Patient Questions

Hootan Zandifar is an Expert Contributor on FindaTopDoc. Here are some of their recent answers to patient questions.

Plastic Surgeon
Hootan Zandifar, MD

Thank you for your question. A septoplasty is a procedure that is done to straighten the crooked nasal septum. The nasal septum is the middle wall of the nose. Typically, a septoplasty does not change your outward appearance. You may have a splint placed inside the nose that is removed after 1 week, but you should look normal pretty much immediately after a septoplasty. Some people mix up a septoplasty with a rhinoplasty (nose job). In that case, then it may take a couple of weeks to no longer look swollen or bruised.

The best and most reliable method of removing fat is liposuction. Liposuction, uses suction attached to a specialized equipment called a cannula. The fat cells are then permanently removed.

Thank you for your question. Mohs surgery is very safe. It is simply a technique used to remove cancer and allows for that surgeon to look at the specimen and know if the cancer is cleared or not. The advantages of Mohs surgery is that the amount of normal tissue that is removed is not as much as it would be if you undergo regular excision. The disadvantages is that it may take longer for the procedure to clear the cancer because right after removal you have to wait for the Mohs surgeon to clear the tissue. Hootan Zandifar MD

Thank you for your questions. You should know that a nose job, or a rhinoplasty, is a very well-established procedure that, in the hands of a capable and experienced facial plastic surgery, has a great success and satisfaction rate. I would recommend finding someone who is a board certified facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon, as they have extensive experience in nasal surgery.

Thank you for your question. Although hormone levels do have a bearing on hair thickness and hair loss, in your case losing 20-40 hairs a day is completely normal. On average we lose about 100 hair strands a day as this is part of the normal hair cycle. If that is what you are seeing then there should be no cause for worry.

There are several ways to improve the appearance of facial scars. It depends on location, size, shape and direction. Lasers can be used to blend the scars with the surrounding structure, techniques such as dermabrasion can also achieve the same result. However, sometimes surgery is the only option. It is important to know that no matter what technique is used, there will never be a scar free result. We can only hope to improve the appearance of the scar so that it is not noticeable.

First of all, one of the side effects of Metoprolol is hair loss. It is possible that if you change that medication your hair may return. However, hair loss in women is common and 1 in 5 women will struggle with it. First, we need to make sure there is no medical cause for your hair loss. If none is seen then treatment options would depend on the amount of hair lost. We can do PRP treatment to increase density and decreased further hair loss. Finally, hair transplantation is an excellent option to restore the fullness and appearance of the hair.

Hair transplantation is a procedure that is usually done under local anesthesia and with little discomfort. We use long lasting anesthetics to ensure a comfortable experience. Sometimes, the first night is a little uncomfortable but most of my patients can control their pain with simple Tylenol. Usually after the first day there is no discomfort.

Hair transplantation is typically a very safe procedure with little to no side effects. However, you can have pain, discomfort, bleeding, and infection as a side effect. Also, there is a risk of scarring depending on the technique used. Finally, there is a risk that the procedure will not work. As for discomfort, typically, hair transplantation is very well tolerated, and normal over-the-counter pain medication will take care of the pain. After the first night, most patients do not need any pain medications. Typically, the recovery time for hair transplantation is around 7-10 days.

Thank you for your question. It is usually recommended that after a rhinoplasty procedure, you do not blow your nose for about 6 weeks. You will need to use saline spray to get rid of any fullness that you feel in your nose.

Thank you for your question. The short answer to your question is that yes plastic surgery can correct a deviation of your nose. The procedure that is performed to improve the appearance of the nose is called a Rhinoplasty Procedure. You may recognize it as a Nose Job procedure. When performed correctly a nose job can improve the outward appearance of the nose. Rhinoplasty is a surgical procedure and thus is performed under general anesthesia. Depending on the degree and location of the deviation of your nose, a nose job can be done via an open approach (small scar under the base of the nose) or a closed approach (no visible external scar). The surgeon will then expose and address the deviation accordingly. The recovery for this surgery is usually 7-10 days.

Thank you for your question. This is a very common question. After a facelift, the sutures will be removed anywhere from 7-10 days after surgery. Typically, my patients can go out in public at around 2 weeks. If there is any swelling or bruising it is usually well hidden with a scarf. Incisions are nicely hidden in natural creases of the face and hair can be worn in a way to cover them.

Thank you for your question. A Rhinoplasty or a Nose Job is the type of surgery that is done to enhance the shape and appearance of the nose. If done correctly, the results should last you a lifetime.

Thank you for your question. I know that as a 27 year old, the prospect of losing your hair is worrisome. Know that there are a few options for you. First, that is a pretty early age to lose hair so you should have a thorough history and examination to ensure there is no other causes of baldness. Then, you should start some sort of oral or topical medication to decrease the rate of hair loss. Then depending on the amount of hair loss you have so far we can either treat you with PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) injection or replace the existing hair with a hair transplant procedure. Using a follicular unit extraction technique, we can naturally replace the lost hairs with no visible scarring.

First of all let me say that I am sorry you are struggling with hair loss. You should know that female hair loss is not that uncommon. First, you need to have a thorough evaluation to pin point the cause of hair loss. Although, the most common cause is the same as in men (genetic), other causes such as hormone imbalance, traction Alopecia, nutritional deficiencies and so on can be seen more in women. These causes are often reversible. Once we have found the cause, then we are left with treatments. If we can reverse the cause then that is the first course of action. We can also treat the scalp with topical medications and there are oral medications that you can take to promote hair growth. PRP injections can be very helpful in restoring density to the hair. Finally, hair transplantation is an excellent way to restore a natural fuller hair. I want to introduce you to an organization that as a hair transplant specialist I work very closely with. It is called The Brave Program. It is a charitable organization dedicated to education and resource building for females suffering from hair loss. Their website is www.thebraveprogram.org There you should be able to have access to multiple levels of information and resource to better guide you. I hope this helps.

A typical recovery time from a rhinoplasty is 10-14 days. Generally, the first 7 days you have an external nasal cast and if you had any septal work and internal cast. These are removed at the one week point. If you had an open rhinoplasty procedure then you will get your sutures removed at this visit as well. The nose is swollen and continues to be for the next few days. However, it will quickly look like a normal nose and by day 14 most bruising is gone and you can resume normal activities.

The typical pain and discomfort of a Rhinoplasty is usually very short. Most patients will feel some acute pain the first 24 to 72 hours that is well controlled with medication. After that most patients will feel mostly pressure and throbbing and less pain. Occasionally some patients will have pain for one week but beyond that is very unusual.

Ear pinning surgery (also known as Otoplasty) is usually performed under general anesthesia and so the actually surgery is painless. However, there is some discomfort after surgery but this is usually very minimal and only for a few days. Most patients can manage with over the counter pain meds and do very well post-operatively.

A rhinoplasty is a typical surgery that is done to change the shape of your nose. It should not change your smile, however, immediately after a rhinoplasty and probably for about 2-3 weeks you may notice a change to the shape of your smile due to swelling from your surgery. This should resolve very soon and there should be no residual change to your smile.

There are many ways to refine the shape of your jawline. In most patients this is as simple as expertly placing fillers along the jawline to improve its appearance. However, in some cases we need to place special jaw and chin implants over the bone to achieve the desired results. In some patients we need to perform a facelift or a neck lift to improve the jawline.