On a recent tour of Mentor Breast Implant manufacturing plant I learned that not all brands of breast implants are the same. At this breast implant industrialized facility they make both saline and silicone breast implants for breast augmentation as well as breast reconstruction. As touring the plant with other plastic surgeons from Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego we were shown the typical way that most breast implant companies make breast implants. In fact, they even had me make one of my own! In this process, the breast mold which is stuck onto a stick is dipped into liquid silicone and then brought out and twisted in order for the excess silicone to drip off the surface of the mold. It was just like making candy apple! Although this is the common way that US breast implant companies such as Mentor and Allergan (Inamed, McGhan) make their breast implant, the Mentor factory in Texas has now introduced an innovative way of making breast implants.

Instead of having the breast molds dipped into silicone, a robotics arm sprays silicone evenly over the entire surface of the breast mold. This gives the implant a more even and consistent thicknesses which can help reduce the rate of implant deflation. Silicone and saline implant shells are now both made in this way by Mentor (Johnson & Johnson) Corp., which is the only manufacturer who makes all its breast implants exclusively in the United States.

Mentor has also introduced more advanced ways of making “Textured” breast implants. Textured breast implants have a rough surface which reduces the rate of capsular contracture, or the hardening of breast implants. Unlike other manufactures, Mentor breast implant Corp. adds a layer of textured silicone sheet to the existing smooth breast implant in order to convert it to a textured breast implant. Other manufactures generally use an imprinting technique which can thin-out the breast implant in certain spots, therefore raising the risk of breast implant deflation or rupture.

As a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon that specializes in breast augmentation, augmentopexy, and revision breast implant surgery, my goal is to offer my patients the best breast implants that are FDA approved and available in the US. My tour of the Mentor breast implant manufacturing plant in Texas definitely exposed me to the fact that not all brands of breast implants are of the same quality.

Male tummy tuck or abdominoplasty is becoming more prevalent among men in Beverly Hills. While tummy tuck is a common plastic surgery procedure for women after pregnancy, the idea of a man getting cosmetic surgery, especially a tummy tuck is a taboo. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgery almost 5000 men had a tummy tuck in 2008.  

Why men get a tummy tuck or abdominoplasty?

Men get a tummy tuck for basically the same reason that women do- excess loose and hanging abdominal skin. The reason for men to develop excess abdominal skin and stretch marks is massive weight loss. With the advent of bariatric surgery (gastric bypass, lap band) men who used to be obese are able to shed excess body weight. This leaves them with loose abdominal skin folds that are not only unsightly but also a nuisance which gets in the way of hygiene and exercise.

 What type of abdominoplasty procedures are performed on men?

Men who are candidates for a tummy tuck usually have a High tension abdominoplasty or a body lift. Body lift is different from a tummy tuck in that it not only removes loose abdominal skin, but it also removes excess skin around the lower back, while lifting the sagging buttocks. Most men are not candidates for mini-abdominoplasty which is designed to remove only minimal skin in the lower abdomen.

 At the California Center for Plastic Surgery Dr. Younai will review your treatment options for body contouring and tummy tuck, including pros and cons of each procedure, potential risks and complications, recovery course, pre and post operative instructions, and esthetic outcomes. There are also many before-and-after pictures and high resolution images of abdominoplasty available in our photo gallery.

 Dr. Younai receives patients from the Northern as well as the Southern California region. Some of these cities include Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Hollywood, Burbank, Pasadena, Glendale, Valencia, Palmdale, Fresno, Bakersfield, and Oxnard. 

Dr. Younai performs his surgeries at the Regency Surgery Center which is certified by Medicare, AAAHC, and AAAASF. This state-of-the-art facility is located in Encino, and near Sherman Oaks, Calabasas, Woodland Hills, Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village, and thousand Oaks.

Although many people in Los Angeles know what a tummy tuck is, most people don’t know what a Body Lift is. Body Lift is a relatively new plastic surgery procedure in Beverly Hills which is used for body contouring of people who have lost massive weight after Bariatric Surgery- Gastric Bypass or Lap Band.

In Beverly Hills, Body Lift or Belt Lipectomy is similar to an abdominoplasty in that it also removes excess hanging skin folds of the abdomen. In addition, a Body Lift also removes excess hanging skin of the lower back and helps to lift the sagging buttocks. Beverly Hills Body Lift uses a circumferential torso incision to remove the hanging skin of the mid torso, including that of the abdomen, flanks, and the lower back, and thus lift up the lower body.

Body Lift is a complicated procedure that is best performed by a Board Certified Plastic Surgeons who specialize in body contouring after massive weight loss. This Body Contouring procedure needs to be performed in a Surgical Facility which is equipped for the intra-operative and post-operative necessities of a major abdominal surgery.

Recovery after a Body Lift takes at least 3 weeks, and during at least the first ten days the patient would need much help. Most patient can return to their routine activities after the third week and start exercising in 4-6 weeks.

Dr. Younai is a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon with formal training in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, as well as General Surgery at some of the most prestigious university residencies in the United States.  As a cosmetic plastic surgeon he has had ample experience in performing post-bariatric body contouring surgeries including tummy tuck, abdominoplasty, Panniculectomy, belt Lipectomy, repair of ventral hernia, body lift, circumferential Torsoplasty, thigh lift, brachioplasty, upper body lift, breast reduction, and breast lift.

At the California Center for Plastic Surgery Dr. Younai will review your treatment options for massive weight loss body contouring, including pros and cons of each procedure, potential risks and complications, recovery course, pre and post operative instructions, and aesthetic outcomes. There are also many before-and-after pictures and high resolution images of body lift and Panniculectomy procedures available in our photo gallery.

Dr. Younai receives patients from the Northern as well as the Southern California region. Some of these cities include San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Hollywood, Burbank, Pasadena, Glendale, Valencia, Palmdale, Fresno, Bakersfield, and Oxnard.

Dr. Younai performs his surgeries at the Regency Surgery Center which is certified by Medicare, Blue Cross, AAAHC, and AAAASF. This state-of-the-art surgical facility is specially equipped and staffed to care for patients with massive weight loss. This outpatient surgery center is located in Encino, and near Sherman Oaks, Calabasas, Woodland Hills, Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village, and Northridge.

Ethnic Rhinoplasty in Los Angeles is a very specialized area of Nose Surgery or Facial Plastic Surgery which requires special knowledge, understanding and experience. The challenge of Ethnic Nose Surgery in Beverly Hills is to achieve a nose that is natural looking. After a nose job when a nose is not in harmony with the rest of the face, it looks fake no matter how beautiful it might look by itself!

In order to achieve a natural looking nose during an Ethnic Rhinoplasty a plastic surgeon has to be aware of several fundamental differences between an African American, Asian, Hispanic, Middle Eastern and Caucasian nose. An Asian or a black person’s nose is typically wider at the nostrils, more flared, and has less nasal tip projection. Also Asians and African Americans typically do not have a prominent bridge. In order to make this ethnic nose more proportional and balanced, augmentation of the nasal bridge is usually required. Nasal augmentation is achieved either with the use of a nasal implant or that of a cartilage graft. The size and width of the nostrils is also reduced to a more normal proportion, and the nasal tip is raised.

There are several limitations in performing a rhinoplasty in Asians and African-Americans. Because the nasal skin of these ethnicities is relatively thicker than that of a Caucasian the same level of refinement and definition can seldom be achieved in an Asian nose surgery. Therefore, the nasal tip often remains rounder and less sharp, and the nostrils (ala) skin usually stays thicker. 

Unlike Asians and African-Americans, Hispanics have nasal characteristics that mimic more that of the Caucasians. Never the less, among Hispanics there is still a wide variation of nasal characteristics which go along the origin of the South American person- European Spanish, American-Indian, or Mayan.

Similarly, Asians carry many different facial and nasal features which are unique to their ethnicity- Korean, Chinese, Malaysian, Pilipino, Vietnamese, etc.

A skilled cosmetic plastic surgeon who specializes in rhinoplasty has to be able to distinguish these ethnic features and be able to apply the necessary surgical techniques to deliver a nose that is proportional to the rest of the face, while maintaining ethnic features.

Because of the tendency for developing keloid scarring the incisions in an Asian or African nasal surgery have to be carefully and strategically placed, for example in the nostril creases. Likewise, an open Rhinoplasty should be avoided.

Dr. Sean Younai is a Board Certified Plastic & Cosmetic Surgeon in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills who specializes in Nasal and Facial Plastic Surgery.  Dr. Younai is experienced in Ethnic rhinoplasty for African-Americans, Asians, Hispanics, Middle Easterns, and Europeans. Dr. Younai also performs Otoplasty, blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery), lip reduction, forehead lift, and facelift. At the California Center for Plastic Surgery, Dr. Younai receives patients from Northern and Southern California including cities of Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Hollywood, Burbank, Sherman Oaks, Calabasas, Woodland Hills, Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village, Pasadena, Glendale, Valencia, Palmdale, Fresno, Bakersfield, and Oxnard.

Blepharoplasty, or Eyelid Lift, or Cosmetic Eyelid Surgery, is one of the top three cosmetic surgery procedures performed in Beverly Hills. Between 1997 and 2002, the number of patients undergoing Blepharoplasty increased by 44 percent because it is so effective.   In 2005 alone, 231,000 patients underwent procedures to tighten drooping skin on their upper eyelids, remove the puffiness, or “bags” below their eyes – or both.  Because the skin of the eyelids is so thin and delicate, the eyelids tend to droop before the rest of the face.  In Beverly Hills Blepharoplasty surpasses facelifts, rhinoplasty (“nose jobs”), and forehead and brow lifts as a commonly performed procedure for “freshening up” a fatigued looking face. 

Eyelid Surgery or Blepharoplasty can be both aesthetic, and functional.  Sometimes, eyes are damaged by trauma, infection, inflammation, degeneration or by developmental deficiencies.  Blepharoplasty can help the eye to be functionally normal. It also serves a cosmetic purpose, restoring and rejuvenating the appearance of the eyes for a more youthful and alert appearance.

Many men who would not otherwise consider cosmetic surgery do undergo Eyelid Surgery in Los Angeles.  In some cases, they feel it is a necessity to remain competitive in today’s challenging, and increasingly youth-oriented, workplaces.  Also, many people will undergo Eyelid Surgery as a way to freshen their appearance while they delay having a Full Facelift.

In Beverly Hills tummy tuck or abdominoplasty is performed every day by plastic surgeons. The popularity of tummy tuck in Beverly Hills is flamed by the women’s desire to reverse the negative effects of pregnancy on their body.

Effect of Pregnancy on a woman’s abdomen:        The rapid enlargement of the abdomen during pregnancy produces stretch marks on the tummy, hip, and thighs. This process also stretches the abdominal muscles and weakens abdominal wall integrity and tightness. That is why Beverly Hills women cannot regain their original figure despite dieting or exercise.

Beverly Hills tummy tuck technique:                      Beverly Hills abdominoplasty tightens the abdominal muscles, removes the excess hanging skin folds and stretch marks; rejuvenates the belly button; and even at times, tones the upper thighs and buttocks. The High Tension Abdominoplasty™ performed by Los Angeles plastic surgeon Dr. Younai accomplishes all of this, and more. It combines liposuction, tummy tuck, and to some extent body lift, to shape and form a women’s torso to that of an hourglass.

When to undergo a Tummy tuck in Beverly Hills? Many Southern California women who had just delivered are shocked to see the dramatic toll that pregnancy has put on their body. Therefore, they are often very anxious to quickly “fix” their body. Most Beverly Hills plastic surgeons recommend that you delay getting a tummy tuck until at least your weight has reached a plateau. You should also wait until you are done with breast feeding for at least two months. And finally, you should wait until your newborn baby is big enough that can do without your direct attention for at least several days. You do need an adult to help care for you and your baby for at least 10 days.

When can you expect to get back to normal after having had a tummy tuck in Beverly Hills?                       You can do gentle walking in two weeks, and increase your pace to jogging by 4 weeks. Do not lift anything heavier than a bag of groceries for at least three months. You should not do any sit-ups for at least three months but you can have sex in 3 weeks!

To learn more about Tummy tuck after pregnancy in Beverly Hill visit California Center for Plastic Surgery. Here you can also view many before-and-after pictures of tummy tucks and learn about tummy tuck techniques, risks, and expected recovery course.

In Los Angeles and Beverly Hills early facial aging is no longer addressed with a full facelift. Instead, much smaller and less invasive facial procedures are used to lift the face. Your Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon can use facial fat grafting to inject very small amounts of your own body fat (micro-grafting) into the areas of the face that have hollowed and sag as a result of aging. These areas might include the naso-labial folds, eyelid grooves (tear troughs), cheeks, and even the jaw lines. Often time, fat transfer to the face is combined with the newest versions of Eyelid Surgery. Blepharoplasty in Beverly Hills has evolved to minimize the unnatural “hollowed-eye” look and to keep the eyes and face full, natural, and youthful.

To erase the deep naso-labial folds, to fill the hollowing of the central face, and to reverse the sagging of the cheeks, fat transfer alone might not be the ideal choice. Minimal invasive mid-face lift as performed in Beverly Hills and Los Angeles suspends the sagging cheeks and the central face through a thin incision under the lower eyelashes. This facial plastic surgery procedure rejuvenates the face without the distinctive signs of a facelift. The recovery of a mid-facelift or cheek lift is rather quick as compared to a full facelift.

Sagging brows that hood over the eyes makes us look sad and tired. Beverly Hills endoscopic forehead lift elevates the droopy brows and softens forehead wrinkles and frowns via small hidden incisions in the scalp.

Stretch marks removal in Beverly Hills is women’s top priority after pregnancy. Beverly Hills women are shocked to have developed ugly stretch marks after pregnancy or with weight gain and loss. In Beverly Hills stretch mark removal techniques include different types of lasers and creams. Do these really work?   

What causes stretch marks? Stretch marks develop as a result of loss of dermal integrity which occurs after rapid stretching of the skin during pregnancy, growth spurt, or with weight loss and gain. Most of the stretch marks concentrate over the lower abdomen and around the umbilicus. While some believe that stretch marks only occur in darker skin women, I have seen it in all skin types.

Treatment of Stretch marks by Laser in Beverly Hills: Pulsed dye and vascular lasers can be used to treat stretch marks. Newer fractional resurfacing lasers appear to have a favorable effect as well. These lasers help by blending in the color of the stretch marks, while helping to “shrink” them. Some claim that lasers increase collagen production and help heal stretch marks. The fact is none of these laser modalities have been shown in scientific studies to have removed stretch marks. Lasers might alter the appearance of stretch marks but lasers don’t remove stretch marks.

Treatment of stretch marks by creams in Beverly Hills: Retin-A and chemical peels stimulate collagen production in the skin, which is claimed to help heal stretch marks. Hydroquinone which is a bleaching cream does lighten the appearance of the dark stretch marks but this is only temporary.

Surgical Treatment of Stretch marks by tummy tuck in Beverly Hills: A tummy tuck removes the majority of the loose skin of the lower abdomen, thus removing the part of the abdominal skin which bears almost all of the stretch marks caused by pregnancy. Tummy tuck in Los Angeles is not designed for only the removal of stretch marks but also to tighten the abdominal wall.

Before Tummy tuckAfter Tummy Tuck

Most women who get breast augmentation in Beverly Hills are worried if they will get stretch marks from breast implants. Stretch marks arise as a result of rapid stretching of the skin such as during pregnancy or pubertal growth spurt. Although placement of breast implants during breast augmentation does stretch breast skin this is not severe enough to cause stretch marks, especially if the implants are not too big and if the implants are placed under the Pectoralis Muscle layer. Some Beverly Hills plastic surgeons believe that the overlying muscle keeps the skin from stretching even with large breast implants.

Many Los Angeles Plastic Surgeons feel that your skin elasticity is the largest factor in determining if you will get stretch marks with breast augmentation. However, you can always take preventative measures. Many Los Angeles women have moisturized heavily prior to their breast augmentation surgery by using Palmer’s Cocoa Butter, Shea’s Butter Lotion, and Vitamin E. It certainly will not hurt to try it.

Breast Augmentation in Beverly Hills

Laser treatments have not been scientifically proven to remove or diminish stretch marks. However, it is rare to get stretch marks from breast implants, unless they are extremely large.

Beverly Hills Liposuction pictures of women who had abdominal liposuction in Los Angeles. Liposuction picutres and photos are shown in the photo gallary of Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery clinic of Dr. Sean Younai who is a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon specilizing in liposuction of abdomen, neck, arms, legs, thighs, back, and buttocks.