Transparent Answers to the Very Real Questions Women Ask About This Procedure

"Is what I'm seeing ... normal?"

Asking yourself this question is a near-universal experience among women. Many resort to a midnight Google search, close the tab and never tell a soul. Turns out there's no such thing as "normal!"

And trust us: there's a lot more to know than the internet (or that outdated sex ed class you took in high school) usually offers.

In this episode, host Jillian Birkle sits down one-on-one with board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Michelle Sieffert for a candid, no-judgment conversation about labiaplasty surgery:

• What causes changes in anatomy
• How the procedure actually works
• What recovery looks like
• How it connects to the rest of women's health

This one is for anyone who has ever had a question about their body but didn't feel comfortable enough to ask a doctor, a friend or even a search bar.

Everything We're Covering:

• Why labiaplasty is still considered a taboo topic, & why it shouldn't be
• What "normal" actually means when it comes to labia (there isn't just one)
• What causes labia to change: puberty, hormones, childbirth & aging
• Wedge Technique vs. Edge Trim Technique: Why Dr. Sieffert prefers the Wedge approach most
• Concerns about body dysmorphia & external pressure to pursue surgery
• How this procedure can be done in-office, awake, under local anesthesia
• Recovery timeline, activity restrictions & what surprises patients most
• Whether a partner will notice after healing
• How labiaplasty connects to hormone replacement therapy, the diVa Laser & the O-Shot
• Male vs. Female Surgeon: Why some patients specifically seek out a woman
• Why labiaplasty doesn't really help with incontinence - & the solutions that do!

Meet Your Experts:

• Michelle Sieffert, MD — Board-certified plastic surgeon specializing in labiaplasty and vaginal rejuvenation, among other surgical procedures.
• Jillian Birkle — Host of Asking For A Friend, bringing the questions patients are already thinking but haven't had the chance to ask out loud.

🎙️ About The Asking For A Friend Podcast 🎙️
Asking For A Friend is Donaldson's women's health podcast, featuring plastic surgeons, aesthetic providers and functional medicine experts based in Columbus, Ohio, talking through the things you actually want to ask but haven't found the right moment to say out loud.

No question is off the table! Because chances are, if you're wondering about it, someone else is too.

Subscribe On Your Favorite Platform!

🍎 Apple Podcasts

🎵 Spotify

🛒 Amazon Music

❤️ iHeartRadio

▶️ YouTube

💻 Visit Our Site

The Science Behind Bad Sleep — & What You Can Actually Do About It

Let's say it: you are not imagining how tired you are, and "just go to bed earlier" was never going to fix it.

In this episode, Jillian sits down with Dr. Marguerite Weston, Courtney Gilbert, PA-C, and Colleen Bush, RDN, to pull apart why so many of us are running on empty. Cortisol spikes waking you up at 3 a.m. Gut imbalances quietly wrecking sleep quality. Hormones shifting everything from fertility to perimenopause.

There's a root cause, and they're going to find it!

This episode is for anyone who has been told their sleep is "fine" while feeling anything but.

Everything We're Covering:

• Why 45% of adults are sleeping less than six hours a night
• The real reason you keep waking up at 3 a.m. (hint — it's not your bladder)
• How gut bacteria imbalance shows up as poor sleep, even without GI symptoms
• The cortisol-melatonin relationship and what a DUTCH Hormone Testing panel can reveal
• Why "you can't out-supplement bad sleep"
• One week of bad sleep equals about one extra pound — & they show the math!
• REM sleep, deep sleep and why timing matters as much as total hours
• Do women actually need more sleep than men, or just better sleep
• What's really happening to sleep during perimenopause and menopause
• Melatonin: the dose most people are taking wrong
• Magnesium, L-theanine and what's worth trying
• Cognitive behavioral therapy and why it beats sleep medication in the research
• The five-hour mark your brain needs to start clearing waste overnight
• The vital importance of early morning light exposure

Meet Your Experts:

• Dr. Marguerite Weston, MD, IFMCP — Functional Medicine Director, dual board-certified in Family and Sports Medicine, bringing root-cause clarity to a topic most people have only gotten surface-level advice on.
• Courtney Gilbert, PA-C — Hormone health and fertility specialist who connects the dots between cortisol, melatonin and the overnight wake-ups so many women have just learned to live with.
• Colleen Bush, RDN, LDN, IFNCP — Functional dietitian who makes the case that gut health and sleep quality are far more connected than most people realize.
• Jillian Birkle — Host of Asking For a Friend, bringing the questions patients are already thinking but haven't had the chance to ask out loud.

🎙️ About The Asking For A Friend Podcast 🎙️
Asking For A Friend is Donaldson's women's health podcast, featuring plastic surgeons, aesthetic providers and functional medicine experts based in Columbus, Ohio, talking through the things you actually want to ask but haven't found the right moment to say out loud.

No question is off the table! Because chances are, if you're wondering about it, someone else is too.

Subscribe On Your Favorite Platform!

🍎 Apple Podcasts

🎵 Spotify

🛒 Amazon Music

❤️ iHeartRadio

▶️ YouTube

💻 Visit Our Site

What Your Provider Is Actually Thinking When You Walk Through The Door

You don't have to know exactly what you want to walk into a consultation. You just have to show up. In this episode, Jillian sits down with two of our most versatile providers for a genuinely honest conversation about what aesthetic medicine looks, feels and sounds like — from both sides of the treatment chair.

Paige Brudzinski, RN, and Andie Schroeder, LME, cover everything from cosmetic tattooing and scar camouflage to neurotoxin, laser treatments and skincare — while Dr. Marguerite Weston, MD, IFMCP, joins as a fellow curious patient with some pretty direct questions of her own.

This episode is for anyone who's aesthetically curious but not quite sure where to start — or who's been curious for a while but hasn't made the call yet.

Everything We're Covering:

• What Paige and Andie actually do all day (and why "punished by Paige" is the best reputation to have)
• How cosmetic tattooing (from nano brows to lip blushing) can genuinely simplify your morning routine
• Lip blushing vs. lip filler: the order of operations that most patients don't know about
• What scar camouflage is, what scars can be treated, and the emotional weight that comes with that work
• The lesser-known places you can get Botox — including some that go well beyond looking refreshed
• Dynamic vs. static wrinkles: when to start neurotoxin and how to start gradually
• How Paige and Andie collaborate on patient treatment plans — and why working somewhere with no commission policy changes everything
• What happens when patients get anxious in the chair (spoiler: there's a whole system, and it involves Jolly Ranchers)
• Sunscreen: medical-grade vs. drugstore, SPF numbers that actually matter, and why "find one you'll wear" is valid advice
• The art of reading a patient's face before you've even done anything
• Natural results defined: undetectable vs. just-had-a-great-night's-sleep
• The consultation: why Andie finds the idea of treating someone without one "unfathomable."

"Emotionally, a lot goes into a scar, especially a self-harm scar. It's like a new chapter — ending that identity that you had."

Meet Your Experts:

• ⚕️ Paige Brudzinski, RN, BSN — Aesthetic provider specializing in injectables, laser treatments and body contouring. Former NICU nurse. Known for precision, patience and a treatment philosophy that patients lovingly describe as "punished by Paige."
• ⚕️ Andie Schroeder, LME — Licensed cosmetic tattoo artist and medical aesthetician specializing in lip blushing, permanent brows, scar camouflage and paramedical tattooing. Obsessively committed to natural, undetectable results.
• ⚕️ Marguerite Weston, MD, IFMCP — Dual board-certified functional medicine physician and resident aesthetics patient with very reasonable sunscreen opinions.
• 🎙️ Jillian Birkle — Aesthetic medicine patient, endlessly busy woman & host of the Asking For a Friend podcast.

🎙️ About The Asking For A Friend Podcast 🎙️
Asking For A Friend is Donaldson's women's health podcast, featuring plastic surgeons, aesthetic providers and functional medicine experts based in Columbus, Ohio, talking through the things you actually want to ask but haven't found the right moment to say out loud.

No question is off the table! Because chances are, if you're wondering about it, someone else is too.

Subscribe On Your Favorite Platform!

🍎 Apple Podcasts

🎵 Spotify

🛒 Amazon Music

❤️ iHeartRadio

▶️ YouTube

💻 Visit Our Site

Gynecomastia affects far more men than we realize. And the worst part? You can’t always diet or lift your way out of it.

In this episode of Asking For A Friend, our experts sit down with a real patient to talk honestly about men’s health, confidence, hormones and the plastic surgery procedure that profoundly changed one firefighter’s life.

This episode is for any man who’s ever hidden behind 2 T-shirts, questioned his body or wondered what options actually exist — & for anyone supporting the men in their lives.

What We Cover in This Episode:

• Jarrad’s real-life gynecomastia journey, from childhood to adulthood
• How to tell the difference between body fat and true gynecomastia
• Why you cannot outlift gynecomastia — & why weight loss can sometimes worsen its appearance
• Gynecomastia surgery explained (including when it can be done under local anesthesia)
• The most common procedures men choose today at our practice
• Some of the more extreme surgical procedures that we don’t offer
• How men’s hormones shift over time — & how that change impacts energy, focus, body composition & signs of aging
• Preventative aesthetic treatments men are actually doing to enhance their appearance & their skin health

Meet The Cast:

• Carrie Esposito — Host, asking the questions men rarely hear asked out loud
• Jarrad Tracey — Firefighter and patient sharing his unfiltered experience
• Jeffrey Donaldson, MD — Board-certified plastic surgeon in Columbus, Ohio specializing in gynecomastia surgery
• Marguerite Weston, MD, IFMCP — Functional medicine physician focused on men’s hormones and health
• Stacie Isler, PA-C — Renowned aesthetics provider, with a unique eye for male facial balancing & other nonsurgical skin health enhancements

🎙️ About The Asking For A Friend Podcast 🎙️
Asking For A Friend is Donaldson's women's health podcast, featuring plastic surgeons, aesthetic providers and functional medicine experts based in Columbus, Ohio, talking through the things you actually want to ask but haven't found the right moment to say out loud.

No question is off the table! Because chances are, if you're wondering about it, someone else is too.

Subscribe On Your Favorite Platform!

🍎 Apple Podcasts

🎵 Spotify

🛒 Amazon Music

❤️ iHeartRadio

▶️ YouTube

💻 Visit Our Site

How Three Experts Took Different Paths To Create “Desired Healthcare”

A great practice starts with great people. And so, this time, we’re doing a little consultation of our own to meet the minds behind Donaldson.

In this special episode of Asking For A Friend, host Carrie Esposito sits down with Dr. Jeffrey Donaldson, Dr. Michelle Sieffert and Dr. Marguerite Weston to explore how three very different career paths and upbringings came together to redefine what modern medicine can look like.

This episode is for anyone curious about careers in medicine, the art of plastic surgery, the science of functional medicine or simply what they may be missing out of their own patient experience as they seek a more collaborative approach to their own care (instead of a compromise).

Everything We’re Covering:

• How Dr. Donaldson went from family medicine provider to plastic surgery entrepreneur
• How Dr. Sieffert turned her childhood hobby of knitting & organic instinct to help people into surgical artistry
• The vital differences between cosmetic and plastic surgery
• Dr. Weston's path from doing homework in the waiting room while waiting for her mother to get off her shift, to being the director of functional medicine at Donaldson
• What makes a great functional medicine provider & why specific credentials matter (a lot!)
• What rap song did Dr. Weston perform at her wedding?
• Why is there often hip-hop playing in the operating room?
• How combining plastic surgery and functional medicine is helping create “Desired Healthcare” — not just required care

Meet Your Experts:

• Jeffrey Donaldson, MD – Board-certified plastic surgeon, founder of Donaldson Plastic Surgery, and leader of the team redefining what a personalized patient experience looks like.
• Michelle Sieffert, MD – Board-certified plastic surgeon, celebrated for her precision, bedside manner and mastery of anatomy — known regionally for her natural, life-enhancing results and innovative surgical artistry, especially when it comes to facelift surgery.
• Marguerite Weston, MD, IFMCP – Double board-certified functional medicine physician helping patients uncover root causes and bridge the gap between traditional care and total wellness.
• Hosted by Carrie Esposito – The voice of Asking For A Friend, connecting expert insights with real stories and plenty of curiosity.

🎙️ About The Asking For A Friend Podcast 🎙️
Asking For A Friend is Donaldson's women's health podcast, featuring plastic surgeons, aesthetic providers and functional medicine experts based in Columbus, Ohio, talking through the things you actually want to ask but haven't found the right moment to say out loud.

No question is off the table! Because chances are, if you're wondering about it, someone else is too.

Subscribe On Your Favorite Platform!

🍎 Apple Podcasts

🎵 Spotify

🛒 Amazon Music

❤️ iHeartRadio

▶️ YouTube

💻 Visit Our Site

The Intimate Connection Between Digestion Issues, Acne Breakouts & Feeling Better In Your Skin

If your gut’s a mess and your skin is too — you’re totally not imagining it! In this episode, we connect the dots between digestion, inflammation and acne to help you understand what your body’s been trying to say all along.

Our skincare and functional medicine experts break down the science (and the symptoms) behind that stubborn skin and why your next step to clear, glowing skin might start in your stomach.

This episode is for anyone struggling with GI issues, acne, or both — and ready to finally get real answers instead of quick fixes.

Everything We’re Covering:

• How specific gut disorders are diagnosed (and what a GI Map test reveals)
• The rise of food sensitivities — and what’s really driving them
• The science-backed benefits of intermittent fasting & how to personalize it
• Why hormonal acne flares before your period (plus probiotics & omega-3s that help)
• The direct connection between gut health and acne breakouts
• The “Keto Smell” & what it says about your digestion and detox pathways
• Why energy drinks may be sabotaging your skin health
• How functional medicine and skincare teams collaborate to treat root causes
• A story that reminds us clear skin is about confidence, not perfection

Meet Your Experts:

• Dr. Marguerite Weston, MD, IFMCP – Double board-certified in family and sports medicine, now focusing on functional medicine to uncover the root causes of gut and hormone imbalances.
• Colleen Bush, RDN, LDN, IFNCP – Gut health dietitian with 16+ years of experience. After navigating her own autoimmune diagnoses (Hashimoto’s and rheumatoid arthritis), she now helps others find healing through functional nutrition.
• Nikki Rucinsky, LME – Licensed medical aesthetician and creator of the Adult Acne Bootcamp at Donaldson, specializing in customized skin plans that address diet, hormones and stress for long-term results.
• Hosted by Carrie Esposito – The voice of Asking For A Friend, connecting expert insight with real-world questions - and plenty of empathy (and wine).

🎙️ About The Asking For A Friend Podcast 🎙️
Asking For A Friend is Donaldson's women's health podcast, featuring plastic surgeons, aesthetic providers and functional medicine experts based in Columbus, Ohio, talking through the things you actually want to ask but haven't found the right moment to say out loud.

No question is off the table! Because chances are, if you're wondering about it, someone else is too.

Subscribe On Your Favorite Platform!

🍎 Apple Podcasts

🎵 Spotify

🛒 Amazon Music

❤️ iHeartRadio

▶️ YouTube

💻 Visit Our Site

Lasers. Fillers. Cosmetic Tattooing. What's Worth Your Time, Money & Discomfort?

You should be skeptical of any new TikTok trend that no one has ever heard of but promises results!

In this episode of Asking For A Friend, Carrie Esposito sits down with Columbus’s go-to aesthetics dream team to unpack the lasers, injectables, facials and tattooing treatments that actually move the needle (literally and figuratively).

This episode is for anyone who wants a year-long plan for skin health, real answers about lasers and injectables, and an honest take on the fads flooding your feed.

Everything We’re Covering:

• Why the best treatments aren’t always the most comfortable — or as the experts like to say "spicy"
• Ultrasound-guided filler: how precision improves results & safety
• Lasers for fine lines, laxity, hyperpigmentation, scarring & hair removal
• What the MOXI Laser is best used for & who benefits the most from it
• Building a year-long, layered treatment plan that makes sense
• Why filler has been unfairly vilified — & what good technique looks like
• Cosmetic tattooing explained: lip blushing, brows, eyeliner & scar revision
• “Regenerative” buzzwords decoded: PRF, PRP, exosomes, salmon sperm facials
• TikTok Trends Ranked: red light masks, jaw bras, beef tallow, estrogen cream, microcurrent gadgets & more

Meet Your Experts:

• Carrie Esposito – Host, patient & the one who asks the questions you’re already thinking, but haven't been able to ask yet.
• Adrienne Yanich, APRN – Master injector, national aesthetics treatment trainer & filler/neuromodulator artist known for natural, balanced results & a transparent approach to each session.
• Stacie Isler, MS, PA-C – Experienced aesthetics provider offering Botox, filler, laser therapy, liquid rhinoplasty & cellulite treatments — along with an unfiltered understand about what each do.
• Andie Schroeder, LME – Licensed medical aesthetician, cosmetic tattoo artist & rising star in the aesthetics industry, specializing in skin health, facials & paramedical tattooing for scars & beyond.

🎙️ About The Asking For A Friend Podcast 🎙️
Asking For A Friend is Donaldson's women's health podcast, featuring plastic surgeons, aesthetic providers and functional medicine experts based in Columbus, Ohio, talking through the things you actually want to ask but haven't found the right moment to say out loud.

No question is off the table! Because chances are, if you're wondering about it, someone else is too.

Subscribe On Your Favorite Platform!

🍎 Apple Podcasts

🎵 Spotify

🛒 Amazon Music

❤️ iHeartRadio

▶️ YouTube

💻 Visit Our Site

Your Unblushing Foray Into Women's Sexual Health
Women’s sexual health deserves straight answers, minus the shame and side-eye. In this episode, we get clear on what’s normal, what’s treatable and what actually helps you feel comfortable and confident in your body.

🌟 Everything We’re Covering:

• OB/Gyn vs. Uro/Gyn vs. Functional Medicine: who is responsible for what & and how the functional medicine approach connects hormones, lifestyle and outcomes.
• Pelvic Floor 101: what it is, how it works, and why it matters for leaks, pleasure, and support.
• Common Concerns, Real Causes: incontinence, UTIs, odor/BV, discharge, yeast infections, low libido and difficulty reaching orgasm.
• Vaginal Atrophy: what drives it (estrogen decline, time, stress) and what actually helps.
• Treatments That Move the Needle: O-Shot/PRP, diVa/Ariessence, vaginal estrogen, hormone replacement therapy (HRT), prescriptions, probiotics, cranberry and when to use each.
• Hormones & Gut Health: why estrogen, progesterone, testosterone and your microbiome shape symptoms.
• Kegel Exercises: what they are, when they help and when you need PT instead.
• Childbirth & Recovery: what changes, what you can do before pregnancy and how to heal afterward.

The Labiaplasty Deep Dive With Dr. Donaldson:
We go deep on what labiaplasty surgery is, who it actually helps and how Dr. Donaldson is able to perform it comfortably in an office vs. having to go to a surgery center. He breaks down our signature wedge technique and how it differs from a trim and what recovery really looks like, including realistic timelines for walking, workouts, tampon use and, of course, sex.

Trends That We Debunk (& Some We Embrace):
✔ Vaginal steaming
✔ Jade eggs/balls
✔ “Private part" deodorants
✔ Refreshing wipes
✔ Toy hygiene
✔ Good lube & bad lube

🌟 Meet Your Experts:
⚕️ Marguerite Weston, MD, IFMCP: Double board-certified functional medicine physician in Columbus, Ohio, who is connecting hormones, metabolism, gut health and sexual wellness to treat root causes (not just symptoms).
⚕️ Courtney Gilbert, PA-C: Renowned physician assistant focused on women’s wellness and aesthetics, guiding patients through pragmatic, personalized plans for comfort, confidence and sexual health.
⚕️ Jeffrey Donaldson, MD: Board-certified plastic surgeon specializing in precise, patient-centered procedures including labiaplasty, with an emphasis on natural form, function and comfort.

This one is for anyone who is seeking validation about their situation and real solutions — isn't afraid to have a little laugh while learning about libido, comfort and vaginal health!

🎙️ About The Asking For A Friend Podcast 🎙️
Asking For A Friend is Donaldson's women's health podcast, featuring plastic surgeons, aesthetic providers and functional medicine experts based in Columbus, Ohio, talking through the things you actually want to ask but haven't found the right moment to say out loud.

No question is off the table! Because chances are, if you're wondering about it, someone else is too.

Subscribe On Your Favorite Platform!

🍎 Apple Podcasts

🎵 Spotify

🛒 Amazon Music

❤️ iHeartRadio

▶️ YouTube

💻 Visit Our Site