REAL-LIFE STORY
FABULOUS FACELIFTS
Discover how cosmetic surgery can rejuvenate the face and restore a youthful look
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uring the process of ageing, our skin loses its elasticity and volume which results in a sagging and wrinkled appearance. Fillers and botulinum toxin injectables, as well as treatments like energy-based devices and microneedling can help, but unfortunately, non-surgical treatments may only go so far, and are not a permanent solution. Instead, facelift surgery remains one of the most popular types of cosmetic surgeries to be performed. After years of getting injectable treatments like fillers and toxin, 48-year-old Alison Telfer decided to undergo a deep plane facelift, platysmaplasty and lateral brow lift earlier this year to combat ageing, whilst improving the appearance of her skin quality. The road to surgery begins Working as an aesthetic nurse, Alison knew the ins and outs of the non-surgical treatments available to restore a youthful appearance, but she wanted to seek a more permanent solution to her ageing face. She notes, “Many non-surgical treatments – from injectables to threads – can give great results, but they have their limitations, and I knew I had got to the point where non-surgical procedures could not help me anymore because I had lax and saggy skin. I also wanted to look the most natural I could so didn’t want to overfill my face with fillers.” When choosing her surgeon, Alison felt that the surgeon’s speciality was important. “I wanted someone who only did faces. I didn’t want to have a surgeon who was performing on breasts in the morning, doing a tummy tuck next and then a facelift in the afternoon. By the surgeon only doing faces, this meant they were trained and educated in performing this type of surgery and therefore specialised in it,” she adds. After meeting numerous surgeons, Alison decided on facial plastic surgeon Mr Dominic Bray at his clinic in Harley Street, London. In her experience, Alison emphasises the importance of taking your time to find the right surgeon for you. She explains, “There were surgeons in which I paid my deposit for the procedure and then withdrew it. There was something which stopped me every time; I think that was down to the consultation as well as the surgeon’s lack of understanding of what I wanted. However, I didn’t feel this in my consultation with Mr Bray. He was honest about what could be achieved, and it was a more positive consultation than I had experienced with previous surgeons. For other surgeons, the before and after images of other patients made me think, ‘if this was my face, I wouldn’t be happy with that result’ as they didn’t look natural.” A unique consultation Before the consultation, Mr Bray asked Alison to send across various photographs of her face, both front on, in profile and at a three-quarter angle. “I enjoyed the consultation process
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with Mr Bray as from looking at my images he was able to tell me what I would benefit from and ensure we were both on the same page, rather than a face-to-face meeting immediately,” Alison explains. Afterwards, Mr Bray’s clinical team emailed her with an estimation for the price of the procedure and whether she was in a financial position for the surgery. Once Alison agreed and was happy to proceed, an in-person consultation was organised. During the meeting, Mr Bray began to pull back the facial skin, neck and jawline to show an indication of what the end results might look like for Alison, as well as showing past patients’ before and after images. “Seeing images of other patients similar to me allowed me to get a feel for the potential results. I had absolute faith in Mr Bray, and it wasn’t a scary decision for me at all. I had my husband with me during the consultation because I think it’s important to have someone with you who is going to support your journey. When Mr Bray examined my face, he asked me what my concerns were and the areas I wished to improve upon. To be honest, I didn’t know the answer to this. I just replied that I wanted to look better! I said that I look in the mirror and see someone getting older, and don’t notice myself anymore!” Alison reflects. Whilst at the clinic, Alison also got a tour of the miniature hospital situated at the clinic where the procedure was set to take place. A supportive procedure After the consultation, Mr Bray’s assistant ran through the costs and the whole process from start to finish. An initial deposit was placed to secure a slot followed by a 14-day cooling off period so that Alison could evaluate her decision and have time to really consider the surgery. She notes, “I didn’t have any concerns surrounding the surgery. I felt incredibly comfortable in the lead up to it; I was supported so much.” One week prior to surgery, preparations begun. Alison was Before
After
Alison's side-profile before and three months after her deep plane facelift surgery. Images courtesy of Mr Dominic Bray.
