New Year – New You

Cosmetic surgery is no longer the preserve of the female gender as more and more men are taking the opportunity of going ‘under the knife’ to achieve a younger and more healthy appearance.

That doesn’t mean women are being left behind though as cosmetic surgery seems to be growing in popularity amongst both sexes.

So as the New Year dawns many men and women of a variety of ages start to consider a new look.

At Spire Harpenden Hospital, Consultant Plastic Surgeon, Mr Shadi Ghali has predicted what the most popular treatments will be in 2018.

For Men

Breast reduction (Gynaecomastia)

Sometimes, excess fat on the chest is best treated by losing weight but, if you are suitable for the gynaecomastia operation, an incision will be made under the arm or around the nipple to allow excess skin and tissue to be removed. Sometimes liposuction is performed to remove excess fat for this condition.

Nose reshaping (Rhinoplasty)

Many people have been blessed with their ‘family’s nose’ but really do not like its shape. Or they have had an accident that has changed the shape and ease of breathing through their nose. A rhinoplasty can significantly change these aspects of shape and function and deliver a reinvigorated confidence in how you are presented to the world.

Eyelid tucks (Blepharoplasty)

The eyes tend not to lie when it comes to showing your age! However, eyelid surgery can give you a fresher, more youthful look. The procedure involves making a small incision in the natural folds of the eyelid, removing excess skin and tissue, and then applying very fine stitching to close the incision again.

Prominent Ears (Otoplasty))

A number of adults wish that they had had their ‘sticky out’ ears sorted when they were children. Sometimes hair loss, which makes the ears harder to hide, prompts patients to decide to have surgery. This operation can be done under local anaesthetic as a day case and a head bandage is only necessary for the first few days after the operation.

Liposuction

Many people think of liposuction as a women but it is actually becoming very popular with men who want to ‘get rid of a few pounds’.  It involves sucking out small areas of fat that are hard to lose through exercise and a healthy diet. It's carried out on areas of the body where deposits of fat tend to collect, such as the buttocks, hips, thighs and tummy. The aim is to alter body shape, and the results are generally long-lasting, providing you maintain a healthy weight.

For Women

Breast augmentation

Big is a thing of the past when it comes to breast augmentation as women are now looking for that natural look. Although ‘boob jobs’ are still the most popular cosmetic procedure, what women are now looking for has changed dramatically.

No longer is it a case of bigger is best! Nowadays the trend is for more subtle augmentations to achieve a natural-looking breast. What women are looking for now is the ‘has she/hasn’t she’ affect.

Breast reduction (Mammoplasty)

For many women suffering the effects of overly-large breasts, a breast reduction can offer relief, a new shape and reinvigorated confidence. It can also help relieve problems such as back and neck pain as well as helping correct bad posture.

Face and neck lift (Platysmaplasty)

As we get older the neck can betray our age long before our face does. Neck lift surgery, as with facelifts, focuses on reducing the loose look of sagging skin around the neck and under the jaw line.

Tummy tuck (Abdominoplasty)

Life events such as pregnancy, losing a lot of weight, or simply the march of time, can all leave their mark on your stomach. A tummy tuck is designed to give you back a youthful, flat stomach by tightening the abdominal muscles.

Bingo wings removal (brachioplasty)

As we get older the skin under our arms does get saggy and tends to hang down more than in our youth. Not too much of a problem for men who can cover up with shirts but a real bugbear for women who want to continue to wear strappy tops, dresses and gowns.  We remove some of the skin before tightening up the remainder making it more taut and shapely. Sometimes, this procedure is combined with liposuction of the arms to achieve a better look!