By Jules Lavallee
Dr. John Mesa is a Harvard-trained, triple fellowship-trained plastic surgeon who is known for his extraordinary surgical techniques and stunning results. His specialty is cosmetic plastic surgery for mostly for all neck up procedures but also does procedures for neck, breasts, and body. He is known for delivering premier, individualized care and for achieving consistently beautiful, natural-looking results. He is most famous for Buccal Fat removal a procedure becoming increasingly popular. All of Dr. Mesa’s ‘neck up’ procedures are done with local versus general anesthesia making the risk and healing process much easier for patients. Born and raised in Colombia, he brings the warmth and care of the Latin culture to his practice, and he is known for providing personalized care in custom plastic surgery. He is dedicated to ensuring his patients look and feel their best, and with newfound confidence, are better able to achieve their personal, social, and professional goals. He is bi-lingual and serves his clientele in his NY and Miami offices.
“Why are celebrities coming to you today?”
Celebrities are coming to my practice because they would like to undergo cosmetic procedures performed by the best they can find on the subject. Since stars have to be camera-ready at all times (especially for paparazzi and fans with camera phones), they need to look their best all the time, 24/7/365. Their facial appearance plays a fundamental role in their careers, so it’s only natural they want to be treated by a specialist in the cosmetic treatments they are looking for. The more a plastic surgeon specializes in specific cosmetic procedures, the more likely the better outcome is.
Do you see any trends?
Yes! There is a massive trend in minimally invasive procedures for beautifying the female face and masculinizing the male face. Minimally invasive cosmetic procedures like skin-tightening (Morpheus8, FaceTite, and NeckTite), injectable fillers ( cheek fillers, jawline fillers, etc.) allow celebrities to significantly improve their facial looks with minimal downtime and minimal scars. Also, another trend I see is that celebrities initiate preventative anti-aging cosmetic procedures very early in their careers (late teens, 20s). These early cosmetic treatments allow them to “freeze” their youthful appearance as time passes by while avoiding drastic changes in their appearance that critics could and most certainly would notice.
Your Latin Culture is very important to you. How are you bringing the warmth of the Latin Culture to your practice?
Since I was born and raised in Colombia, it is innate to treat anybody, including patients, with warmth, cordiality, and respect. My philosophy is that I take care of my patients the same way I would care for a family member. Therefore, they only get the best care they can give them. This is something essential because it allows the patients to be confident with me, choose the procedures that best fit their needs, which helps me to make them look and feel their best, which ultimately helps to boost their confidence to achieve their personal, social, and professional goals.
Tell us about the Buccal Fat Removal and why this is a favorite among your clients?
Buccal fat removal is, in my opinion, one of the most best-kept secrets in Hollywood. It is a cosmetic plastic surgery procedure that many celebrities do in Hollywood, but nobody talks about it. It’s very hush-hush.
Almost all celebrities (actors, actresses, models, etc.) have a distinct high fashion chiseled look that is not common among regular people. Examples of these chiseled facial looks are Jennifer Lopez, Bella Hadid, Angelina Jolie, etc. None of these celebrities have chubby cheeks! Although this distinct facial appearance is (rarely) thanks to “good” genes, but rather due to buccal fat removal – a cosmetic plastic surgery procedure with minimal downtime and almost instantaneous results.
A chiseled look is mainly the product of having high cheekbones and lacking chubby cheeks. Enlarged cheeks (chubby cheeks or chipmunk cheeks) are caused by enlarged buccal fat pads (distinct pockets of fat on the cheeks). Buccal fat removal eliminates the buccal fat pads (cause of chubby cheeks), thus allowing patients to achieve a permanent “chiseled” facial look.
Do you offer VIP treatment to celebs?
Yes, we offer concierge service of VIP treatments as a premium package to all celebrities and any patient interested in these services.
What is the protocol for your office – example consultation, surgery, recovery, and time frame?
My office protocol is simple: when a potential patient is interested in a cosmetic procedure with me, they usually reach one of my offices via phone call, email, or social media message. Then, one of my patient coordinators contacts the patient back via phone call. During the telephone call, they go over the general aspects of the surgery or procedure, the consultation process, surgery time frames, downtime, and price estimates. Then, the patient proceeds with either an in-person or virtual consultation, where I discuss the physical exam findings and all the details of the procedures/surgeries that best fit the patient’s needs. Then the patient schedules his/her procedure on a date and time available according to their schedule. Follow-ups are designed according to their procedure. The last follow-up is usually 12 weeks after surgery.
