44 Year Old Male: Eyelid Ptosis Correction; Restylane Injections. Beverly Hills, CA

About five years back I had some bad luck with a cosmetic procedure performed by a London doctor. Over the next few years I found myself caught up in the dreaded downward spiral of procedure after procedure, hoping to either restore my original appearance, or to at least improve the upon what I was left with. Unfortunately, each subsequent procedure brought its own set of additional problems. (And this despite the fact that after that first bad procedure I had made every effort to choose what I thought were the most capable surgeons.) No single subsequent procedure was an outright disaster, but each took me a little farther away from what I'd started with. Almost 6 years later I no longer looked quite like myself, and definitely worse than before I'd started it all (as several of my closest friends have admitted to me).
I had given up on ever being able to correct what I'd allowed done to my face, but thought perhaps I could improve my appearance by addressing a separate, unrelated problem which I'd long had, and had gotten worse over the years: a ptosis, or drooping, of my upper left eyelid, as well as bit of excess skin near the fold.
Having my eyelid ptosis corrected was not a decision I wanted to rush into. Eyelid surgery is very precise and very delicate, and I routinely see even wealthy and famous people whose eye surgery leaves them looking like different people. And of course, my own past plastic surgery results have been mediocre to poor.
I found Dr. Kenneth Steinsapir through RealSelf, and am very grateful to have done so. I flew to LA for a consult, based on my positive impression from his website.
My first meeting with him absolutely convinced me that I had found the right doctor. I was stunned by how much time he spent with me, taking very precise measurement after measurement, explaining everything in great detail, as well as explaining what sort of outcome he thought I could expect. He additionally identified a second issue with my lid, but told me correction of this second defect had a very good chance of causing permanent dry-eye, a complication he doubted I would find acceptable, and advised against it. I found his interest in making sure I was as informed as I could possibly be extremely reassuring.
He understood exactly the issues I'd had with my previous cosmetic procedures, and pointed out an additional issue caused by the fat-grafting I'd had done around my eyes. (That wasn't good news, of course, but I appreciated learning of it. He seemed to know more about fat-grafting than the doctor who'd performed the procedure.) I asked his opinion on several other surgical options I'd been considering, and he spoke very frankly with me about some of the complications associated with these, and probably saved me from making another disastrous mistake.
On top of this, he is a really wonderful man - very kind, pleasant, and interesting. When I flew back later for the surgery, he carefully retook all the measurements, and went over all the details again with me, to ensure that we both had the same understanding of what was going to be done in surgery. Everything was carefully planned and agreed to in advance - no 'winging it' on the day of surgery, or changes suggested immediately before surgery (as other doctors have done).
Post-op he saw me nearly every day for a week afterwards, to check on the progress of my healing! And the results of my eyelid surgery (now 4 months on) are exactly what he'd told me to expect, the expert work of a really talented doctor.
His staff were also really amazing. Faith, in particular, took such wonderful care of me, and I am so thankful to have had her support.
I've since returned to see him about improving on the results of those earlier procedures. He has an artistic eye coupled with an expert knowledge of human physiology, and really astounds me with his ability to accurately identify what the problem is and to find a solution to correct it. He has been able to make a marked improvement with Restylane injections, to even out irregularities and restore a more harmonious balance. He sees things that no other doctor seems to notice, and is as precise with his injections as he is with his surgery.
I can give Dr. Steinsapir my whole-hearted, most enthusiastic recommendation.

It's been about three years since my earlier review, so I thought I should provide an update. I still stand behind everything I wrote in my initial review. Dr. Steinsapir is the only surgeon I will ever see, and the only surgeon I feel absolutely confident in recommending to others. After having my life derailed by the botched work of other plastic surgeons, my ability to wholeheartedly recommend Dr. Steinsapir to friends and family is evidence of my absolute confidence in him and his abilities. I would never risk the health or happiness of people I love!
Since my initial review, I have had several additional procedures with the Doctor: Sub-mental liposuction and platysmaplasty, a temporal eye lift, and quite a few rounds of restylane, as well as the micro droplet botox. I have been very happy with all of the outcomes, which is why I keep coming back.
With Dr. Steinsapir, you will never be harmed. This may sound strange, but anyone who has been harmed by the bad work of another surgeon will know just how much this means. After your appearance is destroyed, it takes over your life, you obsess about it, you continually kick yourself for not choosing a doctor more carefully, and hate yourself for trying to save money on something as potentially life-changing (or life-destroying) as plastic surgery.
Is Dr. Steinsapir more expensive? Yes, but certainly not the most expensive, and anyway you are paying for the time and expertise of a truly top-notch, honest, and decent doctor whose outcomes you can trust. Anyone who asks for my advice on surgeons gets sent his way.
Last, I can't forget to mention Faith, who keeps the whole place running like clockwork, so the doctor can focus entirely on his patients' medical needs. She has worked closely with the Doctor for 25+ years, so knows everything inside and out. She's a dynamo, and very committed to her work. She has to 'talk down from the ledge' a lot of people who have been harmed by other surgeons and come to her desperate, angry, confused, and mistrustful, not sure who they can trust or whether anything can be done for them. This means she is constantly deluged by pleas for help and requests for appointments. I honestly have no idea how she is able to keep up with it all, but am so thankful she had the time to help me! I came to her at a very dark time in my life and she helped me through it, and has since become a dear and trusted friend.