Face procedures articles

Dr. Ricardo L. Rodriguez discusses plastic surgery for the face and related topics.

  • Lip augmentation, Duck lips, and Lip lifts

    duck lips comparison

    Dr. Rodriguez explains why some people need a Lip Lift instead of a Lip augmentation. Beautiful lips are identified by a nice cupid’s bow and having the perfect amount of space between your upper lip and your nose. Find out whether you need a lip augmentation or a lip lift with Dr. Ricardo Rodriguez on his Cosmeticsurg blog.

  • Stem cells from fat – Plastic surgery’s new frontier

    2 tubes of extracted fat.

    During the past decade, researchers have discovered that stem cells can also be extracted from your own fat tissue. These adult stem cells have the same potential as embryonic stem cells, except for the ability to differentiate into sperm or ova. Unlike embryonal stem cells, stem cells extracted from your own fat are abundant, easily available, and pose no ethical or political controversy.

  • Types of anesthesia used in Cosmetic surgery

    Monitor used to track vitals during anesthesia .

    Some of you may have read my posts on why I like to do Breast augmentation under IV sedation. I also do IV sedation for all major and combined procedures. Naturally, some patients are anxious because they don’t want to feel anything, but they are attracted to the idea of not undergoing general anesthesia. There is also some confusion as to what exactly is IV sedation. This is understandable because there are many levels of sedation. I will explain the different levels so you can make a more informed decision when discussing this with your surgeon or anesthesiologist. In cosmetic surgery, we often refer to the three distinct choices: local,  IV or General anesthesia.

  • The Brow lift is the new Eye lift

    A frontal photo of a woman's face, showing the result of a brow lift.

    The Brow lift is the new Eye lift. If you want to refresh the upper eyelids, the Brow lift is oftentimes a better alternative than the traditional upper eyelid surgery. Dr. Ricardo Rodriguez, a Yale trained Plastic Surgeon explains why the browlift is a better alternative than the eyelift in his Brow lift video.

  • Bochox – The new Botox

    A box of Bochox

    For years I have been saying that the Brow lift is your Botox detox. However, there is a new competitor on the horizon. Bochox is the new Botox. Read Dr. Rodriguez’s CosmeticSurg Blog to find out more.

  • Tom Cruise plastic surgery – Did he have it?

    A frontal photo of Tom Cruise's head.

    Just a few nights ago I was getting milk at the convenience store, and on the checkout line I saw another one of those countless celebrity Plastic Surgery magazine covers. This one caught my attention because it shows pictures of Tom Cruise with a very pronounced left lower eyelid bag, then poof!, its gone. Or is it? Therein lies the story of smiling, fillers, and what makes a person look younger.

  • Botox addiction: the Brow lift is your Botox detox!

    A collage of photos of a patient before and after a Brow lift

    The Botox Detox procedure is the endoscopic Brow lift. The Brow lift not only permanently smooths the forehead wrinkles, but you get the added advantage that your upper eyelids become lifted to yield a longlasting, youthful, and refreshed appearance. The modern day brow lift or forehead lift is a two hour procedure done thru small incisions behind the hairline. An endoscope is used to lift the brow to a more youthful position. The procedure can be done under IV or twilight anesthesia in an outpatient surgical facility. Recovery is very quick- within one week you should be back at work. During the post operative week, you will have minor bruising which can be covered with makeup.

  • Fat injections under the eye

    A photo of a patient's face, zoomed in on her right eye, showing bags under the eye.

    What can one do for bags under the eyes? For many years, patients would come to me asking to remove the bags under the eyelids, saying the bags made them look old and tired. I usually recommended a standard blepharoplasty or Eye lift. That involves making an incision right under the eyelashes, lifting skin and the muscle that is right under the skin. I would then remove the fat. It was the standard solution but it had several drawbacks.

  • Rhinoplasty: Chinese vs. Western version

    A map, showing the country of China.

    In practical terms, for a Westerner, a Rhinoplasty usually means taking the bump out of the nose, making it thinner, and making it look straight from the side view. The Asian nose usually does not have a hump, but instead tends to be flat in appearance. Thus Asian patients ask for more projection. Surgeons enhance the nose by augmenting it with a silicon insert to get it to look “straight” from the side view. This enhancement eliminates the flat look. When the nose is remodeled with a silicone insert, it will make the nose look thinner. Surgery of the tip is also different because in the western patient one has to reduce the size of the tip cartilage and put sutures in it to narrow the shape. When using the silicon insert in the dorsum, the tip is usually pulled up and the shape of the nostril is refined as it becomes narrow and taller. In a few cases the tip cartilages may require sutures, but usually the procedure is simpler than in the western nose.

  • DAO release – Lifting the corner of the mouth

    A photo of a patient's face, showing her lips before a lip lift.

    “DAO” (Depressor anguli oris) release to lift the corner of the mouth. I have always been a fan of the lip lift procedure. There are many reasons why it’s preferable to fillers, but the most important one is that it looks so good and natural. The effect is best in the central part of the…