There comes a point in a woman’s life (or a man) when she looks in the mirror and the wrinkles and sagging skin are staring back at her. What happened to my youthful face? Despite all the facial treatments she’s done, which have helped to a certain degree, they were all temporary. Especially the neck and jaw line. The skin on the neck is very thin and loses its collagen elasticity the earliest on the face. Having good genes does help but unless you avoid being in the sun the inevitable is going to happen. Crow’s feet appear around the eyes. The upper eyelids begin to droop. Or weekend-size bags hover under your eyes. A double chin shows up out of nowhere. Who is this person in the mirror?
It’s time to take serious action to restore your face to a younger version of you. The ultimate remedy is a surgical facelift. The thought sounds scary especially since we’ve all seen photos of celebrities who have undergone a drastic and sometimes botched job. Looking worse than they did before the knife. Cosmetic surgery can be risky.
However, finding a reputable surgeon can take ten years or more off your face and restore your former glory or in some cases make you look even better than you did ten years ago.
I’ve known Dr. Suryahadi for a few years and have met a few of his former patients. All of them praised Dr. Surya’s expert craftsmanship. He’s Balinese and studied in Germany and Holland for eight years and has over twenty years of experience. Plus he’s very charming and friendly, instilling trust.
I was ready to take the plunge and go for it. First I made an appointment for a consultation with a list of questions. He sat me in front of a large mirror, standing behind me and gently pulled my skin up along my jaw line. Immediate transformation. Yes, that’s what I wanted to look like. He explained that my upper face was still in good condition so I didn’t need any surgery there, just the neck and jawline were the obvious places that needed rescuing.
What age is best to do a facelift?
He explained that a person in their forties will reap the greatest results which will last up to twenty years. In your fifties or sixties the result will still be significant, taking ten years off your face which will last at least ten years.
What do I need to do to prepare for surgery?
Stop drinking alcohol and smoking at least three days prior to surgery and stop taking all vitamins and supplements. Anything that will thin the blood should be avoided to prevent bleeding.
Will I be sleeping during the procedure?
Dr. Surya uses a local anesthetic and a sedative plus a pain killer. “You’re in a twilight state” he explains. “Not really sleeping but dreamy.” Using a local anesthetic doesn’t require an anesthesiologist and the drug has far less negative effects on your body.
Can you feel anything during the surgery?
Just the injection for the anesthetic then nothing.
How long will the surgery take?
It takes two to six hours, depending on the extent of the work being performed. For a neck lift it takes about two hours. A full facelift three hours or more. For a person who had Aptos threads inserted under the skin previously, it makes things more difficult. The doctor needs to remove the threads, which can cause difficulties and perhaps requiring him to cut into the muscles, which causes more bleeding and possible numbing of the tissue for a few weeks.
How will I look immediately after the surgery?
Your face will be tightly bandaged. Wrap a scarf around your head to hide the bandages then you can go home or back to your hotel to become a recluse. For the next four days you return to the clinic to have the bandages changed and clean the wounds. You can expect some bruising and swelling, especially around the eyes if work has been done in this area.
What should I do during the week following surgery?
Rest. Avoid exercise for two weeks or more to prevent bleeding. Stay home, read books, watch movies and sleep. You’ll have painkillers, antibiotics and sleeping tablets to keep you comfortable. You’ll need to sleep face up for the first days until the bandage comes off. On the fourth day following surgery you can remove the bandage and wash your hair before going to the clinic. The doctor will clean the wounds and remove stitches from in front of the ears and under the chin, applying small strip bandages over the scars. You have to keep the rest of the stitches clean and dry. The remaining stitches will remain for at least another week or two depending on the healing process. There’s many stitches inside which will dissolve on their own. The nurses are on call 24 hours a day in case you have an emergency or bleeding.
What happens on the day of surgery?
After a shower and hair washing I had breakfast and came to the clinic in the morning wearing casual clothes and no make-up and brought a scarf. Two of my friends came to show support as I was quite nervous and a little scared. After arrival I had to fill out a consent form and make payment. Then I was given a sedative tablet and one for pain.
The doctor swept into the room with a smile and happy greeting. The nurses escorted me to a locker room to change into a gown and robe and locked my belongings in a locker. After entering the operating room I was settled onto a bed under lights. One of the nurses gently inserted a needle into a vein on top of my hand and attached a small hose for the sedative. Then she tied my hair up on top of my head.
Dr. Surya entered with a mask over his face and asked if I was ready. The next two hours I remember little and felt a little dozy when I sat up and carefully went to the locker room to change.
One of the nurses helped wrap a scarf around my head then handed me 3 small bags of medication and instructions on usage. Then I went home to become a recluse. The next four days I stayed home only going to the clinic to have the bandage changed and back home again.
Now two months later the swelling and bruising is gone as well as my double chin. The few friends who “knew”, told me I looked great and younger. It was worth it.
Sara Aesthetics Jl. Nakula #9. Seminyak
info@saraklinik.com, saraklinik@yahoo.com
www.saraklinik.com
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Copyright spa inspirations 2018. For clinics and spas offering new treatments contact me for an upcoming story. Spa.inspirations@gmail.com
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