Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery

Harvard-trained Dr. Babak Azizzadeh is a double-board certified facial plastic surgeon and is one of the few doctors who performs the multi-level fat grafting procedure - a non-invasive procedure that adds fat tissue to your face from your abdomen.

Dr. Azizzadeh is also active in science research to help advance the field of plastic surgery. Having received many honors and awards, Dr. Azzizzadeh has published countless articles and given speeches at the national and international level. He is Assistant Clinical Professor at UCLA, and actively involved in teaching plastic surgery to residents and medical students.

If you are considering cosmetic facial surgery and you live in the Beverly Hills area of California, please contact Dr. Babak Azizzadeh today.

Your skin is the largest organ in your body. Because of this, it requires proper nutrition to function optimally—like other organs in your body.

Our faces don’t lie. You can tell the state of a person’s health by looking at their skin. If someone is sick or run-down, you may notice bags under their eyes and premature wrinkling.

Your body needs complete nutrition to promote healthy, younger looking skin. Most people, however, do not get the right amount of vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids that their skin needs to function properly.

Essential fatty acids help your skin stay soft and assist in damage repair. About 60 percent of all Americans do not receive the enough of these essential fatty acids. Dry, itchy, scaly skin is a sign of this fatty acid deficiency.

In addition, vitamins A, C, E and zinc are also essential to help your skin fight infection and promote healing.

You can help your skin achieve its optimal health by eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and essential fatty acids, like those found in fish. Scientists found that those who consumed foods with plenty of antioxidants and avoided butter, red meat and sugar are less prone to wrinkles and enjoyed more youthful, vibrant skin.

If you are considering cosmetic facial surgery and you live in the Beverly Hills area of California, please contact Dr. Babak Azizzadeh today.

There’s no arguing that the benefits of sunscreen are extensive. Anyone heading outdoors should apply sunscreen to protect their skin from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays.

One of the most common effects of UV exposure is "erythema," or sunburn. This happens when your skin cells damaged by the energy absorption of UV rays. When this happens, your skin sends extra blood to your damaged skin, trying to repair it; this causes the redness.

Another harmful effect of ultraviolet rays on the skin is photoaging. Recent studies have shown that many of the symptoms commonly associated with mere aging, such as wrinkles and a loss of skin elasticity, may be related to overexposure to UV rays.

If you are planning on going out into the sun, dermatologists recommend applying a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15. Sunscreens are designed to assist your body's natural defenses against UV rays. They work by absorbing, reflecting or scattering the sun's rays on the skin.

But sunscreens are only one part of a comprehensive sun protection regimen. They should by used along with other preventative measures such as:

• Avoid being directly in the sun for extended periods of time (and especially between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.)
• Apply sunscreen every two hours
• Choose a sunscreen that is non-comedogenic so you can use it on your face and also oil free
• Avoid tanning beds.

If you are considering cosmetic facial surgery and you live in the Beverly Hills area of California, please contact Dr. Babak Azizzadeh today.

Diagnosed with Skin Cancer Weeks Before Wedding, 30-year old Given Courage to Face the World

"Carolyn" had planned her wedding for a year. She developed a devastating cancer that put a hole in the side of her nose. Her hopes were pinned on the skills of renowned plastic surgeon and reconstructive surgeon Dr. Azizzadeh.




Los Angeles, CA, May 15, 2008 – For Carolyn, 30, was going along exactly as she had dreamed– an exciting job in entertainment, lots of social activities and falling in love and planning a wedding. Like all brides to be Carolyn wanted to be picture perfect for her wedding day. So when she first noticed the small bump on her nose, she assumed it was a minor acne flair up. That small pimple, however, turned out to be a potentially deadly skin cancer that would require significant surgery that could permanently scar her face.

"Skin cancer incidence is rising faster than any other type of cancer," said Dr. Babak Azizzadeh, one of the world's most respected facial plastic and reconstructive surgeons who specializes in patients with skin cancers. "While they can occur anywhere, nearly 80 percent appear on the face, head, or neck, where they can be disfiguring as well as dangerous."

Treating skin cancers can be life saving, but may leave a patient with less than pleasing cosmetic or functional results. Depending on the location and severity of the cancer, the consequences range from a small, unsightly scar to permanent changes in facial features. In these cases, a skilled plastic surgeon becomes an important part of the medical team, not only for the patient's physical health, but for their emotional and mental well-being as well.

In Carolyn's case, the skin cancer was successfully removed, but the damage to her nose was dramatic both cosmetically and functionally. In consulting with Dr. Azizzadeh, Carolyn opted for reconstructive surgery to repair damaged tissue, rebuild her nose and restore her appearance. She required a three-stage procedure where tissue was transferred from her forehead to reconstruct the large area of the nose that was involved. Cartilage was also used to build the infrastructure of the nose.

"It was an incredible transformation that gave me the courage to pick up my life as if nothing had ever happened," said Carolyn. "Dr. Azizzadeh's reconstructive surgery completely removed the most obvious reminder of my cancer and allowed me to move forward without literally facing the fear of cancer every day."

Reconstructive surgery differs from cosmetic surgery as it is performed on abnormal structures of the body, caused by any number of factors including birth defects, trauma or injury, tumors, or disease. This highly specialized surgery improves functions and restores an individual's appearance to approximate the "normal" look. It is estimated that more than one million reconstructive procedures are performed by plastic surgeons in the United States annually.

"On an average day in the U.S., more than one million people tan in tanning salons and thousands spend hours in the sun without any skin protection," said Dr. Azizzadeh. "Working with patients like Carolyn is bittersweet: I'm overjoyed to be able to make such a positive impact on her recovery and future, yet dismayed by the widespread disregard Americans seem to have when it comes to skin cancer."

Despite warnings, skin cancer rates continue to rise in the United States, with a significant increase among teens. The Skin Cancer Foundation reports that nearly 30 million people tan indoors in the U.S. annually, of which 2.3 million are teens despite facts that show use of tanning beds increase the risk for skin cancer by up to 2.5% and that using tanning beds before age 35 increases the risk of melanoma by 75%. In addition, more than 90% of all skin cancers are caused by sun exposure, yet fewer than 33% of adults, adolescents, and children routinely use sun protection. One blistering sunburn in childhood more than doubles a person's chances of developing Melanoma later in life.

Skin Cancer:

• One million Americans are diagnosed with Melanoma each year and since 1973 the rate of Melanoma has increased by 4% annually, despite education and increased awareness of skin cancer dangers
• Eighty percent of a person's lifetime sun exposure is acquired before age 18
• In the 1930s, only 1 in 1,500 Americans developed invasive Melanoma every year; by1960, the figure was1 in 600; in 2007 it is 1 in 66
• Why?: Americans spending more time outdoors without sunscreen
• (the
• FDA estimates that only 2 in 5 people consistently use sun screen), the decreasing natural ozone layer allows more UV rays to reach earth, and more people are turning to tanning beds and lamps without understanding that they are not necessarily safe alternatives
• Nearly 9,800 people in the United States die of skin cancer each year; 7,400 of those from Melanoma
• Melanoma is responsible for three-fourths of annual U.S. skin cancer deaths
• Cancers are becoming more prevalent in younger people

Dr. Babak Azizzadeh, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Dr. Babak Azizzadeh is a Harvard-trained Facial Plastic Surgeon who specializes exclusively in the cosmetic and reconstructive surgery of the face, eyes and nose. He is the Director of The Center for Facial and Nasal Plastic Surgery and board-certified by the American Board of Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery as well as the American Board of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery. His expertise in cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery has made him one of the most sought-after surgeons in the country. He has been featured in The Oprah Winfrey Show, The New York Times, Discovery Health, and numerous other media for his expertise in facial plastic surgery.
For more information, visit Dr. Azizzadeh's website.

Many people use the term "reconstructive" and "cosmetic" surgery interchangeably. But they are actually very different.

Reconstructive surgery is performed to fix a body part of facial feature that is abnormal, to make it reappear normal. This procedure involves reconstruction, removing cancerous tissues or moving tissue around. Reconstructive surgery corrects malformations caused by trauma, disease, birth defects or other health complications.

Cosmetic surgery is performed to make enhancements to a normal body part to improve your self-esteem and confidence. Cosmetic surgery is not needed because of a deformity or health issue - you merely want to appear more attractive. Anti-aging procedures like tummy tucks, facelifts, and hair replacement treatments are common cosmetic procedures.

When choosing a plastic surgeon for either reconstructive or cosmetic surgery, make sure that person is a licensed, board-certified surgeon like Dr. Babak Azizzadeh.

If you are considering cosmetic facial surgery and you live in the Beverly Hills area of California, please contact Dr. Babak Azizzadeh today.

Many Asian, African and Hispanic people have characteristic nasal and eyelid shapes that differ from those of Caucasian people.

Ethnic people often seek cosmetic surgery to reduce the signs of aging, rejuvenate their appearance and change a characteristic they are unhappy with. But few want to lose their ethnic identity by modifying their appearance.

Facial plastic surgeons like Dr. Babak Azizzadeh have the training and experience to perform an ethnic rhinoplasty or ethnic blepharoplasty without diminishing the appearance of an ethnic person’s heritage.

People of African and Asian descent have flatter noses with wider bases and a less sharply-defined tip. Hispanics also have rounder, flatter noses. If you are ethnic and want to change the shape of your nose, an ethnic rhinoplasty can be performed to alter the structure of the bone and cartilage. To reshape a flatter nose, Dr. Azizzadeh can graft in extra cartilage from another place in your body and shape the skin your tip more definitively and/or insert an artificial implant.

Eyelid shapes also differ among ethnicities. For example, a normal Asian eyelid crease is lower than the Caucasian lid, which creates a fuller, puffier appearance. An Asian blepharoplasty, can be performed to minimize that fullness by restructuring the skin of your upper eyelid without sacrificing your ethnic beauty.

If you are considering cosmetic facial surgery and you live in the Beverly Hills area of California, please contact Dr. Babak Azizzadeh today.

The fattening procedure, multi-level fat grafting, is turning heads. The relatively new procedure works to give you a youthful appearance by plumping the face by using fat from your stomach.

After the fat cells are taken from your abdomen they are injected into your face. This procedure is an ideal alternative to a facelift because it actually restores your facial volume.

This procedure differs from other fillers that often use animal-based collagen. With multi-level fat grafting, these new cells age alongside your face’s natural cells.

These multi-level fat grafts also have a high staying power and there is little possibility for lumpiness. In fact, almost 90% of those who undergo multi-level fat grafting enjoy permanent results. For those whose results are not permanent, they only have to go in for two or three repeat procedures, as opposed to once every few months. The results of a multi-level fat graft lasts about five years.

Many physicians and cosmetic surgeons consider this revolutionary procedure a safer, more effective alternative to facelifts. This procedure is performed by a limited number of facial plastic surgeons in the United States. Dr. Babak Azizzadeh is one of them.

If you have kidney or live disease or very low body fat, multi-level fat grafting is not recommended. Patients occasionally experience swelling and bruising following the procedure, but that generally subsides within a week.

If you are considering cosmetic facial surgery and you live in the Beverly Hills area of California, please contact Dr. Babak Azizzadeh today.