Zoe (69)
FACE NECK LIFT, PLATYSMAPLASTY, LIPOSCULPTURE, & UPPER & LOWER BLEPHAROPLASTY
Zoe is such a lovely lady. She consulted me about regaining some confidence in her face after a few tough years. She has various medical problems that may have precluded elective cosmetic surgery under general anaesthetic so she came to see me about local anaesthetic facial plastic surgery.
We could have just performed a limited facelift with a limited result but Zoe was on a mission. We undertook a face and neck lift, neck and jawline liposuction, platysmaplasty, subplatysmal lipectomy, upper and transconjunctival lower blepharoplasties. Here is the story of her progress
One Day
After Surgery
Despite a relatively large number of procedures yesterday, Zoe is looking great. Lots of early bruising in the neck as expected but already we can see her new neck line on profile view.
Zoe also had an upper eyelid blepharoplasty and transconjunctival lower lid blepharoplasty. The latter approach is technically more difficult but gives a far superior result. No visible lower eyelid incision and no subsequent rounding of the eyes as the scar contracts. Zoe’s eyes are red and gritty, but not sore. I suspect she will be well on her way to healing in a weeks time.
Filter Frontal View 3/4 View Profile View
Filter Frontal View 3/4 View Profile View
One Week
After Surgery
A week on and Zoe, despite obvious swelling, is coming along nicely. Another week and I suspect her bruising will be completely gone.
Her face shape is rejuvenated, jowls gone, neck angle recovered and eyes beautifully framed. I told her there would likely be 3 weeks of visible recovery with all of her procedures but it looks like it may be only a fortnight. Historically Zoe’s combined procedure would have meant 4-6 weeks of hibernation!
Two Weeks
After Surgery
It’s not often I get the opportunity to show my patients having undergone extensive facial work at this stage as I don’t routinely review at the second week post operatively as most of my patients travel some distance to see me. I am in regular contact by phone and can always assess photos for any concerns.
Zoe sent me these photos taken at home to show me how she is getting on. I have attached them to her initial shots for comparison. They are really quite extraordinary when we remember Zoe underwent face and neck lift, neck and jawline liposuction, platysmaplasty, subplatysmal lipectomy and upper and lower transconjunctival blepharoplasties only 2 weeks ago. This is super fast recovery and I couldn’t guarantee this in every case, she is a week ahead of herself! The last of the bruising on the right cheek should settle in the next week or so and if there is any scarred tethering I have a therapeutic ultrasound machine in clinic to help it along. With foundation, mascara and eye shadow beautiful Zoe could turn heads already and no one would know her secret!
Filter Frontal View 3/4 View Profile View
Filter Frontal View 3/4 View Profile View
Four Weeks
After Surgery
Zoe looks lovely and refreshed just four weeks out. Her eyes look less tired with upper and lower lid blepharoplasties, her jowls have been resisted to the mid face to compliment her natural strong cheekbones and her neck could pass for a teenagers.
Zoe tells me that she had a family gathering this week and even those closest to her who she hasn’t told kept telling her that she looked really well but couldn’t work out why. This to me is the perfect outcome, a natural but radical transformation that even family can’t detect. It is easy to see the difference with before and afters next to each other but much harder with make up on when seeing someone who hasn’t seen you in a while. Zoe still has a little bruising which is easily covered and the indentation on her left cheek will flatten out shortly as she continues to heal.
Three Months
After Surgery
Zoe came back to see me today without make up on as she wanted me to see some discolouration around her cheek.
This is a good opportunity to talk about the phenomenon that is common; facelifting discolouration, which can happen for two reasons. Firstly healing tissue and underlying scar formation can caused thread veins to appear, these really resolve over time, secondly where any bruising has been blood pigment is left and takes a while (months) for the body to breakdown. Both processes can be effectively treated with a pulsed dye laser. Zoe is looking great for this stage. Eyes open, Jaw and neck lines defined. Facial relaxation has now occurred so this should be Zoe’s longer term result.
Filter Frontal View 3/4 View Profile View
Six Months
After Surgery
Here is Zoe at 6 months. She looks fantastic. A new haircut really suits her fresher face.
Zoe diligently removes all of her make up before coming to see me “so you can see me at my worst!”…I must be the only person in London that people actively try to look their worst! So here are her pics make up on before and off after. The pulsed dye laser has improved her thread veins and I have repeated this today for her. Her lift is holding really well and her scars are now barely visible. Here is a close up picture of them.
