Aging will happen to everyone and it’s very natural for us to experience changes in our appearances, whether that be more eye wrinkles or slight imperfections such as age spots. Embracing this natural ageing process can help us feel confident in our looks, which will enhance our beauty. However, some people feel as though they need to take extra strides to feel better about themselves. That’s when cosmetic procedures come into play.
Cosmetic procedures have grown in popularity over the past decade, with over 25,000 surgical cosmetic procedures taking place in 2023 in the UK alone. In the past, there were very few cosmetic options out there to alter your appearance, but there are now so many to choose from, meaning that you can change almost every aspect of your appearance if you want to.
There are several factors that you must consider before going through with cosmetic procedures, such as the cost, downtime and how long you will need to spend in the dermatology office. You also need to make sure that you are committed to the cosmetic procedure and how it will change you, as it's very difficult to revert once it's complete.
In this guide, we will explore the most effective cosmetic procedures to enhance your beauty and how you can choose the best option for you.
Facelift surgery
Facelifts, also known as rhytidectomy, are becoming an increasingly popular cosmetic procedure. As we age, our skin, muscles and connective tissue begin to weaken in our face, which causes our appearance to change. The skin loses elasticity, which creates a sagging effect and gives us more wrinkles. While there are face tightening products available, a facelift can help us permanently retain a youthful appearance and increase attractiveness.
Several different facelift techniques can be used, all of which offer different benefits and results. These techniques include:
Vertical facelift
This is a minimally invasive technique that is used to speed up healing time and create a more natural appearance. The incisions are usually made around the temples and can extend to the ears or hairline in some cases. Overall, it will depend on how much correction is required. The vertical technique focuses on lifting and repositioning underlying muscles and tissue upward to counteract the effect of gravity.
Adjustable facelift
This invasive technique involves tying up the suture connection with the suspenders to regain a more youthful face. The adjustable facelift allows for a simple adjustment in the future so that you can avoid recurrent skin laxity. When the subsequent procedure is required, the patient will be put under local anaesthesia.
Stem cell-enhanced facelift
This facelift technique involves using regenerative stem cells to enhance facial volume and make you feel more rejuvenated. This option does not require any surgery and provides a 3-D facelift without leaving behind any cuts or scars. The entire face can be done at the same time, including the forehead, eyes, nose, cheeks, lips and chin.
One-stitch facelift
The ideal option for those who do not feel as though they need or want a full facelift is the one-stitch or mini facelift, which involves just one incision to create a subtle yet very noticeable change to their facial appearance. Although it is a fairly new procedure, it has already become very popular as it resolves slight sagging on the cheeks, neck and jaw. The key selling point of this procedure is that people won’t notice that you’ve had anything done but will notice how great you look.
Rhinoplasty
Often referred to as a ‘Nose Job’, rhinoplasty is a surgical cosmetic procedure that drastically alters the shape or function of the nose. Adjustments are made on a case-by-case basis, as everyone will have different aspects that they want to change about their nose. You need to make sure that you are in good health before the surgery to reduce the risk of any complications, and you need to make sure that you have realistic expectations regarding the result of the cosmetic procedure.
It usually takes 6–12 months to see the final results of the nose job, as it takes a while for it to heal. Even though the recovery time is long, there are several significant benefits to rhinoplasty, like improved nose symmetry, a more desirable profile, better breathing and corrected nose positioning. You will be under local anaesthesia for the cosmetic procedure to ensure comfort.
Lip augmentation
As we age, our lips will become thinner and lose definition, which is why patients may want a lip augmentation. This includes a number of different lip procedures, such as lip fillers, fat grafting, tissue grafting, lip implants and lip lifts. Lip fillers and implants are the two most popular of these cosmetic procedures and they are quite similar. The main difference is that lip fillers are temporary and lip implants are permanent.
The lip filler result is achieved by injecting filler, usually synthetic hyaluronic acid, into the lip until the desired size and shape have been reached. While lip augmentation is not permanent, as results only last from around 6 to 12 months, it is a relatively quick procedure that requires very little healing time.
Patients may notice slight inflammation or redness of the lips after the cosmetic procedure, and you must avoid too much sun exposure or applying pressure to the area for the first few weeks after the procedure.
Blepharoplasty
Blepharoplasty targets the eyelids to help you look rejuvenated and more youthful. Patients will usually opt for this procedure if they have bags, wrinkles or sagging around the eye area. The procedure can help your eyes stand out more and is long-lasting. Surgeons will remove excess skin, muscle and fat in the lower eyelid, which can be done to improve the symmetry of the eyes and improve sight in some cases.
Applying sticky, thin strips to support your eyelids is recommended post-surgery, which can be removed around one week after the cosmetic procedure. Yapa plastic surgery suggests avoiding eyelid makeup for two weeks after the surgery is complete.
Brow lift
A brow lift subtly enhances the face without disregarding the natural facial qualities of the patient. Lifting the area directly above the eye, a brow lift opens up the eye area to create a more youthful-looking face. It is usually done purely for aesthetic purposes, but drooping brows can affect vision in some cases and a brow lift is a good way to solve this.
There are two main types of brow lifts; open and endoscopic. An open brow lift involves incisions from one ear to the other, slightly back from the hairline. The skin is then stretched and stitched or clipped into place, with the excess skin being removed. Endoscopic brow lifts include more incisions as the surgeon operates on muscles and fatty tissue to lift the eyebrows.
Laser skin resurfacing
This cosmetic procedure is perfect for blotched, scarred, wrinkled or lined skin, as it will leave your face looking younger and healthier. It is one of the most popular procedures for fighting the appearance of wrinkles. Laser skin resurfacing will precisely remove layers of skin to the point where the imperfections are no longer visible or have been significantly reduced. This kind of cosmetic procedure can be done on its own or along with other procedures for a more drastic change.
A dermatologist might use the Fitzpatrick scale to match the pigmentation in your skin to the risk of sun damage. The scale ranges from 1 to 6, and if you are higher in the scale, you have less risk of skin damage and may not require laser skin resurfacing, as it could end up having a negative effect on your skin. However, if you are lower on the scale, you could be the perfect candidate for the procedure.
Facial implants
Similarly to lip augmentation, facial implants involve injecting filler into the skin until the desired facial shape is achieved. It is used to bring balance to the appearance of your skin and is most commonly used on the chin, jaw and cheeks. Implants are typically made from human tissue or synthetic materials such as silicone and polythene. While the safety of using silicone has been doubted, there is no scientific evidence that proves silicone to be harmful.
This cosmetic procedure should only be performed by a medical professional who has been specifically trained to perform facial implant surgeries and has had several years of experience in the field. Local anaesthetic or general anaesthetic can both be used for the procedure and your surgeon should advise you on which is the better option for you.
Microneedling
A microneedling cosmetic procedure uses thin needles to prick the skin, encouraging it to go into healing mode and generate new tissue. This can lead to smoother and more radiant skin. Dermapening and dermarolling are the two microneedling techniques most commonly used. Both of these are similar, except the derma pen uses a specialist electrical device, whereas derma rolling is a hand-rolled device. Overall, a derma roller is better for covering larger areas of skin.
Microneedling can be used to treat several skin blemishes, such as enlarged pores, wrinkles, loose skin, skin discolouration and stretch marks. It can also help with medical conditions like alopecia and hyperhidrosis.
