Laundry lists like these are fine if you want the view from 10,000 feet, but it’s important to remember as well that every physician has a different approach. In my own LA facial cosmetic surgery practice, prices are assigned based on a number of essential factors, including the type of procedure, desired outcome, number of staff needed and more.

It is important as well to remember that different doctors charge different amounts because of their own unique assets. I am proud to be a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon who has trained at a number of the world’s most respected institutions, and some of this experience is reflected in the rates I charge. That said, I try hard to keep every procedure reasonable and accessible to the patients; there’s simply no good reason why beauty and confidence should come at a premium.

To learn more about some of our most popular procedures such as Ultherapy, facelifts and otoplasty, please contact my Los Angeles plastic surgery offices today.

One interesting recent article underlined the decline of rhinoplasties among Jewish girls and woman, citing a greater sense of self-acceptance in the population. And the shift hasn’t stopped there:

Interestingly, as more and more non-Jewish patients seek plastic surgery, they want to retain their racial character.

“The typical Asian patient who has eyelid surgery desires a wider, fuller eye that is natural looking to the Asian face and maintains an almond shape,” the ASPS wrote in 2010. “An African-American … may want to reduce the size of their nose to achieve a harmonious balance with other facial features, but is not seeking a nose that is more European.”

A welcome change, and one that I have seen in my own Los Angeles ethnic cosmetic surgery practice. Harmony and beauty know no ethnicity, of course; my role as the surgeon is simply to help you find the appearance that represents your best self.

If you’d like to set up a free consultation today, please don’t hesitate to call my offices here.

Which is why it was alarming to read recently that the great preponderance of U.S. patients still do not feel comfortable speaking frankly with their doctors. This isn’t just an issue of plastic surgery; in every area of medicine, it seems, patients feel cowed, rushed or otherwise bullied by the supposedly superior knowledge of their caregivers. Here’s the NYT:

The participants responded that they felt limited, almost trapped into certain ways of speaking with their doctors. They said they wanted to collaborate in decisions about their care but felt they couldn’t because doctors often acted authoritarian, rather than authoritative. A large number worried about upsetting or angering their doctors and believed that they were best served by acting as “supplicants” toward the doctor “who knows best.” Many also believed that they could depend only on themselves for getting more information about treatments or diseases. Some even said they feared retribution by doctors who could ultimately affect their care and how they did.

Needless to say, this is not just about sparing the notoriously fragile egos of physicians. Better dialogue always leads to better care and safer outcomes, not to mention a more positive emotional experience for the patient.

In my field, sensitive procedures such as face lifts and rhinoplasties require trust that goes both ways. I cultivate this trust intentionally by talking—and more importantly, by listening—to my patients before, during and after the surgery. Anything less would be simply unfair.

If you’d like to set up a free and private consultation today, please contact my LA facial cosmetic surgery offices here.

Researchers were surprised to discover that the incidence of patients taking SSRIs following cosmetic surgery dropped a significant amount—as much as 31 percent in a 362-patient study:

Sixty-one patients (17 percent) were antidepressant users before surgery. Freedman said that his team did not have information on the specific mental health diagnoses of these patients, or whether their depression related to a physical attribute that was to be altered with the surgery.

By 6 months after surgery, the number of antidepressant users had dropped 31 percent to 42 patients. Ninety-eight percent of patients reported a marked improvement in self-esteem following surgery.

Of course results like this should be carefully reviewed: it’s possible that a higher number of these people weren’t clinically depressed to begin with, but simply plagued by body issues. Still, it is a strong indication of what I see every day in my own cosmetic surgery practice: a beautiful face lift or similar procedure, performed by the expert hands of a compassionate physician, can truly change the quality of a patient’s life forever.

So I have prepared this quick primer – a clip-and-save quick guide to the vast lexicon of LA facelifts, and how to distinguish between them.

Cosmetic Fillers and Volumizers

Most minimally invasive options are either injected or implanted in a short amount of time. The category of cosmetic fillers includes substances like Juvederm, Restylane and Sculptra, each of which offers a specific benefit:

• Juvederm adds fullness to the forehead, eyes and cheeks
• Restylane’s softness makes it ideal for lips
• Sculptra, a volumizer, is designed to “fill out” any features you’d like to be more pronounced

And then of course there is Botox, the perennially popular botulism injection that can smooth wrinkles, reduce laugh lines and quite possibly treat migraines and MS. It is a fast and well-established procedure that can nonetheless have an impressive effect, and the benefits last for many months.

Ultherapy

Ulthera Ultrasound Therapy hasn’t been around very long, but already it has attracted a huge following in social media and on major shows such as the Martha Stewart and The View. Ultherapy uses ultrasound waves to gently warm the tissues inside your face, stimulating them to produce natural collagen. The advantage is the totally natural appearance: your collagen increases over a few months, creating a subtle effect that lasts.

The Traditional Face Lift

I have called this section the “traditional face lift,” but in truth there is nothing traditional about the way top cosmetic surgeons perform this procedure nowadays. A facelift, or rhytidectomy, involves careful planning and close communication with your surgeon. Incisions hidden in the temporal hairline allow your doctor to gently pull the skin and tissues to a firmer position, following which excess skin and fat may be carefully removed. The key with a facelift, as with any cosmetic surgery, is to avoid the dreaded “operated-on” appearance you get from so many inexperienced physicians. In the right hands, a Los Angeles facelift procedure can be subtle, beautiful, and permanent.

New Outlook, Same Soul

Los Angeles facial plastic surgery is a vast and confusing area of medicine. Navigating your options safely means knowing what each procedure entails, and learning how to choose the best surgeon for your needs. If you’d like a younger appearance today, feel free to contact my LA cosmetic surgery practice for a free consultation.

Credit: Daily Star

As a Los Angeles rhinoplasty specialist, I often follow surgical trends in other countries. I blogged recently about the astonishing popularity of cosmetic surgery in South Korea, for instance, and my own practice offers a comprehensive focus on ethnic cosmetic surgery. Now a new wire story is gaining steam – and raising concerns – about another country’s love affair with the scalpel: Lebanon.

The local Daily Star covers the trend in some detail:

At the Hazmieh International Medical Center, general manager, medical director and facial cosmetic surgeon Dr. Elias Chammas says demand among Lebanese has risen consistently since the center opened in 1998.

Rhinoplasty, or the nose job, has remained the firm No. 1 favorite, performed on girls from the age of 16, and followed, he says, by breast augmentation, liposuction and eyelid lifts.

[. . .]

Lebanon has traditionally been a favored cosmetic surgery destination among regional medical tourists due to the reputation of the country’s doctors, mostly trained in the United States, and the price of surgeries here.

This tracks reasonably well with worldwide trends, right down to the article’s mention of an increase in male plastic surgery as well. So why the concern? Because Lebanese accreditation isn’t quite as well established as in some other developed nations, and many people believe that a majority of Lebanese surgeons are performing complex procedures like rhinoplasty and blepharoplasty without advanced training.

For those of you staying stateside, my Los Angeles rhinoplasty office is proud to offer dual board certification and advanced training at this nation’s top hospitals. So no matter if you are Lebanese or Portuguese, you can contact us with confidence to set up a Los Angeles nose surgery appointment today.

The good news is that I have already received a number of five-star reviews, including some very kind words from patients past and present. Here’s a sampling:

• I recently had Ultherapy done on my lower jowls by Dr. Honrado. The results are amazing.
• I was referred to him by my internal medicine doctor, Dr. Bretsky, who recommended Dr. Honrado as the best and someone he’d send his family to. I’ve got nothing but good things to say. . . The surgery went over very easily, and I always felt well informed about the condition, the procedure and what to expect. Really glad I had the surgery and that I did it with Dr. Honrado.
• I felt by far the most comfortable communicating with Dr. Honrado. I did not feel judged or intimidated or that he was trying to push any agenda. I felt heard, and that he was engaged in the serious undertaking of contemplating my case and interested in my best interests as a person. . . The impression that I came away with is that he is very smart, genuinely concerned, and a normal person.
• Dr. Honrado was the most calm reassuring surgeon and took me through every step of the way with much hand-holding and genuine care. I’ve never felt such complete confidence in the hands of any physicians as I felt under the care of Dr. Honrado and his ENT colleague Dr. Mani Zadeh. Together, they did an unbelievable job on my nose. . . Although I am moving to the SF Bay Area, I will be returning to see Dr. Honrado in a few months.

Thanks to everyone for these gratifying comments. I am thrilled to hear such supportive words from the many patients I care for on a daily basis. If you’d like to set up a free consultation with a newly top-ranked Los Angeles facial cosmetic surgeon today, please contact us.

1. You Can Breathe Better

Makes sense, right? Rhinoplasty may focus primarily on the external structures of the nose, but often there are internal enhancements as well. One of the most popular is to get a deviated septum corrected, thus opening a nice clear airway and restoring symmetry to your breathing. This septal surgery, or septoplasty, is a welcome benefit of getting a nose job, and a great way to take care of two issues at once.

2. You Can Sleep Better

Part and parcel of the improved breathing is what comes with it: better rest. A deviated septum can be a maddening and painful condition, especially when it leads to nosebleeds, headaches and snoring. It’s not unusual for people who suffer from extreme deviations to wake up frequently at night and even experience obstructive sleep apnea, which can leave them feeling tired and depressed all day. A rhinoplasty can correct this problem along with its aesthetic benefits.

3. You Can Feel Better

This one may seem obvious, but too few people really discuss the tangible benefit to correcting a disproportionate nose. My patients often tell me that they experience life a little differently after a rhinoplasty, feeling more confident and content than they did before. Do not underestimate the power of these positive feelings: general happiness is associated with nearly every health benefit we have a name for, including longer life, lower blood pressure, and so on. Feeling good is quite literally good for you.

4. You Can Look Younger

Better, sure, but younger? Strange but true: a recent study found that patients who undergo rhinoplasties actually appear more youthful as well as more attractive. Researchers at the University of Toronto designed the study:

During the study, 50 people guessed the ages of 53 rhinoplasty patients in before-and-after photos. The patients ranged in age from 15 to 61, and about three-quarters were women.

Patients who had a hump reduced or removed saw the greatest anti-aging effect. Among these patients, the reduction in perceived age was 1.6 years younger after surgery, compared to 1.1 years for patients who did not have a hump prior to surgery. Those with a droopy tip also saw more of the age reduction benefit.

Whether a patient was older or younger at the time of surgery was less of a factor, the researchers reported.

“Older patients tended to enjoy a greater degree of rejuvenation,” the authors write. But the differences between age reduction in older vs. younger patients was not statistically significant.

The Benefits Multiply

Scheduling a rhinoplasty in Los Angeles shouldn’t be a source of anxiety or fear. When you add in the many secret benefits that go along with that obvious enhanced beauty, it hardly seems worth the ruminations. The key, of course, is to find a physician you can trust. If you’d like to look and feel better today, please contact my expert Los Angeles rhinoplasty surgery practice here.

Many of Dr. Honrado’s male patients have undergone chin surgery, eye surgery and, more recently, non-surgical treatments like fillers and Botox. “Many of the male patients that come into my office are average men that just want to look as good as they possibly can. They are realizing plastic surgery is no longer just for women and that they can achieve masculine results,” explains Dr. Honrado.

Many may think that the men who are undergoing plastic surgery must be high profile celebrities that have a certain appearance to maintain, and although that may be true for some, it isn’t for all. People are living longer than before, and if they have the financial means, many men are taking advantage of their anti-aging options. Many men want to look just as good as they feel and the new report by ASPS supports this.

All this in response to a report by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons showing that men are increasingly going under the knife, to the tune of a 14% increase in facelifts in Los Angeles and across the nation.

If you are looking for safe, subtle, lifelong beauty and want to work with a Los Angeles cosmetic surgeon who offers superior credentials and testimonials, please contact my Los Angeles facelift practice here today.

The segment focuses correctly on one of the great advantages of Ultherapy: the ease with which your physician can visualize the depth and modulate the power of the ultrasound waves to properly tune the effects. I am proud to say that in my Los Angeles Ulthera practice, I perform every procedure personally, ensuring that you enjoy the highest standard of individualized care.

It’s a good segment. Watch it here, then feel free to call my offices for a consultation today.

“I decided to do Ultherapy when I noticed my neck not firming up the way I wanted it to after my weight loss from my 55 lb. weight gain during my pregnancy. I’m 42 years old, so I’m sure my age has something to do with my lack of elasticity … Ultherapy for the face and neck actually improves the skin from the inside out by repairing and strengthening existing collagen while naturally stimulating new collagen development.”

Say what you will about the source and the medium; Ultherapy is the real thing. This fast and painless procedure uses ultrasound waves to gently warm the tissues under your face. The result is an increase in your body’s production of natural collagen, which is the wonder substance that keeps our faces young when we actually are.

That Ulthera should have conquered the Garden State is no surprise. My Los Angeles Ultherapy practice continues to be wildly popular, supported by a parade of happy clients and a cavalcade of glowing press. If you are in the market for a younger, firmer look and do not relish the thought of subjecting your mug to any sharp objects, I urge you to check out my outstanding LA Ultherapy team here.

Numerous media outlets, including our own LA Times, have run stories in recent weeks about the boom in male cosmetic surgery procedures. Different experts posit different causes, from the general aging of the population to a rise in younger management icons like Mark Zuckerberg. Whatever the case, there is no question that the “other half” of America is awakening to the many benefits of plastic surgery:

While the number of cosmetic surgical procedures performed in the U.S. increased just 1% from 2010 to 2011, the number of males getting liposuction and eyelid surgeries is on the rise. More than 41,000 lipoplasty procedures and almost 23,000 eyelid surgeries were performed on men in 2011, increasing 14% and 6%, respectively.

As a Los Angeles facial cosmetic surgeon, I can vouch for these numbers anecdotally. Men are coming into my office at the Otosurgical Group in increasing numbers, and increasingly leaving happy with the natural results they see.

If you are interested in a blepharoplasty, mentoplasty, otoplasty, or even a noninvasive procedure such as Los Angeles Ultherapy, I invite you to contact my offices for a free consultation today.

Long considered a mystery in origin and etiology, migraine headaches leave some 36 million Americans utterly incapacitated each the year – sometimes for days or even weeks at a time. Some doctors began to notice a few years ago that certain noninvasive cosmetic procedures such as BOTOX occasionally relieved these headaches as a collateral benefit.

As the science caught up with the findings, facial cosmetic surgeons began to zero in on various anatomical causes of migraine pain, including obstructions and pressure on various nerves. As the procedures improved, so did the outcomes. Here’s the Boston Globe:

A study published in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in 2009 — led by Guyuron and submitted by Case Western Reserve University, the American Migraine Center, and the Center for Headache and Pain, Cleveland Clinic — found that just under 85 percent of patients who underwent the nerve decompression surgery reported at least a 50 percent reduction in migraine, calculating pain, frequency, and duration.

Nearly 60 percent (28 of 49 patients) reported a complete elimination of pain. This compared with only 1 of 26 patients who had a sham surgery, in which the surgery was limited to exposure of the nerve but muscle and attachments were left intact. Reported side effects included forehead numbness, temporary hair loss and itching, a slight hollowing of the temple, and small change in eyebrow movement.

Encouraging results, and no doubt a harbinger of future advances in facial cosmetic surgery procedures. Want to speak with an expert on plastic surgery right here in LA? Contact my offices for a free consultation today.

1. The beauty factor

Reason one is without question the simplest of all: Los Angeles Ultherapy works. By stimulating the growth of natural collagen in your face, Ulthera ultrasound therapy helps to fill out wrinkles and restore vitality – all without the use of any synthetic fillers or implants. No approach on the planet looks quite so natural and effortless.

2. Safety first

Ultherapy uses nothing more complex than ultrasound waves – the same sonic flow that OBs use to check on a growing baby. This gentle approach means there are no knives, no incisions, and no bandages, helping to speed your recovery time and to minimize the risks associated with cosmetic surgery.

3. The price is right

Let’s just say it: noninvasive facial cosmetic surgery is booming these days in part because the economy is not. Outpatient procedures tend to be far less expensive than their surgical counterparts, and in most cases the results are nearly interchangeable. For many patients, this is a win-win, and a trade worth making.

4. Press love letters

I have written before about the glowing reviews that Ultherapy has received in the press, including video segments on shows such as 20/20, The View and Martha Stewart. Seeing Ultherapy in action is a genuinely starting experience: the results are prompt and beautiful, and the patients are invariably astonished.

5. LA on the edge

The Los Angeles Ultherapy boom is better established than you will find in other cities because that’s LA: we are perennially on the cutting edge of the latest cosmetic trends and procedures. I am proud to say my office was one of the first to introduce LA Ultherapy to patients, and that I continue to perform every procedure myself.

6. The friend factor

Finally Ultherapy has become the subject of an explosion of anecdotal raves, including some of the testimonials on my own site. People just love the procedure and want to tell their friends, and we have all learned that there is no force quite as powerful as social media.

Want to schedule your own free consultation for an Ulthera procedure today? Contact my LA facial cosmetic surgery offices for more information.

The video package was great fun to do, and the issues it raises were on point: chin surgery can be subtle and effective, giving your face a more defined shape without creating an artificial appearance.  The risks are indeed minimal, and these can be mitigated safely by sticking with a more experienced, board-certified Los Angeles facial cosmetic surgeon.

Check out the video below, and contact my offices for a free mentoplasty consultation today!

One recent article from Baltimore includes a Q&A with a fellow surgeon at my alma mater – John Hopkins University. He is quick to point out that different facial structures, skin types, and indicators for general and mental health must be considered. He also rightly pegs the optimal age for a rhinoplasty:

A good rule of thumb for girls is 15 years of age or older, and for boys 17 years of age or older.

The reason is that these are the ages when the face is largely done developing, so a trained cosmetic surgeon could do the work without bumping up against the question mark of continuing changes in the face.

The other major emphasis of the article is that parents and their kids must maintain a realistic expectation for what is to come, including the various changes they can expect in their emotional lives. Properly prepared and executed rhinoplasty should look and feel natural most of all, and should help to maintain open airways and a lifetime free of complications.

If you want to speak with an expert on Los Angeles rhinoplasty today, please don’t hesitate to contact my LA cosmetic surgery offices for a free consultation.

As you can see in the segment above, Martha’s a fan.  “Very enticing,” was her reaction, and of course I tend to agree.

Ultherapy uses ultrasound waves to lift and tighten the internal tissues of the face and stimulate production of your own natural collagen.  If you want to learn more about the extraordinary results and superior convenience of this procedure, I invite you to read more on my website, or to contact us today for a free consultation.

We are the experts in Los Angeles Ultherapy.

Both shows trumpeted the primary benefits of Ulthera® treatment – its simplicity, safety, and quick recovery time.  And both pointed out that Ultherapy® stimulates the body to create its own natural and organic collagen – without injections, fillers, or any chemicals whatsoever.

This against the backdrop of a year in which minimally invasive cosmetic surgery has undergone a boom here in Los Angeles and beyond.  It seems the improving economy has sent many Americans back to their plastic surgeons, but the slow pace of our recovery has especially favored some of the most affordable treatments we have – cosmetic fillers and Ultherapy® primary among them.

If you’re looking for expert L.A. Ultherapy® administered by an experienced Los Angeles facial cosmetic surgeon, my office is without question the city’s leader in this advanced technique.  Please contact us today to set up a free consultation.

The number of surgical procedures rose 2 percent to 1.58 million in 2011, according to data from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. It’s the second year in a row that cosmetic operations increased by 2 percent.

This is not surprising when you consider that cosmetic surgery can be something of a luxury item – a gift to oneself to enhance confidence and comfort.  As Americans’ financial confidence grows, many want their personal confidence to rise in lockstep.  Sometimes a rhinoplasty is just the thing.

Interestingly, the most successful category of American cosmetic surgery continues to be minimally invasive procedures such as BOTOX®, Ultherapy® and cosmetic fillers.  Because these are quick, safe, and inexpensive, they often represent an ideal way to find beauty on a budget.  Back to the article:

How many times was Botox injected for cosmetic purposes last year? Try 5.67 million, up 5 percent from 2010. Back in 2000, Botox was used about three-quarter of a million times.

Then there’s the No. 2 category: “soft tissue fillers” (fat, collagen and a bunch of other products) to plump up lips, cheeks and fill creases and lines. Those procedures were up 7 percent to 1.89 million.

I am proud to offer the very latest cosmetic surgery technologies here in Los Angeles and across the Southland.  To set up a consultation today, please contact my LA plastic surgery offices here.

As the article explains, nonspecialists putting patients under the knife is a problem with potentially wide-ranging repercussions, from danger to the patients to the significant expenses associated with corrective surgeries.

From the NYT:

“The public needs to be protected from doctors who are not upfront about what board certifications they have,” said Dr. Malcolm Z. Roth, chief of plastic surgery at the Albany Medical Center in Albany and president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

What can you do to ensure your surgeon has devoted years of training to the specific procedure at hand?  Don’t be afraid to ask questions, of course.  Always check your surgeon’s credentials.  And never, ever look “outside the box” when it comes to essential surgery of the face and neck.

To learn more about safer plastic surgery, please don’t hesitate to contact my L.A. cosmetic surgery offices today.