Time to Battle Ageing

Discover how a facelift can have natural results and turn back the clock

Visible signs of ageing are a common concern that we all eventually suffer with. Although it is impossible to stop it completely, there are ways to improve the skin sag, wrinkles and other signs that come over the years. There are many non-surgical solutions from injectable treatments to skin tightening devices, however, for those searching for a permanent result, cosmetic surgery may be the answer. For 53-year-old Katherine, having a more youthful but natural appearance was her top priority, so she saw consultant plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgeon Mr Muhammad Riaz to find out what surgical options were available.

Finding the perfect surgeon

Katherine had always felt that she looked younger than her age, however after reaching 50 she started to become more conscious about her ageing and believed her face was becoming “saggy.” She had received non-surgical ‘facelift’ procedures with aesthetic devices previously, but it was a slow process and she wanted to see results sooner. She says, “I began to think to myself that I should take the plunge and look for a more permanent solution. I did some research and came across an interesting article which listed the top facial surgeons in the UK, which gave me a good starting point. I went quite far down the road with another surgeon and thought they were a great candidate, however, after more research, I found they did more body surgery and I wanted someone who was really focused on the face.” After checking the General Medical Council register and the surgical associations (see p.67), Katherine chose Mr Riaz. “I had heard about Mr Riaz on the grapevine as a couple of people I knew had been to see him and had said how great he was. I looked at his website for around 18 months and couldn’t find anyone else who had such subtle, natural results. His reviews were amazing, so I booked to go and see him and as soon as I did, I instantly knew that I wanted him to do my surgery!” explains Katherine.

An extensive consultation

After contacting Mr Riaz, Katherine had a video call with him before an in-person consultation. Katherine reflects, “The in-person consultation was around an hour and a half. Mr Riaz spends a lot of time looking at you and analyses every aspect of your face. I know many women who are very specific about what they don’t like about their faces, but I asked Mr Riaz ‘What would you recommend?’. I thought the surgery would focus more on the bottom half of my face, but Mr Riaz said I would benefit from surgery focusing around my eyes as well the upper part of my face.” Mr Riaz recommended Katherine underwent upper and lower blepharoplasties (a procedure to remove excess skin to enhance or create an eyelid crease), cheek and temple lift, extended ‘R’ face/ neck lift (Mr Riaz’s signature technique which has limited surgical steps, leading to minimised downtime, swelling and bruising) and neck liposuction. She notes, “I still wanted to look like me, but just

Before

After

"I can’t tell you how perfect the results are because they are so natural. People think I look around 35-years-old!"

53-year-old Katherine

a younger version! Mr Riaz wrote up a report and explained why he would be doing the procedure he recommended. He also took before photographs of my face and recorded me too so I would be able to see the results in action.”

Successful surgery

Katherine went away and thought about the surgery for two weeks to ensure it was something she really wanted. She wasn’t able to eat from 12pm the previous night and arrived at St Hugh’s Hospital in Grimsby for her surgery at 7:30am. Katherine was checked-in to a private room where a nurse took her blood pressure and prepared her for surgery. Dr Riaz came to see Katherine to mark up her face with a marker pen to highlight the areas he was going to operate and then she had a visit from the anaesthetist who talked her through the surgical process again and ensured she was ready. Prior to the surgery, Katherine’s main concern was a fear of cannulas, a thin tube inserted into a vein to drain fluid and provide oxygen, as when she was younger, one snapped in her wrist and had to be delved out. She reflects, “I don’t mind having injections but if you stick a needle in me and it stays there, I’m terrified. I explained my concerns to the anaesthetist who said they could use gas and then put the cannula in but one of the side effects was that you can become disorientated. I just said I would do it! The team were incredible, and a nurse spoke to me to distract me from the needle.” Overall, the surgery took six hours to perform. Katherine explains, “I woke up and had bandages on my eyes which I had to keep on overnight, and I only experienced a slight eye pain. I had my blood pressure checked by a nurse every two hours, who also helped me go to the toilet. I had intravenous antibiotics and a few doses of morphine which really helped with the pain. I was so well cared for by the medical staff!” After staying overnight at the hospital, Mr Riaz took off Katherine’s bandages the following morning and had a look at the results. “Mr Riaz was so pleased with my results that he urged all his staff to come and have a look! I relaxed straight away and didn’t even think it looked like me. My partner picked me up and I left the hospital at 11am. They sent me home with some pain relief medication (even though I had virtually no pain) and a post-operative mask to wear for two weeks, which I decided to wear for a month,” she says.

A steady recovery

Katherine was told to take two weeks off work, drink lots of water, eat healthy food and have no alcohol. She comments, “As I had my surgery during lockdown, I wasn’t working anyway. You must sleep on your back and keep your face as straight as possible for two weeks, but I continued for a month. It’s just general common sense, you have stitches which are a mixture of dissolvable and removable, but these were painless when removed. I’m a year down the line since my surgery and the hospital still ring me up and check in on me.” Mr Riaz assessed Katherine one week, two weeks and one-month post-surgery to check for any complications and ensure that the scars were healing appropriately. Katherine’s scar was around the sideburn and in front and behind the ear but were maturing correctly and are not noticeable.

Award-winning results

Speaking to Katherine one year after her surgery, she is in love with the results. She reflects, “I can’t tell you how perfect the results are because they are so natural. People think I look around 35-years-old! I hardly need any makeup and my under-eye bags have completely gone.” For anyone interested in getting surgery themselves, Katherine advises, “As long as it’s right for you and you’re doing it for yourself, then don’t hesitate. They used my face to nominate Mr Riaz for the Best Surgical Result at the Aesthetics Awards this year and it won! I can’t praise him highly enough.”

Mr Muhammad Riaz, consultant plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgeon, St Hugh's Hospital & Spire Hospital, Grimsby & Hull IG: @sthughscosmetics

Practitioner perspective

Each person experiences a different ageing process, and this is dependant on the type of treatment they might need. Some will require treatment of just the upper face, lower face, or both. I grade facial ageing from one to four dependant on its severity. Katherine was between a three to four, so this was quite severe. I found she had some tear trough deformity (sagging around her eyes) and unusual fatty bulges on the neck. My signature ‘R’ face/neck lift is becoming more popular due to its limited downtime and complications. I’m happy that Katherine is so pleased with her results – the clock has gone back – and I think she looks fresh but still natural, which was her main ambition. She told me that she looks like her daughter now! The cost of this kind of surgery can vary, but patients can expect to pay approximately £10,000.