For people who need only minimal augmentation I prefer to use their own cartilage from their septum. Septal cartilage is very easy to work with and provides the perfect thickness and strength to place on the bridge or the tip.  For people who require more substantial augmentation I prefer one of 2 techniques.  I use either a specialized implant or a sandwich made up of diced cartilage and temporalis fascia.  The latter option is basically dicing up the persons own cartilage into tiny pieces and placing it inside tissue that is taken from the forehead.  This sandwich is very soft and gives an excellent augmentation and is ideal for people with thin skin.  When a person has thin skin it is easy to see through the skin and therefore using a person’s own tissue is appropriate because it helps to camouflage the augmentation whereas an implant can sometimes show through the thin skin.  For people with medium or thicker skin I prefer to use a specialized implant which is made of silicone wrapped in a very thin fine layer of e-PTFE which is a specialized type of super soft gortex.  This implant is the perfect consistency for the bridge and gives a perfectly smooth bridge, smoother then any other method can offer.  For those people who require full tip reconstruction as well as bridge reconstruction I often will use that persons own rib to rebuild the entire nose.  Rib cartilage provides an excellent source of cartilage when a large amount of cartilage is required. 

 I have a lot of experience with all of the above methods and I use more of the specialized implants then any other method.  The implant eliminates the need to harvest tissue form another site and therefore makes the surgery more minimal and requires less healing.  The other listed methods are excellent options as well and the appropriate method has to be tailored to the appropriate patient to get long lasting and outstanding results.

By the way I lost 20 pounds over the last 5 weeks and I plan to lose 5 more…diet and exercise, diet and exercise!

I am proud to have developed a premier facelift practice in Beverly Hills and Manhattan, NYC.  Similar to rhinoplasty patients I am often asked, “Dr. Diamond, I want the best Facelift possible, is the Deep Plane Facelift better then the Vertical Facelift or the Mini Facelift?”  I am honored that people think of me when they are looking for the best.  I think it’s important to explain to people that The Best Facelift technique really depends on the person’s facial anatomy including their bony structure, amount of fat in the face and quality of the skin.  I have written extensively on this topic and have given many lectures on the benefits and limitations of each facelift technique.  The technique that will give an individual The Best Facelift needs to be carefully determined by the surgeon with the patient’s goals and input as key factors in the decision making process.

I hear this phrase a lot as a Beverly Hills and NYC rhinoplasty specialist.  People from all over the world come to Beverly Hills when looking for the best rhinoplasty and best revision rhinoplasty that money can buy.  I am very happy and proud that people think of me when they are looking for the best.  The amusing thing to me is that people often ask me, “Is the best rhinoplasty done opened or closed?”  The thought that there is a best technique for everyone is a gross misconception that many people have. 

The best rhinoplasty or revision rhinoplasty technique for any given individual is based on their desires and their anatomy.  While one person may benefit most from an open rhinoplasty another person may benefit from a closed rhinoplasty.  The best rhinoplasty for those people who require a significant reconstruction of their anatomy is an open rhinoplasty in most cases.  The best rhinoplasty for those who require a finesse change to their nose is often the closed rhinoplasty technique.  However, even these general guidelines sometimes do not apply to certain people and it is up to your surgeon to determine what the best rhinoplasty technique is for your particular situation.

As my rhinoplasty practice has grown over the years the amount of chin implants I have performed has increased dramatically. Approximately, 50% of people who consult with a plastic surgeon because their nose is too large actually have a weak chin which makes the nose look even bigger. I never try to talk anybody into a procedure but when I show someone with a weak chin the altered images on the computer they are usually amazed at how much better their face looks. I now customize all chin implants to each individual patient and this has made beautiful results even better.

I just did my wife’s chin implant 6 weeks ago and her mom didn’t even notice. Her family just thought she looked great but did not know why until Jessica told them. Jessica is very pleased with the results and she looks amazing if I do say so myself.

I was amazed to learn that cosmetic surgery is quite common in that part of the world. I am honored to have Middle Eastern patients and I am proud to say they have all been thrilled with their results and they all are glad they have made the trip.

 We then met again in NYC months later and this time there were about 7 of us.  We included a few famous facelift surgeons from Europe as well because we wanted the best minds in the business to help make sure we had included all the important variables and endpoints to make the study as legitimate as possible. 

We had another meeting in San Diego a year later to kick off the study once the FDA approved the study.  The first leg of the study called Phase 2 ran last year where 6 of us from around the country performed facelifts using the Fibrin sealant.  We all met again in Miami to discuss the outcome of Phase 2 and what modifications we needed to make for Phase 3.  The FDA approved phase 3 and we met again in Seattle last week to kick off the beginning of Phase 3.  We will have all of the surgeries completed by October of 2009 and then the study will be closed and we will be able to clearly determine at that point if the Fibrin glue is beneficial or not for speeding the recovery of facelift surgery.

As a Beverly Hills rhinoplasty specialist, I treat many men who wish to have their noses improved. There are certain aesthetic principles that are important to take into consideration when dealing with the male nose; this is to ensure that the results remain natural and masculine. The most obvious principal is to keep the bridge strong. Some women desire, and look good, with a slope on top of their bridge, but most men find this look too feminine. A very important principle is to keep the projection adequate. Projection refers to the distance that the nose extends away from the face. Male noses require an adequate projection to maintain a masculine appearance. Many patients think that they want their nose brought in closer to their face. However, there is a limit to what will look good. It is a common mistake to reduce the projection too much, in which case the nose will look feminine.

The other main principle is to keep the nasolabial angle at about 90 degrees. This refers to the angle made by the upper lip and the base of the nose. (In other words, how much the tip is lifted.) Women look feminine and pretty with a higher-lifted tip than men, such that the female nasolabial angle should be about 100 degrees. Male noses look the best when the nasolabial angle is equivalent to that of a comer of a square or a right angle. In order to perform a successful male rhinoplasty, these principles MUST be understood. Being able to execute the appropriate maneuvers to achieve these aesthetic goals takes hundreds, if not thousands, of rhinoplasties and tremendous skill and patience. Male rhinoplasty is one of my favorite and most common procedures that I perform.