Small changes set to make a big impact in 2019
02 January 2019
Cosmetic surgery experts are predicting that 2019 will be the year when more is less as people make changes to the way they look.
Small changes will be the big thing according to Mr Gerard Lambe a Consultant Plastic Surgeon at Spire Manchester Hospital in Didsbury.
"From breast enhancements to facelifts, the idea now is that the changes are so subtle people are actually left thinking ‘have they or haven’t they?’
"The ideal compliment now is when you return to work and your colleagues say - You look well – have you had your hair done in a new style?
"Others may think you’ve lost weight or been spending time at the gym. One of the reasons for this is that cosmetic surgery skills and techniques have been developing at an amazing rate but the main reason is that people are being much more subtle in the changes they make.
"For example, demand for cosmetic breast surgery has remained consistent over the past few decades but there have been major changes in the desired size and look achieved.
"No longer is it a case of bigger is best! Nowadays the trend is for more subtle augmentations to achieve a natural-looking breast. They want to keep people guessing about whether or not they have had surgery.
"It’s true that most women chose to move up a size or two but they looking much more for an augmentation that makes their breasts look natural and healthy.
"As the demand changes then so does the surgery involved. Surgeons have been focussing their efforts into achieving the natural look – something that really ‘fits’ with their body shape.
"It is a case of looking for ‘small wins’. Normal people want to look normal! They may want to make changes but they want them in line with the rest of their body. On the whole they are looking for tweaks rather than major reshaping.”
Here Mr Gerard Lambe looks at five procedures he thinks will increase in popularity throughout the coming year.
- Blepharoplasty or eye lift - the key to the face is through the eyes and if you are going to have anything done to your face, an eye lift is probably the biggest transformation for the least effort. It can be done under local anaesthetic as a day case, so you don't even stay overnight. There is some bruising initially, but after a couple of weeks, your face will open up and you will look brighter.
- Anti-wrinkle injections (like Botox) - this is everywhere these days, but it is not just about 'having Botox'. Just like a surgical procedure, it can be done well and it can be done badly, it is an art. Anyone can learn how to take a needle and syringe and inject it but only fully trained professionals understand the anatomy and dynamic changes of the face to ensure a fresh and natural look, to make you look less tired rather than frozen.
- Liposuction - there is a massive boom in non-surgical fat removal which can help with small pockets of fat, but it is expensive and the results can be variable. However, it is still hard to beat liposuction if you have stubborn areas of fat that you would like removed forever.
- Breast implants - gone are the days of massive implants. Dolly Parton and Jordan are no longer role models – stars like Kiera Knightley or Selena Gomez are now the bodies that many women to aspire to. It is not about 'look how big those breast are?' but more 'has she had breast implants or hasn't she?' Most people have surgery for themselves rather than others and they don't want to look different in clothes or have to buy a new wardrobe!
- Ear correction - people are often unaware that ears can be reshaped under local anaesthetic as a day case leaving a discrete scar in the fold at the back of the ear. Gone are the days of having the ears 'pinned back' and we are now about reshaping and moulding the ears to soften the projection and bring them gently back in line. The procedure takes around an hour but the results can be life changing.