Meet Dr. Brace

Dr. Matthew D. Brace is a top cosmetic and reconstructive facial surgeon, practicing just outside Toronto in the beautiful city of Guelph, Ontario.

Dr. Brace Smiling with suit on sitting on couch

Restoring confidence. Enhancing beauty.

Dr. Matthew D. Brace is a top cosmetic and reconstructive facial surgeon, practicing just outside Toronto in the beautiful city of Guelph, Ontario. Dr. Brace started his independent practice: Guelph Facial Plastics to fill a void in Guelph in skin cancer reconstruction, facial trauma reconstruction, and aesthetic surgery of the face and neck. Dr. Brace’s focus is on both facial reconstruction and cosmetic surgery of the face and neck.

Guelph Facial Plastics is not like most cosmetic surgery offices or med spas. Dr. Brace and his team have worked hard to create an atmosphere that is safe, non-judgmental and welcoming. Guelph Facial Plastics is a true family-run, small business. Dr. Brace is passionate about producing fantastic natural results for both cosmetic and reconstructive patients. Every technology brought into the practice serves that purpose.

With years of skill and a rare talent, Dr. Brace’s passion is to restore confidence (in both head and neck appearance and health) and enhance natural facial beauty.

Dr. Brace and his team are committed to this purpose to help people face the world day to day with as few self-doubts about their appearance as possible. His hope is to enable his patients to reach high and attain their full potential.

Choosing a Specialty

Dr. Brace completed a 5-year surgical residency in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at Dalhousie University. During this training, Dr. Brace’s passion for facial reconstruction after cancer surgery and trauma grew.

He joined the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery as a resident member and began attending conferences, reading the literature extensively and seeking out potential fellowship opportunities. He joined the oral maxillofacial surgeons whenever possible after hours to observe and assist in facial fracture repair and studied diligently.

As a senior resident Dr. Brace spent time learning from surgeons he admired in Toronto (Dr. Peter Adamson), Beverly Hills (Drs. Babak Azzizadeh & Paul Nassif), New York City (Dr. Andrew Jacono), Cleveland (Dr. Dan Alam), and Fort Worth (Dr. Yadro Ducic). During this time, he solidified his desire to pursue facial plastic and reconstructive surgery. Facial surgery is a specialty that requires the perfect blend of challenging surgical execution, inventiveness, artistry, and a keen attention to detail. It is these key elements and a love for the anatomy of the face and neck that led Dr. Brace to pursue Facial Plastic and Reconstructive surgery.

Early Years

Dr. Brace is a first generation physician and surgeon, raised in Erin, Ontario. As a child and teen he was encouraged by his parents to pursue university level education. He had his mind set on marine biology initially, but gravitated to human anatomy and physiology in high school. He studied Biomedical Sciences at the University of Guelph and graduated with honours in the spring of 2004. During his undergraduate studies of the human body he decided to apply to medical school. Dr. Brace began volunteering at the Headwaters Health Care Centre in Orangeville, initially in the coffee shop, and later in the Emergency Room. He married his high school sweetheart that summer and began graduate studies at the University of Guelph later that fall.

He studied genetics and reproductive science under Dr. W. Alan King in the Biomedical Science department. During his studies he taught Human Anatomy and Human Physiology to undergraduate students, deepening his own anatomy knowledge and love for teaching. He completed his Master of Science degree and was admitted to medical school at Dalhousie University in Halifax, gaining a coveted ‘out-of- province’ seat. Dr. Brace’s family roots are in Nova Scotia with his father’s birth and early years in Sydney, Cape Breton Island and his maternal grandfather being born and raised in Halifax. Dr. Brace spent 4 years studying at Dalhousie earning his Medical Degree.

During his time in Halifax he made lifelong friends and found lifelong mentors who encouraged, stimulated, and motivated him to pursue training in head and neck surgery. He also had the opportunity to spend 5 weeks as an international trauma surgery elective student at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Johannesburg. Here he treated victims of the worst trauma from physical assault, stabbings, gun shot wounds, work accidents, vehicle collisions and burns. This stimulated Dr. Brace’s passion for trauma care and reconstruction which he brought back with him to Halifax.

Training

Dr. Brace completed his residency in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck surgery, winning the head and neck oncology award and resident teacher award, he passed his Otolaryngology-Head and Neck surgery board exams and was accepted into a highly coveted position at the Ohio State University as the facial plastic and reconstructive surgery fellow. Dr. Brace’s fellowship practice focused on caring for patients suffering from craniofacial trauma, facial burns, facial skin cancer, facial paralysis, head and neck vascular malformations, nasal injury, medication-resistant migraines, nasal obstruction, nasal valve collapse, rosacea, and complex facial scarring.

Under the mentorship of Dr. Stephen Smith Jr and Dr. Mike Sullivan, Dr. Brace received excellent high volume training in and all facets of cosmetic facial and nasal surgery and skin cancer reconstruction, including: performing facelift surgery, rhinoplasty, blepharoplasty, lipotransfer, and otoplasty. He also trained extensively in and provided treatments with cosmetic and therapeutic neuromodulators, injectable fillers, Belkyra, chemical peels, aesthetic lasers, and light-based skin rejuvenation therapies.

At the completion of his fellowship, Dr. Brace attained the highest mark in both the written exam and oral exam and was awarded the prestigious Jack Anderson Award at the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Annual meeting in Nashville. This exam is given to all fellows in the US and Canada, and is written overseas by international fellows in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery.

Average Surgeries Performed By Dr. Matthew Brace Per Year

Septorhinoplasty: 100-110 per year
Facelifts (a growing area of our practice): 20-30 per year
Upper blepharoplasties: 50-60 per year
Lower Blepharoplasties: 20-30 per year
Brow lifts: 10-20 per year
Lip Lifts: 10-20 per year
Skin cancer surgeries/reconstructions: 200-250 per year
Facial trauma surgeries: 15-20 per year

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Humanitarian Work

In 2023, Dr. Brace was approached by the founder of the Face The Future Foundation to be a part of a mission helping the victims of war-torn Ukraine. Face The Future Foundation is a humanitarian group that has delivered life-saving and life-changing plastic reconstructive surgery to those in need since 1996.

Guelph Doctor Treats 32 Patients in War Torn Ukraine

Dr. Brace performing surgery

Dr. Brace graciously accepted the invitation, to deliver reconstructive surgery to both soldiers and civilians seriously injured by the war. This life-changing experience is one that both Dr. Brace and those he treated will never forget. Read the full story here:

Guelph Plastic Surgeon Helps Sustain Hope for Ukranians Maimed by War

Dr. Brace smiling with patient

A Family Man

Dr. Brace is a family man married to his high school sweetheart, business partner, practice manager, and friend Latitia. Together they have 4 beautiful daughters (Kianna, Miriam, Simone, and Georgia). They live in Guelph and love being home in the city after being away for 10 years. When Dr. Brace is not working, all his time is spent with them. Dr. Brace has two sisters who both live in the city of Guelph, 5 nieces and 2 nephews. His parents reside in his childhood home outside of Erin, Ontario on 10 acres of land where Dr. Brace’s children love to play. Dr. Brace’s plan of care for his patients is the same one he would recommend for his family members. He prides himself on being a man of integrity and considers it an honour to help his patients feel like their best selves.

Hobbies

Outside of work Dr. Brace is an avid music collector, musician, and fan of live music. You can often find him taking in local talent in Guelph over dinner with his wife. He plays the guitar and bass guitar and is always working on a new song. In his early university days Dr. Brace played bass in a local rock band and even sported a mohawk for a brief period of time. In the summer and on vacation Dr. Brace is a waterman and loves all things lake and ocean. He is a surfer, having learned in the cold Nova Scotian water, and will jump at any opportunity to paddle into a wave. He enjoys stand up paddle boarding and snorkeling with his kids.

Giving Back

Dr. Brace is well known for his kind and caring manner and down-to-earth approachability. Possessing keen attention to detail, he is extremely dedicated to his patient care, delivering excellent results to thousands of patients. He is an experienced, professional, and highly skilled surgeon with a superior level of training in his field. He continues to give back to the surgical community by maintaining a position as a lecturer, and adjunct clinical professor with the Division of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at both the University of Toronto and McMaster University and the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at Western University as Adjunct Professor with Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University. Dr. Brace teaches at the University of Toronto resident rhinoplasty course, and at the Western’s Head and Neck emergencies boot camp for new resident doctors. He has been a lecturer at McMaster University on facial reanimation, facelift surgery, and rhinoplasty and regularly has medical students and residents rotate with him for facial plastic and reconstructive surgery teaching. Dr. Brace gives up time every year to prepare practice exam questions and give mock oral exams in-person or over Skype to residents from McMaster and his alma mater Dalhousie University to help train the next generation of surgeons.