explains why mitochondrial dysfunction is actually the root cause of aging symptoms we hate, like brain fog, skin dullness, and even gray hair (did you know gray hair is just your follicle running out of energy to produce pigment?) . We discuss the concept of hormesis—using good stress like exercise and intermittent fasting to make your cells stronger—and why you might need to "starve" your cells at night to help them repair.
We also get into the nitty-gritty of supplementation. We break down why 1-MNA might be safer than aggressive NAD+ IV drips, why creatine isn't just for bodybuilders (it's a brain and beauty super-fuel!), and the emerging world of mitochondrial peptides like SS-31.
803: The Anatomy of Attraction
Feb 10, 2026
Show notes
Anatomy, Attractiveness, Individuality, Beauty Standards - Join us in this week's Five Minute Friday where we explore the intricate anatomy of attraction, the differences between men and women's facial features, and what truly enhances our beauty. With Valentine's Day just around the corner, we also delve into what draws us to the opposite sex. Tune in to learn about the psychological, biological, and sociocultural aspects of attraction just in time for the most romantic day of the year!
802: Is Your Med Spa Compliant? The Truth About Off-Label Use & FDA Regulations
Feb 03, 2026
Show notes
In this crucial episode of Beauty Bytes, I sit down with Madison Dini, a powerhouse attorney at Michelman & Robinson who operates right at the intersection of science, medicine, and the law. We tackle the "Wild West" of modern aesthetics and the regulatory challenges facing practices today—from exosomes and polynucleotides to the controversial landscape of PDGF (platelet-derived growth factor).
Madison breaks down the critical difference between FDA approval of a product versus the medical board’s regulation of the practice of medicine, helping us understand where the lines are truly drawn . We discuss why taking legal advice from social media is dangerous, how to properly navigate off-label use, and the practical steps you need to take regarding malpractice insurance and informed consent to protect your business .
801: The Benefits of Incorporating Peptides into Your Skincare Routine
Jan 31, 2026
Show notes
This Five Minute Friday episode is all about peptides. A peptide is a compound composed of amino acids, and in skincare it helps reinforce proteins that naturally occur in the skin, rejuvenating and maintaining it. You need to incorporate this amazing ingredient into your skincare routines. Peptides improve your skin’s firmness, elasticity, and dissipates redness. Peptides can also be used to smooth wrinkles and repair barrier function. You can consume peptides both topically and orally. Some foods that are rich in peptides include milk products, eggs, soybeans, fish and meat.
800: The "Exhausted" Fibroblast: Reversing Skin Aging & Modulating mTOR with Dr. Rahul Mehta
Jan 28, 2026
Show notes
In this paradigm-shifting episode of Beauty Bytes, I sit down with Dr. Rahul Mehta, the co-founder of Rapalogix Health and former head of R&D at SkinMedica. We dive deep into the future of cellular longevity and why the "do more, laser more, peel more" approach might actually be exhausting your fibroblasts.
Dr. Mehta explains the science behind mTOR, the master regulator of our cell cycle, and how constantly keeping it in "growth mode" prevents our skin from repairing itself. We discuss his breakthrough molecule, RLX-201 (Re-!), which inhibits TORC1 to trigger repair pathways without the side effects of systemic rapamycin.
We also cover the fascinating data showing how this technology made 56-year-old fibroblasts morphologically resemble 23-year-old cells, effectively reversing cellular aging rather than just masking it.
799: Beauty At Every Age
Jan 24, 2026
Show notes
Grace, beauty, and strength- these are the elements we look for in a face as we all become older. While it might be hard for some to fathom the idea of aging, it doesn’t change the fact that it still happens to all of us. That’s why it’s so important to begin to accept this hard truth and learn how to age gracefully instead. In the podcast, I’ll be breaking down different ways you can maintain your beauty at any age. From natural, topical solutions like sunscreen to building volume with filler, here are different courses of action you can follow to preserve the appearance of your youth.
798: Is Your Skincare Aging You? Decoding DNA Methylation & Biological Age with Cristiana Banila
Jan 20, 2026
Show notes
In this cutting-edge episode of Beauty Bytes, I sit down with Cristiana Banila, the Chief Scientific Officer and co-founder of Mitra Bio, to discuss the revolutionary field of skin epigenetics. We explore the difference between genetics (the hardware) and epigenetics (the operating system) and how non-invasive tape stripping technology allows us to measure biological age and cellular damage without a single biopsy. Cristiana reveals fascinating data on how sun-protected skin is biologically 3.8 years younger than exposed skin, and we tackle a controversial finding from her research: why short-term retinoid use might actually accelerate biological aging by increasing inflammatory markers . We also discuss the future of skin cancer detection and why "resilience" is the new anti-aging standard.
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