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William Lao, MD profile

William Lao, MD

VERIFIED
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
693 Fifth Avenue, 8th Floor, New York, New York
(917) 960-8967
Website
4.8 | 143 Reviews
97 Questions Answered
AREAS OF EXPERTISE

Breast Surgery

187 Photos27 Reviews24 Q&A1 Offer
Breast augmentation or augmentation mammoplasty is a surgical procedure to increase both the volume and projection of bilateral breasts, especially for ladies who have naturally small breasts or deflated breasts after breastfeeding. There are many ways to perform breast augmentation. The filling materials nowadays are autologous fat, saline or silicone implants. There are advantages and disadvantages for either material. For implant-based augmentation, there are usually three incisions to choose from including incisions through the axilla, under the breast, or around the areola-skin border. The implant placement can be either above the Pectoralis Major muscle or below it. There are also indications for anatomical (tear-dropped shaped) implants to improve the aesthetics of specific breast types. Most implants can be placed under direct vision but when using the axillary approach it is best done with the aid of an endoscope.
BEFORE
AFTER

Rhinoplasty and Nose Shaping

132 Photos48 Reviews19 Q&A0 Offers
Every nose is different. And because every nose is different, different techniques and approaches to surgery need to be utilized in order to provide the kind of personalized results desired. The attention paid to each nose has to be individualized. Mainly, two types of incisions are used: Open and Closed. Open rhinoplasty involves a small well-hidden incision on the skin of the underside of the nose, and closed rhinoplasty hides the incision inside the nostrils. The choice between which incision to use will depend on the specific alterations that are being made to the different areas of the nose. Both techniques have their advantages and disadvantages. There is no visible scar for a closed rhinoplasty, because the incisions for the procedure are made internally, but there is better surgery exposure in the open technique if extensive nasal tip work is required.
BEFORE
AFTER

Hair Restoration

36 Photos6 Reviews14 Q&A0 Offers
Because each person's hair loss pattern is unique, different techniques and approaches to restoration need to be thoughtfully selected to achieve the natural-looking results you're hoping for. The care given to understanding your individual needs has to be personalized. For expertly tailored hair restoration that combines artistic vision with technical precision, Dr. William Lao in New York City offers the personalized care and exceptional results you deserve.
BEFORE
AFTER
MEET WILLIAM LAO, MD
🩺17 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

William Lao, M.D. is a fully USA trained plastic surgeon who specializes in cosmetic surgeries of the face and the body. Dr. Lao has patients internationally from all ethnicities due to his understanding of cultural ideals and customized surgical approach.

William Lao, MD VIDEOS

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Before and After Photos

QUESTIONS ANSWERED

It is hard to determine whether the issue is with your right or left implant actually. from simply looking at the photo, The right (your right) actually seems to have the natural droop and tear drop shape, while your left implant appears to be too high riding and also contracted in appearance. It is possible you have something called capsule contracture on the left but physical exam will be needed before any useful diagnosis.

provider-William Lao, MD-photo

William Lao, MD

Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

4.8 | 143 reviews

Not only you, but many of my patients also fear the idea of going under, but in any accredited facility with a board certified plastic surgeon, typically a board certified anesthesiologist will be hired to perform anesthesia for you. It is a very safe and relatively short duration type of surgery, if you do have any history of nausea/vomiting etc, I would suggest you mention it to the anesthesiologist prior to the procedure so they can tailor medication to ease with those problems prior to waking you up.

provider-William Lao, MD-photo

William Lao, MD

Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

4.8 | 143 reviews

The short answer to your question is that there are many options available in terms of whether you need a lift or just a simple augmentation, what type of lift, and what plane (fascial, subglandular, submuscular etc) to put the implant under. From the simple photo, I would guesstimate that a simple breast aug with the appropriate sized implants will do but you should still seek a board certified plastic surgeon to evaluate and exam you, potentially even give you a 3D simulation to figure out the best options.

provider-William Lao, MD-photo

William Lao, MD

Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

4.8 | 143 reviews

Rhinoplasty is always about the overall proportion of the entire nose. From the straight gaze photo, the bridge does look slightly low and the bridge is not exactly straight, this will improve with bridge augmentation. But as you stated if you make the bridge too high, it will give you an "avatar" unnatural appearance, so it is best to see a board certified plastic surgeon and maybe most helpful if the surgeon's office like ours, has a 3D simulation program that you can simulate the different changes of your nose on your face (ie. changing just the tip, just the alar, just the bridge or all of them) for you to see what best fits your aesthetic goal.

provider-William Lao, MD-photo

William Lao, MD

Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

4.8 | 143 reviews

Alar reduction is a small procedure that can narrow the alar (the wings on the side) but we all have to know it is normal for the alars to widen with smile and facial animation. So if you opted for alar reduction, it will reduce both alar width with or without animation. The other choice will be some botulinum toxin injection to the alar muscle so it widens less with smiling.

provider-William Lao, MD-photo

William Lao, MD

Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

4.8 | 143 reviews

Make breasts more round without implant?

Asked By:AnonymousANSWERS (1)

Depending on your body shape and size, you might or might not have enough fat to be used to shape your breasts. And that might be the best option you have if no implants are desired. But that being said, you should still see a board certified plastic surgeon who is experienced in different breast surgeries to understand exactly what you want and what procedures are available to achieve that. Since you mentioned tuberous breasts, there are actually different severities of tuberous breasts, you could just have a minor type.

provider-William Lao, MD-photo

William Lao, MD

Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

4.8 | 143 reviews

Hello, I am personally unaware of contraindication of breast implants specifically to rheumatoid arthritis, we have had patients who had breast implants in the past with RA or later was diagnosed with RA and did not have any issues. But every patient is different and all treatments should be tailored to each person so it is best for you to check with your rheumatologist to see if there are any specific contraindication in your case to have breast implants.

provider-William Lao, MD-photo

William Lao, MD

Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

4.8 | 143 reviews

The standard answer for a natural looking breast augmentation would be to choose an implant within your base diameter. But that doesn't mean if you choose one that is slightly over will look bad, the doctor will have to evaluate your body in person and see how wide your BWD and your chest wall and also what is the desired look you want to advise the best implant. Implants also come with different profiles with different diameters.

provider-William Lao, MD-photo

William Lao, MD

Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

4.8 | 143 reviews

From your description, it is possible that you have capsule contracture, which often has the signs of high riding implants, hard to palpation. This can be surgically corrected but will need to be examined by a plastic surgeon to determine if that indeed is the cause of your asymmetry.

provider-William Lao, MD-photo

William Lao, MD

Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

4.8 | 143 reviews

It is a relatively older technique and concept to use implant at the nasal tip (ie. L shaped implant) for the problems that you mentioned regarding thinning out nasal tip and having implant extruding in the long run. How it will eventually be really depends on how thick your nasal skin is and also if the surgeon had placed some protective layers on top like on lay ear cartilages etc. But most rhinoplasty surgeon nowadays do not like any implant materials at the nasal tip.

provider-William Lao, MD-photo

William Lao, MD

Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

4.8 | 143 reviews

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The Scarless Breast Advantage

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2033-05-17 20:33:20

William Lao, MD reviews

William Lao, MD

RATING DETAILS

4.8
143 reviews

All reviews are evaluated by the RealSelf team to ensure they're written by patients like you and meet our guidelines. Your results may vary. Doctors can never pay to have reviews removed or hidden.

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William Lao, MD
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10 Results
Rhinoplasty

923848

Dr. Lao is exceptional!

I found Dr. Lao through his outstanding reviews online, and I’m so glad I did. From start to finish, the experience exceeded my expectations. My nose looks natural and refined, exactly what I was hoping for. Dr. Lao took the time to thoroughly explain the procedure and answered all my questions with patience, which really put me at ease. His eye for detail and strong sense of aesthetics are clearly reflected in the results, and I’m very happy with the outcome. Dr. Lao is exceptional!

Hair Transplant

S753564

Expert Hair Transplant Service

This is an excellent clinic with skilled and polite staff. The results are very high quality well. What’s particularly helpful is how communicative the clinic is during the recovery process, so you don’t feel at a loss when recovering from a procedure.

Deep Plane Facelift

kireikirei1501

A Truly Positive Experience with My Facelift Procedure

I had a facelift surgery with Dr William Lao and I couldn't be happier with the results; my face looks rejuvenated and natural, and I am more confident in my appearance. Dr Lao took the time to explain the procedure, address the concerns I had, and made me feel comfortable every step of the way. His team was pleasant and wonderful. As for the removal of under-eye bags, it’s still a bit early to comment on the final results as I am waiting to evaluate the outcome more fully. I’m optimistic and appreciate the care that Dr Lao put into this procedure as well. I highly recommend Dr Lao. His expertise, professionalism, and attentiveness truly stand out.

$17,701Breast Augmentation

cahnea

Amazing BA Experience

Dr Lao and his staff are absolutely amazing. I am 1 month post op from a primary BA, and my results are even better than the best I could have envisioned for myself (and Dr Lao tells me the results will look even better in another few months). My new breasts look very natural, make a huge difference in how I look in clothing (I was flat before), and can be shown/enhanced or hidden however I like (which was important to me). I'd been carefully researching BA for the past 2 years and have consulted with and/or researched many surgeons in NY, Miami, LA, and Seoul, but I knew that Dr Lao would be the best choice once I visited him and saw photos of his work. Dr Lao has a lot of integrity - he listens to your concerns and preferences but also provides his professional opinion and is honest about what does/doesn't work for your anatomy. For example, I wanted a very sizable increase without going "too big," and Dr Lao helped me arrive at a size after multiple consultations + pre-op visit. My surgery went incredibly well, and the recovery has been very smooth - I had almost no bruising on my breasts, was able to manage with just OTC painkillers, and went back to the office four days after surgery. Dr Lao's skill is second to none! Additionally, I want to call out his staff. They are so sweet and always available to answer questions (I texted them frequently throughout the process!). While I'm currently not looking to get more surgeries, if I were, I would certainly come back to Dr. Lao for them.

Hair Transplant

binyang

Hair Transplant

I received hair transplant with Dr. Lao. The whole process is very simple and comforting. The medical team is nice and put me at ease! I received detaile pre op and post op instructions. I love my results!

Double Eyelid Surgery

Sociable181016

Best Surgeon for Ptosis and Double Eyelid Surgery

I had my ptosis correction and double eyelid surgery done by Dr. Lao in early August 2024 with a revision done in January 2025 and I could not be more satisfied by the process and my results. I had severe ptosis for my entire life to the point where my eyes barely opened and I have never had a surgical procedure ever. From my very first consultation with Dr. Lao I knew he was someone I could trust. He was always reassuring and prioritized what I wanted and established a good relationship with me beyond just being a patient; while I consulted other physicians, after my initial meeting with Dr. Lao I was beyond certain to proceed with him. This was the best decision; during my procedure, he was incredibly patient with my involuntary twitching and my high pain sensitivity, making sure I was comfortable throughout. My results were very immediately dramatic and incredibly positive on both my appearance and self-confidence, something I am immensely grateful to Dr. Lao for. Even so, he made sure to regularly check in on my progress and recovery, making himself available for a revision procedure at no additional charge when my recovery ended in a result that was not entirely to my satisfaction. Dr. Lao made my first surgery comfortable and approachable, and I recommended him to my other family members seeking similar procedures. He is one of the best doctors I have had and I will undoubtedly recommend him and seek him for future procedures.

Eyelid Surgery

awesomesunfire

I Had an Amazing Experience

I had an amazing eyelid surgery at Dr. Lao's office. I was first impressed by his patience and willingness to hear my ideas and opinion. I also appreciate his expertise and advice. He was always friendly, professional, and careful. I was very happy about my results and feel more confident everyday. The staffs are all nice and helpful. I highly recommend this group.

Lip Lift

Giving593842

Forehead lift, lip lift, liposuction injections, Botox, and hyaluronic acid treatments.

Dr. William Lao performed a forehead lift, lip lift, liposuction injections, Botox, and hyaluronic acid treatments for me. Both the doctor and the clinic nurses were very kind, friendly, and caring. The entire treatment process felt so relaxed, and I really appreciated how well they communicated with me throughout. The stitches are beautifully done, and I’m very happy with the results:)! I am sincerely grateful to Dr. Lao for his expertise, care, and attention to detai

Breast Augmentation

Join_Anonymous

10/10 Recommended! - 53 years old, but I feel much younger now

When it comes to a plastic surgery, you want to find the best possible surgeon. I am lucky to have underwent my breast augmentation by Dr. Lao. I am 53 years old, but I feel much younger now and enjoy my new appearance after the surgery. Although I was scared about post-surgery pain, it was surprisingly manageable. I am grateful to Dr. Lao, other associated doctors as well as the entire medical team for everything that I experienced about my procedure. When it comes to a plastic surgery, you want to find the best possible surgeon. I am lucky to have underwent my breast augmentation by Dr. Lao. I am 53 years old, but I feel much younger now and enjoy my new appearance after the surgery. Although I was scared about post-surgery pain, it was surprisingly manageable. I am grateful to Dr. Lao, other associated doctors as well as the entire medical team for everything that I experienced about my procedure. 10/10 recommended!

Eyelid Surgery

RawToast245

Fantastic Results, Great Beside Manner, Professional Supporting Staff

Besides his professional bedside manner, Dr. Lao was great in thoroughly explaining different types of techniques for the procedures I was interested in, as well as the pros and cons for each. I ultimately chose non-incisional blepharoplasty and the whole procedure took about 15 minutes. His front staff is also extremely professional and very polite--something I wish I could say about more of the medical offices I have dealt with in the past. I wish I had gone to him years ago.

William Lao, MD
Response from Dr.William Lao, MDThank you for the kind comments!