The *New* Rules of Skin Brightening, Laser “Stacking” and Why Everyone is Freaking Out Over Xerf with Dermatologist Dr. Tia Paul
Breaking Beauty Podcast
Dear Media, Jill Dunn and Carlene Higgins
4.7 • 996 Ratings
🗓️ 3 June 2026
⏱️ 60 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
What if your best skin ever had nothing to do with Botox, fillers or even fancy skincare? This week we welcome Dr. Tia Paul, a Harvard- and MIT-trained, board-certified dermatologist—and major skin laser aficionado. As the founder of Balanced Skin Dermatology and Aesthetics in Newport Beach, California, Dr. Paul treats everything from acne, hyperpigmentation, eczema and psoriasis to skin cancer and she has earned over 400K followers on social media.
Tune in to find out how to achieve glass skin the non-gimmicky way, as Dr. Paul reveals everything to know about the most effective at-home brightening solutions, how-to navigate the world of professional lasers, and the “pyramid” framework she designed for a brighter skin game plan that won’t shock your skin or your credit card.
In this episode, we discuss:
- Hydroquinone, tranexamic acid, azelaic acid, niacinamide — the new rules for skin brightening skincare in 2026
- Lasers 101 — the difference between ablative and non-ablative lasers, vascular lasers and why the term “laser” itself is one of the most misused words in the beauty industry
- What is laser “stacking” and why Dr. Paul says that combining technologies is where you get the best results
- What’s all the fuss about Xerf? The new tightening device that's giving people snatched jawlines with zero downtime — Dr. Paul shares her experience.
- Myth or reality? The truth about lasers on skin of colour — and what to ask before your appointment
- Why the Fitzpatrick scale is outdated — according to Dr. Paul — and what she thinks should replace it to treat a full range of skin tones
- Dr. Paul’s go-to’s: The laser that she personally swears by for glass skin, and the favourite sunscreen the derm will be using to maintain clear skin results all summer long
Disclaimer: Please note the discussion in this podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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For any products or links mentioned in this episode, check out our website: https://breakingbeautypodcast.com/episode-recaps/
Related episodes like this:
- K-Beauty Secrets: Dermatologist Dr. David Kim on Salmon DNA, Glass Skin & Anti-Aging
- Stress and Your Skin: Decoded with Dr. Amy Wechsler
- Skincare Terms to Know Before Your Next Dermatologist Visit with Dr. Samantha Ellis
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Hosts: Carlene Higgins and Jill Dunn
Theme song, used with permission: Cherry Bomb by Saya
Produced by Dear Media Studio
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | The following podcast is a Dear Media production. |
| 0:08.1 | Welcome to Breaking Beauty, the podcast, all about the breakthrough people, products, and moments in beauty. |
| 0:14.0 | We're your host, Jill Dunn and Carleen Higgins. |
| 0:30.1 | Hello, everyone, and welcome back to another episode of Breaking Beauty podcast, the podcast all about the breakthrough people products and moments in beauty. |
| 0:32.1 | I'm one of your co-hosts, Jill Dunn. |
| 0:33.8 | And I'm Carleen Higgins. |
| 0:53.4 | And every single week, we are in your feed on Wednesdays talking about whether it's damn good products that have crossed our desks lately, or we interview really the top experts in dermatology, estheticians, makeup artists, celebrity hairstylists, pretty much a little bit of everything. |
| 0:55.0 | Yeah, and we're to longtime magazine beauty, turned beauty podcasters. So we're just like nerding out in the beauty world and |
| 1:01.0 | we get to have amazing conversations. And in our back catalog, you'll find guests like |
| 1:06.6 | aestheticians like Caroline Hirons, Dr. Shereen Idris. We have more than 450 episodes at this point. |
| 1:12.9 | So just pick your person, tune in, and you can catch us on YouTube as well. And this week, |
| 1:19.2 | we are very honored to have an esteemed dermatologist joining us. It's board certified dermatologist, |
| 1:25.2 | Dr. Tia Paul. Welcome to the podcast. Thank you. Thank you for having me. |
| 1:29.4 | So Dr. Paul is a Harvard and MIT trained board certified dermatologist, a sought after media skincare expert, and a trusted advisor to over 40 global skincare brands. |
| 1:40.7 | We're talking about the giants, the seravis, the doves, the neutrogenas, |
| 1:44.5 | and the laurels of the world. Not to mention Lion Pose, which I know she's collaborated with |
| 1:49.3 | Mindy Kaling on developing those products. So, so cool. Dr. Paul, she also runs balanced skin |
| 1:55.5 | dermatology and aesthetics in Newport Beach, California. And she treats everything from acne, |
| 2:00.6 | hypopigmentation, eczema, treats everything from acne, hyperpigmentation, |
| 2:01.5 | eczema, psoriasis, skin cancer. She also does a robust cosmetic practice, so Botox, |
| 2:07.6 | chemical peels, micrneedling, and she's also a pediatric dermatologist. So she's working with kids as well. |
| 2:13.9 | Yes, and also a good human. Dr. Paul has volunteered across Haiti, Kenya, Canada, and the U.S. |
... |
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