Dr. Kirk Lozada, MD

After rhinoplasty, the shape and structure (cartilage, bones) created are set and not expected to change significantly for at least a year, if not many years. The perceived changes are due to the skin 'shrink-wrapping' over the underlying surgical shape as swelling reduces. This process of the skin losing swelling occurs over many weeks to months.

Patients should be wary of rhinoplasty photos that only show a super narrow, defined, small, and pointy nasal tip from the front view. To achieve such definition, nasal structures often need to be pushed out 'really far and tight,' which can result in the nose appearing 'really, really weird' or projecting 'ridiculously far out' from other perspectives, particularly the side view. Patients would likely dislike the side view of such noses.

Sebaceous cyst removal is performed in the office, and patients are typically awake during the procedure.

In Dr. Lozada's experience, buccal fat removal surgery typically results in a subtle change, not a dramatic one, and does not make patients look weird, older, or significantly noticeable as much as people think online. Dramatic changes seen in online photos attributed to buccal fat removal are often due to lighting, makeup changes, or individuals sucking their cheeks in, rather than the actual procedure.

For patients who already have a sleek or gaunt facial appearance and do not need buccal fat removal, performing the procedure can make them look worse, more gaunt, and age them prematurely.

A bulbous tip is defined when the nasal tip extends outside a straight line drawn from the inner part of the eyebrow down the bridge, having significant volume in that area. It's not primarily about the width at the base of the nose, but rather the overall fullness and width of the nasal tip compared to these reference lines. The surgical goal for a bulbous tip rhinoplasty is to impact this area of fullness.

The Vectra 3D morphing software is an invaluable communication tool during rhinoplasty consultations, helping Dr. Lozada and the patient achieve a shared understanding of the desired outcome. It allows the practice to change the nose's shape in front of the patient, demonstrating what is surgically possible with *their* own nose from various angles (including three-quarters and profiles). Tools within the software allow for adjustments like lowering the bridge to smooth a bump, bringing the tip forward for balance, or adjusting tip height. The software helps determine when a rhinoplasty tip is too high or low, indicating a 'break point' when changes become unbalanced, and can also demonstrate when a nose appears too long or too short. Initial adjustments may temporarily make the nose appear unbalanced, which is an expected part of the process. Patient excitement during this process indicates alignment with their vision, and the software helps demonstrate that a patient will still look like the same person after rhinoplasty, with small, natural-looking changes.

No, while 3D morphing software is an invaluable communication tool, it does not guarantee rhinoplasty results.

During rhinoplasty, Dr. Lozada typically breaks the bones low on the nose, not up high.

While a standard caution period for wearing glasses after rhinoplasty is typically four to six weeks to avoid pressure on the nose, Dr. Lozada is more liberal. In his practice, patients can typically wear glasses right away if they are wearing the splints underneath, as this should not affect the outcome. Wearing glasses over the splints, however, will push the splint down, which is undesirable. This policy is in place because Dr. Lozada understands patients need to wear their glasses.