Dr Kristen Johansen (MBBS ABAARM FAAMFM Cert. EM Fellow CPCA) is a well-regarded Cosmetic Physician with a loyal patient following in Melbourne. She is known for her passion in Natural Aesthetics, valuing both the internal health of her patients as well as preserving their unique natural look by using a minimalist approach.
Dr Kristen graduated from Monash University with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery, prior to embarking upon accredited specialty training in critical care and emergency medicine. This initial specialisation took her to Central Australia, working in the base hospital, receiving a high proportion of trauma patients. Her work in remote Australia fostered an interest in advocating for health outcomes of Indigenous Australians, but also in minor procedures to manage trauma, particularly facial trauma. With major surgical units being a plane trip away, Dr Kristen developed a special interest in emergency management of soft tissue injuries. Upon her return to work in the Anaesthetic department of a tertiary Victorian hospital, Dr Kristen was spotted by a hospital plastic surgeon for her meticulous approach to procedures. She commenced training in cosmetic surgery on top of her hospital appointment as a Senior Registrar, prior to transitioning to a full-time cosmetic medicine practice.
Dr Kristen held an appointment at one of Melbourne’s busiest and most highly regarded cosmetic clinics, as well as an appointment at a men’s cosmetic clinic, seeing patients undergoing gender reassignment surgery. The diversity of patients attending these clinics meant the scope of her work was broad yet highly refined, with a strong background in advanced procedures. Some of Dr Kristen’s gender reassignment patients had undergone major craniofacial reconstruction, as well as hormone therapy, requiring treatments to be performed collaboratively with multiple practitioners. In addition to this, working in this population meant masculinisation or feminisation of the patient was non-binary and precisely tailored to the needs of the patients. Dr Kristen’s work led her to spend several months between London and northern Italy, where she worked directly with some of the most recognisable doctors in her field. This resulted in a global partnership to publish an article regarding safe dermal filler injection in the Journal of Reconstructive and Plastic Surgery.
Dr Kristen’s current work in cosmetic medicine centres around a minimalist and safe approach to treatments. She presently holds appointment at two Melbourne clinics, seeing a diverse range of patients who come to her largely through word of mouth recommendations. Dr Kristen performs basic and advanced cosmetic procedures including injectables, mole removal, plasma blepharoplasty and PDO Monothreads. She is able to prescribe appropriate courses of laser treatment to be performed by highly trained practitioners. In addition to her clinical practice, Dr Kristen has carefully curated a range of prescription only skincare to address dermatological or anti-ageing concerns in her patients.
Dr Kristen’s clinical ethos is centred around two simple principles. She asks herself with every patient 1. Is it safe? 2. Does it add value to this person by looking or feeling better? If both of these core principles are not met, then the treatment will be adjusted or declined. She seeks to use the Minimum Effective Dose for all treatments and takes the time to understand her patients so she can provide highly personalised care. Dr Kristen’s patients consistently remark upon her exceptional communication, her emphasis on internal health and her ability to achieve a very natural appearing result.
Dr Kristen has been granted the highest level of recognition for cosmetic medicine in Australian medical practice, and was one of the first doctors to undergo peer-reviewed examination to attain a Fellowship with the Cosmetic Physicians College of Australia. She also has completed the internationally acclaimed Fellowship of the American Academy of Anti-Aging medicine and is a Board Certified Anti-Aging Physician (USA). This Fellowship in particular is focused on the internal health aspects of Anti-Aging, and is considered to be the most highly regarded integrative medicine qualification. Further to this, Dr Kristen holds post-graduate certificates in Primary Care Dermatology, Skin Cancer Medicine and Surgical Anatomy.
