HOW DO I KNOW IF A FACE-LIFT IS RIGHT FOR ME? A CLOSER LOOK AT NON-SURGICAL ALTERNATIVES
Written by Fulvio Urso-Baiarda co-founder and plastic surgeon at Eterno 360, Eton, Berkshire
I tend to find there are three groups of patients attending consultations for facial rejuvenation. Not everyone is suitable for surgery, and it is always important to explore your options with your surgeon or aesthetic practitioner to ensure your expectations are met before embarking on a facial rejuvenation journey. If you’re considering a facelift, but you are unsure whether this is right for you - read on to discover the non-surgical alternatives and the procedures I recommend for your skin type.
Finding the right facial rejuvenation option for your skin needs
Some patients are only seeking minor facial adjustments, often younger with more supple skin - these patients are starting from an already pretty good place. These are great candidates for non-surgical treatments such as dermal fillers or anti-wrinkle toxin injectables, and not really appropriate for surgery.
At the other end, there is a group of patients whose concerns are mostly to do with a lot of redundant skin (that’s sagging to you and me). Once the skin has gone beyond a certain point non-surgical treatments become a lot less effective, and they really should be considering surgery.
These groups are pretty straightforward to manage. The former would be offered a non-surgical treatment, such as injectables (botulinum toxin or fillers), energy devices, threads or whatever it may be, depending on the precise nature of the problem. The latter would be recommended a more traditional surgical option, such as a facelift, blepharoplasty (eyelid tightening), neck lift and so on.
However, there is a middle group, which is actually the majority of people who come to see us at Eterno 360°. These have an issue for which there is both a reasonable surgical or non-surgical option. For that majority, the decision as to what type of treatment to have comes down to a much more nuanced discussion about what treatment type is a better fit for them. How long can they take off work, do they need to look presentable for the school run, would they prefer treatment under general anaesthetic in a hospital or local anaesthetic in a clinic, will they tolerate having to wear a compression garment or lots of dressings for a while, are they available to attend for a course of treatments or for surgical checkups, do they want a one-off treatment or are they happy to come back in for maintenance care on a recurring basis, and what is their budget (both short- and long-term)?
Generally the patient doesn’t know the answers to all of these until we work through them with examples - as part of the consultation we put together a menu of treatment options, clearly indicating in each case what the treatment will achieve, how long it will last, what the recovery is likely to involve and what it will cost - and often the solution does not lie in one approach or the other, but a happy amalgamation of both.
If you would like to schedule in for a free non-surgical consultation, or a surgical consultation with Mr Fulvio Urso-Baiarda contact us.
