How is a natural-looking facelift achieved?

If you’re considering facelift surgery, you might easily be overwhelmed by the ever-expanding range of procedures and techniques available. In this situation it is important to find a consultant who can recommend the right procedure for you. In this article, renowned plastic surgeon Mr Giovanni Ferrando explains his personalised approach to facelift surgery and his core aim to achieve a natural, authentic result.

What are the different kinds of facelift you perform?

When I perform a facelift , I always adapt my surgery to the patient, depending on what we agree they need. It may be that the patient only requires work on their skin rather than their muscle, to reduce the appearance of wrinkles. A different patient might benefit instead from more volume on their cheeks, which can be achieved with grafting techniques. For some of my patients, the main problem is with the neck, so I will need to use special manoeuvres and techniques to target any loose skin. Finally, for some patients, the best option might be a combination of a full facelift and mid facelift, otherwise known as an extended facelift. The important thing is that the operation I perform is always personalised, and will therefore be different for each patient.

How do you work with the patient to decide how the final results should look?

Before performing any surgery I work hard to understand the patient and their expectations. I personally draw a portrait of the patient to visualise the desired result and discuss this with them. This helps me to personalise the surgery to the patient.

I have found that, above all, the result has to look natural – a fake-looking result would be a bad result. I combine various approaches to achieve a natural final result, including looking carefully at old photos and studying how the patient looked when they were younger.

What is the procedure for a facelift?

Before the patient has surgery, they will need to have a blood test as well as an electrocardiogram (ECG). They can choose whether they would like to receive the operation under a local or general anaesthetic. The operation will take at least 3 hours.

When I perform facelift surgery I make an incision along the edge of the ears. With my personal technique the incisions are almost invisible, because they are made along a natural facial crease.

What happens afterwards?

After the facelift, the patient will need a follow up appointment after 15-20 days. We will also need to change the dressing every 3-4 days. It should take about two weeks to fully recover from the operation.

If you are interested in having a facelift, and would like more information, you can make an appointment with a specialist here .