Photo Courtesy: Dr. Amir Karam

Few figures in modern aesthetics have reshaped the conversation around aging as profoundly as Dr. Amir Karam. A double board certified facial plastic surgeon and the mind behind the Vertical Restore and Vertical Prevent techniques, Dr. Karam has become one of the most influential innovators in facial rejuvenation. With more than 7,000 natural outcomes, over 20 peer reviewed publications, dozens of textbook chapters, and a co-authored surgical textbook, he has built a career defined by rigor, artistry, and a deep respect for human identity.

In our conversation, Dr. Karam reflects on the values that drive him, the evolution of his craft, and his mission to help people age with confidence and authenticity.

What originally drew you to this field, and what has kept you so passionate about it after all these years?

What first drew me to facial rejuvenation was this rare intersection of science, artistry, and human transformation. From early on, I had a strong sense that I had the aptitude to excel in a field that required precision, fine motor skill, and deep intellectual engagement. I have always had good command of my hands, a natural creative side, and a desire to do work that was profoundly valuable to people. Facial plastic surgery married all of those qualities in a way no other specialty did.

As I went deeper into the field, I realized how deeply intertwined our facial appearance is with our identity and confidence. When someone feels like they no longer look as young as they feel, it affects their self-esteem, their relationships, and their sense of wellbeing. Aging can slowly strip people of that connection to themselves, and that can create a real sense of hopelessness, despite their best efforts to stay healthy and vibrant.

What has kept me passionate for so many years is the ability to meaningfully change that experience. Helping someone feel like themselves again restoring their confidence, their identity, their sense of possibility is incredibly rewarding. Every week, whether it is a surgical patient or a Trifecta customer, I hear stories about how these changes have lifted them and improved their quality of life. That feedback fuels me.

Knowing that I am contributing something truly important, helping people in such a meaningful way, and elevating the standard of what our profession can deliver makes this work endlessly fulfilling. It is the combination of impact, purpose, and the constant pursuit of excellence that continues to inspire me day after day.

What’s your philosophy when it comes to leading your team, innovating in your field, and building a brand like KaramMD with intention?

My philosophy starts with one core principle: always deliver on the patient or customer’s expectations, and make sure those expectations are clearly understood long before any surgery, treatment, or transaction takes place. Everything begins with trust. If someone comes to me and places their confidence in my hands, it is my responsibility to ensure they receive real value in return whether that is through a surgical result, a skincare regimen, or simply honest guidance.

Integrity is the foundation of everything I do. I never want decisions to be influenced by financial incentives or sales goals. The solution to the patient’s problem should always determine the path forward. I treat every patient and customer as if they were a family member, and that lens keeps the priorities exactly where they should be. It is also a big part of why people feel safe with my practice and with KaramMD Skin because they know the recommendations come from a place of service, not self-interest.

Exceeding expectations is another driving force for me. Whether it was developing a formula like the Trifecta that outperforms anything I saw in the market or creating a surgical procedure that delivers the most natural, powerful, and consistent rejuvenation possible, I am always pushing myself and my team to raise the bar. Innovation comes from refusing to accept “good enough.” It comes from curiosity, honesty, and a relentless pursuit of what actually works.

Keeping the patient or consumer as the priority and building everything around that has been a natural guiding principle for me. Over time, it has shaped a reputation rooted in trust, clarity, and results. And that, in turn, has shaped my leadership style, my team culture, and the intention behind the KaramMD brand.

In a world obsessed with filters and perfection, what does authenticity in aesthetics mean to you?

To me, authenticity in aesthetics means preserving a person’s identity rather than altering it. There is a big difference between helping someone look refreshed and making them look like a different person. I have always believed that the best results are the ones that feel invisible, where someone looks great, vibrant, and well rested, but no one can pinpoint exactly why.

In a world where filters, excessive fillers, and overdone procedures have become normalized, authenticity is about restraint, honesty, and respect for natural anatomy. My goal is never to chase perfection or trends; it is to bring someone back to a version of themselves that feels aligned with how they feel on the inside.

When procedures are done thoughtfully, honoring proportions, balance, and facial harmony, the results look timeless, not trendy. That is what authenticity means to me: enhancing someone’s own unique features, restoring what time has taken away, and giving them back a sense of confidence without ever compromising who they are.

How do you approach mentorship and education, and what defines great leadership in medicine today?

I believe mentorship is extremely important, and I try my best to embody the qualities that shaped me early on. My entire career was influenced by one person: Dr. Stuart Jamison, the surgeon scientist who performed my mother’s heart transplant when I had just finished high school. He did not just save her life; he set the example of what a high caliber surgeon looks like. I spent the next four years working in his laboratory and shadowing him clinically, and that experience set the trajectory of my career. He was the first surgeon to perform a heart lung transplant at Stanford, and his blend of precision, brilliance, humility, and dedication became the model I have tried to emulate ever since.

Because of him, I see mentorship as a responsibility, not an option. Innovation, teaching, and setting standards have become fundamental parts of my practice and my career. I have written textbook chapters, scientific articles, and a textbook on facial rejuvenation, and I spend a tremendous amount of energy educating surgeons at conferences as well as through my social media platforms. Sharing what I know is part of the legacy I want to leave.

Great leadership in medicine today requires integrity, clarity, and an unwavering commitment to the patient. With so much noise and commercial influence in our field, leadership means staying grounded in what is true and acting in the best interest of the patient even when it is not the easiest path. It also means being curious and humble enough to keep learning.

My approach to mentorship is simple: teach the why, not just the how; model the behavior you expect from others; and always let the patient’s wellbeing guide your standards. That is what Dr. Jamison taught me, and it is what I hope to pass on.

What do your off hours look like?

My off hours are centered around family, movement, and being outdoors. My wife is also a physician, but she has been incredibly focused on our family and on being great parents. Her support and her perspective have allowed me to stay committed to my career without ever losing sight of my responsibilities as a husband and father. She has been instrumental in helping me maintain balance and take care of my health, especially since my natural inclination is to work nonstop. She helps me see the importance of stepping back and giving equal attention to my career, my family, and my wellbeing.

As our four boys were growing up, I coached almost all of their sports teams from soccer and basketball to flag football, and I never missed their games or events. Those experiences are some of the most meaningful parts of my life, and they kept me connected and present even during the busiest chapters of my career.

Physical activity is another way I recharge. Tennis, workouts, hiking, daily movement, anything that keeps my mind sharp and my body feeling young. And I value unstructured time too, whether it is being in nature, reading, or simply being at home with my family. Those moments ground me and allow me to show up fully in every other role I play.

How do you stay intentional while balancing so many roles?

For me, staying intentional comes down to being clear on my purpose and making sure everything I do aligns with it. Whether it is surgery, education, or building KaramMD Skin, all of it is driven by the same mission: helping people look as young as they feel through clarity, integrity, and effective solutions. When that mission anchors every decision, it is much easier to know what deserves my time and attention.

A major influence early in my life was a teaching from Sir William Osler, the father of internal medicine. He wrote about the wisdom of living in day tight compartments, and that idea stayed with me from my college years onward. The concept of compartmentalization changed everything for me. When I operate, I am fully immersed in surgery. When I am building the brand, I am entirely focused on that. And when I am with my family, I am present and engaged. That separation allows me to give each role the energy it deserves without feeling scattered.

I am also fortunate to have strong teams in both my practice and the brand. Surrounding myself with great people allows me to stay focused on the work that requires my vision and expertise, while knowing that every other element is being handled with the same level of intention.

In the end, staying intentional is about clarity, disciplined focus, and honoring the purpose behind everything I do. Compartmentalization has helped me maintain that balance throughout my entire career.

For someone looking to age well and live well, what is one small daily action that makes the biggest long term impact?

If I had to choose one daily action that makes the biggest long term impact, it would be staying consistent with effective skincare every morning and night. Just like nutrition or exercise, skincare works through compounding. The right actives, used daily, can dramatically change the trajectory of how your skin ages. You cannot out laser inconsistency, and no single treatment can match what happens when you support your skin at the cellular level every day.

Using skincare with proven actives, applied the right way, builds collagen, improves skin tone, reduces pigment, increases cell turnover, and keeps the skin healthy and youthful. This is why the KaramMD Trifecta was created to be simple, powerful, and used twice a day without gaps. Real skin improvement comes from commitment, consistency, and continuity.

What does living with intention mean to you?

Living with intention, for me, means being clear about what matters and structuring my life around those priorities. Early in my career, intention was about mastering my craft and establishing myself as a surgeon. I was focused on skill development, innovation, learning, and building a level of excellence that I could stand behind.

As my life and career evolved, living with intention took on a much broader meaning. It became about creating a life that integrates purpose, family, contribution, and balance. It meant being present as a husband and father, building a practice centered on integrity, and creating a skincare brand that genuinely helps people. Intentional living now is about aligning my time, energy, and decisions with the values that matter most to me.

It has also come to mean eliminating distractions and staying focused on the mission that drives everything I do: helping people look as young as they feel and elevating the standards in my field. When life gets busy, intention is what keeps me grounded and reminds me why I do what I do.

Over time, I have learned that intention is not about doing more, but about doing what is meaningful. And that clarity has shaped every part of my personal and professional life.

Keep up with Dr. Amir Karam and see what he’s building next here- https://www.instagram.com/dramirkaram/