Asian blepharoplasty is a popular Asian eyelid surgery. Also called double eyelid surgery, this procedure aims to create a natural-looking upper eyelid crease.

The procedure can be executed either by using an incision or a suture (non-incision) technique to create a double eyelid fold. While most races have this fold, it isn’t present in about half of the Asian population.

In the suture technique, a stitch creates the fold. This noninvasive procedure works well for a very limited patient population. It’s a good solution for those with thin-skinned eyelids who aren’t looking for dramatic, full eyelid height.

The suture technique’s primary challenge is that there is a high incidence of failure and relapse. This is because the eye is an incredibly dynamic structure that opens and closes thousands of times, which weakens the sutures.

ESK Facial Plastic Surgery in New York City also practices a minimally invasive partial incision technique that uses two small incisions (6 to 8 millimeters in length) on each eyelid. This technique, while requiring a slightly longer recovery time than the suture method, creates better attachment and results in a more permanent and dramatic fold with more predictable long-term outcomes.

As with every procedure, patients interested in double eyelid surgery typically have questions about healing time and when they can return to work and social events. The partial incision technique requires just a slightly longer healing time than the suture procedure. Patients choosing the incision technique can expect swelling and bruising to disappear in under two weeks. In comparison, most people who opt for the suture procedure can return to work and social engagements within a week.

We invite you to make an appointment with ESK Facial Plastic Surgery in Manhattan to discuss both techniques and discover which is right for you.

"Redoing" a prior nose job that left you unsatisfied is a daunting task.  To help prospective patients with this process, I have included three factors you should know prior to considering revision rhinoplasty.

1.) How long ago was your prior nose surgery? And what region of the nose you are concerned about?

Complete healing from a prior nose surgery can take up to a full year. This is especially true to at the tip of the nose. This region is the most cosmetically sensitive and the last to completely heal. Anxious patients looking to remedy some expected postoperative healing by having another surgery could potentially cause more problems.  For patients concerned about the shape or position of their tip, I typically recommend waiting a full year before considering revising the nose.

The bridge of the nose is less gravity dependent than the tip and tends to
“settle” faster.  This region can be assessed earlier than the tip for revisions.

2.) You may need additional grafts or implants to achieve the revision you are looking for.

When a patient whose surgery was previously done elsewhere comes in for a revision nasal surgery, one of the first things I consider is how preserved is his/her nasal anatomy.  In the past, prior nasal surgeries frequently altered the underlying nasal cartilage, weakening the nose and ultimately distorting the shape of the nose.  This has potentially impaired the true function of the nose (which is to breathe).  When this occurs, the nasal framework needs to be reconstructed.  To do so, I recommend using cartilage grafts in the region of the tip. 

Ideally the source for this graft would be from inside your nose (the nasal septum) but frequently, prior nasal surgeries have used all available cartilage inside your nose.  Alternative sources for cartilage grafting material for revision surgeries can be from your ear, your rib, or banked/donated rib.

3.) How long will the revision rhinoplasty take to heal?

In general, revision rhinoplasties take longer to heal.  Factors that contribute to how long it takes to heal are: amount of grafts used during the surgery and the amount of work done.  In general, the nose for redo rhinoplasties takes about one year.

Have more questions about revision rhinoplasty that I didn't answer here? Then I invite you to contact me today to find out more information about correcting a nose job that you're just not satisfied with. 

Traditional female facial aesthetics classically describe the lower portion of the face as an oval appearance, with gradual tapering of the a jawline inward. 

In the past to achieve this cosmetic appearance, patient's underwent bone contouring surgery, requiring significant postoperative recovery time and other potential risks.

Today, an innovated non-surgical approach using BOTOX (Allergan Inc, Irvine CA) has been developed to achieve these changes.  BOTOX - or Botulinum Toxin Type A, blocks the nerve transmission to muscle, weakening the activity of a muscle.  (This has been FDA approved for cosmetic treatment of the furrows between your eyebrows.)

To contour the jawline, BOTOX is injected into the masseter muscle.  As the muscle is weakened in a particular region,  some bulk of this muscle is reduced, resulting in a more tapered jawline.  Dr. Kwak performs this injection incrementally (approximately 2 weeks between injections) in order to achieve the desired changes.   

View photos of patients treated by Dr. Kwak for this procedure

One of the most common changes Asians are seeking is the shape of the nose.  The majority of Asian rhinoplasty is to increase the height of the bridge and tip of the nose (also called augmentation rhinoplasty). 

One area many Asians patients get confused is assessing the length of the nose.  Many patient ask to have their nostrils reposition to a higher location.  However, many of these patients have what I believe to be a short nose.   A short nose appearance is frequently associated with a retracted columella  (The columella is the structure between the nostrils).  This finding is best appreciated on your profile view.  In some cases where the columella is too retracted, the nostrils can have an appearance of "hooding" over the columella. 

To address these finding, lengthening the nose (in addition to building the bridge and tip) may create more aesthetic harmony to the nose.