Riikka has over 20 years of experience in aesthetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. She became a plastic surgery specialist in 2005, making her the youngest surgeon in Sweden ever to obtain this specialist qualification at the time.

She completed her doctoral thesis alongside her medical studies, earning her doctorate in 1999. Following this, she continued her research at the Karolinska Institute, focusing on breast cancer and the regeneration of bone tissue. Today, she conducts research with Per Hedén on facial aging and the impact of plastic surgery on the brain and overall well-being.

During her medical studies, Riikka was actively involved in the student union’s board and has also served on the board of the Swedish Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (SFEP). At Karolinska, she was responsible for the national register for significant weight loss and was part of the reconstructive team for women following breast cancer.

After her time at Karolinska, Riikka was recruited as a young plastic surgeon to Akademikliniken, where she has worked as a plastic surgery specialist since 2005. In January 2025, she will begin at The Faculty.