Dr. Ohara Aivaz

Dr. Aivaz is a double board-certified dermatologist and internist with years of experience caring for a wide variety of everyday skin concerns, as well as complex dermatology issues and cosmetic dermatology treatments. She takes a proactive view of skin health and is enthusiastic about the potential for advanced technology to help monitor her patients’ skin and keep it healthy over the long-term.

Her path to medicine started in college. Dr. Aivaz majored in psychology at the University of California, Irvine before a genetics course during her medical school prerequisites shifted her focus. She became fascinated by how small changes in DNA could produce such large differences in the body. She then enrolled at Georgetown University School of Medicine without yet knowing which specialty she would choose. The answer arrived in her fourth year, when a dermatology rotation showed her a field where she could work with her hands, perform procedures, and use a single rash or mole to uncover a bigger diagnosis. “Dermatology is wonderful because you can see the problem, and you can take action to treat it right away,” Dr. Aivaz says.

She went on to complete a combined dermatology and internal medicine residency at Georgetown University Hospital and MedStar Washington Hospital Center, serving as Chief Resident in her final year. She chose the prestigious combined track because she admired the internal medicine and dermatology residents ahead of her and wanted their same breadth. “To be a well-rounded physician, it’s really important to know all of medicine,” she says. “I felt like training in internal medicine would supplement my skills and make me a better dermatologist.” During her residency, Dr. Aivaz trained at the National Institutes of Health Dermatology Department and spent a year working alongside a pediatric dermatology mentor, an experience that continues to inform how she treats her youngest patients.

Dr. Aivaz began her career as an attending dermatologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, working as part of a 10-physician outpatient group where she saw patients across the full spectrum of medical and cosmetic dermatology. She learned to handle everything from mole checks, removals, and autoimmune conditions to acne, psoriasis, and eczema, often in the same patients over time. “What I like is to have a patient come in, we treat their core concern, and then once they trust me, they might transition into something more cosmetic and talk about goals related to aging,” she says. “Then they want to bring in their child or their husband or their dad, and I end up taking care of the whole family. I love those relationships.”

Dr. Aivaz then moved into private practice for several years before opening her own practice, Ohara Dermatology, in Beverly Hills in 2024. There, she has enjoyed creating a calm, welcoming environment that makes patients feel taken care of at every point in their journey. “I want the entire experience, from beginning to end, to make people feel comfortable,” Dr. Aivaz says.

At Atria, she focuses on preventive skin checks: a full-body exam for moles or abnormal growths, paired with imaging from the VECTRA WB360 whole-body imaging system, which she reviews alongside her own in-person exam to track how a patient’s skin changes over time. “It’s amazing to be able to track someone’s moles year after year. This technology makes it very easy to know how a mole is changing,” Dr. Aivaz says. “This streamlined approach allows us to catch issues earlier and ensure patients are staying healthy.”

For younger patients, Dr. Aivaz can support acne or eczema care depending on each child’s needs.

She begins every appointment by getting to know her patients and asking about any specific skin concerns or questions, as well as medical history beyond dermatology, family history, and where someone grew up to help fill out the picture of their lifetime sun exposure. Dr. Aivaz personalizes her guidance to match each patient’s individual goals and circumstances. “I have a very non-judgmental and very open philosophy,” she says. “My work is a lot about understanding where each person is coming from and then meeting them there.” This can include education about sunscreen usage, helping patients find products that work for their skin and lifestyle, and talking about alternative prevention methods such as sun-protective clothing.

Dr. Aivaz’s internal medicine training also allows her to bring a holistic perspective to skin treatment. She values Atria’s collaborative structure, where her findings can inform the broader picture that a patient’s care team is building around them and supporting the kind of forward-looking care that she loves.

Dr. Aivaz speaks Assyrian, Farsi, and Spanish, and says her multilingual background helps her connect with all kinds of patients. Outside her practice, she is an avid baker and gelato maker, and she stays active with weightlifting, Pilates, and tennis. She also enjoys hosting dinner parties and spending time with her large family who are all based in the Los Angeles area.