Longtime patient & Instagram influencer Camille Newbern (@thelasurvivalguide) reveals her three favorite medical spa treatments, the skin care product she never goes without, and the shade of her signature lipstick.
Following a necessary update on Moo Shu (her pig) and Pip (her papillon), Camille talks freely about the pitfalls of being “professionally pretty” and explains how she got to 107k followers on Instagram.
She shares openly about the treatments she’s had at LJC, including Botox, fillers, threads, Halo laser, Ultherapy, Kybella, and miraDry – along with important advice about building a relationship with an injector who will actually tell you no.
Away from the shininess of social media, Camille’s philanthropic efforts to serve others around the world through San Diego Rotary reminds us that service to others matters most.
Links:
Camille Newbern’s LA Survival Guide blog
Read more about LJC aesthetic injector Lauren Amico Reed
Please request your free consultation online or call La Jolla Cosmetic, San Diego, at (858) 788-7989 for more
TRANSCRIPT
Laura Cain (00:07):
You’re listening to the La Jolla Cosmetic Podcast.
Monique Ramsey (00:14):
Welcome everyone to the La Jolla Cosmetic Podcast. I’m your hostess, Monique Ramsey. And today we have one of our patients with us, and her name is Camille Newbern. She’s our guest and longtime patient and friend. And she’s known for something that you wouldn’t necessarily think of, but she’s known for her unique pets and her fashion related social media presence.
Monique Ramsey (00:40):
And because she’s been a patient at La Jolla Cosmetic for quite a number of years, we wanted to ask her to talk with us about the treatment she loves the most. But first, Camille, I have some really burning questions about you. First-
Camille Newbern (00:53):
Oh, gosh. Okay.
Monique Ramsey (00:54):
… I’ll say welcome. Welcome to the podcast.
Camille Newbern (00:57):
Thank you for having me. I’m so flattered to be asked.
Monique Ramsey (01:00):
So, my first burning question is, tell us about your animals.
Camille Newbern (01:04):
Oh, I mean, how many hours do we have? My animals are my babies. So I have two. I have Pip who is a papillon. He is the love of my life. He’s here right now with me, obviously. Unfortunately, that’s the downside of the podcast, is you can’t see the gorgeousness that is my son.
Camille Newbern (01:21):
And then I have my newly acquired COVID pet is Moo Shu. She is an American mini pig. She is an absolute… She’s hell on wheels. Can I say that?
Monique Ramsey (01:34):
Yeah.
Camille Newbern (01:35):
Okay.
Monique Ramsey (01:36):
You can say whatever you want.
Camille Newbern (01:37):
Okay. No. Don’t give me that free rein. She is, yeah, so she was my COVID pet. Everyone else got puppies, so I was like, oh, I’ll get a pig. But it’s something I’d wanted for a long time, and she is just… every day is a surprise, but she is so lovey, she is so fun, and she’s hysterical.
Monique Ramsey (01:54):
And she gets along with Pip.
Camille Newbern (01:56):
Oh, no, they hate-
Monique Ramsey (01:57):
No?
Camille Newbern (01:58):
Pip hates her. People are like, oh, are they friends? I’m like, no, not at all.
Monique Ramsey (02:02):
Well, that’s so funny.
Camille Newbern (02:02):
I saw online, you see all those animals, those inner species friendships where the duck is cuddling the cow, and I was like, yeah, that’ll be my house. No, I mean, Pip is like on top of the couch. He growls every time she walks by.
Monique Ramsey (02:16):
Oh my gosh. And does she care? Does she, or…
Camille Newbern (02:19):
No. She doesn’t care.
Monique Ramsey (02:19):
But does she antagonize? Does she get in Pip’s face because she knows that it’ll piss him off?
Camille Newbern (02:26):
A tiny bit, but honestly, I don’t think she cares. She’s like… I call her my little Beyonce. She’s just like this strong little woman and she just goes around the house and I admire her, I fear her a little, but she has made a difficult… you know, what are we going on, two years now? She’s brought sunshine to every day. And so, that’s been really fun. And it’s been cool that during lockdown I got to really bond with her because once life gets going we’re in and out all the time. So I got to be with her that first year, which is really fun.
Monique Ramsey (03:01):
And how did you even think about getting a pig? Did you see something-
Camille Newbern (03:05):
Oh my gosh.
Monique Ramsey (03:05):
… or read something?
Camille Newbern (03:06):
I’ve always wanted one. I have a weird trajectory, I guess, in life, but my first word was dog when I was little, like eight months old. So I’ve always loved animals. I used to want to be a veterinarian, and eventually I’d like to have a little… I call it a fancy farm. I think it’s called a hobby farm or a gentleman’s farm. So, I don’t want to hoe wheat, but I would like to… basically I want my own petting zoo.
Monique Ramsey (03:32):
Well, I would visit that.
Camille Newbern (03:33):
But like in Rancho Santa Fe.
Monique Ramsey (03:35):
Well, yeah, of course.
Camille Newbern (03:37):
So maybe grow some lettuce, have some mini pigs and chickens, get some eggs. Exactly.
Monique Ramsey (03:43):
Yeah. Okay.
Camille Newbern (03:44):
But so, yeah, I got the pig before the farm.
Monique Ramsey (03:47):
Oh, cute. Okay. The second burning question I have is, you have this incredible signature lipstick. If you look at Camille’s Instagram, she has these gorgeous red lips. And it seems to be the same color. Do you have a signature color or do you shake it up a little bit?
Camille Newbern (04:04):
You know what I go for, is like a reddy orange. So I alternate between a few. NARS has a good one called Heat Wave. And I was wearing one yesterday by Charlotte Tilbury called Tell Laura. And then there’s a new one that I really like by Patrick Ta called… I don’t remember.
Camille Newbern (04:26):
But it’s just, I like a bit of yellow in it, because, it sounds finicky, but when you photograph things, the color always changes a bit. And so, you may see a bit more orange in person, but on camera it’ll come across a little bit more red, whereas if you have a blue red, the blue may come through a little bit deeper. And so, that’s the one I found that just jives with my skin tone the best, and I stuck to it.
Monique Ramsey (04:52):
Yeah. Well, it’s fabulous. You always look amazing. And tell everybody where they can follow you on Instagram while we’re discussing.
Camille Newbern (04:59):
You can follow us, me and the farm, at The LA Survival Guide. Yeah. I started the blog and the social when I was still in Los Angeles, and so, it was my cheeky nod to Los Angeles and surviving the urban jungle up there. And that was how I built my following. And so, I kept the name when I came down here and I just… the San Diego Survival Guide never sounded so great. That sounds like flip flops to me. And it just like… LA has a bit more grit to it a bit. Love it or hate it, people have opinions about LA.
Monique Ramsey (05:36):
Yeah. Now you’ve really grown your Instagram following. I mean, you’re up to 103,000 followers, which is incredible.
Camille Newbern (05:44):
Yeah. It is cool. Thank you.
Monique Ramsey (05:45):
And so, well, yeah, and I looked yesterday and I was like, wait, how did that happen? I don’t know when it all happened, because I know you’ve always had a really good following, but all of a sudden it’s just really caught on.
Camille Newbern (05:58):
I don’t know either. People always ask me, “How’d you grow your following?”, and I’m like, “Cute dog, cute shoes.” I think I started a little bit before everyone else did, if that makes sense.
Camille Newbern (06:09):
Everyone had Instagram, but I started… I’m not, by any means, one of the originals, but I got in there maybe a year or so before the word influencer was a thing, and it became like, oh, hey, I can do that, before you drove down the street and saw girls in every single corner taking pictures in front of the pink wall. So I think I just got in there. I scooted in and got a spot at the table a little before everyone else did.
Monique Ramsey (06:38):
Interesting. And so, now you’ve it… has that become your job now, right?
Camille Newbern (06:44):
Oh no. That’s just my fun job. I say it’s like my Botox and blowout money, because by the time you get your hair blown out and buy the new shoes and pay the photographer and whatnot, I earn a little revenue, but it’s… and the space has become so saturated.
Camille Newbern (07:01):
No, I’m third generation in my family’s real estate investment firm. And so that is…Real estate is here to stay. That is a sweet gig. My dad will never fire me. So, I’m not leaving that. And this digital space is constantly changing and thanks to La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery I won’t ever get older, but, at a certain point…
Monique Ramsey (07:23):
Yeah, it’s a fickle industry probably.
Camille Newbern (07:25):
Exactly. And to throw all your eggs in that basket… But at the same time, I acknowledge the value of the audience. I love the creative space. And so, I loosely keep it up because… I used to be a performer. I was an actress, and I’m train… We both went to SC, and I was an English major. And so, my interest is in more performing and writing, so I have a children’s book series idea that I’d actually like to do about the dog and pig.
Monique Ramsey (07:57):
Oh-
Camille Newbern (07:57):
And so-
Monique Ramsey (07:57):
… I love that.
Camille Newbern (07:57):
… that would kind of… Yeah. And so, acknowledging that I already have an audience, and so that I can take them with me as opposed to starting from scratch. I like it. It’s fun. I love taking pictures. I love being creative. I’m a creative at heart. It’s just a tough way to earn a living.
Monique Ramsey (08:14):
Yeah. And you can see that when you go to her Instagram, just all these phenomenal pictures and really fun to peruse your feed, and to have that peppered with your pets is awesome too. And the fashion, oh my God, the fashion, so much fun. So, you were saying something on your blog and now I’m going to… of course, I’m going to forget it. I don’t have it pulled up in front of me, but you were talking about fashion and you don’t just buy clothes for buying clothes.
Camille Newbern (08:42):
Yeah. To me, it is an art, it’s a creative outlet, it’s a means of expression. Like people will ask, “How do you define your style?” You know those certain questions like how do you box yourself in, what kind of guys do you like, what kind of food do you like? I don’t know. I mean, I’m dressed pretty ma… I said I look like Tom Hanks from Big today, the blazer’s so big. But then tomorrow I may be wearing a fairy princess dress. I don’t know.
Camille Newbern (09:08):
It’s just, it’s always been a avenue of expression for me. I think there’s a way to dress appropriately, no matter the situation, but to do it in a way that’s true to yourself. And I have a lot of fun with it. And I scroll back through my Instagram sometimes, and there are some major misses. I’m like, what were you thinking, that’s so awful. But like, I tried.
Monique Ramsey (09:33):
Yeah. Exactly. And I love that about you. I love that you are open to trying things and open to being who you are and not being apologetic about it. And you’re so smart. So she’s gorgeous, drop dead gorgeous, but she’s also really, really smart and involved in the community also. And so, do you want to talk a little bit about that?
Camille Newbern (09:55):
Oh my gosh. You’re hitting all my favorite subjects, Monique. I guess I was brought up in the volunteer world a little bit. My mom was a stay at home mom when I was growing up, but she was a full-time volunteer.
Camille Newbern (10:07):
And so, when I left the film industry about six years ago, I came back to San Diego, joined my family real estate company, as I said, and I was looking to get involved in the community a little bit. And so, I joined San Diego Rotary with my father. So Rotary is… Gosh, they love me, because I just go and pitch them all over the place.
Monique Ramsey (10:29):
It’s a great organization.
Camille Newbern (10:30):
And I get paid exactly $0, but I love it. I deeply believe in it. So Rotary’s one of the largest nonprofits in the world. There are 33,000 clubs around the world. Any teeny tiny town you go to you’ll see… I was in Portugal last week. I saw a rotary wheel in this little village. So it’s everywhere.
Camille Newbern (10:47):
So I’m a member of the fourth largest club in the world, San Diego Rotary. We have about 500 members. And so, when I joined I was one of the youngest members. I’d say we’re about maybe 25% to 30% female. The average member is basically my dad, like a late 60s Caucasian male, so I did… as a multiethnic female in my 30s, I didn’t fit the bill at all. Plus, I look like a pixie.
Camille Newbern (11:16):
And so, I didn’t quite know what my niche was, but I love to travel. And so, I took a service trip with two other members to Kenya, and we did a volunteer project in a refugee camp in Northern Kenya and it just…it changed my life. It redirected my focus. I’ve always known how blessed I am, how privileged I am. You grow up in San Diego where everyone tells you you’re so lucky, but to have that understanding, like to have boots on the ground and hands in the dirt kind of understanding of that really redirected my focus.
Camille Newbern (11:57):
And so, that has become, along with my pets and my influencer, my other hobby is I enjoy philanthropy work, specifically my passion is in East Africa. So, for about four and a half years we’ve been working to open a hospital in Northern Uganda, which actually finally opened in September. So-
Monique Ramsey (12:20):
Oh, wow.
Camille Newbern (12:20):
… that was kind of like… It still doesn’t totally feel real because I haven’t been able to get over there yet, but that’s been my passion project.
Monique Ramsey (12:28):
Wow. And so it’s open, so you get to…
Camille Newbern (12:31):
It’s open. Yeah.
Monique Ramsey (12:32):
Are you going to try to get down there?
Camille Newbern (12:33):
I hope next year. It’s just, not making any plans right now, but optimistic. The biggest thing for me was getting… The hospital was supposed to open last April, so April of 2020, I had all my tickets, my parents were going to come to the opening, and then everything shut down, and it was devastating, not only to have that paused, but also, it was so ironic to have, in a very underserved community in the middle of a global health crisis, an empty hospital.
Camille Newbern (13:01):
So the fact that it’s now open, it’s serving, it’s vaccinating people. Even if I never ever get there, quite frankly, it doesn’t matter, as long as it’s serving the community, that feels very good. And-
Monique Ramsey (13:12):
Oh, that’s wonderful.
Camille Newbern (13:14):
Yeah. But it would be nice to go.
Monique Ramsey (13:15):
Yeah, it would. So I didn’t realize that about San Diego Rotary being the fourth largest in the world. So both my parents were involved with Rotary. Both of them were presidents and-
Camille Newbern (13:25):
Oh, no way.
Monique Ramsey (13:25):
… so, yeah.
Camille Newbern (13:26):
Monique, you got to come with.
Monique Ramsey (13:28):
I think I need to. I think I need-
Camille Newbern (13:29):
At least come and have a lunch with me.
Monique Ramsey (13:31):
Yeah. I would love that.
Camille Newbern (13:32):
Yeah. They’ve been very good to me, and I don’t fit the mold quite, but that’s… like I say about fashion and everything else, you don’t have to… I can’t tell you how many times people tell me, “You don’t look like a Rotarian. You don’t look like somebody that goes to Africa.” I’m like, “Well, yes I am.” Yeah. Like you don’t have to… I don’t have to not wear red lipstick, I don’t have to wear overalls everyday.
Camille Newbern (13:56):
And, of course, I don’t look like this when I go to Africa. I put on a baseball cap and because I don’t want to draw more attention than I already do. I try to be sensitive to the environment, but we can look any way we want and still do as we please. You don’t have to fit in this framework anymore. And I think it’s doing like the young women and men, but especially the young women, a disservice to tell them, “Okay, you want to do that? You need to look like this and you need to talk like this.”
Monique Ramsey (14:28):
Yeah. And I think that’s what’s so fun about you, like I was saying, your transparency and willingness to share. You’re on the podcast today and you were actually in one of our commercials. And that’s our like number one commercial of all time that we’ve done. And, of course, Pip is there with her-
Camille Newbern (14:45):
Of course.
Monique Ramsey (14:45):
… in the ad, so of course that helps it become the favorite. So, people have commented about seeing it?
Camille Newbern (14:52):
Oh my gosh. So many people.
Monique Ramsey (14:54):
And it’s so cute.
Camille Newbern (14:55):
Yeah, it’s funny. I have actually never seen it because I… I’ve seen it when you guys sent me the tape, but I… Now with like Netflix and Amazon and whatnot I don’t really watch live TV anymore. So it was fun to hear… like the girl that does my brows said she saw it every single morning at the gym. I was like, oh my gosh.
Monique Ramsey (15:17):
That’s awesome. So, tell us a little bit about how long you’ve been coming to La Jolla Cosmetic, and what was your first treatment? What was your dipping your toe in the water?
Camille Newbern (15:28):
So I was referred by one of my childhood friends, and I came down here from LA. I think I just probably came for Botox. I needed a new Botox place and she goes, “You got to come here. You got to see my girl. She’s great.”
Camille Newbern (15:42):
And this would’ve been probably five or six years ago. And I saw Lauren Reed and I loved her immediately. We hit it off. And it’s just, since then, it’s a very warm, loving… It feels like coming home to me, which is probably dangerous, but I love it. It’s so comfortable, and everyone’s so warm and cool and kind, and it just feels like you’re catching up with friends.
Camille Newbern (16:08):
And granted, that is not the first selling point. The first selling point is that you guys are the best at what you do. I don’t care if I did not like anyone here, if you were the best, I would still come, but it is icing on the cake that I love everyone here, and you’re the best.
Monique Ramsey (16:22):
Oh, well, I think so, but it’s always nice when you have a friend who recommends you to come and then you experience it. You’re like, wow, that really was amazing. Then you’re open to sharing that with people. When I started in this industry, now 30 years ago, very few people, even though it was San Diego and Southern California and we were more open about things than other places in the United States, it still wasn’t really something people talked about openly.
Camille Newbern (16:51):
Oh, no way.
Monique Ramsey (16:52):
They might…
Camille Newbern (16:52):
You went on a little vacation and came back refreshed.
Monique Ramsey (16:56):
Right. Like, “Oh, what have you been doing? You look so great.” And you’re like, “Oh, I got my hair done.”
Camille Newbern (16:59):
Right.
Monique Ramsey (16:59):
“I got highlights.”
Camille Newbern (17:01):
You’re like, where, who did your hair?
Monique Ramsey (17:05):
So, over the years it’s more open, more open. And then, of course, with social media regular people are sharing their experiences, influencers are sharing experiences, and even the industry just in terms of… just the marketing. All these companies, they’re marketing.
Monique Ramsey (17:21):
Allergan’s new campaign for Botox I just saw the other day, and it’s all using real people. SkinMedica uses all real people, but they’re featuring real people who are doing these things, and I saw a guy I know in the ad. I’m like, oh my gosh, I know this guy. He’s a makeup artist in LA. And I love that they’re featuring regular people, because that gives you permission. If you’re thinking about having something done, it’s okay, everybody’s doing it.
Camille Newbern (17:47):
Exactly. It’s just, people aren’t lying about it anymore.
Monique Ramsey (17:50):
Exactly. They were doing it before.
Camille Newbern (17:51):
And making you feel bad. I think, yeah, it’s very cool. I think it’s okay to be private about it, should you choose to, but I don’t agree with when you see… People still look up to celebrities, and celebrity means something different today than it did 20 years ago, because 20 years ago you had to be on the television or movie screen but now you can be on somebody’s cell phone and you’re a celebrity.
Monique Ramsey (18:13):
True.
Camille Newbern (18:14):
But people are being, and not everybody, and to each their own, but people are being a lot more forthcoming about, oh my gosh, you are so thin, or, oh my gosh, how are you 40 but you don’t have a wrinkle. And there are still some people that are like, and no names, but like, oh, I just use olive oil on my face.
Camille Newbern (18:33):
And it’s like, come on girlfriend, either say nothing, but don’t mislead, because I’ve read stories about women that makes them feel bad about themselves, like I am dieting and I’m using all the expensive skin creams and I don’t look as good as that, and she’s just using olive oil and it’s like, of course she’s not.
Monique Ramsey (18:53):
Yeah. Because then you think, what am I doing wrong?
Camille Newbern (18:57):
Exactly.
Monique Ramsey (18:57):
If I don’t-
Camille Newbern (18:58):
What’s wrong with me?
Monique Ramsey (19:00):
… look like her. Well, and I think that it’s just become much more accepted, and there are so many more things now that are not invasive. Nothing has to be extreme. And I think people are realizing like, oh, hey, I can fight back against mother nature in a way that is natural and is safe and it’s not over the top. And there are so many more tools-
Camille Newbern (19:26):
Totally.
Monique Ramsey (19:26):
… to be able to keep your youth.
Camille Newbern (19:29):
Exactly. Without taking that big jump and going under the knife, which I am told I have not hit that mark yet, but it’s looming one day. But I’m told there is no substitute for surgery.
Monique Ramsey (19:42):
There really isn’t. You can get away with a lot of things for a long time.
Camille Newbern (19:46):
But there is so much more now with laser, and I’ve been into the threads lately and whatnot, where it’s just like, people are like, “Do you notice a difference?” I’m like, “Well, no, but I just haven’t aged in 20 years.” And I think I look better too, because you can be photoshopped in real life. It’s pretty wild.
Monique Ramsey (20:09):
That’s true.
Camille Newbern (20:09):
It’s like, I’m doing the halo laser today, and it’s like, it gives you kind of that… What is the filter on Insta? It’s like the Paris filter. It just gives you that glow, but you’re not filtered. This is your real skin. It’s pretty incredible. And you can make your lips just a tiny bit bigger and no one knows, because, as long as you have, of course, expert hands and eyes, and those that work here that Lauren has definitely told me before, no, you can’t do that. And so you need somebody that tells you no every now and then.
Monique Ramsey (20:38):
This is so true. This is so true.
Camille Newbern (20:39):
Because, if you get a yes man, you start looking crazy.
Monique Ramsey (20:43):
There’s a lot of places out there that will happily take your money. They’re not going to say no to you.
Camille Newbern (20:48):
Absolutely. Oh, yeah. And it’s kind of like with everyone. I have friends that have chosen to take the road of everything from Botox to, I have friends that have been under the knife many times, to those that are just absolutely 100% natural. And I think, whatever resonates with you, whatever makes you feel good, good for you.
Camille Newbern (21:06):
People are like, “When should I get Botox?” I’m like, “Never, if you don’t want it.” You never need Botox. But I also say, “If you are going to do it and you think it’s in your plan, start earlier.”
Monique Ramsey (21:17):
Very true.
Camille Newbern (21:17):
But if you don’t want it, don’t do it. I applaud women who age naturally. I think it’s lovely. It’s just like, it’s not my path.
Monique Ramsey (21:29):
And that’s okay. Both are okay. And that’s really what we’re getting back to, is like, it’s okay to be open about what you’re doing, and do it for yourself, not somebody else.
Camille Newbern (21:38):
Absolutely.
Monique Ramsey (21:38):
So whatever it is that you’re doing for yourself or not doing for yourself, it’s giving yourself permission to like, yeah, this is what feels comfortable to me.
Camille Newbern (21:45):
Totally. And think about why you’re doing it too. I look at the why even before I do. It’s weird, I was thinking about the other day. I was like, I’ve been professionally pretty for so long working as a model and an actress and an influencer and whatnot. That’s been my job where I’ve been financially compensated for the way I look. It creates a weird relationship with your physicality almost, with your appearance.
Camille Newbern (22:12):
And so I have to check myself every now and then, because I was talking with my boyfriend the other day, I’m like, “Oh, I’m going to laser this week, so I’ll be out of commission this week.”
Camille Newbern (22:20):
And he’s like, “Why? You look great?”
Camille Newbern (22:21):
I was like, “Well, yeah, but that… you don’t fix it when it’s broken. You just keep it up.” It’s like car maintenance. I don’t wait for my car to break down. I take it in for tuneups. You don’t wait to lose weight. You just keep going to the gym so you’re always healthy.
Camille Newbern (22:35):
So for me it’s always been maintenance, but like also, why am I doing this? Am I doing it because it makes me feel good? Am I doing it because somebody is asking me to do it because I’m looking for some sort of validation? So checking in with yourself and making sure it’s for a decent, healthy reason, whatever that is for you.
Monique Ramsey (22:54):
Right. Now, so tell everybody, so you mentioned Botox, and you mentioned threads, what else have you over the years?
Camille Newbern (23:03):
Can you just right now just roll down the menu of all your services and just check it off-
Monique Ramsey (23:08):
Okay.
Camille Newbern (23:08):
… over the years.
Monique Ramsey (23:09):
So, fillers.
Camille Newbern (23:10):
I’ve done fillers. Threads I’ve done. The halo laser, I’m doing that again today. I did Ultherapy on my neck last year. That was the blessing, I will say. People talk about the COVID silver linings. I got a pig, and it was a great time to get plastic surgery and lasers and all that you guys, because you can walk around with a mask and hat and no one knows what’s going on. It’s awesome.
Monique Ramsey (23:35):
This is so true. Yeah. You’re all healing and red…-
Camille Newbern (23:39):
And no one knows.
Monique Ramsey (23:40):
… and puffy-
Camille Newbern (23:40):
Exactly.
Monique Ramsey (23:41):
… or whatever.
Camille Newbern (23:43):
None the wiser. Let’s see. I did KYBELLA before on my neck. That was one I didn’t really care for because you get that puffy neck.
Monique Ramsey (23:50):
Yeah. KYBELLA is an injectable that really blasts apart your neck fat. And what happened-
Camille Newbern (24:00):
You swell up like a bull frog first.
Monique Ramsey (24:02):
Yeah, exactly. Like a bull frog, and it’s a weird phenomenon. And it does work, but-
Camille Newbern (24:09):
The downtime is weird.
Monique Ramsey (24:10):
But you have to do, and especially your first one, you get more swelling than your second stage of getting treatment.
Camille Newbern (24:17):
Oh yeah. I just-
Monique Ramsey (24:17):
It’s not-
Camille Newbern (24:17):
… did it once
.
Monique Ramsey (24:17):
… nearly as… I did it a second time, and it really did help, but it was sort of like, you have to prepare for that.
Camille Newbern (24:26):
It’s a psychological thing. None of the physical stuff I was talking with Charity before I came in here, I was like, ugh, I’m doing laser today, and it’s not like the pain doesn’t bother me. It’s not really… It’s like getting a sunburn, but it’s knowing in my head that I will not be super attractive for the next week.
Camille Newbern (24:46):
I know I have a lunch on Thursday, and I know I’ll look good by Thursday, but I know the next few days when I look in the mirror it’s not going to be cute. However, in a week or so I’m going to have baby skin, and then I’ll have that baby skin until I laser again in another year or so.
Monique Ramsey (25:03):
Yeah. So when was your last halo?
Camille Newbern (25:05):
I did it I want to say in August of 2020, so it’s been over a year.
Monique Ramsey (25:10):
Like a year and half-
Camille Newbern (25:10):
It’s kind of-
Monique Ramsey (25:10):
… basically.
Camille Newbern (25:10):
Yeah. It’s kind of like finding the time, because you do need a solid five or six days where you can… I’ll go to the office and stuff on Monday, but I didn’t want to go to any events or have my picture taken or anything.
Monique Ramsey (25:25):
Right. And didn’t you do the miraDry?
Camille Newbern (25:28):
Oh, I have done the miraDry too. Yeah. I like miraDry. Yeah. That was another weird one. So that you’ll have to explain more of the technical issues, but that was… I was interested in it because I do, ironically, with all the Botox and whatnot, I do try and eat pretty clean, and it’s like that 80, 20 balance of 80% kale 20% Botox. But I try it. I try and use clean products.
Camille Newbern (25:54):
So I was really trying to do all the clean deodorants because you hear how awful the chemical ones are and they cause breast cancer and all these things, but, quite frankly, the clean deodorants, they work okay, but it kills a lot of your sweat and odor glands in your armpits.
Monique Ramsey (26:11):
Exactly.
Camille Newbern (26:12):
And the side bonus is I have no underarm hair anymore, so that was pretty cool.
Monique Ramsey (26:18):
So some people have miraDry because they have hyperhidrosis, which is excessive sweating in their armpits. So there’s a fraction of people who have that as an actual medical condition and miraDry solves it. But I would say the majority of our patients are doing it for lifestyle reasons where you don’t want to have to put chemicals on. And it’s permanent, so whether you have one treatment or two treatments, you’re then done. And like you said, that nice side benefit is you don’t have hair under there. So it’s sort of like having laser hair removal at the same time.
Camille Newbern (26:50):
Exactly.
Monique Ramsey (26:50):
But it’s just really nice. You don’t have to send your clothes out for cleaning as much to dry cleaners.
Camille Newbern (26:56):
You don’t stink. Yeah. You don’t worry about sweating on your silk dresses or whatever. But also, sometimes I forget deodorant or I just… I only use the natural hippy dippy ones now, and that is… 100% cuts it.
Monique Ramsey (27:09):
Yeah. And then, in terms of your skin, so your glowing skin, so you’re doing-
Monique Ramsey (27:15):
… halo.
Camille Newbern (27:16):
Yes.
Monique Ramsey (27:17):
But what do you do when you’re not in the office?
Camille Newbern (27:20):
When I’m not here?
Monique Ramsey (27:21):
At night and in-
Camille Newbern (27:22):
Like that random-
Monique Ramsey (27:22):
… the morning?
Camille Newbern (27:23):
… day when I’m not here? I use a lot of Korean stuff. So I was in Korea… Let’s see. I went to South Korea for Rotary conference, actually, in 2016, and that really changed my opinion of skincare, because I found that, talking about invasive, I do plenty of invasive things, but we’re very aggressive on our skin in the Western culture. And I went over there and I found the nicest spa that gives famous facials because I was like, I’m in South Korea, I’m going to find where all the celebrities go.
Camille Newbern (27:55):
So I went and I had literally a three hour facial. I have no idea what happened. At one point they’re like, “Do you want a back massage?” I’m like, “Okay.” And they hook up all these cups to my back and so I’m all bruised. So I’m just saying okay because I’m polite and also… But it was all about pampering your skin and massaging and different masks. And so, it was a different take, and they used a lot more products.
Camille Newbern (28:20):
I think Korean skin care is famous for those-
Monique Ramsey (28:23):
Yeah, like 10 steps.
Camille Newbern (28:23):
… 10 step routine. So, not that I’m great about that, but I dabble in that. I get some SkinMedica stuff here. The only non-negotiable is sunscreen. I will wake up at 4:00 in the morning to catch a plane and I will put on sunscreen even though the sun won’t rise for three hours.
Monique Ramsey (28:40):
Wow. But it shows in your skin. I mean-
Camille Newbern (28:43):
Thank you.
Monique Ramsey (28:43):
… it really…
Camille Newbern (28:44):
It’s also, I’m part Asian, so I just… I have to give credit where credit is due. Genetics is… I think it’s genetics, sunscreen, lifestyle, and you guys.
Monique Ramsey (28:55):
And water. Lots of water.
Camille Newbern (28:56):
Yeah, exactly.
Monique Ramsey (28:57):
Because she’s got her water bottle just like I always have my water bottle, because hydration is so important. And they say by the time you feel thirsty you’re already dehydrated. So, that’s something that’s really important in flushing your system-
Camille Newbern (29:09):
Absolutely.
Monique Ramsey (29:09):
… getting yucky stuff out. So you said you see Lauren. She’s your face.
Camille Newbern (29:14):
Yes. But I think I’ve seen everyone here for something every now and then, because Lauren’s been on maternity leave a couple times, and just depending on schedule and whatnot. So I believe I’ve seen everyone…
Monique Ramsey (29:26):
Oh, well, that’s good.
Camille Newbern (29:27):
… at some point, but Lauren’s my-
Monique Ramsey (29:28):
So then you feel-
Camille Newbern (29:28):
… go to.
Monique Ramsey (29:30):
She’s your go-to, but you feel comfortable with…
Camille Newbern (29:33):
Absolutely.
Monique Ramsey (29:34):
Yeah. That’s how I am. I’ll like, yeah, sure, throw that needle in your hand, I’ll sit in your chair. So if we were going to narrow down of the things that you do that you would never-
Camille Newbern (29:45):
Oh, don’t-
Monique Ramsey (29:45):
… want to…
Camille Newbern (29:45):
… make me pick one, Monique, come on.
Monique Ramsey (29:47):
No, I’m going to make you… No, three. Let’s-
Camille Newbern (29:50):
Three. Okay.
Monique Ramsey (29:50):
… just say three things you would not want to live without.
Camille Newbern (29:52):
Let’s see. You know what? I think that the neurotoxins like the Botox, Dysport… Oh I started Botox young. I would get 10 units right here in between my eyebrows. I think it was like $100 dollars. It was so cute. When I think about them, like, oh, they’re so cute, but I just never made wrinkles.
Camille Newbern (30:11):
And so with Botox or Dysport…Read this analogy, it’s like, you fold a piece of paper, you crease it, and then you unfold it, and you fold it, unfold it. So each time you’re making a wrinkle. And you can smooth out that paper as much as you want, but there’s still going to be those itty bitty fine lines. So the key is just don’t fold that paper. And so, I think that would be one.
Camille Newbern (30:33):
I do like the fillers, not for that fake look, but it just… it’s like that bone loss and it adds a little extra. I’ve always had full lips. I got teased when I was younger, and now, ha ha. We put a little in my upper lip because there’s a… Lauren’s so great. There’s a mathematical proportion for the perfect symmetry of your mouth. And so, my bottom lip was slightly larger than my top, so we bumped that up. And you can give your cheekbones a little lift and a little chin or whatever. So kind of that, like I said, that real life filtering.
Camille Newbern (31:12):
I don’t know. So the lasers are really cool because they just do give you that baby skin. I would be torn between the lasers, but also I’m digging the threads right now.
Monique Ramsey (31:22):
Threads are the thing. I think for NovaThreads we not only have the number one provider in the county, we also are the number one office. So-
Camille Newbern (31:32):
No way.
Monique Ramsey (31:33):
Yeah.
Camille Newbern (31:34):
It’s kind of baby facelifts, but you can go… like I’ve done it and gone straight into the office. I just put my hair down over my-
Monique Ramsey (31:43):
Your little bandage.
Camille Newbern (31:44):
… those little bandages. Exactly. But that is pretty cool. I will say that procedure is a little gnarly. It feels like knitting needles going through your face. Don’t be scared though, you guys. It lasts like two seconds, you don’t forget it, I mean, you don’t forget it, you do forget it.
Monique Ramsey (31:58):
It’s not-
Camille Newbern (31:58):
It’s a weird…
Monique Ramsey (31:59):
… intolerable.
Camille Newbern (32:00):
It’s not painful. It’s an odd feeling, because you’re numb. But that has been pretty cool, because now that I am like, oh, I am 40, and so I have seen slight gravity coming in. And so, that’s been a way to combat that, because I just… facelifts are not something I’m looking at in the next-
Monique Ramsey (32:22):
Well, you’re 40.
Camille Newbern (32:23):
… five year… Yeah. But I mean, people, they say like 45 to 50 people start hitting it. So, I’m going to wait to have a baby, see where everything falls down, and then-
Monique Ramsey (32:33):
Hike it all back up.
Camille Newbern (32:34):
… hopefully not too far, and then just hoist it all back up.
Monique Ramsey (32:39):
Yeah. So, did you have any downtime with any of the… I mean, other than the halo, because there’s a little downtime in halo. You’re red and puffy a little bit. Right?
Camille Newbern (32:49):
Halo’s the only one where I won’t leave the house for a couple days, besides walking the animals. So, unless you get a bruise, which I am really militant about stopping the fish oils and whatnot five days before, but every now and then you’re just… you get a little bruise. It happens. And so that may be something that people notice. And I was like, no, it’s cool, I was just chewing on a pen cap and it burst.
Monique Ramsey (33:15):
That’s creative.
Camille Newbern (33:16):
Oh yeah. My dad’s like, “Chewing on ink again?” Especially nowadays when everything is digital and on computers, how often are you using a pen? But, yeah, I’ve lied my way out of stuff. But no, nothing that’s been… downtime in terms of like, I don’t want to photo shoot and I don’t want to go to a gala or something maybe, but no, not downtime in terms of leaving the house and doing my day to day, besides the laser. And even that’s pretty like, I’ll be back in the office Monday, hopefully, and the gym by like Tuesday or so. And today’s Friday.
Monique Ramsey (33:49):
Yeah. So, what would you tell somebody considering enhancement?
Camille Newbern (33:54):
I would say go for a consultation, would be my number one, because it’s a relationship. I go in with Lauren. I saw her a couple months ago and I was there for Dysport and I was like, I just feel a little like eh, and a little… And then she holds up this big mirror and she’s like, “Tell me what you see. Start at… ” I can’t remember where we started, at the top or at the bottom. We go down my face and I’ll be like, this looks a little droopy, this looks a little…
Camille Newbern (34:19):
So it is a relationship. There’s a dialogue. And she will concur with some of my statements, and be like, “Oh, you are insane.” with other things, but that discussion and what I think… I don’t know best. I mean, yeah, I’m versed in the area for maybe a consumer, but in terms of a professional, I don’t know anything. So I may think I need filler where… my upper lip, where she may be able to pop Botox there and give me a little lip lift, or it may be something that it’s like, no, you can’t do anything about that, or there could be something I’ve never heard of.
Camille Newbern (34:53):
And there’s a game plan. There’s not a cure all.
Monique Ramsey (34:57):
Right. It’s more..
.
Camille Newbern (34:59):
It’s just maintenance.
Monique Ramsey (35:00):
Almost like a treatment plan.
Camille Newbern (35:02):
Absolutely.
Monique Ramsey (35:02):
Like, okay, let’s do this one time a year, let’s do that three times a year.
Camille Newbern (35:07):
Absolutely.
Monique Ramsey (35:08):
Just sort of how to keep it up. And if you can get to a place… I think Khan was saying this maybe on one of the podcasts that if, in a couple years, you still don’t look older, that’s a huge win. People think, oh, am I going to look five years younger? Well, you might, but then if you can just maintain…
Camille Newbern (35:30):
If you’re five years older and you don’t look older that means you’re five years younger essentially. Yeah.
Monique Ramsey (35:36):
But it’s sort of like, sometimes people don’t see that just maintaining where they’re at is a huge gain.
Camille Newbern (35:41):
Absolutely.
Monique Ramsey (35:42):
Because you’re not continuing to have that aging process. So if there’s any things you probably wouldn’t do again, is there anything that didn’t really work, or has everything worked or?
Camille Newbern (35:56):
No, I mean, I’m still here. Like I said, I always grab the microphone here. I’m a big fan of you guys. I am not paid to be here. I just believe in the company very strongly and the people here. No, I feel…I’ll try, like I said, I’ll try anything once.
Camille Newbern (36:16):
And what’s so cool, I love this industry because there are so many innovations that there is always something new. We can have this conversation a year from now and I’ll be like, oh my God, have you heard about this or this? So, who knows? Yeah.
Monique Ramsey (36:34):
That’s true. The innovations are coming fast and furious, and we try to… We are always vetting what’s the next-
Camille Newbern (36:42):
Yeah, you guys are great-
Monique Ramsey (36:43):
… great thing.
Camille Newbern (36:43):
… about not selling everything brand new. It’s… goes through the process first.
Monique Ramsey (36:48):
Yeah. We want to make sure it’s the right thing before we jump on and buy it, but if it’s a great thing, let’s add it to the toolbox, because I think what’s really awesome about the providers is they won’t just do one thing. They might say, okay, well, let’s do, like you were saying, Ultherapy that lifts and tightens, helps stimulate collagen so that we’re going to attack this area with this tool and attack a different area with maybe fillers for your cheeks, and so that you have multiple ways to get the right result and enough tools in the toolbox to choose from.
Camille Newbern (37:22):
And you guys are conscious about people’s price points and whatnot, like Lauren will totally tell me, she’s like, “That is going to be way more expensive than doing this, and you’ll get the same results.” I was like, “Okay, well great.” You have to be sensitive to that, but there are so many options and you guys have the full tool kit where we have choices, which is lovely.
Monique Ramsey (37:45):
So, what can we expect from you in 2022? Do you have any trips on the doc… because I love seeing your Instagram profile because you’re like here and there and everywhere. And I saw, just a couple days ago, in Portugal. I’m like, is she-
Camille Newbern (37:56):
Yeah, I was in Portugal.
Monique Ramsey (37:56):
… there right now, oh my gosh.
Camille Newbern (37:58):
And then I got back Monday. It’s kind of hard to make plans right now. You know, it’s still…I do hope to get over to East Africa next year, if it’s in the cards. I would like to see the hospital up and running. That would be really lovely. I do have a really lovely new boyfriend, so-
Monique Ramsey (38:15):
Nice.
Camille Newbern (38:16):
… if that comes into fruition it could be… You guys could be seeing less of me.
Monique Ramsey (38:23):
So, if you’re listening today, we want to ask you a special favor. If you love the La Jolla Cosmetic Podcast, if you’ve learned something from it, or if it’s helped you make a decision, or if somebody you know is curious about cosmetic procedures, tell your friends, write a review of the show on Apple podcasts or Goodpods or wherever you’re listening, because we love reviews here at La Jolla Cosmetic.
Monique Ramsey (38:45):
We’re all about making sure that we continually get better and that we have five star reviews, and that we want to give you a five star experience, and that our podcast is no different. So, we want to hear from you. If you want to come on the podcast, come on the podcast. I would love to have you as a guest. Because it wasn’t too bad, was it, Camille?
Camille Newbern (39:05):
No, it was so fun.
Monique Ramsey (39:07):
Yeah. It’s a fun day. And please follow Camille on Instagram and say your handle again.
Camille Newbern (39:13):
I am @TheLASurvivalGuide. So you have-
Monique Ramsey (39:17):
And she has-
Camille Newbern (39:18):
… to put the “the” there.
Monique Ramsey (39:18):
Oh yes.
Camille Newbern (39:19):
Because there’s another… there’s a LA Survival Guide, I’m like, that’s not me. You got to look for the dog and the pig. That’s how you know.
Monique Ramsey (39:28):
The LA Survival Guide. And you have a blog, which is really great.
Camille Newbern (39:31):
I do. It’s a much neglected blog, unfortunately, but it’s there.
Monique Ramsey (39:35):
It’s there.
Camille Newbern (39:35):
It’s floating on the internet. It may pop up again one day. Who knows?
Monique Ramsey (39:40):
And then follow us at LJCSC. And if you’re listening today and you have questions or need information about scheduling or financing or reviews or before and after photos, check our show notes for links. They’ll all be there. Thank you, Camille.
Camille Newbern (39:55):
Yeah. Thank you for having me. I’m so flattered. I was asked. I was like, I don’t know that I have anything to share, but every time I get a mic in my face I’m excited.
Monique Ramsey (40:04):
Yeah. Well, this was really fun. And I’ve gotten to know you over the years, and I love our shared affection for USC. And I remember you brought me a gift one time and it was something USC related and I was like, oh, she’s so sweet.
Camille Newbern (40:18):
I did. I think I bought you flowers that were USC colored or something.
Monique Ramsey (40:21):
Flowers. Yes. I remember in the room where you’re sitting right now, that was my office, and you brought them.
Camille Newbern (40:26):
And they were orchids.
Monique Ramsey (40:28):
Yeah. I was like, oh my gosh, this girl has not only thought to bring me flowers, but she’s brought me flowers in the colors that she knows I care about. So, it’s so sweet of you. So, thank you again, and thanks everybody for listening, and we’ll see you on the next episode.
Laura Cain (40:48):
Take a screenshot of this podcast episode with your phone and show it at your consultation or appointment or mention the promo code PODCAST to receive $25 off any service or product of $50 or more at La Jolla Cosmetic. La Jolla Cosmetic is located just off the I-5 San Diego Freeway in the Ximed building on the Scripps Memorial Hospital campus. To learn more, go to ljcsc.com or follow the team on Instagram at LJCSC. The La Jolla Cosmetic Podcast is a production of The Axis.