Cosmetic surgery has traditionally been seen as a drastic and expensive option for combating the signs of ageing. However, cosmetic surgeon and founder of Norwich Cosmetic Clinic, Bijan Beigi, explains that there are viable alternatives to surgery…
What causes us to look older?
As we grow older we lose elasticity and volume in our skin, in particular in the face, which causes the skin to sag and thin, and draws the skin downwards. All this contributes to our ageing appearance.
Traditionally people have turned to cosmetic surgery if they want to combat these signs, but are there downsides to going ‘under the knife’?
It is important to know that any surgical procedure of any kind carries with it risk. Surgery can also be aggressive and has its pitfalls, not least of which is that it requires a significant recovery period while the scars heal and your body recovers.
But is there a realistic alternative?
Most certainly. Over the years advances in pioneering techniques have resulted in the development of ground-breaking innovative procedures using dermal injectables and Botox. For example, instead of a face lift, you could choose to have an 8 Point Face Lift which uses injectables to improve facial structure, nasolabial folds, mouth frown, jawlines and the jowl area, and Botox to target dynamic lines and wrinkles around the eyes.
What are the benefits of these treatments over the surgical option?
Firstly, the results instant, with no down-time required for recovery after the treatment. Most importantly, the results are more natural and less dramatic than a surgical procedure. Regular use of Botox and injectables over a number of years can result in a dramatically younger-looking face over a period of 5 years than if that same individual had undergone a surgical procedure to try and achieve the same result.
What about the costs?
This is another major benefit of choosing injectables and Botox over the surgical route – there is a large financial saving. A face lift can run to tens of thousands of pounds, whereas the 8 Point Face Lift is a few thousand and the treatment (and thus the cost) can be spread over a number of months and years.