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Dr. David Stoker's Blog

Tips for Bra Shopping After Breast Augmentation

Posted on October 10, 2019 by David Stoker

One of the perks enjoyed by breast augmentation patients at my plastic surgery practice in Los Angeles is the confidence they feel wearing clothes, workout gear, and bathing suits that they avoided before getting breast implants. This newfound confidence also inspires shopping for sexier and more fashionable bras. It’s important, however, that women with new implants understand the timing of bra shopping after breast augmentation. Splurging immediately after breast enhancement surgery can lead to disappointment and a depleted bank account. To help you plan for post-breast enhancement bra shopping, I’ve compiled some tips that I believe all breast augmentation patients … Continue reading »

Post-Summer Skin Care Tips

Posted on October 6, 2019 by David Stoker

Living in Southern California can take a toll on your skin, especially in the summer and fall when people spend a lot of time outside. Even though preventing damage is the best skincare strategy, that’s not always possible. But it’s never too late to repair skin damaged by sun exposure with treatments such as chemical peels at my Los Angeles plastic surgery practice. Pool parties, beach days, and the normal wear-and-tear long summer days put on the skin can result in dry skin, clogged pores, and chapped lips. Post-summer skin treatments can both improve the skin’s health and create a … Continue reading »

How ‘Rapid’ Is Rapid Recovery Breast Augmentation?

Posted on October 3, 2019 by David Stoker

Consultations with breast augmentation patients at my Los Angeles practice always include a discussion about the recovery process. One of the questions I often hear—and that is asked frequently on sites such as RealSelf—is whether the “Rapid Recovery” technique really speeds up the pace of healing. I understand why potential patients may be skeptical. The aesthetics field is filled with marketing phrases that make procedures or treatments sound too good to be true. In many cases, those phrases aren’t backed up by facts or research. That’s not the case with rapid recovery breast augmentation. The rapid recovery approach involves specific … Continue reading »

Facelift: Social Downtime vs. Physical Downtime

Posted on September 20, 2019 by David Stoker

Getting a facelift so you look your best for an upcoming high-profile social event involves more planning than you would think. Many patients consider only the physical downtime involved with having facial plastic surgery. I advise my facelift patients in Los Angeles to also think about “social downtime”—the time needed to ensure that their results are fully realized. When patients ask about the recovery and downtime for an elective procedure, they’re typically curious about how much time they need to take off from work or when they can get back to the gym. Following a facelift, though, patients are also … Continue reading »

The Beauty of Fat Transfer

Posted on September 15, 2019 by David Stoker

What could be better, cosmetically, than taking fat from an area of the body where it’s unwanted and using it to augment another area to improve your appearance? When Kim Kardashian “broke the internet” a few years ago with a magazine cover shot of her well-endowed derrière, people started talking about the Brazilian butt lift. But fat transfer procedures using liposuction have been a part of my Los Angeles practice for many years. Fat transfer is primarily thought of by the general public as a body contouring technique, but fat is very effective to use for facial rejuvenation. It is … Continue reading »

3 Ways to Get a Well-Defined Jawline

Posted on September 5, 2019 by David Stoker

Angular, contoured jawlines are facial features considered universally attractive—for both women and men. Instagram and Snapchat filters virtually sculpt well-defined jawlines by slimming the users’ necks, and YouTube features countless tutorials on using makeup to create contours. As a board-certified plastic surgeon, I perform neck liposuction and neck lift surgery in Los Angeles to create the jawlines patients desire in real life—IRL. Nonsurgical techniques such as KYBELLA® or filler injections provide patients with alternatives but typically won’t produce the dramatic results created using surgical procedures. In this blog post, I’ll describe the techniques I use for patients who want contoured … Continue reading »

What You Should Know Before a Body Lift

Posted on August 20, 2019 by David Stoker

Getting plastic surgery to remove excess skin after massive weight loss is a physically and emotionally significant step that often includes more than one operation. As a specialist in plastic surgery after weight loss in Los Angeles, I understand the multiple issues that body lift patients encounter both before and after surgery. I believe that patients should be fully informed about what’s involved in body contouring procedures after losing significant weight, as well as what they can expect during their recoveries. In this blog post, I’ll address some of the general issues that patients should know about before scheduling their … Continue reading »

The C-Tuck: Is it a Thing?

Posted on August 14, 2019 by David Stoker

There is never a shortage of trends when it comes to the aesthetics field, and often the ones that get the most buzz are those that seem too good to be true. One such example is the so-called “C-tuck,” which involves having a cesarean section immediately followed by a tummy tuck. At my Los Angeles practice, I have fielded questions about this combination, but I don’t recommend it (or perform it). In this blog post, I’ll explain why. An OB-GYN Isn’t a Plastic Surgeon A tummy tuck is a complicated procedure and plastic surgeons are uniquely qualified to perform this … Continue reading »

The Fall and Rise of the Facelift

Posted on August 6, 2019 by David Stoker

Even as nonsurgical skin tightening treatments, the latest fillers, and BOTOX® Cosmetic continue to dominate headlines in the beauty world, there has been a resurgence of facial plastic surgery procedures, especially facelift. My Los Angeles patients choose facelift for the natural, yet remarkable results that newer surgical techniques achieve. In the 1980s and 1990s, women and men concerned about sagging facial skin had only one option—a facelift. This was true even for patients with minimal skin laxity. Unfortunately, the traditional “skin-only” techniques used by plastic surgeons tended to produce an unnaturally tight, pulled appearance, often with visible scars. Today, plastic surgeons … Continue reading »

When Is a Mini Tummy Tuck Worth It?

Posted on July 20, 2019 by David Stoker

Many potential tummy tuck patients are intrigued by the idea of having a less invasive surgery with a smaller scar. It’s no surprise the mini tummy tuck is a tempting option—but it’s not right for everyone. How can you determine the best tummy tuck approach for you? At my Los Angeles-area practice, I consult closely with patients to help them select the most effective and least invasive approach for their unique goals. Read on to learn about the differences between these procedures and what you should keep in mind as you consider your options. Full Tummy Tuck vs. Mini … Continue reading »