When the nose heals after rhinoplasty, the body produces healing tissue to allow the soft tissue envelope to re-adhere and drape over all of the structure (bone and cartilage) of the nose. The amount of scar tissue is variable person to person. In general, the thicker the skin is to begin with, the more scar […]
Economists look at the world through the lens of cost-benefit. What can you gain and what can you lose with each action you take? To me this is sensible approach to thinking about whether or not rhinoplasty is for you. Here’s how I look at it. What is the benefit? On surface this seems like […]
This entry was posted on April 15, 2020 by Dr. David Kim
I love injectables. They are amazingly effective and comprise the vast majority of what I do every day in the office. But even I must admit that at-home skin care is equally important. For without “good” skin, even the best office procedures will not live up to their full potential. You might have, for example, […]
This entry was posted on April 13, 2020 by Dr. David Kim
We have all heard our doctors tell us that pain is subjective – and that is true. But what we want to know is how bad is it really? As a previous patient and advisor to many surgery patients, I am happy to paint a picture of what to expect and some of the obstacles […]
This entry was posted on April 1, 2020 by Dr. David Kim
I am often asked by prospective patients if rhinoplasty will impair their ability to breathe through their nose. While this is a potential complication of rhinoplasty, I strongly believe that if done properly, rhinoplasty will typically increase rather than decrease nasal airflow. In what situations does rhinoplasty cause a breathing problem? The most common scenario […]
This entry was posted on March 12, 2020 by Dr. David Kim
For any prospective rhinoplasty patient, the question, “should I do it?” is the most crucial to answer. In my nearly 20 years of practice, I have been asked versions of this question hundreds of times: “Should I do it?” “Would you do it if you were me?” And while these questions seem straightforward, they are […]
This entry was posted on January 17, 2020 by Dr. David Kim
The most common surgical procedures for nasal obstruction are septoplasty and turbinate reduction. These procedures are often performed by ENT surgeons and are associated with a high success rate and quality of life improvement for patients. These are relatively simple procedures and can be performed through incision inside the nose with no change to the […]
This entry was posted on November 19, 2019 by Dr. David Kim
One of the most frequent concerns that new patients express to me during our initial consultation is, “I want to look natural. I’m really scared I’ll look like I’ve had something done.” This concern, though understandably a source of anxiety for my patients, is actually music to my ears! Let me explain what I mean: […]
This entry was posted on April 25, 2019 by Dr. David Kim
In the past few years, I’ve noticed an increasing concern among many patients about how they look in photographs. In some cases, young patients in particular seem more concerned about their appearance in photos than how they look in person. This is not surprising, given how easily photos are now taken and shared. Also, with […]
This entry was posted on April 25, 2019 by Dr. David Kim
One of the biggest challenges of rhinoplasty is the complex three dimensional nature of the nose. A natural, attractive nose is a soft, rounded, triangular pyramid which should reside in the center of the face. Symmetry, smoothness, and a rounded triangular shape are the outcomes surgeons generally strive for with surgery. The problem is that […]
This entry was posted on April 25, 2019 by Dr. David Kim