Jeffrey L. Schmidt, MD

Even if you're not having problems preoperatively, reducing the size of the nose may cause issues postoperatively. Also, sometimes patients don't realize how their baseline preoperatively is actually worse than it could be if some of the anatomical problems internally were addressed. It's not uncommon for me to hear from patients after surgery tell me how they never knew how bad their breathing really was until they've experienced significant improvements to their air flow after surgery. I hope that this is helpful and wish you well on your journey!

Hello there. Often, the changes to a nose when reducing the size of the nose externally can also impact the nasal passages internally. Therefore, we have to anticipate that the airway may change, and accordingly, we need to evaluate the septum and turbinates in each case. Seeing a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon (one with an ENT background), can ensure that you have a surgeon that is very mindful of function as well as form.

Hello, and not to worry. Many people have multiple ear piercings, and what needs to be done largely depends upon how things look on your physical exam. It's important when you have the ear piercing treated to remove the the small skin "tube" connecting one side of the ear piercing to the other. If that is not properly removed from the ear, you can develop post treatment complications. Therefore, be sure to go to an experienced facial plastic surgeon. Post-treatment, your pain should be rather limited, and you may find that there's no need for any pain medication. Otherwise, you should do well with just Tylenol. Generally, with small piercings, the incisions should be rather limited with small scars that are aesthetically acceptable, if not nearly invisible, depending upon how well you heal. Hope that answers your question. Best wishes to you! -Dr. Schmidt

Hello there. Pollybeak deformity refers to the parrot beak-like shape a nose may take following a rhinoplasty procedure. This can result from multiple causes, some of which are avoidable. One cause may be from overly aggressive excision of the tissues in this area resulting in dead space which can fill with scar tissue. If the area is not appropriately taped or if it is but the tape loosens, then rounding in this area may ensue. Sometimes the area can be injected with a dilute steroid to help minimize formation of scar tissue here. If the cartilage in this region is not reduced enough, or if it is but the tip settles backward toward the face through an inadvertent or overly aggressive de-projecting of the nasal tip, this can cause a rounded appearance here. This can be corrected by increasing the projection of the nasal tip, performing scar injections, and/or excising scar tissue/additional cartilage. I hope you found this information valuable. Please let us know if you have any additional questions, as I'd be happy to further clarify.

Hi there. It sounds like you're interested in reducing the malar fat pads adjacent to the nose. This can be accomplished with very careful and conservative liposuction. Most individuals want to maintain volume in this area, and some surgeons do not feel comfortable with performing liposuction in the face due to risk of injury to nerves. So, this particular treatment is less commonly performed relative to liposuction in other areas of the body. Buccal fat pad reduction does not address this area. I hope this helps answer your questions. Wish you health and happiness!Dr. Schmidt

Recovery for a secondary rhinoplasty involving just a rim graft is going to be significantly less than a rhinoplasty that involves numerous procedures. In fact, it matters less whether it's a secondary versus primary rhinoplasty in terms of recovery. The more important consideration is how many areas of the nose are being treated, and in what way they are being treated. Generally speaking, the more maneuvers being performed the more inflammation can occur. Certainly, this is technique dependent. More inflammation and bruising will lead to more downtime. I hope this is helpful, and best wishes to you!

Unfortunately, there are no exercises to help with removing lip or cheek fat directly. We have fat all over the body, and fat serves a vital role, the primary purpose of which is for the storage of energy. As we consume that energy through exercise, fat cells will shrink. Any sort of exercise that is going to burn fat may help with slimming the cheeks. Some people, however, cannot seem to lose stubborn facial fat no matter how lean they get, even when they are at or below their ideal body weight. In these cases, this is where liposuction becomes necessary. Some people turn to Kybella to help melt away fat, but I have found this to be ineffective, expensive, and associated with prolonged swelling that exceeds what many people experience with liposuction in the right hands. The cheeks and neck areas can generally be contoured with liposuction, but I have not seen anyone treat or personally treated a patient for lip fulness using liposuction. Not only is a big part of the lip volume composed of tissues other than fat, such as muscle, but you would have a significantly greater risk of nerve injury attempting liposuction in this area. I hope this has been helpful, and good luck to you.

It is possible for the graft to move, although it's unlikely. I have not seen this happen in my patients with any type of graft, but if you had a significant injury, it's possible that there may be some displacement of the tissue. In order for this to happen and cause a significant problem, your nose would probably require the same amount of force to break had you never had an operation. Hope this is helpful. Take Care!

Thank you so much for asking this insightful question. I've put together a video response for you. I hope that this helps.

Thank you for asking this question. I imagine there are a lot of people who are wondering the very same thing. I've put together a video response for you. Please feel free to view it at your leisure.