Dr George Mayson is a leading Cosmetic surgeon in Australia.Dr Mayson is affiliated with the following professional bodies. Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery (Surgical Fellow and Past Censor-in-Chief/Interim Vice President), American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, American Society of Cosmetic Breast Surgery, American Board of Laser Surgery. Any surgeon can create bigger breasts simply by inserting implants of any size or shape. However, Dr Mayson's driving philosophy is to create not just bigger breasts but attractive, aesthetic and sensual breasts - breasts that make you feel feminine, attractive and self-confident while still in harmony and in proportion with the rest of your body. To create a beautiful breast requires expertise, an artistic eye and most importantly attention to fine detail - both in your planning stages and during your actual surgery. And, unless contra-indicated, Dr Mayson prefers implants to be placed 'under the muscle' to produce a more natural appearance rather than a round "stuck on" look that can result with implants 'in front of the muscle'.

As we age our skin progressively loses its elasticity and starts to sag causing looseness and wrinkles. The deeper layers of the face, namely the fat and muscle layers, also develop laxity and contribute to this downward migration.

This sagging of the skin and deeper tissues produces the following commonly seen signs of facial ageing:

• in the brow area it creates a "heavy" or "hooded" appearance over the eyes;
  
  
• in the midface the cheek fat pad descends leading to loss of the youthful cheek prominence;
  
  
• in the lower face and along the jawline increasing laxity appears;
  
  
• around the neck the skin becomes increasingly loose and redundant, sometimes with vertical folds.

Please note that surgery is the ONLY way to lift sagging skin. Frequently advertised treatments for non-surgical face-lifts simply do NOT produce any long-term correction.

THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF A GOOD FACELIFT TECHNIQUE

Facelift techniques have improved considerably over the last 15-20 years. No longer is the skin pulled backwards tightly - the cause of the overstretched or "wind tunnel" look. Nowadays the principles of face-lifting essentially aim to:

• minimise the extent of the incisions and conceal them as much as possible in order to reduce the visibility of the final scars; and
  
  
• tighten the loose sheet of muscle under the skin known as the SMAS to produce the required "lift"; then
  
  
• remove the excess skin; and finally
  
  
• suture the skin edges together without tension. Suturing the skin without tension is the secret to avoiding that telltale "wind-tunnel" look.

THE VARIOUS TYPES OF FACELIFT

Which type of face-lifting procedure will best meet your requirements basically depends on the extent to which your face has aged in each area.

Standard Face & Neck Lift - necessary when there is excessive sagging and skin laxity of the face and neck to a point below the level of your larynx (voice box).

S-Lifts and Mini-Lifts - are less extensive versions of facelift and can be used when there are less advanced signs of facial ageing where the skin looseness does not extend below the level of the larynx.

Neck Lift (only) - indicated for those whose laxity is confined to the neck.

'HOT' NEWS: Please note that if your facial ageing is only early or mild you may be suitable for the revolutionary ContourLift™ - the minimally invasive face-lift without ANY visible scars!

Click HERE for more information on the ContourLift™.

Associated Procedures: Sometimes an additional procedure at the same time as the facelift is necessary to produce the best possible result. These include:

• Brow Lift - if there is significant brow droop where the eyebrows are at or below the upper rim of the eye socket.
  
  
• Liposuction of Jowls and/or Under Chin - to remove excess fatty deposits in these areas and produce a 'cleaner' jawline and neck profile.
  
  
• Additional Correction of Neck - In some individuals, the muscles on the front of the neck also have to be tightened. This is done through an additional inconspicuous 3-4 cm incision under the point of the chin.

Dr Mayson will advise you of all your options in detail at your initial consultation.

HOW IS IT DONE?

Traditional Face & Neck Lift Surgery takes around 4-5 hours and is performed in a Hospital or fully-accredited Day Surgery under Intravenous (Twilight) Sedation with Local Anaesthesia. One of our experienced Registered Nurses trained in facelift after-care will then transport you either to your own home or to overnight accommodation. Our Registered Nurse will monitor you and take care of you throughout the night, then bring you to our Clinic the next morning to have your dressings changed. If all is well, and you are from out of town, you can then travel back home.

HOW WILL I LOOK AFTER SURGERY?

Naturally, there will be some bruising and swelling of the face but this largely settles within 3 weeks. Realistically, you must allow 3 weeks before you can return to work and social activities. Some areas may feel a little numb or tight immediately after the surgery but these settle with time. Minor surface irregularities are sometimes seen but these too should settle over the ensuing months. Scars are initially pink but should fade to white in 6-12 months. In the meantime they can be camouflaged with make-up.