A facelift is a surgical procedure performed to reduce signs of ageing and enhance natural facial contours. Dr Julian De Silva is a highly experienced facial cosmetic and plastic surgeon in London. His approach to surgery delivers a natural, artistic result by focusing on the individual characteristics of each patient.
– Spoiler Alert… most patients are not ready!
The Good News is that to help guide you, Dr De Silva has developed a ‘The Face Lift Checklist Assessment’.
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A facelift, also called a rhytidectomy, is a surgical procedure that enhances the cosmetic appearance of the face. When performed by an experienced plastic surgeon, it can completely revitalize your appearance and provide results that last for years.
Specifically, a rhytidectomy can:
While facelifts were first performed over 100 years ago, the techniques, technology, safety and overall outcomes have improved exponentially – it’s no wonder this is one of the most common cosmetic surgeries in London and the UK.
As you age into your 30s and 40s, the natural elasticity of our skin diminishes. This results in fine lines and wrinkles, sagging skin, and a tired, aged appearance. A rhytidectomy offers many benefits, including
Oftentimes, patients reference fearing a facelift because of the common misconceptions that surround this procedure. They cite superstar facelifts that look over-stretched and pulled. Dr De Silva’s response to these fears is simple: a patient must choose an experienced plastic surgeon.
Common misconceptions:
With more than 10 years of surgical experience, Dr De Silva continues to teach nationally and internationally on facelift surgery.
Dr De Silva is a widely credited and celebrated facial plastic surgeon who specialises in the eyes, nose, face and neck areas only, and is known for natural results.
“My focus has and always will be to be the very best at what I do, to continually innovate to provide World Class leadership to all my team, all my patients and all my associates. My mission is to help every patient be the very best version of themself with World-Class services, life-long follow up with complimentary facial aesthetic procedures.”
In a world of increasing complexity and misinformation, his passion has been focused on providing sincere advice, low risk and fast recovery procedures.
Dr De Silva’s number one philosophy is that patients achieve a natural and refreshed look – like themselves, but better. He listens to every patient, every one of us is unique and each treatment needs to be customised to each person. He asks all patients to bring an old photo of how they used to look in their 30s, as this can be used as a template for their surgery. Most patients want to turn back the clock and look better, rejuvenated and fresher.
Most of Dr De Silva’s patients like the way they used to look, and have found they are looking more tired, with loose skin, sagging in the neck, deeper facial lines. The reality is we do live in a world where your appearance is important for self-confidence and well-being, relationships, many professions. Although having facial surgery cannot change your life, it can give you a new lease of life and confidence.
Dr De Silva customizes each treatment for each and every patient. He modifies his own signature deep plane facelift based on over a decade of experience in facial surgery, including his research of facial beautification with the golden ratio. Currently, 20-30% of his patients are for revision surgeries, who had their first surgery performed by other surgeons.
Dr De Silva sometimes advises patients to complete additional treatments at the same time to enhance their facial appearance, improving their facial balance or harmony, “facial enhancement”. He has pioneered research on the golden ratio, found in many of the famous works of architecture and renaissance paintings, and application to scientific evaluation of the most beautiful faces in the world.
For example, many patients can benefit from volume enhancement (own natural fat transfer), reducing facial lines and pore size with skin resurfacing (state-of-the-art 2022 laser) and other “tweak enhancements”.
Downtime and recovery is so important to our patients. Dr De Silva has continually upgraded his services year-on-year to provide patients with the latest technology and science to promote faster recovery. The use of oxygen therapy has proven to enhance recovery after facial surgery (and avoid complications including necrosis). The use of regenerative medicine to enhance skin quality and recovery. Investment in the latest technology, 24-hour continuous cold therapy to enhance recovery after facial surgery. Investment in technology to minimise bruising and treat bruising if it should occur.
Dr De Silva’s goal is to provide patients with a natural rejuvenation, an refreshed and rejuvenated you. He is transparent with his patients in that perfection cannot be achieved, improvement and enhancement is a realistic outcome. His aim is to provide patients with ongoing lifelong facial treatments whether surgical or non-surgical. A small proportion of patients require a second minor surgery, this has a faster recovery and is a complementary part of our commitment to you. We appreciate having a facial surgical procedure is a significant decision and we will provide you ongoing maintenance and support for the years after facelift surgery.
There are a number of different types of facelifts available. As part of your consultation, Dr De Silva will thoroughly assess your skin and facial characteristics, and discuss your cosmetic goals with you, as well as the reasons for wanting to see an improvement in your looks.
Based on this, he will recommend the best facelift option for your unique needs. Here are some of the common types of facelifts available.
Lift naturally upwards reversing gravity
While the most ‘advanced’ option, the deep plane facelift offers the most natural augmentation. The natural facial layers are elevated to their original position to address facial volume and sagging skin. An intricate procedure requiring excellent knowledge of the intricate facial anatomy, it is performed by less than 5% of general plastic surgeons.
Dr De Silva has developed a signature deep facelift surgery based on his research with facial enhancement and beautification with the Golden Ratio, augmented femininity or masculinity to give a sharper and more attractive appearance.
A SMAS facelift addresses the superficial musculoaponeurotic system (SMAS) – the thin layer of fibres that covers the face and the neck. This procedure lifts towards the ears and adjusts sagging cheeks and jowls by excising both skin and facial tissue to produce a naturally ‘lifted’ look. In some cases, fat deposits can be removed for further definition.
This procedure involves only lifting the skin, rather than the skin and tissue underneath. A more traditional technique is used when only some skin needs to be excised without disturbing any underlying muscles. A skin-only rhytidectomy is generally performed on younger patients who have not had any advanced ageing set in.
The S-Lift is named after the ‘S’ shape of its incision. Both the S-Lift and MACS (Minimal Access Cranial Suspension) lift are known for their shorter incisions. They are also quicker to perform, with less downtime. These procedures focus on the middle and lower third of the face to erase jowls, wrinkles, and other sagging skin.
The mini facelift is similar to the s-lift in that smaller incisions are used. In this case, only the SMAS muscle is altered, for a lift that provides a refreshed look but less dramatic results than more traditional or invasive surgery. This procedure is suitable for those with early facial ageing.
Patient safety is of crucial importance in facial plastic surgery. It is of the utmost priority that patients feel calm and comfortable before, during and after any surgery. Dr De Silva has championed the need for patient safety on Sky News and in medical conferences around the world.
He uses surgical techniques that greatly reduce the risk of any severe side effects after surgery. For most patients, a specialised form of sedation anaesthesia, also known as “twilight anaesthesia,” is used, which allows a patient to sleep through a procedure while having a far shorter recovery time.
Swelling and bruising are a normal part of healing, although approximately 80% resolve over six weeks, the final result is as long as 12-18months.
Some potential risks include:
The possible risks will be discussed with you prior to your consent. It is also important to raise any questions you may have about the procedure.
Dr De Silva completed his surgical training in University Hospitals around London, which are amongst the best institutions in the UK, including Moorfield’s Eye Hospital. He remains the only cosmetic surgeon to have had trained in the cosmetic meccas of Los Angeles and New York, and it was there that he acquired skills in scar-less surgery and micro-incision techniques that he brought back to London. He was the only surgeon in his specialty to have been awarded funding for training in the US.
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Patient safety is of crucial importance in facial plastic surgery. It is of the utmost priority that patients feel calm and comfortable before, during and after any surgery. Dr De Silva has championed the need for patient safety on Sky News and in medical conferences around the world.
He uses surgical techniques that greatly reduce the risk of any severe side effects after surgery. In some cases, a specialised form of sedation anaesthesia, also known as “twilight anaesthesia,” is used, which allows a patient to sleep through a procedure while having a far shorter recovery time.
On the day of your surgery, you will be welcomed into The Centre for Advanced Facial Cosmetic and Plastic Surgery’s state-of-the-art facility and prepared for your procedure. Dr De Silva will see you before surgery and put specific markings that are unique to you.
For the surgery itself, you will be asleep with gentle yet powerful sedation anaesthesia. Dr De Silva is meticulous and will ensure that he takes the time and care to complete your surgery to allow for invisible scars and minimal downtime.
Prior to your surgery, you may need to:
You will be advised on which exact actions you must take before your surgery to aid in both the surgery itself and your recovery afterwards.
It is important to rest and allow your body the time it needs to recover without putting it under extra pressure. You may be provided with a wrap for your face and head that helps with swelling and gently icing the area for ten minutes at a time encourages swelling to dissipate.
Sleeping in a reclined or sitting up position is recommended for five to seven days after surgery. It is also recommended not to do any heavy lifting or strenuous activities for at least two to three weeks after surgery.
Depending on the facelift type and if any other treatments are being undertaken, surgery can take anywhere from two to four hours or more.
Using his experience as a facial plastic surgeon, the current state of your face and skin, and information gained from discussion during your consultation, Dr De Silva will recommend the optimal surgery to undergo in order to achieve your desired outcome.
One of the most important parts of surgery is choosing your surgeon, especially for surgery on the delicate and complex face. There are a few things to ensure when it comes to making your choice:
Patients come from all over London, the UK, and the world to be treated by Dr De Silva and his team, who treat each patient like family.
As part of your procedure, we may recommend other treatments, such as a neck lift, blepharoplasty (eyelid lift) or fat transfer to supplement and enhance the end result.
These will be conducted during your surgery to combine recovery time.
Where possible, Dr De Silva hides incisions within the natural creases in the face. 99% of scars are virtually invisible, achieved by using meticulous technique and 3 levels of stitches.
Before surgery is commenced, you are put to sleep, before having a local anaesthetic applied.
Aside from mild discomfort, many patients report having very little pain after surgery, and often only require basic pain relief, if any.
A good candidate for a facelift has facial ageing with symptoms of sagging of the skin and soft tissues of the face, deepening of the nasolabial folds (a line between nose and mouth) and loose skin below the neck with loss of the angle between the chin and neck. The patient should be in good health, and a non-smoker with have realistic goals of rejuvenating their face.
There is no fixed age limit to undergo cosmetic surgery; the person must have good health and be a non-smoker as safety always comes first
The decision to undergo surgery can be a big choice for people. That’s why Dr De Silva ensures his patients have all the information they need to make an informed choice.
If you wish to inquire about how you can look and feel your best again, or have any questions about facelift surgery, contact us at book your consultation.
All these patients underwent facelift surgery with Dr De Silva. We encourage patients to watch one or two videos of patient experiences to have a good understanding of healing and the recovery period. Dr. De Silva and his team will provide support and reassurance during your recovery, we believe that being a well-informed patient is helpful to most patients undergoing facelift surgery.
The length of recovery will depend on which surgery or treatment has been completed. However, you can expect to have a period of rest and recovery of approximately one to two weeks, and return to social and professional activities after one to three weeks.
You may experience bruising, which resolves over one to two weeks, and swelling, of which 80% will diminish within two weeks and continue to disappear. While you will have very little pain, you may experience numbness around the ears and chin, which can take six to 12 months to disappear completely.
Every surgery is unique, and this influences the way it is priced. Dr De Silva discusses treatment options available, as well as any risks associated with them to give a full overview and allow patients to make an informed decision regarding surgery or alternative treatment.
Surgery fees can consist of the consultation fee, anaesthetists fee, surgeons fee, the surgery complexity, cost of equipment, other chosen treatments included during the surgery, and follow-up appointments. This is subject to change but is all-inclusive, so there will not be any further costs at a later stage. All fees are discussed and agreed upon with you prior to commencement.
Several payment options are available, including cash and all major credit cards, and Dr De Silva’s knowledgeable staff is always ready to guide you through the financing process.
Dr De Silva has published over 30 journal and book chapters in peer reviewed journals and several randomized control research studies, regarded as the gold standard in medical research.
A contemporary book on Facial Plastic Surgery
Dr De Silva teaching facelift surgery in Las Vegas, USA, Surgical techniques SMAS lifting versus Deep Plane Lifting
Renowned expert in Facial Cosmetic and Plastic Surgery. Signature techniques in Blepharoplasty, Rhinoplasty and Facelift surgery. Expert in revision surgery and in natural looking results
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