Blog Archive
When it comes to facial transformations, I believe in setting myself apart from the competition. Over the years, I've developed three fundamental rules that guide everything we do at West End Facial Plastic Surgery. These rules ensure that our patients not only achieve natural-looking results but also receive treatments that...
Let's face it: surgery is scary! It's not a normal thing! We go into a room, you go to sleep, I use sharp things on you, then you wake up in a room of strangers, under the influence of drugs! There is also a lot of misinformation about different procedures...
Facial plastic surgery is a blend of art and science. As an art, we strive to deliver good looking, natural results. As a science, it evolves as we learn new things, just like any other medical field. Today, I wanted to share recent advancements in facelifts that we offer at...
While we were all sitting at home for most of 2020, I kept reminding myself that scientists were rapidly working on a COVID-19 Vaccine. Once community spread of COVID-19 became wide spread, there really wasn’t going to be another way out of the pandemic. When the vaccines were first made...
Recently, a young lady asked me to do a Botox lip flip for her. The Botox lip flip is something that I was vaguely aware of, but hadn’t really studied because I didn’t think it would work. I know plenty of things that will make lips look better and just...
Well, we’re now about six months into quarantine and most of us are in virtual meetings all day while checking to see if our kids are doing their virtual work. If you’re like me, you show up on your virtual meetings looking like this: If you’re staring at your virtual...
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all of us. The normal rhythms of our daily lives have been disrupted. We can’t participate in society in ways we’re all used to: you can’t go to the grocery store without a mask; you can’t go into the library to look for a book;...
Every new year is an opportunity for growth and improvement. Here at WEFPS, we want everybody to look and feel their best, so I thought I’d sit down and share some resolutions you might consider if you want 2020 to be your skin’s best year yet. Get serious about your...
The eyes are often one of the first areas of the face to show aging. Some of these changes are related to your lifestyle- if you are, perhaps, on call all the time and/or have young children who wake up screaming every night to have their blankets repositioned, it might...
Lots of people come to me to talk about their options for their sagging necks. There are always options. In some people, we can disguise early jowels with filler. Before Two weeks after fillers Other patients will be good candidates for PrecisionTx® which is a laser system that gives...
Avid readers of the blog will recall that when I examined facial rollers and asked if they are really a thing, I referenced something called “microneedling” and said it definitely was a thing, but I didn’t really explain more about it. It is time to end the suspense! Just what is...
Eyelid lifts are my most popular cosmetic surgery. But how do you know when it’s the right time? In general, people want to manage their aging process gracefully, meaning that they want to look better but don’t want anybody to really be able to tell. The key for surgical solutions is...
Regular readers of the blog will note that I have a recurring feature where I take current trends in beauty or health and wellness and examine them from a scientific perspective. Recently we’ve looked at facial rollers, edible sun protection, acupuncture face lifts, and collagen replacement. The rules for this kind of a post are...
A “nose job” can refer to any surgical procedure that involves work on the architecture of your nose. This can include a “septoplasty-” work done on the inside to improve your breathing. It can include a “rhinoplasty-” work done on the external nose to achieve a number of goals. It...
Long time readers of the blog know that I have a regular feature called “Is this really a thing?” In these posts, I take a hot beauty trend and go to the medical literature to see if the trend’s claims have any validity. Previously we’ve examined topics like Edible sunscreen (definitely not...
When I use stitches to repair a wound, I inevitably will be asked two questions. How do I take care of them? Are they going to dissolve on their own? I previously wrote about how to take care of stitches (also known as sutures). In fact, it’s consistently the most...
I get weekly e-mails from the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons that link to recent news items of interest to the members. This week’s included a story about “sunscreen pill” supplements. This seemed like an obvious opportunity to add to my recurrent series, “Is this really a thing?” Previous...
I love it when the azaleas start to bloom! Here on the blog, we’ve been talking a lot about non-invasive types of treatments that we can use to help you look as good as you feel. These include Pelleve, IPL, and chemical peels. While these are great, eventually you may reach a point...
Spring is finally coming to Richmond! First Crocus 2018 As the weather gets nicer and the flowers start to come out, we’re all going to be spending a lot more time outside. It’s a good time to start to think about sunscreen. In early April it’s still chilly enough around...
I’ve found myself lately giving out a lot of skin care tips to my friends and work colleagues. Of course, I’ve been doing this for years, but the recent change is that a lot of these people are about my age instead of being older (and in some cases, significantly...
As a facial plastic surgeon, I enjoy doing surgery. I fell in love with the field when I realized you could do these big complicated procedures to help people feel better or look better, but look like nothing happened! For instance, you can remove a skin cancer and make it...
The eyes are one of the first places that people start to complain about looking old. Why is that? The skin and support structures are very thin- in fact, eyelid skin is the thinnest skin of your entire body! So the natural aging process where tissues thin out and bulge...
Here at West End Facial Plastic Surgery, we love wine. Especially Virginia wine! Back porch with Viognier, King Family Vineyards Dr. Schmidt and his wife discovered the Virginia wine industry shortly after we first moved here in 2005. We love to go up to the mountains around Charlottesville and go...
Richmond is an awesome city to get out doors and exercise. Back before I had kids, I used to run a lot. My wife and I lived right off the course of the Monument Avenue 10k, so I would run the course a few days a week. I ran in the...
Let’s face it. You can use plenty of sunscreen, retinol, and the other things we have discussed in our beauty maintenance series, but you are still going to age. Our beauty maintenance tips series talked about a lot of things that can keep your skin looking good. But eventually you’re going...
Here at the blog, we’ve been exploring the wide variety of treatments offered by our team of master aestheticians. So far, we’ve discussed IPL treatments and laser resurfacing. To quickly review, these are skin treatments where energy is used to get rid of sun damage and redness and stimulate collagen production in the...
Today on the blog, we’re talking about lasers. While we at WEFPS love doing surgery, we also love less invasive ways of helping our patients look better. Previously we discussed intense pulsed light or IPL treatments as a way of reversing sun damage. While IPL is great at getting rid of brown...
Here at West End FPS, we have a lot of ways to help you look your best regardless of your age. We like to emphasize sunscreen for prevention and our retinol-containing skin products to help keep your skin looking its best. Retinol is an ESSENTIAL part of a professional skin...
I was recently out for a run and came across this store front. Now, I’m certainly not an expert on Eastern medicine, but I am an expert on face lifts and I was quite skeptical that you could get one through acupuncture. But here on the blog we keep an...
Guys, let’s talk. In our society, most facial plastic surgery clients are women. But it’s okay to want to look better. In my practice, the most common reason men come to see to me is to talk about their noses. Many have old injuries; they want to straighten their noses...
Rhinoplasty has its own language that can be hard to navigate. Terms like “tip ptosis” and “open roof deformity” aren’t necessarily obvious in what they refer to. Today we’re going to talk about the “saddle nose deformity.” It’s nothing associated with riding a hose, I assure you. But first, BIG...
Lots of women come to me asking about lip augmentation. I’d say that the #1 fear that they have is looking “over done”, like they have duck lips. You want to look better, but you don’t want anybody talking about you behind your back! Fortunately, duck lips can be avoided!...
My family and I moved to the Brazos Valley in 2011 after I finished my fellowship in facial plastic surgery. I was hired as an otolaryngologist by St. Joseph and also performed cosmetic surgery through the Face Place. I have grown personally and professionally over the last six years through...
Pretty much everybody has heard of Botox®. When I was finishing my training, my wife’s 90 year-old grandmother was heard to say that she was looking forward to having me around because I “could use that Botox® to fix my neck!” Botox® is a beautiful drug with lots of applications,...
Today we’re continuing our series where I answer questions that I hear all the time in conversations with patients, family, and friends. As always, if you have something you want to know, shoot me an e-mail, visit us on Facebook, or fill out the contact form to the right. I’d love...
An important part of what doctors do is to provide information to our patients and the public at large so that they can be educated consumers. I hope that these blog posts have helped my readers make more informed decisions about facial plastic surgery and beauty products. In conversations with...
Long time readers of my blog know that I LOVE to think about, write about, and perform rhinoplasties. Previously, I discussed the recovery process after a rhinoplasty and noted that it largely depends on the kind of surgery you need. My rhinoplasty photo gallery includes brief descriptions of each procedure, and designates the use...
Frequent readers will know that I routinely recommend that my patients quit smoking to look and feel their best. All of my handouts about the different surgeries that I do emphasize how important it is to stop smoking. I have refused to do rhinoplasties or face lifts on smokers until...
The Today Show recently did a segment on the current trend of collagen replacement as a way to improve your skin. As many of you know, collagen is a protein that is one of our body’s important building blocks. These proteins link together and form long chains to add strength and elasticity...
If you’ve spent any time looking at my blog, you’ll notice that I harp on sunscreen. While I freely admit that I don’t do a good job of it when I am living my day to day life, I do a lot better when I’m on vacation in sunny spots. Detail, beach,...
Most skin care products and services are marketed towards women. I’m as guilty of this as anybody. Well, it’s time to give male faces the attention they deserve! Why should guys care? Well, besides the fact that we should all take pride in our appearance, men who look better are...
Over the last ten to fifteen years, we’ve seen a huge amount of growth in less invasive beauty treatments. Injectable treatments have been successfully used to correct mild to moderate degrees of aging. Botox® does a great job of easing fine lines and wrinkles and, when done properly, can achieve a...
This is going to be our last new blog post of 2016! Let’s take a break from technical discussions of important subjects like rhinoplasty, eyelid surgery, and RBF. In the spirit of the holidays I’d like to take a step back and reflect on some of the things for which...
Welcome to another edition of our series, “Is this really a thing?” Previously we’ve examined Vampire Face Lifts (yes, it’s a thing, but of questionable efficacy), Microcurrent Facelifts (don’t waste your time, it’s not a thing), and Beauty Shots (perhaps delicious, but they won’t make you look better). Today we’re looking at the modern epidemic of Resting...
People come and talk to me all the time about things that bother them about their appearance. We discuss their skin texture, their wrinkles, their bulging, sagging tissues, and their noses. I always give them several options for ways of addressing their concerns. Usually I’ll include options ranging from good...
So, are you on Team Edward or Team Jacob? Just kidding, I have no idea what that means. My wife tells me it’s a thing. Anyway, you may have seen a lot of ads lately about something called a “Vampire Facelift.” It’s a catchy name for sure, but is it...
Every autumn, the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery has a meeting. It’s a time to reconnect with your colleagues from across the nation (and the world for that matter), consult with vendors, and pick up some new techniques so you are up to date on the latest...
Many people have heard of microdermabrasion. It’s a cosmetic treatment where we use tiny crystals to exfoliate the top layer of your skin. It’s kind of like using a tiny, gentle sandblaster to remove dead skin cells and expose younger, smoother skin. Frequently we can add a serum infusion to...
I talk to a LOT of people about their noses. Many want to breathe better. Some have old injuries that they want fixed. Many want their noses to simply look better. My goal with every nasal surgery is to give you a nose that works well and fits your features....
Everybody wants to look their best regardless of where they are in life. Previously I’ve written about beauty maintenance for people in their thirties, forties, and fifties. But I’ve neglected some very important members of our community in Bryan-College Station! College students, this one’s for you! 1) Get some sleep! I know, it’s easy for...
Botox® is an amazing drug! In a previous post, I reviewed how I use Botox® not only for softening facial wrinkles but also for the treatment of facial nerve problems and headaches. Botox® works by interfering with how nerves talk to their targets. In the case of cosmetic Botox®, we interfere...
Botox® is an amazing drug! If you’re reading this, you’re undoubtedly aware that we use it to help soften facial wrinkles. When properly applied, it also can achieve a small amount of brow lifting which can dramatically improve the appearance of your eyes. Before Botox! After Botox! Notice the subtle improvement...
People have many ways of expressing their individuality. Our haircut and clothes are highly visible ways that distinguish us from others. Tattoos, piercings, and other forms of body art are also popular means of expressing individuality. Ear gauges are a form of body art. The earlobes are pierced and then...
In previous posts, I discussed beauty maintenance tips for patients in their thirties and in their forties. Why were those tips while these are secrets? Well, because when we’re talking beauty maintenance for 50-somethings, we are going to have to discuss more aggressive treatments and procedures – things that people may want to keep secret! Extrinsic...
Going to the doctor’s office can be an intimidating experience. Other doctors have written about this on their blogs from their own specialty’s perspective. Dr. Pari Ghodsi wrote a good article about basic etiquette when going to the gynecologist and what they think about when they’re with their patients: “It’s like seeing...
When patients are considering cosmetic surgery, they often ask me what the recovery is like. This is particularly true for rhinoplasties. People are worried that they’ll be horribly bruised and swollen. They’re worried about being in serious pain. They’re worried about having a lot of material packed into their noses...
May is skin cancer awareness month. Why? The weather is getting nicer! Sun dresses are coming out! People are having parties outside and hanging out by the pool! Summer sports are starting! All of these great things share a hidden danger- the sun! Here are four facts that you need...
A couple of years ago, I went to a local spa to get my wife a gift certificate for a mani/pedi and saw that they were selling a little machine with metal balls on the end. I asked the receptionist about it and she said that it was a way...
It’s Spring and I’m starting to see more and more nasal fractures. People are outside enjoying the weather and playing sports. Unfortunately, accidents happen- inadvertent elbows, mis-played line drives, and simple clumsiness can all result in a broken nose. Here are my tips about what to do next. A broken nose...
Just as no two people are created the same, no two noses are created the same. The size and shape of the cartilage is different. The nasal bones are different. The skin is different. The trick is to match your techniques to the nose to achieve a good, lasting effect....
From time to time our cosmetic practice account receives emails that look like this: Look at that- “anyone may attend.” You pay your fee, attend a quick six-hour class and -BOOM- you can say you know how to inject Botox®! Similar weekend classes offer to teach people how to inject...
I like to emphasize with my patients that, “It’s not the years, it’s the miles.” This starts to be particularly true for patients in their forties. 40-somethings who have taken care of themselves, stay away from smoking and the sun, and maintain their faces like I discussed in this post about beauty...
I strive to help people to look their best, regardless of their age. People frequently come to me for skin care advice and ask, “What can I do?” Over the next several months, I will present a series addressing common beauty concerns by the decade. Today, we’re starting with people...
Earlobes are under-appreciated parts of our faces. We tend to take them for granted until they start to bother us. Many patients come to me after they have a problem with a pierced earlobe – the piercing can become stretched out with time or damaged in an accident with a pet...
The holidays are behind us and winter is in full effect! Cold, dry air can be quite irritating and your skincare needs may change. Here are some winter skin care tips to keep your skin looking its best during the winter months. 1) Hydrate! Winter skin care is all about...
In previous posts we have discussed various ways that plastic surgeons disguise scars. We hide scars in natural boundaries between facial features. We repair skin cancer defects by moving adjacent skin that it is a good color and texture match. Regardless of the surgical techniques used to disguise a wound, proper wound care...
Plastic surgeons are touted for performing cosmetic and reconstructive surgery that leaves no scars! Of course, this is impossible because you can’t do surgery that leaves no scars. Scars are a natural way that the body heals after surgery or any kind of damage. Previously we discussed that facial plastic surgeons hide...
During the holiday season, people frequently consider resolutions for the new year. Some look in the mirror and their reflection just doesn’t look like the person they feel like on the inside. The question is, what to do? Some people decide to go on a diet. Other people join a gym. Some people...
Many patients share with me their concerns about anesthesia. In a previous blog post, we discussed simple ways that we make our procedures comfortable. These include numbing cream and injectable numbing medicines which are used to provide patient comfort during our office-based facial procedures. For more complicated procedures, more advanced anesthesia techniques...
One of the best parts of my job is that facial plastic surgery merges art with the science of medicine. During high school and college, I was very involved with music and theater. Unfortunately, I didn’t really have time for these passions during my medical training. Medical school emphasizes using logic and...
Today we’re going to discuss an uncomfortable truth. Many patients who are considering facial plastic surgery procedures choose to delay their treatments because they are worried about pain and anesthesia. While there can be some discomfort associated with facial procedures, it is usually minor. Even with surgical procedures, the pain afterwards...
As a facial plastic surgeon, I see patients for all kinds of trouble with their noses. Many have breathing trouble related to a deviated septum. Here are five things that you need to know about a deviated septum. What is the nasal septum? The red arrow points at a severely...
Every day, people ask me about scars and the best way to minimize them. While scars can never be totally avoided, we plastic surgeons know many tricks and techniques that help to hide scars (check out my blog post from June). Regardless of the placement of a wound, proper scar care in...
An American football player wearing a nasal strip. This photo was taken by Jeffrey Beall and is available from Wikipedia. It’s football season once again! As you sit back and enjoy your favorite team (Go Blue Devils! Go Eagles!), you may notice that a number of players have something that...
On the way to work recently, I heard a story about a line of Japanese drinks that contain collagen. They are promoted as beauty products for skin care. One in particular claims to “brighten, hydrate, repair, rejuvenate, [and] protect” your skin. I did a little more research and learned that collagen...
Early 20th century modernist architecture was shaped by Louis Sullivan’s “form follows function” principle. The idea was that a building’s shape should be based upon its intended function or purpose. 1 A portion of the Chicago skyline in 2008. Sullivan was influential in the design of the modern skyscraper and was quite...
Facial plastic surgeons are big fans of sunscreen. While YOU may think you look healthier with a tan, the TRUTH is that UV light damages your skin. It causes pigment and texture irregularities. It even causes skin cancer! We use UV light to diagnose skin problems, particularly sun related damage....
The aging process affects our faces in many ways. On the skin surface, we develop pigment and texture irregularities. The skin also develops fine lines and wrinkles. Our facial tissues can sag leading to jowling, deep folds around the mouth, and loosening of the skin around the chin and neck....
Plastic surgeons have earned a reputation as being able to perform surgery without leaving scars. The truth of the matter is that any time the skin is cut, it heals with a scar. Scars are a part of normal wound healing. The trick is to disguise the scar! The human...
The band Train was wrong: bruises can make for awkward conversation! Any invasive facial procedure risks bruising; in general, the risk increases along with the invasiveness of the procedure. Bruising occurs when a small amount of blood leaks from your blood vessels into the surrounding tissue. For injectable treatments, the...
Please don’t keep up with the Kardashians in this way. Women generally prefer the look of full lips. It’s a sign of youthfulness, and procedures to enhance the shape and plumpness of the lips are frequent requests. I recently learned about the “Kylie Jenner Lip Challenge.” To make their lips...
Sniff in through your nose. If you are fortunate enough to breathe well through both sides of your nose, feel free to move on to the next post! If not, read on! These structures are turbinates. Turbinates are like radiators for your nose. They are located along the sidewalls of...
In March of 2007, Duke and the University of North Carolina were playing a basketball game. Duke was down late when Tyler Hansbrough grabbed a rebound and was elbowed in the nose by Duke guard Gerald Henderson, Jr. Bleeding, Hansbrough had to leave the game to get medical attention while...
I get asked all the time about skin care products by clients who are concerned about age-related changes of their skin. There are LOTS of options out there; every day we are bombarded with TV and magazine ads for products claiming to smooth wrinkles and make you look younger. But...
When you go to the drug store looking for relief from a stuffy nose, you find shelves full of different nose sprays. Many contain oxymetazoline or phenylephrine and are sold under the trade names Afrin® and Neo-Synephrine®, or as generic brands. If you have nasal congestion, they’re great drugs! But...
It’s been several years but, yes, I have had BOTOX®. It was during the final year of my residency, when I was acting as chief resident. I knew I was going into facial plastic surgery, and I felt I needed to know what BOTOX® was all about. I had one...