Dr. David W. Kim & Dr. Amit Arunkumar

There are no nonsurgical procedures which can duplicate the effects of a facelift. The facelift surgery allows one to elevate and reposition sagging areas of the face and neck upward into a more youthful position. This type of effect requires surgery. There are, however, a variety of nonsurgical treatments which can improve the appearance of the face in ways similar to a facelift, though typically in less magnitude. One example is facial volumization with soft tissue fillers. Because the aging process leads to deflation of the face (in addition to sagging), replacement of lost volume with fillers can rejuvenate the face without surgery. Another option is laser skin resurfacing. This procedure allows for dramatic skin surface rejuvenation with wrinkle reduction, textural improvement, elimination of discoloration and better tone. These nonsurgical procedures may be used in conjunction with a facelift to enhance results. But, they may also be used a stand-alone procedures to provide rejuvenating effects without surgery.

Yes absolutely! Botox acts by relaxing the muscles into which it is applied. Since the eyebrows are influenced by the pull of the muscles above and below them, strategic placement of Botox can serve to improve eyebrow position or shape. Most commonly, Botox is placed just below the tail of the eyebrows [off label] in order to relax the muscles which pull the end of the eyebrows downward. The effect of the treatment is an elevation of the tail of the eyebrow, a result which rejuvenates and opens the area around the outer corners of the eye.

I advise patients to take about one week off from work or school and three weeks of no exercise. Swelling will persist for several months and may fluctuate depending on activity or diet. I also advise patients to avoid activities which risk trauma to the nose for about three months.

Unfortunately, rhinoplasty does not always go perfectly the first time around. The good news is that almost every problem resulting from rhinoplasty can be corrected with a revision procedure. About 1/3 of my rhinoplasty practice is revision of previous rhinoplasty surgeries. It is advisable to seek treatment from a surgeon who performs a high volume of revision rhinoplasty as these procedures tend to be more complicated than primary surgery.

In many cases, nasal breathing problems may be successfully treated with septoplasty and/or turbinate reduction.  These procedures are performed completely inside of the nasal passages and generally do not change the external appearance of the nose. In many cases, these procedures may be performed in conjunction with a cosmetic rhinoplasty. There are some type of nasal breathing problems in which a functional rhinoplasty is needed to adequately improve airflow. In these cases, there is typically a need to strengthen the external structures of the nose in order to correct the problem. One of the more common examples of this is when the nasal side walls collapse with inspiration through the nose, a condition known as nasal valve collapse.