Articles

One of the most important aspects of hair restoration is choosing the right surgeon. With the greater acceptance of hair transplant surgery, finding a qualified provider is easier then ever. It is important to do your homework as choosing right surgeon can be as rewarding as choosing the wrong surgeon can be disastrous. An important factor to consider when selecting among the various hair restoration surgeons is the interaction and relationship between yourself and the doctor. Your doctor should listen to you, never hurry you along, and speak with you in language that you can understand. Becoming educated about the desired procedure(s) […]

The first procedures used to create a hairline were large rotational flaps.  Lamont’s double temporoparietal flap, the occipital flap and the Juri flap represent historical attempts to cover areas of baldness using hair bearing scalp. Hair flaps created a very unnatural hairline and have little value when compared to state-of-the-art micrografting techniques.  Hair flaps can lead to disastrous outcomes when performed on the wrong candidate.  Imagine have a fully bald mid to posterior scalp with an incredibly dense pattern of hair in the front.  This unnatural appearance gave way to hair graft techniques where hairs were placed directly into the scalp.  Round […]

Hair restoration has evolved significantly from it’s earliest attempts to treat male pattern baldness.  Round grafts represent the earliest form of hair transplants using grafting techniques.  Round grafts are groupings of 10-30 hairs placed using punch biopsies in the scalp.  Multiple hair punches created the characteristic “pluggy” pattern of thick hair groups surrounding by areas of bald scalp.  Round grafts were eloquently termed hair plugs and appear similar to dolls hair.  Hair plugs were popular in the 1970s and 1980s when hair restoration was in it’s infancy.  Round grafts and hair plugs have no place in contemporary hair restoration medicine. Many […]

We are pleased to introduce a new and unique facial volumizer designed to add long-lasting volume to the cheeks and midface. In October of 2013 the FDA approved a new filler for use in correcting age-related volume loss in the cheeks. The product is known as Juvederm Voluma XC. WHAT IS VOLUMA?Voluma is a gel that looks and feels very similar to the well known injectable filler Juvederm. Like many other fillers on the market (Juvederm, Restylane, Perlane, Belotero) Voluma is composed of Hyaluronic Acid (HA). HA fillers were traditionally placed directly into the skin to treat fine wrinkles and folds. […]

EARLOBE GAUGES ARE PIERCINGS THAT DELIBERATELY STRETCH THE LOBULE. Gauges are typically upsized over time and this practice became popular in America some time ago. Stretching is usually done in small increments to minimize the potential for damaging the healed fistula. As teenagers with gauges mature into adults it is common to desire removal of the piercings. After the gauge is removed the stretched lobule will tighten over several months. The earlobe will never completely heal and deformities of various degrees will persist. In some cases the earlobe deformity can be quite severe. A common request from many of our young adult patients […]

Cosmetic eyelid surgery in San Diego is one of the most frequent aesthetic surgeries performed. Relieving some of the heaviness of the upper and lower eyelids can make the eyes look more refreshed, younger and feel better as well. A common concern for patients seeking blepharoplasty in San Diego is unnatural or visible scarring. The good news is that eyelid skin is very forgiving and incisions can frequently be camouflaged into the eyelid crease and crows feet. It takes a full 12 months for scars to fully mature, flatten and soften. The following videos are techniques Dr. Kolstad recommends for his patients […]

Deciding to have your eyelid procedure performed in an office setting or under sedation at a surgery center can be very challenging for someone just starting to think about the process. The decision to perform procedures in the office using local anesthesia versus a surgery center has two important considerations: cost and risk. Is there a difference in Cost between procedures done in the office compared to surgery centers? An upper and lower eyelid lift completed in a surgery center costs more because of the facility and anesthesia fees. For a 3 hour surgery facility and anesthesia fees can be as high as […]

If you are looking a natural way of restoring volume to your face you have two very different options: Injectable Fillers and Fat Transfer. 1) Injectable fillers such as Restylane, Juvederm, Radiesse, Perlane, and Sculptra can be placed in the office, with minimal downtime and with a cheaper cost per treatment. At Kolstad Facial Plastic Surgery, Perlane, Restylane and Juvederm cost $600 per syringe and Sculptra costs $850 per vial. Depending on the amount of volume required it is common to need several syringes of Juvederm and Restylane or multiple vials of Sculptra. Injectable fillers are temporary and will slowly dissolve […]

One of the most important aspects of cosmetic surgery is choosing the right surgeon. In California, and in particular Southern California there are hundreds of providers all seemingly offering the same service. The good news for the patient is that most surgeons performing face and neck lifts are well-trained and can achieve good results. Also, being located in a region that has many providers allows the patient to choose the surgeon that is the best fit instead of being the only surgeon in town. Finding the best face lift surgeon requires a bit of research, but all the necessary information is […]

One of the most important aspects of cosmetic surgery is choosing the right surgeon. With the greater acceptance of cosmetic surgery, finding a qualified provider is easier then ever. It is important to do your homework as choosing right surgeon can be as rewarding as choosing the wrong surgeon can be disastrous. I typically recommend meeting several providers before deciding on the one that best suits your needs. An important factor to consider when selecting among the various cosmetic surgeons is the interaction and relationship between yourself and the doctor. Your doctor should listen to you, never hurry you along, and […]