Jeffrey Klein, M.D.

Dr. Jeffrey A. Klein is a medical and surgical dermatologist practicing in San Juan Capistrano, California, at HK Dermatology. Dr. Klein has been a practicing dermatologist for nearly 40 years and is board certified by the American Board of Dermatology (UC Irvine), the American Board of Internal Medicine (UCLA), and the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery. In addition, Dr. Klein has completed a National Institute of Health Research Fellowship in Clinical Pharmacology as well as advanced degrees in mathematics and biostatistics (UC Berkeley). Dr. Klein is a graduate of the University of California, San Francisco, (UCSF) School of Medicine. Dr. Klein is a clinical professor of Dermatology at UC Irvine. In November 2021, Dr. Klein was honored with the President’s Award by the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery. The ASDS President’s Award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions over the years to the specialty and/or ASDS. In December 2021, Dr. Klein became one of the first dermatologists to achieve certification in Micrographic Dermatologic Surgery.

Dr. Klein devotes a significant portion of his professional research activities to clinical research involving medical dermatology, tumescent drug delivery for dermatologic diseases, and the clinical pharmacology of lidocaine local anesthesia. He is currently pursuing research for treating patients with the most severe pain of acute shingles (herpes zoster) and chronic postherpetic neuralgia. He has developed a technique for painless subcutaneous injection of tumescent lidocaine acyclovir (aka ZosterRx). In patients with acute painful shingles, ZosterRx abruptly eliminates the shingles pain and arrests the progression of the rash.

Dr. Klein has made groundbreaking medical advances in the dermatologic community. Dr. Klein is the inventor of tumescent lidocaine anesthesia (TLA), which is now the worldwide standard of care for liposuction and many other plastic surgical procedures. Virtually every plastic surgeon and dermatologic surgeon uses the “Klein Solution” for large surgeries involving skin or subcutaneous fat. Dr. Klein first described the tumescent technique for liposuction at a scientific meeting in 1986 and published his result in the Journal of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery in 1987. Prior to 1986, all liposuction surgeries were done under general anesthesia, and were associated with significant surgical blood loss and prolonged postoperative recovery of two or more weeks.

Dr. Klein’s innovative liposuction technique was the first of its kind, allowing surgeons to prevent significant surgical blood loss often associated with general anesthesia operations. The potential dangers and risks of liposuction are often associated with general anesthesia, excessively large volumes of liposuction done on a single day and combining liposuction with other unrelated procedures. Dr. Klein’s tumescent liposuction avoids all of these risk factors. Experience has shown that Dr. Klein’s tumescent liposuction is safer than laser liposuction and ultrasound-assisted liposuction (UAL) and is less painful and far more effective than CoolSculpt and other non-invasive fat reducing technologies.

Within a few years, tumescent liposuction became the worldwide standard of care. A Google search for: “Jeffrey Klein” Liposuction, yields more than 10,000 listings. More than 800 surgeons from around the world have traveled to San Juan Capistrano to attend Dr. Klein’s tumescent liposuction course known as Liposuction 101. Dr. Klein is active in research and teaching at the University of California, Irvine. Dr. Klein continues to perform the world’s safest and most comfortable form of liposuction with the quickest recovery and the best cosmetic results. At HK Dermatology, safety and patient comfort are Dr. Klein highest priorities.

Click here to read Dr. Klein’s Curriculum Vitae

Click here to access Dr. Klein’s publications

Norma Kassardjian, M.D.

Norma Kassardjian, MD, is a board-certified medical and cosmetic dermatologist with a dermatology degree from Loma Linda University Medical Center in California. Dr. Kassardjian specializes in Mohs micrographic surgery, a technique that allows doctors to remove skin cancers with extreme precision, followed by the cosmetic repair of the surgical wound. She also specializes in Tumescent Liposuction, which allows doctors to penetrate subcutaneous fat with localized anesthesia, preventing blood loss and long recovery times associated with surgeries that require general anesthesia.

Dr. Kassardjian has been trained by the inventor of the Tumescent Technique, Dr. Jeffrey Klein, and has performed more than 5,000 surgeries to date and teaches Tumescent Liposuction to physicians from around the world. Dr. Kassardjian has been a practicing dermatologist for more than 25 years treating patients at HK Dermatology in San Juan Capistrano, California.

As a woman, Dr. Kassardjian understands the aesthetic struggles that women face as they age, and enter peri-menopausal stages where their faces and bodies change with time and hormonal fluctuations. In this regard, she prefers using non-invasive techniques such as intense pulsed light (IPL) therapy, fractional lasers, as well as hyaluronic acid and biostimulatory fillers to minimize the appearance of fine lines and restore volume that is lost with age.

She certainly has the experience and an eye for beauty which are necessary to achieve natural and age-appropriate results for facial rejuvenation and body sculpting.

Dr. Kassardjian possesses the knowledge and expertise to achieve natural-looking results for women of all ages. In addition to her training, Dr. Kassardjian speaks English, Armenian, French, Spanish, and Arabic.

She is an active member of the American Academy of Dermatology, the American College of Mohs Surgery, the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, the Orange County Medical Association, and the Orange County Dermatologic Society. In December 2021, Dr. Kassardjian became one of the first dermatologists to achieve certification in Micrographic Dermatologic Surgery.

Click here to read Dr. Kassardjian’s Curriculum Vitae

Elena Novak, PA-C

Elena Novak, PA-C, is a Certified Physician Assistant on the team at HK Dermatology. She provides the highest quality of dermatologic care to patients throughout San Juan Capistrano, California.

Elena completed her undergraduate degree at the University of California, Irvine, where she majored in biology. She received her physician assistant degree from Western University of Health Sciences. Additionally, she has been trained by Dr. Klein and Dr. Kassardjian to provide excellent care for various dermatologic conditions. To remain certified, Elena must complete 100 hours of Continuing Medical Education every two years and pass a national recertification examination every ten years.

At HK Dermatology, Elena is committed to providing a supportive and comforting atmosphere for her patients. Along with assisting Dr. Klein in dermatologic surgery, she is highly skilled in diagnosing skin cancers, psoriasis, rashes, acne, rosacea, pigment disorders, warts, molluscum contagiosum, and keloids. Also, Elena has been trained on IPL, laser hair removal, PRF therapy, microneedling, miraDry®, and blue light photodynamic therapy.

Elena is passionate about natural aesthetics to create youthful results while utilizing fillers and neurotoxins. She has undergone advanced education in aesthetic medicine by attending multiple hands-on trainings and conferences.

Outside of the office, Elena enjoys time spent with her family, traveling, hiking, and cooking. In addition, she speaks Ukrainian and Russian.

Joshua Spanogle, MD

Joshua Spanogle, MD, is a fellowship-trained Mohs surgeon and is board certified in both Dermatology and Micrographic Dermatologic Surgery (Mohs Surgery). Dr. Spanogle received his undergraduate degree from Yale University and his medical degree from the Stanford University School of Medicine. Following a residency in Dermatology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, Dr. Spanogle completed a Fellowship in Mohs Micrographic Surgery at the University of California, Irvine. Dr. Spanogle has published numerous academic papers and other academic writings.

Dr. Spanogle has performed over 15,000 surgeries and is an active member of the American College of Mohs Surgeons and the American Academy of Dermatology. In December 2021, Dr. Spanogle became one of the first dermatologists to achieve certification in Micrographic Dermatologic Surgery.

In addition to being a Dermatologic Surgeon, Dr. Spanogle is the author of two novels (Isolation Ward and Flawless), which were translated into nine languages. Both books were San Francisco Chronicle and Los Angeles Times bestsellers.

Click here to read Dr. Spanogle’s Curriculum Vitae

Michele Horwich, RN

Michele Horwich, RN, is the Practice Manager at HK Dermatology and has assisted with maintenance of the practice AAAHC certification for over 20 years. Michele has worked alongside Dr. Jeffrey Klein and Dr. Norma Kassardjian in San Juan Capistrano, California, for over 30 years, safely and gently performing infiltration of local anesthesia on thousands of patients since that time.

Michele has gently and effectively injected thousands of patients with tumescent local anesthetic, without any complications or untoward reactions. In 1996, Michele developed the Nurses liposuction training course that is conducted in conjunction with Dr. Jeffrey Klein’s Tumescent Liposuction Course for Physicians. Since that time, Michele has trained hundreds of physicians and nurses in tumescent liposuction perioperative duties, including hands-on infiltration training.

Beginning in 2015, in addition to her current work with Dr. Jeffrey Klein, Michele became an independent tumescent liposuction nurse consultant, traveling coast to coast to assist Tumescent Liposuction Course physician attendees to train their staff and set up their liposuction practice.

As a aesthetic nurse, Michele performs neurotoxin (Botox® , Jeuveau® & Xeomin®) Injections, Filler Injections, and microneedling with PRF for skin rejuvenation and hair restoration. Michele has extensive experience with the ICON™ laser (IPL, Fractional, Hair Removal) and was a trainer for Cynosure in 2018 before taking over full time as the practice manager.