Blog

Fat Grafts and Stem Cells – Exciting Potential for Plastic Surgery

The idea of using one’s own tissue to heal thyself has been a romantic medical goal for decades. Plastic surgeons have long employed this approach by moving body parts around beginning with skin grafts a century ago to microvascular tissue transfers more recently. But taking individual cells and having them grow or turn into Read More…

Botox and Injectable Fillers in the Chemotherapy Patient

Botox and injectable fillers are the mainstay of non-surgical facial rejuvenation. Besides creating a relatively immediate change with less facial wrinkles and folds, they provide a great psychological boost to one’s self-image and sense of attractiveness. Often I see patients that undergo these treatments before a major event such as a child’s wedding or Read More…

New Cosmetic Surgery Law in California

The well publicized death of Donda West in November 2007 after undergoing cosmetic surgery has given rise to a new California law. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has taken a step towards making more strict laws pertaining to cosmetic surgery following the tragic death of rapper Kanye West`s mother. The new bill is designed to provide greater Read More…

Earlobe Rejuvenation with Lifts and Fillers

Earlobes, like the rest of the face, undergoes changes with aging. The natural aging process involves a relaxation of the collagen fibers that make up its skin and atrophy of tissue volume, allowing the earlobe to get longer and thinner. When combined with the use of earrings, their weight will accentuate the sagginess of Read More…

The Effects of Chin Augmentation on Mentalis Muscle Strain and Lower Lip Incompetency

Chin deficiency or shortness of the chin in the horizontal direction often contributes to two soft problems, mentalis strain and lower lip incompetence. There may well be other anatomic factors that add to these problems, but the short and backward rotated chin is definitely a major factor. Lip incompetency is obvious as the lips Read More…

Smartlipo vs. LipoDissolve – Which is Better?

I often see questions online in which it is asked which is better for fat removal, lipodissolve or Smartlipo? On the surface, this is a bit perplexing because they are rather different methods and concepts for selective body contouring of unwanted fat. But given the exposure that both have had from marketing in the Read More…

The Re-Emergence of the Endonasal (Closed) Rhinoplasty

Rhinoplasty is a complex array of cartilage rearrangement and bone manipulation that takes place underneath or behind the skin that covers the nose. Getting to the structures of the nose can be done be either working underneath the skin or seeing the structures directly by lifting off the skin. These two approaches are done by Read More…

Nipple Sensation after Breast Reduction Surgery

Breast reduction surgery reduces the weight and size of breasts and can help alleviate symptoms such as back pain, neck pain and bra strap grooving. Because the reduction will lift the breast, the result is typically a smaller, more shapely breast that sits higher up on one’s chest. The musculoskeletal benefits of breast reduction Read More…

Correction of Facial Asymmetry in Adults from Occipital Plagiocephaly

Occipital plagiocephaly is a well known congenital malformation of the back of the head marked by an oblique slant to the main axis of the skull. It is commonly corrected today by the early institution of either static or dynamic cranial orthotics or helmets. In rare cases if the skull is significantly deformed and Read More…

Midface Rejuvenation – Cheek Lifts vs Cheek Implants

As one ages, the entire face changes. Some parts of facial aging are more obvious than others as the face does differentially age. The forehead, brows, eyes, mouth, jawline and neck are all areas whose aging is well recognized. The aging of the midface and cheek areas, however, has only become more recently recognized. Read More…