Mirror Mirror with Amy Chang

Waking up at 3 a.m., struggling with brain fog, or noticing changes in your skin and hair? What should you ask when you no longer feel like yourself?

Amy Chang sits down with Dr. Taz Bhatia, integrative medicine physician and author of The Hormone Shift, for a candid conversation about perimenopause, women’s health, and the experience of feeling dismissed when something feels wrong.

Dr. Taz shares her own health journey, while Amy opens up about noticing changes at 38 and navigating treatment with her clinician. Together, they explore the questions women bring to appointments, the debate around hormone testing, and Dr. Taz’s perspective on nutrition and individualized care.

Topics in this episode:
• Perimenopause, sleep changes and brain fog
• Feeling dismissed and advocating for yourself
• Hormone testing and treatment conversations
• Protein, nutrition and changing needs
• Skin, hair and hormonal changes
• Amy’s personal experience with perimenopause

Learn more from Dr. Taz:

Explore Dr. Taz’s integrative health practice and services: https://holplus.co/

Find more of her work, resources, books, and education: https://doctortaz.com/Follow Dr. Taz on YouTube: @DrTazMD

MATERA is a physician-led aesthetic clinic in Santa Monica, CA, founded by Amy Chang and medically led by board-certified facial plastic surgeon Dr. John Frederick. We help patients age beautifully through personalized care and the MATERA Slow Beauty Method™.

Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/materaclinics/Website — https://materaclinics.com/

Learn more or book a consultation: appointments@materaclinics.com

→ Have a beauty question you want me to tackle on the next Inbox? DM @mirrormirrorwithamy on Instagram

→ Subscribe so you don't miss next week's full Mirror Mirror episode.

ABOUT MIRROR MIRROR
Mirror Mirror is a podcast that cuts through the noise and uncovers the science shaping beauty and the psychology driving our desire for it. Hosted by Amy Chang, LA Times contributing writer, Marie Claire 2024 Power Player, and a trusted authority in beauty, with over 2.4 million followers who turn to her for insights on cutting-edge treatments and science-backed skincare.

Expect unfiltered conversations, expert insight, and the freedom to love your lipstick while still questioning what perfection means.

#beauty #skincare #hrt #hormones #hormonehealth #perimenopause #pcos #drtaz #menopause

What happens when you’re praised for your beauty but still don’t feel good enough?

Nazanin Mandi joins Amy Chang for a candid conversation about body dysmorphia, life after her divorce from Miguel, and rebuilding an identity she felt she had lost.

Scouted as a model at 10, Nazanin shares how an early comment about her body stayed with her and how insecurity later affected her work, confidence, and willingness to be seen. She reflects on a music video she never released, anxiety before red carpets, and the difference between receiving compliments and believing them.

Nazanin also opens up about the loneliness of starting over after a relationship that spanned nearly two decades. She shares the role therapy, family, solitude, and returning to music played in reconnecting with herself.

In this conversation:
• Childhood beauty pressure and body image
• Losing your identity in a long-term relationship
• Life after divorce and learning to be alone
• People-pleasing, perfectionism, and the inner critic
• What helps Nazanin when old thought patterns return
• Building connection through her wellness community, You Bloom

This isn’t a story about becoming someone else. It’s about remembering who you are.

Subscribe to Mirror Mirror with Amy Chang for honest conversations about beauty, identity, and self-worth.

Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/materaclinics/
Website — https://materaclinics.com/

MATERA is a physician-led aesthetic clinic in Santa Monica, CA, founded by Amy Chang and medically led by board-certified facial plastic surgeon Dr. John Frederick. We help patients age beautifully through personalized care and the MATERA Slow Beauty Method™.

Learn more or book a consultation: appointments@materaclinics.com

→ Subscribe so you don't miss next week's full Mirror Mirror episode.

ABOUT MIRROR MIRROR
Mirror Mirror is a podcast that cuts through the noise and uncovers the science shaping beauty and the psychology driving our desire for it. Hosted by Amy Chang, LA Times contributing writer, Marie Claire 2024 Power Player, and a trusted authority in beauty, with over 2.4 million followers who turn to her for insights on cutting-edge treatments and science-backed skincare.

Expect unfiltered conversations, expert insight, and the freedom to love your lipstick while still questioning what perfection means.

#beautymyths #skincare #aesthetics #beauty #filler

How does “just a little filler” turn into a look you never intended and why can it be difficult to notice the change? Amy Chang sits down with Dr. Evan Rieder, a dermatologist and psychiatrist, to explore perception drift: how our surroundings, social feeds, and cosmetic experiences can shift what looks normal or beautiful to us.They discuss the pressure of pretty privilege, why the satisfaction of a treatment can fade, and how the pursuit of one improvement can become the search for the next. Amy also shares her own experience with being overfilled and how it changed what she looks for in an injector.In this conversation:• How repeated exposure can reshape beauty preferences• Why your injector’s judgment matters• When a practitioner should say no• The relationship between appearance, identity, and satisfaction• Why perception drift and body dysmorphic disorder are not the same thing• Four areas to reflect on before pursuing another treatment Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/materaclinics/Website — https://materaclinics.com/MATERA is a physician-led aesthetic clinic in Santa Monica, CA, founded by Amy Chang and medically led by board-certified facial plastic surgeon Dr. John Frederick. We help patients age beautifully through personalized care and the MATERA Slow Beauty Method™.Learn more or book a consultation: appointments@materaclinics.com→ Have a beauty question you want me to tackle on the next Inbox? DM @mirrormirrorwithamy on Instagram→ Subscribe so you don't miss next week's full Mirror Mirror episode.ABOUT MIRROR MIRRORMirror Mirror is a podcast that cuts through the noise and uncovers the science shaping beauty and the psychology driving our desire for it. Hosted by Amy Chang — LA Times contributing writer, Marie Claire 2024 Power Player, and a trusted authority in beauty, with over 2.4 million followers who turn to her for insights on cutting-edge treatments and science-backed skincare.Expect unfiltered conversations, expert insight, and the freedom to love your lipstick — while still questioning what perfection means.#beautymyths #skincare #aesthetics #beauty #filler

Looking your best doesn’t have to mean looking younger. What changes in your skin as you age and what changes when you stop believing your best years are behind you?In this special Mirror Mirror conversation with Shiseido, Amy Chang explores aging well from two perspectives: skincare science and personal reinvention.
First, Dr. Nathalie Broussard, PharmD and Shiseido’s Director of Scientific Communication for EMEA, discusses skin aging, collagen, sagging and the relationship between skin, stress and lifestyle. She also introduces the brand’s research behind the Vital Perfection Sculpt-Define Serum.
Then, Chriselle Lim joins Amy to talk about starting over after divorce, questioning the expectations she grew up with, and finding confidence through lived experience. They discuss simplifying skincare, wanting to look good without chasing youth, and why Chriselle wouldn’t trade her 40s for her 20s.
In this episode:
• How skin changes with age
• Shiseido’s research into collagen and skin’s support network
• Skincare, SPF, stress and daily routines
• Reinvention after divorce and cultural expectations
• Why confidence can come after taking the leap
• Looking your best without trying to look younger

MATERA is a physician-led aesthetic clinic in Santa Monica, CA, founded by Amy Chang and medically led by board-certified facial plastic surgeon Dr. John Frederick. We help patients age beautifully through personalized care and the MATERA Slow Beauty Method™.
Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/materaclinics/
Website — https://materaclinics.com/
Learn more or book a consultation: appointments@materaclinics.com→
Have a beauty question you want me to tackle on the next Inbox? DM @mirrormirrorwithamy on Instagram
→ Subscribe so you don't miss next week's full Mirror Mirror episode.
ABOUT MIRROR MIRROR
Mirror Mirror is a podcast that cuts through the noise and uncovers the science shaping beauty and the psychology driving our desire for it. Hosted by Amy Chang — LA Times contributing writer, Marie Claire 2024 Power Player, and a trusted authority in beauty, with over 2.4 million followers who turn to her for insights on cutting-edge treatments and science-backed skincare.
Expect unfiltered conversations, expert insight, and the freedom to love your lipstick — while still questioning what perfection means.
#beautymyths #skincare #aesthetics #ChriselleLim #AgingWell #aging #Shiseido

What does the SPF number on your sunscreen actually tell you and how is it tested?Amy Chang sits down with Ava Matthews, co-founder of Ultra Violette, to explore sunscreen labels, mineral versus chemical filters, and why sunscreen formulas differ around the world. Ava shares her perspective on the CHOICE sunscreen testing controversy, Ultra Violette’s product recall, and the changes the brand made to its testing process. They also discuss bemotrizinol (BEMT), sunscreen texture and wearability, and the everyday questions that make SPF feel more complicated than it should.Topics covered in this episode:• How SPF testing works and why results can vary• Ultra Violette’s experience with a sunscreen recall• Mineral versus chemical sunscreen filters• Why American, Australian, European, and Korean sunscreens differ• Whether makeup with SPF and over-makeup mists are enough• Sunscreen for sensitive, oily, and acne-prone skin• Tinted sunscreen, reapplication, and common sunscreen misconceptions→ Have a beauty question you want me to tackle on the next Inbox? DM @mirrormirrorwithamy on Instagram→ Subscribe so you don't miss next week's full Mirror Mirror episode.ABOUT MIRROR MIRRORMirror Mirror is a podcast that cuts through the noise and uncovers the science shaping beauty and the psychology driving our desire for it. Hosted by Amy Chang — LA Times contributing writer, Marie Claire 2024 Power Player, and a trusted authority in beauty, with over 2.4 million followers who turn to her for insights on cutting-edge treatments and science-backed skincare.Expect unfiltered conversations, expert insight, and the freedom to love your lipstick — while still questioning what perfection means.#beautymyths #skincare #aesthetics #sunscreen #spf