Haute Couture Facelifts
Jodi Thiessen spoke with Sydney plastic surgeon Dr. Darryl Hodgkinson about combining several techniques to rejuvenate the face.
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| BEFORE facial surgery by Dr Hodgkinson | AFTER facial surgery by Dr Hodgkinson | BEFORE facial surgery by Dr Hodgkinson | AFTER facial surgery by Dr Hodgkinson |
Cosmetic surgery techniques continue to advance. Allowing for more successful results, shorter surgical and recovery times and fewer complications.
Due to the numerous advances, combination surgery is more feasible and is in fact giving results that are more natural and harder to detect than ever before.
In the past the trauma of surgery may have limited the amount of procedures performed in one session but now getting more done at once is not only possible but helps patients get back to their daily life faster.
Sydney plastic surgeon Dr Darryl Hodgkinson combines several facial lifting procedures to achieve an individual result for every patient.
“Every facelift is different because all faces are different and every patient is trying to achieve something different. I customise the surgery to the style of person they are,” said Dr Hodgkinson.
During a consultation Dr Hodgkinson looks at the face as a whole, but breaks it into components – upper, middle and lower face.
But before he discusses the actual surgical techniques that can be used it is important to discover what the patient’s aims are. “Do they want to look more communicative, do they want to get rid of the tiredness or do they want to look more glamorous?,” Dr Hodgkinson finds out.
Realising the patient’s aim will determine what surgery is actually performed. “I show a book of results which shows all styles of women and all styles of results,” said Dr Hodgkinson. “The book doesn’t just show the best results but realistic ones.”
Facial surgery doesn’t always revolve around anti-ageing. “I ask people if they were happy when they were 35 years old. The problem with a lot of facelifts is too much change is made.
Some people want change some want rejuvenation,” explained Dr Hodgkinson. Finding out the goal of the patient is vital before surgery.
A surgeon needs a large armamentarium to be able to give each person what they desire. Facial surgery can be a combination of facelift, necklift, browlift, eyelid surgery, rhinoplasty, implants, lip enhancement, ear surgery and even jaw surgery. Gaining a natural result isn’t about simply stretching out the wrinkles. “I analyse every bit of the face before surgery. I press all pieces of tissue up to see how far they have to go to achieve the look the patient wants,” explained Dr Hodgkinson. “Then I can see where the deep incisions will go.”
The results are also dependant on the facial tissue of the patient. “Sometimes the tissue is of poor quality. There are now new methods to help give the tissue strength. A membrane like suture will help hold the tissue in place.”
Approaching the face as a whole and designing a style of surgery to suit the individual’s goals will help give the desired result. Surgery is more than just technical expertise – it’s about being able to understand each patient’s goals.
