Facelift FAQs

Which is the best procedure?

Beware of any surgeon or beauty specialist that offers only 1 treatment. Inevitably a surgeons experience (or lack of it) will influence the advice given to you

Do I need a facelift?

Nobody needs a facelift. However to obtain the fresh look of “looking how I feel “, surgery is not always the answer. As always it is only by individualising a treatment plan having all the options that allows a sensible decision can be made.

How long will it last?

There are no scientific facts to help us answer this frequently asked question and no evidence to say on the whole that one type of facelift is better than another. However a facelift should make you look 5-8 years younger but you will go on aging the rate determined by your genes, skin, smoking, etc. In 8 years time you may look as you do now but you will be 8 years older. Your face will not suddenly drop – its gradual and you should always look better than if you hadn’t had the surgery.

Do I have to do all that you suggest?

No, some patients have a clear specific request for a given procedure. Many want a full face assessment and thus often several procedures are discussed. Ultimately it’s your choice, the pros and cons must be balanced. Often we will say, if asked, if you only do one thing then do this.

Should I do it now or wait until I am older?

A stitch in time saves nine, if it is done earlier then often less surgery is required and you enjoy the benefits of surgery for longer. However the motivation comes from you, it may be purely your physical appearance or an underlying emotional confidence problem. We will not advise any treatment if it is not in your best interests.

Will I have to have lots of facelifts over the years?

No but some patients do have repeat lifts, remember surgery is for droop only. Often patients have repeat surgery and the problem is the quality of their skin and other treatments would then be indicated.

Do you do a lot of these?

Because cosmetic surgery covers many different operations a cosmetic surgeon may not do a lot of facelifts – say 1 every 4 to 6 weeks. Recently the Royal College of Surgeons were very critical of some surgeons who did only a few of 1 particular operation. Last year in terms of PSP we did 121 facelifts and year on year this number is increasing reflecting our expertise and good reputation.

I don’t want anybody to know. Will I look natural?

If you don’t want anybody to notice then there is probably not much point in doing it however we think the PSP lift gives a very natural look without over tightening the skin – this is because we concentrate on correcting droop. You can put people off the scent by either changing your hair colour or style. What we hope to produce is a change that draws the comment. “You do look well. Have you been on holiday!“,

I don’t want to look stretched or unnatural like Mrs Regan

Multiple facelifts can produce this “wind swept” look especially if it is combined with skin peeling. Modern facelifts should be more subtle aiming to correct droop of the underlying structures.

Too much pull on the skin to create a lift results in:

1) Bad scars which migrate
2) Wound Healing problems and skin necrosis
3) The wind swept look
4) The lobules of the ears are pulled down

My friend had a facelift and she looks no different

Its important to establish how your friend looks preoperatively thus a photo with no make up is required.

Remember that soon after surgery swelling makes the face look good and this is often when post op photos are taken. If there is truly no difference then either the surgeon could not or did not obtain a very good lift – either because poor patient tissues or poor surgical technique, or because the skin has lost its elasticity and the pull/lift relapses. Skin resurfacing may be indicated.

There are a few cases where for various reasons such as weight loss a second facelift produces a superb result which was not achieved at the 1st operation – God only knows why but it happens!

What happens if I am unhappy with the result?

Surgery is not like carpentry. Wound healing varies greatly from patient to patient as do patients expectations especially if they have been shopping on the internet. Part of the problem may be the patients expectations and we know that only about 1/3 of the information we give you is remembered.

The problem may be your tissues e.g. your skin has aged – losing its elasticity and thus quickly relapses after a facelift. Another problem may be technical i.e. surgical technique. Usually it’s a combination of all 3. If we decide to offer you further surgery it will be at a time that is best with regards to scarring and what you stand to gain.

The surgeon will not charge but you will have to pay hospital and anaesthetic fees.

What happens if I have a complication or something goes wrong?

The only surgeon who has no complications is the one that does not operate. Good surgeons have less complications.

We hope you come to CSP not only because of our experience over many years but also with our background we can help you through any problems or complications that may arise.

Surgical emergencies such as a haematoma, which may very occasionally occur are treated free. We will pay for you to see a second surgeon if it is indicated eg. a chest infection which again is very rare.

Our aim is to produce a happy patient who has had the best possible experience but if you have a problem we will do our very best to help.