Northern Virginia Plastic and Oral Surgery

Why does my child have to wait until age four to have otoplasty performed?

In order for ear surgery to be successful, it is necessary for a child's ears to be fully developed. This generally occurs around age five or six, which is why Dr. Hamrah does not accept patients younger than this age.

I am an adult and embarrassed by my ear prominence. Am I a candidate for otoplasty?

While the majority of otoplasty patients are children, adults with irregular ear prominence can still have their ears surgically modified. However, a child's ear cartilage is far more pliable, which allows Dr. Hamrah additional maneuverability in order to achieve a patient’s desired ear aesthetics. Consequently, adults who decide to have ear surgery may not have their expectations met.

Will otoplasty leave my child with a visible scar?

Dr. Hamrah adjusts ear cartilage and removes excess ear skin through a discreet incision behind the ear. Although a minor scar will exist, it will be unnoticeable to others.

Is otoplasty right for my child?

A slight variation from normal appearance can cause children immense hardships in school. If you fear that your child's irregular ear prominence and shape will subject him or her to peer abuse, ear surgery may be an appropriate solution.

You can learn more by reading our Questions about Otoplasty page.

If you are interested in otoplasty for yourself or your child, please contact our facial cosmetic surgery office today to schedule your personal consultation with Dr. Hamrah. NOVA SurgiCare serves the Washington, D.C. and northern Virginia area.

What types of facial fillers does Dr. Hamrah offer his patients?

Dr. Hamrah provides his patients with the latest facial filler options. The appropriate facial filler for you will be selected during your consultation with Dr. Hamrah, when you discuss your cosmetic goals. Dr. Hamrah is an expert in this field an has authored chapters in peer reviewed journals.

The four types of facial fillers offered at NOVA SurgiCare are:

• Restylane – A common lip implant solution, Restylane can also eliminate acne scars and fine facial wrinkles
• Juvéderm – An FDA approved facial filler with results that can last up to a year, Juvéderm addresses undesirable mild to moderate facial contours, such as premature wrinkling and residual acne scars
• Radiesse – A two year solution that will rejuvenate skin volume and stimulate new tissue growth. Because it stays longer than other facial fillers in the skin it has gained more and more popularity among physicians as well as patients.
• Elevesse - Is the first FDA-approved HA-based (Hydroxyapatite) dermal filler to include the anesthetic lidocaine, greatly reducing injection pain and increasing patient comfort. Like Radiesse, it typically last for up to two years.

What are the advantages of facial fillers over surgery?

While facial fillers are not a permanent solution, the simple fact that they address unwanted facial cosmetics without surgery raises the appeal to those hesitant about undergoing facial cosmetic surgery. Many consider it as the new "Liquid Facelift" or "Non-surgical Facelift".

Additionally, facial fillers involve less than a half hour at the office, allowing you to return to daily activities immediately, and the majority of patients suffer minimal discomfort.

If you are fearful of being dissatisfied with a permanent result, the advantages of facial fillers may appeal to you.

If you are interested in facial fillers, please contact our facial rejuvenation office today and schedule your personal consultation with Dr. Hamrah. NOVA SurgiCare serves the Washington, D.C. and northern Virginia area.

Neck lifts are surgical procedures that require little downtime. The majority of patients can return to work within a few days. The only discomfort will be bruising and swelling, which will subside within two weeks. During this time, Dr. Hamrah recommends applying ice to reduce swelling.

All patients should refrain from physical activity for approximately one month, or you will risk compromising the final result.

How does Dr. Hamrah perform neck lifts?

During your initial consultation, Dr. Hamrah will discuss your cosmetic goals and evaluate your overall health. Prior to leaving, Dr. Hamrah will suggest one or more of the following surgeries he uses for neck lift patients:

• Liposuction – If you require the removal of excess neck fat of the neck and chin
• Cervicoplasty – If your neck region has excess, sagging skin. This procedure is often performed in conjunction with liposuction
• Platysmaplasty – If you desire a makeover in the middle area of your neck. This is performed by realigning the neck muscles into their optimal position

Why should I choose Dr. Hamrah for a neck lift?

As with any facial cosmetic surgery, it is essential to adequately research your cosmetic surgeon. Risks and complications may arise which can adversely affect your overall health and facial aesthetics, leaving you displeased with the result or hospitalized due to a surgeon's error. Dr. Hamrah has been conducting active clinical research during his time at the UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, TX, trying to perfect a novel technique in "cervicofacial platysmaplasty" (neck lift). Currently, none of the techniques provide satisfying long term results for the surgeon as well as the patient. Being a self-critical surgeon, Dr. Hamrah has been working on developing and perfecting his novel technique for the past two years and the results are extremely promising.

The above patient had a neck lift (Dr. Hamrah's technique), face lift as well as lower eye-lid blepharoplasty

If you are interested in a neck lift, please contact our facial cosmetic surgery office today to schedule your personal consultation with Dr. Hamrah. NOVA SurgiCare serves the Washington, D.C. and northern Virginia area.

How long will it take me to recover from a facelift?

Each patient’s recovery process is unique. Personal healing ability and what procedures your facelift involved will determine the length of time it takes to heal. However, the vast majority of patients can return to work within three to four days.

During the recovery period, you must keep your face bandaged. Typically, this bandage can be removed after 48 hours. However, some individuals must remain bandaged for close to a week.

Your face will remain sensitive to touch following surgery. To prevent compromising your future facial cosmetics, it is essential that you sleep without a pillow and refrain from engaging in strenuous exercise.

How will a facelift make me look younger?

No amount of cosmetic surgery can halt the aging process. However, facelifts can provide you with a younger, more refreshed looking face by:

• Masking wrinkles in the nose or around the corners of the mouth
• Removing displaced fat in the face and/or neck
• Tightening facial skin
• Removing creases below the eyelids
• Removing the appearance of drooping in the midface region
• Alleviating jowl formation caused by reduced muscle tone

If you have additional facelift questions, please contact NOVA SurgiCare today to schedule your personal consultation with Dr. Daria Hamrah. NOVA SurgiCare serves the Washington, D.C. and northern Virginia area.

For patients seeking an instant reversal of their face’s visible signs of aging, few solutions are better than BOTOX®.

In just ten minutes, Dr. Hamrah can inject tiny doses of BOTOX® into carefully selected regions and minimize the appearance of wrinkles for approximately three to six months. If you are hesitant of facial cosmetic surgery, BOTOX® may be the answer you are looking for.

Additional Uses for BOTOX®

Many patients are shocked to learn that BOTOX® is not only used to mask facial dynamic wrinkles. The fact is BOTOX® has been used for years in order to:

• Control otherwise uncontrollable facial spasms
• Treat facial paralysis
• Block gland secretion in overly sweaty palms and under arms
• Prevent scar formation in recently inflicted wounds

Choose the Right Cosmetic Surgeon for BOTOX®

While no permanent side effects have been proven due to BOTOX® injections, there have been isolated cases of botulism poisoning. This is due to the development of underground replicas that are not medical grade in order to meet the increased demand for wrinkle reversal solutions.

Unfortunately, whether you are in the market for a surgical or non-surgical solution, a cheap treatment does not exist. Failure to thoroughly research your cosmetic surgeon and the product you are investing in may cause serious health complications and/or undesirable results.

If you are considering BOTOX® as a solution to dynamic wrinkles and live in the Washington, D.C. or northern Virginia area, please contact NOVA SurgiCare today to schedule a consultation with Dr. Hamrah.

One of the first requests I get from patients seeking facial rejuvenation is Botox injection to the forehead to get rid of the horizontal lines on the forehead. Even though most of the patients are happy with the disappearance of their lines, after a while they start complaining that now their eye-brows have drooped. This is due to the fact that when our brows start drooping and become heavier, naturally we try to compensate for it by elevating them and thus creating wrinkles and lines in our forehead. As Botox paralyzes the forehead muscles we cannot compensate for the brow droop anymore. The heavy eye-brows push the eye-lids even further down and give us the "tired" and "unhappy" look.

The only effective and long term solution to the above described problem is a true surgical endoscopic brow-lift which is performed with small incisions that are placed in areas of the head covered by hair (also referred to as: "invisible incisions"). The forehead muscle and hence the eye-brows are then lifted using a high-definition miniature camera and laser instead of conventional metal blades. This not only minimizes bleeding and traumatic injury to the tissues during surgery but it also causes significantly less swelling and bruising post-operatively.


With the current trend in cosmetic surgery, more and more patients are seeking non-surgical solutions for facial rejuvenation. As many of them (ie. Botox, dermal filler, chemical and laser skin resurfacing) have their indications, the example above demonstrates clearly that sometimes trying to avoid surgery at any cost can create more unwanted problems and disappointment.
Too often I see women plucking their eye-brows higher and higher or even tattooing their eye-brows in order to compensate for their dropping brows and too many times this gives them the surprised or angry look that looks unnatural.

In my opinion, if the right surgery is performed at the right time, you will get the most natural and longest lasting result without anyone knowing that you ever had surgery.
The patient below is a good example of a young lady that was complaining of her heavy eyebrows covering too much of her eye-lids and thus making it difficult to apply her eye-shadows. This patient also had a midface-lift in combination with her brow-lift with only two added incisions inside her mouth (hidden) to facilitate this. Please note a more visible upper eye-lid as well as more cheek-bone definition due to the midface-lift.

For more question please visit our Endoscopic Brow-lift questions page.

What are the benefits of an endoscopic brow lift over a traditional brow lift?

Dr. Hamrah performs minimally invasive endoscopic brow lifts on his patients, since patient satisfaction is far greater than satisfaction associated with a conventional brow lift. This is due to the numerous advantages endoscopic brow lifts provide, which include:

• A less invasive procedure, which allows patients to have a faster recovery with minimal discomfort
• No general anesthesia is necessary
• Smaller incision hidden in your hair making scars invisible
• Less bleeding
• Reduced numbness

What complications are associated with a brow lift?

As with any facial cosmetic surgery, complications may arise, such as an adverse reaction to anesthesia or dissatisfaction with the result. While complications unique to brow lifts arise infrequently, patients should be aware that risks exist, including:

• Undesirable scar formation
• Inability to regrow hair at the incision line
• Lack of eyebrow and/or forehead mobility. When this rare complication occurs, additional surgery is required to restore functionality

Is an endoscopic brow lift the appropriate procedure for me?

At your initial consultation, Dr. Hamrah will discuss your aesthetic goals to determine if an endoscopic brow lift is right for you. Generally, if you desire to turn back the clock and mask visible signs of aging in your forehead and/or eyebrow region, then an endoscopic brow lift may be right for you.

If you are interested in a brow lift, please contact our facial rejuvenation offices today to schedule your consultation with Dr. Hamrah. NOVA SurgiCare serves Washington, D.C. and northern Virginia.