A common problem among adolescents and older men is the development of excess fat or glandular tissue in the male breast. An estimated 40-60% of men suffer from this condition, which can occur in either one or both breasts, at some time in their lives. The cause of gynecomastia is not well understood, but it is suspected that hormonal changes often play a role. Anabolic steroids that contain estrogen, marijuana use, and prescribed hormones are a factor in some instances. Massive weight loss can also result in hanging breasts that detract from a man’s appearance.

Plastic surgery offers a solution for men who are troubled by this embarrassing condition. Through the use of ultrasonic liposuction most cases of gynecomastia can be corrected. The excess skin shrinks and contracts following liposuction leaving a smooth and normal contour to the breast area. Only in severe cases will skin and glandular tissue be required to be removed to create a firmer, flatter, and better contoured male breast.

This entry was posted on Monday, October 25th, 2010 at 12:13 pm and is filed under Breast Enhancement, Gynecomastia, Liposuction, Male Cosmetic Procedures.

Orange County Revision Nose Surgery

Nasal surgery for reconstructive or cosmetic reasons has postoperative reasons for secondary nose surgery.  Nasal surgery is a very difficult surgery requiring a lot of experience and expertise.  Since I am Board Certified in both otolaryngology and Plastic Surgery, taking care of patients requiring secondary or revision nose surgery (also commonly known as rhinoplasty revision) is one of my favorite procedures.

Following nasal surgery, a patient can find reasons for further cosmetic or breathing improvement.  It is important to realize many medical factors such as allergies, hay fever, hormones, or vasomotor rhinitis can contribute to nasal problems. Insurance may cover some of these medical aspects.

Airway problems following nasal surgery may occur.  This may include problems with the septum and turbinates. At times, breathing may be impaired due to a change in the internal and external nasal valves.  Following cosmetic nasal surgery, scar tissue may form causing incomplete resection of a dorsal hump.    Statistically, up to 10% of cosmetic nasal surgery will require revision nose surgery.  For this reason, it is important to find a physician who is well qualified and experienced in rhinoplasty revision.

Please contact our office with any questions or concerns, or to schedule a complimentary consultation, 714-738-4282.

Robert M. Wald, Jr., MD
The Aesthetic Institute

This entry was posted on Monday, May 21st, 2012 at 1:02 am and is filed under Rhinoplasty.

Erasing Lines around Mouth and Eyes with Minimal Redness

Every day patients come into my office complaining of wrinkles around their mouth and eyelids. Most of these patients have tried numerous creams and ointments without success and have spent hundreds of dollars for these products.  Certainly, these people have bought these products because of good advertisement.

Over the years, I have tried a number of techniques to improve these wrinkles.  This has included dermabrasion, laser therapy and fillers.  While all these modalities work, there are downsides to  each of these therapies.  With fillers, they are only temporary.  With dermabrasion and CO2 lasers, there is prolonged redness and long healing.

Recently, I have been working with the Sciton Erbium laser.  I have found this laser to be extremely effective with minimal redness and fast healing.  This laser can reverse the effects of sun damage that cause wrinkling, sun spots and tired appearing skin.  With this laser, physicians  can control the ablation and coagulation depth for either light or deep peels and restore a healthy look to the skin.

There are 2 approaches to resurfacing: Full field and fractional.  In full field resurfacing, the entire surface areas of the skin is treated. A laser beam is scanned over the treated area and precisely removes a layer of skin.  The body will eventually replace the old, damaged skin that was removed, with a fresh, healthy layer.  Treatments can range from shallow to deep depending on the patients extent of wrinkling and texture problems.

In fractional resurfacing, the laser removes pinpoint columns of skin, leaving the surrounding tissue intact.  This approach allows the laser to penetrate very deeply for effective collagen remodeling, while the surrounding and intact tissue promotes rapid healing.

By combining these two modalities, the results in my patients are greatly improved.  Depending on the patients desires, 1 day or a week of redness is involved to achieve the desired results.

Please contact our office with any questions or concerns, or to schedule a complimentary consultation, 714-738-4282.

Robert M. Wald, Jr., MD
The Aesthetic Institute

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 7th, 2012 at 10:41 pm and is filed under Facelifts, Skin Care, Wrinkle Reduction.

Botox – Reduction of Facial Lines

Botox is a product name for botulinum toxin Type A. Botox injections is a popular nonsurgical method to temporarily reduce or eliminate frown lines, forehead creases, crow’s-feet around the eyes, and in some instances, bands or cords in the neck.

Wrinkles such as crow’s-feet, frown lines, and horizontal forehead creases are usually caused by repeated muscle contraction associated with facial expressions. The cosmetic form of botulinum toxin, used as a therapeutic agent, blocks certain nerve impulses and temporarily inactivates the muscles that cause these wrinkles. The action of botox is well targeted to the specific muscles that control facial expressions, and surrounding muscles are not impacted.

Botox injections will not only smooth certain types of facial wrinkles, but the treatment will also slow the process of further wrinkle formation. In addition to its temporary qualities in reducing furrows, Botox helps to prevent fine lines from becoming deeper, because it weakens the muscles that cause deep wrinkle formation.

That’s why people as young as their 30’s and even 20’s, who want to prevent wrinkles before they happen, can be appropriate candidates for Botox injections.

This entry was posted on Friday, July 6th, 2012 at 1:43 pm and is filed under BOTOX® Cosmetic.

Do facial fillers make you look young again?

As a plastic surgeon, I have a larger number of options to enhance a patients appearance and make them look younger.  These options include surgery and non surgical procedures.  Today, a lot of my patients request Fillers, Botox and Laser Therapy to minimize any down time from a surgical procedure.  Although these minimally invasive techniques work well, they are not long lasting and require further treatments, and can be quite costly over time.  A patient recently told me that she would have paid for a facelift following 2 years of maintenance therapy.  From a cost basis, she felt that a much longer lasting procedure would have been more economical.  I thought this was an interesting perspective and something every patient should consider.

This entry was posted on Saturday, July 28th, 2012 at 3:48 pm and is filed under Wrinkle Reduction.