April 2019 - Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery

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According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the fifth most popular cosmetic procedure in the United States is the tummy tuck. The tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty, is a popular procedure because it can help with a wide range of fairly common insecurities people have with their abdomens: skin laxity from weight changes, excess fat, and weak or separated muscles from carrying children, to name a few. Many patients who come to Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery for their consultations are familiar with the cosmetic benefits of a tummy tuck, but many are surprised when we tell them there are also some significant health benefits of this procedure.

If you’d like to discuss your tummy tuck with our plastic surgeons and a team of cosmetic surgery experts, please use our website to send us a message or call our practice at (310) 746-5475 to schedule your consultation. In this post, we’re only sharing a handful of the health benefits of a tummy tuck, but we love helping our patients understand how a tummy tuck can help them look and feel great while also improving their quality of life.

How a Tummy Tuck Can Be Good for Moms after Giving Birth

At Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery, we specialize in a treatment plan specifically for women who are done having children called the mommy makeover. A core part of this cosmetic surgery is a tummy tuck. In addition to helping moms look great and regain their confidence after the hard work of carrying children and the excruciating demands on their bodies during labor and childbirth, the tummy tuck part of the mommy makeover is also to help their bodies heal and regain function.

When a woman gives birth vaginally, it can cause a condition called stress urinary incontinence, often called SUI, which happens when muscles that surround your bladder are damaged and stretched out. During a tummy tuck, your plastic surgeon can help with this condition by altering soft tissue to obstruct the bladder. Most women who have this done during a tummy tuck don’t experience SUI afterward.

In addition to helping with SUI, an abdominoplasty can sometimes help moms who experience back pain after having children. For moms, a tummy tuck can not only help restore some of your body’s functions pre-childbirth, but it can also benefit your health by improving your body’s form. A study published in 2018 followed the tummy tuck procedures and results of 214 women in Australia. It found that only 10 percent of them reported having back pain six weeks after the surgery, which was a 40 percent reduction from those who reported back pain before their tummy tuck.

After carrying children, your abdominal muscles will initially be distended and weak. A damaged core and more body weight are a recipe for disaster. Through gravity, your excess belly fat beings to pull your back inward, which is a major cause of chronic lower back pain. A tummy tuck can work to correct your posture and help your body’s core better support your spine.

Use Your Tummy Tuck to Start or Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle

Many of our patients at Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery choose to have a tummy tuck because they’re frustrated that they can’t seem to lose that last little pocket of belly fat. Many people exercise and diet almost to unhealthy extremes before realizing that sometimes genetics can be more powerful than their willpower and self-discipline. Although it should never be considered surgery for weight loss, a tummy tuck can help those who are close to their ideal weight finally achieve that perfectly contoured stomach they’ve worked their butts off for.

Many people also get tummy tucks to help with loose skin after losing a significant amount of weight, and science says a tummy tuck might help them keep the weight off. According to a study published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, many tummy tuck patients who had lost a lot of weight through bariatric surgery were more likely to keep their weight off if they combined it with a tummy tuck procedure. A tummy tuck can be a mental commitment to start a new healthy lifestyle, or it can be something that helps you keep maintaining one.

Let’s Discuss the Health Benefits of Your Tummy Tuck!

If you’d like to learn more about how a tummy tuck could help boost your confidence, restore your body after a pregnancy or multiple pregnancies, or help you in your quest to look great and be healthy, please contact us.

Schedule a Consultation with a Beverly Hills California Plastic Surgeon

For more information on the surgical and non-surgical procedures and treatments by Cosmetic Plastic Surgeons Dr. David Kim and Dr. Eugene Kim. Click here to contact us today.

Serving Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Orange County, Southern California and surrounding areas.

Every race has its own defining facial characteristics. Each person from a specific race may not share these features. But sometimes those who do may want to consider plastic surgery to change them.

Rhinoplasty is a popular plastic surgery procedure among those whose ethnic characteristics include a broad nose.

Patients belonging to Asian and African ethnicities choose this procedure to reduce the width of their nose. It is important that the surgeon modifies their approach to the unique anatomic structure of the patient’s nose. The surgeon should avoid changing the nose to a level where it dramatically alters the appearance of the patient.

plastic surgeon Dr. David Kim provides ethnic rhinoplasty to patients in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, and surrounding locations.

Enhancing the Nose Appearance in Ethnic Patients

Ethnic rhinoplasty refers to nose reshaping surgery where the nose is surgically altered to create a more balanced, appealing nose that is ideal for the patient’s face without completely changing their ethnic features.

Asian, African American, and Hispanic rhinoplasty procedures should take into account the unique internal and external ethnic features of each patient’s nose.

A skilled and experienced ethnic nose surgeon will determine if an ethnic nose may require significant changes in the internal structures to change the external appearance and achieve an appearance that is desirable to the patient.

Common Features

Due to the unique features of the ethnic nose, people of African Americans, Asians, and Hispanics heritage may have specific nasal features which require special attention. For example, Asian, African American, and Hispanic patients often have rounder, bulbous, or less protuberant nose tips.

On the other hand, they may seek to extend and refine their nose tip (creating a taller and narrower tip). The standard problem of nostrils being too wide or flared can also be corrected through ethnic nose surgery.

Ethnic Rhinoplasty Techniques

The surgeon will use specialized techniques in an ethnic rhinoplasty cosmetic surgery procedure. These techniques include changing the shape of the bone and cartilage within the nose, making the nostrils narrower, or even using cartilage from another area of the body for grafting to lengthen the nose tip.

Due to the ease of placement, some surgeons prefer synthetic implants. But in some cases, they can only use tissue from the patient’s own body for safer and more predictable results and to reduce the risk of complications, extrusion or migration associated with synthetic implants.

Patients of Middle Eastern descent often seek rhinoplasty to reduce the nasal hump, refine the nose tip, and achieve a nose that is more harmonious with other facial features.

Afro-American candidates may have an excessively wide nasal bridge, wide nostrils, and/or a weak nasal tip which can be treated through a rhinoplasty procedure. The surgeon may augment a weak nasal tip by using a cartilage graft taken from another area of the body.

For Hispanic patients, the surgeon may need to reduce an excessively prominent bridge. Conversely, they may strengthen the patient’s profile by grafting a flatter nose. The surgeon will undertake the procedure to refine a thick or bulbous nasal tip, which will help restore attention to the patient’s smile and eyes.

Cosmetic surgeon Dr. David Kim receives patients from Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, and nearby areas for ethnic nose reshaping surgery. For more information on the surgical and non-surgical procedures and treatments by Cosmetic Plastic Surgeons Dr. David Kim and Dr. Eugene Kim. Click here to contact us today.

Serving Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Orange County, Southern California and surrounding areas.

Nose alar adjustment refers to a plastic surgery procedure meant to reshape wide or flared nostrils. The alar are the outer edges of the nostrils.

Alar adjustment is typically undertaken along with nose width reduction. The surgeon can change the level of tension that is causing the undesirable flair in the nostrils by eliminating a portion of the tissue.

plastic surgeon Dr. David Kim provides rhinoplasty to patients in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, and surrounding locations.

What is Alarplasty?

Alar Base Reduction or Nostril Width Surgery is a minor procedure.

It is sometimes included as part of facial plastic surgery to alter the size of the nostrils which may be disproportionate to the nasal tip and position of the eyes. This procedure offers an effective technique to change the appearance of the nose and refine the nasal structure for better facial harmony.

Alarplasty is a surgical procedure to treat the alar. This is the region of the nose where the nostrils are rounded, covering the nose tip area where the nose connects to the nasolabial folds and cheeks.

Distinct Techniques

There are various surgical techniques that can be used for alar adjustment in rhinoplasty surgery. The surgeon will individualize the procedure depending on the unique needs of the patient.

For instance, the Weir technique is a specific alar adjustment procedure involving a particular incision type. The surgeon will eliminate tissues to create a wedge-like cavity. After this, they will seal it with sutures to create beautiful contours.

Good Candidates for Alarplasty

Appropriate candidates for alarplasty are people who are displeased with the shape and contour of their nose. The ideal candidate should be in good overall health, and not have any medical conditions that could increase the medical risks associated with facial surgery.

It is important that patients have reasonable expectations from the outcomes of this procedure. Additionally, they should be cognizant of all the risks and benefits of alarplasty and rhinoplasty.

This helps achieve higher levels of patient satisfaction and mitigates any future disappointment from the procedure.

Alarplasty Procedure

This surgery is undertaken using local anesthesia. The surgeon carefully places the incisions, typically within the nostrils. They will remove excess tissue through the incisions as well as reshapes and alters the size of the alars. The surgeon will then use sutures to make the nostrils narrower.

Results of Alarplasty

Alarplasty can offer very effective results by making the shape and size of the nostrils less pronounced. As alarplasty does not typically have contact with the nasal bone or cartilage, the patient tends to recover quicker and more comfortably.

Is Alarplasty Appropriate for Me?

Individuals seeking to understand whether alarplasty is an ideal cosmetic procedure for them should schedule a detailed consultation with a qualified cosmetic surgeon.

They will assess the nose appearance and anatomy and offer recommendations on how the patient can accomplish their cosmetic goals, enabling them to make a judicious choice.

Cosmetic surgeon Dr. David Kim receives patients from Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, and nearby areas for nose reshaping surgery. For more information on the surgical and non-surgical procedures and treatments by Cosmetic Plastic Surgeons Dr. David Kim and Dr. Eugene Kim. Click here to contact us today.

Serving Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Orange County, Southern California and surrounding areas.

Upon viewing the nose from beneath, the nostrils and the nasal tip would appear as a triangle called the pyriform aperture. To reduce the width of the nose, the surgeon will adjust the pyriform aperture. They can effectively reduce the nose width by making the angles of this triangle steeper at the point where the nostrils connect to the face.

plastic surgeon Dr. David Kim provides rhinoplasty to patients in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, and surrounding communities.

What is Nasal Base Reduction?

A nasal base reduction is a rhinoplasty technique that helps narrow the nasal base in cases where it is too broad relative to other features of the face. Nasal base reduction, in some variation, is a standard technique used in rhinoplasty and revision rhinoplasty.

Nasal base reduction is even more common in the case of ethnic rhinoplasty. For example, Asian, African American, and Middle Eastern nose surgery often involve a reduction of the nasal base. These ethnicities tend to have a wider nasal base which requires a nose base reduction to refine the nose.

The main complaint of most patients seeking rhinoplasty and revision rhinoplasty is that their nose looks too wide or big at the base.

The nose base is typically measured from one nostril’s outer margin to the outer margin of the other nostril.

Ideally, the nasal width base should not be more than the distance between the two eyes. If there were an imaginary vertical line running down from the inner canthus (corner of the eye) on either side, the base should lie between these two lines.

However, it is vital to understand that this adjustment is the cosmetic ideal for a Caucasian nose. This may not be appropriate for ethnic noses. If the base of the nose is slightly wider than this measurement in the case of many ethnic nose surgery patients, it usually offers more natural looking results.

Anatomy Involved In Nasal Base Reduction

An in-depth understanding of the nasal base structure is essential to be able to decide on the surgical treatment of particular rhinoplasty patients. The columella refers to a column-like structure that is located in the middle of the nasal base.

It bifurcates the nostrils into left and right parts. The alar base insertion if the part of the nostril side wall that inserts into the upper lip-cheek junction. The nasal sill area is the region between the alar base insertion point and the columella.

A Wide Sill Area

Some rhinoplasty patients who have a wide nasal base also have a very broad sill area as well. This adds to the extra width of the nose. If the sill area is excessively wide, it could cause a more horizontal type nostril shape. This is commonly seen in patients who have a wide nasal sill.

Serving Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Orange County, Southern California and surrounding areas.

The nasolabial angle is made up of two lines. The first one extends from the nasal tip to the area above the upper lip. The second line goes from the upper lip to the base of the nose, where the nostrils bifurcate. Nose tip rotation and nose projection can affect the degree of this angle.

The surgeon will, in most cases, seek to develop a 90 to 95-degree nasolabial angle in men and a 100 to 105-degree angle in women candidates. The surgeon can refine this angle through a combination of projection and rotation adjustment techniques.

plastic surgeon Dr. David Kim provides rhinoplasty to patients in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, and surrounding locations.

Correcting Nose to Lip Angle and Bulbous Tip

The surgeon may make use of a full delivery technique to correct a bulbous nasal tip. In this procedure, they may suture the dome to the lower lateral cartilages while possibly adding a cartilaginous strut graft, if needed for support.

Wide and flared nostrils can be corrected using alar-based excisions if necessary. Any type of acute angle to the lip can be addressed by raising the tip, reducing the cartilaginous septum and caudal membranous.

The other techniques to treat this condition include reducing the anterior septal angle to allow upward tip rotation and techniques that change the tip itself or tripod of the nose as well as lengthen the medial crus or columella so that it rotates and projects upward.

The surgeon may shorten the lateral or gull wing aspect of nose tip cartilages. These techniques may be used together to narrow the tip and improve the columellar labial angle at the same time.

Finally, the surgeon can perform the alar base reduction along with a rhinoplasty and narrow the base to reduce its width.

More than One Route

Various alternatives exist to correct the angle between the nasal columella and lip. Using caudal extension grafts and plumping grafts can effectively project the nasolabial angle.

The development of proper tip rotation is a standard aspect of rhinoplasty. It is often used in combination with creating better tip definition. But the definition is limited by thicker skin.

In addition, the surgeon may use shaving away a portion of the septum at the anterior angle. However, a specific recommendation on this technique would necessitate an actual nose examination.

Lifting a Drooping Nose Tip

The tip often droops in patients with thick skin and heavy noses. There are various approaches to elevate the nose tip. The surgeon can reduce the septal length.

But most heavy noses require extra tip support. The surgeon accomplishes this through the use of cartilage grafts to offer strength to the tip and elevate it.

For first-time rhinoplasty patients, the ideal source of the graft material is the nasal septum. The surgeon can also make the tip cartilages narrower. To address excessively thick and hard skin and add more strength, a graft using the patient’s cartilage, called an extended shield graft, is often used as well.

Serving Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Orange County, Southern California and surrounding areas.