The Skincarma Pod | Ep. 79: When the Surgeon Became the Patient: Healing from the Inside Out with Dr. Kami Parsa

One of modern medicine’s greatest strengths is its ability to intervene. We can replace joints, bypass blocked arteries, remove tumors, resurface skin, and perform procedures that would have seemed impossible just a generation ago.But what happens after the intervention?In this episode of the Skincarma Pod, Carmine welcomes board-certified oculoplastic surgeon and Mendora Health founder Dr. Kami Parsa for a conversation about a question that rarely gets the attention it deserves: how does the body actually heal?What begins as a discussion about skin health quickly expands into a much broader exploration of recovery, nutrition, inflammation, and the remarkable biological intelligence of the human body. Dr. Parsa shares how a seemingly minor finger injury sent him down a years-long rabbit hole into wound healing research, nutritional science, and the protocols used in burn units and intensive care settings to support recovery.That research ultimately transformed not only his approach to patient care, but also his understanding of medicine itself.Then life delivered an unexpected twist.While preparing to publish his book Heal, Dr. Parsa discovered he had a 100% blockage in a major coronary artery and would require open-heart surgery. Suddenly, the surgeon became the patient, forcing him to apply the very principles he had spent years studying.Together, Carmine and Dr. Parsa explore why nutrition remains one of the most overlooked aspects of modern healthcare, what critical care medicine can teach us about healing, the relationship between inflammation and recovery, and why supporting the body’s internal repair systems may be just as important as any procedure, treatment, or topical product.At its core, this is a conversation about what happens when we stop viewing healing as something medicine does to us — and start recognizing it as something the body is designed to do for itself.In this episode, you’ll learn:How a finger injury unexpectedly transformed Dr. Parsa’s approach to medicine and patient care; What burn units and ICU teams understand about recovery that much of healthcare overlooks;Why nutrition plays a critical role in wound healing, tissue repair, and surgical recovery;How inflammation influences both skin health and overall health outcomes;Why many physicians receive surprisingly little nutrition education during medical training;How Dr. Parsa’s own open-heart surgery reshaped his perspective as a surgeon;The connection between skin repair, collagen production, and nutritional support;And, why the future of skin health may depend as much on supporting biology from within as treating skin from the outside.Key TakeawayHealing is not a passive process.As Dr. Kami Parsa explains, the body is constantly working to repair, regenerate, and restore itself — but that process depends on having the resources it needs to do so. While modern medicine excels at intervention, recovery is often treated as an afterthought.His journey — from surgeon, to researcher, to patient — offers a powerful reminder that healing doesn’t begin when symptoms disappear or a procedure ends. It begins when we create the conditions that allow the body to do what it has been designed to do all along.Sometimes the most important question isn’t how we treat the problem. It’s how well we support the body’s ability to heal from it.Connect with Dr. Parsa on LinkedIn here and on Instagram at @kamiparsamd. Explore Mendora Health on Instagram at @mendorahealth and discover Mendora’s products and brand ethos at mendorahealth.com.—Follow Skincarma on Instagram and on TikTok. Catch product reviews of Carmine’s top picks of the best skincare on the Skincarma Blog. You can also connect with Carmine on Substack and LinkedIn – and explore his extensive work in beauty on the Carmine Montalto INK website here.If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate and/or leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Substack, or Spotify to help Carmine reach more curious listeners.Product links:Mendora - The Skin Repair FormulaMendora - The 7-Day Skin Reset Cleanse - Download for FreeHEAL: Your Recovery Blueprint with 100+ Healing Recipes for Surgery and Injury by Kami Parsa MD (Author)Product reviews on the Skincarma Blog:Explore the Best Sunscreens for Face here.Explore the Best Retinol Face Creams and Serums here.Explore the Best Vitamin C Serums here.Explore the Best Niacinamide Serums here.Explore the Best Acne Treatments here.Explore the Best Anti-Aging Creams and Serums here.Explore the Best Face Creams for Dry Skin here.Explore the Best Face Creams for Oily Skin here.The Skincarma® Pod is where indie beauty meets fearless curiosity. Hosted by Carmine, his podcast pulls back the curtain on the beauty industry with sharp insights, candid interviews, and a healthy dose of irreverence. From deep dives into ingredient science to raw conversations with dermatologists, brand founders, and industry insiders, each episode is a no-BS exploration of what really matters in skincare: how to attain and maintain healthy skin. If you’re obsessed with products, passionate about transparency, and love calling out hype, this is the place to learn, question, and glow smarter.The Skincarma® Blog is written and curated by skinfluencer, skincare junkie and Brooklyn writer Carmine Montalto. With 25 years of expertise in beauty across every category, Carmine has helped build multiple consumer brands from the ground up. He’s named 100s of skincare, haircare & makeup products – some of which are probably in your bathroom cabinet right now! And, he’s tested 1,000s of products, the best of which can be found reviewed on his blog at skincarma.com.With the right skincare routine including sunscreen...You CAN change your skin’s destiny!™ Get full access to Skincarma® at skincarma.substack.com/subscribe