WHAT TO CONSIDER BEFORE FACIAL SURGERY

–        50% OF THOSE WANTING FACIAL SURGERY COULD HAVE NON-SURGICAL TREATMENTS

–        30% WOULDN’T NEED SURGERY AT ALL IF THEY CHANGED THEIR LIFESTYLE & SKIN CARE REGIME

Consultant Plastic Surgeon David Gateley, of DRG Plastic Surgery, reveals the transformative steps you should consider before embarking on surgery.

Thinking of facial surgery? Leading Consultant Plastic Surgeon David Gateley of DRG Plastic Surgery in Harley Street says, when it comes to facial surgery there are things you must do first – because you may not even need it. 

1. MEDICINAL SKIN CARE

Cosmetic skin care products won’t cut it when it comes to preventing ageing. Invest in good quality cosmeceuticals which contain bioactive ingredients for daily use. Look for products which include antioxidants to combat oxidative damage and protect skin from premature ageing. If you add just one thing to your daily skin care regime, add an effective serum. Vitamin C is a key anti-ageing ingredient to look for, helping to protect the skin from free radical damage which can cause the breakdown of collagen. For daily wear, even in winter, you should be using at least a factor 30.

Invest in aesthetic, rejuvenating facial skin treatments at least four times a year. Treatments like facial peels to dramatically improve the quality and health of your skin. Go to a Medi-Spa, get your skin assessed properly and ask an expert practitioner for advice as to what treatments you could benefit from.

David Gateley says; “I tend to see two types of women at our MediSpa. Those who invest regularly in their skin care regime and the occasional patient. It is the woman who puts money aside for a proven daily skin care routine, and for around four skin rejuvenating treatments a year, that looks the healthiest and most appropriate for their age. Even if you are set on surgery, having your skin in excellent condition is crucial to achieving the best outcome – it will be far more pliable and will heal better.”

2. VISIT 2-3 CONSULTANTS, INCLUDING ONE WITH NON-SURGICAL EXPERTISE

You won’t get clarity on what you need by Googling. You must seek advice from a professional. Even if you are in your 50s and 60s it isn’t a certainty that if you are unhappy with your face you will need facial surgery. David Gateley recommends visiting at least two to three consultants who are current in what they do and writing down what they suggest. Review your notes and look for any similarities in what’s being recommended. It is also important you meet with a surgeon who offers non-surgical procedures. With all the innovation and developments which have taken place in the non-surgical world, it may be that you can achieve what you want without surgery and only surgeons who do both will give you a balanced view. BAAPS (The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons) is a good place to start.

David Gateley says; “When choosing a physician another tip is to look for ‘small wins.’ Start with someone who suggests small procedures which will make you feel better about yourself rather than a total overhaul at the start. Choose someone who is going to look after you in the long term and avoid anyone who is using a hard sell tactic to push you into surgery. If you are advised that a full face lift is what you need, make sure you check your neck. If the skin on your neck looks good you may be able to have a short scar or mini facelift – this is less major and the scarring outcomes are better.”

3. INVOLVE YOUR FAMILY

If you are considering facial surgery, or any sort of procedure, involving or not involving your family can be a game changer. Not only can family often be relied upon to give you honest advice about whether you need treatment in the first place, they can also provide the support needed to make the process less daunting if you do go down the surgical route. It is also important they join your journey so there are no surprises once any procedures have happened.

David Gateley says; “Many people want to keep their plans for surgery from their partner or from family members. This is often with the intention of trying to stay resolved about a procedure but it can backfire. For those not needing surgery they would have had an honest opinion, and not sharing can make the whole process more worrying. Patients are left agonising over what their partner might say, and that is a concern you can do without when you are considering permanent changes to your appearance.”

4. UP THE ANTE ON YOUR LIFESTYLE

Many of the patients approaching David for facial surgery to turn back the clock are ageing their face through their lifestyles. Smoking, drinking, lack of sleep and a sedentary lifestyle are the main culprits for expediting facial ageing. Healthy eating , exercising and taking better care of your body will not only mean you look younger, they are also essential precursors to surgery itself. Smoking while having surgery can delay healing and can also increase the chance of serious complications. It is also important not to be overweight. Once a BMI has gone beyond 30-35 the surgery complication rate rises significantly. If you are undertaking regular cardiovascular exercise to lose weight before surgery, this can also help promote firm, elastic skin – the perfect type of skin for surgery. Regular exercise also gives the immune system a boost meaning you are more likely to heal easily following a procedure.

David Gateley says; “Many people see surgery as a quick fix which will solve all their aesthetic issues with little effort on their part. In reality it is a journey which must incorporate overall lifestyle improvements. Many women ask me how long a facelift will last but that is the wrong question. It is more about how many years it will put them back,  as once they have had it, ageing will carry on as normal. If you aren’t taking care of yourself surgery will never be enough, and you will carry on ageing more quickly.”

5: ASK YOURSELF – IS WHAT YOU WANT ACHIEVABLE?

Put some psychological work in about why you feel you need to make changes to your appearance. Ask yourself whether there could be a life trigger which could be the cause, whether you are clear on exactly what you want to change or achieve and whether you believe, once you’ve changed your appearance, your life will change dramatically. When meeting a reputable surgeon, questions around your expectations and motivation will be one of the first things they ask. Afterall, you don’t want to go through a surgical procedure and come out the other side feeling like nothing has changed. There are specific cosmetic surgery counsellors you can see to help you work through your feelings.

It is also important you speak to your practitioner about realistic outcomes and about any possible complications following a procedure. Any attempt to make changes to a face will be limited by skin elasticity and vascularity. There also may be compromises a surgeon has to make for particular procedures. For example, in lower eyelid surgery, a balance needs to be achieved between removing enough skin whilst avoiding the lid pulling away from the eye. Whether amendments may need to be made or healing may be drawn out, it is important to understand what the likely outcomes will be. Aesthetic changes are personal and subjective, so the more specific you can be about the desired outcome, the better.

David Gateley says; “There is often a gap in terms of what people are looking to achieve and what is possible. This is particularly true of rhinoplasties for example. Patients often come to me with hundreds of different noses on their phones, or after having had the procedure multiple times already. It is important to have in-depth conversations with your surgeon so that you understand what is actually achievable and what the likely gap is between this and the reality of the surgery.”

David Gateley is a Consultant Plastic Surgeon at DRG Plastic Surgery in Harley Street and at NakedHealth MEDISPA in Wimbledon. He has worked for 32 years in Plastic Surgery including for the NHS at St George’s Hospital, London